Hailee's POV
I'd always been more goal-oriented than the rest of my friends.
I knew what I wanted from a young age. My parents were both doctors, so it only made sense for me to become a scientist.
Not… any scientist, though.
I'm not allowed to discuss it much with my friends, but I work for the government as a supernatural entity specialist. I'm supposed to examine all of the creatures people think exist but have never seen.
No, not Area 51. I'm not going to tell you the real name, because then I'd have to kill you… so let's call it X Labs. Close enough (not that you'd know).
Beep beep beep. I groaned, slamming my hand onto the alarm to see the time: 5:00 AM.
Ew. I don't know why I got this job.
I was kidding. Obviously I loved it. But I'd never been a morning person. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I threw the blanket off myself and trudged to the wardrobe.
I grabbed a pair of khaki slacks and a plain white tee, tying my hair back before going to the bathroom to put water on my face.
Sighing, I looked up at my reflection. Stupid eye bags. Not like I have to impress anyone.
I recently broke up with my boyfriend because he tried to cheat on me with one of our old schoolmates.
Not that I really needed an excuse. He'd always made little comments about how I wasn't good enough compared to her, or how I couldn't please him.
Now he's licking his wounds, working as a goddamn janitor. I snorted. Karma's got to be real.
I grabbed my coat, slipping on my work shoes before making my way out the door. The drive there was always my reset: listen to music or a book, go over my thoughts. It's sort of therapeutic.
I showed my government I.D. to the guard stationed at the front. He let me pass, and I drove in and parking before making my way inside.
As I walked through the white, fluorescent halls, nodding to coworkers as they walked by, a feeling crawled up my spine. One of those gut instincts that something was going to change today.
I walked into my personal lab, setting my things down and slipping my lab coat over my shoulders. My job every day was to ensure that all supplies and specimens were in order before studying them.
One thing I pride myself on is harmless studies. I refuse to allow anyone I work with to hurt these beings. They were still living, conscious creatures.
The fact that they might be threats isn't an excuse to harm them.
I walked over to one of the enclosures, checking something on my clipboard before looking at the creature: some sort of gargoyle which only turned to stone when threatened.
Sort of reminded me of myself, in a way.
I wrote a few more things on my clipboard as the gargoyle devoured the food in its dish before a ding came over the loudspeakers.
"Ms. Johnson to Mr. Becker's office."
I bit my lip nervously. My boss didn't regularly call any of us up, and when he did, it was something serious.
I took a deep breath, setting my clipboard down before making my way to Becker's office.
Walking into the office, I adjusted my lab coat and looked over to see Mr. Becker on the phone with someone.
"Yes… we have to take all measures. We've never been this close before. It has to work."
He looked up and saw me then, gesturing for me to sit. "Just get it done. I have to go." He hung up the phone, setting it on the receiver before looking at me.
I gave him a polite smile. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
Becker smiled. "Yes. I have news that I believe you'll be very excited to hear." My heart raced. I couldn't even imagine what sort of thing he could be talking about. "Sir?"
He turned, grabbing a file from the cabinet behind him before setting it in front of her. It was labeled confidential. I pulled it towards me, an eyebrow raised.
"Our men were in Thetford Forest last night, searching for another base of gnomes, when they stumbled across something: a large, hairy creature. It looked like Bigfoot at first," he snorted, "but with a closer look…"
I opened the file, my eyes being met with night vision images of a tall, dark figure with piercing yellow eyes and big paws.
"Sir… you don't mean…" He nodded. "Lycanthropes. Otherwise known as-"
"Werewolves." I whispered, studying the picture in front of me. There'd always been sightings, people claiming they'd seen one, but our field teams had never been able to find anything…
Until now.
I swallowed. "This is magnificent, sir, but what does it have to do with me?" The corners of Becker's lips quirked, and he looked at her for a moment before speaking.
"What do you know about werewolves?"
I took in a breath. "Well… their scientific identification is homo sapiens lycanthropus. They have the ability to shift their forms from human to wolf at any time. They are extremely strong, and they can run faster than any creature on Earth. They mate for life, and run in packs."
Becker smirked before leaning forward, his forearms resting on the desk. "This is why the situation concerns you. You are our leading scientist in all things mythical, and the field team could use your expertise."
My brows knitted. "Expertise?" He nodded, sitting back in his chair. "Werewolves are sensitive creatures, much like us. They won't respond like other specimens do, like animals. If you go with the team into the field, you can show them a way to convince the wolves that they're safe."
I bit my lip. "Sir… I'm not a field agent. I've never been on a mission like that."
He shook his head. "You won't have to do the work. You'll just be there, feeding them the right information to get the beings to obey."
I swallowed, a bad feeling churning in my gut, but I ignored it. I had a job to do.
"What do you think?" he asked firmly, crossing his arms. I took a deep breath.
"I'm in."