The Animal Inside

Chapter 1

Aura POV

I ran with Baines faster and faster. I could see them behind us but Baines yelled not to look back.

Then we shifted.

My skin shifting underneath me into my second form. A jaguar with its sleek glossy black coat.

Looking to my left Baines was shifting into a panther. I would have smiled if I wasn't so afraid of the men behind us.

So I pushed forward with Baines. Effortlessly we leaping over rocks and under branches.  I could see Taichi carrying Sacnite in his mouth much like a mother would her cub.

They too had shifted now both panthers.

Tachi was large.

Larger than any normal panther. His coat was a sleek black, like mine. But his mate Sacnite was a bit smaller than the average panther. Almost as if  whatever force paired them had made them had created Tachi slightly too big and then taken some of Sacnite's size as a balance.

She was small and tan. Sacnite had never been the fastest which seemed to be why he was carrying her. Not wanting his mate to fall behind.

Looking forward I pushed my muscles harder trying to run faster.

Baines was falling behind a bit.

I was always faster than him but I slowed a tad so we could stay together. I did not want to loose any or my friends.

Turning my head away from Sacnite and Tachi, I looked the the right seeing three tigers.

It was Kardir, his brother Tacticus, and his mate Sable.

Tacticus, the youngest only 13 was struggling to keep up with his bother.

Kardir's head turned and we locked eyes for a second then his head turned pushing Tacticus in front of him forcing him to run faster.

Suddenly Baines stopped his whole body shuddering.

Skidding to a hault only a few feet away, I whined trying to get him to continue.

One man held something spotted in his hand. It dangled limply and did not move. Blood dripped from it.

Baines howled, crying out towards the limp creature.

I knew then it was Kikta, Baines mate.

Baines would die too if I didn't do something. His eyes full of anger and pain.

I nipped his ear and he turned his eyes full of sadness. I bit it harder and he hissed but started to run again.

Everyone was far in front of us now.

We ran snacking through jungle that we were all familiar with. These lands had been in our families, part of our culture for many years. The men and the village grew farther and farther away.

Soon there were not sounds of men, or burning houses. The smell of death and the screams of people they'd known their entire lives died away. Succumbing to the sounds of the jungle. Crickets and birds and leaf fall. The humm of life.

And then we were in a part of the jungle I was not familiar with.

Me and Baines climbed a tree and watched. Waiting to see if anyone had followed us.

I could hear Baines soft whimpering. He was mourning his mate. He would mourn his mate for a long while. If not his entire life.

Curling up I closed my eyes letting my tail settle over my eyes and fell asleep from pure exhaustion. The adrenalin rush now gone.