Chapter 9:

New members join the group of jaguars, adding some diversity into the mix.

It turns out that my friends had been through the situation I had. By the time we were all done talking, all the hybrids that didn't stop training early were pouring back in. Ink saw me and walked over to where we were. “Hi!” she said cheerfully.

“Who is she?” asked Magma, sounding suspicious(nothing unusual).

“A friend. Her name is Ink,” I replied.

“Hi Ink!” I called. She joined our group, followed by someone that seemed familiar.

“Hi,” she said. “I'd like you to meet a friend of mine,” she gestured to the person next to her.

“This is Shatter, and her Link, Shadow. They're wolf hybrids!” Shatter was the girl with the dark hair and blond highlights. She showed a friendly smile, with her canine teeth unusually pointed. She had snowy white wolf ears that were tufted slightly at the tips, a wagging wolf tail, and eyes as dark blue as the depths of the ocean, forceful as the alpha wolf in her. I felt like I knew her at one time, but it seemed like an eternity ago.

Shadow had dark brown hair, was naturally tan, had ice blue eyes that watched us coolly, like he was sizing us up, and was muscular. His wolf ears and tail were a pure, ebony black, his ears fully alert, as if there was something he needed to tune into. The only thing that got our immediate attention was that he had a strange scar on his palm, shaped like an X. He said that another hybrid had done that to him for a “tattoo.” Charming.

“Hi Shatter. Hi Shadow. Nice to meet you both. My name is Lark.” Lark said politely. The rest of us introduced ourselves the same way. It was like we were all starting over again. Becoming friends again. Becoming a pack.

S

We all took to Shatter immediately. She was fun to be around, always filled with energy and making jokes. The next day of training, she went with Ink and me to the obstacle course room again. I got past the scythes this time, only to lose when I had to navigate a hallway, where certain floor tiles triggered traps. I got a lecture on my pathetic performance, and some tips to get through it. Shatter got a little farther than me, but still did bad. Ink must have been practicing a while to get the whole course down.

That night, in my cell, I watched other hybrids be lead to theirs. Some paced the floor of their cells, some slept, and some sat on their beds and stared out the clear doors.

I need to escape this place. I thought. It was creeping me out. Another thought occurred to me. If I'm fifty percent jaguar, shouldn't I have more of its characteristics? I had a couple ideas of what might be cool to have. I looked at my fingernails. I shaped my hands as if I wanted to claw something. I kept watching my fingernails, and to my delight, my idea was true! I have retractable claws! This was pretty cool.

I briefly contemplated clawing through the door, but then decided against it, as I watched someone else just try, and to my surprise(and their own), a dart shot out of the door and pierced the person. He immediately collapsed and his body was jerking around like crazy, like he no longer controlled it. My tail swept from side to side and my ears flattened.

I have to get out of here! I thought desperately. I laid down on my bed, deciding that I would bring it up to my friends tomorrow morning. I felt determined and focused on my goal, even as the dark, cold claws of sleep grabbed me and swept me into darkness.

Author's Note

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