With a thunderous roar, she launched herself at Ivan. Her claws raked across his face, leaving deep furrows in his decaying flesh. Ivan stumbled back, momentarily surprised by the ferocity of her attack.

"Come on, furry," Ivan taunted, wiping away a trickle of black ichor from his cheek. "This will be fun.”

Jessica didn't waste her breath on words. She was done being afraid. Done letting this nightmare control her life. With a snarl, she pressed her attack, fangs and claws a blur of motion as she fought to keep Ivan on the defensive.

But Ivan was far from helpless. His fist connected with Jessica's muzzle, sending her reeling. Before she could recover, a kick to her ribs sent her sprawling across the sand. Jessica tasted blood in her mouth, her vision swimming from the force of the blow.

"Is that all?" Ivan loomed over her, electricity dancing between his fingertips. "I expected more from a Teen Wolf knock-off!”

A blast of icy wind slammed into Ivan, forcing him back. Salina stood nearby, her hands glowing purple with witch energy. "She's not alone, you walking science experiment!"

Frankie blurred into view, her fangs bared as she launched a flying kick at Ivan's head. "Yeah, we are the Monster Girl Squad! And we are going to kick your ass!”

Ivan's laughter boomed across the beach as he fended off their attacks. "Monster Girl Squad? Really? Am I inside a B-movie now?”

Jessica struggled to her feet, her ribs screaming in protest. She watched as her friends fought with everything they had. Frankie's superhuman speed and strength. Salina's magical prowess. Even Damon and Kevin, armed with little more than courage and determination, refused to back down.

And here she was, the one with the weapon that could end this nightmare once and for all, hesitating.

"What's the matter, pup?" Ivan's mocking voice cut through the chaos. "Scared to pull the trigger? Just like you were too scared when I killed your mommy?”

Something inside Jessica snapped. The weapon hummed to life in her paws, its circuitry pulsing with an eerie blue glow. "You don't get to talk about her," she snarled, her voice a guttural growl. "You don't get to use her memory against me anymore!"

She charged forward, dodging a blast of electricity from Ivan's outstretched hand. The air crackled with ozone as Jessica closed the distance; the weapon raised high.

Ivan's eyes widened a fraction, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. "Now, now, Jessica. Let's not be hasty. You wouldn't want to hurt your dear old friend Ivan, would you?"

Jessica's lips peeled back in a feral grin. “Old dear friend? Fuck you!”

She swung the weapon with all her might, aiming for Ivan's head. But at the last second, he ducked, the device grazing his shoulder instead. Ivan howled in pain as the weapon's energy coursed through him, causing his undead flesh to smolder and bubble.

"You little bitch!" he roared, lashing out with a wild swing. His fist connected with Jessica's jaw, sending her sprawling. The weapon flew from her grasp, landing in the surf several feet away.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Jessica's head swam from the impact. She tried to stand, but her limbs felt like jelly. Through blurry vision, she saw Ivan advancing on her friends. Frankie and Salina stood their ground, but exhaustion was clear in their postures. Damon cradled an unconscious Kevin, his eyes wide with fear.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Ivan growled, electricity arcing between his hands. "I think I'll start with the bloodsucker. Always wanted to see if vampires could be electrocuted."

"No!" Jessica's voice was barely more than a whisper. She crawled towards the weapon, each movement sending waves of agony through her battered body.

Memories flashed through her mind. Her mother's smile. The warmth of her hugs. The sound of her laughter. And then... the night it all ended. The night Ivan took her away.

But mixed with those painful memories were newer ones. Kevin and Salina, standing by her side as she grappled with her newfound powers. The thrill of her first successful cheer routine. Frankie and Damon, welcoming her into their circle without hesitation.

Jessica's paw closed around the weapon's grip. She couldn't save her mother. But she could save her friends. She could end this nightmare once and for all.

With a herculean effort, Jessica pushed herself to her feet. "Hey, Ivan!" she called out, her voice rough but strong. “You still think I am a pudding?”

Ivan turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw Jessica standing, the weapon clutched in her paw. "Oh, trying to be the big hero now? How adorable."

Jessica's lips curled into a fierce grin. "You were wrong then, and you're wrong now. I'm not that scared little girl anymore. I'm Jessica Trumblelee, a member of the Moon Valley High cheerleading squad. I'm a werewolf. And I'm the one who's going to kick your undead ass back to whatever hell you crawled out of!"

She charged forward, the weapon humming with power. Ivan's hands crackled with electricity as he prepared to unleash a deadly blast. But Jessica was faster. She ducked under his outstretched arm, bringing the weapon up in a vicious uppercut.

The device connected with Ivan's jaw, and the world exploded into blinding light. Jessica felt a surge of energy course through her body, every nerve ending screaming in agony. She heard Ivan's inhuman shriek of pain, felt his decaying flesh crumble beneath the weapon's assault.

And then... silence.

Jessica blinked, trying to clear the spots from her vision. She was on her back, staring up at the clear dark sky. No more rain and no more lightning strikes. Every inch of her body ached, and she tasted blood in her mouth. But she was alive.

"Jessica!" Salina's voice, tinged with panic, cut through the ringing in her ears. "Oh god, please be okay!"

Hands helped her sit up. Jessica groaned, her head spinning. As her vision cleared, she saw her friends gathered around her, their faces a mix of concern and awe.

"Did... did I get him?" Jessica mumbled, her words slightly slurred.

Kevin, looking worse for wear but conscious, let out a shaky laugh. "Get him? Jessica, you vaporized him! There's nothing left but a smoking crater and some very crispy orange jumper scraps."

Jessica's eyes widened. She looked down at her hands, surprised to see they had returned to their human form. The weapon lay nearby, its circuitry dark and lifeless. "It's over," she whispered, the realization slowly sinking in. "He's really gone."

Frankie knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You did it, Jessica. You faced your fear and came out on top. That takes serious guts."

"And some serious wolfy power," Damon added with a grin. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Jessica couldn't help but laugh, even though it made her ribs ache. "Trust me, the cheerleading squad is way scarier than any werewolf."

As her friends helped her to her feet, Jessica felt a weight lift from her shoulders. The specter of Ivan Stone, the nightmare that had haunted her for so long, was finally gone. She had faced her deepest fear and emerged victorious.

"So," Salina said, brushing sand from her clothes, "I don't know about you guys, but I think I've had enough tropical vacation to last me a lifetime. What do you say we head home?"

Kevin nodded enthusiastically. "Agreed. Although we might need to come up with a pretty creative excuse for what happened to the resort. I don't think 'destroyed by undead serial killer' is covered by their insurance policy."

As they made their way across the beach, Jessica paused, looking back at the smoking crater where Ivan had met his end. A small part of her still couldn't believe it was over. That she had finally put her nightmare to rest.

"You okay?" Frankie asked, noticing Jessica's hesitation.

Jessica nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. "Yeah, I think I am. For the first time in a long time, I really am."

She turned away from the crater, ready to rejoin her friends. But as she did, Jessica glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye. A flicker of movement in the shadows of the nearby trees.

Jessica's heart skipped a beat as she squinted, trying to make out what she had seen. But there was nothing there. Just the wind rustling through the leaves.

Shaking her head, Jessica hurried to catch up with her friends. It was probably just her imagination, still on high alert after everything that had happened. Ivan was gone. The nightmare was over.

Wasn't it?

As Jessica and her friends disappeared down the beach, a tropical bird emerged from the shadows of the treeline. It watched the group's retreating forms with twitching eyes. Then, with a whisper of movement, it took off from the darkness, singing with joy that the storm was finally over.