1

Eve sat atop a huge boulder, her feet dangling into the lake water below her. Little waves encircled the shallow water, covering an assortment of colored stones. Looking up, she saw she couldn't see the rainbow of stones a few meters ahead of her. She looked at the dark tree line across the lake after a time. She pondered what animals lurked there and if they were bothered by her intrusion into their domain. She should go just in case, because she doesn't want to be impolite.

She sighed and stood up on the rock, raising her hands up above her, a pleasant snap resonating from her spine. That was incredible. She leaned down and picked up her brown leather sandals before turning to face the dirt road behind her. The covered and rocky route would take her pack to the wood log cottage on the outskirts of the woods. She resided here with her mother, Marie.

With her sandals still dangling by her side, Eve went carefully back home, her gaze fixed on the ground, terrified of stumbling on jagged pebbles. She'd hate to spoil another pair of shoes with her dripping feet. And she was particularly fond of this new pair.

As she continued walking, she could hear patrol wolves rushing through the trees a few hundred meters to her left, so she picked up the pace until a little cottage emerged as the trees thinned out ahead of her.

Her expression lit up as she saw her mother seated on the balcony, a white crocheted blanket put over her weak shoulders. Marie's favorite position on the porch was to relax and enjoy the afternoon sun while waiting for her daughter to return from her daily treks in the forest.

'Mom!' Eve yelled as she waved her arms in the air, a broad grin on her face. The mom with the wrinkled face smiled up at her approaching daughter. Despite having been gone for less than an hour, Eve had missed her mother.

“Hello, pumpkin. Did you like your walk?” Eve's mother inquired as the two clasped in a loving and solid embrace.

“It was rather excellent. What have you been up to?” Eve ignored the question and turned her attention to her mother.

“I began a new painting. I believe it has the potential to be my masterpiece!” Her eyes sparkled as she empathically spoke to her daughter. Marie had always liked drawing since Eve was a child. Marie's main interest, aside from her daughter, was painting.

“That's fantastic, Mom, I'm so delighted---”

At six o'clock, all pack members are to report to the main hall for dinner. There is an announcement from the Alpha, and there are no excuses for not attending unless you are on patrol. This directive must be followed by everyone.

Eve could hear the Beta's loud and gruff voice in her head.

“I think we should start heading over there then, in case anyone in the kitchen needs a hand because everyone will be dining together.” Eve's mother remarked as she rose up and took the carved walking stick that was leaning against the wall opposite her chair. She had been using a walking stick for the previous five years since her health had worsened significantly. Eve's mother's illness was frequently on her thoughts, but she ignored it for the time being.

With a nod, Eve took her arm and led her down the veranda stairs and along the road that led to the cluster of buildings that housed the majority of the pack members, as well as the administration buildings, the daycare center, and the community supplies. It wasn't exactly a path, more of a line of grass worn down by the scant traffic that passed by Eve and Marie's house.

For as long as Eve could remember, she and her mother had lived on the outskirts of the little township. Her mother, a distinctive personality, did not like being amongst her pack mates, unlike other werewolves, and had previously indicated that she preferred having her own area apart from everyone. Eve had previously questioned if she was invading her mother's space; she hoped not. After all, she didn't fare well when she spent too much time with others, and she was aware of the burden it put on her. The peaceful lifestyle suited the couple.

Her mother had left the main settlement when she was pregnant with Eve, and her mate had vanished, leaving her a single parent. Despite her immense anguish, she smiled every day and did her best to nurture her kid. And everyone in the pack agreed that Marie had done an excellent job raising a kind and compassionate young woman.

The two figures with linked arms strolled for 10 minutes, discussing Marie's latest painting and Eve's intentions for her new yet blooming garden. They were soon past the outlying structures of the community, where the majority of the pack resided in modest brick or timber dwellings. After another 5 minutes, they arrived at the structure that held the dining hall and kitchen, as well as a vast garden behind it. The garden was well cared for, since many families in the neighborhood relied on it for fresh food. Eve had contemplated volunteering to care for the garden, but she decided she preferred the independence of tending to her own plants. Flowers would take up much too much area in the common yard.

Eve and her mother crept down the building's side and into the kitchen, which was bustling with people cooking the evening meal, which already smelled great and made Eve's tummy groan.

“Eve! Marie! Hello, have you come to assist your dear cousin?” Joanne, the diminutive but audible head chef, yelled out to them above the din of discussion and the hum of food preparation.

“Indeed, dear cousin. With the recent news, I felt you would require an additional hand. I expected you'd be quite busy.” Marie smiled as she responded.

“Would you believe that? There was no warning! Simply thoughtless, I say. I'm not sure how the Alpha expects me to feed 300 people in four hours. Unbelievable. But I will give it my best – after all, I am a culinary genius!” Joanne exclaimed loudly as Eve laughed at her antics.

“Come on, my darling. You will prepare the roasted veggies, while your mother will assist me with the desserts.” Joanne drew Eve to a workstation and pushed a sharp knife into her hand, motioning to a massive mound of veggies that needed to be washed, peeled, and cut up.

“I'll finish it in no time.” Eve offered her a comforting glance before getting to work on the subject at hand. She quickly found a rhythm, and the pile began to reduce at a remarkable pace.

She listened to the conversation and commotion of the kitchen crew as she worked. She enjoyed listening to them and learning about their everyday lives. Who had recently discovered their soulmate, who was expecting a child, and so on. After a few minutes, Eve became interested in a specific topic.

“I heard the Alpha and Beta's sons are returning. The Alpha's son has apparently found his mate and plans to introduce her to the pack. It's about time, after all of this seeking and waiting.” One of the young kitchen workers eagerly chattered to her pal.

“Ugh. If that's the case, we'll be planning a mating celebration and crowning ceremony in the coming weeks. I was looking forward to having a few weeks off with nothing planned.” The other kitchen hand groaned, dreading the effort that would be required if the story was accurate.

”It'll be entertaining. They'll invite other packs, and you never know who could show up.” The first kitchen hand lifted an oblique eyebrow at her pal.

When the two young women started talking about what they thought their friends would be like, Eve tuned out. She was hoping to meet her own mate soon. It had to be a matter of months, if not weeks, given that she was approaching her nineteenth birthday and werewolves could recognize their mates when they reached eighteen. She remembered how delighted she had been a few days after her birthday, certain that she was about to run into the love of her life. This enthusiasm had dissipated after a few weeks, but Eve still fantasized about the day she would meet her partner.

Looking down, she shook her head and concentrated on the work at hand, chopping up the carrots before moving on to the potatoes and pumpkin. The massive mound of veggies was quickly turned into clean rows of cut up vegetables ready to be placed in the giant, industrial ovens. Eve left, satisfied with her accomplishment, to see what other assignments Joanne had in store for her.

“All done, what else do you need?” Eve inquired as she approached Joanne and her mother, who were crowded together chatting – most likely gossiping about the goings-on in the pack like the two kitchen staff Eve had previously eavesdropped on.

Joanne, who was pleasantly pleased, took Eve and assigned her a new assignment.