Annabelle had spent almost a week with Bea and Mav, they were by no means experts but had already gone through these challenges themselves.
Annabelle was gaining as much information she could about the civilisation of this world, they were alot more in touch with nature than on her home world.
Few families possessed somewhat modern technology. Like Guns and electricity generators, though their architecture was much more sophisticated.
There were packs living all over the country, many of them didn't get along but they all had something in common, fear of the Merciless King.
The only transformation triggers they came up with is fear and pain, Annabelle had only transformed twice so this part was a little harder.
Normally it only takes a few tries before someone gets the hang of their wolf, both Mav and Bea had never really heard of someone blacking out in wolf form so they didn't have a definitive answer.
Today was the day Annabelle had to try to trigger her transformation. Bea had said that the only way to really learn how to control it is to face it.
Annabelle didn't want to agree but damn she was right.
Bea had told Annabelle that from an early age they are taught to see the wolf as a gift from the Gods. They worship it, accept it into their hearts completely before they ever even transform. Obviously Annabelle had done nothing but reject it since it scared the living hell out of her.
Annabelle had also learned of their father the Merciless Wolf King. If the King couldn't recruit you, he would have you killed. He was especially fond of the Lycans since they are stronger, faster and smarter. A female Lycan was extremely rare and even stronger than a male, the King would have a field day with her.
Heavy iron chains wrapped around Annabelles wrists locking her in place, confined in a reinforced room in the basement of Bea's house, Annabelle waits for further instructions. "Annabelle you don't have to do this yet, we can try another day!" Mav pleaded from behind Bea.
Annabelle can see them arguing through the bars of the door. "Annabelle knows how important this is, right Anna.." Annabelle opens her mouth to talk but is interrupted.
"She can control it perfectly fine, she didn't kill me!" Mav said with a worried look on her face.
Mav knows how exhausting it was for Annabelle the first time. She was worried her friend was getting dragged along a bit too fast by Bea.
"Mav, Bea is right. I'm a danger to anyone I'm around if I can't control it. I could kill someone for getting on my nerves, I couldn't live with myself if that happened" Annabelle said with all the courage she could muster.
"Mav you can leave if you want to, you don't have to stay we've got this" Bea reassured her sister placing her hand on Mavs forearm.
Mav was having none of it.. "No it's alright, I'll stay".
Mav and Bea were both taken with Annabelle. She was kind and sweet. They had both created a bond with her. Mav was happy to see her sister open up to someone else aswell. Bea hadn't had another friend since her bestfriend died on the battlefield fighting for her father, he was a Lycan too, like Annabelle.
"Annabelle, I want you to think about something that makes you angry" Bea said testing the waters.
"urm, okay...." Annabelle closed her eyes and thought about her cruel mother... but nothing, so she thought about the noble ladies gossiping about her, whispering, spreading cobwebs of lies. General things that usually piss her off.
The change wasn't happening. "It's not working" Annabelle let out a frustrated sigh.
"You have to want it to happen" said Bea.
"An how do I do that?!". She tried hard for 15 minutes to think of something that made her angry enough but to no avail.
"I have another option..." Bea said before she turned to Mav. "And you're not gonna like it..."
"I'm here for Anna, I'll support her whatever she chooses to do" said Mav as she looked down to her feet, knowing her sister this is going to hurt.
"It involves an electric shock baton, I can do a low voltage so it's not as bad... right?".
"You know what... fuck it, let's do it" Annabelle said shaking her head knowing this is crazy, but she is eager to get it over with.
Her whole life things had been decided for her, this life would be different.
"Quite vulgar language for a pretty little lady, a princess no less" Bea chuckled and Annabelle joined in.
"My only 'friends' were guardsmen and servants, I'm not as dainty as I look you know" Annabelle replied cheekily.
"Well, we will see about that Annabelle".. the two laughed.
"Are you two enjoying this?.. am I the only one not having fun?" Mav said getting annoyed at them.
"Mav... honestly I'm hating this as much as you. I don't know why this is happening to me but I'm glad I have you by my side..." Annabelle looked over at Bea "and you too Bea, I'm greatful for you both. I don't know what I would have done without either of you. I know I'm putting you in danger the longer I stay here, I could never let myself come between family".
Mav was about to come up with all kinds of reasons why Annabelle 'should' stay with them, Bea knows her sister and interrupted. "I never thought I'd say this but, it has been a pleasure getting to know you Annabelle. Kinda makes me feel bad that I'm gonna have to shock you" They all chuckled together, Annabelle still standing in chains.
Bea left the room and returned with a baton strapped to the end of a long metal rod.
"This is the best I could come up with on short notice.." Bea defended as she got a look from Mav. "Are you ready?" Bea resumed in a serious tone.
Annabelle closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said "...yes".
Bea turned the dial of the shock down, activated it and posted it through the bars of the door.
"1... 2... 3... tzzzz"
"argg" Annabelle dropped to her knees as she let out a low groan. She was expecting the shock to hurt alot but it was more like a slight burn.
Bea shocked Annabelle for three seconds,
"That wasn't so bad" said Annabelle standing back up.
"Okay, that was on level 2, let's try 4.." Said Bea.
"Wait, shouldn't you try 3 first, why are you skipping?" Mav questioned.
"She said it wasn't bad?" Bea said like Mav should already have known the answer.
No-one else spoke before Bea said "Are you ready?"
"Yes" Annabelle braced for the impact.
"Arggg" That one definitely hurt more than the first, but still bearable. Annabelle got up off the floor again dusting herself off. The pain is not what made her knees give way but the shock through her muscles.
They repeated a few more times, each time they increased the voltage by one level as requested by Mav. They were up to level 7 now.
All it seemed to be doing was making Annabelle loose control of her limbs. After each one her recovery time got longer though, only by a few seconds. These batons were usually set to 7 as not to kill anyone or seriously injure them, it usually knocked out full grown wolves for hours. A level 7 shock should knock out a Lycan for a few minutes at least.
"I'm not sure this is working... I think the baton is broken..." Bea said inspecting it.
Bea opened the door to upstairs and called out "GRIFF!!"
Large footsteps could be heart quickly traveling through the house towards them.
"Yes your highness?" said Griff in a low gravely voice as soon as he arrived.
"Can you get me a another baton, the one you gave to me is broken..." Bea said slightly annoyed.
"I assure you, it is not broken your highness. This weapon was tested this morning with the others".
Griff was in charge of all the weapons, it was his duty to make sure when his men needed to defend themselves, it was with weapons that were working perfectly.
"Get me another just in case" Bea knew there was something different about Annabelle's wolf for alot of reasons, a few being, she wasn't born with it, your wolf is apart of your soul, it's with you since birth but only manifests physically when you get older.
So is Annabelle's wolf a part of her, or a part of someone else?. If it's someone else maybe that's why she can't control it. Many theoretical questions and answers went through her head, all she knew is that she didn't know enough.
Griff returned with the new baton. Bea quickly fastened it to the pole. Griff stood there for a second analysing the situation. "You can leave now Griff" Bea said waiting for him to leave before returning to the matter at hand "Ready? we're going to try 7 again"....
"I'm ready" Annabelle said still waiting, she had been growing increasingly frustrated that this was taking so long. They have been at this for at least an hour now.
The shock was hurting abit but not enough for her to be in serious pain, and apparently not enough to coax out her wolf.
Before Bea could post the baton through the bars Annabelle spoke again "Just put it on 9, I think I've got a feel for this, 7 hurts and I start to feel the burning but it fades quickly. And I trust your guard, the baton worked so 7 is only going to be the same..." Bea was shocked at her suggestion.
Both Annabelle and Mav didn't know at the time that level 10 is deadly, it has even stopped the hearts of Lycan men. Bea knew she should probably mention this fact but kept it to herself, Annabelle said she knows what she's doing so it probably wouldn't matter to her anyway. She should be in serious pain at the amount of shocks she's already endured, she was the one insisting on this, so Bea followed her command.