Page 17 of Destined Mate (Cross Creek Pack of San DeLain)

Chapter Ten

Wesley

“WHERE IS everyone?” Wesley muttered, glancing around.

He stepped out of the truck, his boots crunching on the gravel beneath him, and glanced around. The dense forest loomed around him. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and an eerie silence enveloped the place.

It felt as though a pack of wolves might emerge from the shadows, their eyes gleaming gold in the darkness.

Keith, Theo, and Duncan joined him.

No wolf pack worth its howl would allow unfamiliar werewolves to approach their pack house without issuing a formidable challenge. The very thought of such a breach sent a chill down the spine, a clear indication that something was terribly wrong.

The compound looked deserted, with not a single soul in sight. The buildings stood silent and still under the nighttime sky, their windows dark and empty.

A faint breeze rustled the leaves scattered around, creating a whispering sound that only emphasized the loneliness of the place. The air felt heavy, as if the compound held its breath, waiting for someone or something to stir it back to life.

Theo’s gaze sharpened. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

They hurried across the empty expanse, guided by instinct rather than sight or sound. Every building and home stood neglectfully silent.

“Wesley,” Duncan called, pointing to a figure barely visible beyond a cluster of trees.

A lone wolf emerged, eyes widening as she caught sight of them. “Who-who are you? Are you with Alpha Elmer?” she asked breathlessly, skidding to a stop.

Shit. Wesley recognized the young female wolf instantly. Not from any real-life encounter, but in a vision, or whatever the hell it had been. He’d seen her with the omega.

“Where is everyone?” Wesley asked.

Sweat glistened on the young wolf’s forehead under the pale moonlight. “They’re at the auction. It—it’s insane! I’ve never seen so many alphas bidding—”

“What auction?” Wesley’s cut in, demanding details.

The pack member swallowed hard, visibly uneasy beneath their collective scrutiny. “It’s an omega auction,” she stammered. “It’s Jerome. They’re auctioning Jerome right this very moment. Alpha Elmer didn’t want him.”

“Jerome?” The name flew through Wesley like a bullet.

The wolf nodded frantically. “Yeah.”

“Wasn’t Jerome the alpha mate to Li Li?” Theo asked Wesley.

“Yes, he was!” Wesley snarled. “Sorry, sorry, that wasn’t aimed at you, Theo.”

“I know. Wesley? Are you okay?”

“No.”

“And who is Alpha Elmer?” Keith asked.

“Elmer Woodhouse is a rogue who showed up and took over our pack. It’s only been about a week, though.”

Wesley struggled between the urge to howl in anger and the weight of his own frustration. Deep down, he’d sensed something was off, but he’d hesitated, questioning whether to trust his instincts or ignore them.

Now, he berated himself for not heeding the warnings of his inner wolf sooner, yet part of him wondered if he could’ve truly changed the course of events.

“Where is this auction taking place?” Wesley asked, bending down to her level. He gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

“It’s happening at the stone circle—”

“Where?” Wesley interrupted. “I’m not from around here, young one, so I need to know where. And does the alpha have any betas with him? Or did he arrive here alone?”

“No. He arrived with two betas—Clyde Puckett and Albert Shipley are their names, and they’re at the stone circle with Elmer. They’re as bad as he is.”

Wesley didn’t bother to ask how she knew. He was afraid of what her answer might be.

“They forced the majority of our pack to go too. Our beta, Henry, and an enforcer, Al, are also there. It’s only the women and pups left here. Apparently, according to Elmer, women cannot hold rank.”

Unfortunately, Wesley knew Elmer wasn’t the only one in werewolf society who thought that. “Thank you. Now, where’s this stone circle located? Time is of the essence, young one, if I am to save Jerome.”

“Go straight past those hills and through the south gate—about two miles downriver from there.” She pointed eastward, her hand shaking slightly.

“Thank you.” Wesley hugged the young wolf. “What’s your name?”

“Julia Jones.”

“Okay, Julia. Stay here, please.”

“Are you going to help him?”

“I am.”

He watched her disappear into a dark house. So, the females were basically hiding out. Good. Female werewolves were just as vicious as the males, especially if they had pups to protect. But if there were several young, it was sometimes better to hide than fight.

Wesley, Keith, Theo, and Duncan stripped down, leaving their clothes in the SUV. The night air whispered against Wesley’s skin, a gentle caress before the transformation began, the change cascading over him like a wave.

White fur erupted, covering his form. Beneath the surface, his bones moved with a seamless fluidity, reshaping and realigning into a new, powerful structure.

Once they had all shifted, they took off into the night. If he thought this angered his human self, his wolf was damn near feral. They raced through the forest, weaving between trees and rushing over the hillsides.

He had no idea how long they ran, but eventually he noticed a change in energy around them. Something powerful and ancient was not far ahead of them.

Just as they crested a hill, Wesley saw the stone circle, its rugged surfaces weathered by time, surrounded by tangled cables and pieces of scattered equipment that hinted at recent activity.

And there, in the center of the circle, stood the most breathtaking omega Wesley had ever laid eyes on.

His presence was magnetic. Every nerve in Wesley’s body came alive, tingling with energy as he gazed at the striking male, whose beauty seemed to illuminate the entire scene with an ethereal glow.

It felt like an internal explosion, a shockwave that crashed over and through him. Mine! His wolf yowled with primal yearning, pushing Wesley beyond thought or reason. Fate mate! My Fate mate!

The world warped as he raced the rest of the way, closing the distance. Lights from the equipment flickered around them, but all he could see was Jerome standing in the center of the circle.

Wesley could smell the touch of fear that overlaid the scent of honeysuckle—an intoxicating scent that he wanted to roll around in. After he tore apart whoever had scared the omega.

Wesley’s heart pounded a wild rhythm against his ribs. His wolf wanted to claim his mate right in the dirt, but something else—something stronger—overpowered that basic need.

The fiercer need to protect.

Chaos ensured as he barreled into the circle and shifted, facing the only other alpha there. Keith, Theo, and Duncan stayed in wolf form.

Equipment flew in all directions as Wesley’s sudden arrival scattered the small crowd assembled around the circle. The two betas in the circle darted backward, eyes widening at the sight of him.

Elmer whirled to face Wesley. “Who the hell are you?”

“Someone who’s about to make you regret ever setting foot here,” Wesley retorted, body wound tight with tension.

He heard Jerome gasp.

“My name is Wesley Valentino. I challenge you, Elmer Woodhouse, for the position of alpha of the Cross Creek pack. This pack deserves leadership born from respect and unity, not fear and oppression.”

Then he smiled at Jerome. Elmer snarled, baring sharp teeth, but Wesley stood undeterred as his declaration rang through the night, resonating off the ancient stones.

This was a challenge—a direct confrontation for control—and everyone there damn well knew it.

Elmer’s lips twisted into a sneer. “You’ve got some nerve. Fine. I accept.”

A murmur rippled through the onlookers as they formed an irregular ring just beyond the stone boundaries. Elmer stripped down, his movements slow and deliberate.

“As you know, only betas are allowed in the challenge ring, but they cannot enter our battle. If they do, the alpha they belong to automatically forfeits the challenge and loses,” Wesley declared.

“I know the rules of a challenge,” Elmer snapped. “That means the two who are with you must leave, since they smell like gammas.”

Wesley slightly turned his head to stare at Theo and Duncan. “He’s right.”

Both looked concerned, but they stepped out of the stone circle. Wesley understood why. He only had one beta with him, and that was Keith. Elmer had two. And he didn’t trust the other alpha any further than he could throw a werewolf by the tail.

“Remember, do not enter the ring, and don’t let those two goad you into doing something stupid.”

“We won’t,” Theo said, then slipped his hand into his pocket.

Wesley glanced down and saw that Theo held his cell phone. Looking back up, he nodded slightly.

Whatever that dream he’d been having was, he’d seen the results. This wouldn’t be a clean fight, and videotaping it would prove Wesley’s claim if or when the Council of Wolves got involved.

Wesley turned and faced the circle. There was a rush of primal clarity as his wolf surged just beneath the surface, eager and wild. That was his mate standing there, and nothing, absolutely nothing , was going to stand in his way of claiming what fate had granted him.

Then Elmer shifted and Wesley followed.

Elmer’s wolf was as black as his heart, and he was huge. Massive. Bigger than Wesley, in fact, but he wasn’t worried. They circled each other, Wesley’s muscles coiled and ready.

Elmer struck first—a blur of movement, quick as lightning, charging toward Wesley with ferocious intent. His first blow was a feint, swift and deceptive, leading into a brutal lunge aimed at Wesley’s flank.

Wesley saw it coming. He twisted midair, using instinct as his guide, rolling with precision. Fur brushed against his teeth as Wesley countered.

He just missed sinking his teeth in his target as he snapped back with razor-sharp accuracy. Elmer narrowly dodged the attack.

They circled each other like the predators they were, moving with calculated intensity. Neither showed even the slightest hint of weakness.