Free Werewolf Weekend by B. A. Frade, Stacia Deutsch

truth.
    Cassie wasn’t a vampire.
    She was a werewolf!

    The movie ended. While everyone was settling in for bed, I knew I needed to get away. Leaving Sam seemed like a bad idea, but it would only be for a few minutes. She’d be fine. Plus, the full moon wasn’t until tomorrow night, so I had time.
    â€œHey, Riley,” I said, trying to sound like everything was awesome and my sleeping bag wasn’t right next to a werewolf’s on the floor. “You still have my toothbrush? I don’t want to sleep with dirty fangs.…” Oops. “Teeth. I mean teeth!”
    â€œI’ll come with you to the bathroom,” Riley said, handing me my toothbrush and taking her own.
    Ack. I hadn’t really been planning to brush my teeth. I had been planning to run upstairs and consult the Scaremaster. Now I was stuck. If I wanted to get back on Riley’s good side, I had to let her come with me. So I did.
    After, I said, “I need to run to Sam’s room to change into my pajamas.”
    â€œUh, Emma.” Riley gave me a strange look. “Aren’t those your pajamas already?”
    â€œRight.” I’d forgotten that we’d all changed after dinner. For someone who’d decided she wasn’t my best friend anymore, Riley wasn’t going to leave me alone for a second.
    â€œI need…” I paused. Riley and I were at the bottom of the steps. I glanced up, where the possessed journal was tucked into my overnight bag. Then I turned my attention to Riley. On a scale of one to ten, getting Riley back on my side was a ten. Checking in with the Scaremaster was a one. Well, maybe an eight. But still less important than Riley’s friendship. It could wait. If my suspicions were right, I had twenty-four hours until I had to do something heroic.
    Plus, I really had to go back to Sam.
    â€œOkay,” I said, putting my arm over Riley’s shoulder. She didn’t shrug me off. “Let’s go to sleep.”
    My sleeping bag was between Sam and Cassie. Riley was on Cassie’s other side.
    My brain felt full and noisy. I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen at the full moon when Cassie revealed her true self. Did her parents truly know? The Scaremaster’s story said they did and that they were looking for a cure. They must have really trusted Cassie to leave her with us on a full moon.
    This was so tangled. My head hurt.
    I knew I needed to sleep. But I couldn’t.
    I thought about the cage in the basement. Maybe Cassie planned to lock herself in to protect us. Or maybe she planned to lock us in and run free and terrorize the neighbors! Should I warn Duke?
    I had a headache the size of the moon, which was 14.6 million square miles, so it was a huge headache.
    There was no way I was falling asleep. I gave up trying.
    Sam’s breathing was now slow and steady. Riley rolled around but was out cold. I was pretty sure Cassie was asleep too, but she kept making this throaty rattle sound that I swore sounded like a growl. A growl!
    That was clue number 8.
    There was no longer any doubt. I had to consult the Scaremaster.
    I slipped out of my sleeping bag, careful not to wake the others. I’d be back before anyone noticed I was gone.
    To be sure they were all asleep, I whispered their names.
    â€œRiley?” Nothing.
    â€œSam?” All quiet.
    â€œCassie?”
    A snarl answered me on that last one.
    I shuddered.
    Certain that I was the only one awake, I snuck up the stairs and closed the door to Sam’s room so no one would see the light. Sitting on the floor by my bag, I took out the journal.
    The first page was as blank and fresh as it had been the day I got it.
    Which was today.
    Oh wow, had it really only been one day? So much had happened.
    I took out a pen and wrote:
    Scaremaster?
    You called?
    Is Cassie a werewolf?
    What gives you that idea?
    I listed my eight reasons.
    Is that all?
    I was getting annoyed by his