Species- Gabriel

THE FIRST DAY

Saturday dawned beautiful and sunny. Today was an important day. Anna had a breakfast appointment at the local bar with her new boss, Adam. She liked this laid-back approach. She enjoyed being prepared or at least informed about what to expect on Monday at work. Still, her boss was a different kind of person.

She parked her car in front of the Green Garden. She was half an hour early. It was a pleasant local establishment, a café during the day and a bar with live music at night. It exuded a living room atmosphere.

She walked in. All heads in the café turned towards her. She smiled politely and walked towards the bar.

"Good morning", Anna said.

Behind the bar was a very handsome man in his thirties. "Looks just like Chris Hemsworth," Anna thought. "Oh, Amanda will be thrilled."

"You must be our new engineer. Would you like something while you wait for Adam?" faux Chris asked.

"Macchiato", Anna replied with a smile. It was evident that news traveled quickly in the Valley of Wolves. The virtue and curse of a small town.

She wondered if the handsome bartender was one of the wolves she met yesterday. If she had been less scared, she might have remembered the wolf with ice-blue eyes.

Adam was a man in his late 40s, tall and muscular, built like a professional rugby player, with slightly graying hair and gray eyes. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but very manly and charming. Anna noticed that male shapeshifters shared a common trait - distinctly masculine and attractive features.

"Good morning. I'm Adam", he said, extending a friendly hand and smiling.

They sat down.

"And..., how much do you know about our kinds, Anna?" Adam asked, sipping his tea.

"Hm... Honestly, not much. Mostly what circulates in the media. I know you're taller and stronger, with sharper and stronger senses than us. I know you can shapeshift, but I'm not sure what exactly. Understandably, you're secretive given the newly formed hate terrorist groups. My friend Amanda believes that among the kinds, there are also vampires!" Anna finished with a smile, trying to sound friendly.

"We've lived in the shadows for too long", Adam began slowly. "But with the development of technology, it's almost impossible to remain hidden. We've chosen a new path. Whether it's harder, I don't know, but I believe that over time, we'll be accepted. People fear us, Anna, and with good reason. We strive to be civilized, but our animal instincts are strong. We are predators. The Valley of Wolves is an oasis where not only shapeshifters of different kinds but also humans have found refuge. We function. You'll get the best picture after some time. I hope you won't run away because we need you", Adam smiled.

"Different kinds?" Anna asked. "Yesterday, I met a pack of wolves, led by the biggest wolf ever. I assumed everyone in this town was a wolf. Valley of Wolves... well, the name suggests that."

"That's our alpha, Gabriel", Adam replied calmly.

"Like a mayor?" Anna asked.

"Let's say", Adam replied a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Can I ask what your animal is, or is that taboo?" Anna asked.

"No, it's not taboo. You'll find out during our sports games if you stay, and I believe you will. The fact that you're sitting here calmly with me suggests that. I'm a polar bear", Adam replied calmly.

"Polar bear, sports games?" Anna asked in surprise.

"I told you earlier; we're not human. We're guided by strong animal instincts. We solve bloodshed and dominance issues through sports games. That's a new thing. We are trying to be civilized. They keep us in shape, entertain us, and lower testosterone levels. That's why we need you, Anna. You'll work on the project for our new hockey arena."