Hidden Hallows

I"m not driven by a need to s.h.i.+ft every full moon but when I do s.h.i.+ft, it"s a s.h.i.+ft that"s entirely magic. Other s.h.i.+fters will take thirty seconds to a full minute to s.h.i.+ft and the process can even be painful but not for me. It happens with just a thought, just a wave of magic and there"s no discomfort.

The more powerful a s.h.i.+fter is, the faster they can s.h.i.+ft but no matter how strong and powerful they are, they can"t s.h.i.+ft as quickly as I can. Only one of the many reasons I can"t coexist with a pack. I walk a thin line between two worlds but I don"t belong to either one.

That"s why I stay to myself... even in the Super Natural community, I shouldn"t exist. An abomination and trouble. The mixing of races does happen but for some reason, those who do date outside of their own race can"t have offsprings.

I"m not entirely sure why but I have a feeling it"s supposed to keep a sense of balance. Then there"s me... existing in the dark and playing "witch". I slowly open my eyes that now glow like the moon above me and s.h.i.+ft.

My magic rolls over me like a familiar blanket and the next second I"m on all fours with a large stretch. I arch my b.u.t.t up in the air as I dig my sharp claws into the gra.s.s below me. My white fur reflects the moonlight making it look like I was glowing.

My long tails slowly whips back as I lift my head and smell again. I can smell so much more in this form! The earth comes to life! I scan the dark woods with my silver-blue eyes before taking off into them.

I"ve placed barriers all around my house and even in the woods so that I can run without being seen or smelt by others. Because of where I live, I have the Alpha Xander to worry about and the Vampires. The other supernaturals don"t pose a threat to me but Vampires are drawn to me because of my unique bloodline.

I can mostly avoid Vampires and the one time a Vampire did taste me, I killed him. Xander is more dangerous though... I don"t want to know what he"ll do if he ever finds out what I am. I"m not just a half-witch, half-s.h.i.+fter...

My mother is an extremely powerful witch and one of the oldest still alive but she decided to get involved with the last known Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard s.h.i.+fters were dying out and one hundred and twenty-three years ago... everyone thought the last one had died.

In a way, it did but I was soon born several months later and with the help of my mother, I was kept hidden. Snow Leopard s.h.i.+fters are known for their deep connection with the moon and its power. There"s a lot of stories and legends about the Snow Leopard s.h.i.+fters but the reason they became extinct was that they were hunted.

Witches, Vampires, warlocks and even Elfs wanted the blood of Snow Leopard s.h.i.+fters. It was said to hold limitless power and abilities but as a Snow Leopard myself, I call bulls.h.i.+t. Yes, I feel very connected to the moon and it feels like my blood literally sings with magic but aren"t all supernaturals like that?

I shake my head and pull myself out of memory lane. Now"s not the time, I want to enjoy this full moon that makes my blood sing and dance. I dig my nails into the soft ground below me and take off. I easily glide through the familiar trees and race to my favorite spot.

As I reach the small rock formation, I easily pounce up and sit at the edge. I wish I could run farther and longer but the surrounding land belongs to Xander and his pack. If I try to go any farther... they will start to notice me and that"s the last thing I want.

I wrap my tail around my hind legs as I sit silently in the moonlight. Even though I"m used to being alone... it bothers me more in this form. I guess it"s because I should belong in a pack... only "my kind" was hunted down and drained for what they were. Even by the other s.h.i.+fters...

It"s fine... I"m used to this. I"m okay with being alone... it"s safer that way. "Is it really though?" I can"t help but ask myself that question as I look out over the dark land before me. I feel like something"s changing but I don"t know what... And I can"t tell if it"s a good thing or not.

After staring at the moon for an hour or so, I hear a loud howl. My tail swishes back and forth as I locate the sound of Xander"s pack. They come out and do runs together as a pack and some nights I would sit up here and watch from a safe distance but they"re too close.

I feel my ears lay back as I send out a low but soft growl of discontent. It was bad enough I only had this small s.p.a.ce to safely roam, now they"re running me off! I bare my teeth in their direction before jumping down from the rocks.

I decide to sprint back to the house at full speed, hoping I can ease the ache in my muscles. They want to run at full speed for as long as possible but they"ll have to settle for this. When I make it back to the backyard.

I s.h.i.+ft back to my human form before walking out of the wooded area. The barrier helps protected me from wandering eyes but I still have to be careful. I walk back into the house to find Binx still in the same spot.

Sighing, I walk over and pick his fat b.u.t.t up. I throw him over my shoulder and bring him to my room. I throw myself across the bed and squeeze Binx like a stuffed toy. He doesn"t fuss or make any snide remarks as I bury my face into his fluffy black fur.

Being my familiar, he can easily sense my mood so he starts to purr and before I know it, I"m asleep.