‘A further mistake,’ Jicaque announced calmly. ‘In that form, you cannot issue orders to your men.’ The old man raised his voice, cupped his hands to his mouth. ‘Hear me! This degenerate before me has sought to use you, to make you fight for his own callous ends. But now you are freed from the hold he has over you!’

With a roar of hatred the rangy white ’wolf arched its back and then pounced forward, jaws snapping for the old man’s throat.

Chapter Eighteen

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tom shoved Jicaque out of the way. The old man staggered and fell between two benches.

Jasmine shrieked as Takapa landed at her feet. She kicked him hard in the head with her pointed boots. The werewolf growled, swiped at her with one massive paw, but Jasmine leaped for cover among the rotting wooden benches. Enraged, the creature moved to follow.

‘Rise up!’ Jicaque shouted at the ’wolves pacing the arena. ‘Fight for yourselves, now, against the people who would use you!’

‘All right, enough!’ Marcie bawled. ‘Swagger, kill him!’

Swagger didn’t need telling twice. He opened fire, spraying the gangway with bullets. One by one his generals joined in the attack. Stacy dived for cover back through the double doors, and Jicaque huddled down behind the benches in front.

Takapa broke off his attack on Jasmine, staring around in confusion. Bullets whistled noisily through the cold air. But then the white ’wolf saw Jicaque in his hiding place, and readied himself to pounce once again.

‘No!’ Tom shouted and threw himself at the creature, locking his arm around its sinewy throat. Takapa bucked and writhed, snapping at him, but Tom was just out of range of the monster’s dagger-like teeth, and holding on for dear life. Finally Takapa threw himself into a full body roll. Tom couldn’t hold on, and his bad shoulder smashed against the concrete of the gangway. He cried out in pain – then he heard a howl of anger. Dazed, he opened his eyes.

Jicaque was nowhere to be seen.

But the low growl, the bestial eyes narrowed in his direction, told Tom that Takapa had found a new target. He tried to pull himself away, but the ’wolf was preparing to spring.

‘Get out of here, you fool!’

Takapa reacted to the voice as if stung.

Marcie was shouting at him. ‘Come on! We can’t fight them all!’

Takapa turned in confusion.

‘My God,’ breathed Tom.

A whole pack of werewolves had broken free of the confines of the rink. Swagger was no longer firing at Tom and his friends, but into the slavering mass of the enraged werewolves. The creatures were thinking for themselves now, acting on their own unfettered instincts.

And, clearly, they wanted revenge.