Excitement bubbled inside me as I pulled on my purple and white cheerleading uniform. Friday night meant one thing - pep rally time! I fluffed my blonde hair, slipped on my white sneakers, and grabbed my pom-poms.

Holly burst into the locker room, already dressed and ready to go. "Come on, Jessica! This isn't a fashion show!"

"I know, I know," I said, laughing.

We rushed out of the locker room and onto the football field. The screaming fans packed the stands, the air thick with the smell of fried food, popcorn, and team spirit.

My heart raced as our captain, Tiffany, stood up and bellowed, "Finally! Let's remind this crowd what we're made of!"

The squad took their places, and the music started. We kicked, twirled, and jumped to the beat, the crowd cheering us on. I could feel the energy coursing through my veins as I nailed every move.

But then, disaster struck. One of the girls stumbled and nearly fell, throwing off the entire routine. The crowd went silent, and I could feel my stomach drop.

But we didn't give up. We rallied together, picked up where we left off and finished the routine with a flourish. The crowd erupted into applause, and I could feel the relief and pride coursing through me.

As we walked off the field, Tiffany pulled me aside. "Jessica, that was amazing. You really saved the routine with your energy and enthusiasm. You're a star."

I grinned from ear to ear, feeling like a million bucks. "Thanks! That was insane!"

I sat on the bench next to my squad, watching as the band played on the field. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the crowd. Everyone seemed happy and safe, but I couldn't shake off my sense of unease. Who knew if something strange might happen?

"Hey, Jessica. What do you think of the cheerleading competition in Las Vegas?" Malaysia asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I turned to her and shrugged. "I'm not sure if my dad will let me go."

"Why not? You're our best squad member ever!" Tiffany exclaimed.

I sighed. "You know my dad is the town's sheriff. He can barely leave, and he doesn't feel comfortable with me going on trips without him."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Holly rolled her eyes. "Your dad is a party pooper."

I understood where she was coming from, but my dad had a job to do - keep the town safe.

Suddenly, I noticed a strange shadow lurking behind the benchers. It was too dark to see anything clearly, but I had a feeling it wasn't anything good.

"Excuse me, I have to use the restroom," I lied, standing up.

"Then hurry before the band ends," Tiffany said.

I nodded and quickly made my way towards the benchers. As I got closer, my heart started to race. I had a bad feeling about this.

Just as I suspected, there was something there - a figure lurking in the shadows. I couldn't make out any details, but it was definitely not human.

"Who's there?" I called out, trying to sound brave.

The figure moved closer, and I could finally see it clearly. It was a werewolf! A big white one in a purple jersey!

My hand shook as I reached for my cell phone, ready to call for backup. But I stopped, thinking I could deal with this alone without endangering lives.

"You won't get away this time," I said, taking a deep breath.

I tackled the werewolf to the ground, feeling its fur between my fingers as I shook it violently. The head fell off and rolled away, revealing a chubby-faced kid with dark, sweaty hair.

"What are you doing!?" he cried, panic in his voice.

That's when I realized the werewolf was actually just a mascot. What was wrong with me? Had I become totally delusional?

"Get off me!" the kid screamed, struggling to get up.

I quickly got off him and apologized profusely. "Sorry! Sorry! I'm totally sorry!"

The kid in the mascot suit stood up, brushing himself off. "What's your problem?" he asked, glaring at me.

I struggled to find the right words to explain myself. "I thought... I thought..."

"You're weird!" the kid accused me.

I glared back, feeling defensive. "Well... What are you totally doing here!? Creeping around?"

The kid just shook his head and put the werewolf head back on. "None of your beeswax!" he shouted, walking away.

"Weirdo!" he yelled back at me over his shoulder.

I watched him leave, feeling embarrassed and confused. Maybe it was PTSD or something. About two years ago, I had a boyfriend who turned out to be a werewolf. He turned me into a werewolf so I could become his mate, but when I rejected him, he turned berserk and attacked the town. Sadly, I had to put him down.

During that time, his werewolf sister also attacked my friends' party at an isolated castle. Of course, I had to kill her too to protect my friends. And then there was the werejackal mummy who came to life at the museum and tried to transfer his dead girlfriend's soul into my body. No way in hell was I going to allow that to happen.

Ever since I slayed the mummy, I've been on high alert for more monsters to appear. Maybe I'm being too cautious, or maybe my werewolf senses are clouding my judgment. But one thing's for sure - I'll do whatever it takes to protect my home.

*****

As we finished our performance, I could feel my heart pounding with excitement. The crowd erupted in cheers, and I couldn't help but smile ear to ear. I turned to my squad, and we all high-fived each other. The wolf mascot joined in, and we all laughed at his silly moves.

As we walked off the field, I glimpsed the kid in the mascot suit walking away. I shrugged it off and followed my squad to the locker room. As we changed out of our uniforms, Tiffany said, "Great job, squad! We killed it out there!"

Everyone agreed and started chatting about the upcoming competitions. I couldn't help but feel like something was off. I tried to shake the feeling off, but my werewolf senses were tingling. I told the girls I was going to grab some water and would be right back.

As I walked out of the locker room, I heard a strange noise coming from the equipment room. My curiosity got the best of me, and I followed the noise. As I got closer, the noise became louder, and I could hear growling.