Chapter 3: Shift process

My eyes snapped open, fixated on her like a magnet.

Her fluttering eyelashes hinted that she had seen something and then it vanished.

My heart pounded, and I couldn't help but overthink what it could be. She mentioned the color of my eyes, the change in them making me wonder if my shifting process was beginning.

But the signs were strange—they didn't match what I had seen during the first shifts of other wolves.

I found myself asking, "Color of what?" I forced myself to meet her gaze, witnessing her avert her eyes while she rubbed her chest.

I had startled her frightened her without even realizing it. She stood up, exhaling through her lips, shaking her head and saying, "It's nothing." She looked away, then returned to her seat.

Her silence tightened my stomach.

I knew her well, she always shared what she noticed in others with me. There was a high chance that whatever she had observed about me now, she would also share with others, even though she was my friend.

When that happened, the pieces of information would connect,the discoveries made by the Alpha's previous secretary and what she had witnessed in me today. People would draw conclusions about our kind, and it would undoubtedly be detrimental to us. I couldn't let that happen, so I called out, "Bella..."

The sound of her fingers dancing on the keyboard dominated the area.

I knew she was pretending to be engrossed in her work, the way she pretended to force herself to look at me, the sway of her short, straight, black-brown hair brushing against her chin, and the feigned polite smile she offered me as if nothing had happened.

"Yes?"

But I couldn't miss the fear that filled her eyes, the tense set of her shoulders. I could even hear her heartbeat, it was racing faster than its normal rhythm.

She was trembling deep inside.

"Tell me what you saw." I couldn't stop myself from tightly gripping the papers on my desk, and for a moment, the thought of tearing them to shreds crossed my mind, even though I knew they were important to the higher-ups.

I wanted her to tell me the truth. I needed to know, so I could figure out the best course of action to prevent her from jumping to the possible conclusions that would form in her mind about me.

I kept my gaze fixed on her hoping she would sense my urgency for an answer.

Even though I had the upper hand in this situation, whether I was a werewolf or not, she sighed and swiveled her chair to face me

Crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head, she said, "I'm not sure, but I noticed that your eyes suddenly changed color..." She raised her hand, causing my heart to skip a beat. She went on, "It was like a yellow-orange shade, I think. But I'm not really sure. Maybe it was just a reflection from the computer screen since I've been facing it all day. It's nothing to worry about, really."

She tried to provide a logical explanation, as if dismissing the strange occurrence in my eyes, but I couldn't help but feel concerned.

I worried that the idea of me being a werewolf was still lingering in her mind.

I wanted to ask her more, unsatisfied with her answer, but I didn't want to plant doubts in her thoughts. So, I put on a fake smile and said, "I thought there might be something in my eyes that was scaring me. You mentioned earlier that I hardly sleep." I shrugged, pretending. "Maybe it's just because I'm not in good health."

"That means you need to get enough rest. You're like a wilting flower that hasn't been watered, Sophia. Do you have a secret job I don't know about? Please don't tell me you work at a bar at night. That's gross!"

Her comment caught me off guard, and I couldn't stop myself from kicking her leg, but I made sure to only kick the air. I'll be rude if I actually hit her and cause harm. I simply glared at her. "Do I look like a slut?"

She burst into laughter, but it gradually faded as her expression changed. She became serious and looked at me. "But what did you mean earlier when you said you can't see well?"

I controlled my facial expression, not wanting her to see the shock she had sparked in me. I pretended to take a deep breath, conveying my worry, although the worry I showed her meant something different. Maybe she doubted me, but the worry I displayed was about my health.

I told her, "Yeah, maybe it was because I was too focused on work and fighting off my sleepiness. But now, I can see clearly. I—" I closed my eyes tightly, clenched my fist as pain surged through my back and shot to my head.

"Are you sure?" I knew she noticed my reaction.

Yes, I was in pain, but I could still pretend, so I nodded. "Y-Yes, I'm fine... I'm good."

I reassured her that the pain was subsiding, and fortunately, it started to fade away, so I let out a sigh of relief. But when I looked at her with a smile, I could see the worry in her eyes.

"You're not okay, Sophia."

She was about to stand up, but I raised my hand, signaling her to stop, and said, "Thank you for your concern, Bella. But it's almost nighttime, and I'm just feeling hungry. I'll eat later, after this."

She pouted in defeat. "Okay, let's eat together after we're done."

But that's complicated...

I worried that my shifting process might hit me later, and I wouldn't be able to handle it. So, I reasoned, "I have to work overtime."

"I'll wait for you."

I closed my eyes tightly and said, "Don't. You're being too considerate. You need rest too, so..." I glanced at my phone, which lit up with a received text message. Based on the time on the screen, it was getting late. "It's time for you to take a break."

Luckily... she didn't argue.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the workplace was quiet, with some empty computer desks.

There were a few others working overtime as well, but they would also leave soon.

Before the six hour grace period given to me by the Alpha ended, I had already taken care of the papers. Fortunately, I only felt numbness in my body.

Sometimes it would calm down, sometimes it would jolt me. I wasn't sure if this was how it was supposed to be. It felt like I was being tortured before my wolf took over. But it wasn't yet midnight, which meant it wasn't yet my birthday and I wouldn't shift here. I trusted in that.

Balancing bundles of papers on my arm, a moan escaped involuntarily. The previous pain in my back returned, shooting up to my head, accompanied by a deafening sound in my ears.

My wolf seemed eager to take control.

It excited and scared me, especially considering what the Alpha had told me. When it calmed down, I swallowed and acted nonchalant. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my chair under the desk and headed towards the office.

Only two lights were on, casting a dim glow over the entire area. I saw the heads of other employees at their workstations, clearly rushing to complete their tasks.

Walking down the hallway, the numbness in my body resurfaced, and my vision became blurry once again. the signs that the transformation process was affecting me. But what was happening now was worse. The numbness was gradually being replaced by pain. It felt as if my bones were being squeezed, twisted, on the verge of breaking at any moment.

Leaning my right hand against the wall, I relied on it to stand and walk. My knees grew tired, numb, and it became increasingly difficult to move my legs.

I couldn't shift here...

I knew I still had a few more hours until my shift, but in my current state, doubts started to creep in. What if this was truly the moment of my shift? To avoid causing trouble for the pack, I hurriedly made my way to Sir Eros' office.

It didn't matter if I writhed in pain in front of him, the priority was ensuring my safety. Even if I screamed, others would simply assume that he was mistreating me.

A sense of victory washed over me as I finally grasped the doorknob of the office.

Alpha Eros didn't care about my current struggles, so I couldn't simply open the door right away. I knew he must have caught my scent, but out of respect, I raised my fist to lightly knock. But, before I could even do that, his husky voice echoed from inside. "Get in."

I silently expressed my gratitude.

Gripping the doorknob tightly, a surge of pain shot through my back, spreading throughout my body.

My knees buckled but I clung to the doorknob, using it as support to regain my strength. Once my legs felt stable again, I twisted the knob and pushed the door open. I let myself collapse onto the floor as pain coursed through me.

The sound of my bones cracking reverberated in the cold office, fortunately, the door closed on its own.

His footsteps approached until his two pairs of shoes stopped right in front of my face. My current situation was an inappropriate way to interact with him during work hours. But despite the difficulty, I mustered the courage to apologize. "I-I'm sorry, Alpha. I-I can't bear the pain... it's overwhelming."

Holding onto my hips, my gaze fell upon the scattered papers on the floor.

My heart thumped inside my chest as I attempted to prop myself up with my hand, looking up at him.

His eyes were dark, emanating a burning fury, as if anger was consuming him, and at any moment, his claws were sure to dig into my chest.

A gasp escaped my lips, accompanied by beads of sweat dripping down from my forehead. The blend of physical pain and fear overwhelmed me. My body grew weaker, and I struggled to find my balance, but I persisted.

"I-I can't apologize enough..." I began picking up the papers one by one, fortunately, the intensity of my shift subsided for the moment. But to my dismay, it showed no signs of calming down completely, especially since I sensed his unwavering gaze upon me, his attempt to control his anger.

It felt disrespectful to remain silent and only apologize. I had to say something, even though I didn't know the right words. I opened my mouth to speak, uttering, "I-I..."

"Leave those papers and get out," he demanded, clearly infuriated.

But who would pick up the papers? He couldn't just...

"B-But w-what about—"

"Out!"

I didn't want to get hurt.

Grateful for the temporary calmness in the shift process, I quickly made my way towards the door.

He said nothing, but his presence, his silent aura, made it clear that I would pay for my disrespect this time. I exited the office, filled with dread at the thought of returning to the pack. I knew he would undoubtedly punish me for what transpired here.