Shifting Again

Excerpt:
From Hide, by Cat Zheng

His boots felt like rocks tied to his feet--without thinking and almost without breaking stride he reached down and unlaced them, kicking them off and leaving them behind him. His socks went next; the forest floor wasn't kind on soft human feet, but somehow to the stings and the tears and the pain only made him feel more alive. He slowed. Something just wasn't right. Was this what it was, to become one of those things, become a throwback? He felt like he could smell everything, see everything, hear everything. He knew his heart was pounding and his temperature was too high and he was feverish and delirious, but he couldn't stop. Like he could just let go of the ground and fucking fly--

The echo of the dream-thing's words was like a slap in the face, throwing off his pace entirely. His foot snagged a third time and sent him face first into a tangle of low, thorny plants hidden in the waist-high green. As he struck the ground he felt every little ache and throb and stinging cut on his body. He rolled over and a wicked pain lanced up his legs. How long had he been running? What was he running from, anyway? Or running toward? His body ached like it had been hours. Shit, that was a joke. He'd never been able to keep up a hard run more than a few minutes, never mind an hour.

He struggled to his feet but his thighs felt like masses of fire. He had to ignore it, go above it. If he was gonna turn into a goddamn Primitive he might as well let some of their more sensible ideas apply--he closed his eyes, counted to three, tried to go beyond his physical being.

From Alpha, By BA Tortuga

The ground felt good under his paws, solid and firm, just a little damp, just a little cool. Autumn was coming, Cage could smell it in the air, sharp as a knife where the winds cut through the trees.

He was getting tired, slowly but surely the moon had stopped calling and the extra energy had started to fade, the urge to run and run and hunt easing as he neared home.

A hare crossed his path, right before he turned toward the den and his nose twitched.

Oh.

Yum.

His direction shifted, motions quiet and sure, nose on the ground as he tracked.

So intent was he on his trail that he missed the big black blur that came at him until the last minute, when it hit him and sent him rolling over and over. Heavy snarls filled the air as his attacker went for his throat.

No. No. His den.

Instinct took over, teeth flashing as he fought to find his feet, to defend his territory with all he was, fur to bone.

The Other was bigger, maybe stronger, pushing at him, teeth snapping only inches from his throat. The ground churned beneath their paws as they fought, back and forth.

He managed a sharp bite to one ear, another to the big male's flank as he tried to keep his throat, his ruff away from those teeth. The ground beneath their feet gave way and he jumped back, landing hard and snapping his teeth in the air in a direct challenge.

Mine.

MINE.

The Other came in again, answering him with bared teeth and wild golden eyes, pushing him hard, going for his vulnerable lower back legs.

Cage ended up scrambling for higher ground, claws scraping on the stone and bark left exposed on the ground. He could taste blood, sharp and metallic on his tongue and it tasted like prey.

Bounding after him, the Other seemed tireless, seemed to grow larger, the ruff standing up around his neck. That tail had to be twice as full as Cage's.

A pure fury filled him, sure as the sunlight that was lightening the sky. Hold on. Hold on. The sun was coming and he wouldn't lose his home. He wouldn't.