The wrath in me could boil up the cold sea. I howled repeatedly, leaping from tree to tree, pouncing across the grassy land as heavy mists of dust rose and hovered in the air.

Julius watched me with fascination, his eyes wide in awe. Reality was unfolding before him — it must have been his first time seeing a human shape-shift into a werewolf. He folded his arms and stood still, gaping at me as though he feared even to blink.

Above, a handful of birds chirped noisily. I howled in furious delight, springing from branch to branch. The force of my leaps sent several branches snapping and crashing to the ground. The birds tried to escape, but my wrath fueled my speed. I advanced on them with lethal precision, crouched on a branch only inches away, and took a swift dive. In one motion, I caught two birds in my fangs and another two between my claws.

I yelped wildly, lifting my head toward the full moon. The tap-tap of blood dripping from my canines echoed in the night. The ones clutched in my claws gave a final twitch as my sharp talons dug deep into their throats. Their deaths stirred no remorse — only hunger. I crushed them into my mouth, growling with primal satisfaction.

Another band of birds fluttered overhead. I whined and prepared to strike again when the distant moo of an antelope caught my attention. My head turned sharply toward the sound. My neck stretched forward, muscles tightening as my ears perked.

“Darius! Darius!” Julius called out, his voice trembling with alarm. Perhaps he wanted to stop me — maybe the hunt had gone too far for him.

The antelope mooed again, leaping clumsily away through the trees. How foolish. It thought distance could save it. Each growl that left my throat came with thick strands of saliva dripping from my jaws. I could already taste its blood.

Julius moved cautiously through the trees, peeking from one trunk to another. I sensed his fear but ignored him. My red, bloodshot eyes locked on the antelope’s thin legs. With a feral snarl, I dived.

The creature fell instantly, its hooves thrashing against the ground in vain.

“But nobody dares joke with the all-brown wolf,” I muttered in thought. “If you can send the message across the pack, do it — only if you survive my claws.”

It gave one last weak moo as my fangs sank into its throat and belly. The wet, sickening sound of tearing flesh filled the air. Within seconds, its intestines, liver, and kidneys were sloshing in my mouth under the furious bite of my canines. Unsure which part to devour next, I lunged at its skull, cracked it open, and devoured the soft bones within.

Above me, a band of hawks screeched and flapped in confusion. A distraction. I hated distractions. I howled savagely, blood trickling down my lips. The hawks fled, terrified. None dared cross my sky again.

I bellowed triumphantly, consuming the full-grown antelope without mercy. The taste of warm flesh and the texture of crushed bones lingered on my tongue.

“Darius! Darius!” The whisper of my name pierced through the night.

I raised my bloodied face toward the voice — Julius. He stood frozen, staring at me with terror in his eyes. I frowned, and he quietened at once. His trembling hands gestured for me to calm down, but I could feel the beast in me rising again. My growl deepened as I took slow, deliberate steps toward him.

“Darius, it’s me — Julius! Stay put, please!” he pleaded, stepping back cautiously.

I howled again, louder this time, rearing up on my hind limbs. Julius panicked and began retreating, realizing my wildness might soon consume him. In an instinctive burst, I lunged toward him with a furious woof-woof-woof!

He stumbled backward, sliding across the wet grass, his voice shaking.

“Darius! Darius! Hold up! It’s me, Julius! Calm down! No more hunting! You’re not going to devour me, are you?”

I advanced slowly, stamping my heavy limbs closer and closer until I could smell him. His breathing hitched. I sniffed, snorted, then halted.

And in that moment — as quickly as it had come — the rage began to fade. My bones cracked, my fur receded, and I morphed back into my human form, panting heavily, drenched in sweat and blood.