Unprecedented (Feline Hybrid Version) [UNEDITED]

Chapter 3

         The next thing I knew, I was in bed, waking to the sound of morning birds. I was wide awake, with no signs of my fur. Fighting the urge to sleep again, I took a glance at the clock on my beside table. My eyes widened. Then, the usual morning routine occurred without delay and I rushed down at the last second to fulfil my daytime duties.

        I wondered if I was meant to be the Solar heir. It couldn't possibly be: a female heir to the Solar pack? It was unheard of! The chances were equal to that of Leo growing fur in broad daylight, in other words, near nothing. I hadn't even known that he was a hybrid until last night! Well, okay, his name was a dead giveaway, but sometimes it had to be obvious to stay undercover. Anyone could have told you that.

       When I got to school, another friend of mine was there waiting at the gate. Leo was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was late today. Recess came and went, but he was still not at school. I guess he was absent. I decided to visit his house after school today.

      "Chief, sorry, I wanted to see Leo today," I said quietly. He was also the town mayor, so everyone called him that anyway.

     "He didn't go to school with you?" he spoke rather nervously. I had never seen him do that before. He was always so self-assured. I supposed this was where Leo got it from.

      "Not at all."

    He stroked his chin and thought. I could tell he was becoming agitated - his index finger had turned long and claw-like. "That's strange."

     I realised where he would be in a classic light-bulb moment. "Actually, I think I have an idea of his whereabouts, Chief."

     "Show me then. Your name is Tyra, right?" He wasn't good with names either. "My son speaks fondly of you."

        "Really? But yes, I am," I replied. "I think he's where he was yesterday or the river near there."

        "Thank you."

        "I'll go with you."

        "If you must."

        We both ran off towards the cliff-side. His father seemed to urge himself not to go on all fours and run. I let him run on instinct, when we got to the darker areas. The sunlight was fading now. He gave me a slight nod of approval and transformed. His fur was a brilliant white, similar to that of a Persian, and he looked like a complete cat.

       It was evening by the time both of us arrived. I saw Leo sitting there on the rock thinking. Although furious to see him sitting where I usually did, I was glad to see him and forgave it instantly. I smiled at him and hugged him, but he seemed to growl. I forgot that he was in feline form.

           I realised that I had forgotten to change and I was still in school uniform. I pulled it off anyway and changed. He wouldn't listen unless I was in his form.

          Chief was giving Leo a lecture on something or other, but when I arrived, he seemed to perk up. His father gave up and I stood there awkwardly.

         "Tyra, you don't understand the significance of your fur, do you?" Leo said, breaking the silence that had begun to form as soon as his father had stopped yelling at him.

           I shook my shaggy black head. My parents had told me stories about the hybrids, but nothing about what the fur colours meant; it was knowledge reserved for the older, 'proper' hybrids.

          "I had a hunch you didn't know much," he sighed. "It's both good and bad news. What would you like to hear first?"

         Being an optimist, I decided that bad news should go first. At least the good news always softened the bad. "You know what I'll pick."

         "Bad it is. You realise that grey-black fur means that you can't join a pack. You have to stay alone. You're too strong, which leads us into the good news. You are stronger than any human and every feline hybrid that wasn't. Anyone who gets too close to you, will never be safe."

             "Why?"

             "Because if you do, during your hibernation period, you could kill someone you love."

            A pang of disappointment, mixed with  loneliness, fear and a number of other emotions, struck me. I'd only just had my first change and had felt like one of them. Now I was being cast aside once again.

            "And?" I dreaded the worst. I felt there was more to it than that.

            "I believed in you too much. You don't understand. You act the complete opposite when you hibernate and if you have any feelings towards me, you will end up killing me."

                "You must leave. NOW!" Chief ordered.

                I never felt more alone than at that point. My childhood dreams of belonging, even for a second, had just been ripped away from me in the blink of an eye. I had always been the black sheep, although now it was more like grey-black cat.

          My eyes darted to my fur. From afar, it looked grey-black, but when you got closer you noticed the lighter shade of brown...

                "Wait. Please. Before I leave, can I just prove that my fur isn't grey-black?" I pleaded, tears beginning to form at the corners of my eyes. I blinked them away.

                "I don't see why not," Chief muttered. "Like I enjoy terminations."

               I pulled out a torch key ring that I constantly had on me and shone myself with it. Leo seemed to be interested in this conversation. Both of them came to see it. My fur appeared to be more brunette brown than dark grey.

                "Well I'll be," Chief said. "So you're not a black-grey hybrid. They're said to be evil, but you, now brown-black mixes are different."

               Leo nodded. "Much different," he continued with a glint in his eye. "Those are the signs of greatness. Lucky. I've always wanted adventure."

                "But you will, my son," Chief stated. "Your original fur was blond, like a lion's. Although they don't quite like us, we still revere them as kings. I think you were meant to help this girl."

                "Awesome," Leo said, holding his fist out, waiting for a fist bump. I pumped it. What a turn of events!

                "Well. Sorry for all the trouble, but it looks like I'll be running for my money," Chief drawled.

                "What?" I jumped in slight shock.

                "One with your fur and your courage will end up being the Solar heir."

                Leo watched me with awestruck eyes, even though he'd become second in line.

                "Hey, we're still friends right? That doesn't change anything," I ask Leo.

                "Of course! Come on, let's go. I'm cold."

                I handed him my jacket. "I owe you one for yesterday."

              "Thanks a lot, Tyra. By the way, for the record, brown-black fur is very easy to clean and great for camouflage. You're lucky. As you know, I got that disgusting sand-colour fur. It's always tangled, that I've almost given up on it."

                "I think it's nice."

               "Aww... thanks."

               I saw him the next day at school. He was rather elated, something I hadn't seen for a while. It seemed to radiate off him and I went through the day feeling rather pleased.

              That night, I sat on the rock, waiting for Leo, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

           He came huffing moments later and instant fear wound its sneaky way into my heart. My heart pounded. My head throbbed. The tiny figures behind him seemed to grow in size. 

            Wolves. There were werewolves behind him.