Prologue

The sound of thunder and rain hitting the ground was like an earthquake above the sound of blood pumping in Costel's ears. With a quick jump-and-twist she transformed into a sleek Greyhound dog, picking up her speed as she approached the beach. Behind her, the breath of other Shapeshifters was like a whisper of sorrow and worry.
Several others of different powers were running with them; the once-courageous Fire Spinners, the spite-filled Poison Shooters, and Costel's tribe; the Shapeshifters, just to mention a few. And they were all running from the same threat they could no longer fight. For once and perhaps last in what could be several of their lifetimes, they would have to work together.
A gust of air blew past Costel, and suddenly she was pinned. A pure black creature, it's eyes the color of burning flames. Squirming tirelessly, Costel finally mustered the focus to change shape. A small, but hopefully quick, tan-colored badger.
"Darkslash, after it!" Another Shadow Traveler yelled. The ruby-eyed canine whipped around and chased after Costel, gaining with surprising speed. But the sea was in view. Costel tried to kick up as much sand as possible to try and loose the demon hound, who let out a few surprised yelps as the grains spilled across his face.
With another, albeit less graceful, jump-and-twist, Costel changed form again; a Labrador, something she hoped would help her swim faster. Landing with a splash! on the edge of the water, Costel dived in and fought against the churning waves, as they shifted and churned with the heavy rain and wind.
The sounds of the water shifting and bubbling alerted Costel that other tribes were weaving into the water. But she was starting to grow tired already; while she may be a dog known for it's endurance in water, she was still herself; and as herself, she was not a skilled swimmer.
Liquid began to wash into her mouth, making her splutter. Losing focus, her shape began to draw back to it's original. Costel's strength was ebbing away. Trying hard to keep her head above water, she could have sworn that, against the sky lit by lighting, a silhouette of trees and land. Land!
The very last thing Costel remembered before everything began to blur and numb - a combination of water in her eyes and her tiredness - was the feeling of something gripping her neck. Gently, but still forceful to pull her away. Then Costel gave in.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Since Twister has welcomed you already, let me do so as well! If you haven't read the introduction page already, Soulbound is a collaboration between us. We'll each post every-other-chapter, so Twister will do Chapter 1.