The darkness of the crypt pressed down on Jessica's heightened werewolf senses as she descended the crumbling stone steps. The musty scent of decay mingled with an acrid supernatural energy that made her hackles rise. Her claws clicked against ancient stone as they ventured deeper underground.

Upon hearing running footsteps before her, she came to an immediate stop. In her defensive stance, she noticed Salina running towards her.

“Salina!” Jessica lowered her claws and sighed. “You got them all?”

Salina nodded with a smirk. “I finished a spell that will keep those B-movie rejects out. But I do not know how long it will last.”

Jessica hoped that Salina's spells would become more powerful, but the young witch was still honing her skills. Time had become urgent.

“Okie-dokie,” she whispered, “we better hurry then.”

A familiar scream echoed through the passageway.

"Kevin!" Jessica's growl came out deeper than intended, her werewolf form affecting her voice. She bounded forward on all fours, leaving Salina to scramble after her.

The narrow tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber. Flickering torches cast dancing shadows across weathered hieroglyphics that covered the walls. In the center of the room stood a stone altar, and tied to it was—

"Guys, thank god!" Kevin strained against the ancient bandages binding him to the cold stone. "She's going to—"

"Ssssilence!" Queen Aziza's voice cracked like a whip through the chamber. The mummified werecat loomed over Kevin, her golden eyes blazing in the torchlight. She raised an ornate dagger above her head, its blade gleaming with sinister purpose. "Do not interrupt our reunion, my love."

"He's not your prince!" Jessica snarled, hackles rising as she assessed the situation. The chamber offered plenty of room to maneuver, but those torches could be a problem if knocked over. "Let him go!"

Aziza's laugh echoed off the stone walls. "Foolish child. Can you not see? His soul calls to mine across the millennia. Once I complete the ritual, Kekara will live again in this vessel, and we shall rule as we were meant to."

"Yeah, that's gonna be a hard pass." Kevin renewed his struggles against the bandages. "I'm kind of attached to my current soul, thanks."

Jessica's enhanced vision caught Salina moving slowly along the chamber's edge, her golden dagger concealed behind her back. Good. If they could just keep Aziza distracted...

"You don't have to do this," Jessica said, taking a step forward. "Your time is over. Let go of the past."

"Let go?" Aziza's voice dripped with venom. "I wasss a queen! I had everything—power, immortality, love—until they feared what they could not understand and buried me alive!"

“But you killed their king and murdered countless people in their kingdom. Why should a tyrant like you rule over them? They had every right to turn against you.”

Aziza hissed through her fangs. “I did what I had to do to survive. After the beassst turned me before I killed him, my hunger for souls grew rapdily. Only human souls satisfied me the most than animal souls.”

“What about the king?” Jessica asked. “Did you marry him for love or for power?”

“Where I come from, power isss the only way to survive. I didn’t want to return to my old slave life. It wasss haunting and barbaric. I thought becoming a queen in full control would give me a better life. I wanted to love the king, but his son intrigued me more.”

“Kekara?” Kevin asked.

Aziza smiled at him and rubbed her hand against his cheeks. “Yesss, my love. He may be young, but I adored him more than his father. Killing him promised me that I could have both. A kingdom and a boy who I deeply loved.”

“Gross!” Jessica roared. “You’re not just an evil cat lady. You are totally a freaking cougar!”

Confusion filled Aziza's eyes as she glared at Jessica. “A cougar?”

“Never mind, but you are totally still evil. Do you really think Kekara will accept you after what you have done to his father? What if he rejects you after you bring him back with your freaky dicky magic?”

Aziza growled loudly. “How dare you say Kekara will reject me!” Her free hand shot out, dark energy crackling between her fingers. "I will not be denied again!"

The blast caught Jessica in the chest, sending her flying backward into the wall. Stone cracked behind her as she slumped to the ground, fighting to catch her breath. Note to self: evil cat lady hits harder than expected.

"Jessica!" Kevin's voice snapped her back to focus. Aziza had returned her attention to him, dagger raised high.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Now, my love," the werecat purred, "let us begin the—"

Jessica launched herself across the chamber, tackling Aziza away from the altar. They rolled across the floor in a fury of claws and fangs, supernatural strength meeting supernatural strength. Jessica managed to sink her teeth into Aziza's shoulder, but the werecat twisted impossibly in her grip and raked razor-sharp claws down Jessica's side.

Pain lanced through her ribs, but Jessica refused to let go. They crashed into one of the torch stands, sending it toppling. Flames licked across the floor as they grappled.

"You dare interfere?" Aziza hissed, getting a hand around Jessica's throat. "I have lived a thousand lifetimes. What are you compared to my power?"

Jessica's response was cut off as those mummified fingers squeezed. Dark spots danced at the edges of her vision. She clawed desperately at Aziza's arm, but the werecat's grip was like iron.

A flash of movement caught her eye. Salina had reached the altar and was sawing at Kevin's bindings with a small knife. Just a little longer…

Aziza dropped Jessica and sprinted toward Salina. She leaped over the altar and landed close toward Salina.

Before Salina raised her dagger, the cat slapped her, leaving red claw marks across her right cheek as she fell to the floor.

Back on her feet, Jessica grabbed Aziza from behind and tossed the cat off Salina. Before she could check Salina’s wound, the mummy cat lifted her and slammed her against the wall while her claws squeezed into her throat.

"I will drain your soul first," Aziza snarled her face inches from Jessica's. "Then you can watch as I claim what is mine."

The pressure on Jessica's throat increased. Her lungs screamed for air. She could feel something cold and dark trying to pull at her very essence.

A battle cry rang out through the chamber. "Hey, Kitty Litter! Catch!"

Aziza's head snapped up at Salina's voice. The golden dagger spun through the air, end over end.

Jessica saw her chance. With the last of her strength, she drove her knee up into Aziza's stomach. The werecat's grip loosened just enough for Jessica to twist free. She rolled away, gasping for air.

Aziza lunged for the dagger, but another figure got there first. Kevin, freed from his bindings, snatched it out of the air and drove it straight into the werecat's chest.

For a moment, everything stopped. Aziza stared down at the golden blade protruding from her heart, her mouth open in a silent scream. Then her body began to crumble, ancient bandages dissolving into dust that scattered across the stone floor. Her final wail echoed through the chamber long after the last traces of her had vanished. “My love. . .”

"Holy cheese balls," Kevin said into the sudden silence, "that was simultaneously awesome and terrifying." He looked down at his hands, which were trembling slightly. "Also, I think I need to sit down."

Jessica started to move toward him, but pain shot through her side where Aziza's claws had struck. She stumbled, caught by Salina before she could fall.

"I've got you," Salina said, supporting her weight. "Though I have to say, you're a lot heavier in wolf form."

"Gee, thanks." Jessica managed a weak laugh that turned into a grimace. "How's your face?"

Salina rubbed the claw marks on her cheek and hissed a little. "It'll heal. Eventually. Probably." She paused. "I really hope a werecat isn't contagious."

"I’m pretty sure I am remember only bites can turn you. But if it happens, we'll deal with it," Kevin said, making his way over to them. His legs were a bit unsteady, but his smile was genuine. "After all, what's one more supernatural transformation between friends?"

Jessica felt her werewolf features beginning to recede as the adrenaline faded. She leaned more heavily on Salina, exhaustion setting in. "Can we get out of here? This place is seriously giving me the creeps."

"Seconded," Salina said. "Plus, I think we're about to have company." She nodded toward the tunnel entrance, where distant voices and flashlight beams were becoming visible. "Your dad's probably figured out where we went."

"Great." Jessica sighed. "Anyone got a good explanation for why we're in an ancient crypt at midnight?"

"Urban exploration?" Kevin suggested. "Historical research? Really intense game of hide and seek?"

"We'll figure something out," Salina said, already helping Jessica toward the exit. "We always do."

As they made their way up the crumbling steps, leaving the chamber and its scattered ashes behind, Jessica couldn't help but smile despite her injuries. They'd faced down an ancient evil, saved the day, and lived to tell about it. Not bad for a bunch of high school seniors.

Though she hoped they wouldn't have to explain to her dad why there was a new hole in the cemetery's historical crypt. Some things were better left buried.

*****

The setting sun painted Moon High's football field in shades of amber and gold, casting long shadows across the freshly painted yard lines. Jessica stood at the center of her squad, arms raised high in their final pose as the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. Her muscles hummed with a familiar ache, but this time it wasn't from fighting a werecat or battling the undead–just good old-fashioned cheerleading practice.

"And that's how it's done!" Tiffany whooped, breaking formation first. "We are so going to crush it tonight!"

The rest of the squad dissolved into excited chatter, but Jessica's attention drifted to the bleachers. Salina stood off to the side, fidgeting with the hem of her uniform. Despite being the newest member of the Mighty Wolves squad, she'd picked up the routines with surprising grace.

"Hey." Jessica jogged over to her friend. "You've got this."

Salina tugged at her skirt. "I still look ridiculous. Like a Hot Topic employee who got lost and wandered into a pep rally."

"You're a Mighty Wolf now," Jessica corrected, then grinned. "Besides, you're not even the most ridiculous-looking member of our squad anymore."

Right on cue, a figure in a massive wolf costume burst onto the field, running in erratic circles and occasionally stopping to howl at the sky. Even through the mascot head, Jessica could practically feel Kevin's infectious enthusiasm.

"Point taken," Salina said, a smile finally cracking through her gothic facade. "Though I have to admit, he makes that fursuit work."

The routine built to its crescendo, ending with Jessica and Salina in a paired stance, their teammates creating a pyramid behind them. The crowd erupted in cheers, and for a moment, Jessica felt truly, completely normal. No supernatural drama, no life-or-death battles–just the rush of a perfect performance.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Amber squealed as they broke formation. "Salina, where have you been hiding those moves?"

Salina shrugged, but Jessica caught the pleased smile tugging at her black-painted lips. "You'd be surprised what you can learn in a graveyard at midnight."

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you're not using magic to nail these routines."

"Pure natural talent," Salina replied with a wink. "Though my midnight meditation sessions might help with the flexibility."

The game itself passed in a blur of touchdowns and cheers. The Mighty Wolves dominated the field, their energy feeding off the crowd's enthusiasm. Kevin kept the stands entertained between plays with his increasingly elaborate antics, at one point challenging the opposing team's eagle mascot to a dance-off.

The final whistle blew with the Mighty Wolves up by fourteen points. The crowd surged onto the field in celebration, and Jessica found herself swept up in a wave of victory hugs and high-fives. Through the chaos, she spotted Kevin removing his wolf head, his face flushed and grinning.

"Nice moves out there, furry," she called as she made her way to him.

"I prefer the term 'mascot-American,'" he shot back, then grimaced. "Though I think I'm going to be sweating wolf for a week."

Their lips met in a kiss that tasted of victory and sweat and normalcy, and Jessica savored every second. She was glad she apologized to Kevin for nearly transforming on him at the park during their tender moment. They both agreed to keep their romance casual as long as Jessica was cursed, but who knew how long she could keep her inner beast lust under control? Overall, they were now a couple.

"Get a room, you two!" Salina's voice broke through their moment. "Preferably one that isn't the middle of a football field."

The stadium lights blazed against the darkening sky as Jessica joined her squad for the photo. Kevin wrapped an arm around her waist, his wolf head tucked under his other arm, while Salina struck a pose that somehow was both perfect cheerleader and distinctly goth. The camera flashed, capturing the moment: three friends, one wearing a fursuit, one secretly a werewolf, and one friendly witch who'd finally found her place in the squad.

Just another Friday night at Moon High.