It was Macy, just a bit more than an hour later. When they arrived, Shannon looked like she'd seen a ghost. She stepped out of the car and walked toward Kim.

  "Her family needs Jesus," Shannon said quietly.

  "Sorry to dally," Macy said, stepping out with a grin. "But we got the heavy machinery." She popped the trunk and pressed the base of it. A false bottom lifted-revealing at least three AR-15s, several handguns, a grenade, and ammo. Lots of ammo.

  "Mace..." Adam stared. "Does your dad know you borrowed all his guns?"

  Macy laughed. "Oh honey, these aren't all his guns." She kissed Adam on the cheek. He looked like he'd been struck by lightning. "Let's go hunting."

  Kim walked up to the car. "Where's Sarah?" Shannon asked.

  "Scouting. She found its trail deeper in the woods. She's waiting for us." Kim looked at the group, intense. "If you know how to use one of these, grab one. If you're too afraid, no one will hold it against you. You can wait with the car."

  Macy went straight for an AR-15 and a Glock 9. She checked the safety, slung the rifle over her shoulder with the strap, tucked the pistol into her waistband, and dropped the grenade into her pocket.

  Adam grabbed an AR-15 too. "You're adorable," Macy said. "Keep the AR as a last resort though. It's not easy to manage if you haven't used it before." She strapped it over his shoulder, handed him a Glock and ammo. "Here."

  Kim took the remaining AR-15. She wasn't that familiar with it, but she was stronger now than she'd ever been and healed faster than the rest. The guns would weaken it-so Sarah could kill it.

  Macy gave them a quick tutorial. "Remember, you don't need to be precise. Just don't shoot each other."

  "I'm staying with the car," Shannon said meekly.

  Kim didn't argue. "Keep a Glock. If you see it, shoot and honk like hell."

  It was late. They were far from town, stopped on a road beside dense woods. The rain had eased-not hard anymore, but enough to keep the vile scent sharp. Not for Sarah, anyway.

  She appeared at the edge of the trees, once again in wolf form. She turned, and the small group followed-decked out in guns, looking like a Disney special gone horribly wrong.

  No banter as they moved. For Kim, something primal in her knew she was hunting-ancient, old as the hills. Her gray sweats kept her dark.

  Macy was a trained hunter-her family went every year, and she'd been in Army cadets until she refused to return. Silently she promised herself she'd go again. Adam wasn't trained, but he was humble enough to watch what Macy did. Sarah appeared in the distance occasionally, leading the way.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  After what seemed like forever, they reached a clearing with a small hill. Sarah sat at the base.

  "This is it," Kim said. "I don't know where the entrance is. We're gonna have to draw it out."

  "That's that thing's home," Macy said. "The thing that came to my house. Destroyed it while wearing my friend's face." She threw the grenade before anyone could stop her. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

  She grabbed Adam's arm. "That means get the fuck behind a tree in civilian!"

  They scattered. The explosion was louder than even Macy expected. When they peeked around the trees, they saw it-still wearing Sam's skin, blackened and wounded. "That was my home," it growled, turning to face them.

  Ears still ringing, they unloaded. A hail of bullets tore through the creature until what was left was barely recognizable.

  When it started to heal, Sarah came from the trees. She leaped over the friends-only to yelp and fall hard.

  Kim turned to see the new threat. Before she could react, she felt a pinch on her neck. The world went black.

  Kim woke to the warmth of a fire. Sitting by it was Cindi. Macy and Adam were tied up and gagged. Sarah was in a cage made of what looked like silver. She was still asleep. Kim was tied to the cave wall, mouth gagged.

  "Wolfsbane," Cindi said. Kim looked at herself-strung up, helpless. "I think I gave Sarah enough to make her father take a nap." She turned to Kim with a fang-faced grin. "I'm going to eat her first. I was just waiting for you to wake up. Wouldn't want you to miss it."

  "You may be wondering 'where is Shannon right now.'" Cindi smiled as some kids from the football team dragged Shannon's unconscious body to the fire. "I've been in these woods since the first time the white man came." Her body changed-now a man in copper armor, helmet with a beautiful red plume. "They called them Romans back then. They tasted funny. And their numbers were small." She came up to Kim, putting Sam's face inches from hers, dagger against her cheek. "This is pure silver. Funny thing, silver. It kills almost everything. Vampires, my kind, werewolves. Very versatile. Sorry to monologue. But I plan to kill and eat your friend while you watch. And I find it's more fun when I talk about it."

  "Think I'm going to start with werewolf. I've never eaten werewolf before. But I bet it's a treat."

  She stabbed Sarah with the blade. "Wakey wakey," she said. "We don't want you dying in your sleep."

  The wendigo stabbed Sarah again. Sarah let out a weak whimper. But she was awake-groggy, but awake. "There's your girl," the wendigo said in a sickly mockery of a motherly voice.

  Kim's anger boiled. She pulled and smashed against the restraints. Pain ripped through her-bones shifting, skin burning, rage boiling into something bigger than herself. Fur erupted across her body, white as fresh snow. Her head lengthened into a lupine skull, jaws wide and snarling. Muscle knotted under her pelt. She tore free from the bonds, the gag ripping as her muzzle formed.

  "This can't be," the wendigo hissed. Sarah growled weakly from the cage-wounded but fighting. "No! This isn't possible! This is cheating!"

  Adam looked at the cage. He was groggy but awake. The door to Sarah's cage wasn't locked-just tied with rope. Sarah couldn't touch the bars or rope. Adam's hands were tied, but he could move his legs. When the fight moved far enough, he rose to a crouch and moved over to the cage door. He pulled at the rope.

  The wendigo saw what he was doing. The distraction gave Kim an edge. She slashed, sending the wendigo crashing into a tree. Adam yanked the rope free. Sarah leaped from the cage-bloody, wounded, but alive. She went for the wendigo's head.

  It tried to bring up its weapon, but Kim's fangs tore off its arm.

  Its head removed. Its arm taken. It still tried to move and fight. The two werewolves tore it to shreds. When they were done, whatever was left wasn't moving anymore.