There were a few different types of Ferals. The recently turned humans - Mongrels - had changes small enough you could tell what they had once been. There were older ones or those beasts somehow born amongst the horde. Those Purebreeds were bigger, tougher, more wolven… hands becoming claws and muscles thickening all over with its fur.

  Alphas were something different entirely.

  The creature that emerged from the Horde towered over the former humans, Mongrel and Purebreed alike by at least three feet, four in the case of the former. Unlike its brethren, the Alpha’s body was covered head to toe in pristine, unmated fur. At least, before the blood was splattered all over it. Large, muscular legs in that digitigrade shape with clawed, massive feet were coupled with two equally dangerous arms. The uninformed might have mistaken it as a Nyúlfur at first, but even they paled in size in comparison to this thing. The Alpha’s arms alone were thicker than their torsos and unlike their Feral underlings, it had a well-defined wolf head on top of the mass of fur and shredded muscle. It’s orange eyes burned as they locked onto the humans, and as it’s lips peeled back, Ian could see not half-ruined teeth, but perfect, glinting implements designed to kill.

  Too perfect to have just been an infected human.

  It stepped into the corridor, head just fitting under the ceiling. The murmur from the Horde faded away as the beast stared down at the four humans. Ian shouldered his gun, willing his finger to still as it hovered over the trigger.

  Come on… came the thought pecking at the back of his skull. Get that train started…

  He had only heard rumours from the few survivors from an Alpha attacking. How it was ripping armoured vehicles apart, powering through autocannon fire to close the gap and still going even when the walls were plastered with their own blood. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead; he didn’t want to see how accurate those rumours were.

  But if they ran, the Horde would be on their heels before they knew it.

  For a moment, the Alpha stood there, eyeing the humans, silently inspecting them.

  But then its lips peeled back, and a deep growl rumbled through the tunnel that Ian could feel in his chest.

  It began to stomp forward.

  Ian pulled the trigger.

  All four weapons opened up, bullets and shot finding their mark. But the Alpha’s growl rose, the beast breaking into a run, one arm protecting its face. Between the muzzle flashes, he couldn’t see the bullet holes. He altered his aim, shooting at the arm. It spasmed, but it didn’t even slow it down.

  His SMG clicked. Out. Two other weapons clunked to his left.

  The Alpha dropped the arm, jaws widening as it barrelled towards them.

  Carlson stepped forward, pumping the shotgun. “Carlson get back!” Ian cried out, arm stretching out.

  It was only a metre away, claws flashing.

  “Eat this!”

  The barrel exploded.

  The Feral’s head snapped back, ichor splattering the ceiling. Ian staggered back, Carlson’s victorious cheer bleeping in his ears.

  But then the head dropped back down, and his heart sank. Bone and raw flesh bled across the left side of the face, orange eyes shining. It winced, and with the sound that reminded him of crackling popcorn, the bone faded away. Muscle stretched across the wound, stitching itself back together within seconds. Skin formed, and fur began to cover the wound like nothing had ever happened.

  The shotgun dropped, just for a second. Ian didn’t see Carlson’s face before he snapped it back up.

  Oh fuck…

  The werewolf roared into his face, the human flinching as instinct demanded Ian to cover his ears.

  A thick arm swatted the leader aside, Carlson’s body stuck the wall with a crack, the wall tiles shattering before he slumped to the ground. The shotgun skidded away before a massive, clawed hand wrapped itself around him. Their accompanying gunman cried out as she lunged for the Feral, but the beast casually whacked her aside without a glance as it hefted up the helpless man. From here, he could see dozens of other bullet wounds, also beginning to seal up just as quickly as the main wound.

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  Ian could only watch as it turned its head towards them, effortlessly holding the human in its gigantic grip. Carlson, buried in that grip, could only squirm, his eyes wide and skin pale. His bleeding nose made the seemingly invincible leader look terrified and half dead.

  Human instinct compelled Ian to lunge forward, to stop it. But logic held him back, he would just get thrown away just as easily. No ammo either… shit!

  The Alpha’s features softened, the werewolf looking over the three other humans.

  Ian’s body stiffened, trying to work out some way to get Carlson free. Go for the face again? It’s arm?

  It continued to inspect them for a final moment.

  Then, somehow, it grinned.

  Its claws tightened.

  A sickening crunch rang out.

  Carlson’s head jerked back as air rushed out of his lungs, blood spurting out of his mouth.

  Someone screamed. But Ian barely heard it, his gaze fixed on Carlson as his eyes widened one final time, before rolling back into his skull.

  Huffing, the Feral tossed the body aside, his torso little more than a crumpled bag of bone and flesh as it landed.

  Behind them, an airhorn rang out.

  And in response, the monster let out a victorious roar, the Horde behind it screaming in chorus.

  “We’re going!” Jack screamed, “Now!”

  The Alpha stomped towards them again. Ian snapped towards the stairs, Jack already diving through with the gunwoman hot on his heels-

  A massive arm shot across the doorway, sending the scavenger tumbling back and down to the floor.

  “Ian!” Jack shouted, staggering back to his feet in the stairwell.

  Not now!

  Ian waved back, “Jack, get out of here! Get the train going!”

  He hesitated, but then the horde screamed once more. Curse lost amongst the screams, Jack turned and bolted.

  The Alpha’s eyes locked onto the woman, wildly trying to crawl away. Ian’s eyes flashed towards the empty SMG, No ammo, sod it! He leaned back, and threw the useless Sten at it. It struck its face with a whack and as it snarled and shook its head, he stepped back. Something bumped into his heel.

  His eyes shot down. The shotgun! He snatched the weapon off the ground, Hope ther-

  A Mongrel – A Former - screamed as it leapt past the Alpha at him. The shotgun boomed, sending the bloodied thing flying back. Alright, that works!

  The gunman was almost back to her feet when two Purebloods – Lycans - shot forward. He tried to swing the shotgun round, desperate to shout a warning.

  They fell on her in a second, slamming her down to the ground. He tried to aim, catch them with some of the spread, but another screech came. He spun, blasting the next opportunistic Feral away from him. He snapped back round again…

  One of the Lycans chomped down onto her shoulder.

  She screamed, desperately trying to kick one out of the way. But the wicked thing merely laughed as it clawed her leg.

  But Ian knew it was too late, all it took was one bite. One bite and even if she survived, the virus would kill her or turn into a monster.

  Her eyes flashed towards him, “I don’t want to turn! P-Plea-!” her words twisted into a scream, as the first Feral tore a bloody piece of muscle away.

  I’m sorry!

  He levelled the shotgun and fired.

  Her head exploded as buckshot found its mark, the blast sending the two beasts scampering back. As her body went limp, they bared their teeth at him in pure rage. Infuriated at him ending their torture session or removing another recruit from their ranks, he didn’t care.

  He pulled the trigger again. Only a clunk answered him.

  Shit! He tossed the shotgun away, reaching for the rusting knife at his belt. The train’s air horn blared out again as if trying to reach out for him, accompanied by the rapport of gunshots. The Alpha stepped forward again, its enormous mass blotting out the corridor and the stairs that lesser Ferals were now barrelling down. His heart pounded, sweat soaking into his hair. Damnit! Came the despairing thought, How can I get past the…

  His mind clicked, Wait… the bridge!

  Ian turned and ran, back down the corridor. The Alpha barked and marched after him. Ian barely registered the crack of its foot stamp down on the Sten, the weapon shattering in an instant.

  The light continued to shine at the end of the broken bridge. I’ve got one chance. If I get this wrong it’s over!

  He kicked his heels into the ground, skidding to a halt just at the edge of the destroyed bridge. Below him, Ferals snarled.

  He spun around, knife slashing out as a Feral pounced at him. He could feel his knife sink in as it screamed, flying past him and off the bridge.

  His head swivelled back just as the train ran it down, its scream vanishing to the sound of wheels and spurting blood.

  Ian turned to face the rest of the Horde, weapons fire and bestial screams ringing in his ears. The Alpha slowed as it approached.

  Not yet…

  It stretched upwards as it emerged into daylight. Towering over him.

  Not yet…

  The train rumbled below him, the Alpha’s lips peeled back. A foul, wet stench mixed with diesel fumes, but Ian blocked it out. His eyes fixed on the beast.

  Not yet!

  The Feral’s lips twitched, and a single deep, gritted word came forth.

  “Die!”

  Now!

  He spun… and leapt off the bridge.

  For a second, he was airborne. Then he hit the roof, ankles pulsing as he struggled to stay on the wobbling carriage.

  His gaze spun round just as the Alpha slammed down at the end of the carriage, an evil smirk forming.

  Screaming and running on pure instinct, Ian threw the knife straight at it.

  It sank into its shoulder.

  The beast roared, eyes flashing red. Instinctively, it stepped back.

  The foot slipped off the roof.

  Its eyes widened, massive arms waving to bring itself back. But gravity won and with a final roar, it tipped backwards over the edge.

  The air horn blared in victory as Ian steadied himself. The creature let out a baleful howl as it staggered up to its feet on the rails.

  But he didn’t care, Ian slumped to the deck, legs sprayed out as he sat on the deck watching the Ferals shrink out of view with the station. He looked down, his limbs shaking and tingling. He gulped down a breath of fresh air and sighed with a faint grin. The limbs went still.

  We made it…

  Then the blades cut through him. And all Ian could do was scream.