Clarisse gives her a little nod, a silent acknowledgement of the compliment. It was a pretty good shot, but there's no time to relish in it, not when there are still three guys out there itching to blow their heads off if either of them makes a single mistake.

She watches Ellie run off and disappear into the tall grass. The whole thing goes down seamlessly, Ellie slipping away like a ghost even as the wolves shoot right at her, and Clarisse feels her heart punch against her ribcage, half in admiration, half in something a lot less innocent than that. Damn, she's good.

Then the glass bottle shatters farther down. Great distraction, and just like puppets on a string, she can hear the wolves moving cautiously toward the sound.

She starts inching back, intending to circle around the gas pumps and end up behind them.