Page 11 of Destined Mate

With scarcely a thought, his body changed. Bones shifted with agonizing cracks and pops, muscles expanded and contorted, and fur sprouted rapidly across his skin.

Within moments, Jerome had transformed into his wolf form, his once human features now replaced with those of a powerful brownish gray beast.

His senses heightened immediately, the smells of the forest coming alive around him, every rustle of leaves sounding likewhispers in the wind. His muscular back legs bunched, and Jerome propelled himself forward, sprinting through the forest.

With every step, he ventured deeper into the wilderness, distancing himself from the worries of pack life. The ground beneath him was alive with energy as he moved fluidly between trees, leaping over fallen logs and dodging low-hanging branches.

As Jerome ran, he let his mind wander along with his body. The forest became a blur around him as he picked up speed. Moonlight filtered through moving branches above, creating shifting patterns on the forest floor that danced like spirits, guiding him deeper into introspection.

He thought about Wesley Valentino. There was an upcoming storm—that much was clear—and how the pack navigated it would define their very survival.

He leaped across a narrow creek, water splashing underfoot. Here, in these untamed spaces among towering pines and hidden gorges, he could find clarity and strength—to mourn Alpha Li Li properly and to face whatever lay ahead.

The woods gave way to a high cliff. He paused to catch his breath, sitting on his haunches. Raising his head, his howl rose into the night air—a sound filled with sorrow for what was gone.

The sound echoed, stark and sad.

Turning, he started the trek back home. His paws padded softly against the forest floor as he retraced his steps through the dense undergrowth back to where he’d left his clothes.

Once he arrived, Jerome began the transformation back to his human self. It started as a ripple under his fur, a shudder traveling through his body as bones realigned and reformed.

His limbs contracted, then elongated—jaws cracking softly, while facial features melted and morphed back to those of a man. With the ease borne from years of shifting betweenforms, his fur receded, leaving behind smooth skin bathed in moonlight.

Standing fully human now, Jerome stretched out his arms and rolled his shoulders, feeling the peculiar lightness that always followed a shift. He dressed quickly and walked toward the pack house.

The wooden door creaked slightly as he pushed it open, and warm light spilled out onto the porch, drawing him inside. As he crossed the threshold, conversations abruptly paused at his entrance.

Greeting each member with nods and touches meant to convey both gratitude and reassurance, Jerome moved through those pack members there with an acute awareness of their shared loss and collective purpose. Tonight had been for soul searching.

Tomorrow would be for planning for the approaching storm.

Chapter Four

Wesley

WESLEY STARED at the unread email sitting ominously in his inbox, its subject line glaring at him. It was from the Council of Wolves, an organization shrouded in mystery and power.

An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he got up. His wolf needed to pace, so he would. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if he opened that email, everything in his life was going to change.

“Are you just going to look at it or, I don’t know, maybe open it?” Keith asked, standing off to the side.

“Something tells me if I do, my entire life is about to change,” Wesley admitted as he passed by Keith.

“Weren’t you just saying it was time for you to strike out on your own?”

“Well, shit, I didn’t mean right this second.”

“Come on. How bad can it be?”

“The fucking email is from the Council of Wolves. That answer your question?”

“Which means you can’t ignore it, asshole.”

“Who’s an asshole?” Alex asked, joining them in Wesley’s office.

“You,” Wesley said immediately.

“Can’t be. I just got here. So, it has to be you. What have you done now?” Alex asked.

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