Jannie's Pov
The pain blinded Jannie; it felt like hell. Why couldn't she hold onto a thought for more than a second?
"I'm here, Jannie. Can you hear me?" Someone called from a distance.
Jannie tried to focus, but her eyes flickered in and out of a blur, and her mind raced in overdrive. Then, suddenly, something changed in the air around her, and the pain became a little more manageable.
"Jannie?" She heard her name again and could see his face this time.
They were so close, but it lasted only a brief moment. Then, the pain washed over her again, and everything went black.
Zeke's Pov
The full moon was high in the sky tonight, and Zeke had to leave Jannie as she began throwing herself against the walls. Staying with her would be pointless; she could quickly kill him once she transformed.
One of the terrifying aspects of half-wolves was that they lost all control and humanity under the full moon. Their primal instincts took over, leading them to kill anyone who crossed their path—friends, family, no one was safe.
That was the price they had to pay for their enhanced senses and superhuman strength. But after tonight, Jannie would finally be free from her physical pain. However, Zeke feared her reaction once she realized what he had done to her. He was the one who had forced her into this nightmare.
He had made her into a werewolf. She belonged to him now; with the mark on her neck, she was bound to stay by his side forever. The curse was unbreakable.
"She's really struggling in there..." Hazel sat down next to Zeke on the bench outside Jannie's cell.
"I know. It's tearing me apart. I don't know how Jannie will get through this. What if she resists the restraints?" Zeke replied, shaking his head.
"That could happen, but she might also comply. We just don't know." Hazel sighed.
"I forced this on her, Hazel. She didn't choose this." A loud growl came from Jannie's cell, and Zeke felt the muscles tighten. The full moon was peaking, and the impact enhanced his strength.
"It's happening," Hazel whispered as she grabbed Zeke's hand.
This was going to be the worst part. Jannie was growling and clawing at her own skin, trying to escape. But nothing could save her from the inevitable. Loud cracks echoed through the hallway, and Zeke closed his eyes when she began to wail in torment.
Breaking bones is one of the worst physical pains to endure. Zeke struggles to manage the pain when shifting into his wolf form, but he has become accustomed to it; the discomfort only lasts a few seconds. However, the half-wolf shift is even more painful because he has to remain in that form with broken legs.
"How long?" he asked Hazel, who checked her phone. "Five more hours until the sun rises."
"That's going to feel like an eternity," Zeke replied, and Hazel nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, and she won't come down."
Sudden loud bangs and thuds echoed from Jannie's cell, and Zeke rested his head against the wall, waiting for it to end.
Jannie's Pov.
Jannie opened her eyes and looked around the small room. It was filled with torn fabric and fluffy white clouds that resembled stuffing.
She glanced down at her body and raised an eyebrow when she realized she was nude.
"What the hell?" she exclaimed as she noticed the remnants of her clothes scattered on the floor.
Jannie's mind was blank; she had no recollection of how she had ended up in this strange place.
"Jannie?" she heard Zeke calling from outside the door. She instinctively covered her breasts and crouched down as the door opened.
"I brought you some clothes," Zeke said, extending his hand towards her. She walked over and grabbed it.
"Give me a second, and then you have some explaining to do!" Jannie replied, flinching at the growl in her voice. What the hell was going on?
She quickly pulled on a black set of sweats and yanked the door open with a bang, surprised by her strength. Zeke stood on the other side, and she noticed Hazel behind him.
"What the hell is going on?" Jannie demanded, stepping forward and glancing down the hallway.
Zeke stepped back, and Jannie narrowed her eyes at him, noticing the guilt etched on his face.
"Tell me what happened! What's going on, Zeke? Why can't I remember how I got here? Why was I locked inside that cell? Why was I naked?" Jannie shouted angrily, Zeke backed into the wall behind him, and Hazel backed down the hall.
"What is the last thing you remember?" Zeke asked, and Jannie began to recall.
"We're in my apartment, and..." Flashes from kissing, grinding, sweaty bodies colliding... Then pain.
"What did you do?" Jannie felt her stomach twist; she knew. But she needed him to admit it. Her emotions were tumultuous, and the intensity was overwhelming. "You turned me, didn't you?" Zeke nodded, and Jannie screamed in pain when her legs cracked.
Zeke's Pov
"Run, Hazel!" Zeke ordered and pushed Jannie back into the cell, watching her transform into a werewolf before him. Jannie shrieked, and Zeke barely had time to react before she launched at him. There was no time for him to get out and close the door; she would have forced herself through before he could lock it. He tried to hold Jannie off, but he struggled. She was intense and relentless, clawing at him, tearing through his skin. He couldn't keep this up for long.
"Grab an arm," Yuri ordered, and with Zack's help, they managed to pull Jannie off Zeke. Hazel quickly chained Jannie to the wall while they restrained her, and then Zack pulled Zeke out of the cell.
"Fuck, are you okay?" Zack asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Yuri locked the door, but Zeke was too breathless to answer him.