The Luna's of North Haven

My alarm clock went off and pulled me from a rather sexy dream. I grumbled and shut the alarm off. Laying there I recalled the vivid details of the three sum “dream me” enjoyed. Just thinking about having a man and woman at the same time turned me on! I stretched and felt a shiver ripple down my spine, my wolf was getting anxious. I glanced and the clock and realized I had time to squeeze in a quick run before work. I rolled out of bed, threw on a sweater, and quietly made my way downstairs. I tiptoed through the kitchen and headed for the back door. As soon as I stepped outside the cold Autumn breeze blew against my bare legs and caused me to shiver. I jogged to the edge of the forest that butted up against my backyard. When I was just inside the tree line I stripped my clothes and folded them neatly on a tree stump just like I've always done. I took a deep breath and relaxed letting the familiar pain come to be as my bones and muscles shifted into their wolf form. After a few moments, I was on all 4's and I shook my head from side to side. I stretched first upward dog and then downward dog. I took a deep breath as the cold air filled my lungs, I howled and took off through the forest. As I ran, my thoughts were still stuck on the dream I'd been woken up from. I shook my head and pushed the thought out of my mind and focused on the forest around me. It felt great to let loose and stretch my muscles. I ran to the river which acted as a natural boundary that divided the North Haven pack territory and the Moon Bay pack territory. The closer I got to the river the more uneasy I felt. As soon as I reached the sandy banks I saw a large brown wolf on the other side. He howled and stared at me for what felt like forever. He finally lost interest and took off back into the forest. I took this as my queue to turn around and head home. When I reached the edge of the forest the sun was just starting to peek above the horizon. I relaxed and slowly shifted back to my human form. I got dressed as quickly as possible to avoid the cold. I loved the chill in the air since Autumn was by far my favorite time of year but it was also my least favorite. I loved everything about Fall, from the big comfy sweaters and fuzzy socks to the bonfires at the Packhouse and all the festivities. But fall had never been the same for me since around this time 2 years ago my dad and little sister died in a car accident. Since then, my mom and I have been pouring ourselves into anything to distract us from the pain. She started picking up shifts at the pack's hospital, where she works as the head Doctor. I poured myself into my photography and found a little studio on the edge of town that needed help. I also poured myself into my best friend who had become more than a best friend, she was a friend with benefits. I opened the back door, stepped inside quietly, and made my way to the kitchen. I started a pot of coffee and then headed up to my room to shower. After the shower, I quickly got dressed, did my hair, and put a little make-up on before I gathered all of the things I would need for the day. I did a once over in the mirror and made my way back down to the kitchen. When I got to the bottom of the stairs the scent of coffee hit me. I took a deep breath, set my bags down by the door, and went to the kitchen. I rounded the corner, flipped on the kitchen light, and screamed when I saw my mom sitting on a stool at the counter. My mom jumped and whipped her head around to glare at me. "Elena why the hell are you screaming?" "Why the hell are you sitting in the dark?!" I screeched. She grumbled at me and then returned to drinking her coffee. “At least I know where my love for mornings comes from!” I sighed as I crossed the room to the coffee pot. "I just got done working a 12 hour night shift. You do it and then tell me if you are a morning person!" She muttered. “Sorry, my bad. Why are you sitting here drinking coffee? You need some sleep.” I said pouring coffee into a travel mug. "I can't go to bed. The Beta's wife is in labor so they'll call me when she's about to deliver," She sighed. "Are you headed to work?" “Yup. I have a couple of photo sessions today!” I said adding sugar and French vanilla creamer to my coffee. “Well have a good day. I should be home for dinner. I'm going to rest my eyes. Love you!” She said as she stood up and shuffled out of the room. “Love you too, mom,” I called after her. I cleaned up the little mess I made and headed to the door. ********** When I got to work I began my normal routine of setting up my corner of the studio and getting my equipment together. I was almost done when the door chimed and my boss walked in. “Good morning Elena.” She grumbled. “Good morning Lillian!” I said. She pulled her designer sunglasses off and blinked hard a few times. I could see the dark circles around her perfect blue eyes. Most people would think she was gorgeous but she sure did love her parties and booze. She rubbed her temples, probably fighting off a killer headache. "A little hungover, are we?" I asked. “So what if I am. I have a large group coming in this afternoon at 1. Hopefully, you are free to help!” She snorted and headed to her office. “Of course!" I rolled my eyes when she was out of sight. I couldn’t stand her. She took most of my paycheck as rent for my little corner set, she was only a good photographer when she wasn't hungover and I edited most of her photos for her. I could feel the onset of a headache. The door chimed again and in walked my 8 am appointment, a few moments early.