Jessica’s heart thundered in her chest as she watched Albert’s transformation unfold. His body contorted and expanded, muscles bulging and bones cracking as they reshaped themselves. Dark fur erupted from his skin, covering his rapidly changing form. Within moments, where the man had been, there now stood a massive black werewolf, its yellow eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.

The beast that was once been Albert Wilson towered over them, saliva dripping from razor-sharp fangs. Jessica felt a primal fear course through her veins, every instinct screaming at her to run. But she couldn’t abandon her friends.

“Salina!” Jessica hissed, her voice tight with panic. “Can’t you Kamehameha a spell on him?”

Salina shot her an exasperated look, even as she backed away from the advancing werewolf. “For the last time, I’m not that kind of witch! This isn’t Harry Potter or Dragon Ball Z!”

Kevin stepped forward, brandishing his silver spear with trembling hands. “Stay back!” he shouted, jabbing the weapon towards the beast.

The werewolf snarled, yellow eyes fixed on the glinting silver. It circled warily, looking for an opening to attack. Kevin kept the spear between them, his face pale but determined.

“Salina,” Jessica whispered urgently. “The syringe. We need that blood sample!”

Understanding flashed in Salina’s eyes. She nodded, gripping the syringe tightly as she edged around the cavern, looking for an opportunity to strike.

Kevin continued to distract the werewolf, his voice strained as he taunted the beast. “Come on, you overgrown furball! Scared of a little silver?”

The werewolf lunged, narrowly missing Kevin, as he stumbled backward. Jessica felt a surge of fear, but Kevin protected them with the spear, making the creature back off.

Seizing her chance, Salina darted forward. With a swift, precise movement, she plunged the syringe into the werewolf’s back, drawing a sample of its dark blood.

The beast roared in pain and fury, whirling around with lightning speed. Its massive paw caught Salina square in the chest, sending her flying across the cavern. She slammed into the rock wall with a sickening thud, the precious syringe of blood clutched protectively against her body.

“Salina!” Jessica cried out, torn between rushing to her friend’s aid and facing the enraged werewolf.

Kevin charged forward, driving his silver spear toward the beast’s heart. But the werewolf was too fast, too strong. It caught the shaft of the spear, wrenching it from Kevin’s grasp and snapping it like a twig.

Jessica’s mind raced. Her friends were no match for the werewolf and were only moments away from becoming its next meal. She had to do something, had to draw its attention away from them.

Her eyes darted around the cavern, landing on a pile of bones and rocks. Without thinking, she scooped them up and began hurling them at the werewolf.

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“Hey, Fido!” she shouted, her voice echoing off the cave walls. “Over here, you mangy mutt!”

The werewolf’s head snapped towards her, its yellow eyes blazing with rage. Jessica felt a surge of triumph mixed with terror as the beast’s focus shifted to her.

“That’s right,” she taunted, backing towards the cave entrance. “Come and get me, you sorry excuse for a guard dog!”

The werewolf snarled, muscles bunching as it prepared to lunge. Jessica didn’t wait to see it pounce. She turned and ran, her feet pounding against the rocky ground as she sprinted through the tunnel.

Behind her, she could hear the werewolf’s claws scraping against stone, its hot breath seeming to tickle the back of her neck. She pushed herself harder, driven by pure adrenaline and the desperate need to lead the beast away from her friends.

As she burst out of the cave and into the woods, the full moon’s light hit her like a physical force. Jessica stumbled, a wave of dizziness washing over her. The moon’s baleful glow triggered the change that had been building all night, and she could feel it starting.

No, not now, she thought desperately. Just a little longer!

She veered off the path, ducking behind a massive oak tree. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she pressed herself against the rough bark, praying the werewolf would lose her trail.

But even as she hid, Jessica could feel her body beginning to betray her. Her bones ached, muscles twitching and stretching beneath her skin. She gritted her teeth, fighting against the transformation with every ounce of willpower she possessed.

At least Kevin and Salina weren’t nearby. Whatever happened next, she wouldn’t put them in danger.

A howl split the night air, closer than she’d expected. Jessica’s head snapped up, her vision sharpening as her pupils dilated. She could smell the other werewolf now, its musky scent filling her nostrils.

There was no more time. No more fighting it.

Jessica surrendered to the change, letting out a strangled cry as her body shifted. Bones cracked and reformed, muscles bulged and stretched. White fur erupted from her skin, covering her rapidly changing form.

In moments where Jessica had stood, there was now a sleek white werewolf. She shook herself, adjusting to her new form. Everything was different–the smells, the sounds, the way her body moved.

But one thing remained constant: the threat of the other werewolf. She could hear it crashing through the underbrush, getting closer with each passing second.

Jessica’s lips pulled back in a snarl, exposing gleaming fangs. A new instinct surged through her, primal and undeniable. This was her territory. Her pack to protect.

As the black werewolf burst into the clearing, yellow eyes locking onto her white form, Jessica felt a surge of fierce determination. It was time to see which beast was the alpha.

With a bone-chilling howl, Jessica launched herself at the larger werewolf. Claws flashed in the moonlight as the two beasts collided, a whirlwind of fur and fangs. The forest echoed with their snarls and growls as they fought, neither willing to back down.

As they grappled, rolling across the forest floor, Jessica’s human mind clung to one thought: she had to win. For herself, for her friends, for every potential victim, this monster might claim. She had to prove that she was more than just a beast–that she could control her newfound power rather than let it control her.

The battle raged on, neither werewolf gaining a clear advantage. But as the night deepened and the moon climbed higher in the sky, the outcome of this primal contest remained uncertain. Would Jessica’s determination be enough to overcome Albert’s experience and savagery? Or would she succumb to the very darkness she sought to defeat?

The forest held its breath, waiting to see which wolf would emerge victorious–and what that victory would mean for the future of Moon Valley.