"Drake, this is madness," Long Leg Liz said from her confines, an iron cage just large enough to fit one body. She could sit or stand but that was all the room her prison allowed her.

"I beg you to stop."

Drake pushed his Stetson back and smiled showing his toothy grin. "What's the matter mother no longer have the stomach for conquest? I will own the West and with Ruechari by my side, I will I will run this world."

His mother frowned and scorned her son. "She will destroy you. You have no idea the power that girl possesses."

"That's the funny thing Mother neither does she. She's wild, but I will tame her."

"You're a fool. Ruechari may not know how to control her powers but she is powerful enough to hold the power of the totem within her, to destroy the Wraith, an ancient being of darkness with more power then any vampire. What makes you so sure that she will succumb to you?"

"She has a weakness. I have seen it. And how the mighty will fall when I exploit it. Every hero has an Achilles heel mother, and for Ruechari, that would be one William Henry McCarty, Jr."

"If she can fall in love with on of the walking dead, why not me? Why Daegan nearly had her already, she would have been mine if it wasn't for her traveling companions. An injun, your lover and a dark figure I did not get his name of before my connection was severed."

"Daegan is dead?" His Mother fell to the bottom of the cage.

"Odd response coming from you Mother. I would have thought you'd have been more surprised to know Doc was still alive but then you were the one who helped him weren't you? How did you do it? How did you break my hold on him?"

His Mother sat quietly with her arms around her knees and head resting upon them. She refused to speak to him.

"What? You're giving me the silent treatment now. A moment ago I couldn't get you to be quiet."

She turned away from him.

"So be it. It matters not anyway. Once Doc learns that I have taken Crimsondale he will come charging in and when he does. I will take hold of his mind once more. I will remove the man from him and he will destroy anyone I command him to. Just like the others in his pack that were fool enough to stand up to me and mine."

"And this time I will not let you anywhere near him. He will remain my slave forever."

"What have we done to make you hate us so much?" Liz asked.

"You brought me into this world. Isn't that enough?" Drake said, right before he climbed the stairs from the cellar to the saloon.

"She should be here soon my pets. We must make her feel welcome. I want everything perfect for my bride's arrival."

"What you're not going to ask your own father to the wedding?"

Drake took a long draw from his cigarillo. "Your speed is impressive old man. I didn't really expect you for another few hours. You must be exhausted. Have a seat?"

Two large vampires had come up behind Doc grabbing hold of his arms and trying to force him closer to Drake. With a massive show of strength Doc made the men collide into one another and fall to floor.

"Oh Goodie, you're going to fight. This should be fun."

Doc Vale charged him, and Drake pulled out his gun and shot him in the leg. It caused him to stumble and fall forward, but he got back up and started again.

Again Drake shot his gun, hitting his other leg. Doc went down. He started to crawl towards him.

"The bullets are silver, Pops. If you don't change they'll kill you and then what good will you be to Mom."

Doc looked on and growled, "No!"

"Afraid are we? How delightful. You'd rather die then give me a chance at controlling you again. She's here you know. Reach out you'll feel her. She's right below you. Though she's not as glorious as she once was. Thank you by the way as I owe her capture to you. Of course, eventually once her territories have all surrendered to me, she will have outlived her usefulness. So..."

In a blink of eye, Doc changed into his wolf form and leapt at Drake's throat. In seconds, a wall of vampire's jumped in to protect Drake, several losing their lives in the process. Giving Drake just enough time to make the connection and invade Doc's mind to strip him of the last of his humanity.

Now whimpering and obedient, the mongrel laid at his master's feet. "Good dog," Drake said, patting the black wolf's head. He smiled as he heard his Mother's resounding screams.

"Well that's settled," he said pouring himself a drink. "A toast!" he said to the occupants of he saloon. "Long Live the King!" to which and echoing response reverberated.