Chapter 3

Who is Adam?

"Just be yourself," Trev said.

What kind of advice was that? He'd been a pack alpha, but now he wasn't. So, who was he? His father had abandoned him, and his mother had been so stricken with grief that she had faded away and abandoned him, too. While it was true that he had been an adult, that had still hurt, and he didn't believe he would ever get over it. The only one he had left was his grandpa, who blamed him for his father leaving. He also clung to his position as pack alpha even though the pack was spiraling from his poor decisions and the health problems that interfered with him being the strong alpha they needed.

His grandpa's biggest concern was preventing anyone from taking his position. While he had mental issues, his ability to fight had never diminished, and Adam knew that if he tried to take him on, his grandfather would kill him. It didn't matter because once he had taken over the pack, he had made poor and selfish decisions that had caused them to spiral even lower. Even though bad things happened in their area and a powerful pack had stripped them bit by bit of people and land, that did not absolve him of his mistakes. Just be yourself? Why would anyone want him after all he had done?

Mel, his fated mate, must have been born under an unlucky star to end up with him. She'd even been able to take him down when he was trying to train her to fight. His fighting skills were not on par with those of his brothers. His father had begun to train him, or he would have no fighting skills because his grandfather refused to let him learn anything. He had not taught him to fight, and he'd not taught him to be a pack alpha, even though he was the only one available to take over if he died. Gramps had died unexpectedly. Many assumed it was poisoning, but Adam had not done it, and he didn't know anyone brave enough to try.

His grandpa's illness was previously unknown to wolves, but it had become more common in pack alphas in recent years. It differed from the one caused by inbreeding. This one resembled Alzheimer's in humans. The wardens had come, secured his grandfather's body, and taken it to a lab for testing. They found no signs of poisoning. It didn't mean it hadn't happened, only that none of the common poisons were used. If someone had poisoned his Gramps, they would have been disappointed when he became pack alpha because he had been even worse. Many had hoped his grandpa would die because they thought things couldn't get worse, but he had shown them that wasn't true.

He was learning now–not only to fight but also to run a pack properly. Adam didn't understand why his brothers would teach him this. Wasn't this something that he could use against them later? Were they thinking he would never be good enough to overcome them, or were they telling him they trusted him? If it was trust, how could they be so sure? With his past, he wasn't used to anyone trusting him and wasn't sure he could trust anyone in return. Adam hoped their trust was not misplaced.

He had learned much about family, which differed from what he had learned growing up. Adam knew his father had been disappointed because his mother had not given him more children. Now, he knew it hadn't made any real difference. It just delayed him leaving, but he would have gone anyway. How could he do what he did? He'd had many children with many women but had always left them behind. No, that wasn't true. He had taken one of Naqi's brothers with him, but only because the boy looked so much like him. Did he love himself so much that only a mirror image was worth his time? Adam was sure that they would never know.

Was it his past that made him unattractive to Mel? Was this something he could overcome if he tried hard enough? It was breakfast time, and he needed to stop worrying about something he could do nothing about. Adam knew it was almost time to eat and that he and Mel would train and help her learn to protect herself afterward.

"Hey, come sit over here," Janie yelled as he filled his plate.

Hurrying over, he sat between Mel and Janie. Mel didn't say anything, and that was an improvement from before when he sat by her. Maybe she was getting used to him? Eventually, she would have to, wouldn't she? He was sure that she was warming up to him. The issue was that it was slow, and he was not a patient male. They finished their meal, and everyone began to head in the direction they needed to go. Mel and he went downstairs to the room where they usually trained. First, they warmed up. It was too soon to see if she had built up any strength, but Adam knew she would if she kept up with the program. Once she had done what he required, it was time to train in self-defense. That's what she would do first. He would also consider teaching her offensive moves when she got good at that.

It was true that most females did not want to fight. That didn't mean that his mate might not want to. She obviously liked to spar verbally and was very good at it. His mate could have a sharp tongue at times. It was something he had struggled to get used to. Neither Joey nor Janie was like that. Someone said most white wolves were sweet and charming. He'd only met three, so he wondered if that was true. Adam might not ever meet anymore, but he would like to. If Mel agreed to become his mate, he might be able to meet many of her family. She met all of his family he had any contact with. His mother's family line had ended except for him. His father seemed to have more children than he knew what to do with, but he didn't care for them. All he cared about was creating more children with different females.

Adam's father was hard to understand. Trev had explained that none of the females were his true mate. He'd gotten close to them and even had children, but he had never gone through the mating itself. Maybe he had once long ago, and something had happened, and she was gone. Maybe losing his true mate changed him and made him the man he was. Only he knew what had happened, and they doubted he would ever tell. He had changed his opinion on many things and no longer wanted to find his father or find out how many families he had. The blame for what had happened now sat securely on his father's shoulders. Adam didn't want him dead anymore. He just wanted nothing to do with him.

He looked at Mel, knowing that if she accepted him, he would never want another. If they had children, he would never want to leave them. Adam would care for them as long as he lived.

"Come here and let me show you a hold. Once I have you secured, try to break it. Remember the rules: no biting," Adam explained.

He wasn't sure who was more surprised, Mel or him when she managed to break the hold.

"That is very good. Remember, you can also stomp on someone's foot, but it will not work if they are wearing heavy boots. In that case, they will not feel it at all.

Adam had to admit that he enjoyed the training because he got to touch his mate. She didn't seem to mind, but she didn't show the same enjoyment that he felt when they touched each other. They continued to work until her stomach made a loud growling noise.

"I believe that is a sign it may be lunchtime. If you are hungry, we can go upstairs and see what is available," Adam suggested.

"I could eat," Mel replied, even though it was apparent that she was starving.

He led the way upstairs, and as soon as he opened the door, the aroma of cooking food hit his nose, and his stomach growled, too. They headed upstairs to eat. Lunch was a crazy affair, and they had visitors. These were unknown wolves, and he wasn't sure why they were there. One of the males kept staring at his fated mate. It was something Adam was not going to allow to continue. Mel didn't even seem to notice.

"Why are you staring at my woman?" Adam asked.

"I see no sign that she is claimed. She is beautiful. So why wouldn't I stare at her?" The male asked.

"Is there a problem?" Trev asked.

"He doesn't like me staring at the woman over there. She is unclaimed, which makes her available," the male answered.

"Stephen, we are not here to claim females. Do your job and do not worry about whether females are available," another male directed.

Stephen looked unhappy, but his eyes turned away from Mel. Adam wasn't fooled. He knew it wouldn't be long before Stephen would stare at Mel again. Adam needed to claim his fated mate, but even that might not stop others from wanting her. The only comfort he could take was that Mel was not looking back at the other male. Her eyes showed no interest when she looked at the one called Stephen. Adam knew he needed to claim her, but how could he do that when she resisted?

He wondered why the strangers were there and hoped to find out soon. Everyone began to eat. Adam realized everything would be explained after they ate. The food was good, and when all the places were empty and put away, he and the others began to look around. Who was going to explain this? It seemed Trev was.

"We will be having a meeting with our guests. Everyone in a leadership position will be present. That includes the betas and Mel," Trev announced.

Why would his mate be there? Who were these people, and why had they come? Adam was sure they would be going to the meeting room nearby.

He was right. They all trooped in and grabbed seats. The room was nearly full, with only a few places to sit.

"Now that everyone is in here, I will explain. The council has sent some representatives for extra protection and to determine who the transgressors are," Trev explained.

Having the council president present was generally not a good thing. They tended to get involved when they shouldn't and take actions that weren't needed. Adam might not know much, but he did know that. Looking around the room, he suspiciously eyed all those he did not know. The one that was interested in his female was the one he looked at most closely. He thought he could win in a challenge and suspected he might soon find out.

"I worked for the council as an investigator. The others with me are my team. We are here to help. The pack attempting to take Mel, the white wolf, seems to be from Mexico. They were told to back off, but they are not listening. It is a very wealthy pack, and they have resources you may not," one of the males explained.

"Who are you?" Mel asked.

"My name is Richard Burlington. We are here to ensure you weren't injured during any attempt to abduct you."

"How did you know I was here?" Mel asked.

"We have been watching you and saw you leave the other pack house and head here," Richard said.

"Were you watching me the last time the pack attacked to abduct me?" Mel asked.

"We were," Richard replied.

"And yet you didn't assist us?" She wondered.

"We would have, but the other pack turned and sprinted away," he declared.

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.

Jason and he got busy. If they worked hard, they would get the bottom section of the cabinets done and ready for the countertops. Someone else would paint or stain the wood once the cabinet was ready. All they had to worry about was building them. Someone else did every other job, and he was glad about that. Nick, one of the older wolves who had gotten injured and had a hard time doing many of the jobs they needed, was the one who painted or stained the cabinets. They had a special ladder for when he worked up high, and it had a seat on it so he could sit. That gave his injured leg a way to rest. The countertops were heavy, so the person putting those in needed to be strong and in good shape.

Zach did that job, and his assistant was whoever was available because what they did was help him lift it into place. At that point, he did the rest. They were halfway done when they took a break. A snack bar and a bottle of water gave them the energy they needed to complete the rest of the job. He and Jason heard something. They both swung around to look at the door at the same time. It was Richard. Adam couldn't imagine why that wolf would be there.

"Hello. I was curious about these cabins and wanted to see what one looked like inside," Richard said.

"This one is in the middle of being built, so you'll not get a good feel for it," Adam offered.

"You're doing a great job. Carpenters are in big demand. What would you say if I could get you a job where you could make some real money?" Richard asked.

"I'd say I'm happy here with my pack," Adam admitted.

"Wouldn't you like to get away from this isolated area? Aren't you from California? The cold must be bothering you,' Richard suggested.

"I like it here. There is the family I've recently discovered that I'm getting to know and, of course, my true mate," Adam explained. "Would any wolf want to leave that?"

"Family can be visited, and there are places with beautiful forests that are warm and not freezing cold," Richard observed.

"I'm fine staying here. My talents are needed, and I am helping my pack," Adam said.

"If you left here, you might find a pack of your own," Richard explained.

"I'm happy here. I will stay," Adam insisted.

What was this wolf trying to do? He'd not mentioned Adam's fated mate. Was he trying to take her away from him? Adam wouldn't allow that, and he thought his family would help him.

It would be best if those people just left. They weren't wanted. Richard hung around for a little bit longer, acting like he didn't know what to say or do before he finally turned and left.

"He wants something from you," Jason observed.

"Agreed, but I'm not sure what it is. Richard's being sneaky, and that won't work on me," Adam said.

They finished the area under the countertop. Next, they worked on the doors, and eventually, they would work on the drawers.

Adam needed a whole day to complete that portion, but he hadn't had it so far. He had finished the doors, and the drawers would be done the following day. It was still a good day's work. They cleaned up their area and put their tools away before they left.

Adam was ready to have supper. His stomach growled, and he thought talking to Trev, Janie, and Mel after supper would be a good idea.

The council was trying to remove him from the equation. He suspected they could grab his mate and take her away. He was not pleased and didn't think any of the others would be either.

Richard thought Adam was too stupid to see what was happening, but he saw it clear as day. It was unusual for the council to get involved between fated mates. Why were they doing it now? Maybe Ariel could get involved and find out what was happening. Nothing the visitors had done so far had been helpful, and nothing they suggested had been right.

Jason and Adam headed to the house where everyone would soon be eating supper. They were running behind a little more than he thought because everyone seemed to be there, including the council assholes.

"I need to talk to you, Janie, and Mel after supper. Something happened, and I want your opinion on it," Adam admitted.

"Sure, as soon as we eat, we'll do it," Trev agreed.

The food was good. Everyone sat down after fixing their plates. The same guy stared at Mel, and Adam wanted to punch him. Even if they were trying to take his mate, there was no way they would give her to that guy. He wasn't important enough. That he was told to leave her alone showed that.

"Going to call Ariel," Janie announced. "I don't like what's going on here."

She left the room, and Adam was sure she would make that call. "I'm calling Damon to see who these people are and why they are really here," Trev decided.

"What should I do?" Mel asked.

"You and I will wait and see what they find out. We need to be careful. I am not sure what these people might do," Adam observed.

"Got that right," Mel offered. "How do we even know the council sent them?"

"We will know soon because Trev is calling Damon. Maybe you should make yourself scarce until we discover what is happening," Adam suggested.

They all went to bed that night, sure nothing would happen until the morning. Adam's wolf woke as a male snuck down the hall. Adam realized he had made a mistake by sleeping outside his mate's room because it had drawn this wolf to him.

Running at top speed, he leaped into the air and onto the other wolf. Even though they ended up in the pool, Adam was on top and continued to bite the other wolf, drawing blood.

He tried to get his jaws around the other wolf's throat but failed. They continued to fight and went under the water, both trying to be on top.

Somehow, they climbed out of the pool and attacked each other again. Even with all the chlorine, the scent of the other wolf registered as the one that had tried to take his mate. It was highly unlikely they were from the council. The only reason they were there was to take Mel. If he survived, Adam would make Trev teach him how to fight harder and better than he ever had before.

At the moment, there was no holding back. Adam was winning, but the fight was slow. He got in several good bites. Blood dripped from the other wolf's wounds, but he refused to yield.

Finally, a good bite on the neck where blood was pouring out, and the other wolf turned and ran. Adam would have chased him down, but he had to check on Mel to be sure while he had been fighting, no one else had entered and taken her.

Adam shifted from human to wolf to heal his wounds. Once again, he returned to human, headed to Mel's room, and entered. She was asleep on the bed. She slept through the whole vicious encounter. It was for the best that she'd missed the brutal attack. On the other hand, he'd been a hero, and he, in a way, regretted that she was unaware of it.

"What happened?" Mel asked tiredly. It was clear he had woken her.

"That bastard who kept staring at you came down here wanting to enter your room. How he knew you were down here, I can't say. We fought, and he ended up running. I didn't follow him because I needed to check on you," Adam admitted.

"I suppose it's too late to chase after him now?" Mel asked.

"He's long gone. There's no way to know where he is," Adam admitted.

"You think there's any way we might be able to find out anything about him?" Mel asked.

"That depends on whether the rest of them are still here," Adam answered. "Let's go see if Trev or Janie are awake. Maybe they will know something."

"Whether they're awake or not, I think they need to know what just happened," Mel offered.

"I think you're right," Adam agreed.

He and Mel headed to Trev and Janie's room. Adam knocked on the alpha's door. It was the first time he had ever done so. He felt Trev and Janie needed some privacy, even within the pack. Sadly, what happened was just too important not to report immediately. Trev came to the door naked, obviously having just awakened.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Adam immediately began to explain what happened. "I don't know if he just went rogue because he got too excited about Mel being close by or if these are just a bunch of assholes who don't belong here at all. Did you have any luck getting a hold of Damon to ensure the council sent these people?" Adam asked.

"It rarely happens, but I couldn't get ahold of Damon. I left a message and then called Cage. He didn't know anything and said he would call back in the morning. That leaves us where we were at the beginning. Janie did get ahold of Ariel, who said she wasn't aware the council sent anyone. She was suspicious because the council usually alerts a pack before they send someone," Trev explained. "You guys need to find another room and hunker down until morning. There's no way we can get everything straightened out before then."

Adam wasn't pleased with the advice. His alpha was leaving it to him to protect his mate. A bedroom had just become available because a house was complete. The guests weren't in that wing, so hopefully, they would get a peaceful night's sleep. Adam could only hope the wolf that tried to sneak into Mel's room was doing it alone.

Leading the way, Mel followed Adam to the vacant room. There was only one bed. She lifted an eyebrow at him.

"What's the plan?" She asked.

"Just go to bed. My wolf will guard you."