The resort's emergency generators hummed as Jessica and her friends gathered in the employee break room, spreading out maps and supplies on a scratched formica table. The clock on the wall read 12:17 AM, but sleep was the furthest thing from anyone's mind.

  "We should split up into teams," Frankie suggested, marking potential search zones with a red marker. "Cover more ground—"

  The door burst open as Tiffany, Amber, and Camella rushed in, bundled in warm clothes. "Have any of you seen Mia?" Tiffany asked breathlessly. "She ran back to the lounge to grab her stuff—"

  A piercing scream cut through the night, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

  Jessica's head snapped up, her enhanced hearing picking up the source. "Third floor. East wing."

  They sprinted through the halls, taking the stairs two at a time. The corridor leading to the Evergreen Lounge was dark, emergency lights casting everything in an eerie red glow. A blast of frigid air hit them–one of the floor-to-ceiling windows destroyed, leaving a jagged hole in the glass.

  "Oh god," Dee Dee whispered, pointing to the floor.

  A towel lay crumpled among the glass shards. Next to it, a cell phone displayed a selfie of Mia posing in her bikini from earlier that evening.

  Jessica approached the broken window carefully. Deep claw marks scored the frame, and that now-familiar musky scent was strong. But there was something else–a trace of perfume, fear, and...recognition? The Snowman's scent had changed when he encountered Mia, becoming almost...hopeful.

  "He got Mia," Jessica realized aloud.

  "The Snowman?" Salina asked. "Why?"

  Jessica glanced at Mia's selfie. "I have two guesses. One, he is hungry. Two…"

  "His lost love?" Frankie asked grimly.

  Jessica bit her lower lip. "It could make sense. Why would she be the only one he took? Excuse me for my stereotyping, but Latinos and Native Americans kind of looked the same. He totally must have mistaken her."

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  A distant roar echoed across the mountain, followed by what might have been a scream.

  Ted ran his hands through his hair. "What's he gonna do to her?"

  "Nothing, if we move fast enough." Jessica's voice hardened with determination.

  She moved to the broken window, scanning the dark mountains. Somewhere out there, Mia was in the clutches of a creature driven by loss, confusion, and anger. When he realized she wasn't his lost love...

  "We have to find her," Jessica declared. "Before he figures out she's not Aponi."

  "We're coming with you," Tiffany stepped forward, Amber and Camella nodding behind her.

  Jessica shook her head. "No. Stay here where it's safe. We'll bring her back."

  "But how?" Dee Dee asked. "We barely escaped him at the lodge."

  Jessica closed her eyes and sniffed the cold air. It only took her a few minutes to catch the musty cold scent from the creature.

  "I already got his scent," she whispered. "First, we need supplies. Then we'll go rescue a cheerleader."

  An icy wind whipped through the broken window, carrying with it the scent of snow and ancient wood. Somewhere in the darkness, a girl who had sneered at them hours ago now needed their help. And Jessica knew that before this night was over, she would have to embrace the very thing she'd been fighting to control.

  *****

  The resort's maintenance shop smelled of motor oil and desperation as the group gathered supplies. Jessica moved with focused intensity, checking off items from their mental list: thermal gear, climbing equipment, flares, first aid supplies. Every minute that passed was another minute Mia spent in the creature's clutches.

  "Take these." Dong appeared in the doorway, carrying four small wooden statues, intricately carved with native symbols. "My ancestors used these wards to trap the creature in the ice cave."

  Jessica accepted them gratefully. "Thank you, Dong.”

  "The ice cave is the most likely place he took her," Frankie said. "That's where Jessica first found it."

  Jessica nodded, her enhanced wolf senses already heightening. "I can track his scent from here. The cold air will help preserve the trail."

  Frankie leaned in, her normally playful demeanor replaced by vampiric focus. Her eyes had taken on a slight red tinge as she accessed her supernatural abilities. "I'll help track too. Two noses are better than one."

  "We'll need to move fast," Jessica said, shouldering a pack. "Ted, Dee Dee–you two stay here with Dong. Monitor the radio channels in case we need backup."

  "But—" Dee Dee protested.

  "She's right," Frankie cut in. "Where we're going, normal humans would be a liability. No offense."

  Ted nodded, looking relieved. "None taken, blood-sucker."

  Jessica turned to Salina and Frankie, who knew her best–but still not completely. "Once we're up there... you might see things. Things about me I've been keeping secret."

  Salina adjusted her pack. "We all have secrets, Jess. And we all have our monsters."

  "Some more literal than others," Frankie added with a hint of her usual snark, flashing slightly extended fangs.

  The weight of leadership settled onto Jessica's shoulders as she looked at her small team. They were an unlikely group–a witch, a vampire, and a werewolf–about to chase down a cursed warrior to save a girl who'd never shown them anything but contempt. Yet here they were.

  "The caves will be dangerous," Dong warned. "The ice tunnels are his territory now. Be careful who you corner up there."

  Jessica clutched one of the wooden wards. "We will. But we're bringing Mia back."

  "And Mahkah?" Salina asked softly. "What about him?"

  Jessica looked out the shop's window at the looming mountains. The moon was rising, nearly full, pulling at something deep inside her. "We try to help him if we can. But if he's too far gone..." She left the sentence unfinished.

  They moved toward the door, checking their gear one last time. Jessica's hand went to her charm bracelet, knowing that soon she would have to remove it, revealing her true nature to her friends. The thought terrified her almost as much as the monster they were hunting.

  "Ready?" she asked, though none of them truly were.

  Salina and Frankie both nodded, holding their bags.

  Together they stepped out into the night, leaving behind the warmth and safety of the resort. Ahead lay darkness, danger, and decisions that would change all of their lives forever.