muscle fiber in its body, the power coiled in its legs, the way its claws barely brushed the le

ven think.

nto the soil as my body shifted violently, bones stretching, muscles tearing, fur sprouting

eamed. "A

coul

n't w

way my wolf pulsed: this was not an enemy. Not entirely. It recognized me, and in

ed bark, tore soil, and I felt the creature's presence in every cell of

ifted. I wasn't running, I w

ollided, sparks of energy exploding in the night. My teeth bared instinctivel

int, almost drowned

ath, every movement was magnified. My senses screamed: it's not just a fight. It's a test. I fe

reature retreated just a fraction. Its silver eyes locked

n. Respect

e in my mind again,

? You are one of us. Y

I had never known. My wolf shivered in

ying to pull me back.

nerve, every atom vibrate with something primal and dangerous. My claws dug deep into the ea

im. And I realized, with a shiver down my spine, that it was mirroring me. Every move I ma

the fores

could hear the life force of every living thing reacting to my presence. Every animal froze, e

d not entirely wolf. It was something t

scraped, and the force of the impact sent me skidding back across the forest f

ring at me with wide eyes. "

d untamable. My mind was clouded with instinct, yet my consciousness remained just enough to realize the truth: I wasn't hu

olten metal in the firelight, and I felt its power seep into my mind. Not a

wolf should be. My claws raked against its flank, teeth aimed for i

pect. It stopped. Sat back slightly, and in

un

wolf roared in triumph. My body shifted fully, a perfect blend of human cunning and wolf predatio

e. My senses were too sharp. Every movement

ely. It was like me. And that thought both thrilled and te

t as quickly,

solved into nothing but a suffocating hus

ghts spiraled out of control, until understandi

d just beyond sight, patient and al

wasn'

pressing around me, aware of me in a way that made my pulse race

slipped into my thoughts- not human, not wolf, no

They are comin

ing through me. My wolf surged again.

adowed figures stirred just beyond the firelight, I realized I was n