Cassandra's wolf lay on the ground, her massive body drenched in blood. The pavement beneath her was stained dark red, and her breathing came in shallow, labored gasps.
For a long moment, she didn't move... couldn't move actually.
Every part of her body screamed in agony. She had suffered broken ribs, deep claw marks across her flanks and bite wounds on her legs and shoulders. Her wolf was strong, but even supernatural healing had its limits.
"Get up, We can't stay here. Get up."
Cassandra's human consciousness urged the wolf.
The wolf whimpered from exhaustion and pain but slowly, painfully, she began to shift back.
Bones cracked and reformed, fur receded into skin and claws shrank back into fingernails.
Within seconds, the massive wolf was gone.
In her place lay a naked, bloodied woman.
Cassandra lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky, her chest heaving.
"That was close..." She mumbled. Even Cassandra couldn't deny the fact that she was bested.
