Chapter One: the she-wolf

"I saw her, Father! I smelled her, too! I know what was there!" Conrad was furious. His father thought he was daft. No, his father thought he had lost his ever loving mind.

"Son, be reasonable. It has been over a 1000 years since a pure white wolf has been seen or even heard of. In fact our pack is one of two out-of hundreds who even remember the legend, let alone believe it! There is no way you saw or smelled a white she-wolf! Just no way!"

"Damn it, Father! I am not crazy. I am NOT hallucinating. I know what I saw. What I smelled! And she is my MATE, for Goddess' sake! I know it!" Conrad was beside himself.

He had been out for a run. Conrad was a werewolf (human and wolf). His wolf, Leo, was antsy all day. "What is up with you, Leopold? You are driving me darn near crazy!" No response other than his wolf just racing around in his head wanting to run. "Fine! One more stack of papers and we will go for a run. Ok? Happy now?" He blocked out his wolf as much as he could to focus.

"There. Done for today." Conrad stood and stretched, cracked his back and walked out of his office and pack house.

"Conrad, where are you going? Your Father wants to talk with you!" Simon yelled.

"No. I need a run now, especially if Father wants to see me. Tell him you missed me."

"I heard that,son! " Yep, it was Tom, Conrad's dad.

hi"Not now,Father. I really need to run!" "Conrad De Los Thomas, I am talking to you!...that boy!"

"He is the Alpha now, sir." Simon said to Tom. "Yes. Yes he is. I wonder if I retired too soon..." and he sighed.

Simon smiled. "No, sir. He is great Alpha. He just wants his mate, our Luna. He has waited a long time now. He is over 250 years old now. He has waited far longer than any of us for his one and only." Tom knew all too well how much his son wanted his mate. Heck Tom was nearly 100 when he found his mate. It was difficult some years to wait. But Tom waited and Conrad was waiting too. Tom said a prayer to the Moon Goddess, "Please let my boy find his mate soon."

Conrad let Leo have control and just laid back after shifting. He was growing weary of waiting year after year, decade after decade. But wait he would. He knew one day she would appear. She would be worth the wait. Just as he thought that Leopold went crazy, running faster than he ever has and leaping over small trees and boulders. Then he caught the scent...vanilla and lavender. Leo and Conrad both had never smelled anything as wonderful! Just off to the left was a white blurr. It sped by them...truly a blurr. But it left behind that same scent. Leo darted after it. He was a great tracker. After hours of following the scent, it just disappeared. Totally disappeared. Gone as if it had never been.

"What the hell, Leo! Where did she go?" Conrad asked his wolf. Leo whined. Then laid down and wimpered... "Mate." he whispered. Conrad thought the same thing. He urged Leo to run back to the pack. Leo was hesitant to leave. He wanted his mate. But all evidence of her ever being there was gone.

Once he arrived back at the pack house, he shifted, grabbed shorts and a T shirt kept near the tree line and walked into the house. As expected, Tom, his Father and Simon (the Beta) were waiting for him. "Feel better?" Simon asked, innocently. "NO!" shouted Conrad. "What the hell has gotten into you?," his Father asked. "I saw her." Conrad was agitated. "Saw who?" Simon asked. "The white wolf. " "For Goddess' sake, son...stop obsessing over the damn white wolf of legend. She is a myth!" His father was frustrated with Conrad. He never should have read him the legends of old when he was growing up. Ever since he heard of the white wolf he was obsessed with her. "Conrad, that is just a legend. A fairy tale..." Tom started. Conrad insisted, "No. She is real!" He growled and stomped up to his room.