At work, Gabby paced the small supply closet, folders pressed against her shirt. Her heart raced as she listened for sounds outside the thin door.
Snarls and crashing noises echoed down the hallway - loud howls and angry roars that made the hairs on her neck stand up.
Other werewolves had gotten into the building, maybe because they smelled her and Alex mixed scents together. And it was a full moon, when werewolves feel their wildest urges.
Shakes ran through Gabby's body as the painful change began. She clenched her jaw to stifle cries as bigger teeth cut into her tongue. Her bones crunched and shifted, reshaping her small form into something else.
A growl built in her chest as brown fur sprouted on her extending arms and legs. Her work clothes ripped to shreds around her paw-like feet.
An explosion of debris marked the rogue wolves' arrival. Victory roars mixed with Gabby's scream as her true wolf self burst forth in a violent transformation.
On pure animal instinct, she exploded from the closet, a lethal blur of fangs and slashing claws. Human screams echoed as sleek forms scattered like prey before the ferocious new predator loose in their midst.
Gabby crouched, senses picking up every musky enemy smell invading her space. In the corner of her amber eye, she saw Alex in his alpha half-wolf shape, savagely attacking an advancing fur-covered brute.
His bloodied muzzle flashed her a predatory grin before throwing himself back into the fight with a deafening challenge howl.
Returning the cry, Gabby launched herself at the largest incoming marauder. Claws and fangs clashed in a blurry flurry of ripping fur and raging snarls.
Too long had she restrained her primal side, suppressing it behind polite human airs. No more.
Now the beast's full wild power took over - an untamed force reclaiming her territory at any cost. Let the humans see the glory of Gabby's fierce, unrestrained wolf!
The rogue wolf fighting Gabby was huge, all bulging muscles and rank breath fury. His jaws clamped on her shoulder, fangs sinking into her flesh. A guttural roar ripped from Gabby's wolf mouth as searing pain shot through her.
Turning the pain into berserk strength, she raked her hind claws down the brute's soft underbelly. Blood poured from the deep cuts as he released her, thrown off-balance by the fierce counterattack.
Seizing her chance, Gabby pounced, her powerful front legs pinning the beast while her fangs aimed for the exposed throat. But the rogue was wilier than his brutish size suggested.
With a sudden jarring buck, he flung Gabby tumbling across the shattered desk remains. She crashed against the far wall, momentarily winded and struggling to rise.
The rogue wolf loomed over her, lips peeled back in a frenzied bloodlust snarl. His foaming maw descended for the killing bite...
Only to be blindsided by a blur of black fur and thick muscle. Alex, in his full alpha-wolf form, slammed into the marauder with the force of a train. The two beasts savagely grappled, a whirlwind of snapping jaws and flying fur tufts.
Gabby whimpered, getting to her feet as she watched her mate battle the intruder with feral intensity. Alex was always at his most untamed and dangerous when pushed to guard his pack - and her.
An ear-splitting yelp split the air as the rogue finally retreated, streaks of red matting his mottled pelt. Two sets of angry amber glares tracked his fleeing form before Alex turned his attention to Gabby.
Padding over, he nuzzled her wounded shoulder and rumbled a concerned whine. Even in this primal state, their bond was undeniable.
Gabby licked his muzzle in reassurance before gesturing with her snout towards the few remaining cowering office workers, terrified by the display of unbridled savagery.
Huffing a low growl, Alex swept an imperious gaze over them as if daring any to move. The scent of their stark fear hung acrid in the air, overwhelming even Gabby's keen senses.
Maintaining eye contact, she let loose a rolling gruff noise - half-territorial warning, half-reassurance. These were her co-workers...her people in this human world away from her wolf existence.
In time, perhaps they could accept the truth about her kind. But right now her priority was securing their safety from further attacks.
With a terse nod towards the exit, she silently urged the stunned employees to vacate the floor and seek shelter while she finished dealing with the rogues.
If any dared linger to witness more of the primal brutality this night, Gabby would make no promises about their safety. Some secrets were meant to remain hidden.
For now, the only laws that mattered were those of the untamed wild - and she was its unbreakable messenger.