DYLAN ||

I've been beyond stressed out today. Between the Alpha King scheduling yet another Alpha meeting, the recent rogue attacks, I was drowning in debt with my pack finances and my Beta Gabriel had found his mate after an Omega family put in a transfer request to join my pack last week. It's been a lot.

The only thing I could actually get a handle on was making room in my packhouse for my Beta and Avery. I mean Gabe already lived here, but he had rearranged damn near the whole house trying to make his mate comfortable. It's just been nonstop go, go, go.

His mate, Avery is really nice and the man was a lot smaller than Gabe, maybe 4 inches. There was no doubt it was because Avery is an Omega. It was nice to see Gabe find his mate after waiting as long as I have.

Gabe has been there for me since we were in diapers literally. My parents being the previous Alpha and Luna and his father being the previous Beta. It was only natural for him to become my Beta, the man was my bestfriend. The only one who could put up with my bullshit, calm me down when necessary, take on Maddox, my jerk of a wolf when he lost his shit and he's the only one who could last more than 5 minutes with me during training. The man was one of the most important people in my life honestly.

Which brings me back to the most annoying reason behind the massive headache I have today. I still haven't found my mate. I was raised to understand that a pack without a Luna, an Alpha without his Luna was nothing. We needed our Luna, she was the mother of the pack. The warmth, the gentle touch, the calm to my storm, the one who could hold it all together and love me the way both Maddox and I wanted to be loved.

To the rest of my pack, I may seem like a badass with my rough exterior, but on the inside I was nothing more than a huge gummy bear. All that I really wanted was to find my Luna, she's out there somewhere. I haven't been able to focus on much the past few days since my 23rd birthday had come and gone. My whole damn body was pulsating to the beat of finding my beautiful little shewolf.

My pack needs her, shit I need her. Maddox hasn't given me a moments peace about finding her. He wants his mate as much as I do.

"Damn right I do." The bastard growled. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yeah I know you damn brute. We will find her."

"How? You never leave our pack Dylan! Our mate obviously isn't here, so if you don't leave, how do you expect to find her dumbass?"

"I hate you dude."

"Likewise! How did I get stuck with you, idiot human."

I rolled my eyes again at my nonsense of a wolf, then blocked him out or tried. The bastard never actually stayed away, but I needed a damn minute. Getting up from my desk and leaving my office, I walked downstairs to see my Beta, Gabe and his mate Avery all cuddled up on the couch. Seeing their love hurt... and made me a little jealous.

Ok.. a lot jealous.

I want that shit man..

"Hey Alpha, where you headed?" Gabe asked, finally pulling his face from Avery's neck. His mate whined at the loss of his contact and I couldn't help but glare at both of them.

Happy fuckshits.

"I need to go for a run. Maddox is working my damn nerves, so I need to let him out and blow off some steam." I answered my friend, he stood up from the couch, pulling Avery with him.

"Alright, we can come with you. I don't feel comfortable with you on a run by yourself. Not with the rogue stuff happening."

I rolled my eyes at his explanation. Like I needed a damn chaperone. I'm the freaking Alpha, I'll be fine on my own.

"You don't need to come Gabe. You can go back to being annoyingly happy."

"No thanks Dylan, so unless you're commanding me to stay, then I'll be coming with you."

Ugh.. Damn it. Gabe only calls me by my name when he's actually being my friend and not my Beta. He knows how much I've been struggling lately, as my bestfriend and second in command, he should. I hate how happy he is, I mean I'm happy for him, I just- I don't-

Ugh! I just want my mate man!

Goddess, I sound bitter as fuck.

"Hella bitter." Maddox snapped at me. I didn't even try to force him back again. The big fuzzy bastard was going to keep making my life miserable if I did.

"Damn right I will, crybaby." He growled again, clearly reading my inner thoughts. I hate when he does that shit.

"Stay the hell out of my head Maddox!"

"StAy OuT oF mY hEaD mAdDoX... Kind of hard when I live in it." He mocked me. I hate him, I swear! I want a damn refund. The Moon Goddess owes me a new wolf, mine is too much of a headache!

"Love you too, bitter Betty."

I silently growled back at him, if that damn jerk keeps it up, I'll be finding my way to the pack hospital and drinking a nice big gulp of wolfsbane. Yeah, yeah I know. That's poisonous to werewolves, but as long as I don't drink a lethal amount, I'll be alright. Just sick for a little while and I might lose my connection with Maddox for a few days, which honestly doesn't sound like the worst idea.

"Screw you. You can't live without me, pissface."

Dick!

I turned my attention back to Gabe and Avery before answering them again.

"Gabe, you don't have to come with me. I'm serious, I just need to run."

"Ok." That was all he said, before he brushed past me with Avery in tow and walked out of the packhouse. I internally groaned before following them out. There was no point in fighting this, I didn't have the damn energy right now anyways.

Once we were outside, we all shifted. Maddox took the lead, Avery's wolf stayed in the middle as Gabe's wolf picked up the rear. I cursed myself for allowing Avery to even come along.

What kind of Alpha am I if I can't keep an omega safe? They're important to a pack, every rank is.

I decided to bring us to the Stone Waterfall deep within the forest surrounding my pack territory. It was a beautiful place honestly. The waterfall had these huge stones that produced through the water as it cascaded down from the mountain above. Various color stones lined the bottom of the river below and the surrounding area.

Moss grew perfectly here, the smells of nature and nothing but filled the air. The trees here were larger than the rest of the forest, the thick brush covered the forest floor and beautiful calla lilies bloomed all around.

It was my favorite place to come whenever I needed a damn break from pack life.

I never stayed long, the pull of my pack always calling me back and as a wolf, I don't like isolation, but for a few hours every once in a while, I could come here and pretend the stresses of my life didn't exist.

Maddox walked towards the waterfall, drinking from the river below as did Gabe and Avery's wolves before Maddox led us to a spot right next to the river where the Mountain stones were perfectly flat.

Hopping on top of one, he laid down, resting his head on his paws. Gabe and Avery's wolves were doing everything but relaxing. Watching them groom each other and lovingly rub against each other pinged that ugly emotion again. Jealousy...

If Maddox could roll his eyes in his form, I know he would. Instead we watched our Beta and his mate love on each other, until we heard a few twigs snapping under the weight of something else present.

Maddox stood up immediately going over to Gabe and Avery and placing his body in front of them, crouching down into a protective stance.

Blood.

That was the first scent that hit my nose before hearing another twig snap and a fierce growl ruptured through the air.

Pine cones and... Leather, with the faintest hint of sandalwood.

Damn, that scent..

It's like sex in the air.

The weirdest combination, but it worked so well. That scent, the presence of someone else here had Maddox's hackles raised and his body tense, but we also were intrigued by what that scent was.

Who did it belong to? Why the hell did it smell so ravishing?!

I was damn near drooling right now, internally my palms were sweaty, my heart was pounding in my chest. Goosebumps crept their way up my body.

What is this?!

Maddox was so damn quiet, it was starting to piss me off. I needed his help! What was happening right now?

The bushes started moving, the strongest energy I've ever felt was growing closer and closer. That scent growing stronger, the smell of blood followed suit.

That's when my eyes widened as I watched through Maddox's form. The back of what I'm guessing was a wolf was coming through the brush, dragging a deer underneath its body.

"Mate..." Maddox whined, then shifted so fast I didn't have time to brace myself before my whole body collided with the earth beneath me.

"What the fuck did you just say?!" I growled back at him. I've never heard him whine before, not like that.

He feels the most anxious that I've ever felt my jackass of a wolf feel. We're the damn Alpha, we're not supposed to feel anxious or cower in fear at the sight of our mate. What the hell is wrong with him?!

"Why don't you just shut up and look!" He growled again, tucking his ears back and crouching down as far as he could in the back of my mind.

I turned my attention back to what was in front of me when I heard Gabe and Avery's wolves whine obnoxiously loud and I swear, I shit myself.

My mate.. She.. she wasn't... she's not a..

"She's not a wolf." Maddox whined again as I could feel him getting way too defensive now.

He's right though, my mate isn't a wolf.

She's a fucking black leopard..

A feline shifter?! Damn it..

And huge at that.. I mean she looked like she was at least a few inches taller than Maddox's form.

Damn.. I know feline shifters are known for their strength and their domineering nature, but good Goddess, my mate was huge.

Her aura was damaging too and she wasn't even paying attention to us as she dragged her kill up one of the trees. Maddox had grown eerily quiet now.

I gulped pretty loudly before taking a step forward. I mean she's my mate, I've been waiting to find her for years, she wouldn't hurt me just for wanting to talk to her. Right?

Slowly I made my way to the tree where she was so gracefully laying on a branch, while enjoying her kill.

"Hi." I said, looking up at her. I wasn't prepared for the snarl that left her lips when she looked down at me. I jumped back, not wanting to startle her any further, but she stopped snarling and narrowed her eyes, taking me all in... I assumed.

I watched as she stood up from the branch she was perched on, then she leaped out the tree, landing perfectly on her paws.

Damn she's radiant and bless it all, she smells amazing!

Her large form stalked towards me. My eyes met hers, which by the way, were fucking gorgeous in her true form. The most unique, almost yellow or orange or like a color in between those stared back into mine. My breathing slowed down dramatically as my heart picked up its pace. She reached down and nuzzled her head into the crook of my neck, rubbing her scent all over me.

I smiled and ran my hands through her fur. Gently rubbing behind her ears when she purred. Dang it... that was the most seductive purr I've ever heard in my life.

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you beautiful." I whispered nuzzling my face into her fur and she purred again. The smile on my face grew to an obnoxious size.

"Can you shift for me pretty leopard? I want to meet your human." I smiled as I pulled back from my gorgeous mate. She licked my cheek before taking a few steps back.

Her bones started to crack and her shift begun, my heart pounded even harder than I thought it could. At this rate, a heart attack would be in my near future.

I licked my lips, seriously hoping they weren't dry because who the hell would want to meet their mate with dry lips?!

I turned around to look at Gabe and Avery with the biggest, most dumbest grin on my face. Gabe smiled back at me, while Avery gave me two thumbs up. I know my friends are happy for me, happy that I finally found her!

When I heard them both gasp, I burrowed my eyebrows in confusion before turning back to look at my beautiful mate.

I was anticipating the beautiful curves of her womanly form, her long hair cascading past her shoulders, her beautiful eyes staring into mine. Soft, slender fingers, soft sweet features. She probably would be shorter than me or maybe close to my height, judging off her leopards size.

However, that wasn't what I seen at all..

Hairy legs, strong legs at that, a V line, abs, strong and veiny hands attached to equally built, veiny arms.

Muscles cut to the Gods, broad shoulders, strong jawline, stubble that hugged that jawline and around those beautiful pink lips so perfectly.

Jet black hair, longer than mine, a lot longer. I had enough to run my fingers through, but my mate... my mate was currently pulling his longer than shoulder length, shiny black hair into a bun on the top of his head.

Yeah...

You heard me..

HIS head...

Not only is my mate a feline shifter, but...

My mate is a MAN...

___________________________

😂