Dan tried to laugh but the sound stuck in his throat. The truth was that he was starting to feel a little bit lonely. It was a strange feeling since he was practically always surrounded by the other pack members of the Alliance, but it was a different kind of lonely. Something would ache when he'd see Nick throw his arm around Jo, or when Tom and Savannah would just look at each other. It was something he wanted if he was honest.

Wandering out of the mechanics shop and towards the woods, Dan took in a deep breath of cool morning air. He was being ridiculous, he knew, but there was something in him that longed for a mate. Of course, it was a bit unusual - forbidden, really - for Nick to have a human mate, but even Dan had to admit that they were clearly meant for each other. As for Tom and Savannah, he'd never really expected that to happen, since he was so cautious all the time. But then he'd seen how Savannah's love for Tom had forced her into action when Lucas attacked. Dan wanted someone like that.

“Everything okay?”

Dan jumped. He hadn't seen - or even smelled - Jo, who was looking up at him with a light smile.

“It’s not often I can surprise a shifter,” she commented, lifting an eyebrow. “Thinking about something?”

Dan rolled his eyes. He’d never been as cautious as Tom or Nick when it came to sussing out a new situation. If he was honest, Dan hadn’t thought about sniffing the air to see if there was anyone around. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“You’re not,” Jo replied, pleasantly. “Is everything okay, Dan? You look a bit…” She trailed off, tilting her head to get a better look at him. “Miserable.”

“I’m fine,” Dan answered, not wanting to give too much about himself away. “I was just thinking about, uh, stuff.”

“Stuff.” Jo shook her head. “Helpful as ever, Dan.”

That made him smile. “I’m always helpful!” he protested, the grin still on his face. “I just don’t like getting all deep and meaningful.” That part was true, at least. Dan was always the joker, managing to hide his feelings underneath. Not many people got to know what was really going on. He’d spent most of his time in the Northern Wind pack keeping entirely to himself. The pack barely shared anything about themselves. Lucas preferred it that way and Dan had grown used to it. It was a habit he was going to have to get out of.

Letting out a long sigh, Jo glanced back up at Dan with frustration written on her face. Dan knew it was because she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him but it still didn’t make him want to open up. “Did Nick talk to Tom about the house?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Yup.”

“He’s okay with it?”

Dan nodded. “He sure is. Couldn’t wait to go tell Savannah.” The smile slowly slid from his face, his eyes taking on a distant look as the ache in his heart grew stronger.

Jo’s eyes rounded and her face cleared of frustration. “Ah.”

Dan jerked to attention. “What?”

“You want a girl.”

"No, I don't. I've heard they're a lot of work," Dan bluffed, trying to laugh. Unfortunately, it came out as more of an awkward snort, making Jo laugh in response.

“You can’t hide the truth from me,” she replied, eventually, once she’d caught her breath. “It’s okay to want someone, Dan.”

Running a hand through his hair, Dan let out a long breath. Apparently, he couldn't keep up his easy going façade with someone like Jo. "Fine," he muttered. "You want me to admit that I'm a bit lonely sometimes? Then yeah, I am." He let his gaze wander to the trees, looking out across the forest instead of at Jo. It was easier to speak when he wasn't aware of her watching him so intensely. "I see what you guys have and it's something I want for myself. I want a mate."

“That’s not a bad thing,” Jo replied, softly.

“Not that it’s going to happen any time soon,” Dan returned, trying to inject some laughter in his voice. “Not like there’s a whole lot of bear shifters hanging about, waiting for me to choose one!”

Jo chuckled. “No, there’s not, but you never know what’s going to happen, Dan. I mean, just look at me and Nick. I drive into town one day and everything happens from there.” She got to her feet, brushing down the back of her jeans from where she’d been sitting on the overturned log. “It just takes one chance meeting, Dan. You never know where you might meet someone new.”

Hearing her walk back into the house, Dan kept his eyes on the forest. He wanted desperately to believe what Jo had said, but the chances of meeting new shifters were pretty slim. Around these parts, there was just Lucas' pack and his pack, the Alliance. There wasn't another pack around where he would actually be able to meet another shifter. His shoulders lifted with another sigh, knowing that it was probably a long shot to think he'd meet someone entirely at random. His bear let out a long, slow growl, apparently feeling the same pain he did. The bear wanted a mate, and Dan wanted a woman, but it didn't look like either of them would be getting what they wanted any time soon.

 

"Is Dan okay?" Savannah asked as Jo came into the shop. "It's not like him to go for a walk first thing in the morning."

Jo gave her a light smile. "He's fine. Just feeling a bit lonely."

“Oh.” Savannah’s face filled with sympathy. “I would’ve never imagined he’d feel that way. He always seems to be making jokes when Tom and I are around.”

“Maybe that’s just his way of hiding how he really feels,” Jo commented, shrugging. “Probably best not to mention it to Nick or Tom, though. They won’t really understand.”

Savannah agreed at once. "Yeah, of course." As much as she loved Tom, Savannah knew he wouldn't exactly understand how Dan was feeling. Tom had taken a long time to admit that he'd actually felt something for Savannah because he'd never really thought about having a mate before. He'd been more than happy by himself. She shook her head. "It'll be good when our house is built, then Dan can have this place to himself."

Jo grinned. “You’re glad about that, then?”

“Thrilled,” Savannah replied, a smile on her face. “I’d never imagined that I’d end up here, but I’m so happy I have.” Her eyes found Tom, talking to Nick at the other side of the shop. “He makes me so happy.”

“I’m really glad for you both,” Jo said, honestly. “You both deserve some happiness.”

“So does Dan,” Savannah murmured, watching as he came through the door. The cheerful smile was back on his face and he looked just the same as ever. “He was the one who helped me to leave Lucas’ pack. I just hope he can find someone, somehow.”

 

Nick grinned as Dan somehow managed to trip over what looked like a spanner on the floor. “Not exactly graceful, are you?”

Dan snorted. "I don't need to be." He much preferred being in his bear skin, when he could use his immense weight to thunder through the woods without worrying where he was stepping or what he was banging into. For some reason, he was always a bit clumsier in his human skin. He'd always hoped it was a bit endearing, but working in a mechanics just made him more of a liability.

“At least you didn’t knock anything over this time,” Nick laughed, as Dan picked up the offending spanner. Dan cringed, remembering the last time he’d tripped up. He’d somehow managed to knock over three toolboxes and a can of paint Nick was keeping to do up the inside of the shop. Grunting, he sat down to look at what Nick was working on.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” Dan replied, sharply. “Why does everyone keep asking me that today?”

Nick’s eyebrows rose slowly. “Sorry,” he said, turning back to his work. “I was just asking.”

Dan didn't reply, as guilt crept up his back. He shouldn't have responded like that, but he'd about had enough of people asking him how he was and it was still the morning. Or, perhaps it was because, for the first time, he'd really opened up to someone else about how he was feeling. Finally, he'd admitted, out loud, that he wanted a mate. That he often felt quite alone. It had taken more out of him than he'd first realized – but, thankfully, Jo hadn't laughed. Instead, she'd just accepted it.

"How about a drink in town later?" Nick asked, bending down to inspect the car's exhaust. "Maybe clear your head of whatever it is that’s bothering you?"

Dan bit back his sharp response, wanting to ask how Nick knew that that something was bothering him, but thinking the better of it. After all, Nick was the pack leader and it was his job to make sure he knew what was going on in the pack. Just another thing Dan wasn’t used to. Lucas didn’t care about anyone but himself, but Nick was the complete opposite of that. Dan knew that his questions weren’t meant to annoy him, but just to let him know that he cared. He should be appreciative of that.

"Yeah, sounds good," he muttered. The bar in town was usually quiet, but that was often a good thing. A place to be alone with his thoughts. Except, this time, he was going with Nick and Tom.

“Great,” Nick replied, standing up again. “I’ll tell Tom.”