Chapter Three- First Full Moon

The sky was starting to brighten again as was the land. Jasmine whined as the chains made her sick and then growled as she also felt weak and more aggressive. She then whined loudly as the moon moved from the sun and she began to revert to human form. The strap fell away as her muzzle shrank and she shimmied out of the chains as she got smaller and thinner. She staggered to half-formed feet and then sank to her knees beside the fountain as she became fully human again. She moaned and put a hand to her forehead. She felt so weak and sick.

"Jasmine?"

She looked up with eyes full of horror and sadness. "I remember…everything," she choked. "I didn't recognize anyone, didn't understand anything. I was seized by a desire to bite anyone I saw."

Aladdin knelt beside her and embraced her. "I didn't really believe you but I told everyone to hide anyway. I had a plan to stop you and it worked."

"I still bit. I bit Father and Razoul." She sighed. "Father and I were right. He said I would bite him and I knew I would." She pulled away from Aladdin and stood. "I…should lock myself up for the rest of the full moon. Father may object, but it is the right thing to do."

Aladdin wanted to say that she didn't have to lock herself up but knew she was right. She would transform again tonight and seek out others to bite. He saw her stagger and rushed to her side. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Just weak and a little ill. Side effects of the silver weakness."

"Food and rest will fix that," Sultan said as he came out. He guided her inside. "Razoul and I have already selected cells of our own to spend the full moon in and we picked out yours as well. There will be plenty of food and water to satisfy us for the night. You were right when you were insisting on being locked up, I see that now."

"I know that we both knew I would bite you, but I'm still sorry."

"I know, dearest," Sultan said as they headed down to the dungeons. "You didn't know me as anything but a human to bite. I don't blame you for your actions. Neither of us do," he said, the last sentence said as they passed Razoul's cell, though the captain of the guard wasn't there yet.

Jasmine hung her head; she heard what Sultan was saying but she still felt guilty. I need to be put away so I don't harm anyone else. She was brought to a cell that had food, water, pillows, and sheets, the latter two over a bed of straw. She stepped in and turned once the door was shut and locked. Sultan reached in and rested a hand on Jasmine's cheek. "Get some rest, Jasmine and eat a little afterwards. You are a little pale."

"All right," she said softly. She went to her impromptu bed and laid down, her eyes sliding shut and she felt secure in her inability to get out, at least for now.

Sultan came out of the dungeon to find Aladdin nearby looking anxious and the others behind him. He put up a hand. "She's sleeping now. Thank you for stopping her."

"But, she bit you and Razoul."

"Razoul knew the risks and was willing to take it to protect me. We underestimated how fast she was and determined to turn others. If you could string up some silver around our doors, it should keep us from trying to escape." He headed back to his throne, doing his duty as ruler while awaiting the time when he would have to return to the dungeon for the night.

Jasmine awoke to the sound of chains clinking. She quickly sat up and saw Aladdin putting a length of silver chains on her door. He saw her awake and said, "Your father suggested putting silver on the doors to keep all of you from escaping."

She nodded. "I recall Razoul trying to keep me back with a silver-headed spear. It made me hesitate and more aggressive but it ultimately failed." She looked away and added, "I also remember targeting you and I'm glad I didn't bite you too."

"Jasmine, I'm not blaming you for trying to bite me. You weren't yourself."

"I will still want to bite every night as I am the one who is cursed."

"But you'll be in control on those nights, right?"

"Yes and I will try my hardest to resist the urge. Of course, there are three full moon nights to get through first."

"Yes. Well, I've got the keys for the doors and will let you out in the morning."

She looked at him and he blew her a kiss as he walked away. He bid Sultan and Razoul good night as he passed them, the latter seeming a bit disgruntled that the key to his door was being entrusted to Aladdin. Aladdin didn't comment on it. If our places were reversed, he would comment on me being locked up and would probably take some sick pleasure in keeping me locked up longer than anyone else. I will not stoop that low.

Jasmine felt her heart beating faster and knew that night had fallen. She breathed harder before a howl emerged followed by growling as she shifted into the wolf she had been several hours ago. She heard the growls and snarls of two others which her nose told her were both male. Her desire to bite then rose up insider her again and she turned to the door that seemed to bar her way out.

She took two steps toward it but then backed up with a snarl. The thing that had been around her earlier was on the door. She recalled the weak and sick feelings the thing had caused and she did not want to feel that way again. She looked around to see if there was another way out and her eyes landed on the food and water that had been put there shortly before Aladdin put up the chain; she had been so deep asleep that she hadn't heard him enter. She licked her chops at the meat and her stomach growled, wanting to be fed. She padded over on her hands and paws, laid down, and hungrily ate and drank. The food and water calmed her anger a little and she settled on the floor, feeling a little tired. It had been a long day and she decided to sleep before trying to escape again. She sighed and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Sultan and Razoul also felt the faster heartbeat and harder breathing. Sultan heard a howl down the hall and responded to it with one of his own and he heard Razoul howl as well. He then growled as he shifted into a two-legged wolf covered in white fur which made his glowing red eyes stand out. His nose flared as he drank in the scents of two other wolves: One male and one female, the latter his wolf mind recognized as a leader to him and the other male. He heard the female snarl in anger and he whimpered before slinking toward the meat and water where he ate and then slipped off to sleep.

"Jasmine?" came Aladdin's voice as well as the sound of chains clinking and the door opening. She blinked her eyes and yawned as she sat up and rose. She went up to Aladdin who embraced her and then kissed her. "What do you remember?" he asked.

"Anger at being locked up and seeing the silver on the door. I ate and drank the food and water and fell asleep, thinking I would try to escape after sleeping. It seems that part didn't happen.

"Uh, yeah. I…had Genie put a sedative in the food and not just yours, Sultan and Razoul's too."

"Aladdin…thank you. I wouldn't do it again, at least tonight or tomorrow. Chances are we'll become used to the sedatives and a larger dose will be needed which could be dangerous."

"We don't want that," he said as the couple headed up the hall. "I'll tell Genie not to put any sedative in the food anymore." Jasmine smiled gratefully.