03 – Obscure Discoveries

I got up from my chair and stared at Lancelot's body on the floor. He tried to stand up, but he couldn't keep his balance. Nothing was worse for a wolf than transforming against his will. I crouched down on the floor, making eye contact with him. I wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, but I didn't know that. At that moment, nothing was okay.

“The back,” he said to me with difficulty. His gaze was strong; not even Casper, when he was a beta, had a gaze as penetrating as his. ‘Take me to the back,’ he asked. The café wasn't empty, but we were in a place where we couldn't see the other location. The counter was empty.

I concentrated my strength and helped Lancelot up. With difficulty, we managed to walk behind the counter, where there was a door to the kitchen. When we entered, a waiter immediately came to meet us. You didn't need experience to know what was going on. Holding on to one side and the waiter on the other, we took Lancelot to the back of the kitchen, where a door had been opened, revealing a curious and slightly messy space. Scratch and claw marks were everywhere. It was a transformation chamber. They were common when the species first appeared and had no control. Eventually, we became more domesticated and less wild. A chamber was a rare thing; no one had one without a good reason.

“Get out,” he asked as soon as we entered. The waiter, whose name I identified as Jerry, left immediately without question. I didn't leave. “Please, Naomi,” he asked, before screaming as a bone broke and bent his body. The excruciating pain of an unwanted change. “Wait for me, but outside,” he asked me. I felt I was being too intrusive, but I wanted to see. For some reason, I really wanted to see it. Blaming myself, I walked away. I closed the door, locking us inside. I wasn't going to leave. Lancelot, who no longer showed happy expressions, now showed pain and frustration. I was strong, I could watch a change happen. He sighed and continued to scream with every broken bone. I watched every corner of his body bend and gradually tear his uniform. I thought about helping him get rid of his clothes, freeing the wolf more easily, but that sounded wrong, especially since I had just had a Mate with him. In fact, it was all my fault. Somehow, I always caused some kind of negative reaction to those around me. Why would I get a second chance? What was the moon goddess thinking?

The reason for having a transformation chamber in the cafeteria became clearer faster than I had imagined. Lancelot wasn't just a wolf; he was a medium-sized wolf, which meant he was bigger than an ordinary wolf and therefore easily identifiable as abnormal. Medium-sized wolves weren't easily seen, and they had a reputation for being very strong and sometimes too violent. That explained the aura of strength I felt from him, but it had never crossed my mind. Unfortunately, the reputation of these wolves was extremely negative, and I was almost certain that it was a crime for this type of wolf to have the same rights as ordinary wolves, like me. The chamber was to protect others from him. Even in wolf form, that place and the whole situation made me believe how good he was. Did I deserve a mate with him? It could only be a mistake. I still loved Casper, I still wanted him for myself, but Lancelot was different…

A huge gray wolf stood in front of me. Thick fur, wild smell. The yellow tone was calmer now, and he wasn't trying to attack me. In fact, I could sense that he was trying to undo the change. It wasn't working, and honestly, I didn't want it to work. I approached him and felt his fur. It had been a while since I had felt another like him, at least not as a human. A shock ran through me again, and my eyes glowed even more. I didn't feel the internal compulsion to change, but I had a strong desire to do so.

I turned my back on Lancelot and began to undress calmly. There were many pheromones in the air, wild ones. I undressed and began the change. The pain was much less when we forced it. I changed. My fur was gray too, but it had more dark nuances. He was, in fact, a larger wolf.

Approaching me, he sniffed me slowly, and I did the same. Our muzzles met, creating a connection. We had each other's scent. He continued to sniff me, and his own scent grew even stronger. Once again, the image of Casper came to mind, as the intensity of his scent also rose. I backed away a little, tucking my tail. He noticed. Concerned, he moved away, creating space between us. Respectful. I didn't want to give the wrong impression; I didn't want him to think I was rejecting him. Although I wasn't accepting him either. I approached, and now he backed away. His gaze met mine. Determined, I approached him, touching my snout to his once more. Now, facing each other, our snouts and heads together, I closed my eyes, just feeling that animal contact and the smell. I felt guilty for not looking for the children, but part of me knew I deserved at least half of that moment. In a way, I was grateful for the second chance.

The smell changed, and I felt Lancelot's hair fall away. He was regressing, finally. The regression hardly hurt at all. In moments, he stood naked before me. His body was covered in scars. In fact, he had more scars than Casper.

“I'm sorry about that,” he said, embarrassed. ‘It wasn't supposed to be like this.’ He walked over to a nearby closet and took out new pieces of uniform. I reversed my change and began to get dressed. Lancelot, in the background, looked at me out of the corner of his eye. Of course, he wanted something. Wolves were very sexual. I felt bad for wanting it, too.

Once dressed, Lancelot approached me while I was still finishing getting dressed. I looked at a nearby trash can, noticing several scraps of clothing. Maybe he was having problems.

“I didn't know this happened; I mean, the change,” he said, already close to me.

“Didn't you know that a Mate causes a whirlwind of emotions capable of generating change? It's almost a rule; we're practically born knowing it,” I said, confused. It was common on some occasions, especially at wolf parties, for unexpected transformations to occur, precisely because of a Mate.

“Well, not all of us had the chance to be raised properly,” he said. There was no humor in his voice. I remembered his wolf form. I knew nothing about him. “Anyway, I can help you with your children,” he said, changing the subject. I nodded positively. He walked away and picked up the torn uniform, throwing it in the trash. Pain, the smell of emotional pain. On impulse, which I didn't know if it was mine or my inner wolf's, I went to him. I touched his hands in a gesture of support. Again, I wanted to say that everything was fine, but it would be a lie if I said so, so I did what wasn't a lie. I kissed him because I knew he wanted it.