The moon hangs above me, staining my eyes with its pale light. An alarm pings from my watch, bouncing off the trees in the darkness. I flick it off, my eyes turning to my wrist, watching as the pulse becomes visible in my forearms. I can feel it throbbing in my neck and brace myself for the oncoming pain as the wind whips around my naked flesh, creeping inside me like an unwelcome guest.

The pain begins suddenly; a familiar stab at the base of my neck as the spine stretches beneath my skin. I stagger backwards, my head reeling from the agony reacting throughout my tired hoary body. I hit the old Oak and on contact turn to embrace it, my newly sharpened fingernails digging into the jaded bark.

My skull deforms around my brain, pinching my eyes into slits. My wet nose hits the Oak and I turn it once more to the moon, letting a scream escape through my jaws. My tongue licks the back of my fangs and I retreat into the darkness, and the wolf does the same, sniffing the air with a sweet relish.