Then another car ran me over, hitting Sean too. I guess you could call it one of those good/bad things. I felt the tires roll over my legs. It was fast, but it still hurt like a bitch. I heard Sean howl as the car dragged him into the intersection. Another car came screaming out of nowhere, smashing him between it and the first car.

As I crawled to my feet, the huge, red-haired werewolf ripped the hood off the first car with a single stroke and threw it into the windshield like a massive, deadly Frisbee. The hood shattered the glass, decapitating the two people inside. It all happened so fast I hardly had a chance to react. Bedlam and blood engulfed the street.

To make matters worse, Sean-wolf was still alive and madder than hell. He turned away from the smoldering wreckage and glared right at me. His stare bore into me, human eyes bizarrely pierced through the animal features. He wanted to be sure I saw what he did next. He effortlessly lifted and threw aside the offending car with its headless passengers. I watched dumbly as the car tumbled over the curb to the sidewalk like a crushed beer can.

I weighed my options again, and once more decided to run like hell. I was surprised I could even move. I was covered with blood, my back stung, my chest ached with every stride, and I could hear Sean closing in behind me. His breathing was a loud, angry rasp.

Up ahead a few yards, I spied the alleyway where the ghoul had been standing earlier. He was still there, this time gesturing for me to come. At first I thought he was fucking with me, but then he spoke.

“This way, Cal,” he rasped. “This way.”

I ran into the alley, moving so fast that I hardly saw the ghoul’s creepy grin as I passed. “Thanks,” I panted. “What’s your name?”

“Emek.”

“I owe you.”

The end of the alley divided into three directions, so I stopped running and turned. What I saw was unbelievable. Emek was on top of the werewolf’s head, with his arms and legs wrapped all the way around the spinning beast’s face. But that wasn’t the best part. My new pal Emek was laughing, flailing one arm high like he was busting a bronco.

It lasted all of thirty seconds.

The werewolf ripped the ghoul off his head and slammed him to the pavement. Then, with a series of lightning-fast swipes, he ripped Emek’s torso to ribbons. Throughout the thrashing, the ghoul kept laughing.

I managed a smile, and then ran to the right. What I knew, and what the Sean-wolf clearly didn’t, was that you can’t kill a ghoul. At least not that way. They’re undead, for Christ’s sake! Maybe Emek had bought me a little time. I ran and ran. The pain in my legs was terrible and I was praying I hadn’t broken them. Either way, I’d need a hospital if I got out of this.