The Beasts That Hide Inside

As the sun dipped low behind the jagged peaks, casting long shadows across the snow-covered forest floor, and I prowled through the dense underbrush, eyes yellow and bright. My senses were alive with the thrill of the hunt, the scent of pine needles and damp earth filling my nostrils.

Hunger gnawed at my belly, a monster clawing up my throat.

I smirked, hunting was best when ravenousness was present, it made the world seem beneath me.

I growled softly.

It always was beneath me, but when my hunger was prominent it seemed even more so.

I tracked the prey in front of me, my paws, gracefully ghost-quiet allowing me to creep forward.

-Snap-

I growled loudly in frustration as the twig snapped under my paw, forgetting my quiet facade.

A flicker of movement ahead caught my attention—a flash of russet fur against the backdrop of ferns and moss-covered rocks. The deer, a graceful doe with wide, alert eyes, had sensed my presence. Her hooves struck the ground rapidly, propelling her through the forest with a desperate elegance.

I surged forward, muscles coiling beneath my silver-grey coat.

The chase was on.

Through thickets and fallen logs we raced, my breath came in heavy pants, the thrill of the pursuit quickening my blood. The doe was swift, her slender legs carrying her effortlessly over obstacles that would have slowed a less agile creature.

But I was relentless.

Each stride brought me closer to her, my instincts honed over countless hunts guiding me unerringly through the labyrinthine maze of the forest. The trees blurred past, their trunks a blur of dark shapes against the fading light.

I could hear her heart pounding, the rapid beat a counterpoint to the steady rhythm of my own. The gap between us narrowed with each passing moment until I could feel the warmth of her breath on my muzzle. Victory was within reach, tantalizingly close.

With a burst of speed born of desperation, the doe veered sharply to the left, her hooves skidding on loose gravel. I followed in hot pursuit, my claws digging deep into the soft earth.

Just as I reach her, my jaw mere inches from snapping around her throat, the scent of her fear feeding my hunger, an owl swooped down at my face. With a piercing cry, its talons raked across my fur, sending a jolt of surprise through my body. I skidded to a halt, my momentum nearly causing me to stumble over my paws. As I regained my balance, I lashed out with a furious snarl, swatting at the owl. The forest echoed with the sound of my frustration, leaves rustling, and branches quivering in response to my outburst.

The owl's powerful wings folded, transforming into pale limbs, human-like in their shape and grace. Its ruffled feathers becoming wrinkled clothes, as it settled, its neck extended, and the eagle's fierce visage shifted seamlessly into that of a man's face, short cropped hair matting to his face, with piercing, knowing eyes, the owl's formidable claws morphing into long, muscular legs that now supported the figure of a man.

I growled stepping closer slowly, since he decided to take my dinner, he could afford to become mine.

And human was much tastier than deer.

"Vixen." He said slowly taking his hand and pushing it closer to me, backing away gradually.

"Vixen," He says as I sniff his hand, "It's me, your best friend, Sebastien, I'm Esmerelda's brother remember? "

I am a wolf.

Strong, fast, ruthless.

I am no friend.

I lunged at him, my claws tearing into his skin as we tumbled into the cold, unforgiving snow. His desperate cries for help were muffled by the snow filling his mouth as I pinned him down. In that moment, I failed to notice the glint of the weapon in his hand before he pulled the trigger.

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When I awaken, consciousness seeps in like a slow tide. My bronze skin feels cool against the crisp white sheets that envelop me. As I gather my bearings, the sterile surroundings offer no clues except that I've been confined here. No matter how hard I try to remember, my memory remains elusive.

I shift to look at the other half of the room, but a flare of pain shoots through my body. I press my hand to the ache only for it to come away bloody.

The desk across the room catches my eye, its surface protected by plastic, save for a solitary tray holding pain relief tablets and a bloody tranquilizer dart. Instantly, a flood of memories rushes back.

Sebastien.

The name echoes in my mind, I had nearly taken his life, just as I had nearly ended Amina's. The grip of my depression tightens its hold on me as I struggle to reach for my pain relief medicine.

A knock interrupts my thoughts, and Doctor Clessia cautiously peers into the room. "Are you accepting visitors, My Lady?" she asks, concern etched on her features.

I nod, hastily wrapping the sheets around me to conceal my nakedness. The door swings open wider, admitting the entire crew. Summoning what strength I have left, I force a strained smile. "Well, I suppose I've discovered how to hunt," I remark, attempting to lighten the tension.

Silence greets my attempt at humor, thick and suffocating. Finally, Jose speaks up, his voice edged with disbelief. "Is nobody going to say it?"

A deep voice from the doorway responds, cutting through the silence. "I will."

Esmerelda strides into the room, her expression a mask of wrath.

She looks me up and down pausing. It's a courtier's pause, deciding how best to strike. "You're a piece of shit, Vixen," she declares, her words like venom.

Chaos erupts as emotions flare unchecked. Jose's anger is palpable. "Esmerelda, enough! You've crossed a line."

I raise a hand, silencing the room with a motion. "Please, explain yourself," I request, my face unbothered and aloof, even though my heart is shattering.

I always liked to think I had a heart of ice, but ice was much like glass: a couple hits and it broke.

Esmerelda's facade cracks, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You almost killed my brother today, Vixen," she accuses, her tone hardening. "None of you can control your beasts. Sooner or later, they will destroy us all!"

"Guards," I murmur softly. They enter swiftly, restraining Esmerelda as she fights against their grasp, her protests echoing in the room.

"You will kill us all Vixen, you will kill us all!" She screams, her arms and legs flailing as she is dragged out.

The room is silent, and Jose asks hesitantly, "Boss?"

"Leave," I command, my voice barely a whisper.

"But, Boss—" Jose tries again.

"Leave!" I shout, cutting them off.

I curl into a ball underneath my cover. The truth hangs heavy in the air. I was a murderer, wasn't I? Our human selves and our animalistic instincts are at odds, locked in a battle where the animals, unchecked, could be our undoing. Humans wouldn't be able to control their animals if they really tried, because by then, it wouldn't matter.

We were all damned to murder the world.