Page 11 of Wilde Beta

According to what Adam heard, that was true. There had been no need for help, but that didn't mean they truly intended to assist. None of them knew these people, so it would be hard to trust them. The council was not known to have others' best interests at heart. It was clear from the faces he looked at that most people wondered why they were really there. What was it they were looking to gain? Adam feared he wouldn't know what they were up to until it was too late to stop. All he knew was that it better not be about his fated mate.

“Did you consider that they may have followed you here?” Janie asked.

The surprised look on Richard's face showed that it had not occurred to him. Shouldn't he have known that if he was an investigator for the council? This raised the question once more: What were they really doing there?

The meeting continued, but nothing important was said. When it came to an end, Adam still didn't know why they were there or what they intended to do.

“Do you know anything about this guy?” Janie asked.

The council people had left, but the regular pack leadership was still in the room, and the door was closed. Janie was suspicious and had run something she said would find any bug they had.

“What kind of bugs?” Adam asked because he didn't understand what that was.

“Listening devices," Janie explained. "And I found one."

“They are trying to get information from us?” Mel asked.

“It would seem that they are," Trev agreed.

“But why?” Mel asked.

“It probably has something to do with you," Trev suggested. “A changed, unmated white wolf is valuable to anyone.”

“So now, instead of just the Mexican pack coming after me, our council is, too?" Mel questioned.

“That is where the evidence leads us," Janie agreed.

“You need to get rid of them," Adam suggested.

“How do you suggest we do that?” Trevor asked.

“I don't know, I just want them gone," Adam replied.

“If we all put our heads together, we can come up with something. Right now, I only know Richard and the others came from the council, and we're stuck with them. I'm not even sure why they're really here. It could be more than one thing," Trev explained.

Adam knew one of the things they were after was his mate, but he wasn't sure why. They had not realized Adam was her fated mate, but now they knew, and it didn't seem to make any difference. The situation would weigh heavily on him until either he managed to get Mel to accept his claim, or the others were –all of them. Training was over for the day, and he needed to return to his usual work.

One of the houses was ready for the cabinets to be installed. Adam would work in the kitchen first and start with the bottom cabinets. They had to be measured and installed before the counter.

While someone else put in the counter, Adam installed floor-to-ceiling cabinets along one wall. By the time he was done, the countertop was finished. Then, he could work on the cabinets above the countertop all the way around.

He would work on the bathrooms next. Sometimes, a family requested built-in shelves in the bedrooms or the living room, which would be installed last. He was always swamped when a house was close to being finished. Other than that, he worked on the furniture. He had a trainee learning to make furniture, also. There was another one who was learning how to put in the cabinets, who was younger and only worked part-time. He was still in high school and had much to learn.

His name was Jason, and Adam enjoyed talking to him about what he was learning in school. Todd, his furniture apprentice, didn't talk much. When he did, it was always about building furniture. Today, Adam would be working with Jason, and he enjoyed that more than working with Todd, who would work on some of the simpler pieces of furniture for the pack. Todd's furniture would go to the pack because he was not fully trained, and if he made a mistake, it could cost them a customer. Their customers paid a high price for the best, so the best was what they would get.

Jason was there when Adam arrived. He noticed that the young man had cleaned everything up and had all the tools laid out, ready for the work ahead. He appreciated the extra effort Jason put into the work they did.

“Is everything alright, Adam?” Jason asked.

“We have people visiting from the council. I believe they are here for nefarious purposes even though they say they want to help us," Adam admitted.

Jason made a sour face. It was sad that the council, which should be able to help their people, was so poorly thought of. “How long will they be here?” Jason asked.

“Until they achieve their purpose, whatever that is," Adam explained.

Jason shook his head. “I wish they would just leave.”

Yeah, that's what Adam wished for as well. It reminded him of that colorful saying: wish in one hand and... well, everybody knew the rest. Sadly, the reality was different, and he knew they wouldn't leave anytime soon.

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