For some reason, I wake up in the middle of the night to see the moon hanging high in the night sky. The moon is so bright, it creates a faint halo around itself. I look over to see Kian fast asleep so I quietly pull my tail back and stand up.

I walk a few feet away and stretch my tight muscles out but as I'm stretching, I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder. I flinch and quickly straighten as I suddenly wonder what's wrong. Had I injured myself when I was "hunting"?

No, that can't be... I would have felt it when I did it and it's been hours since then. I would have healed by now... I cautiously stretch again but nothing happens. It didn't feel like a pulled muscle or anything... It felt like something was burning me.

I shake off it off and decide to go for a walk. I could hear for miles and apart from small animals, nothing else was in the woods around us. My hearing was so much better in this form. Looking around in the moonlight, I quickly realize that my eyesight is much better as well.

After walking for about ten minutes or so, I find a tall, thick tree and quickly scale it. Once at the top, I find a thick branch and sit upon it as I look over the woods. My long tail acts as a balancing pole again as I effortlessly sit on the branch.

I really like it like this... no one around... no walls... no boundaries. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, listening to all the animals moving in the woods. I even hear what sounds like bats and... an owl? The world comes to life in another way at night...

Suddenly, the pain hits me again, instantly causing me to lose my footing. I fall from the tree! I hit a branch or two as I quickly tumble to the ground but I know I need to flip around! I'm able to twist myself around and land on all fours at the last moment as broken branches fall down all around me.

I try to take a step forward but the pain strikes again! I stumble a little and quickly lean against the large tree trunk. What the h.e.l.l is going on? I close my eyes and focus on my breathing as I try to figure out what was happening but when I hear something approaching, I quickly snap my eyes open and perk my ears up.

Something around my size... No, it's larger. It's moving in my direction and I'm standing upwind from whatever it was. That means I can't smell it but it can smell me... I try to stand up again but the pain in my shoulder has me falling back against the tree.

I shut my eyes tightly and try control my breathing, hoping by some chance this thing will walk past me and ignore me. I fight against the pain and mentally try to block it out as the creature gets closer.

As soon as it's right on the other side of the bushes, it stops. I open my eyes and stare at the bush it's hiding behind. The surroundings suddenly grow quiet, acknowledging the predator that was now stalking me.

The bright moonlight s.h.i.+nes down, casting everything in a silver glow as the breeze lightly blows. I narrow my eyes on the bush, willing the thing to turn away and leave but like a true predator, it senses my weakness.

I grit my teeth and wait... hoping by some miracle it would turn away but suddenly, everything is so silent and still, I know it's about to attack. I will my magic to come, even though it can't in this form. When I feel the slightest bit of power, I latch onto it and pull.

I use it to block out my pain as a large black panther comes flying through the bushes! I leap up and meet the large cat head-on. We collide with loud roars and tufts of hair go flying! My claws dig into its side as its sharp claws dig into my back.

The cat was male and much larger than me in size! We break apart and growl at each other as we slowly start circling. It's emerald green eyes are nearly glowing in the moonlight as we both bare our fangs at each other.

Gone was my logical thinking... No, I wanted to sink my teeth into its throat and kill it for trying to kill me! It was me or this panther... It lunges at me with its sharp claws and powerful jaw wide open but I quickly reach out and smack it hard with my claws.

The panther roars out in pain and quickly jumps to the side with a growl. It doesn't wait another second before launching another attack! This time he jumps straight at me and blocks my blow, knocking me down on my back.

He instantly bits down on my shoulder, barely missing my neck! As his teeth break through flesh and bone, I use my back claws to kick and scratch his unprotected belly as I dig my sharp claws into his sides.

Hot blood pours out of my shoulder as hot blood pours out of the panther's underbelly. When he realizes that he's in trouble, he tries to pull away but I hold him to me by digging my claws into his ribs. I get in a few more kicks before he reaches back down, trying to bite my neck again.

This time I rip my claws out of his sides and kick him as hard as I can! He roars out in pain and flies back into the very tree I was leaning on before. I quickly get up and immediately attack him. I lunge at him while he's trying to get up and sink my teeth into his thick throat.

I bite down as hard as I can, instantly hearing bone and tendons snapping as hot blood fills my mouth, fueling my beast. I don't stop, I bite down harder as he continues to thrash and struggle under me and he almost gets up but he's growing weaker.

He's so much bigger than I am so it's easier for him to throw me around but with the amount of blood he's lost and now that he can't breathe... this is the end for him. I continue to bite down until I hear his heart stop.

I slowly open my mouth, causing blood to fall from it like a small river. I breathe heavily as I look down at the unmoving panther with a rush of... I don't know what this feeling is but it was unlike anything I've ever felt.

I didn't even feel this way with the vulture... No, it was too easy and I was in control the whole time. This time I wasn't in control. My beast was in control and she was ruthless. She's proud of her kill and I can feel her running through my veins unlike before.

She feels... alive. For the first time in a hundred and twenty-three years, she's alive. My heart weeps at the realization and I decide to let her roam freely. I give her control and step back, fully unleas.h.i.+ng her for the first time in our lives.