Page 17 of Wilde Beta

“What you have will probably do. You realize this is just a delaying tactic. If the Mexican pack overwhelms you, you must fight or run," Harry advised.

“I realize that some will stop, but if we are fighting an army, they will eventually overwhelm us. It's a shame I can't find a witch like you to hang around. I have a feeling we will have trouble in the future," Janie admitted.

“How have your artifacts been holding up?” Harry asked.

Janie giggled. “They send them flying. It was beautiful, and you would have loved watching it.”

“Mine worked perfectly, too. We appreciate you making them for us, Harry," Mel offered.

“No problem," Harry responded. "I'll have to go soon. Since I'm a businesswoman, I need to know who to send the bill to?”

“Would you prefer cash?” Trev asked.

“I love cash," Harry admitted.

“Follow me," Trev invited.

He led the way, and Harry followed while everyone else waited for them to return. When Harry came back, she looked very pleased. It was sad she had to leave them. Mel really enjoyed having Harry around. Most people were just not fun like Harry.

Harry waved at everyone, and she and her assistant flashed away

“Damn, I hate to see her go. At least we got some protection now.” Janie observed.

“I feel safer with Harry's spelling everything," Mel added.

“Now, what do we do?” Adam asked.

“We return to work and pretend nothing happened unless it happens again," Janie directed.

That was a tough order to follow. All Mel could do was think about what had happened and how she had almost been caught. Had Adam not stayed to protect her against her own orders, she would have been taken by that horrible wolf. She'd immediately disliked the guy and couldn't explain why, but obviously, she'd been right. Maybe sensing the bad in someone was one of her white wolf powers? If it was, did it mean she might have other ones starting to emerge?

She had not been up long. She felt exhausted after all that had happened, but there was work she needed to do, and Joey was counting on her.

Mel went to her room to get her computer out and set it up. She was doing a cartoon to advertise a child's game. The hero looked a lot like Adam and the villain looked like the bad wolf. Maybe she should change it? No, nothing else she did would come out as well. She sent it off to Joey for approval. Now, she looked through several of the ads others created and either suggested how they could be better or gave them a thumbs up. Once she gave them a thumbs up, Joey decided if they were good enough or needed more work.

It was not wise to rely on the opinion of just one person. Joey generally decided if Mel's work was approved. It was a good thing. In this case, Joey had children and a better understanding.

Mel wondered what it would be like to have children. She could imagine a little boy like Adam. Oh no, what was wrong with her? She was beginning to sink into the mating plans after deciding not to. It might be wise if she got out of there, but with other wolves after her, she feared being caught. How could she avoid falling for Adam when her wolf knew he was her fated mate? Was there any way she would escape this?

Mel tried to put it out of her mind and finish her work for the day. It was funny because she could finish a day's work in a couple of hours when she was moving along, and everything was going well. When things were stacked against her, she couldn't finish a day's work in a week. That was the problem when you did creative work that depended on your brain. It had to be on your side and willing to help you do what needed to be done. The cartoon had worked well because everything was on her side. But now that she was distracted, nothing wanted to work out. Yes, she'd given her opinion on a few ads that were done well and didn't need anything. The ad in front of her needed something, but she couldn't say exactly what.

She hated to pass things along without a suggestion. Joey often gave her a hard time when she did that. Mel skipped it and went to the next one. It needed something, too, and for the life of her, she couldn't say what. It lacked the pizzazz to make it a fantastic ad that would catch attention and attract people. An ad had to have that, or it was no good. It was funny she could remember ads for specific restaurants and things she had not heard in many years. Those ads had what they needed to catch the attention and hold it. The problem was she was distracted by Adam, and while she could recognize a good or bad ad, she didn't have the concentration to figure out what the ad needed. It was time to do something else and get away from her computer. Maybe when she returned, everything would be better.

Chapter 5

Mine

He’d almost lost her! Thank the goddess, he'd not listened to her, and he'd guarded her room. Even if that evil wolf had followed him to her, it would have happened eventually. This time, he was there to fight him off and escape with his mate. Tonight, he would share a room with his mate. She had finally realized that she needed the extra protection that he offered. Adam even dared hope that maybe she was softening towards him. It was hard on him to be so close and yet so far. All he wanted was to be with her and make her happy. It was his honor to protect her, and he intended to do that.

Adam felt like a king as he followed his queen down to the level where her room was. When they reached it, and she unlocked the door, he followed her in. It seemed neither of them knew how to handle things, and they awkwardly stood there looking at each other.

“I guess I should shower and get ready for bed," Mel observed.

He just nodded because he didn't know what to say. After Mel was ready for bed, he would prepare. Adam had a small bag with a few personal items. A nice shower sounded good. He smelled like chlorine from the dip in the pool he had taken. Would Mel let him sleep in the bed with her? Or would he once again be on the floor? Maybe the best plan would be to wait until he was ready for bed before asking.

Mel came out a few minutes later wearing PJs. He walked past her and entered the bathroom with his bag. It was a nice bathroom, better than expected for the odd little room in an unexpected place. The shower was twice as large as he expected and had the multiple sprays that all the bathrooms in the house had. Since he had come here to live, he had learned to enjoy his showers. The hot water hit him from several directions. It was the perfect temperature. Adam suspected if he ever took a shower with his mate, the water temperature he liked would be too hot for her.

He still ached a little from the fight he had had last night. If he hadn't been a wolf, the damage would have been much worse, and the healing much slower.

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