Chapter 2 LEENA
LEENA
The view of the three men in front of me makes me want to dive far into my shell. Added to that, I can smell the heavy scent of their wolf side. It's not a bad smell, just something I'm still trying my best to get used to.
A tense moment passes where no one says anything, even though Olivia just introduced me to them. I stay quiet, too, wondering if I'm the one who's supposed to break this silence. No words come to my mind, though.
The largest man steps forward. He looks like he's about to run into me and crush me to dust. Based on his stature, this wouldn't be a difficult thing for him to do.
Suddenly, he smiles. “I'm Graham. It's nice to meet you, Leena.”
The man at his left joins Graham and offers me a hand. “I'm Nate,” he states. “It's a pleasure, Leena.”
I accept the handshake from him before the one from Graham. This helps me feel a little at ease.
“Thank you,” I say to them. Both men step back, revealing the alpha again. I recognized him the second I stepped into the office, just from his scent alone.
There is something particular about it, something compelling and powerful. He leans against his desk as his eyes scan me. I almost feel like this is a visual interview with how he stares.
The alpha's hair matches my eyes. Why I pick up on that—who knows. It must be nerves. His eyes though, they're dark pools that I can easily get lost in. I try not to stare into them, but it's difficult to look away.
“You're soaked,” Graham notes, bringing me back to reality. “You must've been caught in the rain. It’s nasty out there.”
“It came out of nowhere,” I explain. “I was already on my way here when it struck, then there was also an… incident.”
“Incident?” Nate repeats curiously. “What do you mean?”
“She says she almost got hit by a car,” Olivia explains. “Thankfully, someone stepped in to save her. I'd love to stay and keep talking, but I have to get back to work.”
“Thank you, Olivia,” the alpha says.
“Of course, Grant. I'll be a few floors down if you guys need anything.”
Olivia leaves me in the office. I would've run after her if Nate and Graham hadn't introduced themselves.
Their presence makes being around Grant less intimidating. The intensity he exudes without even needing words is mind-blowing.
“Leena, how are you? Are you cold?” Graham inquires.
I shake my head. “Just drenched, but I'll be fine.”
“Head to the closet and look for something to wear,” Grant says, pointing in the direction of a huge walk-in. “There are towels there as well if you need them.”
The man doesn't sound thrilled to help. Instead, the words come off like it's an inconvenience to talk to me.
“Thank you.” I move to his closet, closing the door behind me. I switch out of my clothes and quickly put on a nice brown sweater that's much bigger than I am. Thankfully, I find a pair of sweatpants that I can slip into.
I walk back out to find the men chatting. Their discussion pauses when they see me. “Would you like something to eat?” Nate asks.
“No,” I reply, even though I wouldn't mind a hot meal. I feel my eyes change color as I speak. Grant does the same thing, almost like a warning, and the sudden rush of fear nearly sends me cowering to the floor.
After what he just did, there's a severe look on the alpha's face.
Nate and Graham laugh. “The alpha isn't going to hurt you,” Graham says. “Although, it's hard not to think that when you see how viciously he fights.”
“You can relax, Leena,” Nate assures me. “You have nothing to worry about.”
Grant finally steps forward, stopping just before me. His presence almost makes me want to flee the room and disappear.
“My name is Grant,” he says. “I'm the alpha of this pack and the CEO of the IronFang's Law Firm.” My eyes almost bulge out of my head when he introduces himself.
He's the CEO, too? So he's the one I'm going to be working for?
The thought of working for this intense man almost makes me want to jump out the window. I had assumed I’d be working for Graham or Nate, just based on their appearance.
Grant doesn't have any sort of corporate vibe to him. He seems like the kind of guy who’d choke on any sort of official lifestyle. That sort of life would probably feel like a noose around his neck.
“Welcome, Leena,” Grant continues. “I hear you're going to be my new assistant.”
The more he speaks, the clearer the picture becomes. This guy is a natural leader. That's what his aura states. Even if he wasn't the one in charge of this law firm, I can't imagine anyone giving him orders. Still, Nate and Graham seem so free around him.
“Yes, I am.”
This isn't what I signed up for. If I'm being honest, I didn't exactly sign up for any of this. I'm here because I hardly have a choice. This new life placed on me feels like a curse I can't shake. All I can do now is live with it.
My mind takes me back to the night when all of this started. I'm thrust back to the trail in the woods, where I remember walking aimlessly.
“Hello?” I call out into the night. The thick trees seem to steal my voice. The others in my hiking party are long gone now. Even if they're looking for me, I've stumbled too far off the main trail for them to find me.
The air feels heavy, and all I can be grateful for is the full moon above. It acts as my only light source, seeing as my flashlight is dead.
“I should stay still,” I say. “I need to stay in one place so they can find me.”
Keeping that thought in mind, I try to maintain some hope that I'll be found and reunited with everyone soon.
I stroll up to a large tree and crouch down, sitting against the bark. It's not the best, but it's all I can do.
My legs hurt from all the hiking, and my clothes feel so uncomfortable on my skin. I lean my head back and try to close my eyes.
It'll be morning soon. Then I'll be out of the woods. I just need to get through the night.
The noise around me is the sound of the wind moving through the leaves above. Crickets chirp in the distance. Suddenly, I hear a gunshot.
I jump to my feet. “What the fuck?” Everything around me goes silent, almost like the wind has stopped too. “There's no way I just imagined that, right?”
The people I hiked with didn't carry weapons. Even if they did, they're not about to start shooting a gun to gather attention. We're on protected land, which means we're trespassing. If we're caught, we could be arrested.
So, that leaves the other possibility.
Someone's hunting here.
I hear something running in my direction, something large, and on four legs. Plants and trees fall in the distance as they get trampled by this huge force. I find out way too late that it's not just one thing.
A large beast appears out of nowhere, knocking me to the ground with a powerful paw. I feel sharp claws scratch across my face as I fall down.
Blood leaks into my eyes as I look up at my attacker. A giant wolf hovers above me, snarling and baring its teeth. I'm too terrified to even scream for help.
Is this how I die?
The wolf brings down its fangs into my neck, sinking deep. Pain travels through my entire body in an instant, and I'm unable to move.
Another gunshot rings out, causing the wolf to let me go. Other wolves appear and vanish with the same speed, ignoring my bloody mess.
I gargle, trying not to choke as I grow desperate for air. The wolf that attacked me runs off with the others. Seconds later, they're replaced by men dressed in thick clothes and carrying rifles.
These men pause when they get close to me. I try to reach out for help, but one comes near me and examines my injuries. “She's too weak to turn,” he says. “She's not human anymore with that bite. She'll be dead by morning.”
“Shouldn't we just shoot her?” another one asks, leveling his gun at me.
“No,” the first one says. “I want her to die painfully. Anyone with even a bit of wolf in them doesn't deserve our mercy.”
They walk away like I'm nothing. Hot tears pour from my eyes, and I feel myself succumbing to my injuries. Thoughts of a very underwhelming life fill my mind as I pray to whoever is listening for a second chance.
The moon seems even brighter now, almost like it's reaching out to touch me. Just before all my strength vanishes, I feel an intense force flow through me. My body begins to glow the same as the moon.
Slowly, the pain is replaced by a different one, almost like something is trying to come out of me. My eyes shoot open, and I gasp for air. That's when it happens—the first crack.
I scream as I continue to hear my bones breaking. Thick, black fur grows from my body, sprouting out of my skin. I turn around, surprised that I can move again, but I barely have the time to think about this.
Slowly and painfully, I fully transform. Even in this new wolf body, I can't move around at full strength. I end up staying close to the tree for most of the night.
By the time I wake up the next morning, I'm naked and starving, but the most surprising part is that my pain is gone. The claw marks on my face are now only thin lines and fading. My neck is fine, even though it's still a little sore.
I move around the woods until a woman spots me. She's much older than I and doesn't seem surprised to see me at all. “You're the one that Devin turned,” she says. “My name is Abigail. Come with me.”
Abigail is the one who explains everything to me, patiently answering my questions and informing me of my new existence as a wolf. She tells me that my life will never be the same, even though that's all I want.
I'm invited to live among the wolves, but I can hardly control my emotions. It's difficult to stay calm when the shifter that ruined my life is still around.
Abigail also explains who the hunters are, and I realize that I've acquired yet another enemy. Still, I leave the group and find my way home, but nothing returns to normal.
I can hardly control the aggression that comes with my wolf side. It ends with me losing my job, my house, and I can’t face my own mother.
After a month of trying to get myself under control, I give up and head back to the same woods where I was turned, hoping to find the pack that was there.
My search comes up short as I can't even pick up a scent. The pack is long gone—if they're even still alive.
Since then, I've stumbled around as a lone wolf, never truly fitting in anywhere. I don't fit in with humans or other packs. Eventually, I manage to find a different pack, but they quickly refer me to the IronFang pack.
Now, here I am in the office of the CEO, realizing what I've just gotten myself into. I dislike both shifters and hunters, but the shifters are the only ones I know that will accept me.
This is my life now.