Darkness's Child

Five

"Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night
What immortal hand and eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"

-William Blake, 'Tyger Tyger'

I woke up the next morning to a boot in my ribs. A patrol of seven adult male weres were standing around me, three in wolf form.
The kicky one smirked.
'Stupid ass rogue in our territory. What are you doing here, rogue girl?' I flinched and darted back, dodging Kicky and Ugly Wolf Guy #1. I took off at a sprint, pushing my bruised body to the limit. A rock flew past me. Then another one hit the back of my head. I touched it, and my fingertips were wet with blood. I tried to stand, to run, but the blood loss was too great, and darkness overcame me.

I woke up in a cell, reasonably furnished, and I was impressed. They treat rogues this well? So this is what civilised people are like. A few minutes after, the Alpha of the pack walked in. He sat down and said:
'I'm Alpha Septus of the Winter Starlight pack. Who are you, and why are you on our territory?'

'My name is Espérer, and-'

'Wait, hope? Your name means hope?'

'It's not my real name....'

It took several hours to tell my story, as far as I knew it, ending with the fact that I didn't know what species I was. He left after that, returning with a blood test kit.

'This will tell me what species you are. Once we know that, I can either return you to your tribe, or the Alliance.'

'Tribe?'

'Yes, you're not a wolf. Only wolves call their groups packs.'

He dipped the tester strip in a tiny drop of my blood, worm a cut on my leg, and handed it to me. I gave it back. 'I can't read.'

He took the test, and gasped. He read it, reread it, and murmured,
'You...you're a.. a.. Blue Tyger Shifter!'