Salina's heart pounded as the fish monster's razor-sharp claws sliced through the air, inches from her face. She stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a rusted car bumper. The stench of oil and decay filled her nostrils as she scrambled to find her footing in the junkyard.

"Salina, look out!" Jessica's voice cut through the chaos, a desperate howl that sent chills down Salina's spine.

Time seemed to slow as Salina locked eyes with the creature. Its mechanical parts whirred and clicked, red eyes glowing with murderous intent. In that moment, Salina knew she had one shot. One spell to end this nightmare.

She took a deep breath, centering herself. The words of the incantation bubbled up from some primal place deep within her. As she chanted, the surrounding air crackled with energy.

"Lure vicis, captionem praedae!" Salina's voice rang out, clear and strong.

A shimmering purple mist materialized, swirling around the monster. It roared in confusion, metallic jaws snapping at the ethereal tendrils.

"Cool!" Nikki shouted. Her white fur matted with blood and grime, but her yellow eyes blazed with determination. "Keep it up, Salina!"

Jessica lunged forward, powerful werewolf muscles propelling her through the air. She slammed into the creature's flank, driving it closer to the waiting maw of the trash compactor.

Salina poured every ounce of her concentration into maintaining the spell. Sweat beaded on her brow as she felt her energy draining. But she couldn't give up. Not when they were so close.

The monster thrashed wildly, its tail whipping back and forth. It caught Nikki in the chest, sending her flying into a pile of scrap metal with a yelp.

"Nikki!" Jessica cried out. She dug her claws into the creature's scales, trying to keep it off balance.

Salina gritted her teeth. The spell was weakening. She could feel the monster's alien mind pushing against her influence.

"I can't... hold it... much longer," she gasped.

Nikki staggered to her feet, shaking off the blow. "We're almost there. One more push!"

With a feral growl, Nikki charged forward. She and Jessica threw their full weight against the thrashing creature. Inch by inch, they forced it backward.

The compactor loomed behind them, its rusty jaws gaping wide. Salina's spell guided the monster closer, closer...

With a last heave, Jessica and Nikki shoved the creature over the edge. It tumbled into the compactor with an ear-splitting shriek of fury and fear.

Salina slammed her hand down on the activation lever. Gears ground to life as the compactor's walls closed in.

The monster thrashed wildly, its mechanical parts sparking and smoking. Salina turned away, unable to watch. Jessica wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

A sickening crunch of metal and bone filled the air. Then, mercifully, silence fell over the junkyard.

For a long moment, no one moved. The only sound was their ragged breathing.

Finally, Nikki peered into the compactor. "It's dead," she announced. "Really, really dead."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Jessica let out a breathless laugh of relief. She pulled Salina into a tight hug, not caring that her fur was getting tangled in Salina's hair.

"It’s over," Jessica whispered. "Totally over."

Salina nodded weakly, her legs wobbling. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her utterly drained. "Can we go home now?"

Nikki's triumphant grin faded. "Not yet. We need to get that thing back to my time."

With a groan, Jessica transformed back into her human form. She winced, cataloging an impressive collection of cuts and bruises. "Right. Time travel. How could I forget?"

They approached the compactor cautiously. Inside was a misshapen cube of metal, circuitry, and... less identifiable components.

"Well, that's horrifying," Salina muttered.

Nikki nodded grimly. "Yep. But it beats the alternative." She glanced up at the lightening sky. "We have little time. The sun's coming up."

Jessica frowned. "Wait, is this some Cinderella thing? You turn into a pumpkin at dawn?"

"No," Nikki said with a wry smile. "A time portal will open and take me and the creature into it.”

"Ah yes, time portal. Totally normal," Salina deadpanned.

They levered the crushed remains of the monster out of the compactor. It landed on the ground with a wet thud that made them all grimace.

"Okay, now what?" Jessica asked.

Nikki checked a blinking device on her wrist. "Now we wait. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes."

An awkward silence fell over the group. What do you say to someone who's about to vanish back to the future?

"So..." Jessica cleared her throat. "What's the future like? Flying cars? Robot butlers?"

Nikki's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Some flying cars, holographic butlers, and we have hoverboards."

"Yes!" Salina pumped her fist. "I knew 'Back to the Future' wouldn't let me down."

"Ooh, do you have lightsabers?" Jessica asked eagerly.

Nikki rolled her eyes. "You've both seen way too many movies."

"Says the time-traveling werewolf," Salina retorted.

They all burst out laughing, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting them. For a moment, they were just three girls sharing a joke, not warriors who'd just saved the world.

As their laughter faded, Nikki's expression grew serious. "Listen, I can't tell you much about the future. Temporal Prime Directive and all that. But I want you both to know how grateful I am for your help. I couldn't have stopped that thing without you."

Jessica smiled, reaching out to squeeze Nikki's hand. "Hey, what are fellow werewolves for?"

"And witches," Salina added. "We have a token human too, but he is back at home.”

Nikki chuckled. "How could I? You're one hell of a witch, Salina. And Jessica... maybe you will become an amazing Alpha someday."

Jessica blinked in surprise. "Really?"

But before Nikki could elaborate, her wrist device began beeping urgently.

"Time to go," Nikki said with a rueful smile.

A shimmering portal of blue energy formed around her and the crushed monster. Nikki took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.

"Take care of each other," she said. "And stay strong. The world needs protectors like you."

"Wait!" Jessica called out. "Will we ever see you again?"

Nikki's form was already fading. "Who knows? Time's a funny thing. But I hope–"

The portal flared brightly before she could finish her words. When the light faded, Nikki and the monster were gone.

Jessica and Salina stood in stunned silence for a long moment.

"Did that really just happen?" Salina finally asked.

Before Jessica could answer, a new sound cut through the early morning air–police sirens, growing steadily louder.

"Crap," Jessica muttered. "The others must have finally gotten through to the cops."

Salina's eyes widened. "Double crap. How are we going to explain all this?"

They looked around at the destruction surrounding them. Crumpled metal, scorch marks, and suspicious stains covered the junkyard. Not to mention the two of them looked like they'd gone ten rounds with a wood chipper.

"Maybe we can say it was a really rowdy game of capture the flag?" Jessica suggested weakly.

Salina snorted. "Oh yeah, that'll totally work. 'Sorry officer, we got a little carried away with our camp spirit.'"

The sirens were getting closer. Jessica grabbed Salina's hand, tugging her toward the exit. "Come on, we need to get back to the others. Maybe Tiffany can come up with a better cover story."

They took off running, their aching muscles protesting every step. The sun was peeking over the horizon now, painting the sky in soft pinks and golds. They couldn't believe that just a few hours ago, they'd been facing down a monster from the future.

As they neared the camp, Jessica slowed her pace. "Hey Salina? Thanks for having my back in there. You were amazing."

Salina bumped her shoulder against Jessica's. "Right back at you, wolf girl. Although next time, maybe we could fight something a little less... cybernetic? I'm thinking a nice, normal vampire or something."

Jessica laughed. "I'll see what I can do. For now, let's focus on not getting arrested."

They rounded the corner, the administration building coming into view. Tiffany, Amber, Camella, and Mia huddled together on the front steps, looking shell-shocked. A trio of police cruisers screeched to a halt in the parking lot.

"Here we go," Salina muttered.

Jessica squeezed her hand. "Together?"

Salina nodded. "Together."

They walked forward to meet whatever came next, knowing that no matter what happened, they had each other's backs. The sun climbed higher in the sky, promising the start of a new day–and perhaps a new chapter in their lives.