2. The Office

Andrew slipped on sweatpants and found himself a clean t-shirt in the laundry pile. It reminded him again of the pile of chores he needed to catch up on after work.
After brushing his teeth, we went to the stairs and slid the down the rail.
Time for exercise, he thought.
It was early. A little after four A.M. He didn't mind getting up early. This was his usual routine; get up, work out, eat breakfast, and go to work.
He needed a good workout every morning before work to help him get through the day. Werewolves have a lot of energy to burn. All it took was few push ups and quick run around the park.
One would think exercise for a powerful werewolf would be pointless, but the amount of exercise he did each day was essential for his health.
A werewolf's metabolism is lightning fast. He would need to eat a huge amount of carbohydrates every hour to sustain it. With that amount of meat going into a body, he would need to balance it with exercise in order to stay in shape. He pulled out two slabs of meat out of the freezer to defrost. His main meat of choice was a juicy sirloin steak.
As much as he would want to, he can't eat raw meat all the time. Not only would it be weird for anyone to witness—a human scarfing down raw bloody meat on a lunch break—he doesn't have the time during the day. Granted, he needed to have a decent amount of meat in his diet each day. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day to do so.
He went to the fridge for his favorite drink, a cold glass of milk. He started to thaw the meat. He needed a hardy breakfast to get him through a Monday.
A quick run will feel good, he thought.
He made his way outside his apartment to Morning Side park down a small jog down the street. If he wanted a much longer work out, he'd go a few more blocks down to Central, but Morning Side is much closer and much more private. It hardly ever is occupied with people this early in the morning, which was how he liked it.
He jogged around for two hours. For a human it would be too much, but for him, it was perfect. He was building up a hardy appetite.
The cold air felt good against his skin. It felt better on fur. He wished so much he could run in his true form every morning. He never had the time to drive several miles outside the city limit to run in more secluded areas. The woods was where he could shift into his feral form, run as fast as he wanted, the wind through his pelt, and truly feel a release from his troubles. That and he could hunt for fresh animals. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time anymore. He missed it.
After his run, he went home to shower and dress. Suit and tie, the usual outfit.
It was now breakfast time. The meat was ready. Using his fangs, he ripped through the meat easily. He ate quickly, making sure to consume it all, even the fat and blood. Even though he had consumed almost ten pounds of beef, he was still a tiny bit hungry.
Next was the walk a few blocks to his favorite coffee shop for his 'second' breakfast. Andrew grabbed his bag and head out the door.
Contrary to popular believe, this big city does sleep. This particular part of town is very quiet, especially at seven thirty in the morning.
It was still cold, early October, his favorite month. It was the month it started to snow. Andrew loved snow. Winter was his favorite season. He used to enjoy it more when he was able to run in the woods. The cold snow on your paws, nose, and fur. There is nothing like it. It's a wonder he enjoyed the cold tile floor in his apartment.
Then there was Snowboarding. First hobby he promised to acquire once he left the pack. As soon as the weather permitted, he would go every weekend for as long as the snow would stick.
Andrew walked briskly to the café, which was slowly turning into a newly refurbished Starbucks, but without the logo on the building yet, it kept it from being busy as well in the mornings. He was really looking forward to his second breakfast. For some reason, it topped him off perfectly after a sirloin.
The café was always just barely opening when he arrived, so the coffee and bagels were warm and fresh. This was the meal to keep him completely full until lunch time. He had to in order to not go hungry. A hungry wolf amongst humans is never a good thing.
The café owner was always the one to take his order in the mornings. She knew Andrew very well now. He didn't mind.
Tabitha knew his order by heart, and sometimes had it ready for him before he even arrived.
“A soft blueberry bagel an' a small espresso coffee with Irish cream comin' up.” She said in a husky voice as he walked through the door.
Andrew flashed a smile. “Thank you, Tabby.”
“No prob, hun.” She smiled back with a wink.
Tabitha was a large, older woman. Andrew wasn't sure what her age was. Much too old for him. She had bright bleached blond hair that stood out against her dark skin. She reminded him of a church choir singer from Jamaica, praising God with a soul power that of Aretha Franklin. She was always a pleasant person to great you in the mornings.
“S'you read the paper this mornin'?” She asked. Her smile never left her face. She was always smiling. Looking at her face made Andrew's cheeks hurt at the thought of smiling all the time.
“Not yet, I was gonna grab it on my way out. What's new?” Andrew replied. He didn't mind a little chit-chat now and then with her. It helped him feel connected and part of a human society.
“They's got this new bakery downtown, suppose'ta put the Starbucks on fifth out of business. And I'm thinkin', if Starbucks gunna go out, there's no way I'ma stay in business.”
“Oh, I'm almost certain Starbucks will stay strong. And you've got the best fresh muffins and bagels I've ever had in all of New York.”
“Oh aren't you sweet.” She smiled a little more and handed Andrew his coffee and bagel.
“Even if you did go out of business, I'd come to your house for your bagels every morning.”
“Bless you Andrew.”
Andrew lifted the bag. “No, bless you.” He flashed a quick smile as he turned to walk outside.
Now he was off to work, which was a quick cross of the street, on the corner of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd and Dr. Martin L King Jr. Blvd, to the plaza business center on eleventh floor, where he would dwell from eight to five, Monday through Friday. The typical American job Andrew wished for his whole life.
The things these humans take for granted, he would often say. They have no idea how lucky they have it.
Andrew is the manager over costumer service in the media department. They buy and sell refurbished computers and parts.
His job was easy, but sometimes stressful. Basically, if anybody has problems with their computer or wants to order new products, they call his floor.
Costumer service was sometimes a cut-throat job. Clients were usually upset when they called. At least his employees took care of it. He didn't spend too much time on the phones, which he is grateful for, but for the poor souls who have to deal with people, especially local New Yorkers, he only gives his sympathies.
He enjoys his job for two reasons; he can easily avoid direct contact with people and can sit around and do practically anything (or nothing) and wait for the reps to log information from the phone call and send it to him.  All Andrew has to do is charge the costumers or provide them with the service they requested. A simple few clicks of the mouse and its done. Easy enough for a werewolf.
It pays very well. He has never had a problem with money. His first paycheck was  enough to pay his deposit for his apartment.
Even though he could go and buy anything he wanted, he didn't need to. He didn't need  overly expensive things to draw attention to himself. Plus he knew that humans were too predictable. As much as he loved living a human lifestyle, debt wasn't on his list of human experiences to go through.
The biggest purchase he ever made was his car, and he hasn't driven it in months. Everything he needs is within in walking or running distance. That was better anyways, especially with the amount of exercise he needed.
Living in a pack it taught him one thing; responsibility. If you didn't do your chores, consider yourself bleeding by the end of the day. Everyone in the pack, including children, had a task to do. There wasn't much time for relaxing. You were always on top of something.
Andrew was a very responsible person. He was always on top of chores and his job. He always had his planner out with a perfectly designed schedule for the day. He was never left with nothing to do on the weekdays. This lifestyle, even though he didn't want it, carried over. He naturally keeps busy.
Even though his job demanded a lot of time, he always had time to relax at work, which is important. His breaks were unlimited if he needed them to be. He needed time to wind down. Werewolves are very high strung individuals by nature. Stress is never good for them. The slightest uncomfortable situation could cause a lot of anger. Of course, Andrew was different from his other pack members. He learned to control this unpleasant mood swings very well.
Whenever there were stressful situations, he sometimes struggled to hold the beast it. Sometimes he'd have to run home to let it all out before returning to work. Shifting is the best way to relieve stress. It's a release of endorphins, the stretch of the skin, bones releasing pressure, it simply felt great. But to avoid it, Andrew made sure he chose a job that would keep him from having too much stress.
His favorite part of the day, aside from work being over, was lunch hour. Everyone on the floor leaves at the same time for lunch. Most just go to the cafeteria on the fourth floor, but Andrew always goes back down to the café across the street. His usual lunch would be a foot long meat lovers sub, with a coke, and Tabitha would most likely have it waiting for him.
Usually at this point, people would attempt to make a conversation with him. He would be polite, but try hard to get in and out. He's more shy than they would like him to be, but he is a responsible worker and gets the job done fast, so they don't complain.
Andrew arrived with a full stomach. This helped his mood at work immensely.
He set his laptop down and took his backpack off and set it under the desk. His coffee was half full and still warm. He took a few sips and set it on the coaster.
He gave a friendly nod to several employees who were walking in to start the day—something he does every day to ensure they feel he is normal.
His poor coworkers. They were tired, hung over, old and young, and overall worn out. Some had been working here for over twenty years, others this was simply their side job.
Jamie walked in on her phone, complaining about a bad date she had the night before. Andrew heard too much information on that one. Jamie was always talking about boys, dating and sex. She was in her early twenties, a pretty girl, definitely not Andrew's type. That and her mind was too dirty for his liking.
Samuel was busy playing with his Nintendo DS. Andrew gave a friendly glare at him as he walked in.
They knew the rules, electronics like that weren't allowed.
“I need to get to a save spot.” Sam said without making eye contact with him. Andrew couldn't help but laugh.
“OK, go find that save spot, then get to work” He called after him.
Sam sat staring intensely at his lovable game. Andrew could hear the sounds of sword fighting and monsters. Must be some intense RPG game.
Suddenly the strong unpleasant smell of a nasty perfume entered Andrew's nostrils. Must be Rachel.
Other than Jamie, Rachel was his most flirtatious employee ever. Fresh out of UCLA, she came to New York to find love and her happily ever after. She was incredibly infatuated with Andrew, which annoyed him. That and her perfume gave him a headache.
She walked in immediately eying him, giving him a wink. She walked like she was on a model runway. Her clothes were overly fashioned for this work place. Andrew didn't find her attractive at all. That, and he couldn't stand the smell of her.
He ignored her invitation by walking over to the drinking fountain to fill up his water bottle. By the time he walked back, she was sitting down. Facing the other direction, thank goodness.
Eventually, his entire staff made it. Nobody was late. Good. If they were, he'd have to speak to them about it. He didn't like having to deal with his workers.
Andrew sat, isolated in his own corner, a very nice view of the city to his right, and his call floor on the left. Just another day, he thought as his computer booted up. A nice picture of a Lamborghini was on his desktop. His dream car.
His desk is very neat and organized, lots of files neatly stacked in their proper folders, a big desktop for work related things and stylish laptop for play.
Aside from his desktop background, there were no other pictures or decoration on his desk. Almost all of his employees had pictures on their desk with family, loved ones, and even pets. He had nothing. If there was anything that set him apart from the rest of the group is that he's the youngest with no family. He didn't care, and neither did the employees.
Even though he had been working there for six years, and had been around most of the same employees since, he not once held a large meaningful conversation with any of them. Work related only.
These poor people, Andrew thought. They have no idea they are working with the most dangerous creature they'll ever come in contact with. He often reminded himself at how unreal it is, that nobody even knows they work with a werewolf. He never made it easy for them to guess, but he did tend to cause speculation. Several of the employees knew he wasn't like them, but couldn't quite put their finger on what it was that was different.
Andrew did his best to try to take the boring out of work. Even though it was a great job and it is perfect for his lifestyle, he'd try to do things to keep himself from going crazy when business is slow. He got bored very easily, and with the constant hum of phone rings and conversations in the background, it was hard for him to find relaxation time. But there was never a dull moment in the office.
Sometimes, for fun and curiosity, he would listen in on phone conversations, work related and private. It was too easy. He could hear men talking in the bathroom down the hall if it was quiet and he concentrated hard enough.
Humans were so interesting. This made Andrew's job worth coming to, just to see humans interact with each other. After six years living among them, he still couldn't figure them out. So many complications, such drama, pathetic aspirations and cruel lifestyles—and he thought wolves had it rough.
Most of the conversations revolved around relationships. He found this the most interesting out of all. Though he'd never considered it for himself, he was curious to see how humans dated and interacted with the opposite sex. One thing he learned that was universal with all creatures—men are clueless.
He'd often hear the women talking about him. Some girls had serious issues with him, others were infatuated—especially Rachel. That wasn't quite the compliment he was used to, especially since most of the women were over thirty five. Too old.
Still, the woman tended to fascinate him. Listening to some of their stories of love success and heartbreak made him realize another thing about human behavior—love was dangerous.
Andrew had never been in love. Never even been on a date. Never been kissed, hugged and therefore still a virgin. He avoided women entirely. After hearing what the humans go through on a regular basis, he couldn't even imagine what he'd go through. He didn't want to find out.
This didn't mean that his animal instincts didn't kick in every once and a while. Regardless of his restraint, like the wolf, he had cycles of heat.
Andrew hated being in heat. He learned very soon that it was too hard to control. A wolf in heat could be so desperate for sex he would kill for it. If Andrew was ever to set his eyes on a female during heat, he'd kill someone for just looking at her. To avoid losing control, he usually had to take work off and lock himself in his apartment for a few days. Gorging himself on meat and blood helped as well.
Mating in a pack was an essential practice. One that the civilized world would probably never accept. Once a wolf reaches puberty, he can have any female he wishes. Some insane rituals require that the females have to oblige to the males wishes, or be killed, especially if its the alpha male requesting. Thank goodness Andrew left before he ever experienced any of that. He had just reached puberty, but had no desires to mate. At least, not right away. However, he was never taught how to control his urges. It took him a long time to adjust, but not too hard since wolves aren't really attracted to humans. Still, it is very dangerous.
Andrew knew he couldn't stay single forever. He often wondered if it were even possible that he could find somebody who would accept him for who and what he was, without freaking out.
After observing humans, he pictured himself in their shoes. He imagined himself married, with children, mortgage, bills, mini-van, and living in the suburbs. It sounded very appealing, but unrealistic. It was a lifestyle not meant for a werewolf.
Even if he did find someone, it would be more like living in some hut in the woods, hiding from the world, raising children who would one day mature into a werewolf like himself, and a wife who would at some point become like him. It wasn't as appealing, but Andrew would give anything to have a life like that. But finding such a woman would be impossible. Even Rachel would refuse.
The men Andrew worked with were all sorts of ages, surprisingly sometimes more horny than a wolf in heat. He didn't care for any of them. They didn't care for him. His youth and good looks were dangerous in this work environment, and it dangerously decreased their chances of scoring a female. Apparently they considered him a threat, since there were less women than there were men. It was high competition for those interested. They all assumed Andrew had first dibs, because Andrew was the youngest, and by far the most attractive. Too bad he never gets to express how much he hated the women he works with, in both looks and personality.
The drama in the office is the most annoying thing, and yet, incredibly intriguing. They'd always try to include him in it, but he'd never show interest or get involved. He would only sit back and watch, and silently laugh to himself.  Hearing all the interesting stories of money, sex, failures, success and even personal stories and experiences are what got Andrew through the day. Why watch reality TV when he had an office at his disposal?
Overall, the office wasn't his favorite place to be. Home was where he spent his time and loved to be alone. At home he could shift, watch movies, pig out, play guitar, and do all the things he never got to do growing up. The office was just a boring place with interesting people he could care less about. However, that was about to change.

After lunch, Andrew and the rest of his coworkers returned to work. They all got lunch hour at the same time. Andrew was last to get off the elevator, and sure enough, Rachel was with him.
“Hi, so how is work?” She asked, her voice was soft and delightful, even though it was annoying to hear purely on principle that she was too infatuated with him.
“Fine.” He simply said, not looking at her.
“Yeah, I'm having a hard time with the spreadsheet, could you help me?” She folded her arms in his direction, no doubt trying to accent her chest.
Ah, the spreadsheet thing again, he thought. Can't count how many times she's pulled that one.
“Phil knows more about it than I...”
“Phil is boring.” She interrupted, still smiling.
“Well, I'm a bit behind on my spreadsheet so, ask Phil for now.”
“Fine.” She sounded defeated. She made her way to her desk, looking back at him. Andrew turned away. Sheesh, does she not get the clue?
Half way through the afternoon, everyone's work was on a role. After lunch was the most productive part of the day. It made time seem to fly and work would be over soon enough.
Suddenly, a fresh scent caught his attention from the moment it stepped off the elevator. Usually the building doesn't receive outside costumers, so to see someone come on the floor, either they were lost, or trying to apply for a job. In this case, it was neither—she already had the job.  
He looked in the direction of the scent, almost involuntarily. He noticed the manager Phil, escorting a slender reddish-brown haired girl into the office.
She was average size, stylish clothes, a small nose piercing barely noticeable, and a face that was almost porcelain.
She must be the replacement for Janus, Andrew thought. He easily listened over the busy office to catch her name; Rabeka.
Andrew studied her fiercely. Fresh meat, he joked. But there was truth to that. Why was he so interested in this human?
She was fresh, had a friendly smile, and yet almost tormented. Her eyes were sad and mysterious. They reminded him of fog on a London morning.
“Now, in no time you'll get to be best friends with everyone here.” Her face matched the sarcastic face Andrew was making.
She walked around, being introduced to every employee on the sales floor. Andrew barely noticed when she finally got to him. Andrew almost froze. What is wrong with me?
“Hi, I'm Rabeka.” She softly spoke. Her voice was calm yet distinctive.
Andrew shook her hand. Her grip was not firm. Very soft skin, very warm. She had a hard time keeping eye contact. Andrew couldn't keep his eyes off.
Andrew stood up. “I'm Andrew, your supervisor.” His voice cracked. He blushed slightly as he shook hands with her. His tight hand shake seemed so strong compared to her frailness, he worried he would break it so he pulled away.
She grabbed her hand to massage it. Damn, I hurt her, he wined. She then smiled and turned to meet more people.
The next person was Rachel, who no doubt gave her a judgmental look like she was competing for the last cheerleader spot.
“Hi, I'm Rachel.” She gave a phony smile.
“Rabeka.” She nodded back.
“Hope you enjoy it here, I've been here a while, so if you need anything, let me know.”
Andrew glared, almost growling. Stupid girl, he thought. You can't even run a spreadsheet.
As she turned past her, Andrew got to examine her more closely. Her scent was intoxicating. She used no perfume, just her natural body. Andrew liked that. She had strawberry brown hair. Up close, her eyes were more bright and hazel, very distinguished. She was very attractive.
Andrew caught Phil's eyes. He wasn't pleased with Phil's expression.  “Pervert.” He said under his breath so Phil couldn't hear him. He wasn't pleased with Rachel's expression either. He shot a nasty glare at her as well.
Andrew sat down at his desk, continuing to keep a close watch on Rabeka. Even though the handshake was awkward, it seemed she was overall uncomfortable with everyone she came in contact with. She was extremely shy, just like him. Rabeka was so reserved she wouldn't notice if a train was about to hit her.
When she finally sat down at her desk, Andrew had a good view. She was facing him. No other desk or person got in the way of his view.
Andrew continued to stare, but then shook it off.
What is wrong with me? Why am I acting like this? Andrew thought to himself, I'm not sure if its my animal instincts wanting her, or if its just me with a simple attraction.
One thing was for certain, this was the first time this had ever happened to him and she was the first human that he had desires for.