The water level was a lot lower than the top of the tank, and the impact sent the air flying from my lungs. I took another breath to replace the lost oxygen, only to inhale a lungful of water.

I thrashed desperately, but my small form couldn't reach the bottom of the tank to push back up, and I can't swim! My second thought was to trigger the change so I could just stand up, but no matter how hard I tried, as usual, my body wouldn't cooperate.

Panicking, I inhaled more water, only to splutter it back out again, my head raising above the surface of the water for just a second, long enough to inhale a short gasp of proper air before my head went under again.

I could hear muffled shouting from above me, but the voices sounded so distant...

My lungs burned with the effort of keeping the oxygen in, my instincts telling me to inhale again. It took everything in me not to comply, but my vision is beginning to blur..

Thankfully, strong hands grabbed me from under my shoulders and hauled me out, just as I was about to lose the battle with my lungs. I gasped for breath immediately, rapidly inhaling and exhaling lungfuls of air, trying to recover from the shock.

"Silly boy! We're not going to hurt you, and if there's something bothering you, you talk to us next time!" Chase scolded me, and I immediately hid my face sheepishly. What was I thinking? Sure, I was angry with them and scared of what they might do to me, but why had I acted up so badly? I was behaving like a child!

"If I put you down, promise not to run, okay? I don't fancy getting soaked again" he joked as he set me down. "And try to change back so we can talk"

I did as he asked, and tried to change back. Turn! Turn! I yelled at myself mentally, but to no avail. Zion scoffed, whilst his brother just sighed.

"Look, I read up on your kind. For most, the change comes as naturally as breathing. But there are some unfortunate people for whom the change isn't second nature, and you happen to be one of them due to the human trials" he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Just close your eyes, focus on your breathing, make sure you're calm and let the world around you disappear for a while. That should trigger the change, and you'll feel it. Just don't open your eyes until you can feel your fingers, okay little one?"

I mewled in response, lying down on the floor and closing my eyes.

It took a while, but as promised, I eventually felt the tingling of the change as it began to wash over me. And as instructed, I didn't open my eyes until my paws could curl into fingers again.

I shivered as I warily opened my eyes, the cold, dampness of the basement floor beginning to chill my bones.

"S-o-rry" I choked out, curling into a ball. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm sorry!" I whimpered, the image of Zion's sharp fangs and angry glare coming to mind. Why did I attack him the way I did?! It was stupid and reckless, I know better than anyone what he's potentially capable of...

"Shh, little one. Don't worry, I've got you" Chase's melodic voice soothed me and he scooped me into his warm embrace, lulling me into a sense of calm. He's good at manipulating people, but at the moment I don't even care...

"Don't soothe him! He tore a huge gash in my face!" Zion seethed, storming over. "Give him to me! I'll spank his cute little butt raw!"

"Stop being melodramatic, he barely even scraped you! You're such a drama queen" Chase sighed, adjusting his grip on me.

"I am NOT a drama queen! I'm just stating the facts in a theatrical way!"

Chase rolled his eyes, handing me to Zion. "Hold him for a minute"

My eyes widen and I struggled, but Zion smirked and grabbed me eagerly from Chase. One of his hands supported me by under my butt, and the other he used to cup my balls, though to do this he had to ensure that most of my weight was leaning onto his chest.

I gasped at the unexpected contact, pulling his hand away from my crotch. "You're so small, it's so cute!" Zion exclaimed, seeming to forget his previous anger. My face began to heat up, and I covered myself from his gaze.

"S-stop looking!" I whimpered, relived to here Chase call down a moment later from the top of the ladder for Zion to pass me up to him.

He obliged, with one last squeeze of my butt. As soon as I felt Chase's hands wrap around me, I scrambled up the last few steps of the ladder into his arms, eager to be away from Zion and with someone I trust.

"Woah, easy there!" Chase laughed as I sent us both tumbling back onto the floor in my haste. I quickly got off of him and stood up, dashing upstairs to retrieve some clothing to protect what remained of my modesty.

Neither Chase nor Zion -who had just come up from the basement- stopped me, probably guessing my intention as I ran covering my front and back as best I could.

I slammed the door of my all too familiar room open, and a wave of nostalgia and memories hit me. Memories of my time alone and afraid in this room after my leap left...

I shook my head, grabbing some shorts from my wardrobe and slipping them on with great difficulty, my unpracticed hands fumbling with the material. Being a leopard so long had really affected my motor skills.

I was just doing up the last button when a painfully familiar scent hit me, drifting in through the open window. Memories began to resurface as I took in the scent, inhaling more deeply to be sure.

Mother?!

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Sorry for the cliffhanger again, but I couldn't find a good way to end this cheater without it dragging on 😅 I'll try and update really soon as I'm on half term for a week ^.^