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“Except you failed to hold one part of your bargain.”

“You changed that when the girl arrived!” Helen argued.

“I don’t much care. The fact is, you failed us. And we don’t tolerate failure, Helen.”

Another scuffle sounded, followed by the sound of someone choking. Moments later, a loud thud echoed.

“What was that?” Dewey whispered.

Paige shot him a worried glance. “Sounded like a body hitting the floor.”

“Yeah, probably Helen’s.”

“I guess now there’s only two to deal with.”

Dewey nodded. “The more dangerous two.”

Paige winced and bobbed her head in agreement. “Let’s hope our little plan works.”

“Got the keys ready?”

Paige reached into her sweater pocket and passed them off to Dewey. “Keep them handy.”

She adjusted the backpack on her back, ready to run as soon as they could.

The footsteps grew louder until two men entered the room.

Paige stood in the center, a hand on her cocked hip.

“Hello, boys,” she said, nudging her glasses higher.

“Paige Turner,” the wolf with the slicked-down hair said, taking a step toward her.

She raised her eyebrows higher on her forehead. “Yep. Heard you wanted me dead.”

“Wow, she’s good,” Dewey whispered to the Paige crouching next to him.

“Yeah,” Paige breathed. “My doppelgänger is pretty impressive.”

“Let’s hope the others are just as impressive.”

The second wolf circled closer to Paige, his eyes trained on her. “You heard right.”

“Well,” the fake Paige said, “come and get me.”

The man cracked his neck, curling his hands into fists. “With pleasure.”

His skin began to ripple as fur poked from it and his transformation into a wolf began.

“Just a minute,” the other barked. “First, we want the mirror. Where is it?”

The duplicate Paige shrugged, her lips puckered. “I came here looking for it, but I think Helen pulled a fast one on you.”

“No,” the shaggy-haired man shouted. “I saw it here.”

“Did you?” Paige inquired. “Or are you lying to your friend?”

He flicked his gaze to the other man. “I saw it. I swear it was here.”