Chapter Four- First Transformation

Shiro stirred from his nap by the sound of footsteps and the surging emotions of a wolf. He was feeling a desire to be vicious and bite others. He growled and then snarled as he pulled at his cuffs. His being restrained angered him and he growled louder as he tried to escape.

He then felt weak and tired. His anger drained away and he found he was thinking clearly again. He blinked a little and he focused on Collin and two men dressed like guards and holding a pot each that held a flower in them.

"Wolfsbane," he said, recognizing the plant.

"Correct and it seems we definitely needed it. You are becoming more like a werewolf. You sounded quite angry."

"I'm restrained. No one likes having their movements restricted."

"True. Very true." Collin felt Shiro's forehead and then felt the underside of his throat. "Hmm, you're quite warm and your pulse is racing. No doubt side effects of the Wolfsbane."

"I do feel a bit ill," Shiro admitted as Collin fed him; despite feeling sick, he ate knowing he needed energy for his big night.

"Iverson insists we hang pots of Wolfsbane near your cell all day tomorrow to keep you tame. Of course that means Steppin won't be seeing you anymore."

"Tell me. Will I recall what happens on the full moon?"

"You will. At some point the following morning, you will remember what you did. It may not be with perfect clarity, but enough to get an idea of what happened."

Collin took the tray away and used a key to unlock Shiro's cuffs. Once he was free, however, a guard put a heavy, albeit, loose collar around his neck, chains attached to it. He was led out of the cell and u the stairs with Collin in front. "Doctor," Shiro said. "Are those rumors about silver nitrate bullets true?"

"Partially. He's having some developed but they're still on the drawing board." Collin led the way through the corridors, passing a hall of cells that held several humans in each one. Shiro knew these were the ones he would turn over the next two nights. He avoided looking at them; he hadn't bitten them yet but he couldn't bear to look at them.

The hall opened up into a stone chamber. It was circular with countless small cells along most of the walls. There was a sunken pit in the center; no doubt that was his spot. There was a balcony opposite the entryway and he saw Iverson and several other people, clearly customers. He was pulled to the pit where the chains were attached to rings anchored into the floor. Manacles were attached to his legs and arms, forcing him into an all fours position. The manacles were loose like the collar and only held in place by his hands and feet. He was examining them to see if he could twist his wrists free when a grinding noise distracted him. He looked up to see the roof retracting, revealing a starry sky and a small part of the moon.

Shiro's pupils dilated as he watched the moon rise higher into the sky. He felt basic simple emotions wash over him. He then began to groan as his muscles and joints began to hurt, almost burning. He focused on his arms and saw his muscles growing larger, the manacles fitting a little better but still a bit loose. No doubt leaving room for the fur. Iverson learned his trade well.

Shiro then screamed before giving a howl. His entire body felt like it was on fire. His hands and feet shrank away into paws, his claws poking out a little. His legs bent into canine shape as his heels moved up, his knees changed direction, and his spine curved.

He growled as he felt a furry thing grow out and knew it was his tail. He opened his eyes to see white fur growing on his paws and forelegs and felt surprised at the color. A burning on his face drew his attention and he saw his nose and jaws pushing out into a muzzle and an itch in his mouth told him his teeth were sharp and new teeth were growing in. His ears burned and felt like they were moving up, which of course they were. His eyes changed to gold and he gave another howl as his mind reverted to a vicious wolf. He was angry and mean and wanted to bite people. He smelled the scent of people but didn't see any.

Then, he saw one! He didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, teen or adult. All he knew was there was a person he was going to be able to bite. The figure was pushed toward him and he lunged, sinking his teeth into flesh and hearing a scream. He released and backed up, feeling satisfied at biting and tasting flesh.

His satisfaction turned to confusion as the person turned into a creature like himself. The wolf growled and snarled at Shiro and he understood that this young one was going to attack him and he couldn't move to avoid it. A figure in shiny skin moved in and chained up the young one before dragging him away and into a tiny room with a door. The young one snarled and rammed the door until a flower was presented. He backed away from the door and stopped fighting. The flower's presence gave Shiro relief that the young one wouldn't attack him but he also felt sick in a way he didn't understand. Another person was brought to him and the process began again.

Shiro stirred and his eyes opened to see that he was in his cell again, but not restrained. He smelled the repugnant scent of the Wolfsbane and an ill but calm feeling washed over him. He closed his eyes and he saw images and faces that looked vaguely familiar. Countless face floated past and his stomach sank. Those are the ones I bit last night! I recall falling asleep but nothing else until now.

"Morning, Shiro," came Collin's voice.

Shiro opened his eyes and sat up to face the door. Collin entered and shut the door with a foot as he had a tray in his hands and an old-fashioned doctor's bag on his arm. "Hungry?" he asked as he put the tray down.

"Starving," he admitted as he lifted the lid, grabbed the spoon and bowl, and began to eat.

"Yes. I figured you would be. You had a busy night." Collin opened the bag and removed a capped syringe.

"How…many?" he asked with difficulty.

"I'd say about fifty or sixty." Collin uncapped the syringe and tapped it.

Shiro paused in his breakfast, horror going through him. He had just sent fifty or sixty people into a life of slavery. And I'll be doing it again as I can't control myself. He gave a gasp as he felt a prick in his arm. He looked to see Collin withdraw the syringe. "So, what was that?"

"A typical rabies shot. As wolves are canines, you'll need the vaccinations a dog receives and then I'll update your human shots."

"I thought werewolves were immune to certain illnesses."

"Oh, you are. This is simply a precaution. I would be happy to renew your shots next year. Just come by and ask for me."

"I'll consider it." Shiro polished off his bowl and grabbed the second one as Collin prepped the second shot. He was given a lot of raw meat and he ate it without question. He caught a look of revulsion on Collin's face at one point. "This disturbs you?" he asked.

"A little. What about you?"

"Not really. I find it tastes good."

"As you should. You're a werewolf and wolves are carnivores. You'll crave raw meat all the time and eat only meat during the full moon. The rest of the time you will eat and drink same as before with the inclusion of raw meat cravings." Collin administered one last shot and closed the bag before taking the tray but left the water behind. "I will see you later to prepare you for your last night with us."