Chapter Two- Transformation

Keith stole into the kitchen with a small box that held sealed bags or containers. It was late at night, the perfect time to brew the formula. He set a pot of water on the stove and turned the heat on. He opened the box and removed the contents while he waited for the water to boil. Each ingredient was part of the werewolf heritage or myth. First off were two preserved Wolfsbane flowers that needed to be boiled. Once they had dissolved in the water, the other ingredients had to be added in a specific order and each had to dissolve before the next one was added. The Wolfsbane was used to awaken his werewolf gene. He dropped them into the boiling water and stirred to aid in the dissolving process. Once that had been accomplished, he dropped a wolf's tooth in, which symbolized the wolf's predatory status. After the tooth had melted, he added strands of wolf fur to stand for the fur coat he would have and finally liquid silver which would make Keith allergic to silver which was a werewolf's weakness. He stirred the mixture until it was well-blended and then poured it into a tall glass before washing the pot and spoon thoroughly before drying them and putting them away. He put the bags and containers back in the box and carried it and the glass to his room.

He locked his door and raised the blinds of his room before setting the box back where he had stored it. Moonlight poured into the room from a crescent moon and he put the glass of grayish liquid into the moon's light. He knew he would have to drink the formula once it was complete and he himself stood in the moonlight. The moonlight beam symbolized the connection between wolves and the moon, particularly the full moon. The formula shimmered and turned moon white. It was complete and Keith stood in the moonlight as he raised the glass to his lips and drank it down. He put the glass down and waited. He licked his lips, his tongue detecting no taste to the formula just as it hadn't while drinking it. That means I brewed it perfectly.

His stomach gurgled and a warm sensation swept over him from head to foot. The warmth was obvious as he was covered in black fur, his clothes having faded away. He held up his hands to see his fingers shrink away into paws, sharp claws concealed within. His mouth and nose itched as they stretched out and formed a muzzle, the latter turning large and black while the teeth of the former turned sharp and extra teeth appeared. He put his paws on the muzzle to feel it and he managed a wolf's grin. This really is my muzzle. Oh, so cool!

He felt his ears stretch up and then slid up to rest on the top of his head. He knew he had to look weird. He was covered in fur, had forepaws, and the head of a wolf. He gasped as his room became very visible and reasoned that he now had wolf eyes which completed the wolf head part of him.

He then teetered on his feet and fell onto his forepaws. He craned his neck and saw that his feet were paws too, the heels having moved up and his knees reversing direction. He felt something push out of his tailbone and knew it was a tail. His body enlarged to be larger than a normal wolf and he had muscles to match his size. He had whined during his body and muscles growth and then panted as it ended. He slowly exhaled before turning slowly to adjust to four legs and to see himself. His fur was sleek and looked soft. His body was lean but muscular and he knew he could cover great distances with his legs and their muscles. His tail was long and full and it swished happily, expressing his joy at having such a strong and handsome body.

I can hardly wait to try out my body, but it's late and I need rest. I'll try out my wolf body tomorrow night. He leaped into bed and curled up in a ball. His eyes slid shut and he was soon fast asleep.

Sunlight fell on Keith's face and it twitched in response. His eyes slowly blinked open to adjust to the light. He winced and rolled over away from it. My eyes are light-sensitive now. They're more equipped for night vision, but they will adjust. He opened his eyes to slits as he got up, lowered the blinds, and went to a drawer to withdraw a round pendent that was midnight blue with white dots to resemble stars. One side was dominated by the shape of a white crescent moon. This was the pendent that would allow Keith to retain his human form at night and had no power during the day. He put it around his neck, concealing the charm under his uniform and the gold chain under his collar. If he had trouble getting out before sunset, he wanted to make sure he didn't change in front of anyone. He headed out of his room, opening his eyes a little more. It'll take time for my eyes to fully adjust to their new vision acuity. Eventually, I'll be able to open my eyes fully when I wake in the morning.

He sat at the dining table with the team and Coran. He felt hungry and chalked it up to his night and morning changes; going to wolf and back to human burned a lot of calories and energy and both needed to be replenished. Breakfast was brought out and Keith started to reach for his fork but paused. The utensil looked like it was silver, but was it pure silver? Only pure silver was painful, lethal if it struck a vital organ, but if other minerals or metals were mixed with the silver, that nullified his allergic reaction. He stretched out his left index finger to nudge the fork as if to pull the napkin out from under it and felt no burning that would result from contact with pure silver. He pulled out the napkin, put it on his lap, grabbed the fork, and began to eat. He ate everything on his plate and surprised everyone when he requested seconds.

"You okay, Keith?" Lance asked. "You never have seconds."

"I'm fine. I'm just real hungry this morning," he said somewhat truthfully. His seconds were brought out and he dug in. He could have told them that he was now a werewolf, but suppose they reacted the way people did in the past? He didn't want to be treated differently due to his heritage. That would be how Lance, Pidge, and Hunk would act, but what about Allura and Coran? Do Arusians have transformation folklore?

Keith retired to the library and perused the shelves. He selected several books on myths and folk tales, sat at a table with them, and began to read. He read about different forms of life, some mythical but others not. He moved to stories and found that they did not vary from Earth stories. This knowledge disappointed him.

They view werewolves the way we do on Earth. They see them as cursed people who likely deserved to exist as monsters. Arusians would eliminate them if they threaten the people or their livelihood. Well, that settles it: I can't tell anyone what I am now. It will be my secret and one I will gladly keep. Tonight, I will head out into the forest and test out my wolf body. I will learn to use my senses, speed, and strength to learn their limits. I will also learn what I can and cannot do in that form. Keith shivered a little in excitement at the thought of tonight's activities. He did not regret taking the formula for he had been making wolf sounds, and feeling urges to howl at the moon.

I could not fight it like my father and grandfather could. I think I'm closer to my distant ancestors than anyone in my immediate family or related family. So, I brewed and drank the formula to awaken my wolf gene and take wolf form at night. He looked out at the window and saw that it was late afternoon. He decided to get some food once he had dropped off his pendent and take the food into the woods where he would eat and await his change. No one's going to stop me from heading out at this point in the day, so leaving the pendent in my room is safe.

Lotor piloted his ship with ease, avoiding the security defenses thanks to his stealth capability. He had no robots or fighter ships. This was an information mission; once he had the information he needed, he would head home to put together a more solid plan, load the robots and ships, and return to Arus to execute said plan.

I also have another reason for this mission: To approach Keith and tell him I love him. I suspect he will dismiss it and that's fine. Once he has been administered the love potion, he will love me and we will wed. A kiss during the ceremony will insure that he will always love me. Father may object to my marrying Keith but I don't care. Keith will be my husband.

Lotor landed his ship in a clearing in the forest near the castle but it didn't trip the sensors. He was quite proud of his ship's abilities and knew he could remain hidden aboard her. Now, I wait for night watch to see who is on duty tonight. Once I have a complete record on watch duty, I'll return home.