I sat at the dining table, tapping my foot nervously. All my muscles seemed to come alive and they wouldn't allow me to sit still. Last time I shifted around eleven pm... There was still so much time before that. Maybe I could force the shift sooner, maybe then I could even go to work in the morning. Is it possible, Beast? I asked myself not expecting an answer. But then a sudden strange feeling of harmony came over me as if for the first time after such a long time all my parts finally had the same goal. Feeling determined I went to my room, where I changed into sweatpants, a white T-shirt, and my sweatshirt. Then I went for the forest, I didn't even try to run slowly anymore, I just sprinted. The wind in my back pushed me towards the forest, its darkness and the quiet rustling sounds lured me inside more than usual. My muscles seemed to fill with more and more energy with each movement until I thought I would explode at any moment. As soon as I stepped into the woods, the shadows engulfed me and a strange calm swept through my body. The forest wanted me here, I knew it, I wasn't sure how and I didn’t know why, but the forest was my home and it would always protect me.

I ran for a while through the forest, avoiding branches and trees easily even at full speed. I was almost convinced that the forest itself was moving out of my way, calling me in deeper. I stopped at a small clearing surrounded by tall bushes and trees. I quickly removed my clothes.

Nothing happened... Come on. I didn't know how this worked, so I just stood there for about half a minute, trying to figure out what to do now.

"Alright, breathe…" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the cold night air into my lungs. As I breathed out I imagined the wolf coming out of me and taking all control of my body. Nothing... Another breath. Exhale. The monster, clawing to the surface from deep within me… Familiar pressure poured into my joints and my skin started to itch unpleasantly. One more breath. And a long exhale. I imagined the Beast creeping from the darkest corners of my soul, robbing me of the last remnants of humanity.

The forest sang with wind and the rustle of leaves, hiding the echo of my bones cracking and my pain-filled cries. I fell on all fours, digging my fingers into the dirt. This time the shift started at my feet and seemed to move upwards. It was worse… Much worse. When everything happened at once, I didn't have time to concentrate on a single spot of pain, while now I felt every bone and muscle separately. I held myself on my hands, while my body convulsed in pain, my face wet with tears and sweat. I tasted blood in my mouth and realized I had bit my lip as I tried not to scream. Don't fight… There was a deep voice in my head, strangely joyful. Surrender and I'll relieve you of any pain… That voice was no stranger to me, even though I have never heard it before. He was a part of me and I happily obeyed him. Immediately, my whole body arched in the last bounds of agony, and the shift proceeded as quickly as a snap of a finger. Yellow eyes in the darkness were the last thing I saw when I closed my eyes…

The monster let the man fall asleep and made himself comfortable at the wheel. He could still feel the last of fur growing over his body and his shoulder joints were not properly set yet. So he let himself be soothed by the quiet wind that caressed his ebony fur. He had to admit that he had never felt so relaxed... Today he did not have to fight for control with his other half. Today the man called on him and voluntarily surrendered to him. It was a great feeling… He growled softly to himself as his right joint settled in place with a soft click, completing the shift.

The Beast slowly stood up and stretched his legs making sure they worked properly. When he was satisfied with everything, he trotted through the forest into the unknown, waiting for the forest to offer him prey. He couldn't find anything for a long time… With each heartbeat, he sped up, and with each step, deadly frustration gathered in him. He longed to sink his teeth into something warm and defenseless… This way, son… The already familiar voice of his Maker called out to him. The Beast stopped immediately and pricked up his ears as if it might help him hear the voice in his mind better. The forest cannot offer you the same pleasure as I can.… He sang in an alluring voice that captivated the Beast more than the rustle of the trees. The forest disappointed him, while his Maker promised Power. However, the monster remembered very well the night before, when he himself was the prey of another beast. Oh, do not worry pup... All is forgiven... I myself never waste a good hunt... The voice chuckled darkly and sent excitement through him.

The ebony wolf ran to meet the voice, right into the city. His huge paws thundered on the forest floor, and the twigs that were unlucky enough to be in his way turned into sawdust. The monster was well aware of the power of his massive muscles. Some would say that with such force would come clumsiness, but his every move was calculated and performed with the right dose of elegance and confidence. Here he was in his element… So when he saw the artificial lights that drowned out the moon and the strange unnatural sounds that emitted from the colored stone squares and rectangles, he stopped. Somehow he didn't particularly like the city. He was interested only in its inhabitants, he was interested only in the fools who wandered around at night… So he stepped out of his home and sprang forward, keeping to the shadows. Everything was vaguely familiar to him… A long street dotted with houses. He could smell his own scent around one of the houses. He ran on. Then suddenly he heard a familiar voice and froze.

"Well, what do you expect? He was almost killed!” a soft voice the Beast itself never heard, but knew. It belonged to a woman, a young woman.

"It's not just about that… He's just acting too weird…" a young man replied, also a familiar voice that sounded worried. Normally, the Beast would probably continue on its way. The voices behind the green bush fence simply weren’t interesting enough. He sought a body of someone stupid enough to be wandering alone at night. But then the woman spoke again and a single word caught the Beast’s attention...

"Andrew has always been a little different…" Andrew... The Beast knew the name, he knew clearly who it belonged to; the human part that was at the moment sleeping deep inside him. So the Beast carefully approached the house. He pushed his snout through the living fence. A garden appeared before him. "When everyone went right, he wanted to know what was on the left… Father always kept him in check though, which was probably why they hated each other." The woman had brown curly hair and hazel eyes. She sat on a swinging bench with her knees bent, covered by a red blanket. Next to her sat a young man, also with brown hair and brown eyes. The Beast was aware his human part knew them, but they weren't worth searching through his memories to find their names.

"Love, I know Andrew, I know what he's like. He doesn't just forget about his job and he doesn't ignore phone calls or isolate himself in his house,” the young man argued, frowning. The Beast crouched, motionless, to not draw attention to himself, wanting to hear what they were talking about, though he doubted he would remember for long.

"They stuffed him full of medicine, he probably doesn’t even know what’s going on." The woman sighed sadly. "But it's true that he seemed different to me today. Even though we had fun talking, his thoughts were somewhere else. And his eyes… Something in them…” She fell silent, unable to finish her thought.

"Something is wrong with him! He needs help,” the man finished for her. Surprisingly, this amused the Beast… After all, they were right. Can you hear Andrew…? Oh, how disloyal they are to you. Plotting behind your back. The Beast sighed in his head and was about to leave, but then his eyes fell on the man's hand, which slowly moved to the woman's thigh. "But enough about that. We have a whole week to worry." He smiled and leaned toward the woman, she didn't resist his attempt at a kiss. Get your hands off my sister! A voice roared angrily in the Beast’s mind. And so, before their lips could join, the wolf let out a deep, loud growl. The Beast himself didn't mind the situation, but his human self was filled with fresh anger, which awakened bloodlust inside the Beast. The man immediately jumped to his feet as the woman screamed and pointed directly to where the Beast was hiding. The Beast stood motionless. Although he himself wished to tear something to pieces, that one part of him prevented him from doing so… So he growled again, this time out of frustration, and bared his fangs. The man pulled out a black revolver from somewhere and fired. The Beast stood in shock for a moment, frozen in place, the same part that prevented him from killing those two people, could not believe that the man actually fired at him. However, the Beast recovered quickly and jumped to the side, so that the bullet aimed at his head hit him in the shoulder. The Beast half whined and half growled before he turned and ran away.