His Destined Mate

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Members of The Sentinels pack could easily recognize when there was a crisis- be it big or small- within their pack territory. The emergency lights and alarms were turned on, which only occurred when the pack was being threatened by rogues or someone who wasn't given permission by the Alpha to cross unto the pack lands. The pack border of the territory all had sensors that sensed any unusual movement from a certain distance and would alert everyone of the impending crisis. Cameras had also been installed but were up in trees, making it difficult for anyone who didn't know their exact location to see. Pack warriors also patrolled the pack land constantly, but the risks of rogues crossing the borders was still a major issue.

The packs' Alpha, Jake, was visiting another pack in the East, regarding rogues. The beta, Michael "Mike" Scott, who was left in charge, hurried to the site in which pack warriors notified him of a rogues' trespass.

Rogues seldom crossed the Sentinels border, aware of the impending doom that awaited them there. The Sentinels pack, being the most powerful in the US- and the world by extension, assisted other packs that were not as strong, or able to defend themselves. Therefore, rogues knew of the dangers of going onto their borders, but some did, seeming not to care about the value of their lives.

Mike rushed to the scene, having given the pack warriors instructions to not kill the rogue until he arrived at the scene. He knew that as Beta, and with the absence of the Alpha, he would have to deal with the 'crisis', as they always referred to situations like this.

The Sentinels pack had the largest territory in the US, the home of over 3000 wolves, and with a vast amount of territory left to cover to arrive at the border, Mike shifted into his wolf, along with the other warriors who were accompanying him, as they made their way to the location.

When they got there, pack warriors stood on high alert, some still in their wolf form, and others had shifted, taking in their surroundings. A few stood near and Mike knew without a doubt that this had to be where the rogue was located. However, sniffing the air, there was no smell of a rogue around. The only scent that hit him was the faint smell that a rogue had been around, but he was also well aware of the aroma of daisies.

Although all werewolves have a similar smell, rogues are disgusting creatures and portray a decaying odor. That odor can be smelled from miles away, so it was indeed a surprise that there was no odor in the air.

Beta Michael knew of the signs and was well aware of the dangers of having a rogue on the territory. So when he took a closer look, he was shocked that it was only a young girl who was laying there. Sensing no threats whatsoever, he shifted and pulled on a pair of pants.

Walking closer to the girl who was surrounded by pack warriors, he stood to assess her injuries and her traits. She seemed to be around twenty years of age, with a mass of dark red hair that was now tangled up in blood and twigs. Parts of her clothes were torn and portions of her arms and legs that were bare were bruised and covered in dried blood. There was a nasty kill-shot wound on her neck, and he knew because he'd killed many rogues in the past, sinking his fangs into their neck, and watching as their lives left their bodies. Apart from the scratches along her body, he noticed too that her arm had been bit, and he wondered who had done that to her. No doubt the attack had occurred where she lay, which meant a rogue had been close to their border undetected. Though there wouldn't be an alert unless he'd crossed the sensors, but it pained him to think of how she could've died so close to their pack, without anyone coming to save her.

Turning to Connor, the pack warrior that had found her, he asked, "How long ago did you meet her here?"

"About five minutes," he replied. "I was patrolling when I smelled the rogue. It was above her, but ran away when it sensed me."

Mike frowned. No doubt the girl wasn't able to defend herself. And for vicious animals such as rogues, they wouldn't give up until they were satisfied. It did look like she'd put up a fight if that's anything he could tell from the bite on her arm. He looked around, and finally noticed a black backpack near the stream, and judging from its location, it seemed to have been placed there very carefully. Doing his calculations, he concluded that the girl was by the stream when she was attacked. She had probably stopped to get some water. She wasn't here to harm anyone, he could tell. There's no harm in quenching ones' thirst.

Turning to assess the girls' injuries, he knew he had to assist her- at least for a few days. It wasn't one of the pack's policies to let just about anyone into the pack territory without permission from the alpha, but he could tell that the girl needed help. He would never forgive himself if she died and he hadn't at least tried to help her. Making a decision, he mind-linked the pack's doctor, Dr. Paul, and asked for his immediate presence.

When Dr. Paul arrived a few moments later, he was a bit confused. But upon seeing the young woman passed out cold on the ground, he instantly opened up his medical kit to do a further assessment. He paid attention to her physique, her impressive red fiery hair, and her petite body. She seemed to be very young. So what was she doing in these parts of the woods?

He continued to do the medical assessment. Faint pulse. Sprained ankle. Fractured or sprained shoulder. Majorly dehydrated. He also noticed that a few of her ribs could very well be broken- no doubt from the impact of whatever fall she had endured. There were also minor bruises to the rest of her body, but the large gash on her arm and neck far outweighed any other wounds.

Those were the main injuries that he could instantly recognize just by performing a minor examination. To find the extent of her other injuries, he would need to do a full x-ray back in the infirmary. Concluding the assessment as best as he could in the environment, he asked for her to be moved to the packs' infirmary. There he would hook her up to an I.V and she would be treated in a more comfortable setting.

He shuddered at the thought of what the young girl had gone through. It was clear that she had only stopped by to have a drink, and out of nowhere, she was attacked. Being a doctor in the werewolf race, he'd seen a lot of wounds caused by rogues to know how vicious those creatures were.

As they moved around doing what had been asked of them, Beta Mike grabbed her backpack, hoping to find some idea of her identity, and what she was running from.

**

With his towering frame, Alpha Jake D'Amore exited the black hummer which he'd spent endless hours on the way back to his pack territory. There was no denying the immense joy that flowed through him at finally being back home. He'd missed his bed, and the freedom to roam around the pack lands without the fear of meeting a rogue along the way. His wolf was overjoyed to be back in a familiar setting. There was no denying that animals needed space to move about, but his wolf absolutely hated being in one place for too long.

Looking at the buildings surrounding the white Victorian mansion known as the packhouse, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned just in time to see his pack's Beta and personal best friend, Michael walking towards him.

"Hey, man," Mike said as they embraced in a brief hug. "I hope your trip was successful."

"It was," Jake nodded and they began making their journey to the packhouse which had been built ages ago. It stood in the center of the pack and was the home for a number of wolves.

They had known each other since their childhood days. It was funny really when elders of their pack teased them about the years when they were both running about in diapers and causing havoc in the pack. Mike had become Beta after his dad, Michael Senior who had served for years alongside Jake's parents. Jake trusted Mike with his life, and together, they had worked hard to make the pack as strong as it is today.

Jake was only twenty when he became Alpha after his parents. His father, Antonio D'Amore was born and raised in Italy. There, he'd lived with his family in their pack. When he was twenty-one, he'd decided to come to the US to go to university there. His plans changed when he met Jake's mother, his mate, who was eighteen at the time and the only child of the Alpha of the Sentinels pack, and in dire need of an heir. They mated rather quickly and had Jake a year later. With his birth, they had been able to secure the 'throne'- so to speak. His birth had brought joy, not only to his pack but to those surrounding them. The rogues? Not so much.

Every pack warrior swore an oath to keep the secrets of the pack and protect those who were unable to defend themselves. Spending so much time with them, they had mutual respect and trust. However, if Jake suspected that they were going out of line, he would immediately voice his opinions.

He and a few of the pack warriors had been away for a few days. The Blood Moon pack, an ally to the east had been having rogue attacks and needed some assistance. When rogues began attacking packs, it wasn't solely that particular packs' issue. It became an issue for the entire werewolf race. It was their objective to protect their race no matter the consequences. So with a few pack warriors, Jake had driven to the Blood Moon pack, not sparing one rogues' life.

Jake was certainly proud of his accomplishments. His dreams had always been to help others achieve theirs, and for years, he'd been doing just that. He'd established foundations and charities, in the hope of not only assisting wolves in need but humans also. His pack was thriving with businesses in all different sectors, and a community college and university which gave wolves an opportunity to further their education.

He couldn't regret one second of his life so far. Well, except not having a mate. He sighed.

With his Italian background and looks, he didn't need to beg for s*x. Jake had bedded a number of she-wolves in the past and although most times they had been able to satisfy him, his wolf could never be content. It craved for something more...permanent. They craved for their mate. Every alpha deserved a Luna to assist him in pack business, direct him when he was going wrong, and basically cherish him for all of eternity. Of course, he would do the same for her. Jake wanted so much to find his mate that sometimes it felt like an obsession. Except, he had no idea whom he was obsessed with.

He'd traveled across the continent on official pack business, but silently, he'd hoped that he would stumble upon her; his mate. Time and time again, he kept reminding himself that this was only temporary and he would find his mate soon- when he least expects. But when will that be?

After greeting pack members, including his third-in-command, Damian, they sat to watch a boxing match on the huge TV in the lounge room. A while later, Jake was distracted by footsteps approaching, and he looked away from the television screen to see the packs lead Doctor, Anthony Paul. He was confused. Had someone been injured when he was away? If so, why hadn't Mike told him about it? Wolves were hurt all the time during pack training, but with their quick werewolf healing capabilities, most injuries were healed within an hour or two. Unless it was something really bad.

When Dr. Paul caught Jake's gaze, he froze like a deer caught in headlights before stuttering, "A-Alpha J-Jake. W-Welcome back."

Jake could instantly tell that the good doctor didn't expect him to be there. And since when did he make personal calls? And with a...Was that a patients' folder in his hands? Jake was beyond confused. He felt that he was being left out of some top-secret issue, and he didn't like it one bit.

Jake watched as the doctor's gaze moved to Mike, and they seemed to be having a silent conversation. Growing annoyed by the silence and aware that they were keeping something from him, Jake grabbed the remote and with one click of a button, he turned off the TV.

"Someone better tell me what the f**k is going on here," Jake stated in a low, yet very angry voice.

At that, the room was bathed in silence, and anyone could hear a pin drop. That's just what Jake had wanted. Now he wanted the truth- the details. When no one spoke for a while, Jake felt his wolf rising to the surface, and he knew no one in there wanted to see his wolf. He wasn't called vicious for no reason at all. He could tear apart a wolf in a second and the wolf would die with surprise evident on its face.

Yet, Jake wasn't about to repeat himself. Alphas never repeated themselves. To anyone.

A moment later, Mike replied, "We found a female near the pack boundary two days ago." Jake along with the other pack warriors that were with him on the mission gasped.

Before his anger could take possession, he asked, "Was she a wolf?"

Jake, along with everyone in the pack took rogue attacks very seriously. Any wolf who posed a threat was executed. It was probably a terrible approach, but those were the rules and they had been implemented even before Jake became the alpha.

"She's a wolf," Mike replied, and Jake nodded.

"Good," he approved, "She was probably a-"

However, he stopped dead in his rant as realization dawned upon him.

She 'is' a wolf? Does he mean that she isn't dead? A rogue that trespassed on his land is not dead! His beta and pack warriors hadn't killed her. They put the lives of pack members at risk for a...rogue!

Jake was pissed! He had been angry before, but this time, it was on a different level.

"You brought a rogue into the pack infirmary? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Who would be held responsible if something were to occur?" He shouted in his alpha tone, and everyone flinched. But he was nowhere near done.

"I want her off my territory. Now!"

Yet, no one moved. No one made an effort to move from the living room, and Jake's wolf wasn't impressed by this at all. Instead, that only pushed him closer to the surface.

Then, Mike stood up but knowing perfectly well to keep his distance.

"Jake, she's not a rogue."

Not a rogue? Mike's words caused his wolf to calm down a bit. There had been no instances when wolves who weren't rogues trespassed unto their territory. It was always rogues who felt like they were too special to be executed if they crossed the boundary. And they did show them how irrelevant they really were.

"What do you mean by that? How is she not a rogue?" Jake asked, refusing to believe he'd heard correctly.

"Connor was the one who stumbled upon them. They were outside the border when he met them. The rogue was on top of her but got away leaving her with injuries. She had no smell of a rogue, and from the scene, it was evident that she had only stopped by for water in the stream," Mike explained and Jake listened closely to his words. "She was badly bitten so I called for Dr. Paul and he did an assessment before we brought her to the pack hospital."

Jake nodded, having a better understanding.

He then turned to the doctor, and asked, "What was your assessment?"

Dr. Paul came forward and handed over the patients' folder before saying, "When she was found, she was barely breathing and majorly dehydrated. She had two broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and a few other minor injuries. The rogue that attacked her bit her left arm, and had gone for the kill shot when Connor arrived at the scene."

Looking at the record, Jake nodded before asking, "How long before she wakes up?"

"Could be a few hours, or a day or two," Dr. Paul replied. "I really have no idea."

Jake paged through the patient's folder, looking at the extent of her injuries and how quickly her wounds had healed since she'd been taken to the infirmary. She was indeed a wolf, and now technically, his pack was responsible for her well-being. When he got to the section where the girls' personal information should have been, Jake concluded that they didn't know her identity.

"How old do you think she is Doctor?"

He gave a quick response. "About 18 or 19. She's very young."

Jake nodded at his answer before asking, "Was she found with any personal belongings?"

The doctor nodded, but it was Mike who responded. "We found a backpack near her. There were clothes, food and a box which we think contains her personal stuff."

'So why didn't they have her information?' Jake thought. He was becoming annoyed at the incompetence of his pack mates. The only question they were able to honestly answer was that of her injuries. Everything else had a huge question mark after it. This should've been dealt with a long time ago. Even before he'd arrived.

Answering his silent question, Mike stated, "The chest had a key-code, and we're not able to access it. We could have Oliver try to c***k the code but it might take a while. Believe me, I've never seen anything like it before."

Just great! The only loophole where they could potentially find the answers they were looking for, and again, they were left with unanswered questions. This girl was slowly becoming trouble for him. He had a strong feeling that this girl could be a total disaster if she stayed here in his pack. He didn't want her here. He knew nothing about here. Where was she heading? He just hoped whoever this girl is associated with didn't come back to take revenge on his pack. He wouldn't blink an eye to get her off his territory- or kill her. He'd be dammed if he would allow a female to destroy everything his ancestors had worked tirelessly over the decades to build.

Turning to Mike, he voiced his concerns. "If anything happens, I'm holding you responsible. She's your problem, and you had better keep an eye on her."

Mike nodded in understanding and agreement, knowing not to go against his Alpha and best friend's wishes.

With that, Jake turned on his heels, heading straight to the door. He needed answers and it seemed that only the she-wolf could answer his questions. And he would get his answers. One at a time.

Now, he would go on a much-needed run across his pack lands.