Page 19 of Destined Mate

Each item in the cabin, from the photographs on the shelf to the sturdy chair by the bedroom windows, held stories of his lifeand dreams. If he were lucky, he’d only return here to get his stuff.

If not, he’d find himself living here once more. In the worst-case scenario—he died—other pack members would inherit his cabin, and the woods would claim him when his family brought him home.

With one last glance at the familiar surroundings, Wesley stepped outside into the warm morning air. The whole damn pack was waiting for him.

Alex and Sissy stood with Wesley’s parents. Duncan and Theo, his two other best friends, were there, along with Keith. And of course, all three had a duffel slung over their shoulders. Wesley should’ve known his best friends wouldn’t let him go on his own.

Keith adjusted the weight of the duffel. “Thought you could use some company.”

Duncan and Theo grinned at Wesley.

Sissy nodded, her curly hair bouncing slightly. “Company, plus someone to keep you out of trouble,” she added with a wink.

Alex stepped up to Wesley and hugged him. “Be careful, brother.”

Next came Sissy, who he had to bend to hug thanks to her enormous belly. He hated missing the birth, but he couldn’t help it. Then his parents hugged him.

Then, of course, the whole pack.

Gratitude for his pack, his loyal friends, and his cherished family welled within him, bringing tears to his eyes. Though his journey was fraught with uncertainties and dangers, the steadfast support of his pack and best friends made it less daunting.

“Welp, looks like the gang’s all here. You ready to answer that summons?” Keith joked.

“I am if you are,” Wesley said.

“What? I mean, we’re just support. You’re the one answering the call.”

Wesley put his arm around Keith’s shoulders. “Indeed I am, but you guys aremorethan just support. Take you, for instance. You’re a beta, but you’re not just a beta. You’re my head beta. My Right Hand and second in charge. Interested?”

Keith stared at Wesley, open mouth. “For real?”

“For real.” Wesley hugged Keith, then approached his two gamma best friends. “Duncan and Theo, would you be my enforcers?”

“Jeez, of course!”

“Absolutely!”

“That’s settled then,” Wesley said, hugging both of them too.

Wesley had to clear his throat to get rid of the sudden lump there as a sharp pain in his chest faded quickly. That he hadn’t been expecting.

His father let out a soft grunt, a subtle sound that carried the weight of losing four pack members. Wesley turned to him, surprised. He hadn’t anticipated the severing of his own pack bond, but as he thought about it, it made sense—Wesley had just established his own pack.

The bonds he shared with the other three males crystallized, intensifying into something far deeper than mere friendship or strategic pack alliances.

It was as though an invisible thread had woven them together, forming a tapestry of loyalty and kinship that pulsed with newfound strength and purpose.

And they knew it also, if the looks on their faces were anything to go by. The pride and happiness he felt coming back through their link almost sent him to his knees.

His dad’s gaze held a blend of emotions—a deep-seated sadness for the loss was evident, yet intertwined with that wasa glimmer of joy, a quiet pride in seeing his son take this monumental step into leadership.

Wesley cleared his throat again. “Okay, you three, load up so we can get this show on the road. As Mom likes to say, daylight’s wasting.”

Laughing, Keith, Duncan, and Theo did as they were told. They threw their bags in the truck’s bed and climbed inside. The engine roared to life when Wesley turned the key, and the pack waved excitedly as he pulled off.

A quick glimpse in the rearview mirror showed his dad standing with his arm around his mother, waving goodbye. It was a memory he would always carry with him.

As they drove away from the familiar landscape of their territory, a sharp feeling of finality struck Wesley. He left behind not just his home, but a part of himself that those woods had nurtured. Ahead lay the promise of new beginnings and a destiny seemingly written for him.

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