Free Dare by T.A. Foster

the way in and carve on the tree or the others would know. There was no backing out,” I continued with the story, ad-libbing parts that I couldn’t remember exactly.
    “While the kids were running in and out of the woods, carving up the oak, there was a posse of robbers traveling through Sullen’s Grove. They thought the park would be empty late at night—a good place to hide out for a few hours to get some sleep. But when they pulled up and saw the kids, they came up with a far worse plan.”
    Walking backward was getting easier. I could keep an eye on everyone this way. We were deeper in the woods now.
    “Anyway, they attacked the students, thinking they could collect a ransom for kidnapping. They shoved them all in the back of the van. But from out of nowhere, she appeared. They said she rescued all the teenagers from the van, and put the kidnappers in the hospital with some pretty nasty scratches.” I smiled. It was a preposterous, ridiculous story. But maybe a good cautionary tale to keep more kids from vandalizing the park’s property. I made a mental note to research this story’s origin.
    I should have seen it. Their eyes widening. The way they were stepping back, reaching out for each other, but I was wrapped up in the tale, the legend about the she-panther. Then I heard it. I didn’t need to hear it a second time to know exactly what was behind me. The rumble, the low-growl. It had been imbedded in my memory.
    The crowd screamed and started running for the park. I watched as they scooped up children and tore past leaves and limbs. They never turned around.
    I spun around. It was the same one. The same jaguar from the other night with dark spots. He snarled at me, baring long, sharp teeth.
    I could still feel the pricks on my chest from where he had pierced the skin the last time we met. He scratched at the rocks and sniffed at my feet, his nose pressing against my knee, against my thigh. There was nowhere to run.

T here were too many screams. I couldn’t track all of them at once. My ears rang with their panic. Bloodcurdling sirens, splitting through the air, desperate for help. I sprinted toward the park, hurtling myself faster to save them. The fear filled the air like thick humidity. My paws pounded through the leaves.
    I skidded to a stop. “God, Noah. What are you doing?”
    He snarled at Zac. Although, this time Zac didn’t look as panicked. He was studying Noah like a project. I’d seen that look on Noah before.
    He wouldn’t answer me. He acted as if I hadn’t just caught him in Nox territory for the second time in three days. Before I could convince Noah he should regret his decision to return, he extended his claws and swiped at Zac’s leg, dragging the sharp ends deeply.
    I lunged forward, striking him across the nose.
    “What in the hell?” I growled at him.
    Noah rubbed his paw into the dirt, dragging blood along its path. Zac rolled on the ground, holding his shin. There was a lot of blood.
    “That was a message from Case.” He turned and strutted into the words, out of sight. He didn’t care I had split his nose, and he certainly didn’t care about what he had done to Zac.
    I looked at Zac. His eyes widened with fear as I leaned over him. I nudged his hand until he let go of his leg so I could inspect it. He was hesitant to let me near the wound. The gash was deep. It would need stitches and strong bandaging. Knowing tears like these, it would leave a scar. I couldn’t help him like this. We were in the middle of the forest and I was a panther. He’d never make it walking on his own.
    I wanted to reassure him somehow that I would help, but I didn’t communicate with humans as a panther. It wasn’t what I did.
    I bowed my head slightly, and then sprinted into the forest, zigzagging around trees, looping over fallen trunks until I reached the lair. I dashed to my room, transforming as I raced through the tunnel. I stood on my hind legs, stretching toward the ceiling as my fur