Rori-POV
Pain. The most unimmaginable feeling of each bone breaking in my body, the fear that is taking control of me as i tried to escape is getting out of hand.
I limp away from the shadows behind me only to be knocked off my feet with an invisible force, one that feels so much like the force that crashed the car two years ago.

The air is knocked out of my lungs as i crashed on the cold ground. My breath was quickly turning shallow as i felt my rib crack into pieces. I laid on my back and held myside as a scream rips out of my throat. What the hell are this shadows doing to me?
I saw a sahdow leap towards me and i acted as fast as i could by quickly slaping the arrow in my hand against its bow ans shot without aim.
The silver arrow goes through the shadow and the creature bursted in to flames as if it was hit by fire. As the burning shadow created a dristraction from the other two, i got up to my feet and moved towards the house.
I have no idea how far i have walked while i was hunting and so i have no idea if i'm close to home or not. My hands reached to myside once again and held on to stop the pain.
I was struggling to breath when i was pulled back by my hair. I screamed as a shadow dragged me back as if it was about to take me to its cave.
I struggled to free myself but more cracks of bone made me scream for my life. I reluctantly let go of my side to reach into my quiver and pull out an arrow. As soon as i had it in my hands, i turned the string to face away from me and shot the arrow backwards.

Once again, the shadow that was dragging me bursted into flames like the first one did. Just as i was about to get up, my back twisted and an un controllable roar escaped my lips. All i could do was sream for help.
"PHOEBE..."
I screamed at the top on my lungs over and over again as pain turned me inside out. At the corner of my eyes, i can see the last shadow stalking towards me. I tried to reach behind to reach for my arrows but my arm twisted in a weird direction and turned me into a screaming mess.
The shadow walked slowly over to me as if it was mocking me. As soon as it stood over me, it raised its fist up high in the air and i watched in terror as it swings its arm down to smash it against be.

I closed my eyes and waited for thd impact to hit but it never came. When i opened my eyes, i saw the large fist hanging right above my face and the creature had frozen, literally.
"RORI!"
I heard my name coming from behind me and i swallowed a whimper as i slowly turned my head around to see phoebe. She quickly ran towards me and pulled me out from under the shadows fist.
"What happened..."
I didn't even get to finish my question when i was inturrapted by the pop sound of my other shoulder. I fisted the front of her sweater as a scream escaped my lips once again.
"Make it stop, make it stop..."
I constantly yelled at her but she couldn't do anything. Instead, shè just held on to my hand.
"It's going to be okay, Rori. Trust your nature."
What the hell is she talking about? I am breaking bone after bone and here she is, speaking words of wisdom i don't, for the life of me, understand.
The burning of my skin breaks me out of my though and another scream ripps out of me. It felt like small niddles where stabbing every inch of my body. I am socked in my own sweat as i felt my body rearrange into and unfamiliar form.
It didn't stop hurting until phoebe let go of my hand and moved back on the ground.
I can hear my clothe being ripped apart from my body as i somehow transformed.
I closed my eyes and let the pain and fear wash over me until it all stopped. Suddenly, i noticed i was down on all four. At first i thought i was kneeling. But then, i opened my eyes.
First, i looked at phoebes' wide, blue eyes as she watched me. She looked both facinated and terrified at the same time.
Second, i shifted my gaze towards the forest and noticed that it suddenly looked so bright. My bad night vision is now picking up every single colour the dark forest has to offer.
Then third, i looked down to my arms. But i don't see any hands. Instead, i saw paws. Giant fricken paws.
My sence overwelms me and my vision darkned. The next thing i know, i was falling sideways and watched phoebes' hand reach out to me before everything went dark.
***
I woke up with the worse feeling ever. My body was sore beyond limits and my head was pounding.
I stiffled a groan as i sat up on my bed and looked around. I had the weirdest dream ever.
I ran my fingers through my hair before pulling the covers off my body. I looked down to see that i was wearing one of phoebes dresses and i frowned. I don't remember ever wearing her dress.
I got out of bed to find phoebe and ask her why i was wearing her dress. But first, i need to eat.
As i walked outside, i found phoebe wipping my arrows and i cleared my throat to grab her attention. She looked at me over her shoulder and she smiled.
Phoebe quickly dropped the arrows and walked over to me to pulled me into a hug.
"I'm so proud of you." She whispered.
"What are you talking about?" I whispered back and watched her pull away.
"You seem to have forgotten that you shifted last night." She commented before she went back to wipping my arrows.
Shifted? I though it was a dream. Wait...i shifted? I'm not broken. I actually shifted in to a wolf? Oh dear goddess...
"Not a wolf, Rori." Phoebe interupted my thoughts. "Your something more."
Food was long forgotten as I walked over to stand in front of her. "What do you mean i'm not a wolf?" I suddenly felt panicked. I though i shifted. She said it herself.
Phoebe looked up at me before smiling again.
"I thought your kind was extinct. But i guess the gods have a weird way of working a balance over our world."
"What are you talking about, phoebe?" I was getting frusterated with her. And eventhough my temper shocked me, i needed answers immideatly.
Instead of giving me an answer to my question, she stood up and handed me one of my arrows and my bow.
"Phoebe!" I warned her but she simply shook her head. She palced her hands on either side of my shoulders and turned me over to a target.
"Hit that tree and you will get your answer."
"Phoebe, please. For once just speak directly without twisted words or riddles. Just tell me what it is."
"I need to you chanell all the frustration you are feeling and use it as an aim to hit your target.
I growled in anger as i held the silver arrow aganst the bow and aimed at a tree. I pulled my elbow back as further as i can and streched the string of the bow until it pressed firmly against my right cheek. Just as phoebe said, i gathered all my anger and relised the nock of the arrow.
The arrow rips through the air and hits the target. Only, as soon as the arrow lands on the tree, it bursted into flames. I gaspped as i watched the tree burn.
"Fire...phoebe fire!" I yelled but she held in to my shoulder to keep me in place. The fire on the tree matched My sudden change in attitude and it burned out.
As i quickly calm down, the fire disappeared.
"What the hell?" I was breathing heavey as i heard phoebe chuckle behind me.
"You, my friend, are a shifter unseen for over hundreds of years. You are the last of your kind...well, i guess you are the first after so many years."
I looked at her over my shoulder as i waited for her to tell me what exactly i was. But she doesn't continue. Instead, i heard an unfamiliar voice in my head and a stirr in my chest.
"We are the last queen for the kings of the jungle." The voice spoke and i know immidealty without a doubt that it was my inner beast.
" you are Lioness."
***
I looked up at the starless night sky and huffed in annoynce.
I laid down on my belly with my paws streched out and crossed in front of me. All i want to do is go for a run, let my beast free and let the nature of the forest guide my every movement.
But instead, i am trapped here. I huffed again when i heard phoedes footsteps coming my way.
"Will you stop being mad?"
She asked and i could alomst hear her roll her eyes as i stood up and moved away from her. After i gave her my back, i laid back down on my belly and presumed my glare over to the quite sky.
Ever since i shifted about two month ago, phoebe has refused to let me go anywhere. She had banded me with what ever trick she had to keep me close to the house. But my lioness needs to be free, to roam around as she wishes.
The human side in me says that phoebe is right, that this is the safest way possible as those shadows have been getting closer to our house. But the lioness in me demands freedom. She could be a real hardhead sometimes but she is a queen, born to never be trapped.
And now that i'm laying here in her form, i couldn't help but be crancky towards phoebe. I have been in my lioness form for over a week now, refusing to turn back just to teach phoebe a leasson. I tried to scare her. With the size of my beast, i can easily tower her as she stood. I'd roar at her face. But So far, it has been failing.
I heard her sigh before she walked over to sit next to me. She tucked her legs under her tighs and leaned back on her hands.
I gave her a side glance just to see if she was terrified of me but she had no reaction what so ever.
"I can't protect you if your too far away, Rori. Last time was pure luck. I don't use magic but with few tricks i can keep us alive until the time comes for us to leave. I'm not doing this to trap you or your beast. I am doing this out of care. I know you are more than capable to protect yourself but you can't learn on your own.
You have power beyond imagination. Power that only few are granted in our world. And you need know how to use it to protect yourself but also control it so you don't harm others.
You're a really good friend and an amazing person. But you also have a great role to play in this world and i'd be damned if i let anything happen to you. So please, stop shutting me out so i can help you...please"
I stayed silent for a while before turning my head over to look at her. She looked back at me and i can see my reflection through her eyes. My usualy brow eyes look golden when i'm in my lioness form. But it's not just my reflection that i saw in her eyes. I saw genuen care too.
I nudged my head against her knee and she smiled before running her hand over my head. With a satisfied purr, i leaned my head on her knee and stayed still.
I ran my eyes over the trees and huffed again. She's right. That night i found the shadows had been horrible. Sifting for the first time while fighting against monsters was one of the things i don't ever want to experience again.
If phoebe hadn't heard me scream, i would have been six feet under by then. I might have too much pride to just sit around but my lioness and i both trust phoebe.