A rough hand shoves me from behind. I fall forward and tumble across the blacktop.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

It isn’t pretty. I must look like the world’s clumsiest acrobat. Before I roll to a stop, I scrape my arm, my knee, and my forehead. I sit up, feeling dizzy. Warm, icky blood leaks from a gash above my eye.

“Don’t worry,” says Killer Paw. He walks towards me with that creepy tight smile on his face. The wind whips his long black hair in all directions, making him look wild. “Those wounds will heal up real quick. That’s one of the advantages of being our kind.”

I scoot backwards, trying to get away from him. “Leave me alone,” I say, but my voice is small.

Killer Paw tilts his head to one side like a curious puppy. “Ah, you don’t mean that. If you’re all alone who’s gonna teach you all about being a wolf?” When he says the word “wolf” it sounds like a dog’s WOOF. “Come with me, Kat. I promise, it’ll be tons more fun than middle school.”

I shake my head, crab-crawling backwards a few more inches. “But… I don’t want to join you.”

Killer Paw’s creepy smile melts into a frown. He makes one of those disappointed faces usually only adults can do. He raises his hand and spreads his fingers out wide, like he’s showing off a magic trick.

“I’m so sad to hear you say that,” Killer Paw says. “You really give me no choice.”

Right before my eyes, Killer Paw’s fingernails start growing. They get longer and longer, darker and darker. Until finally, the human fingernails have transformed into thick, sharp, nasty claws.

I gulp air, thinking about what those claws could do to me. Three words echo in my head over and over.

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I’m so dead. I’m so dead. I’m so dead.

Luckily, another voice interrupts my awful thoughts. “Get away from her!”

A body slams into Killer Paw from behind. The two of them crash against the blacktop like a rolling wave. They claw and punch at each other. Both growl like wolves.

The one who screamed is a boy in blue jeans and a t-shirt. Not a little boy. He looks about my age, but that’s all I can make out. They’re moving too fast to see much of anything. A crazy blur of arms and legs.

When they stop rolling, the boy has his back to me. He throws a punch like a boxer, bashing Killer Paw in the jaw. Stunned, Killer Paw staggers backwards. This gives the kid a chance to turn and face me.

It’s the weird boy from art class… Justin.

“Run Kat!” he yells. Killer Paw grabs Justin from behind and the two of them start wrestling again. It’s no surprise the bigger, stronger Killer Paw is winning. Justin is flat on his back with Killer Paw kneeling on his chest. The long-haired teen clenches Justin’s neck with both clawed hands, squeezing. Justin’s eyes bulge and his skin turns pale. He manages to look my way, and in a weak, gurgled voice he says, “Go.”

I want to. More than anything. I want to turn right around and race all the way home, then shut my door and lock it. But I just can’t leave Justin like this. Not after he saved me.

I take one step towards them, not sure what I’m going to do. Maybe I can kick Killer Paw while he’s distracted. Maybe I can…

WHOOP! WHOOP!

I nearly jump out of my skin. The wail of the police siren startles me so bad I freeze like a statue. So do Killer Paw and Justin. They hit the pause button on their fight and glance up in the direction of the noise. I spin around and catch sight of my dad’s patrol car, whipping around a corner. It races towards us. Its lights flash. Its siren wails again.

WHOOP! WHOOP!

Oh, thank goodness. Dad is sure to lock Killer Paw up for attacking me. After all, the creepy dude is almost an adult and Justin and I are just kids. Last time I checked, strangers can’t go around assaulting middle-schoolers.

But what if Dad can’t arrest Killer Paw? Will handcuffs be strong enough to hold him? Do normal bullets even work on werewolves?

Then an even more horrible thought screams in my head. What if Killer Paw hurts Dad? Or worse?

My questions will never be answered. I turn back around to face Justin and Killer Paw…

But they’re gone!