The full moon is a sight to see as I move into the outskirts of town, letting the darkness of the shadows envelope me. I am still in human form, holding off on the inevitable shift until I am free of the stench of humans. The town is frightening, full of angry people that throw things and curse and have weapons like guns. I have not had a good taste of what it has to offer. On the other hand, I have become acquainted with a few Weres that make living here a little more tolerable.

There is the curly haired girl whose name I haven't received yet. She's pretty despite her scars and she helped me out of a bad situation when a Hunter decided to go after us. She protected me when she didn't have to and I feel as if I am in her debt for that. She was kind to me, even offering for me to come to her house with her, something I would never think possible on our first encounter. It's almost as if she trusts me, or at least wants to and that's not something I'm used to. I find trust hard to come by and no one's ever trusted me before, not for anything other than getting them food, anyway. I like her and wonder what she's up to on a night like this.

Then there's the strange boy who thinks he can keep other Weres as pets. I'm still paranoid from the day he jumped out of nowhere and picked me up, carrying me down the street like his own personal trinket. I managed to get out of it, but only just and he seems a bit manipulatve. I haven't seen him shift but I'm sure he's a big predator. I could tell by the way he looked at me when he sensed my fear. I shiver at the thought of running into him tonight. He might not keep to his promise that he won't hurt me on a night like this when our animal instincts are stronger and less in check.

And finally there's the girl who saved me a few nights ago. I never got her name but she could have eaten me and instead she stood up for me against men with knives who were seeking to hurt me. I should have just kept my big mouth shut when I saw them attacking that man but as a victim of abuse myself, I guess I just hate seeing others enduring the same fate. I wish someone would have intervened for me. Instead of simply turning her back on me, she invited me along and showed me kindness. I could tell she was curious about me but I didn't know exactly what she wanted. I wonder if she's out terrorizing anyone on a night like tonight.

I have only met one other different kind of person while here and that's a Hunter but from the momentary glance of him, I'd hate to run into him again. He shot at me and the curly haired girl, chasing us down streets and alleys. He was definitely trying to kill us. I knew nothing of these others before coming here and the ones the wolf Were mentioned are still stuck in my head. If a Hunter is that bad, what makes me think a Witch or Vampire will be any different? I curl my arms around myself as if cold. Just thinking about it makes me ache with loneliness.

It's on nights like tonight like I actually miss my pack. On full moons, we would have a celebration, everyone shifting so that we look like a pack of foxes. We would dance and play and even sing in out animal voices. I didn't take part much but I did enjoy to watch from the outskirts. You could tell everyone was happy with being what we are. They reveled in the feeling of power that came from the moon. I could feel that power too but my father would not be happy if he saw me out there dancing. He would punish me for sure because I killed my mother and I didn't deserve to be happy. He reminded me of that every day.

But he's not here tonight to punish me. I look up at the moon and smile a genuine smile. Tonight I can be whatever I want to be. Within moment, I am no longer a girl but a fox, red and white with black stripes along my back and blue gold eyes. I bark and yip up at the moon before taking off at a full run through the trees. Before I know it, a familiar scent finds its way to me. The wolf! I take off toward her scent before I analyze further, too excited to meet another of my own kind that might actually not mind my company. It's only when I burst out of the trees on the hill top that I figure out she's not alone. I skid on the brakes, watching with wide fearful eyes as a large leopard jumps at her again and again. I can see that he's not trying to hurt her but I'm afraid that he'll come after me once he smells me. Something about his scent is familiar....

As if to add to my burden, another big cat appears out of the trees, this one more familiar to me. It's the girl who saved me from those men. What a night to bring them all together. Is this all the Weres in town? I start back peddling away from the leopard, inching closer to the jaguar even though I'm not sure that she won't just turn on me on a night like this. Even so, I feel my chances are better with her than by myself. I start stammering in my animal voice.

"I...I'm sorry...didn't mean...to bother...I'll be...leaving...now."