We went to Brock’s after school; the thought of staying in the empty house alone kept me away as long as possible.

School had gone well. I found out I actually passed my math test, only by one question, but at least I passed. It rained during lunch, then the sun came out to dry everything so that the world smelled fresh and new. Chet and his pack had also been absent, which added to the greatness of the day. I supposed I should have been worried about where they were, but figured he had already ruined enough days that I got to keep one for myself once in a while.

We watched television, ate some pizza compliments of Brock’s mom, and were lounging on the porch drinking sodas when the rhythmic pounding of running feet caught my ears. A figure dashed up the road toward us through the twilight. Brock noticed my attention was elsewhere and followed my eyes.

“Who is it?” he asked, squinting to see through the shadows.

The figure was upwind and when his scent came to me I set down the soda and stood. Fear and sweat mingled with Mouse’s woody, homey scent of Italian food and a wood burning stove. Somewhere in the back of my mind I pictured a tiny, rotund, Italian speaking grandmother wrapped in a shawl and apron and holding a bowl of sauce. I shook my head to clear the image. “Mouse.”

“Jaze?” Mouse shouted.

I ran to meet him, Brock at my heels. Mouse nearly bowled into me, then bent over with his hands on his knees gasping for air. “You’ve got to go,” he forced out.

“Go where?” I demanded; adrenaline rose at the panic in his voice.

Mouse glanced up at me, his eyes wide with fear. “The pack, they’re after Nikki.”

My heart slowed. I put my hands on his shoulders. “What are you talking about? Nikki is Chet’s girlfriend.”

Mouse shook his head, his chest heaving. “Something about Nikki’s parents. One of the werewolves was hurt last night, and they think her parents had something to do with it. The pack waited all day for them to show up, but they never did, so they’re going to attack Nikki in revenge.”

I had my shirt off before he finished speaking.

Brock grabbed my arm. “Jaze, what are you doing?”

I pulled free and stepped away. “I’ve got to save her, Brock. They’ll kill her.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Her parents are Hunters.”
Brock’s mouth fell open, but he made no attempt to stop me.

I phased to wolf form faster than I ever had before. The world spun dizzily around me, but I ducked my head and ran down the sidewalk. I pushed into the wolf’s mile-eating lope until I practically flew. My paws barely touched the ground. I rounded the corner and ran up the street.

Images of Nikki being torn apart by the pack flew through my head. I saw her body lying in pieces on her front lawn the way my dad’s had in our living room. I pushed myself faster, and turned the corner of her block in time to see Nikki surrounded on the sidewalk in front of her house.

Five of Chet’s pack were still in human form, including Chet himself. Silver blades flashed in the streetlight. The other six had already phased to wolf form. Their teeth were bared in snarling white flashes against the darkening night. I was shocked by their audacity at appearing in wolf form in the middle of the city. Chet leaned toward Nikki, his face inches from hers. He held a knife and gestured as though threatening to use it.

I ran toward them at full speed. No one saw or heard me until I was less than a second away, and by then it was too late. I plowed headlong through the surrounding pack. My shoulders impacted two wolves and they yelped and flew to the sides. I barreled into Chet, knocking him to the ground, then spun so that Nikki was at my back and the rest of them were at the front. A low growl rumbled in my chest.

Chet rose shakily to his feet, his gaze wide as his looked around for his attacker. When his eyes fell on me, they filled with such bitter hatred I fought to keep from tearing him apart right there. “Nice of you to join us, Jaze,” he spat out. Blood trickled down his lip and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He stepped forward, his knife low. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

I backed up slowly, forcing Nikki to step back until she stood against the fence. I glanced back and her eyes met mine, wide and searching. Chet stepped closer. I turned back to him and growled. He didn’t need to be in wolf form to understand the threat of my tone.

Chet laughed, a dark chuckle that made my fur stand on end. “If that’s the way you want it.” He stepped back to phase and motioned for his pack to attack.

Five wolves and five werewolves in human form dove at me. I ducked under a wolf from the left and he collided with one on the right. I jumped on their tangle of bodies and launched myself at two of the werewolves in human form. I caught one knife-baring hand in my jaws as the force of my body barreled them to the ground. I rolled to the right, pulling the one I held over my back and to the ground on the other side. He yelled when his arm snapped and he dropped the knife.

I dodged a knife swipe from another human, spun to the left, and grappled head on with a wolf. He snapped at my stomach, but I barreled him over with my shoulder and held him to the ground. I clamped onto his throat and bit down. Warm blood filled my mouth. The instinct to close my teeth and finish him took over. He squirmed as I tightened my jaw. A blow to the side threw me over, breaking my hold. I rose and dodged to the right in time to avoid another wolf. Then Nikki screamed.

Chet, hulking and huge in his Alpha form, closed the distance between them. His black fur blended in with the rapidly gathering night, but his eyes glowed golden and angry in the darkness. I leaped over the two wolves between us and was about to reach him when something slammed into my ribs. Pain laced out in all directions, fogging my vision with red. I gasped for breath as I turned to face my attacker.

Darryl, one of the wolves I had fought to protect Brock, stood still in his human form, a silver knife in one hand. He waved it at me and drops of my blood fell to the lawn. I leaped at him, but was bowled over by two wolves from the left. I rolled back to my feet fast enough to throw one of the wolves and bite out at the other one when Darryl sliced again with the knife. This time, it buried to the hilt in my stomach. I grabbed his shoulder in my teeth before he could step back and pulled him to the ground.

He yelled and rolled over; his feet caught me in the ribs and he kicked me away. I landed on my back. Blood streamed from my wounds, taking my strength with it. I forced myself up by sheer will. Wolves surrounded me. Nikki screamed again and I glanced up in time to see Chet jump at her. I launched myself over the heads of the wolves and landed on Chet’s back. He rolled over just short of Nikki, teeth flashing. His jaws snapped shut millimeters from my jugular. I dodged out of the way, then lunged at his shoulder and tore a gash down his forearm.

A blaze of pain ran down my back. I spun to see another werewolf in human form backing away as fast as he could. I dove at him and a rumbling howl escaped my throat. He tripped over a wolf and fell. I lunged for his throat and he held up an arm. I ground it between my teeth and felt the bones snap before he dropped the knife.

Teeth tore at my shoulder. I turned to meet Chet’s brutal attack. He dove for my throat, but I met him tooth for tooth. I tried to reach his eyes to blind him, but he was relentless and strong. The silver that coursed through my veins from the knives began to weaken my muscles along with the blood loss from the gaping wounds. His teeth found purchase in my forearm and he bit down. I reached the side of his throat and threw him with a jerk of my neck. He rolled on the lawn and leaped back, ready to attack again, when a gunshot shook the air.

I glanced back to see Nikki standing in the gate holding a shotgun above her head. “This is loaded with silver bullets,” she threatened, bringing it down to aim at Chet. “Get away from him.”

Chet backed up slowly, his ears held tight to his skull and teeth bared. I faced him until he joined the rest of his pack. Only two were still in human form, and they leaned on each other, bloody and bruised. The rest of the wolves gathered around Chet, awaiting his orders. He growled again and took a step in my direction, but Nikki left the fence and made her way to me, the gun pointed at him like she knew how to use it.

Chet growled his frustration, then turned and stalked down the road, his pack close behind.

Pain knifed through every vein as the silver from the splintered knives spread through my body. I collapsed just as Nikki reached me. Too weak to hold wolf form any longer, I phased on the lawn. My wounds stretched and tore. I couldn’t hold back the yell that escaped my lips. I glanced up at Nikki. She held the shotgun with the barrel pointed toward the grass. The silver burned and my whole body felt like it was on fire. It was all I could do to keep from screaming. I could barely think past the pain. My vision blurred red and a shudder coursed through my body. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I couldn’t live, not like this. I opened my mouth to ask Nikki to shoot me and end it all when I heard a yell.

“Don’t touch him!” Brock shouted. His pounding feet raced toward us. He threw his body over mine. “Don’t you dare hurt him,” he growled in a voice that would have done a werewolf proud.

I glanced up one last time. Nikki’s blue eyes met mine and tears spilled down her cheeks. I closed my eyes and let the pain carry me away.