A Foxy Destiny

~Scout's P. O. V.~ Being a black fox is a wonderful feeling. I shift through the air, my feet dig into the ground. I was running along the coast line of Oregon. Laughing as I shift from my black foxy self to my human self. Running on the beach was so much fun. No humans, no werewolves to hunt me down, no mermaids to devour me or even shark people. It was a beautiful combination of land and sea. The moon was so bright and it danced on the ocean like a glistening opera. I got to my destination and sat along the sandy beach. The warm air from the summer coming in. It felt good to be here. "Scout?" My partner in crime. "Lance! Come join me!" Lance. I wished he was my mate. His golden brown hair was long and danced in the wind. His perfect green eyes never left mine. He was tall and buff to boot. One sexy fox. But he found his mate so long ago. She doesn't mind that we spend a lot of time together. In fact, we became friends too. Why doesn't she mind? She knows for a fact that I would kill him first if he tried something with me. "I brought booze and treats." He chuckled as he sat beside me. "How's Violet?" I asked as I took a bottle of gin from him. Sadly, this will only serve to get the pressure off my shoulders. We can't get drunk off of human-made alcohol. He took a bite of an apple tart. "She's good. She wants to take you on a shopping trip soon. Says your old wardrobe is looking too outdated." He shrugged. I had to laugh. "She's always the fashionista out of this little trio of ours." He finished the tart. "Yeah. Any luck finding your mate?" I sighed playfully. "He has to be out there somewhere. Probably in another Skulk. I will meet him when I meet him. And we'll make love right here, on this beach. In this spot." I said that with a hard T at the end. It made him jump and squeal. I doubled over laughing. "D-Do you really think that having s*x on the beach is a good idea?" I asked him while running out of breath. He scoffed and threw a cookie at me. "I hate you. Eat your damn cookie." He sat back down. I took a bite of Violet's cookie and it had me groaning. "Damn. She beats me again. Her cookies are divine!" He laughed at me this time. "Get good, scrub." I took a fake offense to that. "So rude." I was watching the moon rise higher. Looking out towards that vast open ocean, it made me feel complete. Like I didn't need a mate to make my life happier. "Why do you still come out here?" His question caught me off guard. I smiled sadly at him. "It's where I can get away from my Earth. My brothers are being a pain in my ass and mom wants me to take her position in a few months. I kept asking her, 'How can I be the leader of our Earth when I have no mate?' she always responds with, 'You will find him.' Blah, blah, blah." He snickered. "Are you Count Dracula now? Blah, blah, blah." He did the face and everything. I was laughing my ass off. We fox shifters have a way more playful soul than any other shifter out there. We loved Disney movies. Anything that was silly and funny, we loved. Our Skulk's main house has a rec center and we use it all the time. Our Koishi and Okami, leaders, are amazing people. Koishi Terrance and Okami Dani would allow us to basically do what we want as long as we stay away from Werewolves. They hunt us for sport. "Very funny." I laid back and looked up at the sky. "I'm 26 years old, why haven't I found him yet?" He laid back with me. "That's a good question. I can't answer that for you." I sighed and closed my eyes. "Who can I ask, then? I'm lonely, Lance. I know I don't need a mate, but I want one." I opened my eyes and stared at the stars. "I'm saving myself for him. I don't want to sleep with just anyone." I looked at him. He rubs my head, "I was devastated when we didn't turn out to be mates. But I am sure you'll find him soon." I wanted to believe him. "Maybe I should take a chosen mate, huh?" This had him sitting up hastily. "What? No. Scout, no. You'd be missing out on so much. Not only that, who would you choose? That lame brain hairball, Leon? Or maybe stuck up, pencil body Julius? No. I wouldn't let you go down that path." I poked his nose. "Leon isn't a bad choice. He's sweet like you. Sure he's got mommy issues, but that is part of his charm. Plus he has sisters. An Earth like his? I would be happy to call family." I laid back again. "And Julius may not be the most attractive, but he's got a good heart. And he paints." Lance just raised his eyebrows at me. "That the best you got? I didn't hear the word love there." I grunted. "Okay, yes. I am frustrated. But look at me, Lance. I'm almost in my 30's. I have needs like everyone else. I guess, to me, it hasn't been fair. I see you with Violet and I want that." "Hey." I looked at him. "You'll find him. And if you don't by your next birthday, I'll support you in taking a chosen mate." He smiled at me. I rolled on to my side. Great. Now I am sad. I need to go for a run. I got up and stretched. "Tell Vi I said thank you for the treats, Lance." I shifted and started running again. "Scout!" I didn't want to stay there. Am I happy that he and Violet are mates? Yeah. Of course, I am. He's my best friend. Am I jealous of her? I am. I really am. She got the perfect guy. I ran into the forest and laid down in a dark area. I need to get this mate business out of my head. I closed my eyes and thought of my favorite Disney movie. It's fun. Bright colored. I love Coco. It's family oriented. I love seeing the Alebrijehs. They looked like fun spirit guides. My favorite one was the dragon-looking one. The one we see as they cross the Marigold bridge. I thought of my second favorite. Encanto. Again, family oriented. Colorful. I loved Isa's dress. But I love Bruno. He's the best character. Alright. My third favorite movie. As I thought about the colors, it started to turn my mood. I need to run more, though. I went back on the beach and stayed in my fox form. I just turned off my brain and ran. Hours passed by and, suddenly, the sun was rising. I slowed and watched the sun rise on the beach. Sitting down as I watch. Mom will want me home soon. I wonder what happened last night. My brothers probably drove her crazy. My dad won't be back until next month. Koishi sent him to watch the movements of the wolves. Tch. Stupid mutts. I am so glad that I am a fox. If I was mated to one like those she-wolves are, I would kill myself. But yeah, dad is a spy for our Skulk. We don't spy for resources. We just track their patterns so we move away from them. Giving up on finding something fun to do. I headed back to my Earth. When I got inside, I was scared. It was quiet. Too quiet. I was almost to my room when my mom opened the door. She looked pissed. Turning on my light, she took me into my room. Slowly closing my door. "Where have you been?!" She crossed her arms. "I was worried that a wolf got you!" She pushed me to sit down at my desk. "I am 26, mom. I like going out." She shushed me. "I am talking, young lady." She started to pace my room. "All night, I was up all night worrying about you. What if you did run into a pack of those hunters?! You would be dead!" She came up to me and hugged me. "You're my only daughter. I don't know what I would do." I hugged her back. She is right. "I'm sorry, mom. I was just upset." She pulled back and cupped my face. "Oh, honey. About your mate?" I nodded. "Just wait a little longer. My heart says that you'll find him soon." She kissed my cheek. "When was the last time you slept?" I shook my head. "The other night." She pointed to my bed and that was it. That is how I ended my beach night.