Page 14 of Wilde Beta

They managed to make it through the night without being attacked again. It was a relief, but they still needed to make it through today and find out what the hell was happening. She looked at Adam and saw he was still in wolf form. When he turned to look at her, their eyes met.

“It's time to get up. I need a shower, but I have no clothing here. I have to wear something other than PJ's," Mel explained.

Adam morphed into his human form. “Maybe we should call someone and have them bring clothing for you. I don't want to leave you alone and unprotected. It is clear now that someone is after you, and maybe all of them are.”

Yeah, she had that feeling, too, and there was no denying it. If she didn't want someone forcing themselves on her, she needed the protection of at least one person. The problem was when they called to request clothing, there was a possibility someone else might find out. If they went downstairs to her room, they might run into somebody. This shit was so complicated. She was developing a new appreciation for what all her other cousins had gone through. Her problems weren't over with either. They were looming ahead, and she had no idea what would happen. She wasn't willing to mate just to avoid evil people trying to exploit her.

She did feel bad now because she had suggested that Joey just mate Naqi and get it over with. She'd seen something between them and hadn't understood why they didn't just do it. It would have stopped everything that was happening to her cousin.

Now, she was in the same situation and didn't want to do it either. Mel thought there was a good chance she and Adam might end up together, but she refused to do it just because she was being threatened.

They headed back to her bedroom so she could get dressed. It didn't take long to get there, and it didn't take her long to finish dressing. Since it was breakfast time, they were sure that was where they would find everyone else. When they arrived in the dining room, they were obviously correct. They decided to eat first and then ask for time with their alpha pair to discuss an issue they needed to talk about. None of the strangers who said they had been sent by the council were at breakfast. She hoped it meant they had left. Mel didn't think she was that lucky, but they were making themselves scarce.

Maybe they were aware of what one of their group had done and knew it wouldn't be hard for the rest of them to figure out what was happening. Trev and Janie would know what to do, or at least she hoped they would. They would need to locate their so-called visitors to find out why they were really there. The pack greatly outnumbered the visitors, so they should all be safe. Adam and Mel ate quickly before they requested Trev and Janie meet with them. Maybe things were going to be all right. Mel could only pray that they would be.

They headed to the meeting room, but things got hairy. A group appeared in front of them, including the nasty wolf that liked to stare.

“We have you now," the man who called himself Richard snarled.

“Who exactly do you think you have?” Trev asked curiously.

“The two white wolves, one unmated and one mated–to which we know how to break the bond," Richard explained.

“You don't have anyone yet," Trev declared.

That was when the one that stared at her tried to grab her and went flying. Thank the goddess Harry made her an artifact that even covered someone physically trying to attack her if they had ill intent. Richard tried to grab Janie, and he went flying, too. Again, thank the goddess for Harry. The little witch had been a true friend to white wolves, and they all loved her.

Trev moved up to where Richard stood and hit him hard in the jaw. It was hard enough to knock him out, and then Trev worked on the others. Adam moved quickly to the one who tried to touch his mate and made the same move, but it didn't knock him out. That was when he began to pound on him. He only stopped when he saw that there were a couple of other wolves that Trev had not taken out yet, and he began to work on them. He hurried to the dining room and came back with magical handcuffs.

Those were placed on each of the wolves that had been knocked out, but somehow Richard was gone. How he had snuck away was impossible to say. There were only five other wolves with him, so it was hard to believe they had been that distracted. Mel sat down and had someone bring her some sketching paper. She quickly sketched Richard, drawing on her memory and using Janie's suggestions to make him look more like he had. If she was honest, she'd not paid him much attention or any other guy. The one who stared was the only one she'd even looked at because he annoyed her.

“You are so talented. I had no idea you could do that," Adam was awed.

“Mel keeps her talents hidden," Janie observed. “She does some of the drawings for Joey, but usually cartoons. That looks just like the asshole. We should scan it and send it to Damon and Ariel. Maybe they will recognize him. I'm sure his name isn't Richard.”

It embarrassed her a little that everyone was gushing over her drawing. Adam would eventually find out she was artistic, and Janie had always known. Even before they knew they were white wolves, they knew they were related, some more distantly than others. They had known each other since they were kids and had gone to Ariel's summer camps.

Mel handed the drawing to Janie to copy and send to everyone. They needed to identify the guy and figure out what he was doing because while he had failed, there was no doubt he would continue to try.

No white wolf was safe if he believed he could cancel a mating. Mel heard some claims about it, but they also said it was excruciating. One way was to kill the mate, but there was another way, and no one talked about what that might be.

One nasty male told Ariel she would no longer exist to her mate. He would have no way to find her and would no longer feel her in his life. All the pain would be hers.

That was what they had intended to do with Janie. Mel had not mated yet, which made her a perfect target. It was what they preferred since no one truly knew the pain wouldn't kill someone while you were trying to separate them from their mate.

Anyone who could do something like that or even claim to have the ability should be dealt with harshly. The pictures were sent along with the message of what had happened. Damon was informed about the prisoners. He sent back a message that he would be arriving within the hour. Did that mean he was already here or on his way? Otherwise, how was that possible?

Not quite an hour later, they were in the meeting room when Tiny knocked on the door.

"We have company. Damon McDougal wishes to see you.”

“Send him in. I can't believe he made it so quickly," Trev announced.

“Not only did I make it quickly, but I brought Harry with me. We have also identified the man in the drawing. Someone has a real talent," Damon observed.

“Thank you, I try. So, who was he?" Mel asked.

“Nicolas Graves was your recent guest. He disappeared because he uses witches' artifacts that allow him to flash away so he can live to fight another day," Damon explained. “We thought he had retired from this behavior, but apparently, he found a reason to return to his heinous business.”

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