skin. It hurt just
to see it.
"I mean it. Stop that." For a
half-second, George was about to make a move to restrain him, then
he caught himself. Ivan could snap both of his own arms off if he
wanted, but George wasn't going to get close enough to the cage for
Ivan to grab him. Not a chance.
One more slam, this one against the
top of the cage, and George thought he might have heard a bone
crack. He wondered if Lou was feeling queasy. "Is that what you
want?" Ivan asked, extending his arm all the way, but still coming
up a foot short of George's neck. "Is that what you
want?"
"This needs to stop," George said.
This was getting out of control. It was time to just shut the doors
again and drive out of here.
Then Ivan's arm changed. Instantly.
One second it was a regular human arm, the
next second it had doubled in bulk and sprouted thick dark brown
fur. And in that second it had lengthened and made up the distance
between Ivan's fingers and George's neck.
George could barely even register what
had happened.
Now he had a set of claws digging into
his throat.
"Drop the gun!" Ivan shouted. The rest of his
body remained human, though his voice had gone down about an
octave. "Drop it now or I'll rip open your neck!"
George dropped the gun. He wasn't sure if he
was actually following Ivan's orders, or if he was just too shocked
to keep a hold of his weapon.
"Stay where you are, Lou!" said Ivan, not
looking back. George couldn't tell if Lou could see exactly what
had happened or not. "I'll kill him! One squeeze and he's
dead!"
George wanted to shout "Do what he says!" but
he couldn't breathe. How had this happened? How the hell had--
Lou fired a shot into Ivan's back.
Michele screamed.
Ivan grimaced, and blood misted in the air,
but he didn't release his grip on George's throat. His other arm
transformed, so quickly that George could barely see it change, and
then he grabbed the front of George's shirt and yanked on it,
slamming George's face into the cage.
"Tell him not to shoot me again!"
George couldn't speak.
"I have nothing to lose!" Ivan shouted. "I'll
kill him! You fire that gun again and his death is on you!"
"Okay, okay," said Lou. "Just stay calm."
"Give the gun to the girl! Now!"
Lou handed the gun to Michele. She took it,
but seemed unsure whether she should point it at Lou or Ivan.
"Nobody has to die," said Ivan. "We can get
through this and go our separate ways. You just need to let me out
of the cage."
George managed to find his voice. "We don't
have the key."
Ivan raked the talon of his index finger down
George's cheek, causing him to cry out in pain. He could already
feel the blood trickling down his face. "You're not delivering a
cage without a key. I will pop your fuckin' eye if you don't stop
playing around."
"It's in the glove compartment," said
Lou.
"Get it." Ivan slammed George against the
bars again. "I bet you're feeling a little bit silly, huh? Maybe
you'll think twice before you mess with another werewolf. You know
what, I should just do it. I should just rip your throat out. It
would be worth never getting out of this cage to watch you choke on
your own blood."
"Don't..."
"Say please."
" Please ."
"Oooooh, that almost sounds like you're
begging for your life! I like that. I like that a lot. Do it some
more, motherfucker!"
"I've got it," Lou announced.
"Then get over here!" Ivan licked his lips.
"Georgie, you really don't know how much I want to take a big bite
out of you. I just think you look delicious right now.
Mmmmmmm."
George had no response. He
was still trying to process the fact that not only might he be
moments away from death, but there was a living, breathing goddamn
werewolf right in front of him. There were countless ways for a guy
like him to die, but like this ? What could they even put on his
tombstone?
Lou hurried around to the back of the van,
breathing heavily in panic. He held up the key to show Ivan.
"Don't show it to me! Use it!"
Lou didn't hesitate. He
to see it.
"I mean it. Stop that." For a
half-second, George was about to make a move to restrain him, then
he caught himself. Ivan could snap both of his own arms off if he
wanted, but George wasn't going to get close enough to the cage for
Ivan to grab him. Not a chance.
One more slam, this one against the
top of the cage, and George thought he might have heard a bone
crack. He wondered if Lou was feeling queasy. "Is that what you
want?" Ivan asked, extending his arm all the way, but still coming
up a foot short of George's neck. "Is that what you
want?"
"This needs to stop," George said.
This was getting out of control. It was time to just shut the doors
again and drive out of here.
Then Ivan's arm changed. Instantly.
One second it was a regular human arm, the
next second it had doubled in bulk and sprouted thick dark brown
fur. And in that second it had lengthened and made up the distance
between Ivan's fingers and George's neck.
George could barely even register what
had happened.
Now he had a set of claws digging into
his throat.
"Drop the gun!" Ivan shouted. The rest of his
body remained human, though his voice had gone down about an
octave. "Drop it now or I'll rip open your neck!"
George dropped the gun. He wasn't sure if he
was actually following Ivan's orders, or if he was just too shocked
to keep a hold of his weapon.
"Stay where you are, Lou!" said Ivan, not
looking back. George couldn't tell if Lou could see exactly what
had happened or not. "I'll kill him! One squeeze and he's
dead!"
George wanted to shout "Do what he says!" but
he couldn't breathe. How had this happened? How the hell had--
Lou fired a shot into Ivan's back.
Michele screamed.
Ivan grimaced, and blood misted in the air,
but he didn't release his grip on George's throat. His other arm
transformed, so quickly that George could barely see it change, and
then he grabbed the front of George's shirt and yanked on it,
slamming George's face into the cage.
"Tell him not to shoot me again!"
George couldn't speak.
"I have nothing to lose!" Ivan shouted. "I'll
kill him! You fire that gun again and his death is on you!"
"Okay, okay," said Lou. "Just stay calm."
"Give the gun to the girl! Now!"
Lou handed the gun to Michele. She took it,
but seemed unsure whether she should point it at Lou or Ivan.
"Nobody has to die," said Ivan. "We can get
through this and go our separate ways. You just need to let me out
of the cage."
George managed to find his voice. "We don't
have the key."
Ivan raked the talon of his index finger down
George's cheek, causing him to cry out in pain. He could already
feel the blood trickling down his face. "You're not delivering a
cage without a key. I will pop your fuckin' eye if you don't stop
playing around."
"It's in the glove compartment," said
Lou.
"Get it." Ivan slammed George against the
bars again. "I bet you're feeling a little bit silly, huh? Maybe
you'll think twice before you mess with another werewolf. You know
what, I should just do it. I should just rip your throat out. It
would be worth never getting out of this cage to watch you choke on
your own blood."
"Don't..."
"Say please."
" Please ."
"Oooooh, that almost sounds like you're
begging for your life! I like that. I like that a lot. Do it some
more, motherfucker!"
"I've got it," Lou announced.
"Then get over here!" Ivan licked his lips.
"Georgie, you really don't know how much I want to take a big bite
out of you. I just think you look delicious right now.
Mmmmmmm."
George had no response. He
was still trying to process the fact that not only might he be
moments away from death, but there was a living, breathing goddamn
werewolf right in front of him. There were countless ways for a guy
like him to die, but like this ? What could they even put on his
tombstone?
Lou hurried around to the back of the van,
breathing heavily in panic. He held up the key to show Ivan.
"Don't show it to me! Use it!"
Lou didn't hesitate. He
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