Bubbles spiraled upwards as I sank deeper, kicking and screaming underwater. The weights were relentlessly dragging me down in colder water and deeper into the abyss. For a moment I panicked, until I realized I could still shift.

Forcing myself to concentrate, I felt my body change and grow smaller before I was my inner animal. It was small enough so my paws easily slipped form the metal cuffs and I thanked the gods that the wolves hadn't used any cuffs that would've made shifting impossible.

As soon as I was freed of the chains, I shifted back and swam for the surface. My lungs pinched together painfully while my ears popped, lethargy slowly creeping up on me. Just when I gave up, my head pierced through the surface and I gasped in relief.

Still, I was quite a bit away from the island and in the sea, there were many hidden dangers. Remembering the dried blood on the back of my head, I forced my body to cooperate and pushed myself through the cold water.

My arms shook as I slowly got closer to the beach whilst hearing the laughter and snarls from the wolves behind me. Every moment now, I expected to be shot in the back or get run over by their ship.

Luckily I was close enough to the beach, tears of relief falling from my face as I dragged myself onto shore, dropping down just past the waves.

"Curse... the gods..." I panted, rolling over the gritty sand and hissing under my breath as I felt the salty water sting in the wound on my head. Darkness was setting over the island, bugs chirping and the jungle sounds eerily loud in my ears.

Even so, my inner cat felt at piece for once, as it originally belonged in the jungle. Being a Margay cat, I was blessed with night vision and grinned as I slowly but surely allowed myself to shift once more and got to my shaky paws.

One part of me wanted to sit down and groom first because my fur was soaking but the bigger and wiser part decided to find save shelter first. Luckily Margays are excellent climbers so with a small huff, I clambered up the nearest tree.

My claws dug into the bark, propelling me further up the tree and higher into safety. Letting my instincts guide me, my paws effortlessly balanced over the smallest branches, avoiding those that were too fragile to support me as my eyes pierced through the darkness.

"Come on, I need a den. Some sort of hide out... If I'm forced to live on this island, I need to make a safe spot to live in, be it feline or human form."

Sniffing at the tree, I detected several hints of rodents, maybe even a primate or two that had passed these branches. Sniffing at the air, my eyes spotted a few fruits hiding between the canopy and I made a mental note to visit this area again.

"But what I need right now is to find a den and a source of fresh water nearby." I told myself, keeping an eye out for any old owl burrows or maybe a hollowed tree. Even a tree with some wide branches would be fine, as I would be able to build some form of tree house in it.

A thought made me freeze mid-step, turning slightly to look in the distance. It was no use to go back to try and find either Elijah or Vane, as they both had a head start. No doubt they had already set foot on the island from another entry point and looking for each other could end up in running in circles in this thick shrubbery.

"I'll look for them tomorrow... Hopefully they're alright."

Turning tails, I dashed deeper into the forest, keeping my ears perked for any unnatural noises or any scents that had no place on the island. All I found though were the typical rodent scents and the noise of crickets and howler monkeys echoing through the night.

It made my heart thump violently in my chest as my dash turned to a crawl, ears twisting and turning at every sound. My cat might be comfortable with these surroundings but I surely wasn't. I'd rather have the dinky and too small house over this wide expanse of jungle and trees.

A low growl sounded from the forest floor.

Instantly my heart slammed into my chest before racing away as I made myself as small as possible, slowly peering over the branch to look down below. I was safe enough on this branch but I could flee higher if I needed to do so.

Down below, a jaguar stalked through the forest, tail flicking through the air in disinterest as I could hear every solid thud of its massive paws on the floor. It wasn't trying to be quiet, which meant it wasn't in hunting mode but I wasn't going to reveal myself for two reasons.

One, I had no way of differentiating this creature from the wild animal or the shifter unless it shifted back. If I drew its attention and it turned out it was one of the inmates, I would alert the inmates of the fresh meat on the island.

The second reason was that if this truly is a wild Jaguar, it might in fact see me as a tasty snack or a competitor for its prey and kill me. Neither options were appealing so I remained still as my eyes followed the big cat making its way over the floor.

"This truly is the king of the jungle. Lions should be considered the King of the Plains because out here, a lion couldn't do anything." I mused, mindful of the spotted cat as I slowly stood up and snuck away.

"Either way, I'm not gonna set foot on soil unless I really need to. I'll have to keep a constant guard up."

Two hours later and my guard was practically none existent. My eyes were heavy-lidded, paws dragging over the branches, even my tail drooped and was dragging behind me. All I wanted was to find a den and sleep. I didn't care if it was a burrow, a branch or even a cave. I needed sleep, right now.

My butt hit the branch as I lowered on my haunches, tiredly pawing at my face before looking up at the sky. There was barely anything visual under the heavy thicket... I need to get up higher.

So, with a tired huff and a pitiful meow, I forced myself to stand and dragged myself up the next set of branches. "Just one more...A little bit higher." My paw slipped and I smashed my jaw against the branch before I caught my footing again, growling at the faint throb added to the rest of my aches.

Just when I was about to give up, I saw it.

"Purrrrrrfect."

Purrs rumbled through my chest as I slinked over towards the indentation in the tree. It looked like a woodpecker or an owl had made its burrow here at one point but right about now, it was perfect for a little catnap.

Curling up and yawning freely, I made sure to take a deep whiff of the air. Nothing out of the ordinary, good. Very good. My purrs only intensified as I tiredly groomed my fur, cleaning my paws from any spec of dirt before my tail wrapped around as I tucked my nose underneath it.

Tomorrow I'd try and see what this island had to offer. Elijah and Vane had each other and could wait until I had at least a base that could provide three shifters, if they wanted to stick around with me.

After all, there was safety in numbers.

***

Birds were singing quite loudly, making my ears twitch in annoyance. There was no use trying to sleep through the noise, as one songbird shut up, another would take its place. Opening my eyes to slits, I let out an annoyed hiss at the feathery pests.

"I'm feeling like hunting some fowl today. Pesky living alarm clocks."

A little huff escaped me before I licked my nose, slipping out of the den before stretching on the branch in front of it. Today I needed to check the surroundings of this den and keep an eye out for any opportunities.

"I think its saver to stay a Margay for now... less likely to get spotted or caught." But first, I needed a sip of water. I hadn't eaten or drank anything from my last meal; I didn't trust those wolves for one bit. For all I knew, they had poisoned everything meant for me.

Howler monkeys were keeping a close eye on me as I descended to a lower branch, a few scoffing and slapping their palms on the branch. A clear warning not to go after their little ones.

Hmmm, if they had a distinct reaction to me, that must mean that there were wild Margays around. Otherwise these critters would've sounded the alarm for an unknown life form.

Twitching my tail slightly, I hopped down and flattened my ears when one of the adolescent tried to sneak up on me, its long tail wrapping around the branch. As I turned and swatted at the air in warning, it leaped away and started to howl out.

Soon the whole band was howling and growling, a morning ritual that I knew was going to be extremely unnerving, But, their presence did tell me there must be water around here somewhere.

Before I descended any further, I rubbed my head and shoulders against a few branches, scent marking them so I would find my way back. Finishing off with a few scratches to the bark, I continued on my way.

Temperatures were already rising and would soon grow to be impossible to walk around in so I needed to scout quick and relax in the shade after that. My whiskers twitched, ears flattening in an instant as I spotted a few familiar spots weaving in and out of the trees.

Just as I was about to scowl, I noticed the Jaguar licking his lips, clear drops of fluid dripping down from his chin.

"Why thank you neighbor. At least there is one thing you're good for."

Flexing my muscles, I focused on a branch on the other tree and jumped, landing with ease before I made my way in the direction the jaguar had been coming from. My tail twitched and flicked with happiness as I spotted the water source.

Finally, a bit of luck on my side.

It was an easily accessible and completely natural well of fresh water, trickling up from the rocks and gathering in a rather big pool. Actually... I leaned closer and smiled mentally as I notice that it might be big enough to swim in as well.

Seems like my burrow was in a perfect spot after all.