You’re a rare catamount; a shifter. Part human, part black panther. The only black panther catamount left for that matter

It was late. Like, midnight light, no lights out, no people awake at the Biltmore mansion. Not even Braedon, or so you thought. You had been walking through the woods around Biltmore estate. Everything was pretty calm until a carriage pulled up the road to the house

They seemed to sense you were there opening the door and releasing two hounds. They started chasing after you snagging you a few times. You ran pretty far distance before you finally lost them collapsing at the creek, soaked from having to swim, bleeding from scrapes and a few bites and out of breath

You laid there for a few minutes before your blurry vision was able to detect an auburn catamount (Waysa) whom you hadn’t met before and a larger dark brown catamount (Leandra, your mother)

Leandra came over and leaned down in front of you as the other catamount help you painfully climb onto her back. You gripped her fur tight as they ran to the tree, the home your mother and two young catamount siblings (the cubs who couldn’t shift to humans yet) inhabited.

When you woke up the sunlight was warm on your face. You were sore but better as one of the cubs licks your face and the other is curled up next to you. Your mother was sitting stroking your hair with a soft smile, back in her normal form and the other catamount was in his human form, a boy (Waysa) with dark brown hair, not much older than you (thirteen) sitting near by watching