Alisson's Escape

Preparations

Light rays trickled in from the window and crawled towards the sleeping occupants of the room. The smaller figure stirred when they felt the gentle sunrays rest on their closed eyelids, which caused the bigger of the two to groan and tuck their head under the duvet.

Morning came in its gentle and unwanted fashion for the two leaders, they had spent the previous day running around and putting things in order, for the arrival of the Blue Moon pack today. Both were tired and in need of proper rest but had many things that demanded their attention.

Final preparations were left for this morning when pack members started dropping from exhaustion(which was saying a lot seeing as they were werewolves) the evening of yesterday.

Alisson groaned and muttered incoherently before getting out of the bed urging her to stay, "no ....I can't," she mumbled sleepily as she shuffled on uncoordinated feet to the bathroom.

She blinked slowly at the mirror and sniffed lightly, she smelt like she had run and crashed into a field of cooking Ingredients; she was the Luna so anything involving food usually fell on her shoulders. Sorting through their store of food was how she spent most of the previous day; separating what could be used from what could not then calculating the most efficient way to make use of it and determine how much food will be needed to feed the visiting pack was a difficult task.

There were seventy-three people visiting, from the letter Alpha Kayden had sent; Fifty-two men and twenty-one women, so provision had to be made to adequately and comfortably house and care for them.

It was not just food, daily necessities, personal care products and even entertainment had to be provided. The pack's guesthouse was scrubbed till it gleamed and was ready for occupying.

It was a daunting task because everything had to be done with precision and perfection but Alisson had done it so many times she could do it in her sleep.

The Moon Shadow pack was famous for its friendliness and hospitality and she endeavoured to keep it that way and create a memorable experience for the Blue Moon pack.

"Good morning," Henry said as he sleepily stumbled into the bathroom, he wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a light kiss on the side of her neck.

"Good morning, how was your sleep?"

"Not enough," came the grumpy response as he burrowed his face into the mating mark on her neck. Her mating mark (like that of other wolves) was an image or for others a symbol. If a human were to see her mark they would think it was a tattoo; with its black design and complex detailing it was a sight to behold. The mark pictured a wolf curled loosely with the tip of its tail by its nose, vines and stems with little flowers sprouting from them sporadically, encasing the creature. Henry believed strongly that it was protecting the wolf but Alisson knew it was trapping it. The blond had an identical mark on the right side of his neck as opposed to her own which was on her left.

They went through their morning routine with practised ease and had breakfast together on the table. Conversation flowed freely with Alisson listening more than speaking. They stepped out and went their separate ways with a goodbye kiss and a promise of meeting for lunch; Henry was off to meet with the pack warriors and Alisson to the communal kitchen, where meals were prepared for large gatherings and events.

The cooks were charged with the responsibility of feeding their guests for the duration of their stay and they had to ensure it was to the liking of everyone. Werewolves rarely had diseases or serious afflictions but it was important to take into consideration the possibility of allergies.

After visiting the kitchen it was off to the communal gardens.

She occasionally stopped to greet one person or the other and waved at the occasional cyclist; bicycles were the only tolerated form of transport but most wolves chose to walk, only opting for the vehicle when they had to convey a large number of goods. The garden was the same as always; a wide area of land brimming with fruit trees, flowers and vegetables. It was more of a small forest than a garden.

She signalled for one of the attendants; a young wolf of about thirteen decked in a large brown apron and instructed that he deliver whatever ripe or semi-ripe products he could find to the kitchen. She strolled through the area taking note of the healthy plant life and occasional critter, with pride. The girl she was some years back would have never imagined feeling this way; content in knowing her people were thriving and healthy. It made her feel warm and accomplished when she saw the smiles on their faces.

She loved being Luna.

She found a bench to sit on and took in the calm breeze, flutter of bird wings and the tranquillity of the garden. It had a peaceful atmosphere that made any disruptive noise seem taboo. She rarely had time to just sit back and take in the scenery, it was always work and responsibility that took up her time, leaving very little room for relaxation.

She dreamed of the day she and Henry would retire like his parents. The minute Duncan handed over the alpha position to Henry, he was free of the burden and allowed to do as he pleased; the same went for Penelope. Even though they helped and assisted them in running things, it was mostly done sparingly and on rare occasions. They spent most of their time in well-deserved idleness in their not-so-little cabin.

No matter how much Alisson disliked her, Penelope had been a great Luna and nothing could change that. She was devoted, driven and caring; everything Alisson hoped she would become one day, and though they talked about leaving to travel the world, the older couple never acted on it.

Alisson glanced up at the lazy sun in the sky and stood to her feet, she made her way back to her home, mentally going over the ingredients and steps to prepare lunch. Henry would be heading back for their planned meal soon, so it was better to start preparing It now. The Blue Moon pack will be arriving sometime before dinner so she had enough time to make last-minute changes and freshen up.

Around five o'clock, they had received a message from border patrol that a large number of wolves were spotted travelling in their direction in off-road vehicles. Usually, visitors coming from far distances or with a large party, travel in cars then parked them at the edge of the pack's border. It was done to avoid attracting the attention of humans as a large number of wolves travelling in a direction would raise unwanted questions.

When they reach the border, a party is then sent to pick them and the remainder of the journey is completed on foot.

The party was sent out to collect them and others were directed to ensure everything was in place and ready.

Alisson, Henry and Hunter were to receive Alpha Kayden and his daughter in Duncan and Penelope's home. All seven of them would have dinner together while the other wolves would be taken to the guesthouse and served their meal, which was an appropriate arrangement that will allow the leaders to dine in a comfortable and intimate setting.

Alisson fiddled with the tip of her braided hair as she waited for their company to arrive. She stood beside Henry who was next to his father, with Hunter at the edge; who she had exchanged smiles and funny looks with, behind the father and son pair. To her right was Penelope who had a wide excited smile on her face and was not giving her any trouble for once. They stood outside the older couple's home in wait for their guests, who would be arriving any minute.

Alisson was confident in everything she had prepared but could not help the nervousness and worry she was feeling, she had never met them before and hoped to make a good enough impression.