I shifted into my panther form and ran from the hut as fast as possible. Leaves and vines whipped past my face as I climbed up the trees until I was at the very top of the canopy. I looked over the rainforest. I growled deeply in my chest, my tail lashing with irritation. This was the only place I could get away from it all - and even then, it was still inside the village.
My chest burned. An entire world existed outside and I wasn’t allowed to experience it. Jealousy seeped through my veins when I thought about Koto and our friends going out to hunt later. They were free to do as they pleased, while I was shackled to the village by fear.
The defiant gears turned in my mind. Koto and the others were hunting tonight. If he was right and this truly was a monster boar, would three hunters truly be enough? Those three claimed they were the best hunters in the clan, but that didn’t make them immune to a charging boar’s tusks. A single charge would leave them gutted.
A warm breeze rustled the leaves in the canopy. Only from this vantage point could I see the world around me, a lush green rainforest island and the ocean far off in the distance. From here, I felt invincible.
A thought wormed its way into my mind. Who could stop me from going? I dug my claws into the branch beneath me in anticipation.
The others were heading out to hunt from ground level.
What if I joined them from among the trees?
My tail flicked in excitement. I was not a large leopard. As an omega, I was lithe and agile - especially with my catlike reflexes and skills. Picking my way through the treetops was no problem for me, and that way I would have an eye on every single thing happening in the rainforest below. Maybe I could even ambush the boar from above and deliver the killing bite.
I licked my lips. My mind was set on it now. I was an adult man, a powerful jungle cat - omega or not, I deserved freedom. Tonight I made my own choice.
Iwouldbe hunting.
