She had caught on to his change of track (he was, distantly, impressed), but although she had stopped running he hadn't given her enough time to properly sniff him out before he leapt. Her head snapped towards him as he was flying through the air towards her. He pounced, but was careful not to pin her for longer than a second before he leapt back, giving her room to get back on her feet. It was more of a tap than a real pounce; she was so much smaller than him and he had no intention of hurting her. He dipped into another bow, tail high and wagging. Before he could gauge her response, he realized the forest had been changing around him without his realizing it. The moonlight had been fading, and he'd been too caught up in the run and in the excitement of a strange new companion to keep track, and now — he realized only when a sharp cramp hit one of his sides, contracting his abdominal muscles in ways he didn't want — he was out of time.

With a mournful howl that was cut short by another muscle spasm, the wolf turned to slink towards the nearest bunch of bushes, instinctively seeking out what shelter he could for the upcoming transformation.

---