"Let me guess. You're wondering how I found you. And how I know you're a shifter."
"Pretty much."
"Well, in that case, mind if I assume a more comfortable position?"
With that, Rex swung himself right onto his hind legs. His body grew out a bit until he was roughly the same size as Leo, but otherwise he looked exactly the same. Sitting next to his master, he began to explain.
"The truth is, Leo, I've spent months searching for another of my kind. We shifters are a rare breed, so to speak. I'd almost given up hope before I found you. From the second I caught your scent, I knew you were the one. Since then, I've been watching and waiting for you to discover your abilities."
"So that means..."
"Yes. A shifter doesn't learn who they really are until a certain point in their life. They can transform at any second, of any hour, of any days. That's why most wind up dead or captured, because they don't know what's happening or why."
"Wait. You said they get killed or captured?"
"Oh. I didn't mean to bring that up right away. But you need to know what we're up against. But first, I need you to do something."