Preparations

It was very late by the time Wren reached the pack house. But dispite the late hour it appeared that every light was on inside of the four story mansion. The grounds outside were lit up as well. Pack members were rushing here and there setting up a stage and dancing area. Some were placing tables and setting out greenery. Others were streaming strands of lights all around the lawn. Wren had hoped to sneak in unnoticed. That was obviously out of the question. She quickly reached into the trunk at the tree line and grabbed a large shirt out of it to cover her naked body with. After doing so she quickly rushed through the busy wolves towards the back door. An omega girl looked up as she ran past and called out that Luna Freya was looking for her just as her mother's voice entered her head through the mind link.

"Wren, where are you? It's late and I need to speak with you about the party tomorrow. Meet me in your father's office at once, please." , her mother had said before closing the link.

Wren entered through the back door of the mansion and quickly went down the hall to her father's office. Pausing outside the room only long enough to take a deep breath to steady herself before knocking on the large, ornate oak door. After knocking she didn't have to wait long for her father to acknowledge her and call her inside. Walking inside she was recieved by both of her parents disapproving faces.

"Really Wren? Must you always disappear for hours on end when you are needed the most? You do this every time. You have got to grow up and be more responsible. I realize that you are not the Luna of this pack. But as a future Luna you have got to be more involved with making arrangements for these functions. I mean after all this IS all for you And what are you wearing? The pack house is full of Alphas! What if your mate is among them? Do reallywant to chance meetinghim in this state? First impressionsare very importantyoung lady!", Luna Freya exclaimed as soon her daughter had entered the office.

"Yes Wren, your mother is right. It is high time that you take your obligations more seriously. I realize this pack will not be yours one day. That it will be your brother, Mitchell, who will inherit my title. But one day you will have an Alpha and a pack of your own. You are a daughter to an Alpha. And as such you are burdened with certain expectations. How are you to expect your future Alpha and mate to respect you as his Luna if every time there is work to do you run away and disappear? You should listen to your mother. First impressions are very important. Whether it is your mate or some other Alpha you run into. Your appearance matters. You represent your pack. You should care more about your appearance. Also, our pack is working very hard to make tomorrow special for you. How do you think that makes everyone feel to know that their efforts are so unappreciated? You should have been here helping your mother and Beta Richard's wife, Rachel, to over see it all this evening. I'm very disappointed in you young lady." Alpha Mixon stared into his daughter's blue eyes, seemingly looking for some kind of understanding.

He very much loved his daughter. It made him feel awful to correct her anytime. But especially on the eve of her birthday. She was after all his little girl and always would be. He wished she could be free to live her life as she chose to do. But she was the daughter of an Alpha. With the title came some freedoms and luxury. However, mostly it meant a life of servitude. Always putting the needs of others before your own needs. He knew all to well the struggle of his station in life. It wasn't always fair, more often than not life just absolutely wasn't fair. But that was their lot in life. He wanted what was best for Wren. So that meant he had to be hard on her. He had to keep her in line and ensure that she was in fact prepared for the future.

"I'm sorry, mother. I didn't mean to be gone for so long, father. My wolf Sage desperately needed to run. There is so much happening. She needed the release. I didn't mean to upset anyone. Or to make anyone feel unappreciated. I simply lost track of time. I admit, it was irresponsible of me. But I assure you both, it was not intentionally done. And i do apologizefor my appearance. It won'thappenagain. I do not wish to embarrase either of you or our pack." Wren's shoulders sagged and her head remained bowed as she spoke to them both.

"Alright. But you will most definitely make it up to the pack. Tomorrow I want you to look your best. We will have several guests I expect you to make your pack proud by being on time and polite to our guests. I expect you to recieve our guests well. And I expect you to address our pack and offer your appreciation to them for going above and beyond to make tomorrow evening a very special night for you. Now, Freya dear I understand you need to discuss preparations for tomorrow evening's festivities with our daughter. I need to go and speak with the Alpha guests that have arrived tonight, they and Beta Richard are awaiting my arrival in the den. Please ask Rachel to see to it that the omegas have properly stocked and prepared all of our guest's rooms." With that, Alpha Mixon, rose from his chair behind his desk. Walking around his desk he kissed his Luna lovingly before giving Wren a quick peck on the cheek and walking out the door.

Wren watched him go and then turned back to her mother. "Mother, I truly am sorry. I am looking forward to my birthday tomorrow. But... I-I must admit I am also a little afraid. ", Wren apologized and confessed to her mother.

With a look of confusion Luna Freya stood staring at her daughter for a moment before responding. "Afraid? Wren dear, whatever do you have to be afraid of? It is only just your birthday celebration. What is there to fear?"

Wren hesitated. She didn't want to make her mother anymore upset. But she had already opened her mouth on the matter. There was no going back now. Now she had no choice but to explain. "Mother, I'm feeling nervous to be presented before all of our guests. I'm anxious that I might find my mate. What if he is displeased with me? What if I'm to be rejected? I don't know how I would handle the pain or the shame that would bring to you and father. I don't want to disappoint either of you. Nor do I wish to disappoint my pack. I guess I'm just really unsure of what to expect." After vomiting up her fears Wren kept her eyes on the floor. She feared her mother's reaction to what she had just admitted.

"Wren dear you shouldn't fear finding your mate. To find one's mate is to finally receive one's greatest blessing from our beloved Moon Goddess. You are smart and beautiful. You carry strong Alpha blood in your veins. Any wolf should consider himself highly blessed to find himself your mate. When your mate finds you he most definitely will not be rejecting you. Your mate may be at your party tomorrow night. I hope that he is because I want you to be happy. But, he may not be amongst those who show up. Either way, you will not disappoint your father and I. So, please push these silly worries from your mind, my dear. Just enjoy your party. The rest will sort itself out." Freya told Wren before walking over to stand face to face with her daughter.

She stood there looking her daughter in the eyes with a look of love and understanding as she picked up a tendril of her Auburn hair. Wren couldn't believe the words she had just heard had actually come from her own mother's mouth. She felt tears threatening to fall from the corners of her blue eyes. Her mother never seemed to understand her. Yet in this moment Wren felt more loved and understood than she could ever remember. "Just you wait and see my love. You will be an amazing Luna. You will have the strongest most handsome Alpha mate ever seen. It will be amazing. Just you wait and see." Her mother grabbed her up into a tight hug and held her tightly in her arms for a moment.

When Luna Freya stepped back both women were crying and smiling brightly through their tears. With a laugh they turned and walked arm in arm out of the office and down the hall towards the stairs. Along the way Wren's mother talked on and on about all the preparations for the next day's gathering. As they climbed the stairs the old grandfather clock in the Great room began to chime the twelve strokes of midnight. Both women stopped half way to the second floor upon hearing the chimes. Freya smiled lovingly at her daughter and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Happy Birthday dear.", she whispered lovingly into her daughter's ear. Then turned holding Wren's hand and continued up the stairs. Only letting go of her hand at the top of the second floor landing. Sharing one last loving look between them, they parted ways, heading to either end of the long hallway to their bedrooms.

Once inside her room, Wren removed the t-shirt and threw it into her hamper on the way to her bathroom. There she drew herself a nice hot bath and added lavender bath soaps. As she waited for the tub to fill she noticed the steam swirling above her head and all around her bathroom mirror above the sink. She took notice of her reflection. As she looked at herself in the mirror she admired herself. She was an attractive female. She had curves in all the right places. Her auburn hair was long nearly covering her derriere. Her breasts were a full D cups and her bottom was nice and rounded. She had muscles, but not excessive to the point that she looked masculine. She was easily one of the fastest and strongest females in the Long Mountain Pack. Wren was very intelligent as well, having graduated top of her class with honors. And two whole years ahead of schedule. She trained hard and was a formidable warrior. She was inclined to believe what her mother had told her before in her father's office. Any wolf would count himself lucky to have her as a mate. She truly did have a lot to offer someone.

Feeling better about herself and her birthday celebration Wren turned off the faucet and climbed into the tub. As she eased herself down below the soothing bubbles and into the hot water, it was as if she could feel all the stress and worry of the day before melt away immediately. She laid there completely relaxed for quite sometime with her eyes closed not thinking of anything at all. Somewhere in the distance she could hear the howls of her pack and their guests as they hunted together in the woods. She was glad not to be amongst them. She needed to take this time and relax and rest before tomorrow. Her water was still plenty warm when she realized just how tired and ready for bed she actually was. Though she was completely relaxed she slowly became aware that her wolf was pacing in her mind. Wren hoped Sage would settle down. She had to get up early in the morning and needed her rest. A restless wolf would most definitely make it very difficult to sleep. Like herself, Sage was an empathic and intuitive beast. Sage would become antsy when something was off with someone she cared about. Or when someone new was met sometimes. Wren hoped that Sage was restless only because of the coming birthday party. The pack house was already filled with guests and more would arrive in the morning. Wren hoped that having new wolves around was all that it was and that Sage would soon settle down and allow her to get some rest.

As she released the stopper to empty the tub, Wren stood and wrapped a plush white towel around her body. Once out of the tub she brushed her teeth and combed her loose curls before walking into her bedroom and pulling a comfortable silk nightgown from her wardrobe. The purple material slid gently gently over her body and hung just right over her assets. Before lying down she went over and opened the sheer curtains that hung over the French doors at the side of her room. It was a nice warm fall night with a gentle breeze so she decided to push open the French doors as well.

After opening the doors she stepped out onto the balcony and surveyed the back lawn. It was dark now and every one had either gone home for the night or they were on the hunt. Even in the dark she could see all the work that had been accomplished. She couldn't help but feel excited for the events of the following evening as she turned and went to bed. Despite Sage being a little restless, Wren fell fast asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.