The beast howled in the soft light, his fur rippling in the sun. He could hear the pounding of blood close by but was unsure whose it was. Was his heart really pounding that loudly? Or was there some source of fresh meat nearby? He salivated at the thought of crunching bones beneath his teeth, of gulping down warm blood from a still living body. How long would he need to wait before his tame vessel would allow him the satisfaction of a kill?
He stiffened as he heard the chatter of two girls, young by the smell of them. He crouched low, his head low to the ground. He easily sidestepped them before growling low in his throat. One of the girls whirled around, her eyes wide with sudden terror. She couldn't see the threat in the bushes but she could hear the menacing growls. The other girl was petrified, standing absolutely still.
Their faces were in full view and his human vessel recognised them instantly. Slowly, Stefan's mind recovered its senses and he backed further into the bushes, whining like a wounded puppy. He hadn't meant to lose control like that but when he had seen those injured boys, the 'wolf inside him just wouldn't let go. He watched as the two girls turned and ran from him, shrieking.
Eventually he felt his face morphing back into his own features, his eyes turning from rancid brown to a pleasant grey. The hair shrank back into his body and his fangs reclined to show two rows of neat, bright teeth. His normally hooded face was contorted in pain as he gasped for breath. He had come so close to attacking the girls, Emma and Jayne. If he had been any closer, he wouldn't have been able to hold the beast back from tearing into their soft flesh.
As he regained his composure, he thought wistfully of Alex, his best friend. Alex would know how to turn this into a joke, would know how to dispel the fears that he would one day give in to the 'wolf and feast upon someone's flesh. But instead he was forced to leave the bushes alone and dressed only from the waist down. His t-shirt had ripped off when the change had fallen upon him. Slowly, he made his way to Alex's house, hoping to confide his terror in his only friend.
