The beast leaped out of the trees, landing with a thump on the leafy ground.
He raised himself on his hind legs, raised his snout, and sniffed the air. Something smelled familiar. It wasn’t just the scent of the woman the human part of him craved so much. Her sweet scent was mingled with that of an unfamiliar male, as well as the multitude of smells the jungle around him radiated.
He wasn’t entirely Ulric, anymore.
The man he’d always been remained somewhere deep inside, but he’d faded into the background and given command to some sort of animal. He looked at his hands, now caramel-colored paws, but still holding Alex’s leather necklace and golden bracelet.
What the hell happened to me?
Voices distracted him.
He slowly made his way toward them, peeking around the tree housing the wrecked ship he’d just jumped from.
“What birds?” There she was, Alex. She stood with a man, and he was standing too close to her.
The screech overhead distracted Ulric, and when he turned back to Alex, the man had grabbed her hand and was dragging her away.
No, she’s mine!
Ulric raced out into the clearing, surprised at how easily moving as a four-legged animal was, but he got there too late. The man had already led Alex into the path ahead of him. Entangled with branches, he couldn’t see anything but darkness.
Follow her scent. I will follow her, wherever she goes.He’d tear the man to shreds if he laid another hand on her. No one touches her but me!
When he took the first step, the loud screeching overhead was quickly followed up with a sharp stabbing to his back.
He made a move to get free.
The creature shrieked in his ear, digging its claws deeper into his skin and fur. He tried to shrug it off, but he was pecked in the back of the head. Warm blood trickled down his scalp and the back of his neck, but a wound was nothing to the majestic creature he’d become.
Ulric had no idea what had happened, but the change had come swiftly and easily. Out of nowhere, to fill him with a strength and hunger he’d never known before. This creature attacking him didn’t stand a chance against the wrath he suddenly felt inside.
Nothing was going to keep him from finding Alex.
She was the reason why he was here. She was the reason for everything, now.
He lifted his front legs, struggling to wrap his paws around the creature’s skinny neck, damning the fact he couldn’t, because he was no longer a man with hands and fingers. Instead, he sneaked a look over his shoulder and extended his claws, digging them into the creature. He swung it over his head, slamming its bony body on the ground in front of him.
He took a step back, away from the bird-like animal, taking the opportunity to get his next move figured out as it struggled on its back. Before it had a chance to take flight, he leaped forward, but the creature pecked him in the face.
Agony tore through him.
He collapsed to the ground and roared in protest.
The wounded bird took flight, disappearing into the air.
Ulric took the opportunity to get to his feet, disappointed that he couldn’t check his face with his paws without making it worse. As much as he tried to wish himself back into human form, he remained an animal.
How was Alex going to react when she saw what he’d become? Why had this happened to him, and why did this place feel so familiar?
Where the hell did we crash?
All his questions faded when the bird attacked, again. This time, it seemed determined to pluck his eyes out.
Ulric managed to avoid every attempt, spun around, and stabbed his claws into the tough skin of the creature’s abdomen. The cold blood seeped over his fur, and the bird squawked and flapped its leathery wings, attempting to escape his clutches. He didn’t let go. He kept a tight hold, slowly embedding his sharp claws deeper and deeper, until he managed to tear right through the coarse skin.
The creature cried out, and Ulric threw it to the side. Before the bird had a chance to respond, he tore the wings right off its back, followed by the beak, and finally snapped its neck.
When the creature’s cries died and the life had completely slipped away from it, he glared at the hands still wrapped around the bird’s scrawny neck. His hands were back to normal.
I’m human. What the fuck is happening to me?
He looked up, feeling the pull of the glowing orb in the sky.
The moon seemed to be calling him, caressing his skin with its cool touch. Trying to draw out the monster he hadn’t had a clue lay hidden inside him. The canopy of trees above shielded him, giving him the chance to hold onto a little bit of control.
Ulric released the creature and stepped into the direct path of the moon. Instantly, he felt the fur crawl over his skin, so he stepped back. With the trees shading him from the full effect of the satellite, he remained a man.
Maybe Alex didn’t need to find out what had happened to him. As long as they got off this planet, he’d be fine.
A new bout of screeching caught his attention. Shadows played out on the ground, a multitude of them. He wasn’t going to stay here and make himself a target.
He looked at his hands. Both of Alex’s lucky charms were gone.
Ulric looked at the ground, careful not to touch the moonlight as he searched for them. The glint of the bronze key caught his eye, and he leaned over. He’d found the necklace but couldn’t find the bracelet he’d given her.
“Damn!”
He couldn’t waste any more time looking. The birds were closing in, and Alex was still being led away from him by some man who had no right to touch her.
Ulric turned and ran the way Alex had headed.
With any luck, he could avoid the light of the moon and still be the man she knew when he reached her.