MINI STORY: A Beta and His Mate

"The Beta and his Witch" Chapter 1

“The Beta and his Witch” The Story of Ethan and Sybil

Ethan was passed out in a motel when his phone started to ring loudly on the bedside table. He groaned and rolled over, blindly hitting the green answer button and pressing the phone to his ear.

“Hello?” He grumbled.

“Ethan?” The male voice on the other side chuckled at the sound of his Beta’s groggy voice.

“August, is that you?” Ethan propped himself up on his elbow and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Yeah, you good?” August asked.

“I was out all night, barely got any sleep.” Ethan mumbled, squinting at the alarm clock on the table. It was after 2:00 pm in the afternoon.

“Oh man, sorry about waking you up but I have some news.” August sounded excited.

“What’s up?” Ethan sat up on the crappy motel bed.

“Josie had our son last night, Kade Johnathan Hayes. The future Alpha of Crescent Moon.” August declared and Ethan could practically see his friend’s happiness from here.

“That’s great, man! Congrats. How’s Josie and the kid doing?” Ethan was suddenly awake, grinning as he thought about the future Alpha of his pack.

“They’re both great, Josie did amazing. The only thing missing was his Uncle Ethan.” August sighed and Ethan started to feel guilty.

“I know man, I’m sorry. I thought I was on a good trail today but she slipped away again. Do you want me to come home?” Ethan asked, frowning.

“No, not until you have her. I understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, Ethan. I would be doing the same thing if it were Josie. Kade will be here when you bring his auntie home.” August said, speaking comfortingly to his Beta.

“Thanks, August.” Ethan felt a wave of relief knowing that August still had his back and was supporting him.

“Get some sleep, I’ll talk to you later.” August chuckled before ending the call.

It had been five long months since Ethan discovered his mate, a witch in the army that Victoria marched on Crescent Moon’s packgrounds. Most of the evil witch’s followers were there against their will and surrendered the second she was killed. Ethan had a feeling that was the case for his mate, who had run from the battlefield the moment Ethan and her recognized each other as mates. After the packgrounds were cleaned and secured, Ethan left with the good witch, Mayze, to try and find his mate.

Since then, he’s separated from Mayze and continued his own search. Every so often Mayze calls him up with a new lead after doing some kind of location spell and Ethan went to whatever state and city she gave him. Each lead was a good one, Ethan’s Beta instincts and expert tracking skills picked up on every little whiff of his mate’s scent and his senses were on overdrive everywhere he went. Frustratingly, Ethan was always a day or two behind his witch mate.

Right now, he was somewhere in Michigan, fighting against the bitter cold to track his mate’s scent through the snowy woods. Her scent was old, lingering in the woods a few days after she had already left. Ethan’s wolf, Jesse, was only remaining sane because of the briefest trails of scent he managed to pick up on. Jesse’s desperation to smell his mate again made his instincts even stronger than usual, allowing him to find any speck of evidence his mate had left behind.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the whole thing to Ethan was the fact that he didn’t know his mate’s name, he didn’t even know what she looked like. He had smelled her on the field, Jesse leading him towards her location, but she sensed him before he could get too close. He caught the outline of her retreating figure as she field from the packgrounds that day.

Ethan grumbled in annoyance as he fell out of bed, taking the covers with him. He blindly walked towards the small bathroom and closed himself inside the cramped shower. He had only gotten about three hours of sleep but that was the usual for him over the course of his search. He didn’t care. He would go the rest of his life without sleep if it led him to his mate eventually.

He took a quick shower before gathering up his belongings and shoving them inside his backpack. He left the hotel room and jumped into his black Jeep Wrangler, which had been all over the country at this point. He tossed his bag in the back seat and pulled out of the parking lot. Jesse lost his mate’s scent heading north towards Canada, so that’s where Ethan was heading now.

Ethan, thankfully, had bought his passport along and was able to make it through border control rather simply. He let Jesse’s instincts take over as he navigated through the rural streets. He ended up at the Green Mountain pack led by Alpha Quinton Reading. The guards at the gate let him through and he drove up to the log cabin looking packhouse. Alpha Quinton and his Luna, Michelle, were waiting for him on the large front porch.

He shivered against the cold mountain air as he exited the Jeep and bounded up the steps of the cabin.

“Thanks for letting me through, Alpha, Luna. I’m Beta Ethan from Crescent Moon in Rhode Island.” Ethan introduced himself, offering them both his hand.

“Let’s head inside, Beta Ethan.” Luna Michelle smiled, motioning for Ethan to follow her inside.

They all settled into the comfortable living room which was warmed by a huge fireplace.

“The guards said you’re looking for your mate?” Alpha Quinton asked.

“Yes, let me explain….” Ethan dove into his tail for what must’ve been the hundredth time in the last five months.

He had been to the west coast and back in the search for his mate and had stopped at hundreds of packs along the way. Every one of them was sympathetic and helpful, listening to his story, offering him aid and resources, and promising to keep a look out for him once he left. Not a single one of the Alphas or Lunas he spoke to cared about the fact that his mate was a witch. Ethan was overwhelmed with the support from his fellow werewolves and it made him wonder how the Council, his people’s leadership, could be so bitter and full of hate.

“Actually, Beta Ethan, we did have a coven of witches ask permission to settle just outside of our property, further up the mountain. The Mother of the coven and her two disciples came to us and agreed to sign a commitment to peace. We allowed them to settle about five miles outside of the border, in the northern woods.” Alpha Quinton said, giving Ethan a good piece of news for the first time in a while.

“Could I get directions there?” Ethan asked enthusiastically.

“I’ll do you one better, I’ll send you out with my Beta and he can take you right to them.” Alpha Quinton said, “The Mother witch seemed very kind and reasonable, I’m sure she’d help you even if your mate isn’t there.”

“Thank you so much, Alpha.” Ethan grinned.

“The things we do for our mates, right?” Alpha Quinton smirked, taking his Luna’s hand.

About an hour later, Ethan had Green Mountain’s Beta, Lance, in his Jeep and they were driving towards the coven.

“It’s pretty cool of your Alpha to let you go on this search.” Beta Lance said,

“My Alpha is a pretty cool dude.” Ethan laughed.

“My Alpha wouldn’t know what to do if I left.” Lance smirked and Ethan chuckled loudly in response.

“That’s true. If it weren’t for the fact that August found his Luna and she’s amazing, I probably couldn't have left. She’s like a second Alpha.” Ethan shrugged.

“What would Alphas do without their Betas and Lunas?” Lance snorted.

“True that.” Ethan agreed.

“Oh, there it is.” Lance said, sitting up suddenly and pointing towards a clearing through the trees.

“Where I don’t see…..” Before Ethan could finish speaking, the Jeep broke through the magical barrier and the witches camp was revealed to them.

“Wait, really? Magical invisible bubbles are a thing?” Ethan groaned loudly, thinking that he could’ve been standing right next to his mate a million times and wouldn’t have known.

“Not a common thing.” Lance chuckled at his reaction, “Stop here. Someone will come up to escort us the rest of the way.”

Ethan put the Jeep into park and they both hopped out. Seconds later, two women approached them. One was older with long gray hair and a flower crown in her hair, the other seemed to be much younger with long blonde hair.

“Beta Lance, welcome.” The older woman said with a kind smile, “Who is your guest?”

“This is Beta Ethan, he comes from a pack in the states.” Lance introduced Ethan who politely bowed his head to the women.

“I am the coven’s Mother Witch and this is my daughter, Rhea.” The older woman said, “What can we help you with today, Beta Ethan?”

“He’s missing someone, someone of great importance.” Her daughter, Rhea, spoke up. She touched Ethan’s arm and her green eyes started to glow.

“Rhea has the sight, she’s able to sense people’s deepest emotions and thoughts.” The Mother Witch explained.

“I’m looking for my mate, she’s a witch. I don’t know her name or what she looks like. She was following a dark witch who attacked our pack, Victoria. She fled the battle before I could speak with her. I don’t believe she was willingly following Victoria and I just want to meet her. I’ve been searching for five months.” Ethan pleaded his case with the Mother Witch.

“Your mate’s name is Sybil.” Rhea revealed and Ethan went rigid.

“How….how do you know that?” He stammered.

“I can see her through your soul. Would you like to see her too?” Rhea asked, looking into Ethan’s eyes.

“Yes, yes please.” Ethan tried to hold back his enthusiasm but it was a failed effort.

Rhea’s eyes started glowing brother and then she pressed her thumb against his forehead. Ethan gasped as a vision clouded his mind. It was of a beautiful woman with short, wavy brown hair and wide ocean blue eyes. She had warm, carmel skin and a round face with full cheeks.

Rhea dropped her hand and stepped away from Ethan, the vision disappearing.

“Do you know where she is?” Ethan asked, sounding breathless.

“Not here.” Rhea answered unhelpfully.

“Please, I just want my mate.” Ethan begged.

Rhea sighed, seeming to sense something in Ethan that compelled her to help.

“She’s traveling alone and avoiding covens. She was wronged by the evil witch you spoke of and she no longer trusts anyone. She’s a powerful witch, gifted with the sight like me but also very strong with spells. She knows that you’re following her and she’s been misleading you, throwing her scent in different directions. She went south, not north from her last location.” Rhea explained.

“She’s purposefully leading me away from her?” Ethan said, sounding hurt.

“Yes but her magic is not stronger than the mate bond or, it appears, your persistence. Your wolf has been guiding you well, fighting through her enchantments and continuing to keep you close behind her.” Rhea said,

“I don’t mean her any harm, I just want to protect her and have my mate.” Ethan sighed.

“I can sense that you are pure and honest, Beta, but Sybil has been betrayed and hurt too many times to remain open to the thought of having a positive experience with not only a werewolf but a mate. You are her second chance mate.” Rhea’s words punched Ethan in the gut, sucking the breath out of his lungs.

“I am?”

“I don’t know what happened to her first mate, but it was not pleasant. She is hurting, deeply and spiritually. Finding her will not be easy and convincing her of your intentions will be harder still.” Rhea warned him.

“I don’t care how long it takes or how hard it is, I’ll do anything for her.” Ethan said with conviction.

“I believe that to be true,” Rhea said before looking towards the Mother Witch, “He is worthy and he needs our help.” She said,

The Mother Witch sighed and nodded, pulling a pendant out of the pockets of her thick robe. It was a ruby in an antique iron setting. The Mother Witch handed the ruby to Rhea who closed her hand around it. Her eyes and fist began to glow and then she held the pendent out for Ethan to take.

“Take this. It will glow red when you are going in the right direction. The closer to your mate you are the brighter and warmer the pendent will become.” Rhea said, laying the ruby in the palm of Ethan’s hand.

“Thank you. I am so grateful to both of you and all of your help. If you ever need anything, I am in your debt.” Ethan said, closing his hand around the rub and keeping it close to his person.

“Your debt will be paid when you have saved our sister from her dark path.” Mother Witch said,