The girl groaned as she slowly worked her way back to consciousness. She shivered in the early morning. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting as she adjusted to the soft light from the sun. The girl shifted from her sleeping position, pushing herself onto her knees. She tilted her head as she glanced at the ground. "Is this... snow?" She traced her finger through the frosty white layer.

"Are you alright, miss?"

The girl whirled around at the sudden sound. She lost her balance and fell on her butt. "Who said that?" she demanded, trying to catch a glimpse of the owner of the unfamiliar voice.

"You can understand me?"

The girl's purple eyes widened as a grey wolf crept forward cautiously from behind a tree. "W-wolf..."

The wolf tilted her head, yellow eyes wary of the hybrid sitting before her. "I suppose you are lost. Come now, Ender, we will take you home."

The girl's breath quickened. "T-talking... wolf... how?"

"Luna, hold on. The poor girl just flew through a portal and you wish to take her home without first learning her name?" A black cat strolled out of the forest and sat beside the wolf, tail curling around her slender body.

The girl closed her eyes and shook her head. "When I open my eyes," she muttered, "I'll wake up in my bed, safe at home." She slowly opened her eyes and groaned at the sight of the two animals.

"I believe you are not dreaming, miss." The wolf bowed her head in apology. "May you tell us your name?"

The girl gave an exasperated laugh. "Of course! Just when I think it's all over, my past comes back to bite me in the butt."

"Miss...?"

"Selene, call me Selene," the girl supplied shortly. Selene stood up, brushing snow off her pants. A thought occurred to her and she twisting around, attempting to spot something just out of her view.

"Miss Selene? What are you-"

"I'm trying to see if I have a tail." Selene interrupted the wolf.

"You are a wolf hybrid, Selene. Why would you not have a tail?" The cat questioned, tail now swishing.

"Becau-" Selene was interrupted by a howl.

The wolf's ears pricked up as she listened to the call. "Miss Selene, please come with us," the wolf pleaded. "His hounds are out and we need to keep you safe until the prince returns."

The girl jumped as something brushed against her legs. She sighed as her black tail twitched uncertainly. "Alright," she muttered. "Where are we going?"

The wolf nodded as the cat stood and lead the party away from the howl. "There is an End portal nearby, Selene. We will bring you to King Shadow's castle until the royal family returns from their visit to the Aether," the cat explained.

"Then you must be Hecate."

The cat glanced over her shoulder before turning back to the forest. "The portal is a day's journey away, we must keep moving if we wish to make it there before the hounds can catch us."

Selene fell silent as she trekked through the forest. Snow crunched beneath her boots. The sun slowly lit up the forest as the sky transitioned to day. Selene swished her tail experimentally, grinning as it responded perfectly to her commands. She closed her eyes and slowed her walk.

An excited yelp caused the wolf and cat to turn around. The wolf yipped when she spotted the black wolf jumping in ecstasy. "Miss Selene! Is that-"

"I did it!" Selene laughed as she shifted back to her hybrid form. "I didn't think it was possible, but-" Selene was cut short when she noticed Luna's tail was pinned between her legs. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Luna shook her head and crouched to the ground. Selene shifted once again and mirrored the grey wolf's position. "On my word, run as fast as you can," the wolf said softly.

Selene's ears flattened against her head as the sound of footsteps grew ever so closer to the trio.

"Three..."

The bushes rustled.

"Two..."

A foot appeared from the bush.

"One..."

The human attached to the foot stepped into view.

"Run!"

The two wolves and cat bolted as the human yelled for backup. Humans crashed through the brush as they chased the frightened animals. Selene yelped, tripping on a hidden tree root. Gloved hands roughly kept the hybrid in place as Selene growled.

"I got one!" A male voice called out. Selene twisted in the male's grasp, snapping at anything that moved. Her captor chuckled. "You're a feisty one, aren't 'cha?" A muzzle was placed around Selene's snout.

Selene growled as the humans picked her up. She fought against the man holding her, but the man ignored her attempts of escape and held her close, restricting her movements. Selene was tossed carelessly into a kennel barely large enough for her to turn around in. A blanket covered the kennel, casting her prison into darkness.

Selene quieted as the humans gathered nearby. "The wolf and cat are gone. What do we do now?"

"Leave them be, we have the hybrid captured." Selene assumed this was the leader of her captors.

"Are you sure that's a hybrid?"

The leader chuckled. "I'm pretty sure wolves don't have purple eyes. Put it on the cart, we need to get back before another riot breaks out."

Selene closed her eyes in defeat as the kennel started moving. The men chattered happily of the new hybrid they had caught as they shoved the kennel onto the horse-drawn cart. A snap of a whip, and the cart began moving, on its way to drop off its newest prisoner.

Terribly sorry about the delay, that wasn't fair for you. Next chapter should be posted by June 10th.

Update: extending next chapter to June 17th due to summer camp, vacation, and spotty wifi. Sorry