Page 30 of Seduced by Moonlight (Gargoyles of San DeLain #1)

CROSS CREEK PACK OF SAN DELAIN

Chapter One – Jerome

JEROME STOOD on the edge of the forest, his gaze fixed on the stone circle illuminated by flickering torchlight. He watched, as he always did when this happened.

The thick canopy of trees above him blocked out most of the moon’s silvery glow, creating a somber atmosphere. The rustling leaves and chirping cicadas provided a stark contrast to the stillness in the clearing.

A powerful alpha werewolf stood in the center of the stone circle. The moonlight danced off his white fur , illuminating the blood that coated his muzzle and dripped onto the ground. Around him, torches blazed, sending plumes of smoke into the air and casting eerie shadows.

Anger radiated off the wolf as his gaze centered on one of the lifeless bodies of a wolf at his feet. The oppressive heat of the humid night air only added to the tension of the moment.

And yet, amidst all this chaos and violence, not a single breeze stirred. The stillness only amplified the intensity of the scene unfolding before Jerome’s eyes. His heart raced as the alpha shifted.

Death surrounded the other male as he stood in the center of the circle.

The deep red blood seeped into the compacted earth beneath the white wolf’s feet, staining it an ominous hue in the carnage’s aftermath. The once pristine surroundings were now littered with three broken bodies.

Death had not come easily to any of the three. Intestines and body parts lay scattered about, a gruesome sight. The sharp metallic scent of blood and feces mixed with the acrid smell of smoke.

It filled Jerome’s nostrils, overwhelming his senses. His body trembled as he tried to process the devastation before him. Glowing eyes of onlookers watched the lone wolf’s every move. Gurgling screams from the dying shifters still echoed in Jerome’s head.

Even though his adversaries had paid the ultimate price, he hadn’t gotten off scot-free either. His blood also now soaked into the ground, which was only appropriate since he’d won the challenge. Now he was truly part of the land for which he’d fought and claimed.

Not all the alpha’s wounds had healed when he’d shifted. He needed food and another shift to repair the remaining damage Jerome could see through the blood and gore that painted his naked flesh.

Even his hair clung to his skull, and Jerome could no longer tell its natural color. The blood dripping off the ends snaked down his back—a very muscular back. A very sexy back.

Then he roared his victory to the night sky, the sound ringing across the otherwise silent land as a warning to the surrounding shifters that this was his now.

The power stunned Jerome. And for the first time in a long time, his cock stirred.

Having made his point, the alpha’s gaze swept across the circle, making eye contact with every member of the pack he’d just taken control of. Then those dark eyes fell on Jerome, and he shivered underneath the intensity of that gaze.

But it wasn’t from fear. It was from desire, something Jerome hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Blood dribbled into the winning alpha’s eyes, and he carelessly wiped it away. But he never broke eye contact with Jerome. Then he licked his fingers and smiled. Dimples popped out, and that desire turned into a burning need in Jerome’s body.

As he approached him slowly, Jerome’s breath hitched in anticipation as the primal urge to submit grew. The sexy wolf gently pressed a thumb against Jerome’s bottom lip, opening it before allowing their lips to collide in a heated kiss.

Then the kiss ended, and the alpha roared again. The onlookers around the ring joined him, their voices full of joy and acceptance. A wave of anxiety, shock, and relief invaded Jerome as he also linked with him—the new alpha of his pack and his mate.

“My name is Wesley Valentino, and as the winning alpha, I claim this pack as mine, and it’s alpha mate as mine too.”

There was a howl.

And another.

And another.

And suddenly alarms sounded.

What?

Opening his eyes, Jerome jerked up in bed, the name Wesley ringing in his head as the vision faded. Confusion and something hot swept through him, but it didn’t take long to realize the alarms he heard were not part of the vision.

Jerome’s heart pounded as he vaulted out of bed, the remnants of his vivid dream swiftly replaced by urgent reality. The bedroom was dim, lit only by the moonlight slicing through partially open blinds, casting long shadows across the rug.

Sirens screamed through the night air, warbling high-pitched warnings that hurt his sensitive ears. He rushed toward the window, peering out into the chaos.

The brisk sounds of distant engines and shouting greeted him, along with figures between buildings in the compound—shadows moving stealthily. He knew those were not pack members because they smelled wrong.

“We’re under attack!” Jerome shouted to his mate. “What in the hell is happening?”

“I have no idea but—” Li Li said as she threw on clothes.

“Don’t. Just don’t. I might be an omega, but I’m just as capable of fighting as any other wolf here.” Jerome pulled on night pants. He tried not to let his annoyance show in his tone, but he was tired of being considered less because of what he was.

Li Li stepped to Jerome and rested her hand against his cheek. “I know, my dear. All I was going to say was to be careful. Yes, I’d rather you not get involved, but you know that.”

Jerome gritted his teeth but didn’t say another word because to do so would be to disrespect his alpha. And he would never do that. What she left unsaid was she didn’t want him to get involved because he was an omega.

Because of how he was born, he wasn’t as big as a beta in height or weight, but he had fangs and claws just like the rest of them, and he knew how to use them.

“I’ll be careful, my Alpha. Please, do the same.” Jerome hurried after Li Li as they left their bedroom.

With a quick kiss to his cheek, Li Li disappeared into the chaos.

As he rushed from their cabin, Jerome’s heightened senses took over. The smell of the intruders filled his nostrils—bitter and sharp against the backdrop of damp earth and pine. The sounds of battle filled the air. Growls and shouts echoed through the pack’s stronghold.

The scent of smoke hinted at fire.

He saw several pack members emerging from their cabins in various states of dress, eyes wide with confusion and fear—or hardened by determination.

“Jerome!”

Marcia suddenly appeared in front of him. She was one of the senior fighters among them and huge for a female beta. “Where is Alpha Li Li?”

Jerome waved his hand toward the darkness.

“Right.” Marcia moved swiftly to his side.

“What’s happening?” Jerome asked. Now that she’d spotted him, she wouldn’t leave, and he knew it was pointless to suggest it.

“We’ve got intruders,” Marcia said tersely. “I don’t know how many, but I do know what they are.”

Jerome opened his mouth to ask what when the answer smacked him in the face. Hunters. There was no mistaking that scent.

“Fuck.”

“Got a whiff of them, I take it?”

“Yes.”

“This was coordinated.”

“This is insane, that’s what it is. They’ve never out right attacked our pack before! Why now?”

“And are we the only ones?”

Jerome gulped. He hadn’t stopped to consider that. What if they were the only pack attacked? In fact, what if they were the only paranormal group attacked?

“Alpha mate!” a young wolf gasped, out of breath as she stumbled in front of Jerome. “Mom said it’s hunters—and they came from the eastern side of our territory and—”

Jerome dropped to his knees in front of the young wolf. What was she doing outside, all alone? “Where are your parents?”

“I-I don’t know. Dad left to help, and Mom was fighting a hunter and, and she then told me to run, and, and—”

Oh gods. “Mary Alex? That’s your name, isn’t it? I need you to go to the safe room. Try to gather as many pups as you—oh hell, I can’t let you go alone. Never mind, we’ll go together.” There was too much that could happen to her out there in the darkness.

Standing, Jerome held his hand out to the young wolf. Mary Alex immediately grasped his hand, and he guided the pup toward their destination, Marcia covering their rear.

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 to be 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 bolted 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, facing his adversary, snarling. Although he 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 Li and the pack broke, leaving him reeling in its devastating wake.

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 River 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 closed in on their prey, leaving behind a trail of destruction and fear in their wake. Once she 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.

“Circle around,” Henry commanded, as he shifted back to human, 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 seen this coming. 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 of that . 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.

“We need to move her back to the den,” Henry said abruptly. “We can’t leave her out here. Tomorrow we’ll mourn, then the next day, well, I’ll need to contact the Council of Wolves. Hopefully, they’ll send a temporary alpha until we can arrange challenges for Alphaship.”

I hope I’ll still be alive by then.

Li Li was gone, and the Cross Creek pack of San DeLain was in chaos. A pack without an alpha was a pack with a target on its back. As alpha mate, he most definitely was in the line of fire.

Jerome didn’t want to die, but he also didn’t want to be forced into yet another mating against his will. All he truly desired was to be left alone, but as an omega, that was an impossible dream.

The damn Council of Wolves, which was the governing body of their kind, was old-fashioned in their ideas in some respects. But he knew they had to be contacted. A beta wasn’t strong enough to lead, much less fight an alpha, and they needed an alpha immediately.

The last thing anybody wanted was for some unknown asshole to show up and claim the pack as his own. Which could very well happen.

The council rarely enforced the old laws, but back then, a new alpha often killed the alpha mate, any cubs, and betas. Unless, of course, the mate was an omega. If so, that changed everything.

Werewolf politics sucked.

Nowadays, the new alpha usually allowed pack members or loyal betas to petition other packs to join. Not omegas. Betas were a time a dozen, while omegas were a completely different can of worms.

Pack members often treasured the peace and serenity that omegas brought, especially if the alpha and omega shared a Fated bond.

There were rumors that a fated alpha/omega pair was stronger and more powerful when bonded. Jerome had no idea whether that was true because t heir match had been nothing more than a business transaction that favored Jerome’s pack because of Jerome’s status as an omega.

But Li Li hadn’t been a bad person. In fact, she’d been a wonderful alpha, but there hadn’t been love there.

They were more friends than anything, which posed a problem in the bedroom. One of several, actually. Sex was a duty, something done for heirs, but their wolf god hadn’t blessed them.

He snapped out of his musings as the pack members gently lifted their alpha. With heavy hearts and silent steps, they carried her back through the forest pathways lit only by streaks of moonlight filtering through the canopy above.

He was sure he wasn’t the only one anxious. Each member of the pack was unusually quiet, likely because of grief, but also worry. Worry about the uncertainty of what lay ahead. As did he.

Back at the pack house, as they laid Alpha Li Li in a guest room. Jerome returned outside and looked over his pack—their faces gaunt with fear and sorrow. Someone needed to say something, and that someone was him.

“We will not let fear defeat us,” Jerome vowed quietly. “Alpha Li Li was a powerful alpha, and she made us a powerful pack. Her death was unnecessary and a tragic loss, but her spirit lives on in each of us. We will eventually have a new alpha, but that won’t make us love her any less. We will get through this. And those hunters will pay.”

There were several growls of agreement.