Dana:

The next morning, I could barely open my eyes. After all the crying last night, my eyelids were swollen, and it felt as if someone had poured sand into them. Lying for another half hour in Eli's luxurious bed, I finally decided to get up and start the day.

When I reached the bathroom, I flinched at the sight of my reflection in the mirror. Honestly, though, I hadn't expected much better after all those tears. To my surprise, I didn't feel like crying anymore.

I stepped into the shower, turned on the warm water, and let it wash away the misery of the night. Somehow, as I thought everything over, my mood began to rise. Why had I cried so hard? Probably from shock, and from the sheer unexpectedness of meeting my mate. After all, I had nearly stopped believing it would ever happen.

From what I could tell, he wasn't married, and I was free as well. Maybe something could come of it. And yet, I had gone straight into hysterics. No, that wasn't the way to handle it. I needed to pull myself together. No one would want to pay attention to a puffy-eyed mess. People are right when they say morning is wiser than evening. By daylight, my thoughts felt completely different-not so dark, not so hopeless. I could already look at everything from another angle.

Feeling both outwardly and inwardly refreshed, and with my spirits much lighter, I headed off to make myself some breakfast.

And Eli's kitchen... oh, it was stunning. State-of-the-art appliances, all the latest gadgets, every detail polished to perfection-stylish and modern in every way.

Although I don't really remember my friend ever loving-or even knowing how-to cook before she got married. Once, I recall, she decided to make a cake with condensed milk. You know, the simplest one: wafer layers with boiled condensed milk. And somehow, even with that, she managed to mess everything up-when she tried to boil that condensed milk. We were watching a movie at the time, and Elly completely forgot about her sudden burst of culinary ambition. The explosion shook the entire kitchen! Luckily, she wasn't standing anywhere near it when it happened. Anyway, it took us ages to clean that kitchen afterward.

After making myself a light breakfast, I sat down to eat and looked out the window. It was early August, the weather was simply perfect. I should really get out somewhere in the city, take a walk, maybe buy a few things.

My thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.

- "Hi, Dana!"

- "Hey, Arthur! To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked with a smile, chewing.

- "Well, I just found out you moved to the city. And you didn't even tell your friend..." he said in such a tone that it was easy to imagine his puppy-dog eyes and theatrically pouting lower lip.

- "Everything happened so fast. And I'm still not sure if I'll be staying here or not. Things with work are still unclear."

- "Listen, how about we meet up? I'll be in the city tomorrow on business anyway, and I'll be free in the evening. Where are you staying?"

"I'm staying at Elly's place, in her city apartment. But I'm not sure if meeting tomorrow is such a good idea. I have work the next day."

"Refusal not accepted! I'll pick you up at seven. We haven't seen each other in ages."

"Well, fine. See you tomorrow," I said, hanging up.

Maybe it was for the best. A distraction wouldn't hurt, and honestly, it had been a long time since we last met.

The next morning, I shamelessly lazed around until it was time to get ready for my meeting with Arthur. As Coco Chanel once said, 'Every woman should have a little black dress in her wardrobe.' I was no exception. The cut of the dress was simple yet elegant: a fitted top with a modest but curve-flattering neckline, cinched at the waist, and a flared skirt that fell to the knee. On my feet-heeled sandals. I partially pinned up my hair and curled the ends. Just a touch of makeup, lip gloss-and done. The look turned out very light and fresh.

Surprisingly, I was ready in record time; by half past six, I was already all dressed up. Half an hour early. Always the same-either you're too early, or you're rushing and finishing up on the go.

While waiting, I scrolled through social media. I couldn't find my possible future boss there-not that it shocked me. He didn't seem like the blogger type, and he probably didn't have time for social media anyway. But I did stumble upon some information about him online. A desirable bachelor, magazine cover features, and several photos. With women. Different women.

Something stung in my chest, sharp and unpleasant. I noticed the fine fur sprouting along my hands.

Damn.

I needed to calm down, so I put my phone aside.

At five minutes to seven, I heard the doorbell.

"Hi! You look great-are you ready?" Arthur beamed, flashing a smile that showed all thirty-two teeth. He, too, had clearly made an effort: his blond hair was neatly styled into an actual hairstyle, dark blue tailored trousers sat perfectly on his frame, and his black shirt created a striking contrast with his fair features. His light brown eyes were the kind you could drown in-but, unfortunately, not me.

He was undeniably attractive, but you can't force love. Especially when I knew my true mate was somewhere close.

We exchanged a few words on the way, and soon Arthur drove me to the restaurant. Étoile had opened only recently and already had excellent reviews, a wonderful menu-and prices to match.

As soon as we stepped inside, my jaw nearly hit the floor. The place was stunning, with interior design that looked like it came straight out of the latest magazines. And somehow, amidst all the luxury, live plants blended seamlessly, creating a unique mix of comfort and style.

A young hostess led us to our table and handed us the menus.

"How on earth did you manage to book a table here?" I couldn't help but ask. Arthur just smiled mysteriously.

"Let's just say... a good friend owed me a favor, and here we are. Order whatever you want."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you!" I teased, pretending to threaten him with a smile. Still, despite my words, I only ordered a salad and some fish. Arthur made his own choice and asked for a bottle of wine.

"So, tell me-why did you run away to the city?"

"A job opportunity came up. I couldn't pass on it. And... after my grandfather's death, I really needed a distraction."

"And? Is it working?"

"Not quite yet. I just had the interview. I still need to work two trial days, and then they'll let me know if I'm officially hired."

"And what will you be doing?"

"Assistant to the secretary at a very prestigious company."

"Ohhh, so basically a girl running errands," he teased with a smile.

"Hey!" I kicked him lightly under the table. "Don't say it like that!"

"Alright, alright, I'm joking," Arthur laughed.

"Though... you're not entirely wrong. But it doesn't bother me at all. The position is well paid, and it'll be great experience to have on my résumé," I said almost indifferently. "And what about you? How are things on your end?" I decided to shift the focus away from myself.

"I'm here on business. I need to arrange with a veterinary pharmacy about the supply of medicine for cattle."

Arthur had loved animals since childhood, so it was no surprise he had become a veterinarian-and a very successful one at that. People even brought animals from other cities to him for treatment, everything from hamsters to purebred racehorses. He was also extremely popular with ladies who owned pampered little dogs. Sometimes, I honestly suspected those dogs pretended to be "sick" just so their owners had an excuse to visit the handsome doctor.

Our conversation was easy and lighthearted, filled with laughter.

Until the doors of the restaurant opened and new guests stepped inside. The fresh air from outside carried their scent straight to me.

I felt my eyes flare, my wolf instantly on guard. My gaze locked onto the reason for my sudden turmoil.

Konstantin.

He was walking through the hall, and on his arm- a woman. Not just any woman, but one who looked like a walking advertisement for plastic surgery.

Seriously? Is that really Konstantin's taste in women?!

The long-legged "miracle" floated across the floor on towering heels, her golden dress barely managing to cover her perfectly showcased rear. Her chest was crammed into the neckline, like rising dough clinging desperately to the edges of a bowl, ready to spill out at any second.

Her platinum blonde hair cascaded down to her lower back, and those lips-good grief! Painted in bright red, swollen and pouty, as if begging for attention.

Of course, compared to that kind of beauty, I was light-years away. If that was his type of woman, then I simply didn't stand a chance. Not even the tiniest one.

The wolf inside me was snarling, and I was doing my best to keep a straight face.

My good mood evaporated in an instant. Arthur noticed.

"Something's wrong? You just went quiet all of a sudden," he asked with concern, looking at me. "Your eyes..."

"It's nothing, really. It happens," I tried to force a smile, but it barely came out.

"Alright, I'll believe you... For now. It's not even a full moon. You're not going to shift here, are you?" Arthur asked seriously.

"No, of course not!" I answered, then added a quieter, less confident, "...I shouldn't..."

I tried to pull myself together, and it seemed to work. Arthur didn't push to figure out the reason for my mood, and I silently thanked him for that.

"You know, your sister's growing into quite the beauty. Bet she's swamped with suitors," Arthur said, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Yeah, I think there's one guy she likes. She won't stop talking about him. What do they call it now? A 'crush.' She has a teenage crush. She's a fan of some pop group popular with the youth. Posters all over her room. Classic teenager stuff," I said with a smile, remembering myself at her age. I, too, wanted an otherworldly love, probably like any girl at that time. But I didn't have that unbearable youthful extremism. I never swooned over boys from magazine covers. I didn't even dye my hair. Once I tried highlights, but I didn't like it much, so I stuck with my natural color-at least until gray starts showing. Luckily, I haven't noticed any white hairs yet.

"And you? When are you going to find yourself a girl?" I asked. "Surely there's some beauty on your radar?"

"Well... there is, but I'm still not sure about her. We've met a couple of times," he said flatly.

"Then why am I here and not her?"

"You know... I always have time for you," Arthur replied, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

I continued talking with Arthur, but I couldn't stop glancing at the table nearby. From my angle, it was practically in plain view, just behind Arthur.

My eyes met Konstantin's. Did he remember me from that brief encounter at the office-or not? Should I greet him-or not? I felt like I should, but I couldn't even manage a nod.

And then... that scarecrow next to him noticed her companion's distraction. She swung her long leg toward Konstantin's lap! She should have been embarrassed-it was, after all, a public place.

My claws extended instinctively, and my gel polish flew off in an unknown direction. In a burst of furious, instinctive rage, I shredded the tablecloth right beside my plate. The wolf inside me growled and bared her teeth-they were touching WHAT'S MINE.

Arthur abruptly grabbed my hand without a word and led me toward the restaurant exit. Once we were outside, I began to regain some composure.

"Have you calmed down?" he asked. "Wait a minute-should I go settle the bill?"

I nodded silently, staring at the pavement. He walked away briefly but returned very quickly.

"Let's take a walk in the park," he suggested, offering me his arm.

I silently agreed. As we reached the neatly maintained park paths, Arthur finally spoke again:

"Don't you want to tell me what that was? I've never seen you like that before, especially in public."

I sighed heavily. What could I possibly say?

"It's... complicated. I don't really understand it myself."

"Start somewhere, even a little bit," he urged.

"I think... I met my mate. He was at the restaurant, and he wasn't... himself. As you can see, my beast didn't like it one bit," I said, turning my gaze away so Arthur wouldn't notice the tears threatening to spill.

"Did you meet him just now, or earlier?"

"A little earlier..." I trailed off, holding back my tears. I didn't want to go into details, but Arthur wasn't letting it go.

"You've only been in the city a couple of days," he reasoned aloud. "So this... is someone from your new job?"

Why won't you let it go! I thought, but I didn't say it out loud. I didn't want to be rude.

"Yes. But the job isn't officially mine yet, and nothing is really clear. And I'm not ready to share details because... there aren't really any yet. Sorry."

Arthur sighed heavily, staring straight ahead, but didn't say anything.

"And I think... our intimate time together, beyond just friendship, needs to stop too. My wolf won't let another man near me now that he is around. She has recognized him, and he's nearby," I said.

"Ah, and here I was thinking we'd have some fun today! I even invited you to the restaurant, spent some money, and you just ruined it!" he exclaimed, annoyed. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him wide-eyed, noticing the barely suppressed smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, go on!" I exhaled and lightly punched his shoulder with my fist.

"But at least you're smiling now," he said, laughing.

One of the things I really love about Arthur is how easy he is to talk to. He always finds a way to lift your mood. His jokes... on anyone else, they might be annoying, but not with him. There's no malice in his teasing, no hidden intent to hurt, so you simply can't get mad at him. He can spin everything in such a way that it's impossible to stay upset.

"I told you, you should've invited some girl with a little dog! They wouldn't have said no! Then we could have had some fun. Instead, you get to listen to my suffering," I said, smiling.

"No way. Sometimes those girls are so... you'd be better off joining a monastery. But you? That's a different story!" He paused, thinking it over. "Maybe... still yes?" he asked, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"No. And don't even hope for it," I replied, laughing.

"Damn!" he grimaced playfully, feigning frustration. "But worth a try. If anything changes, call me," he said with a smile.

"Got it," I replied.

Word by word, our conversation continued as we casually made our way to the apartment where I was staying. My mood had lifted thanks to Arthur. We stopped at the door, and he turned to face me.

"And now, no more jokes. You know you can always count on me," he said seriously. "If you need support or a friend, I'll always help you, Dana."

I pressed my lips together to keep from crying. He's so good. I hope life treats him well and he finds the one who will bring him happiness.

"I know, Arthur. I know, and I really appreciate it. Thank you."

We hugged, he kissed me on the cheek, and we said goodbye.

Konstantin

I hadn't seen Olivia for two, maybe even three months. What I saw when she got into my car honestly shocked me. In all that time, she had completely transformed herself-and, in my opinion, not for the better.

From a pretty, light-brown-haired girl with naturally-not small, by the way-curves, she had turned into a stereotypical escort. She had always looked more than fine, but apparently that wasn't enough for her.

And what on earth was she thinking when she decided to remake herself like this? Her already full lips had now turned into two inflated mattresses sticking out of her face. Her chest used to be a solid C cup, now it looked more like a full E, ready to burst out of that so-called dress. And the dress itself-don't even get me started. I swear, there's more fabric in my underwear than in what she was wearing. She'd also done something to her face, but I couldn't even figure out what exactly. It was still her... and yet, somehow, not her.

My jaw literally dropped. I stared at her, struggling to think of something to say that wouldn't sound outright offensive. What could possibly have gone wrong in her life for her to commit such an act of sabotage against her own looks?

Sure, I know men who go for this sort of thing. The more curves, the bigger the better-that's their motto. "A sex machine," that's what they call girls like this. But never in a million years did I think Olivia would actually go so far as to turn herself into... this.

I didn't want to be rude right off the bat, so I drove her to a restaurant - a place where we could talk calmly and put an end to our meetings. I wasn't going to fuck a freakshow exhibit. Simply couldn't. I have standards when it comes to women, and Olivia had just spectacularly fallen off my list of lovers.

We sat at the reserved table, ordered, and Olivia began to chatter away about something. I wasn't interested at all; I didn't listen. The whole situation irritated me. Would she ever shut up?

I lazily scanned the dining room and spotted a familiar face. Dana. Was she really here, or was I imagining things?

No - she was real, sitting not far from our table with some guy. The more I looked at her, the more beautiful she seemed. Neat, elegant, nothing excessive - everything in its place.

I would have gladly switched spots with the man she'd come with. Suddenly I noticed she was looking at me, and that look seemed to go right through me. I felt ashamed in front of her because of Olivia.

To be honest, I'd have been embarrassed about Olivia in front of pretty much anyone I knew. I shouldn't have dragged her to the restaurant - I should've ended things on the spot and not exposed myself like that in public.

Lost in thought, I suddenly realized someone had started massaging my balls.

Olivia was smiling slyly, biting her lip. Oh, no.

"Stop, please - we're in public," I warned. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dana's companion grab her hand and they quickly left the restaurant. Were they that worked up? Did passion boil over so fast they ran off to be alone? Frankly, I didn't care - apparently that was her man. I felt myself getting angrier. Probably because someone was about to have wild sex tonight - and it wasn't going to be with me.

"Before, you didn't care," Olivia said, smiling seductively.

"Well, now I do. Just so you know, this is our last meeting."

"Our last?" Her expression changed. "You don't want to see my upgrade? I worked on this for you, by the way!" she protested, gesturing at her curves.

"You didn't do it for me. The previous version was fine. Let's end our fling on a good note and not ruin each other's mood. Order whatever you want here - I'll pay. But I have to go. Have a good evening." I stood up from the table and headed for the exit. This circus was exhausting; I don't like long "goodbyes," she'd just start whining.

"I'll be waiting for your call," Olivia huffed after me. I just rolled my eyes.

********

Dana

Finally, the day had come for my internship. I was even more nervous than before the interview. I had to show myself at my absolute best - after all, he would be there. My palms were sweating, a hurricane of emotions swirling inside me.

Today I chose a pencil skirt below the knee, a high-neck white blouse, and comfortable pumps with a modest heel. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and applied light daytime makeup. That's it. I'm ready. One last glance in the mirror to check for flaws - none. I exhaled deeply, grabbed my purse, and left the apartment.

"Good morning, Margarita," I greeted the woman at work.

"Good morning, Dana!" she replied, scanning me with a somewhat scrutinizing look. What? What?! What's wrong?! Maybe there's a stain on my blouse or the skirt is unzipped. Then, realizing I noticed her inspection, she added, "It's commendable that you adhere to the dress code."

Oh! Phew! I nearly panicked for nothing. I exhaled in relief.

"Here's your workstation," the secretary said, pointing to a desk with a laptop in the corner of the room. It hadn't been there last time; I hadn't even noticed it at first. "You'll be working next to me, under my supervision here. We could have given you your own office a floor below, but it's more convenient for me to give instructions directly rather than waiting for you to pick up the phone and run to the reception."

Next, she briefed me on the workflow and work-related matters. A pleasant surprise was that they had their own café in the office, and meals for employees were completely free. Well, why was I surprised? A large, successful company could easily afford that and more.

I sat at my desk, hoping it would become my permanent workspace, when the director walked into the reception. His expression was darker than a thundercloud. Who had managed to piss him off this morning?

It was as if all the air had been sucked out again. I wondered-would I always react to him like this?

"Good morning, Konstantin!" Margarita greeted.

"Uh-huh, good morning," he replied, then his gaze fell on me and he added, "...lady."

"Good morning," I said softly, feeling obvious embarrassment and a twinge of jealousy. After all, yesterday he had been with some other girl. That stirred the cat-scratchy feeling in my chest. But strangely enough, I didn't detect any foreign scent on him.

"Margarita, could you come to my office? We need to talk," he said.

"Of course. Dana, be so kind as to make us two espressos and cover for me. Answer the phone calls, write everything down, or say we'll call back," Margarita instructed, then walked into the boss's office.

Well, the workday had officially begun. Time to get to it. My first task was to make coffee. Luckily, I didn't have to go far - there was a small adjoining room with a coffee machine and everything needed to serve guests and clients of the director.

Just coffee? Margarita hadn't specified anything else. I placed the coffees on a small tray with a couple of sugar sticks. But there were also cookies and candies.

Did they like sweets or not? Well, I personally do. Oh well, I added a small bowl of candies and cookies, just in case.

I entered the office and arranged everything on the desk. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Konstantin watching me, and a smile flashed across Margarita's face.

For some reason, I felt the need to justify myself.

"I just didn't know if you like sweets... so... here..."

For a few seconds, Konstantin looked at me with his green eyes. Wow, they're so beautiful! You could drown in them and never come up! Then I heard:

"I do. I love sweets."

Oh, and that voice! Was he really talking about cookies right now? Waves of tiny shivers ran through my whole body, and my legs refused to obey for a split second. I shook off the sudden spell and glanced at Margarita. She looked extremely thoughtful.

Feeling slightly awkward, I forced a small smile and tried to leave the office quickly.

I realized it was going to be harder than I had expected.