A Sudden Snarl
A pulse of heat sparked beneath my pads. My jaw clicked shut, venting a raspy, guttural huff as the stiffness in my limbs shattered. Ground solid. Senses sharp. I dug my claws into the luminescent fissure underfoot and locked eyes with the fleshy pink mass crouching just paces away. Shifting my weight into a defensive crouch, I raised one clawed hand, testing the air and claiming the perimeter. It did not strike, but the breath vibrating in my chest was unmistakably mine.