Alpha Male *extended version*

Part 2

"No one in that dang pack was even my mate," Josiph yelled just outside the territory of the Golden Forest pack. Josiph was leaning up against the front of his red truck waiting for his beta, Derek, to catch up. At the same time he was also punching the truck leaving small indents, peeling paint in his wake. It was his way of showing his frustration at not being able to find his mate. "This sucks."

"You're telling me," Derek replied finally coming out to the small clearing not too far from where Josiph was standing. As usual, Josiph always ran faster than Derek had, but it never stopped the two of them. However, today was a different day, and Derek didn't seem all too happy when he did step out to the clearing to see Josiph punching his truck. "How long are you going to continue doing this to yourself, Josiph?" he asked standing beside Derek.

Derek became beta of the Belmont Bay pack only a few days after Josiph's father had stepped down, and as most meetings went during a time of stepping down the next in line would become alpha. As the only child, Josiph, would take the standing as the pack alpha. No one in the pack except Josiph's mother knew that Paul, Josiph's father was going to step down from being alpha, and what was more surprising was who followed soon behind him. His beta, and long time best friend who stood by Paul's side for years took only half a second before he started speaking to the pack. That very day, Ted also stepped down from his beta standing and left the opening for Josiph to decide who would take his place. Derek was Josiph first and only choice, and now the two have been working together to keep the pack in line and as a whole family. It was sometimes hard, but the two of them were doing a pretty good job at it.

"As long as I can until I find her," Josiph replied with a small growl. His fist hit the truck again leaving yet another indent, refusing to look at Derek for several minutes. This was a battle between the two, and it usually came down to: if searching was the right thing to do or not. Of course Josiph always won when it came to that, and Derek followed behind either way. Not much of a battle, but still Derek did try.

Derek said nothing for several minutes looking to Josiph. he also seemed to be waiting for Josiph to look up at him. His expression gave nothing away, and only when Josiph looked did he speak his mind. "We'd been to over seven different packs in the past month, Josiph! There's really not many packs left in our region that we can scope out."

As if he agreed Josiph nodded, but he also stepped away, crossing his arms as he went. It was frustrating when Josiph had to call the alpha to receive permission to even enter their territory, but once permission was given the two would travel by truck to the boundaries of the territory. They would leave the truck next to the road and transform into their wolf form to find their way to the actual pack city. Sometimes it would take only minutes, but other times it would take several hours following the scents of those in the pack. Worst of all each visit the two endured, many of the female wolves tried to throw themselves at Josiph. Some were desperate to find their mate, while others just seemed desperate for an alpha to be their mate. The worst part of it was was that when they failed to get Josiph, most would turn to Derek and try their luck with the beta. It was a never ending ritual the two got used to. Still they both failed in their attempts as none of the girls were their mates.

"What if she isn't even around? It could have been one of those false mate callings that we heard about growing up," Derek muttered almost like he didn't want Josiph to hear him, but from the look that Josiph gave, he heard every single word. His fists clenched, his knuckles turning white, but he said nothing.

The false mate callings usually occurred when one's wolf feels so desperate that he or she would seem to almost want anyone as their mate. The wolf will call for anyone, and sometimes even form a false memory of what their mates' scent smelt like to find them. In some cases, the false mate calling will bring someone to them that's truly their mate, while in other cases the scent will bring someone to the wrong person completely. Problems can happen there when the other wolf denies being the mate. This can lead at times to suicide which does happen at times in packs. It can also lead to a wolf becoming feral.