Page 3 of Destined Mate

As Jerome led Mary Alex through the chaos, the scent of blood, the crackle of flames, and the distant shouts and growls painted a dire picture of their situation. His mind raced with thoughts of Li Li and the others. How many had fallen? How many would survive the night?

As they rounded a corner close to the central square, Jerome spotted several wolves fending off a group of hunters.

Amidst them was Li Li. Her fur stood on end, and her lips were curled back in a snarl as she lunged at an attacker. Her movements were precise and deadly. Seeing Li Li in action boosted Jerome’s spirits, despite her being outnumbered.

“Just round this bend.” Jerome tugged Mary Alex’s hand gently but firmly as he encouraged her to move.

When they reached the designated safe room hidden beneath one of the old utility buildings, he found it already crammed with pups and a few older wolves huddled together. They turned toward Jerome as he entered, hope mingling with fear in their glances.

Crouching down to make eye contact with Mary Alex, Jerome reassured her softly, “Stay here, okay? I have to go back out there. You’re safe here. Just, please, stay put.”

He could see the reluctance in her eyes at being left behind, but she nodded silently and moved to sit amongst a cluster of younger wolves.

Jerome didn’t hesitate. He headed back outside, Marcia with him, his bare feet pounding against the compacted dirt as he transitioned from human agility to wolf speed mid-stride.

The change rippled through him like a shockwave as muscles and bones reconfigured. Feeling the power of his wolf surge within him, Jerome bolted toward the skirmish with all the stealth of an EF5 tornado.

As he moved closer, Marcia raced ahead of him, jumping into the brawl taking place that Li Li was involved in.

Jerome launched himself at a hunter with a ferocious growl that was more feral than he’d ever heard emerge from his throat before. It startled the hunter long enough for Jerome to knock him off balance and away from the tangle of wolves and hunters where Li Li was fighting.

Seeing the hunter’s knife gleaming in the moonlight, Jerome rolled away agilely and sprung up, snarling as he faced his adversary. Although Jerome was smaller than the other werewolves, he was determined to fight fiercely to protect every member of his pack.

Claws extended and fangs showing, he waited to see what the hunter would do.

The knife swung toward him but missed as Jerome dodged to the side. He threw himself again at the hunter and clamped down on the attacker’s arm—the taste of blood filled his mouth as bone broke under the force of his bite.

A scream filled the air, followed by the dull thud of the knife hitting the ground. Shaking his head, he jerked the hunter off his feet. Once he had him on the ground, he went for the hunter’s throat.

Meanwhile, chaos continued all around them—smoke billowed into the night sky, while howls echoed between bursts of hostile gunfire and aggressive shouts.

As he scanned the area for another target, a shattering sensation crashed into him like a tsunami. Pain swamped him as the bond binding him to Li Liandthe pack broke, leaving him reeling.

The break was immediate and profound, leaving a hollow void in its wake. Several agonizing howls reached his ears as his paws gave out from underneath him as he passed out.

Oh no. No!

THE LIFELESS body of Alpha Li Li lay sprawled in the dirt, surrounded by the panicked members of the Cross Creek pack. Her once vibrant fur was now matted and stained with blood, a somber contrast to the peaceful moonlight illuminating her resting place.

The hunters had struck under the cover of night, their stealthy movements betraying their deadly intent. Their weapons had glinted in the moon’s light as they’d closed in on their prey, leaving behind a trail of destruction and fear in their wake. Once Alpha Li Li was dead, they had retreated.

As the pack gathered around their fallen leader, a low growl rumbled from the throat of Beta Henry, Alpha Li Li’s loyal second, as he scanned the shadowed forest.

Jerome knew he was searching for any sign of the remaining hunters, but the darkness cloaked their retreat as effectively as it had hidden their advance. The rest of the pack, shaken and leaderless, looked to Henry for guidance. But that wouldn’t last. It couldn’t because only an alpha could lead.

Oh gods. My alpha is dead.

Henry shifted back to human. “Circle around,” he commanded, his voice steady despite the pain in his eyes. “Marcia, Chan, take the north side. Jensen and Lakisha, take the south side and meet in the middle.”

The wolves immediately followed his orders. Everyone knew hunters had infiltrated San DeLain, and that they were methodical and merciless, abducting specific paranormals for their experiments.

All the leaders of San DeLain had banded together to fight the threat, but this? No one had seenthiscoming. At least Jerome hadn’t. His ability hadn’t even whispered of an attack.

What. The. Hell?

But it had shown him something else connected to it, hadn’t it? And he still didn’t know what to make ofthat. Still, to his knowledge, no territory had faced an attack. So why them? And why now?

As the pack secured their perimeter, Henry approached Li Li’s body and kneeled next to her. He lowered his head in respect as Jerome remained next to her body.

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