“Shit,” Helena hissed. Whatever was going on, she knew she had to be there. Sure, Jane was the textbook definition of clinical anxiety. Sure, “something’s wrong with Cami” could mean literally anything from sensory overload to her being stuck in a tree.

But why would she call for Helena, of all people? Like, really? What kind of relationship did she think they had?

She looked up to the stranger, who was frowning in puzzlement. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should go. My friends need me.”

“What, to hold their hair back while they vom into a bush?” teased the stranger. “Really, Helena. Just come with me.”

Helena was about to storm off, but something stopped her. “I never told you my name.”

“You didn’t have to,” the stranger said with a smile that suddenly wasn’t so warm. “I’ve known for quite some time. It’ll serve you well to come with me.”

Helena found herself rooted to the earth. A silvery flash caught her eye, bright under what moonlight pierced the forest canopy: a knife on the stranger’s belt.

“Oh, no,” she whispered.

“Oh, yes,” the stranger replied. With a startling amount of strength, she surged forward and pinned Helena to the nearest tree. Helena yelped, the bark digging into her back. Her hands squeezed her phone, but her fingers shook too much to be of any use. Besides, who would she call? Everyone with Cami.

Everyone was with Cami, and she was alone.

Helena did what any sane woman would and spat in her assailant’s face. The stranger growled, actually growled, like something feral had taken root in her throat.

But before any true harm could be dealt, the stranger was shoved off of her with startling force.

It took Helena a moment to recognize her saviour, if only because it was so out of left field. She would’ve suspected her dead fucking grandmother before even imagining Cassidy Black in such a place.

And yet Cassidy stood there, looming--yes, Cassidy could loom--over the stranger. The buttons on her blazer had come undone, and her tight bun was askew, platinum curls falling into her face.

“You don’t even go here!” Cassidy snapped.

In the scuffle, the stranger’s knife had come loose, and lay useless among pine needles and dirt.

Helena picked it up.

“You don’t know what you’ve gotten into,” the stranger snarled. “What you’re interfering with.” She struggled onto her knees, and then bent as if in prayer.

That’s when she transformed. Bones cracked, skin tore, and her face twisted into something distinctly… canine.

What little bravado Cassidy had held onto dissipated. “Huh?”

“That’s a werewolf,” Helena breathed. “Okay. Sure. Werewolf. Great.”

The end result was still more woman than wolf, but there was no mistaking it: the hulking humanoid form, the wolf’s head on the furred body, those bright, predatory eyes…

“Huh?” Cassidy squeaked out again.

The beast lunged. Cassidy yelped, throwing her hands up to defend herself, but they were pinned above her head by the time they hit the ground. The beast’s fangs dug into her shoulder, and yelps turned to screams, guttural and desperate, until neither of them sounded human.

Helena’s head spun, straining to process it all. Flesh tore, blood black under the fading moonlight.

What do I do what do I do what do I do how do you stop a werewolf thinkthinkthink--

Silver. Silver stopped werewolves.

With trembling hands, Helena unclasped the silver chain around her neck. She slid the rose quartz into the flannel's breast pocket. Wrapped the chain around the knife. Sucked in a breath.

And plunged.

The result was instant and electric. Literally electric: pure energy shot up Helena’s arm in a jolt, and the creature’s flesh came alight as if it’d caught fire. It yowled in some horrible half-human, half-monster voice, and practically tore itself off of Cassidy. Before Helena could do anything else, it bounded off into the woods.

Cassidy lay prone on the earth. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape, but she didn’t make a sound. Blood poured from her shoulder, staining her curls and her blazer. She twitched, shuddered, stared up at the moon as if it’d offer answers.

Helena choked back bile.

“Hi, Cassidy,” she managed, kneeling down beside her still-speechless schoolmate. “Hi. Um. We’re going to take you to a hospital, okay?”

A new voice chimed in. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Helena turned, knife in hand, but only Olivia and Cami stood there. Well, Olivia stood, but Cami swayed back and forth beside her, standing only because her arm was draped over the other girl's shoulder. She’d gone even paler than usual, her freckled face frozen in a mix between awe and terror. Her eyes shone uncannily, like twin marbles.

Olivia noticed her staring and said, “I don’t know what happened, either. But we can’t take her or Girlboss over there unless we’re ready to answer some very difficult questions.”

She stood up straight, that commanding light in her eyes. Helena sucked in a breath, straining against the order.

“Are we just leaving them to die?” She squeaked out.

“Of course not.” She gestured vaguely to Cassidy. “Grab her and follow me, okay? There’s a car just at the end of this path.”

Helena stooped down, pushing her arms under Cassidy. The girl didn’t protest, barely conscious at this point. Blood, warm and sticky, coated Helena's flannel and the Halloween costume beneath it. Cassidy groaned, her eyes fluttering shut.

“God,” she mumbled.

Olivia snickered. “It’s just blood, Helena. It’s not going to hurt you.”

“Not all of us are vampires,” Helena retorted, hoisting herself to her feet. “Hey, you aren’t going to drink their blood, are you?”

Olivia looked at Cassidy, and then at Cami. “No, I don’t think I want to risk it.”

“Risk it?” Helena echoed.

“Yeah. I don’t know exactly what happened to either of them, but their humanity’s definitely forfeit.”