Free A Lycan's Mate by Chandler Dee

Jurisa hustled through the pine forest
surrounding her community on light paws. Underneath her four feet,
the high mountainous landscape had already cooled and hardened for
winter. It, combined with the soft bed of pine needles, made the
running easier. Behind her, practically nipping at her heels, Beryx
kept up chase. He put his all into the effort of trying to catch
her as any potential mate would.
     
    She pushed herself to move faster. She'd been
practicing for weeks, memorizing the route she would take during
the hunt. She would not let a little things like the burning of her
lungs as she dragged in air hold her back. Jurisa had to be at top
form for the hunt.
     
    Sandy-colored Beryx in fully wolfen form put
forth an extra burst of energy and nearly overtook Jurisa. She
feinted left, then right, heading straight for the pit traps her
people dug earlier and managed to slow him down as he evaded the
obstacles. He was getting good. On previous runs, Beryx kept
falling into the traps. He appeared to have finally memorized their
placement. Too bad, she thought, admiring his persistence in
dogging her. Too bad he's a beta. Jurisa turned into a new section
of the run, one that her second hadn't been over lately.
     
    Counting on Beryx to keep pace with her as he
worked to push his alpha to her limits, Jurisa headed straight for
the trip wires. As she suspected, Beryx had slowed a bit on the new
terrain, but he still hugged her tail, close enough that she could
feel the steam coming off his panting breath. Jurisa counted her
steps. Not long before the trip wire. Her body screamed at her to
stop, but she couldn't do that yet. Not yet.
     
    Gathering willpower honed from years of
leadership, Jurisa forced her legs to keep moving. She watched for
the two large pine trees ahead where the nearly invisible trip wire
was tied between them. In the dark, it would be invisible.
     
    Jurisa leapt the wire in a perfectly timed
jump and heard a satisfying yelp as Beryx did not. She turned to
watch as he tumbled forward in summersaults before landing on his
muzzle. Jurisa pranced about, yipping at him in laughter. Her poor
second was having the worst time with this job.
     
    Beryx changed before her back into his human
form. He was dusty and dirty and looked altogether ready to quit.
Taking pity, Jurisa changed too. She held out a hand to help him
stand, which he gratefully took.
     
    "I think you're ready," he muttered, shaking
pine needles loose from his head.
     
    Jurisa didn't know about that. Despite all of
the practice, and the planning she still didn't feel ready. No
matter how hard she ran or what kinds of traps she laid, it wasn't
altogether certain who would catch her in the end. Jurisa sighed.
If only Eugen were still alive and not struck down by the terrible
fever that ran through their community last year. She spent a hard
year grieving for her mate and learning to bear the mantle of
leadership alone. Not entirely alone, she corrected herself.
Alexandru was growing up to be a fine, young man. A credit to his
father.
     
    The time for grieving had passed and alphas
from all over the area were clamoring for her to mate again. She
didn't like being made to do this so soon. If Jurisa wanted to keep
her community safe she'd have to pick a mate now. Without the
steadying influence of a mate, her body had already started
preparing itself to rut. Jurisa could tell she had only weeks left
before she went into heat. If that happened without a mate, all
hell would break loose.
     
    "Thank you Beryx," Jurisa said, "I think I
can navigate these woods blind now."
     
    Beryx smiled with his patented boyish grin,
obviously happy with the praise. His humiliation from moments ago
already forgotten.
     
    "It's an honor."
     
    Jurisa squeezed his hands between both of
hers before letting go. She turned to look around at the empty pine
forest. In a few hours it would be filled with her people, running
along the sidelines following the hunt from a