I would like to state that there is no cure for Elisa. This is a dark story, no happy ending here.

Chapter Three- First Night

What is wrong with me? Elisa demanded as she cooked some steaks for lunch. She had been feeling angry since the attack and now she was craving meat since dawn this morning. She didn't know why she felt this way but it, oddly enough, felt right.

Right!? Feeling angry shouldn't feel right. But to me, it does. She put her head in her hands and shook it. I need to stop being angry. This isn't me. She took several deep calming breaths and she felt her anger dissipate and a calm took hold. She lifted her head and her eyes focused on her hands. Her eyes widened when she saw the length of her nails. She usually kept them cut short and indeed she had trimmed them before going on shift the night of the attack. How did they grow so long so fast? The sizzle of her steaks drew her attention and she returned to cooking and eating lunch.

Elisa was aware of her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly and eased up. She felt restless, desirous for some action. She kept her eyes on the road while glancing in her mirrors and dashboard as she did so. She glanced into the rearview mirror at one point and noticed that her brown eyes had an amber tint to them. She gaped for a moment before pulling over, parking, and putting her face in her hands which naturally caught Matt's attention. "Elisa?" he asked gently, not wanting to anger her.

Elisa looked over, fear in her brown-amber eyes. "Matt, something's wrong with me. I've been feeling angry most of the time, my nails grew so fast, I desire meat a lot, and my eyes now have an amber tint to them."

Matt had been aware of the first two signs his partner noticed, but the last two were new. Craving meat and an amber tint? Those are on my list as well. "Elisa, you should know that these things you've been feeling and seeing are connected with one who's been bitten-,"

"By a werewolf," she interrupted. "You really believe that?"

"I do. Look, the full moon is the day after tomorrow. Call in sick that day and if you change, then we'll know."

"All right." She thought of her nails and desire for meat as she pulled back onto the road. Her nails almost resembled claws and her craving was definitely that of a carnivore- like a wolf. She looked at her face when she got home. The amber tint gave her eyes an intense and almost angry look. She turned away from it, scared of what she saw. Am I really a werewolf? Everything I've seen and felt is very wolf-like and I can't think of anything else it could be. I'll call tomorrow to call in sick and wait for nightfall.

She did exactly as she planned, faking a convincing sick voice. Once she hung up, she went to the kitchen to cook up some of the meat she had bought after the shift where she had confessed the signs she noticed to Matt. Her craving had increased and though the thought of eating it raw strangely appealed to her, she refused it and cooked. Of course, wolves can't cook but their stomachs can handle raw meat. She went to take a nap after eating and after that, a shower. If I don't change, I think I'll go see my mate. He'll ask why I'm not at work, I'll tell him and we'll have a laugh over how silly I was to believe Matt.

Elisa stripped off her nightgown as the sun started to set. She decided it would be best to wait in her room naked as she wasn't sure if her clothes would change with her or not. She peered out her bedroom window to see the sky black with night and the edge of the full moon rising. The sight of it sent her heart racing for some reason. She stepped away and then she gave a wolf's howl before groaning and falling to her knees.

She gasped as a rippling swept over her body and she placed her hands on the floor to see her nails hardening into razor sharp claws while her fingers shrank away and black fur began sprouting on the backs and spreading up her arms that looked more like forelegs as her hands were now forepaws. She felt a tingling by her legs and looked back to see back legs and paws forming and her toenails were becoming sharp exposed claws.

I'm becoming like the one who bit me, except my fur is black. Her fur continued to grow as her muscles grew larger which was painful. She attempted to groan, but a whine came out. Oh, great. I can only make wolf sounds now. She felt something brush against her back legs and surmised that she had sprouted her tail. Her jaws and nose bulged out and became a muzzle of sharp teeth while her ears became pointed and moved to the top of her head. Her eyes turned gold and she howled again before shaking herself out: Elisa had become a werewolf.

She leaped onto her bed to see herself in her vanity mirror. A large muscular black wolf with intense gold eyes stared back at her. She tilted her head as she took in her face, paws, and tail. I kind of look…cool. I know I'll have to tell my friends and family as well as Captain Chavez. I can't continue to call in sick every full moon. Yes, better to tell her, maybe even change a little in front of her.

"So, you are a werewolf," Matt said the next morning on the phone.

"Yeah, I am. Last night was amazing, you have no idea, Matt. I saw clearer, smelled better, and heard more than before," she answered, a tone of awe in her voice.

"Well, that's to be expected. Most animals have better senses than we do."

"True. Matt, I've been thinking about telling the Captain. I can't keep calling in sick every full moon."

"Good point. You know you may have to prove it."

"Yes and better off here. I think my clothes would be destroyed if I changed at the station."

"You could wear different clothes when she comes over. Your place makes sense as you wouldn't be able to drive."

"Right. Well, I better let you go so I can call Captain Chavez."

"Got it. Catch you later, partner."

"Bye, Matt." Elisa hung up and bit her lip. She didn't tell Matt everything about last night. Yes, she spent most of the night exploring her enhanced senses and learning to walk on four legs. Another part was spent fighting against thoughts of killing and eating. The reason she fought was because the thoughts were wanting her to target humans for her kills. She resisted these; she protected the citizens and would not break that oath.

She waited until after twelve to call Chavez, but she did tell Xanatos so he could pass it on to Goliath with the request that he not see her until after the full moon was over. With her mate taken care of, Elisa prepared her meal of cooked meat and once done, dialed Chavez's office number. The phone was answered in two rings. "Marie Chavez, captain of detectives," she said.

"Hi, Captain."

"Maza. You sound better."

"I wasn't sick, technically. It seems the wolf I met last week was a werewolf because I changed into one last night."

"Maza, you're joking."

Elisa resisted the urge to growl and get angry with Chavez. "I'm serious, Captain. I'm a werewolf now. If you like, you can come over and see for yourself."

She heard Chavez sigh. "Very well. I'll be over at sunset." Chavez hung up and Elisa did the same. She sounded skeptical and I don't blame her. I'm still feeling angry and wanting to make wolf sounds. Something tells me I'll be acting more wolf-like during the full moon. At least I hope it's only the full moon.