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My birthday isn't too far off now....

I sat at my desk, daydreaming out my window. The wind blowing through the trees, ever so gently the leaves rustle. The sun dances on them, as they wave across the sky. Not a cloud to be seen. A knock at my door brings me back to reality. I’m forced to skip training so that my parents can bother me about every detail of my birthday party. 

“Yeah?” 

“Your highness, are you avai-” Hysterical laughing ensues “ OH MY GOD I almost made it through. Damn it El, you get 20 bucks.” Dylan is trying to catch his breath through his laughter. 

“I told you Dyl, you couldn’t do it, no matter how hard you tried!” Elis slapped Dylan on the shoulder. “Good effort though.” Chuckling to himself. “Morning sis. Did we bring you back to this world?” Elis asked, and actually meant it. 

Of the twins, Elis is the softer of the two. He is smarter than your average 13 year old boy, which usually gets him in trouble. Dylan is the clown, and they are both pranksters. 

“Unfortunately. What do you want?” They never visit just to see you, they always want something. 

“We were wondering if you would like to partake in playing a prank on Thomas today.” Dylan tried to be all fancy, standing up straight with his hand clasped on his shirt. 

“Maybe another time, or brother. Are you sure you want to mess with Thomas?” I place my chin in my hand, with my elbow on my desk. Squinting my eyes, I peered at them. “Is he really the best option?” I stared at them to gauge their response. While Dylan didn’t seem phased, Elis started to think it over. Dylan slapped his twin on the back of the head, which broke Elis from his thoughts.

“Dude, she’s trying to talk you out of it. Let’s go before she changes your mind for you!” Dylan ran out the door of my room. 

“You have a point, and you always do.” Elis walked over to hug me, his frame giant against my small sitting size “Thank you sis, but I think this time, I’ve already made up my mind.” He started to walk out as Dylan bursted back in. 

“Have a good day sis!” Dylan said panting from his unnecessary running. “Come on El, let’s go!” 

With them leaving, I shut my door and decided to get dressed. If I get out now, I might be able to get some training in before my mother notices I’m not planning my party, and sends my father - or worse, Gareth - to fetch me. 

I pulled on some black capri leggings, grabbed a bright green sports bra, and black workout tank top, socks, sneakers and tried to get outside. I walked towards the door, and I threw my hair up in a messy bun, and grabbed the door handle. As I opened the door, Gareth fell into my room. I was too late. 

“She didn’t even start with dad, she sent the big guns.” I said staring at my eldest brother, losing steam as I spoke. 

“Mom knows you don’t want to be there, so she’s not gonna fight you. I’m on direct orders from the Luna herself, to ‘do anything you can to get her here’ including throwing you over my shoulder and delivering you myself.” Gareth stared at me, a big goofy grin on his otherwise statuesque face. 

I let out a giant sigh. “Fiiiiiiine. If I must….. “ Mom knows using my father wouldn’t work. I’m his baby angel, I can talk myself out of anything with him. But Gareth. I’ve always looked up to him, and letting him down would suck. 

Holding out his arm “If you would like, baby sister, I will walk you there” Gareth said, still smiling. 

“How much longer do you think you get to call me that? AND I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE” I shouted, realizing he was mocking me. I took his arm. 

He patted me on the head, and we strode towards my mother’s office. 

The packhouse was elaborate, and for no good reason too. My father was, and had been, the High Chief of our clan for, well, ever. Dad built this pack house to accommodate our ever growing pack, and family. Once my father met his mate, that was the end. First they had Gareth, born less than a year after being together. I’m guessing it took 6 days to conceive him. Then Thomas, Jac, Me, and the twins. After the twins, either they stopped remotely going near each other, or they were that much of a hassle. But Mom’s about halfway through her 6th pregnancy, and still planning this stupid party. 

The walls were composed of beautiful oak slabs on the wall, with birch beams along breaking up the white ceiling. Every few chunks, there would be a skylight, letting in light. The sun’s rays would bounce off the stone flooring, sparkling the natural beauty of the floor. This hallway was lined with windows on one side, looking out over our pack’s land. You could see the training fields, sparring pits, and a dirt path along the hillside, disappearing into the woods that lines our land. It was a beautiful place to grow up, and it was going to be a terrible pain when I left. 

Part of me always hoped I would end up like my parents, waiting an eternity to meet my mate. I didn’t want anyone, even if they weren’t my mate, I didn’t have boyfriends. I was quite happy “flying solo”. As a female wolf, I have to follow my mate to their pack. Which meant leaving my brothers, my parents, and a town that, well, they probably wouldn’t mind. 

Gareth knew I was daydreaming as we walked, so he just directed me where to go. When we got to our mother’s office, he patted me on the head again. 

“We all had to do it, but you’re the girl, they are going to go all out about it. Just help her, and it will be over in no time. Now, I need to go, Kira needs me to get something for one of the boys. I will see you for lunch today, ok?” Gareth picked me up in a bear hug, and shook me a little before placing me back down. 

“Thanks big brother.” I smiled as he walked away. He had always been good to me. No matter what the town thought of me, he thought the very best. 

I knocked lightly on my mother’s office door, hoping she wouldn’t hear me and would let me leave. 

“Nice try Aideen. It’s open.” My mother’s words were always sweet like sugar. 

I opened the giant wooden door to her office. The room was mostly wooden, decorated with deep red curtains running floor to ceiling, and a giant oak desk near the windows. To the left, she had a fireplace that was double sided. On the other side was my father’s office. A small fire was going, and my mother was seated in her favorite chair, sipping at her tea, rummaging through some papers. She looked up, and her eyes were this blue green you just wanted to swim in. She was glowing, the fire dancing on her beautiful, lightly tanned skin. Her stomach only just seemed to start showing the wild child she was creating inside her. 

“Hello mother.” I said with a bow. She hated it when I treated her like royalty. 

“Oh stop it. You aren’t getting out of it that easy. You know you have to do this so you don’t end up like me, waiting 140 years for a mate.” Mom smiled as she swatted me with the papers. She motioned for me to sit down, my cup of tea still warm. She planned this all along. 

“What do I even need to do? Aren’t you just invited every unmated wolf in all of…. Everywhere?” I leaned back into the chair, for something that was definitely 100 plus years old, it was extremely comfy. 

“Pick a color, a theme, and a menu, then you can leave. Once you’ve got all that, we will have a dress made. And before you ask, yes, you have to wear a dress.” I could tell my mother had really broken it down, and they weren’t asking too much of me. I could do this little bit, that would be fine. 

“Emerald.” I said, knowing that in the end, at least the dress would look good on me. Greens always made the gold flecks sparkle in my eyes, according to my father at least. 

“Your father picked that, too.” Mom always smiled and chuckled when talking of my father. Not two seconds after, he opened the adjoining door between their offices with a cup of coffee in his hand. 

“Good morning, papa.” I got up to hug him, but I looked so small against his large, wide frame. 

“Good morning darling dearest” Dad kissed the top of my head and plopped into his chair. “I told you she would pick a green. “ He smiled as my mother shook her head. 

“Ok, so what theme do you want? Beach, underwater…” Mom was trying to give suggestions. 

“...Can it, can it be a masquerade?” I asked, not able to look either of them in the eye. They looked at each other. 

“Reading more books?” Dad said in a very inquisitive tone. 

“I can’t see why not, right dear?” My mother knew that if she asked my father, I would get what I wanted. 

“Of course, the princess gets whatever she wants” My father said, pinching a cheek. I am pretty sure if I rolled my eyes any harder, I would have snapped an optic nerve. Which made both of my parents laugh. My father’s loud and boisterous, my mother’s soft and heartfelt. 

“So that just leaves the menu!” My mother seems rather proud that I had made it this far. “We will have just about everything, but what are some things you really want?” Mom asked while patting my knee. 

“Well….” I started, not sure what I wanted when my father cut me off. 

“I already have the largest red velvet cake being made, so don’t worry about that.” My dad said knowing that would be the one thing I wanted. I’ve had one ever year since I was old enough to pick. 

I giggled to myself “Well, I’m glad you got that handled. I’m not really sure, it’s not like you aren’t already going over the top. And you know all my favorite foods, so do I have to pick?” I wasn’t sure what I would want to eat 3 weeks from now, let alone for lunch today…. 

“Of course darling. But if you think of something, please let me know.” my mother patted my knee again and then scribbled something down. “And with that, you are free to run away” My mother laughed at me, as I jumped up and was halfway out the door. 

“Don’t beat up the warriors too much, they need to be in fighting shape for your party!” My father hollered as I ran down the hall.