The Littlest Mate

A Midnight Run

Dakota Shaw sat at his desk staring blankly at the computer screen. He was supposed to be working on financial expense reports, but his mind kept wandering off into space. He’d found himself more and more distracted lately. Being the Alpha of the Blue Moon pack wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. In fact, sometimes it could be downright boring, especially today. It was the monthly expense reports that were the bane of his existence. It wasn’t that he disliked math. Math was actually one of his best subjects in school. But having to add up and balance numbers for three days straight was tedious and it just didn’t seem like the sort of thing an alpha should have to suffer through once a month. Of course, Dakota didn’t have to suffer alone. Expense reports were something he could’ve passed on to his beta to take care of, if he chose to. But, being a perfectionist, he opted to take care of the reports himself just to make sure everything was done to his personal satisfaction. Speaking of his beta, a knock at the door jolted him from his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

“Come in.”

The young alpha leaned back in his chair as beta Elliot opened the door and popped his head in.

“You look bored out of your mind. Expense reports?”

Elliot quirked an eyebrow as a smile began to form at the corner of his mouth. Dakota sighed and let out a joyless laugh.

“Gee, how did you know, Elliot?”

Elliot shrugged his shoulders, then walked over to his friend and slumped into the chair on the other side of the desk.

“Eh, lucky guess. You had that ‘I hate my life’ look about you.”

Dakota nodded and groaned, seeming to agree with his best friend’s assessment of his current situation.

“You’d hate your life too if it consisted of nothing but training, writing reports, and going to endless functions all by yourself. I’m 28 years old and it seems all I ever do is work, eat, and sleep. When was the last time we got to hang out and do anything fun, anyways?”

He waited for a reply as Elliot rubbed his chin between his fingers, thinking about the alpha’s obvious plight.

“Hmm, I see what you mean. You know what you need?”

“What?”

“A mate! Mates make everything better.”

“You would know…”

Dakota sighed again, running his fingers through his jet black hair as he tried to focus on the computer screen in front of him. Elliot ignored the doom and gloom attitude of the brooding alpha and continued to gush about how wonderful mates were.

“Exactly! I can tell you firsthand just how great mates are. Jilly and I have been together for almost 6 years now, and let me tell you, it’s been absolutely wonderful! I don’t know what I’d do without her. Your problem is you’ve been spending the past decade devoted to the well-being of this pack, but you haven’t taken good care of yourself in the process. How can you expect to be the best alpha you can when you’re living the life of a lonely bachelor? It’s time you get out and find your other half!”

Dakota shook his head and gave Elliot a look of despair.

“Believe me, I didn’t choose the bachelor life and not finding a mate wasn’t for lack of trying. I’ve been hoping to find her for years now, Elliot. It just doesn’t seem to be working out for me…”

“Come on, man. Be honest. If you wanted to, we could hold a pack wide event for you to find your mate, but you hardly even mingle at the parties and celebrations you do go to. What are you expecting, for her to just appear out of thin air and fall into your arms?”

Elliot tilted his head slightly, waiting for Dakota’s reply. Dakota thought for a moment, the image of a beautiful mate in his arms popping into his head. It was a nice idea, to be sure, but Dakota knew how unrealistic that was.

“I don’t know… you know I’ve never been a big group kind of person. I feel lost in crowds and gatherings, it’s just not for me. I’m not looking for a fairytale, obviously, but it would be nice just to find someone without all the pomp and circumstance, you know?”

Elliot nodded, thinking about how he met his own mate. They had bumped into each other by chance at a local coffee shop and everything just fell into place. No big events or fireworks, but there were definitely sparks. He smiled to himself softly, but then remembered where he was and turned his attention back to Dakota.

“Yeah, I get it. But sooner or later, you’re gonna have to get serious about finding your Luna. After all, she’s an important part of the pack too. We need her just as much as you do. And you won’t find her just sitting here.”

Dakota sounded defeated, ready to change the subject to anything else.

“Maybe you’re right… I’ll think about it. For now, I think what I could really use is a break. What would you say to me treating you and your lovely mate to lunch?”

Elliot beamed at the idea.

“I’d say I better call Jilly!”

“Great! Let’s get out of here. This office is suffocating me.”

Dakota shut the computer down and grabbed his car keys from the desk. Elliot got up, ready to follow him out of the room. He had to admit, the office did seem a bit drab at the moment. He hoped the alpha would find his mate soon, because this place could really use a woman’s touch. As he fell in behind Dakota to head out, he dialed his mate’s number and told her to meet them outside. Hopefully a lunch break would help clear everyone’s head and put Dakota in a better mood.

                                                                                xXxXxXx

Nightfall seemed to settle over the farm far too quickly for Myka’s liking. She’d had a busy day out with her brothers at the mall, and now she was just too excited to fall asleep. Maybe it was all that sugary candy her brothers spoiled her with. They hid the evidence from their mom of course, though it didn’t escape Johanna’s attention how hyper Myka had seemed at dinner. She couldn’t help having a sweet tooth. It was something her mom said she got from her dad. That man was always hoarding sweets. The thought of her father made Myka smile as she lay in bed snuggled up with her new stuffie that Matthieu bought her from the make-a-friend shop. She remembered how he used to take her on horseback rides in the evenings. They would ride to the top of a nearby cliff and watch the sunset together. It was one of her favorite memories of him, holding her in his strong arms while they sat in the saddle.

Myka sighed and sat up in her bed. Thinking about her dad and his horse made her restless. She decided that if she couldn’t sleep, she would visit her father’s horse, Cobalt. She liked to take care of the horses in the stables and talk to them when nobody else was around. She quietly pulled on her slippers and crept from the bed to her window, not wanting to wake anyone else in the house. She expertly climbed down the tree outside her window and made her way to the farm stables. Finding Cobalt’s stall, she whispered into the darkness.

“Cobalt?”

The horse snorted at her, causing her to giggle. She ran her fingers through his soft, dark mane.

“I’ve missed you so much, friend. How are you, boy?”

Myka continued to stroke Cobalt’s mane as he neighed contentedly and pawed his hoof along the ground. Cobalt was a stunning black steed with the sleekest coat Myka had ever seen. He reminded her of her dad’s wolf, matching his fur. They had a unique relationship with each other. Horses tended to be frightened by wolves, but the Kensingtons were known for breeding horses that were not afraid of their werewolf owners. It took time to build trust between the magnificent creatures, but the horses came to trust and love their wolf-shifting masters. Horses were actually an important part of the Blue Moon Pack. Being a werewolf community in Texas came with its own set of unique traits and challenges. Many members of the pack lived on farms and ranches, and horses came in very handy for them to work the land. Blue Moon Pack had the best well-trained horses in the region and it was a source of pride for them to cultivate such a special relationship with the tamed beasts. Myka smiled as Cobalt nuzzled her shoulder, playfully nibbling on her nightgown.

“Hey, now. That’s not food. Would you like a snack?”

She reached over the stall door and unlocked the latch, letting Cobalt free to follow her to the garden nearby. Climbing across the fence that surrounded the garden, she plucked a couple of small carrots from the ground and then straddled the fence post as Cobalt came close. She held her hand out to him and he happily munched on the carrots. Myka laughed as his nose tickled her hand.

“You’re such a good boy, Cobalt!”

She talked with him for a while longer before bringing him back to his stall. It felt good to connect with a part of her father. But Myka was still restless. Perhaps what she needed was a midnight run to clear her head and get her energy out. She stepped outside of the stables and looked around. The farm house stood quietly in the distance. All she could hear was the occasional cricket chirping. All was silent and not a soul was around for miles. She knew her mother and brothers would be beside themselves if they knew she’d snuck out in the middle of the night. They would probably lecture her to no end and refuse to let her out of their sight. But Myka couldn’t care less. She could feel the call of the forest nearby and as the moon bathed her in its inviting beams, she knew what she had to do. This was her alone time, her chance to run freely and discover the world in an exciting way. She began to run towards the treeline and soon shifted into her wolf form, her golden fur glistening in the moonlight. Yes! This was exactly what she needed. The sounds of the forest were like music to her ears as she ran deeper and deeper, exploring the earth around her. Little did she know she was about to come face to face with fate.

                                                                            xXxXxXx

Dakota was frustrated with himself. Unable to sleep, he’d decided to go for a run. He’d endured the better half of his day listening to Elliot babble on about finding him a mate. Elliot had even attempted to enlist Jilly’s help to plan a pack-wide event. Thankfully, Jilly politely pointed out to him that it was Dakota’s decision whether or not he wanted to host a gathering. She reminded her all too eager mate that there was nothing wrong with Dakota wanting to take his time and search for a luna the old fashioned way. Dakota had to admit, he really liked Jilly. She was the perfect mate for Elliot, reining him in when he got carried away. He hoped that when he finally did find a mate, she would get along well with Jilly. If his mate was half as kind and wise as Jilly, he would be proud to call her his own.

It had been a while since he’d shifted into his wolf form. He’d been busy lately handling various affairs for the pack and with the exception of training, he hadn’t found much time to himself to just let his wolf free. So tonight was the perfect night for him to get all his frustration and stress out. He loved running through the forest at night. It made him feel more connected to his ancestors, and reminded him of his roots. Dakota wasn’t just the alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, he was also native American, hailing from the Wichita tribe. He was proud of his heritage, especially knowing that his lineage came from a long line of alphas and well respected tribe leaders. Though his pack had members from all walks of life, different races and cultures mixing to form a unique community, he still liked to incorporate his native traditions into every aspect of the pack.

As he traversed the familiar paths through the trees, he thought about what it would be like to have a mate. He didn’t know what he was looking for as far as what she might look like, but he knew he wanted to find someone strong and independent. Someone who would care for his pack just as much as he did. Someone invested in the ways of their culture who would honor their traditions. He was so deeply lost in thought that he almost didn’t pick up on a new scent coming from nearby. The faint smell of apple blossoms reached his nostrils, causing him to stop and sniff the air. His wolf began to grow excited as he realized what it meant. Mate!

“She’s here, she’s close by!”

Dakota’s wolf began circling in a tight knit pattern, whimpering as he continued to sniff the air, ready to follow the trail to his mate. But he could sense Dakota’s apprehension in the back of his mind. Dakota, as strong and fierce as he was, was suddenly terrified and felt frozen. Was this really happening? Had he really just found his mate? Surely it was too good to be true. After all, it had been a decade since he’d come of age and he’d never been able to find her. But there was no mistaking the mate bond as the scent grew stronger. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, basking in the aroma as much as he could. It was absolutely intoxicating. His wolf howled as he broke out into a run, ready to chase after his long awaited luna.

                                                                                xXxXxXx

Myka hadn’t realized how far she’d wandered away from her family’s land. She was so enraptured by the beauty of the forest that she stopped paying attention to her surroundings like she should. It wasn’t until she was several miles out that a sound stopped her in her tracks. It was the howl of another wolf. She hadn’t realized there were any others in the area. Unsure of what to do, she cautiously padded her way through the trees into a nearby clearing, following the moonlight above and hoping that she might recognize something to lead her back home. As she came to the edge of the untouched field, she gasped at the sight before her. Fireflies filled the space, giving off their light in beautiful shades of green, yellow, and orange. She slowly ventured further into the clearing. She was mesmerized by the magical bugs. Her wolf soon took over, rolling along in the grass and jumping, nipping at the winged insects playfully, enjoying the scenery. But then, something floating along the gentle night breeze made her sit up, fully alert now. It was a scent like nothing she’d ever smelt before. The overwhelming smell of cedar mixed with pecan caused her wolf to stir. This was a totally foreign sensation for her and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. All she knew was that the scent made her feel calm and warm and happy all at once.

She was suddenly aware that she was no longer alone. She could feel that she was being watched from a distance. Her wolf could feel that she was a bit frightened and began to look around. After a few moments, her sight settled along the treeline at the opposite end of the field and she found two brilliantly lit eyes staring back at her. They were an icy blue color that took her breath away. Her own hazel eyes shone brightly in the moonlight as she and the other wolf held each other’s gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Her wolf felt in awe of the magnificent beast before her. She whispered a single word in her mind and everything suddenly fell into place. Mate…