Page 18 of Destined Mate

“No? And who is going to stop me? You? Your beta? Your unranked pack? Your women? Your pups? None of them can stand against me and will die if they try. But you? You will live. I’ll make sure of it.”

This bastard was going to threaten him with his own pack? Because that was exactly what he was doing. Fury boiled in Jerome’s veins because he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.

None of them possessed the power to fight the alpha and his betas. Helplessness gnawed at him, igniting a firestorm of rage and frustration.

“Let us bury our dead.Please!” Jerome finally implored, putting his pride aside.

The weight of loss hung heavily in the air. He stood there, shoulders slumped and hands clenched, yearning for the simple dignity of laying his pack members to rest.

The rogue alpha studied Jerome. “Alpha mate, didn’t you say? And an omega to boot. What’s your ability?”

Jerome gulped as the alpha’s piercing gaze stripped him bare, but there was no emotion there. “I see the future.”

“How very interesting. A handy talent, if a little unpredictable. Did you see this happening?”

“I did.”

“And yet you were unprepared for my arrival. If you knew your new alpha was coming, you should’ve welcomed me. Not attack me.”

“You got the welcome you deserved,” Jerome said before he could stop himself.

The alpha surged toward Jerome and tossed Henry against the wall, the impact resonating with a dull thud. Henry bounced off it and fell to the floor.

Without missing a beat, the alpha delivered a powerful backhand to Jerome, his hand slicing through the air with the sharpness of a whip. The force of the blow sent Jerome sprawling across the ground, and he skidded to a halt a considerable distance away.

Undeterred, the alpha closed the gap in a few strides, his presence imposing and commanding. He reached down, tangling his fingers in Jerome’s hair with a firm grip, and yanked him to his knees with an almost effortless strength.

“If you want to bury your dead, you’d better learn to hold your tongue. Otherwise, I’ll leave their bodies to decay in the open, right outside the pack house, as a grim warning to all. Now, apologize, or face the consequences.”

Henry exploded off the floor, but he was instantly caught.

“Restrain him!” the alpha commanded.

Henry thrashed violently, for all the good it did.

“Shall I add another corpse?” Elmer inquired of Jerome.

“No, please, don’t!” Jerome trembled with desperation. Faced with no other option, he reluctantly obeyed the command. Helifted his gaze, meeting the intense, unyielding eyes of the alpha. “I apologize, Alpha. Please.”

Jerome’s cheeks flamed, the heat spreading across his face. Everything was wrong. The loss, the defeat, the absolute humiliation. It clawed at him, eating him alive, stripping him of any shred of dignity.

Never had his pack been so bruised or battered, never had anyone been shamed in such a public display. He hated it. How was it possible to feel so exposed? So powerless? So incredibly, devastatingly weak?

He loathed the way this made him feel.

After a lifetime of waiting for the alpha to make up his mind, the tension in the air was almost palpable. Finally, he released his grip on Jerome’s hair, then he nodded, and Henry was also set free. Jerome slumped to the ground, the weight of relief washing over him.

Thank the wolf god. The fear that had gnawed at Jerome’s insides receded, but he knew he had to keep his mouth shut to protect his pack from further harm. The threat lingered like a shadow, ever-present and menacing.

They were finally allowed to bury their dead.

Chapter Six

Wesley

THE NEXT morning arrived far too quickly, its light filtering through the large windows of Wesley’s cabin. Inside the cozy space, he methodically packed the few belongings essential for his journey to San DeLain.

His fingers brushed over the well-worn leather of his duffel. As he paused, his gaze swept over the room, taking in the rustic wooden walls and the simple furnishings that spoke volumes about his past and hinted at the person he aspired to be.

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