2 Running With The Alphas

JULY

The tent sides opened slowly. The Alphas howled rather loudly from the forest facing them. Mika's heart jumped to her throat, and her breathing increased rapidly.

" Let The Run begin! " The voice boomed through the tent. She could feel it reverberate in her chest. Everything started to slow down around her. Girls passed her, shifting in the process, and bound out towards the woods determined to try to find their mate in the Alphas.

She was so nervous.. She took off running eventually like the other girls, and watched as they all shifted around her. She found herself stunned for a moment wondering why they had shifted so early? Then she realized she was supposed to as well, and cursed under her breath.

Her nerves were going to embarrass the living hell out of her! Not to mention in front of a bunch of rowdy ass alpha wolves. "This isn't the time girl. Get ahold of yourself!" She snapped in her mind.

Nina cheered her on from the sidelines of her mind. " He's waiting. Get going! I know he is out there somewhere. He smells amazing~ "

As she ran by them, Mika thought many of the girls had beautiful wolves, but she questioned her own.. She was a whiteish brown, creamy mixed wolf. Other girls had what she considered beautiful, sleek, single colored coats. Brown, Light brown, some were pure white, and some were red. . All so pretty. Of course a few girls had multicolored fur like herself. But, it was more defined, and the patterns showed better. Her colors blended. All of her thoughts turned to doubts; normally resulting in her putting herself down considerably.

"You are hesitating. Shift!" Nina barked in the back of her mind.

She cleared her mind, and tried to stop hesitating. Tried not to focus on anything else except shifting. Within minutes she burst out into her wolf. Her tattered clothes fluttered to the ground behind her. Her shift was always quick, and she always did it gracefully.

Okay, Almost always.

Her speed picked up, and she took off quickly catching up to the end of the girls. She started passing them, and pushed harder. The freedom of being a wolf was quickly consuming her very essence. Was she this fast? Or were they catching a big old case of nerves now as well?

Sure she'd grown up running and playing with the hunters but surely she wasn't that fast.. Then again they were able to catch deer, and sometimes even wild cats within seconds once spotted. Or maybe the speed was genetic? Crystalleaf was known for having fast and agile wolves.

She kept going, pushing any lingering thoughts out of her mind, breaking into the forest at the head of the pack. It was beautiful tonight, the dew fell off of branches and leaves. The wind felt wonderful against her muzzle. The smell of fresh water and dirt mixed together invaded her senses. The fresh rainfall had done the woods good, and sent a sense of ease through her. She felt a buzz of delight as she dug her paws down harder propelling her faster.

" Go Mika, go!"

A giant stony colored wolf bounded out in front of her, and she tried to skid to a stop. The pull wasn't there at all. He stared her down as she approached. That was one way to find a Luna.. Be the first thing the girls see when they break the tree line. Or one was to scare them into being your Luna..

"Screw this...No pull, no stay. "

He was scary looking, and he had a strong scent. Though, it didn't smell right, or feel right. Not at all. She leaned down low, and went through his legs happily evading his body or being stopped by him. The girl kept going just happy to be running. This wasn't so bad so far. Though she wondered if any alpha ever got mad from stunts like the one she just pulled?

She clearly left him in her dust. She and Nina Inwardly laughed as they continued on. That is until another large wolf stopped in front of her. He was really tall, and staring right at her. His stark red fur was a muddy mess, and he all around looked scruffy? They circled each other, and she saw him shake his head a bit before leaping off. Apparently she wasn't his Luna.

" Thank God. " She didn't feel like they would have been a very good match at all.

She shook her head a little before she herself went off in the deep Woodlands. The scenery was beautiful, and she could tell not many people came this way. It was almost completely untouched by anything except nature itself. Even in the dead of the night it was aglow with fireflies. They lit the moss clinging to the trees, and illuminated the flowers clinging to the trees. Heavy vines full of water drooped all around her. She was in heaven. Yet, that feeling was leaving her the further into this beautiful scenery she went. It was absolutely infuriating! How had she not ran into him yet? Her Alpha was here. She knew it. She could feel it. The pull was so strong back at the entrance of the forest. The further she ran though, the farther away the pull was.

She longed to be with him right now. She longed for it with her entire being... Still, she wasn't looking forward to being with someone ominous. He shouldn't look at her like he'd snap her in half like a twig. She was supposed to find.. well.. what she was starting to see everywhere on her way back.

Love. Unconditional, Unbound, Untamed Love.

When she slowed down to a trot she spotted several more mated pairs. They were nuzzling together, cuddling for the moment, and some were even circling each other. Measuring each other up before touching noses or laying together. Chatting as wolves. As one. " That was fast.. " Mika sighed a little. A twinge of disappointment hit her. She figured her feelings earlier were a fluke. It had to be a false alarm. Nina was restless, but surely it was just nerves? She and her wolf longed still for what they were seeing. A few Alphas were left as well, just sitting and watching the others like her.

Both the red and grey Alphas were there. Staring at the pairs coming together. Both glanced at her, and acknowledged her sitting with them. As odd as it was it was also comforting to them. Someone cared enough to check on them. Even if it was a little nobody female. Minutes ticked by, and she stood. They glanced at her again before looking at each other, and back to her as she walked away from them. Each thinking the same thing.

" What an odd girl.. "

Mika stopped to take a drink from a nearby stream. Running through here was a chore. It really was a huge forest. What she had gotten to see was beautiful as well. Just as she thought, but it was also overgrown. Thus is made running in it fairly difficult. Especially the way she went. She didn't mind it though. She'd do it again and again until she reached twenty-five. It would probably end up being the highlight of her year.

Well, so she thought.

She padded off towards the forest's entrance unaware that The Run was still on. Honestly she figured most people were already with mates, and others leaving. Her pull had left earlier, so she hadn't thought it would come back. How wrong she ended up being.

It did come back. It hit her, and hard. She felt like she had walked into a wall, and froze in place. This was the same thing she had felt before going into the tent. That strong, safe feeling every girl dreamed of feeling eventually.

"Our mate is close Mika.." her wolf chirped.

The pull continued to grow stronger. Impatient even.

"Where is he then?" She asked impatiently not expecting to get an answer from the wolf himself.

~~~~~~~

He opened his eyes as a delicious scent hit him again for the second time that day. He hadn't really ran around like an idiot, so like he considered every other Alpha here. Jayce didn't think he was going to find his mate here, or ever for that matter. That was okay with him. No one to disappoint. No one in his family really ever did find their mate anyway.

He huffed quietly. So, that was just what he told himself. The truth was far worse.

Jayce had been determined when he started running. Yet, over the years he had stopped running after watching his far away friends get Lunas and mates. Even one of his closest friends found his Luna. She'd been right under his nose the whole time in his pack. Lucky bastard. He groaned.

The Northern Alphas hadn't found their mates either. Most of them. So far just the one had. One short stack wasn't running until next year, and the other two were currently in the run with him. It just wasn't fair. This should not be so hard. It shouldn't tax their minds as much as it was. Not that he needed to find a Luna. She would be a distraction. She would run from him. Every girl always did.

Jayce should have guessed from the scent that he had a potential mate here though. Scents don't lie. Neither does the pull. He'd felt them both, and it pissed him off that he just about ran out to find her. He never knew that the mate pull could be so strong; only that it got stronger with age.

His amber eyes slowly opened, and locked onto the slow creamy wolf. She wasn't really slow in his opinion, but she'd come to almost a complete stop. She looked as if she was struggling to even walk right now. She This wouldn't be a good match. He was far too impatient for that.

" Is that our mate I see?" his wolf seemed to growl with anticipation.

"Calm down now Koy. Haven't felt you this riled up in years.."

Jayce Mai was from the Moonwater pack. A pack that was ruthless, and seemed to be bordering on Lawless. No one cared much for the well being of the pack, and they had never had a real Luna. Not for long enough to count. They always ran. They were always subject to the law of the pack. Those who abandoned their family, deserved death.

So Death was served by the alpha.

Jayce hated it.

It had been about three or four generations now since the founding of the pack. That much time left it in quite disarray. Especially without a proper Luna to help oversee everything. The Luna's touch was gravely needed.

He stood, and stretched his legs as he kept her gaze locked onto his. He wasn't the largest male, but he was quite big. His amber eyes were sharp and cutting, he was a black wolf with bits of white and grey trimming him. He looked truly rouge like, but he was not in the least. Pretty much everything about him screamed warrior. His attitude had gotten him a reputation. The look he gave people around him said ' Try me.' Not that anyone ever did. Unless it was his knucklehead friends, and that was only before The Run began. After it was business, and then straight back home.

He walked towards his 'mate'. He was a twenty-five year old wolf. He'd been coming to the run for years.. around six or seven years. He'd lost count, and after twenty five you stopped coming. This would have been his last run. Still will be honestly.

She backed away slowly. A few other alphas had noticed this. She was a target wolf this year, and she didn't even know it. She hadn't backed away from any alpha. She didn't cower. She ran fast. Her scent was very strong, and nearly irresistible to many of them, they just couldn't catch her. So seeing her back away caught the attention of many, and so did Jayce. He ranked very high in terms of who was the strongest in the werewolf world.

Currently, he was third.

It dawned on her that she knew who he was. "Oh no.." He would be difficult to handle.. If he was from the Moonwater pack he would be very hard to get along with. Her grandfather used to keep her caught up in the matters of rankings and stuff. Especially in the past few years. She was after all entering a dangerous game. Suddenly she was glad she'd paid attention to his lessons during his visits.

Stories about Moonwater were everywhere. They didn't get along with most people, they liked to brawl and cause trouble, and they were the pack in need of a Luna the most. It was an almost unanimous opinion.

She gulped, but didn't cower in front of him. She was proud of herself for that. Though she was a little scared of this Alpha, she'd remained oriented. Mika was far too stubborn to simply submit. He held himself high. Almost as if he was looking down on her. Instead she watched him, and waited for him to do something.

He stopped for a moment, and watched her. She backed away, keeping at least a few feet in between them, but still wasn't trying to hide. If anything she was waiting on him. Watching him. She was so odd. Most girls wouldn't even come near him. Most guys wouldn't either for that matter. At least not after being challenged, and nearly killing the other trying for his title. He guessed they were afraid he would attack them on whim? It was against the rules though.

Jayce had been considering his mate might not be a girl since she hadn't shown up yet, but the wolf in front of him was certainly a girl. Not that he would have cared much. A mate was given for a reason. If his mate was a male, then obviously it was just meant to be that way. Though, the thought of having a mate wasn't high on his list, he still did want one. Deep inside was a longing that had started to burn more and more with each passing year.

He scanned her features momentarily, her eyes caught his attention the most. She was very pretty, not a bad build as a wolf, and had other attributes that he liked. Those eyes though.. They saw through him.

Mika had the most clear ocean colored eyes speckled with emerald green. What a combination. Most would have considered him lucky. She was beautiful. Even Koy agreed. Jayce could almost certainly see her being beautiful in human form as well. He could just about picture her every feature. She already consumed his mind.

Mika grew annoyed with waiting on him, and decided with a little growl to walk past him, letting her tail brush his cheek as she did. She stopped just behind him as if to ask if he was going to follow. Just that little act sent chills through Jayce. The others watched them with envy, or shock in most cases. The ( Possibly) best candidate for Luna this year was the mate to Jayce Mai. The Coyote King.

Little did Mika know he had a temper the size of a mountain. Or that she was going to trample right over it with little issue.

Little did he know, so did she. Yet, Jayce wasn't going to get off so lucky. He wasn't the king of his mountain. He was buried under it. Begging for help. Waiting for someone to see him, and bring him out of the tomb he had built for himself.

The run was over for them. They found each other, though they might not have been what they each expected. She was a childish girl, calm, playful, and creative. He was a rough Alpha, tense, hiding, waiting for help. Neither really what was going to happen. Just that it was going to take a lot of work, time, and patience.

She exited the tree line, and trotted towards the tents to shift back and change into the spare clothes provided by whoever hosted The Run.

Jayce felt wonderful chills run through him as she went by. He watched her quietly before Koy invaded his personal bubble.

"Bold girl..." The wolf snickered. " I like her. "

He watched her with interest until she seemed to be asking if he was coming or not. "Hm.." He decided to follow her out. Might as well leave prying eyes. He really did not want the attention he was getting.

It was getting late anyway, and most of the wolves had found a mate or had given up finding them. He didn't see a reason to stick around any longer. So he walked along behind her, leaving the vast Woodlands behind them.

Clothes were laid out on tables with names assigned to them. She grabbed hers in her mouth, and padded into the tent to change. She was nervous. So nervous. Mika messed with her clothes, trying to make herself look a little more presentable. Who was she kidding? She'd just come out of the woods. Leaves and twigs were probably all in her hair. Not to mention the mud.. She chewed on her lip, and decided to make a b-line for the showers.

The showers were just outdoor stalls, lined up next to each other. Crude in every sense of the word. Still, it offered a little comfort. She could be at least a little more presentable. She quickly scrubbed the dried mud from her skin, and washed her hair quickly. After drying mostly, and dressing as well, she attempted to brush the remaining twigs from her hair. Once satisfied with her work she smiled. At least she looked better now, and she wouldn't make a huge mess on the way to her new home.

Now her thoughts could come back to mess with her. The ruthless and cruel Alpha of the Moonwater pack was her mate. Her nerves just wouldn't leave her alone anymore. It was like they were on steroids!

When Mika left the tent again she was taken by complete surprise. She has never seen his face before. She'd never seen many other Alphas before. But, she could certainly tell who he was. she had no doubt in her mind at all.. He was leaning on a table. Tall, more pale than tan, and rather handsome. So he wasn't tan. She didn't mind. His looks weren't really supposed to affect how you saw your mate. She would grow to get to know him and love him even if he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Clearly, that was not the case here.

He was pretty much completely clean as well. Even as a wolf he wasn't dirty. He'd been laying on a rock perched above a trail. " At least we have to wear the same thing for the time being.. ''She said softly, feeling a little less embarrassed. The only clothes they were given were fitted to their bodies. Just a simple white tank top, and black pants.

Jayce heard her, and his eyes snapped directly onto her once more. It was like a freaking magnet pulling her straight to him, but she walked at her own pace rather than ran up to him. Or more embarrassingly, threw herself at him. Oh, how she wanted to though. She wanted to be lovey dovey with him. Have him hold her close. Control over this was painfully annoying.

He crossed his arms, waited, and watched. It was unnerving in the best way.

His jet black hair was cleaned up, and styled. Guys had luck like that. She was sure she looked like a wet mop right now. She was face to face with him. A scent something like fresh rain and the air on a starry night filled her. Oddly specific, but she adored it. It felt like home, and she never wanted the smell to leave her senses. " Alpha Jayce I'm guessing? " she asked meekly.

Meekly? Since when was she so submissive?!

He nodded, " Mika.. My Mate. " he said, his voice rather rough, and hesitant. Koy was begging to show himself, and he thought about letting him. Public probably wasn't a good idea to attempt to mate her though. More privacy would be ideal. If he mated her at all. Koy could go be a grumpy wolf in the corner for all he cared.

He wanted nothing to do with her really, but she filled every part of him the closer she came. Sweet peas and gardenia. Such girly things, flowers, but she wore it well. Very well. Almost too well.. His mind started to spin, and his thoughts started to spiral out of control.

It didn't fit his image at all.

He wanted her wrapped around him, in his arms, her soft lips locked onto his. He saw her squirm under his gaze, and smirked a little. So he did have some kind of influence on her? That was good to know. For a moment he had started to think he really couldn't even intimidate her. What kind of Alpha would he be? " Lets go. I don't want to be here anymore.. Your stuff has been collected already. I just want to get home, and crash. " Jayce waved her to walk with him.

He wandered around for a few extra minutes. He made small talk with some other Alphas, and congratulated them on their success. He had to. It was ' Polite'. Like he gave a shit.. When congrats were thrown his way he brushed them off with ease. Again, he didn't exactly care. But, this was important. Everyone sized each other up after The Run. Every once in a while he would catch glances at his little mate. Each glance he caught annoyed him to no end, and he tried to ignore it. " She's my Mate not a meat asshole.. " A thought that continued to circle through his mind no matter how hard he tried to make it go away.

For now. He wouldn't say anything for now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well then.. It was weird, and rude. He didn't even grab her hand, he didn't pick her up, or pull her along. He just motioned for her to follow him. How nice was he, huh? She couldn't really expect him to be nice though. At least not yet. They did just meet. Both of them had a lot of talking to do if they were going to be a successful pair.

Maybe when she got to know him better he might be nicer. She was filled with resolve to worm her way into his heart. Why would she want to be there? She had no clue. His pull on her was undeniable, and she very much liked to be around him already. Even if Jayce was an Asshole Mika felt that she would come to love him very much.

Only time would tell if she could make him crack.

~~~~~~~~

He pulled her around for a good ten minutes before they made it to the car waiting on them. Her things were in the trunk. She was surprised when he pushed her into the backseat with him rather than put her in the trunk with her bags. Not that she would say it. He might agree that she belonged there. . .

Yay.

Another car ride. Mika had been practically invisible this whole time, and she didn't suspect it was going to change on the car ride back to his territory. If she remembered correctly from her lessons. . She paled if possible. They lived on opposite sides of the U.S. They should be on their way to North Dakota. Her heart suddenly longed for the safety of her Southern home in South Carolina.

He was already ignoring her. Or rather still ignoring her. This was going to be a hellish ride. She was freaking out a little. She had little to no winter clothes, a hair brush, some toiletries, and a few trinkets. She basically had nothing, and was currently heading into a cold new home. How could it get worse? Her mate ignored her instead of comforting her.

Obviously.

And, that is just what happened for most of the ride.