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steady while the second wolf charged around the corner. This one hit the trash and slid off balance. Jaden’s shot sent the dog reeling against the burned out wreck of a car. The wolf yelped, bounced off, gathered itself and leapt. A second shot took it down for good. The body lay in plain sight in the intersection, unmoving once it re-transformed to human shape.
    Across the street a light hissed and buzzed, flared yellow and died. The flash shed enough light for her to see wolves on the opposite corner.
    “Elijah wants the woman,” said a raspy voice from the near side of the corner. With one body in plain sight, this dog was more circumspect than the first two. Jaden scanned the area, his attention lingering at the spot where the other wolves had vanished into the dark. Hell was convinced every wavering shadow must be one of the dogs crossing the street, setting up an ambush. The last werewolf pursuer still in human form stepped into view. A shaft of moonlight crossed her face. “I promise you, no tricks.”
    “Tell Elijah I eat weaklings like him for breakfast.” Jaden sounded calm and insanely confident.
    “This was not the agreement.” The woman threw her head back as if she were in pain. A shudder rippled through her. She’d never seen a werewolf transformation, and she didn’t want to now. Or ever.
    “Not my problem,” Jaden said.
    “It is now.” Her rasping words melted into a howl.
    The hair on the back of Hell’s neck prickled. Cartilage, bone and sinew broke and reshaped, morphing the woman from human to canine with a crackling, wet popping that made Hell’s skin crawl. Movement flickered at the corner of her eye. A shadow elongated and became a werewolf slipping into the moonlit street. Another stayed corner-side and a third slunk up the sidewalk where earlier the teenagers had vanished. Yet another dark form leapt onto a wrecked car at the corner. One hind leg went through the rusted roof, but the beast moved forward to where the roof was more stable. The werewolf was at least four feet high at the shoulder with a shaggy coat of fur ruffled at the shoulders. Across the street, the light flared up again. Overhead electrical wires buzzed and sizzled. Jaden muttered under his breath, a prayer, Hell thought, in some language she didn’t recognize. The wolf on the car snarled, exposing sharp canines.
    That must have been a signal because the others attacked at the same time. Things happened fast. Jaden pushed her behind him. A flash of yellow light seared her eyes, and she could smell something burning. An animal howled in pain. By the time she could see again Jaden had killed the one nearest the corner. A grey wolf streaked through the air, body extended. It hit Jaden hard, slamming into his gun arm. There was another burst of yellow light. Some kind of modified U.V., she thought. Covert got all the fun toys. The street lights surged and dimmed, then went out. Electricity arced through the air and shot past her head.
    Two more dogs attacked. She heard him break one’s neck. The other lunged for him and Jaden’s weapon clattered to the sidewalk. She scrabbled on the concrete in the direction she thought the gun had traveled after it hit. Behind her, a chilling snarl broke short. She squinted, saw a black mound in the blackness and stretched out her arm. Her palm landed on the handle of the gun. She grabbed it and whirled in Jaden’s direction, afraid he might already be dead.
    A human man lay on the sidewalk, his neck bent at an impossible angle. A second man sprawled at the curb, eviscerated. Body low and balanced, Jaden launched himself at her. She looked up in time to see the wolf on the car leaping at her, muzzle open, snarling. Her heart about exploded. No way could she get off a shot in time. She was dead. Dead because she hadn’t seen the wolf until it was too late.
    Jaden collided with her. The gun flew out of her hand and skittered across the concrete. He rolled with her in his arms when