Time for beaches and cocktails

Evening brought with it a simple serenity. The world, and even life itself, seemed so much easier and at peace once the veil of night had settled over everything. The chirp of crickets in the mild spring night leant their sounds to a nocturnal chorus, accompanied by the waves of the ocean that surrounded their island home. It was the only time of day Alastor really took the time to drink in the perfection of the life he'd managed to build with Manea here. He still didn't know if he believed that he deserved all of the good that had come to him since the day the incredible Mendacium woman walked into his life, but far be it from him to deny or argue with whatever deities had bestowed this paradise upon him. While Manea was busy putting their youngest litter to bed, Alastor laid out by the dying fire just outside the mouth of the den, enjoying the lovely evening and gazing up at the sea of stars in the nighttime sky. After some time, the soft sound of padded paws approaching him made the dire brute's ears swivel back, his head turning in time to greet his violet mate as she settled in at his side for some cuddling and unwinding.

Alastor leaned in closer to nuzzle the back of Manea's neck with gentle affections, lifting one strong foreleg to drape a giant black paw across her side. Manea was the first to break the silence, bringing up the conversation she'd had earlier with Avacyn. "Oh, is that so?" Alastor remarked with an intrigued raise of a brow while his beloved mate filled him in on the details of their talks of succession and abdication. The giant wolf breathed a long, wistful sigh, putting on a dramatic show of looking forlorn. "I always knew this day would come... The day when I become too geriatric and arthritis-ridden to continue to lead. Pretty soon I'll be seeing the Reaper everywhere I look, and- oh, wait, is that a gray hair I see in my tail? Oh, woe is me! Poor, poor old man Alastor!" Alastor grinned a wide, toothy smile as he put on the theatrics, but in truth he also felt the same bittersweetness that Manea did knowing that their eldest pups were no longer the little babies he used to carry around on his back, and would now be leaders of their pack. He was so incredibly proud of Avacyn and Saracyn, but a part of his heart still yearned for those easy days of carting them around like they weighed nothing.

"So, what's the first order of business as retirees then, my love?" As alphas, most of their years had been dedicated to the establishment and operation of Elysium. Now that the pack would be under new management and they could be hands off, they could finally do all the things they wanted to but hadn't had the luxury of free time or freedom for. There were a number of things Alastor could think of that he'd enjoy doing, but he was also curious about what Manea had in mind for their abundance of free time.

"Manea & Alastor Mendacium"