Page 15 of Wilde Beta

“There are some criminals who will never quit. I heard about one who was after a white or red wolf mate. You have to be pretty bad to scare Nicholas Graves," Harry admitted.

“I can't believe we didn't realize he wasn't legitimate. Sadly, no one trusts the council, so we weren't sure, and I was shocked when they appeared at our door. The guy has brass balls. If one of his wolves hadn't gone rogue, he may have gotten away with it," Mel declared.

“Be thankful that he did. Any guy that scares Nicholas Graves is not someone you want to meet," Harry mentioned.

“I've heard of this guy. The last I knew was that you didn't know what he looked like," Janie said.

“That's not true. A few years ago, Tyne’s mate, Moe, was approached by him. They heard others coming closer. She turned to see who it was, and when she turned back, he was gone. He carries a powerful artifact that allows him to flash away instantly. Moe went through a horrible ordeal because of the guys who captured her, and no one ever thought to have a sketch made. She was the one who positively identified him," Damon explained.

“I'm surprised Moe didn't just take him down and remove the artifact," Janie declared.

“At the time, we didn't know he carried one. Also, Moe had been mistreated by those who captured her," Damon admitted.

“What happened to them?” Adam asked.

“Graves escaped, but the others were taken into custody and are now in the council prison," Damon explained.

“Is the council prison still as bad as they say it is?” Adam asked.

“There have been several programs suggested by the white wolves that have made it better, especially for those non-violent offenders who are willing to do as they are told. For the really bad ones, it has only improved slightly. It's still a living in hell," Damon admitted.

“Good, I hate to see females hurt," Adam offered.

He didn't realize he could have ended up in the council prison had Naqi, or anyone else turned him in. Thankfully, they dealt with it as a family often does by taking their own action. Adam had been very lucky indeed.

“Is there any way that we can catch that guy? I know you guys have been after him for a long time.” Mel questioned.

“Since you caught all his guys, and he'll believe you've called someone else in, it's unlikely he will be back. If he keeps an eye on things and believes you have decided you aren't worried about him, that is when he'll return. I'm not sure what to tell you. He said he wouldn't be doing this anymore, yet here he is, so it's hard to tell what he'll do," Damon observed.

An unpredictable criminal? Not a big surprise, was it? All that meant was that he might do anything anytime, for any reason. It didn't mean they were safe, or he wouldn't return. They had no idea how badly he wanted an animated white wolf. Clearly, it was pretty bad because he was even willing to take a mated one. He might have wanted Janie for reasons beyond her blood. She was a tech genius, and that only added to her value.

“The first thing we'll do is have extra security. You two have those artifacts, and they seem to work really well. Maybe we can have Harry set up a perimeter and do more work on our security regarding the house. We'd be happy to pay you for that, Harry. You might even have to get extra help," Trev mentioned.

“I could do that. I have an assistant who can help. I can also take some energy from each of you if you are willing. Of course, I'll have to be well-fed because a lot of my energy comes from that," Harry concluded.

Mel loved Harry and enjoyed spending time with her. It would be fun to have Harry around for a while. The only thing bad about it was why she had to hang around. Ariel could not come because she was expecting her fourth child. She said she would take a break after this child.

Mel couldn't imagine having four children so closely together. She was beginning to imagine how having a mate, especially a fated one, might feel.

“Before you take some of these guys to the council prison, tell me about these rumors about the prisoners being let go?” Janie asked.

“I can't deny it. Many inmates were allowed to leave, and we were never informed. Had we not run into them doing what they have always done, we would not have known any better," Damon admitted. “I just don't know any place else to put them. Those that aren't so bad can stay here, and you can put them to work, but the two worst need to go somewhere they can't escape so they won't come back here," Damon explained.

“And where would that be since the council prison obviously isn't that kind of place?” Janie commented.

“Ariel has a small prison, but she can't keep them for long," Damon suggested.

“Still, it will work for those going first," Harry directed.

She pulled some things out of the air and snapped them on their ankles. “You may think you know what these are, but you would be wrong. While in many ways they act like a locator, these have an additional spell placed on them. If you do anything like an attempt to escape or cause harm to anyone else, these will send an electric shock through your system that will, at the very least, knock you to the ground and might possibly kill you in an excruciating way. Someone needs to give them their directions so they can be put to work and earn their food and a place to stay.” Harry instructed.

“Cool," Janie observed. “Can I put an order in for some of those?”

“Sweetheart, what would you do with those?” Trev asked.

“You really believe these are the last assholes we're going to have around here?” Janie wondered.

“I hope so?” But it was obvious that Trev was unsure.

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