Free Blood Moon by Graeme Reynolds Page A

against the concrete, getting closer. “Daniel. You can’t hold him. Move your fucking arse.”
    Daniel threw Michael across the room with every ounce of strength he had left and dived for the open door. The werewolf scrambled to its feet and followed close behind, snarling in rage. They tried to slam the door closed, just as Michael crashed into it. The door pushed open a fraction, but not enough to allow him to escape. They both put their weight behind it, but even their combined strength wouldn’t hold against the frenzied assault for long. Marie looked up and saw four armed men in Special Forces uniforms turn the corner, weapons raised as they hurried towards them.
    Marie looked at Daniel and nodded. She turned to the armed men and yelled. “It’s okay. We’ve got it.” Then they pulled the door open and let Michael out of his cell.
    Gunfire echoed through the narrow confines of the corridor. Bullets peppered the reinforced steel door, leaving visible dents on the side that Marie and Daniel cowered behind, and the air was filled with the stench of gunpowder. Michael yelped in pain, then roared in rage. After a moment, the weapons stopped firing and the screaming started. Before long, that stopped as well, and the only sounds Marie could hear were the shriek of the klaxons and a wet ripping noise.
    Daniel began to remove his uniform, obviously intent on transforming so that he could meet Michael on even terms. Marie put her hand on his arm and shook her head. She’d not come this far to let Daniel and Michael kill each other. She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the door to face her brother.
    The Special Forces team hadn’t stood a chance. Two of them had been torn in half, their bodies ripped open and spread across the walls and floor. One of them tried to crawl towards them, blood bubbling from his mouth and one eye hanging from the shredded ruins of his face, his guts unravelling behind what remained of his torso. The last one’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, mouthing a silent scream as Michael buried his snout into the exposed chest cavity and chewed on the succulent organs within.
    Marie put her hands out and took a step forward. Michael lifted his blood-drenched muzzle and snarled. Her legs betrayed her, and every instinct screamed to get back behind the comparative safety of the ruined steel door. She pushed the fear down and took another unsteady step forward. “Michael, it’s me. Marie. Come on, big brother. Stop acting like a twat.”
    There was no flicker of recognition in Michael’s eyes. His lips curled back to reveal rows of bloodstained fangs, and he let out a thick, guttural growl. Marie took another hesitant step towards him. “Michael. Snap the fuck out of it.” A note of anger and impatience had crept into her voice. It would not be long before more armed men arrived to contain the situation. Time really was not on their side. Michael crouched down and sank his teeth into the arm of the half-dead soldier, then began dragging the corpse away from her. She recognised the signs. The body language. This was all wolf. The behaviour of a wild animal protecting its meal from an intruder. She’d woken up the beast, but not the man. She took another step, very much aware of the growl’s ferocity increasing as she invaded the beast’s personal space.
    Her voice took on a hard tone as she pushed the fear out of her mind. “Michael. I’m not going to ask you again. Stop pissing about and let’s get out of here.” She stared into the huge creature’s baleful yellow eyes, searching for any sign that it knew who she was. The werewolf’s muscles tightened. Its posture shifted into a crouch. Marie knew what was coming next. With a snarl of pure rage, the beast leaped into the air, jaws agape and black talons slashing out.
    As Michael attacked, Marie dropped to the ground, and when the monster sailed over her head, she brought her foot up sharply, kicking it in the