The Talbots were both aware of the Alligator Men dogging their steps as they left the environs of the swamp. "They know us for what we are," Lawrence Talbot told Ron, "even in daylight."

"Do you think they'll attack us?" Ron asked. His teeth ached as though they were eager to tear into scaly flesh. Even as a man, he felt more animalistic than he had before coming to Terror Island.

And it's going to get worse, he realized. Someday I won't even want to be normal . . .

"No," Larry told him. "They're afraid of us. They won't attack us unless they're forced to. You taught them to respect us last night. And the closer we get to Dracula's Castle, the more reluctant they'll be to follow us. Even they have enough intelligence to know that is not a safe place."

Ron said nothing to that. Why am I doing this? he asked himself. This man may be my grandfather, but I don't owe him anything. Going into Dracula's Castle- even in daylight- could get me killed. Why am I doing it?

Part of it was a very human desire for revenge. Dracula had made him into a monster, something less than human. He would never forgive that- and he would make the Lord of the Vampires pay. He would make the vampire suffer . . .

But there was something else . . . something more primal than a desire for revenge. It was a kind of feral anger in the depths of the inhuman portion of his soul. The Werewolf would not leave Terror Island while Dracula remained . . . it would not let Ron leave.

The Vampire Lord was a rival- another hunter in the night. The Werewolf would not rest until he was destroyed. The night wasn't big enough for the two of them.

He could not explain this- even to himself- but he knew that he could not leave Terror Island until Dracula had been dealt with.

"Will there be any guards?" Ron asked as the Castle came into sight.

"No," Larry replied. "Dracula depends on the Alligator Men to guard the Island. The woman- his servant- protects him during the day and sees to the interior of the Castle. I don't know what she is, but she isn't human."

"She's the Bride of Frankenstein's Monster."

Larry Talbot nodded. "That could explain it."

"The Monster is there. And so is Elizabeth Frankenstein. Somehow I don't think they're going to let us just waltz in and put a stake in Dracula."

"You might be surprised," Larry said. "The Monster is hard to understand. He can be capable of great cruelty, but he can also be very loyal. There have been times when we have been friends."

"I wouldn't count on it," Ron considered. "Do you know where Dracula sleeps during the day?"

"In the dungeon, in a cell not too far from mine. He needs a safe place to rest during the day, and what better place than his own dungeon?"

"Is that a guess or do you know it for a fact?"

"I know Dracula."

"And he knows you. He'll be expecting us."

"Most likely. But he will have to remain in his coffin or risk death from the rays of the sun. The only ones we have to worry about are Frankenstein's Monsters- and his descendant."

"That could be enough." They had finally reached the edge of the woods- to go any farther would be to deprive themselves of what cover they had left. "You aren't planning on charging through the front door are you?"

"I'm cursed, not stupid," Larry replied with something like humor in his eyes. "Dracula had to have the electronic equipment he needed for that laboratory of his delivered- there has to be another entrance besides the front door. We'll circle the Castle."

They did this thing, and discovered a large back entrance- huge black iron doors even larger than the one that was the Castle's front entrance. Unfortunately, the doors were locked with a huge padlock.

"I don't think we could break through that door even in our wolf forms," Ron observed.

"Perhaps not," Larry agreed. "Let's look for a window that's within reach."

After a few minutes, they spotted several possibilities . . . but each one seemed to be just out of reach. The closest one was more than ten feet off the ground.

"This is going to be more difficult than I thought," Larry murmured.

Not being from as polite a generation, Ron snarled, "Damn! I'm getting awfully pissed off here . . ."

Larry turned to look at him and gasped.

"What is it?" Ron snapped at him. His jaws ached and his skin itched.

"Your eyes- they're yellow. Your teeth-"

Ron touched his teeth and felt the slight jutting of small fangs. "But it's hours before the next moon rise."

"You aren't like me," Larry said. "I was a normal man before I became a werewolf. You're the grandson of a werewolf- and Dracula thought that would make a difference in how you changed. Maybe it made more of a difference than he thought. Maybe you don't need the moon to change."

"Swell." Larry Talbot had always had the dubious comfort of knowing that he spent most of his time as a human being- only when the full moon came upon him did he lose his humanity. If he was right- if Ron was that different- than he couldn't count on that. He had no way of knowing when the wolf would come upon him.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Larry said softly. "But we can use this. No man could reach that window- but a werewolf can. You can make it through that window. Then you can find some way to lower a rope or open a door and let me in. It's our best chance."

"But if I let the wolf out, I- he- may turn on you."

"You have to hold him. You have to control him long enough to make it to the window."

"How much success have you had at controlling the wolf?"

"We're different," Larry said. "I barely remember anything when I'm the wolf. You do. You can talk. You have more control. You can do it. You have to do it."

Ron stared at him. "You're insane, you know. I could turn wolf and rip out your throat."

"You did that already," Larry pointed out. "It didn't kill me. I can't die- not like that." He looked at the Castle. "You have to do it, Ronald. If I could, I would do it myself. But I am only able to change by the moon- and I would be a mindless animal. You're our only hope of getting into the Castle."

"All right!" Ron snapped. "I'll try!" He began running towards the Castle.

With every step, he left another piece of his humanity behind. By the fourth step he was a Werewolf again. Like a gray-furred shadow, he ran to the window- and leaped through it.

Thick, heavy glass- nearly a quarter inch thick- shattered as he burst into the room and landed on the floor in front of the bed.

"What the hell-?" Elizabeth Frankenstein demanded from her bed as she rubbed her eyes.

The Werewolf smiled at her. "Why, hello, doctor . . . I'm awfully glad to see you again."

With the reluctant help of Doctor Frankenstein, the Werewolf tore her sheets into strips and fashioned a reasonably sturdy rope. With its aid he was easily able to haul Larry Talbot into the Castle.

"You are of the House of Frankenstein," was the first thing Larry Talbot said to her.

"Yes I am. Ronald must have told you about me."

"Yes, he did. But I would have recognized you anyway." Larry looked deeply into her eyes, and there was something about the way he did it that made Doctor Frankenstein look away. "You have the same fanaticism in your eyes as the other Frankensteins I have met." He turned to the Werewolf. "Become human again, Ron."

"Why?" the Werewolf demanded.

"We need the good doctor alive- for the moment. The longer you're in wolf form the harder that's going to be to arrange." He looked at the "good doctor" and smiled. "I'm still a man at the moment and I can barely restrain myself from ripping her throat out."

Reluctantly, the Werewolf closed his eyes and gave way to the man again. Ron looked at the surprised Elizabeth Frankenstein. "What can I say? I'm the new and improved version."

"Even Dracula didn't anticipate that," Elizabeth Frankenstein said.

"I'm glad you brought him up," Larry said. "Do you know where he is?"

"Of course. But there's no way I'm going to tell you. He'd kill me. And I know you won't force me, Lawrence Talbot. You're too much the gentleman to use force on a woman."

Ron grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "I'm not so chivalrous, Doc. I owe you big time for what you did to me. Give me a reason, and I'll rip out your throat. And I won't even bother to become the Werewolf to do it."

She stared at him dispassionately.

"Doctor," Larry said evenly, "even if I am not willing to harm you now, I will be the Wolf Man tonight- and he has no compunction about killing women. You have two choices. Help us- or die."

She stared at him for a moment. "He's in the dungeon- but you probably knew that."

"Yes," Larry admitted, "but we're going to the laboratory first."

"Why?" Elizabeth Frankenstein asked.

"I have hunted Dracula a long time," the sometimes Wolf Man replied. "And I have learned a great deal about vampires. This time, I'm going to be prepared for him. Take us to the laboratory."

Shrugging a thin silk robe over her nightgown, Elizabeth Frankenstein led them to the laboratory.