Jen’s hands shook as she struggled to find her house-key in the jingling tangle that was her key ring, her heavy breaths misting in the cool night air. It was nearly freezing out, yet her skin was glistening with sweat as though the sun were beating down on her. The full moon shown down on her home and the street through the remarkably clear night. A night that would have been just perfect if she hadn’t gotten carried away. Even as panicked blue eyes sought out her key, her mind wandered with sharp regret to what she’d had to leave behind because of that stupid full moon.

She and Mike had been playing cat and mouse since they were old enough to notice the opposite sex, and even before that had been inseparable friends. Everyone in their lives knew they were perfect for one another, yet through all those years of shy glances and friendly outings, and even after they finally went off to college, they’d never quite gotten there. Oh, how Jen wanted to. So when Mike had finally asked her out on what was completely unquestionably a romantic date, Jen had been all too eager to accept, even with the looming presence of the full moon that very night. This chance was too good to pass up, and she’d convinced herself that she’d play it safe. They would go out for lunch, rather than dinner, with plenty of time for a romantic stroll while still getting home hours before darkness and moonrise. The thought had made her blush shyly even as she smiled excitedly, thoughts of her affliction far from her head.

Long black hair had been tied into a lengthy braid, but with a few locks intentionally left free to tickle her forehead in a way that would have seemed naturally occurring if it hadn’t looked so good. Normally, Jen was a modest woman, even shy. Her slender form boasted generous curves, it was true, but she found them entirely too generous, hiding them under baggy and unflattering clothing to avoid attention that would only fluster and embarrass her. But that day, she’d dressed to impress, wanting almost desperately to show her elusive date that she was the sort of woman that could make a man smolder. Her top was sky blue, flowing and light, open at the neckline so that it left her pale, shapely shoulders bare (and dipped low enough to expose a good deal of cleavage from breasts that were just barely small enough to be called C-cups). Below, she had on a pair of dark skinny jeans that hugged her thighs and behind close enough to make her blush, and definitely to make her date take notice. A pair of slinky black boots with reasonable heels (she couldn’t walk in stilettos for the life of her) tied together the ensemble in an undeniably sexy way. In a way that was as satisfying as it was embarrassing, Mike had clearly been unable to stop himself from staring a little when he’d first laid eyes on her.

The date had been more than she could have asked for; Mike and her clicked on a romantic level with an ease that was only matched by their strong friendship. They laughed and flirted their way through lunch, and she attached herself readily to his offered arm as they took a romantic walk through the park. She’d still been basking in the high the wonderful day had put her in when they came back to the subway so that she could be on her way home with hours to spare before moonrise. She’d been entertaining the uncharacteristically bold thought to invite Mike to entirely more private activities at her place before they had to part ways before things got dangerous when they noticed an alert on the subway bulletins. There’d been a bomb threat and several abandoned packages littered all down the line; the subway would be delayed for an unpredictable amount of time.

Jen’s blood had run cold; three and a half years of the moon’s terrible pull on her had taught her that even with hours to spare, any delay was horrible news on these nights. Neither Mike or Jen drove, and city traffic at this time of day meant that taking a cab could doom her to going through moonrise far short of her goal. The subway was her only hope, and so the date had taken a turn for the less than perfect. Mike had suggested that they leave the subway and go do something fun, his treat. After all, they could have hours to burn before the subway was running again, and once it was there would be plenty of times they could catch it. As touched as she was by his sweet efforts, she’d had to clench her teeth and miserably shake her head; this was of dire importance. She had to have the first possible train home, no exceptions. So Mike had been forced to sit with a girl who was starting to look incredibly neurotic and was becoming increasingly unresponsive to his conversation as the minutes ticked by and her panic mounted. But he was so amazing; even after two solid hours of that, when she looked over to him, he just smiled and took her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. He didn’t understand what was riling her up, but he was there to help her nonetheless. She couldn’t believe her luck, and felt guilty that she was putting him through this. Even more familiar, she felt an anger and disgust with herself that was always muted until the full moon got this close; if she weren’t a freak, Mike and her would have been out there having fun, enjoying their happily extended date.

Finally the subway car arrived, the stupid bomb threat and the packages part of some elaborate prank. She would have happily strangled the bastards that were no doubt laughing their asses off at the traffic predicament they’d created. She’d practically dragged Mike onto the subway. It was only once the doors had closed that she finally began to relax, taking a quick glance at her cell phone and seeing that she easily had another two hours till sunset. She’d been panicking for nothing, and in much cheerier spirits she rested her head on Mike and happily napped through the forty minute journey back to their stop.

He woke her gently from her slumber with a smile and a clever compliment that left her giggling, before exiting the underground and emerging once more into the light of day. That’s where the real threat struck, and the real problem began; Mike looked at her with his darling baby blues, and asked her to have some coffee with him, to make up for the crappy ending to the date. As if it had been his fault! Chewing her lower lip, she checked her watch. She had at least an hour, probably more, and poor Mike… She really wanted to throw him a bone after how weird she’d been acting. So, though she was distinctly uncomfortable with it, she disappeared into a nearby coffee shop with him.

Things immediately snapped back to how they’d been before, and without ever realizing it they were back to laughing and smiling, enjoying each other’s company as Mike gave her soft compliments and good-natured teases that could only fly between friends with a bond like theirs. It went so tragically well and she wanted so much to end the date on a good note, in fact, that the sun set and moonrise crept upon her before she had the chance to realize it. It started like it always did, with an uncomfortable but initially unobtrusive heat. Sweat beaded on her exposed skin as its usually pale surface flushed with a soft blush. Her chest rose and fell a little more heavily as her breaths grew involuntarily deeper. With the swell of her bountiful cleavage moving so attractively, Mike noticed before she did. Blushing softly at the sight and fixing his gaze on her eyes, he had asked her kindly if she was alright; she seemed out of breath.

Jen would have frozen then if it weren’t for the fact that the first pangs chose at that moment to strike her. Her flat stomach clenched as her body curled over itself slightly, a piercing pain in her abdomen bringing a soft feminine ‘Ah!’ from her lips. Her hands fell onto the table as she steadied herself, taking a moment to catch her breath. As if she could; the first pains, though minor, were persistent, and they always seemed to intensify the preliminary symptoms already clutching her body. The small heat gripping her suddenly intensified, and the next breath after her gasp itself ended in a gasp as she began to hyperventilate in reaction to her change. Her heart started to beat double-time in her chest, and she knew it was past time to go.

So she did all she knew how to do in that situation; with a soft peck on Mike’s cheek she ran from the coffee shop with a hasty excuse. There was no time to spare his feelings or explain thoroughly; soon the feminine body he had been drooling over would start making alarming noises, and not long after would be less something to drool over and more something to run from. She moved as fast as she could, for the full moon had risen, and she was changing.

Sadly, moving as fast as she could was easier said than done. The strange processes beginning to overtake her slight form left her body wanting to pitch and jerk, and the pains intensifying in her gut meant that she had to stop more than once when they grew particularly bad, hand on her stomach, hunched and dripping with perspiration. Each episode left her gasping and escalated her symptoms, but she couldn’t stop here. She couldn’t afford to give in to the moonlight until she was safely behind closed doors. So it was with relief and an edge of panic that she came to her door, the last challenge before her the one of finding the correct key before she could fight no more.

“Haah… haah…” She panted and moaned, her body giving an uncontrollable heave as she fell against the door, pressing against the blissfully cool surface for a moment before wrenching her keys from her pocket. Just when she’d fought through her pains to find the correct key, they returned with a vengeance. “Ah… Ahh!” Her keys clattered to the patio, arms crossing beneath her heaving bosom to hug her slender stomach, body doubling over on itself and mouth falling open for the sheer shocking agony assaulting her insides. “Oh god.” She whimpered breathily before the pain spiked again, coming in closer and closer waves. “Aaaaahhh…” Jen moaned, barely avoiding a scream that would have attracted too much attention, stray sweat-soaked black hairs sticking to her forehead as her body trembled. Though the pain did not abate this time, she demonstrated steely resolve few would have thought the gentle girl had beneath her soft exterior. Arms leaving her stomach, she snatched up her keys before righting herself, shoving the correct one into the lock even as her body twitched and shuddered. Throwing open the door, she staggered into her home, closing it shut behind her and locking it swiftly with fingers that were rapidly losing their dexterity to the shakes wracking them. As soon as she was in the door, she kicked off her boots, knowing better by now than to transform in anything leather.

Any sense of victory or relief she might have felt was immediately stolen from her. Yes, she was alone for the night, her nature safe and more importantly the people outside her home safe from her. But she was also alone with this terrible transformation, with the horrible things starting to happen to her body, with the knowledge that she would become a monster again tonight. With no more distractions, there were no more comforts, however small. She fell back against the door, soft cries escaping her lips as she writhed and jerked, sweat dripping down her neck and over the swells of her heaving breasts. Her shirt clung to her curves uncomfortably, damp with sweat, and with a start she remembered Mike’s satisfying reaction to the way it bared her cleavage. Usually if she wasn’t nude already when the moon rose, she was wearing some baggy t-shirt she could replace for five dollars at the nearest thrift store. But this sky-blue top had made Mike notice her as a woman. It might have been a strange thing to think about, especially given the situation, but she wanted to save it nevertheless.

With a fluid motion, she pulled it over her head, her generous breasts bouncing in their lacy black bra as they came free of the shirt. She’d worn such nice underwear just for Mike, just in case something had happened between them… She felt like such an idiot now. Staggering away from the door, she stumbled through her home, trying to get to the bathroom before it was too late. Hasty hands unfastened her jeans as she hurried. There was nothing in the bathroom that interested her wolfish self, while in the living room she would be prone to tearing up her furniture in predatory boredom with nothing to rip apart. With all the delays, though, time was no longer on her side, and before she was three more steps in the worst pain of all tore through her stomach. “-Uh! Ah… No… Ahh… Ahhhhh!” She screamed at last, her arms wrapping once more around her bare stomach, slender body bending over itself as shaky legs struggled to bear her weight. Sweat glistened on her pale back, dripping down over her gently swaying bosom as she struggled with the pain. There was no turning back this time, as evidenced when soft, horribly ominous sounds began to emanate from her body. Her scream trailed off into strained silence, punctuated by small gasps that were accompanied by soft muffled pops, as though someone were cracking their knuckles in slow motion. Her spine arched and writhed, but it was nothing compared to when soft squishing sounds began to fill the room. “Oh… god…” She whispered, hunching as though she’d been punched. Her innards on fire, she held herself in a vain attempt to ease the pain as her organs began to restructure. Every bone and muscle felt sore and strained, twitching as they prepared.

“Oh god!!” CRACK!! Her breasts heaved as her spine arched painfully, her chest straining skyward and her head lolling back as the crunching increased in volume. The bumps of her spine pressed unnaturally against her skin, even considering her slender build, popping and writhing. She fell against the wall, pushing against it with both hands as though stretching, tears welling up in her eyes and her back hunched. The arch of her spine only grew more prominent, and every labored breath came with a feminine moan as it finally began to extend. Only a bump at the base of her spine, at first, a naked tail began to grow from her rear, shoving down her form fitting jeans and matching black panties. Every inch of length was won with a dull crack or pop and a cry from Jen. When it was about two inches long, it bloomed with black fur and began to grow all the faster. She could only press her front against the coolness of the wall and beg for it to be over as it slowly extended to its full length. The new prominence of her spine left less room for her bra, and it dug uncomfortably into her soft breasts, already soaked through with sweat. Her hands scrambled to her back, trying desperately to unclasp it in the brief break after the growth of her new appendage. More pops and cracks threw her delicate form back against the wall with a sob, her cries revealing pointed canines behind her full lips. Those gentle blue eyes were beginning to glow unnaturally in the dark behind her tears, catching the moonlight and throwing it back.

The agony was finally too much, and she sank to her knees slowly. She hugged herself, fighting to stay at least on her knees, back and shoulders twitching and writhing as they subtly took on the lean liquid steel muscle of a wolf. Black fur was beginning to creep up her back from her tail, and pubic regions, climbing in a thin line up her stomach and spine. The slight increase to her bulk only tightened her bra further against her. She had no more capacity for delicacy in her pain. Sadly, it didn’t give her much capacity for strength either, and she could only pull at the stubborn cups helplessly, sobbing. “Please… Get off… B-before… G-gaaaah…” Crunching and crackling forced her to the ground, before she rolled over onto her back, fighting for breath. She knew what was coming next, her hand clutching between her breasts at her heart as it began to beat madly, pumping lava through her veins. The crackling stopped for just a moment, the silence broken only by her labored breaths and soft moans, before it came back with a vengeance. CRUNCH!! She shrieked as her chest arched into the air involuntarily, agony holding her body there, beads of moisture sparkling in the moonlight. She gritted her now pointed teeth, groaning through them. Her hands fell to her sides, clenching and unclenching the carpet as a fine black fur grew on their tops and over her forearms, sharp claws growing from her fingernails.

Her big breasts shook with every gasp, body quivering as it arched, before her ribs suddenly pressed against her skin tightly. Her mouth opened to shriek, but she couldn’t, all breath stolen from her lungs as with a chorus of crunches her chest began to push out. Fur crept up between her breasts which were straining against their black bra, the straps digging into her back and the clasp stretching to its limit. For a moment, it seemed uncertain which would win, her ribs or her underwear. A few soft pops later, the straps fell away from her shoulders, and one more snap as the clasp gave away let her round breasts bounce free of the ruined underwear. They moved with every gasp, but her change didn’t’ slow down, her ribs continuing to push them forward and leave her in agony until they had barreled out to the full barrel chest of a wolf. Yet another disadvantage she found in her gifted chest; it made the transformation all the more difficult.

Rolling over onto her stomach, she forced herself onto all fours, her furry tail limp. Her fangs and eyes shone in the moonlight as she panted, as much like an animal as a scared woman. Nipples grew on her stomach, uncomfortably but completely unnoticeably amid the bone crunching ordeal that her chest had been. Tears fell from predatory eyes as she realized just how right it was beginning to feel on all fours. The next stage of her change was coming, her feet cramping. She lurched forward with a whimpering sob as her feet began to lengthen, her toes (already tipped with claws, as her hands were) growing inward with minute pops and grinding sounds. Soon they resembled the paws of a wolf. “Ahhh-!” Her heels lifted off the ground, stretching even as her thighs shrunk, her long beautiful legs becoming bent, crouching things meant for chasing down prey. Her jeans strained against her, worse than even her bra, and she brought her claws to them with a groan. This, at least, she knew how to handle, her growing animal muscle doing half the job for her as the skinny jeans ripped along the seam. Sleek muscle was now cording on her arms, and it only took a few practiced tries to shred them, her thighs and readjusting hips doing the rest of the work as the pants fell away in tatters. Fur sprouted on her morphing legs, fine at first and flat against her thighs with sweat. But as her thighs and butt began to lose their soft, feminine curves, horrid crunching and squishing echoing as muscle and bone altered, it grew as thick as it was on her tail, which stood straight out from her body, rigid with agony as she wept.

The fur thickened on her back. It ate the moonlight, dark as pitch. Her ears burned as they began to point and lengthen in preparation for when her skull would change shape as well. Though her upper body was mostly human, that wouldn’t last long, the fur between her breasts thickening, fine fuzz beginning to grow on her shoulders as the growth on her forearms rose to meet it. The slight reprieve from muscles and bones moving was never welcome. She wished there were no pauses, for as she stood there on all fours, she had just enough time to reflect on what a freak she was and on the horrid monster that rested always just beneath her skin. Even Mike, who loved her, would surely look on her with deepest disgust, seeing the half wolf half woman thing before him.

The pain was almost a welcome friend when it returned, her head dropping as she moaned, sweat rolling down her face. Her breasts began to burn, one clawed hand pressing against their soft flesh. But there was no stopping the change and she could only grasp at them uselessly. The pale round skin was flushed and sweat dripped over them and off of their bottoms and her nipples. But a few soft squelching noises, and soon enough both of them were beginning to shrink as fur grew over their rounded surfaces. The breasts that had made Mike blush, erased from a body that was rapidly losing any place for feminine beauty. Only the nipples remained, relocated slightly to be appropriate to her new lupine form.

Her hand fell back to the ground as they disappeared completely. “Oh. Ah. Ah!” Now her fingers were beginning shift, crunching as her hand lengthened and her fingers shortened. Involuntary spasms wracked them, her fingers digging into the carpet, her hands dragging along it. Those claws tore it up viciously, her mind beginning to feel the presence of something angry and wrong. Thoughts of Mike were mingled horrifically with thoughts of his blood, and the tears fell freely from her eyes. She was losing it again. She was losing herself. Her paws seemed to stop halfway through transforming, a working halfway point between wolfish digits and frighteningly human claws. They could rip apart prey better than any big cat’s, fueled by her freakish size and strength in her wolf form.

“No. No. I’m not ready. I’m n… n-n…” She was never ready. Not for this part. Her lips peeled back in a grimace of purest agony, sweat pouring down her feminine features and her glowing blue eyes wide with fright. “P-please… Help… me…” A girlish moan escaped her lips, but did not stop, escalating slowly into a bloodcurdling scream as the cracks came now from her face. Her pointed ears entered the final stage of their transformation, shifting to the top of her head as her skull began its metamorphosis. Fangs lengthened in her mouth to become truly beastly, drool dripping uncontrollably down her chin as her breaths became more and more husky, ending now in hoarse growls. The most horrific cracks of all sounded out as her face began to jut out, her jaws pushing against her skin as she squeezed her eyes shut. Black fur grew on her neck, then the edges of her face. The long braid of thick black hair became unwoven, the spray of hair shortening until it was uniform with the fur all over her body. CRUNCH! CRACK! She shrieked, her nose lengthening and turning cold and wet, her jaw a horrible muzzle. The shriek itself broke and changed, becoming a roar that would make even the bravest man pause as primal fears welled up in his heart. When her eyes snapped open, the gentle girl was gone. The wolf that had been her let out a cry that was equal parts agony and triumph, panting as it shook out and settled its new fur.

* * * * *

The morning sun dawned, as it always did, chasing away the terrors of the night. Inside the house, a strange creature twisted and writhed in the first rays of day, black fur sucking into her skin, growing out into hair on her head and between her legs. Feminine curves swelled and gained definition on her butt and chest, spine shortening as her tail disappeared, slinking away like a kicked dog. Claws, fangs and pointed ears all softened until a shivering woman was left on her floor, drenched in sweat, crying softly. She’d changed again, like she did every full moon, a horrid freak.

Rising almost warily, the naked girl glanced about her house and only cried harder. She’d ruined her couch, of course, tearing it up and gutting it of stuffing in her savage boredom. She really couldn’t afford to get a new one right now. Money was always tight, as a college student that had to pay to live alone with very specific accommodations for her curse. Curling up on herself, she rocked back and forth, when suddenly a soft buzzing sound filled the room. Brushing sweat-soaked hair out of her face, she looked up, surprised. Tears were banished from her blue eyes when she saw it was coming from the tatters of her jeans, replaced, for now, by curiosity. Reaching in, she removed her phone, and flipped it open. She had a new text.

Going to work, but even this early, I can’t help but think of you. Our next meeting can’t come soon enough, gorgeous. –Mike

A smile broke on her face, as involuntary as the transformation she had gone through, and she giggled. It was cheesy, even more so because she knew he meant it. She loved him for it, and looked out onto the dawn with new optimism. Hey, the shirt Mike had liked so much even made it through the night! She picked it up and clutched it to her bare chest, still smiling at her phone. Maybe it wouldn’t be such an awful day…