Janie jumps up and frantically tries to pull me back inside, but my animal instincts have taken over. I howl again, louder this time, and I can feel the vibrations in my chest.
'Stop, Rose! You'll wake the whole neighbourhood!' Janie pleads, but I'm lost in the moment.
I take a deep breath and release another howl, the sound piercing through the peaceful night. Neighbours poke their heads out of their windows. Their faces twisted in annoyance.
'Will you shut your dog up!' one yells, while another shouts,
'It's the middle of the night. Shut up!'
But I can't stop. The moon casts a serene glow across the room, and I can't resist its pull. I let out a deep howl, my voice echoing through the night. Janie jumps up, her eyes scanning the room for a way to silence me.
Desperate to distract me, she rushes downstairs and returns with a biscuit, tempting me with its delicious scent. I follow the treat with my eyes, my tail wagging excitedly.
Janie waves the biscuit under my nose. I attempt to bite the biscuit from Janie’s hand.
‘No, Rose, come here,’ she orders.
I follow the biscuit in her hand. Janie quickly closes her French balcony doors, locks them, and turns to face me again. ‘Rose, sit,’ she says.
I furrow my brows at her, ‘I’m not a dog, Janie. Just give me the darn biscuit,’ I growl.
‘You’re part dog remember? You’re a wolf. Now be a good doggy and sit,’ she demands.
Although I want to protest, something about her tone makes me comply. I sit obediently.
‘Good girl, Rose,’ Janie smiles and shoves the biscuit in my mouth.
I munch the biscuit down as I narrow my eyes at her.
The moon still calls out to me, a wild part of me yearning to break free. ‘Now that you’ve stopped howling at the moon. We better get some sleep. We have the academy tomorrow,’ she says, entering her walk-in robe. She comes out again in her nighty and climbs into bed.
I take one of Janie’s pyjama sets and change, climbing into bed beside her.
‘Goodnight, Rose,’ she yawns.
‘Goodnight, Janie,’ I reply.
As I lay there, I try to quiet my mind and relax my body, but my thoughts continue to race. I can't shake the unease that has settled over me like a thick fog. I'm worried about going to the academy tomorrow and how long I'll be stuck having the ears and tail of a wolf. Janie's soft breathing and the warmth of her body next to me should be comforting, but I feel more anxious than ever.
I can't take it anymore. I throw off the covers and pace around the room, my tail flicking back and forth in agitation. Janie stirs and mumbles in her sleep but doesn't wake up.
I crawl back into bed and curl up against Janie's legs. My tail is tucked tightly under my chin. It takes a while, but eventually, I start to relax. Janie's steady breathing and the soft sounds of the night outside lull me into a deep sleep, and I dream of running through the forest under the light of the full moon.
Janie wakes up to me whimpering in my sleep like a puppy. Gently, she shakes me awake. My tail wags involuntarily as I stretch and yawn, reminding me that my transformation was not just a dream. Janie helps me get dressed, and then she carefully tucks my tail against my back and ties the rope around my waist to keep it in place. I put the beanie on to cover my ears and frown at my reflection. I let out a low sigh, knowing that I have to spend the whole day at the academy with the constant fear of being discovered.
'Suppose someone were to find out I'm a werewolf. What do you think would happen to me?' I ask Janie curiously.
'I don't think anyone would like the idea of a supernatural creature roaming around. Everyone will most likely believe you're dangerous. People might want to hunt you down and harm you or use you for their own personal gain,' Janie replies.
I take in Janie's words, feeling a knot form in my stomach. The thought of being hunted down and harmed makes me shiver. 'But I haven't done anything wrong,' I say softly.
Janie puts a comforting arm around my shoulders. 'I know, Rose. But unfortunately, people fear what they don't understand. That's why it's important for us to keep your secret safe and hidden,' she says reassuringly.
I nod, understanding.
As I walk past Janie holding Mister Kal, he hisses at me, and I feel a surge of anger rise within me. Without thinking, I snarl, and my teeth elongate into sharp, menacing canine teeth. Janie looks at me with a mixture of shock and concern as I snarl at the cat. Mister Kal leaps from Janie’s arms in fright and hides under the bed.
'Rose, calm down,' Janie says, trying to soothe me. 'It's just Mister Kal. He's just a cat,' she says, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I take a deep breath, trying to control the werewolf within me, and my teeth slowly revert to their normal size. I look away from the cat, feeling embarrassed and ashamed of my behaviour.
'I'm sorry,' I say to Janie. 'I don't know what came over me.'
'It's okay, Rose,' Janie says, patting my arm. 'It's just the wolf instinct taking over. We'll work on controlling it together.'
We head out the door to walk to our academy, hoping my wolf-like features will go unnoticed for the day.
I pull at my beanie for the tenth time and rub my arms anxiously.
‘Honestly, Rose, you can’t tell you have ears and a tail. I’m more concerned about your behaviour. You can’t go around the academy howling, growling, sniffing or snarling. You have to control your animal instincts,’ Janie says.
‘Easier said than done, Janie. I literally am an animal,’ I growl.
‘Look, if something happens, and you find yourself losing control of yourself, I want you to close your eyes and take three deep breaths,’ Janie suggests.
‘What if that doesn’t work?’ I ask.
‘Well, I guess we will have to figure it out at the time,’ Janie replies.