Evergreen

three.

When Sage drove into work, she always counted how many administrative spots were taken up.

Depending on how many members of The Elder Council showed up usually told her how her day was going to go. The fewer the better.

And sadly, today when she arrived all seven of the spots were taken. 

She wasn't surprised though, in two weeks the fall mating season began. The fall equinox was important in all werewolf communities. It was the harvest season and the traditional time for all unmated wolves to start "looking" to settle down if they hadn't before.

In the past, her parents used to throw the most lavish balls to celebrate the season. Wolves from across the country would travel to Black Maw just to be in the room of the most eligible Lycans of society. 

Now, the season simply was marked by a pre-meeting and small luncheon in the cafeteria of their community center. 

The meeting was only for those who were unmated. And Sage was currently running late for hers.

As she walked in to the office building, she hurriedly took off her jacket and set down her purse behind the reception desk. Looking in the reflection of the desktop computer, Sage fluffed her day 3 wash-n-go to life. 

She always felt her best on day 3.

Her hair was a thick coily cloud as black as night. Today, her hair lightly brushed past the tops of her shoulders, when it was straightened it poured down her back like slick onyx oil.

Glancing at the office phone, she saw on the small screen it was going on eleven o'five. Her meeting was at 11 sharp. However, even with knowing she was late, Sage took care to gloss her lips before grabbing her usual notepad and pencil case to meet with the Council.

When she approached the expansive dark wooden doors that led to the conference room, she could hear hushed chatter behind it. She could only imagine the gossip with her tardiness. Sage rolled her eyes as she braced herself to knock on the door and announce her presence.

3 soft knocks and the room behind the doors quieted immediately.

"Come in." A male voice answers.

Several pairs of eyes are on her as soon as she is abled to be consumed. Many of the elders were not senior citizens or any way "elderly" at all. They were simply old  and supposedly wise enough for people to rally behind them.

"We were worried about you." Elder Viktor Cross spoke first.

There was a twitch in Sage's lip as she resisted the urge to snarl at him. She was so sure the five minute tardiness caused a stir in his heart. He was a nosey little bastard.

"Thank you all for waiting on me." Sage politely responded, taking a seat at the end of the long square conference room table they were at. 

It was a very large conference room. There were at least 15 large leather chairs surrounding the table and The Council sat at the far end with Cross in the middle. Sage sat directly opposed to him.

On the walls of the room were portraits of Black Maw territory. A lot of the pictures taken during Sage's grandfather's reign over the territory. Directly behind where The Council sat, there was a giant portrait of them all in their wolf form. Elder Cross in the center, in full howl at the moon above.

Before, that's where the picture of her mother and father's first run together used to sit.

But that's a story for another time.