Chapter 6

Mated Life

Mel knew what he had done, but she didn't know how to address it. Maybe she was hoping that if she didn't acknowledge it, it would go away? Crazy, right? She thought it might help if they told people they had mated, but it would just send the Mexican pack after another white wolf, maybe one with less protection than she had. She felt conflicted about doing something like that. If they attacked again and they got through to her, they would find out quickly enough that she was mated. Once they got through, she felt they would take her and Janie anyway.

Eventually, they would want to try to unite them with someone to see if it had worked. That made Mel wonder why they thought that it would. Had it been done, or had they found some information suggesting it could be done? She was once more sitting at the table in the cabin where Adam worked with her computer in front of her. Mel decided to take a break and see exactly what her mate was doing.

The cabinets were lovely, even though they were unfinished. Adam explained that someone else did that part so he could concentrate on getting them built.

Someone else came in and put in the countertops. By specializing, they could do the work much quicker and better.

There were so many houses to build. It seemed like it would take forever, but they were slowly building and filling the cabins as soon as they were finished.

"You do such good work," she praised.

"It was a gift I have always been able to use. We had a carpenter in our pack who taught me everything I needed to know when I was young. My family disapproved and said it was fine for a hobby, but it was not something a future pack alpha should do," Adam admitted.

"If your grandpa didn't want to teach you how to be the leader of the pack, then why didn't he want you doing anything else?" Mel asked.

"I never could understand him. He got much worse after my father left. When my mom died, he changed even more," Adam explained.

"Sometimes loss can drive a person crazy," Mel offered.

"He had a mate that he lost when my mother was born. They say he never got over that. She was his one," he mentioned.

Mel was beginning to understand Adam's grandpa. The wolf took one loss after another until it finally fractured his mind, and he could no longer accept any more. The possible loss of his position was more than he could handle, so he held on tight with both hands. It had not been the right thing to do, that he had not understood that, and then he had died, leaving behind a legacy of pain and inability for his grandson to do anything good for the pack.

The loss was challenging to deal with, and when it seemed that all you had in life was lost, she could understand hanging on to what you had left and not wanting to let it go. Unfortunately, what he should have been holding onto was his grandson. He should have been training and helping him be the best pack alpha he could be. Instead, he had set Adam up for failure, and that was what happened. It hurt the pack, and it hurt his grandson. Two of the things he should have loved more than life had almost been destroyed because of his actions. Yes, Adam should have done better, but he fell into the role he had been trained for. He'd been a pack alpha without the abilities or talents to run a pack.

As she checked out the cabinets that were both beautiful and built to last, she couldn't understand why anyone had discouraged him from pursuing his talent. It wasn't like he had been a pack alpha at the time, and if his grandpa had his way, it would have been a hundred years before he was. Meanwhile, all this talent was going to be wasted. Why not let him follow his heart until it was time to follow his fate? Pack politics were odd things she was sure she would never understand.

As she checked out a tall cabinet, Adam wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. It felt good to lean against him and feel his warmth and love spread throughout her. Why had she fought this? Right now, it felt like exactly where she was supposed to be. Adam's radio went off, and he hurried to pick it up.

"Protecting the perimeter en masse. Be careful and protect Mel," Trev notified.

"Shit!" Adam cursed.

"Exactly. What do we do now?" Mel asked.

"If it was humans attacking, I would say hide. The wolves will smell you no matter where you go. The woods would be best. This is what you trained for," Adam admitted.

"Let's go," she said.

"I have to stay and fight. That should give you a chance to get to the woods. It didn't sound like they had made it in yet, but Trev seems to think that they will," Adam explained. "Go now before it is too late." Adam urged.

Mel knew it was the smart thing to do. She would endanger him by staying close to him. The woods called her as soon as she stepped outside of the cabin. She changed to her wolf, and away she ran much faster than she could have run as a human. The creek was ahead of her, but she hated cold water. She found a pine tree and rubbed the needles all over her. Then she ran around it several times to mix up the scent before heading away as far as she could before she heard the wolves howling.

A tree stood in front of her with thick limbs that would cover her once she reached a certain height. She began to climb, making it high enough that branches surrounded her. She was sure no one could see her. It was easy to hear them as they hurried by.

It was obvious they were confused and had lost the scent. Mel peeked through the limbs and saw them off in the distance, morphing into humans and talking.

"Where did the bitch go?" The first guy asked.

"You think if I knew, I'd be standing next to you looking around, idiot?" The second guy responded.

The others just mumbled and looked around helplessly. They had no idea where Mel was and didn't know where to look. They finally turned back and headed the way they'd come, running under her tree without looking up.

Janie was right. Wolves didn't look up. It was the safest place to hide. The problem was that Mel didn't know when she could come down, and the tree was not the most comfortable place to hide. The wind blew through, slapping her with pine needles and small branches. She knew to wait until someone she knew came by, but it was not comfortable sitting in the tree.

Mel must have fallen asleep because she awoke disoriented. There were sounds below, but she wasn't sure who it was. She wanted to know who it was, but if it was someone who knew her, wouldn't they call for her?

Mel stayed hidden, and eventually, they went away. Because the branches were so thick, she could sit just like she had a seat and fall asleep again. Amazingly, she hadn't moved or fallen out of her chair. She could tell that it was getting late. Not only was it colder, but it was darker. What had happened to the pack and to Janie? Had her cousin been caught?

She had no water, no food, and though she wore a coat, it wasn't nearly warm enough for the cold weather that was coming. In her wolf form, the night would not be so bad. Mel knew she could not morph or stay in wolf form in a tree. With night coming on, she wondered what action she should take. The bad wolves came near where she was hiding around every hour. There was really no other place for her to go. The whole situation made her wonder where Janie was.

She had no choice. She spent the night in the woods in a tree. While it was cold, it was not freezing. Mel felt terrible, but she didn't think it would kill her. Even in human form, her wolf gave her some support. She was not as vulnerable as she was when she had been human.

She saw dawn breaking but still saw the enemy making patrols through the woods and walking right below her. Mel was hungry, but she had nothing to eat. Even more, she was thirsty and had nothing to drink.

Waiting until the wolves passed, she climbed down the tree and went to the creek, changing into her wolf to drink all she wanted. She used the pine needles to cover her scent, climbed up the tree, and waited to see if the next patrol scented her and tried to find her. At least she had gotten a drink and didn't feel so parched. Food would be a problem that was not as easily solved. Being in wolf form, even for a short amount of time, had given her strength. The patrol came, but they didn't seem to notice anything.

Once they had come through, she heard noises as if a battle were taking place. Maybe they had gotten reinforcements, or was the other group after her coming to stake their claim? How would she ever know what was happening?

She needed more training to handle a situation like this. No scouts came through when she expected them. Did that mean they had given up the search for her? Maybe it meant everyone was gone, including her people.

Was it a trick to draw her out? Mel knew she couldn't last much longer. Soon, she would go down the tree and try to figure out what was happening.

That was her last thought before she fell asleep. When she woke, she would go and see what was happening. When she woke, it was pitch dark. She waited for a little while to see if there was any movement below. There wasn't, so she climbed down the tree. First, she went to the creek to get a drink in case she had to hurry back up the tree again. Then, she headed back toward the house, slipping into bushes and going slowly so no one would see her.

At the edge of the woods, she made sure she had a pine scent rubbed all over her. She wasn't sure if that would work out in the open where no pine trees were, but she had to try.

Mel ran to the first cabin at the edge of the woods. She peeked around the edge, but she saw nothing. There were no people and no wolves. Slipping up to the door, she slowly opened it and looked inside. She saw no one.

Her stomach growled dangerously like it was going to rise up and attack her. Hurrying to the refrigerator, she opened it and looked inside. There was some sandwich meat, which she quickly wiped out.

Tossing the empty container into the garbage, she looked for more. There was little to be found, so she slipped out of the cabin and hurried to the next.

There was no point in feeling guilty for robbing the cabins of food because there wasn't much in any of them, and they could all eat at Jane's house if they chose to. Thankfully, there was enough food to take the edge off her appetite. The fourth cabin was ahead when she heard someone moving around and slipped into the bushes next to the cabin. Two guards moved past her. They looked like they belonged to the Mexican pack that had been attacking her.

"Jose, I can smell food."

Jose laughed. "Your stomach is never full. It is so bad that now even your nose thinks food is around. Maybe you should run down a rabbit, Ricardo."

She was thankful they headed past her, circled at the end of the cabins, and went to the other side to check out the other cabins.

Mel had a good idea of what had happened. The Mexican pack had taken over regardless of who had broken through the perimeter. Moving closer, she saw a few more guards she managed to avoid.

Finally, at Janie's house, Mel heard someone with a heavy Spanish accent questioning Janie and Trev.

"You will tell me where she is. If you don't, you won't like what happens," the male threatened.

"We don't know. She was scared and ran away. She won't do you much good anyway because they mated. Even the council will act if you try to hurt her mate," Trev observed.

"That's only if any of you are left alive to tell them about it," the alpha observed.

Mel felt lost. What was she supposed to do? She needed to free some of her people so they could escape. Once that happened, everyone would know what that horrible alpha had threatened to do. Hopefully, the council would act. The question was: How could she do that and survive?

Mel was a great shot and knew guns were kept in various places in the house. Some were even treated with silver bullets. Not because silver automatically killed a wolf but because many were allergic to it, which would stop the wound from healing immediately. Some were so allergic that it would prevent the wound from healing at all without medical intervention.

There was no time to waste. Mel moved to one of the rooms where the weapons were kept. In a drawer, she found a gun. One was great, but she needed more.

She searched more and found another. She stuck it in her waistband, keeping the other one at hand in case she was interrupted. She found some bullets and filled her pockets. Then, she checked the gun to make sure it was fully loaded. Thankfully, it was.

The next cabinet she looked through contained a submachine gun. Janie truly was crazy. That gun must have been hidden so the bad guys wouldn't find it. When she stuck it in a cabinet with a lock, she saw two knives and added them to her arsenal.

Mel snuck back to where she could look into the room where most of the leaders were being held. What was she thinking? There was no way she could take them alone. Her mind quickly went through a list of people who could help, but only one could immediately make it there.

"Harry, Harry, Harry!"

"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked.

"All the pack has been captured, and the Mexican wolves are looking for me. They are threatening to kill Adam because we finally mated. The alpha of the Mexican pack says he will kill the whole pack so no one can turn him in," Mel explained.

"That's one crazy SOB that found you. Okay, I see you are armed, but hopefully, we won't need that. Let's go to the main room where they are holding the alpha pair and your mate," Harry suggested.

Mel led the way to the room through a side door that wasn't used very often. It was open and usually stayed that way. They peeked in. It was obvious the crazy alpha was taunting those he had captured.

"I will kill you all. No one will escape. Tell me where she is, and the end will come quickly," he goaded.

"Are you looking for me?" Mel was stunned when Harry asked.

"Who the hell are you? Never mind, it doesn't matter because I can kill you just as easily as the rest," the crazy alpha threatened.

"Think so, do you?" Harry taunted. "Why don't you give that a try?"

Pointing his gun at Harry, the alpha immediately pulled the trigger. The bullet bounced back and hit him, but not hard enough to hurt.

"What the hell is this?" He asked.

"Magic is what we call it. Your bullets will not work on anyone now, and you will notice that everyone is free from their restraints. The wise thing to do now is for all your people to put down their guns and give up," Harry advised.

"You are crazy. I will never give up. I will win in the end. My people will die, every one of them, before they allow me to be taken," he yelled.

"I don't think I like you," Harry said and snapped her fingers.

Immediately, the crazy alpha was gagged. Then restraints wrapped all around him so he could not move at all.

"I have enough information recorded that I shouldn't have any trouble getting you arrested by the council. Your men have also been restrained, but we will talk to them to see what action should be taken against them. It's hard to blame someone when they are following the orders of their alpha, even if he is a crazy asshole," Harry observed.

"Thank the goddess you came, Harry," Trev announced.

"How did you know?" Adam asked.

"Your mate, of course. She called me, and I came," Harry admitted.

Mel rushed out as soon as she realized there was no longer any danger. She ran straight to Adam and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him. It felt so good for him to hold her tight and know that the danger, at least for now, was gone.

"It's okay. Harry has taken care of everything," Mel said.

"What about Graves?" Janie asked.

"I don't know. All I saw were members of the Mexican pack," Mel admitted.

"Graves attacked first. He made a deal with the Mexican pack to get through the shield. He was supposed to get you, and the Mexican pack would get me. I don't think the crazy alpha understood that he would get a mate who was already taken. When Graves realized that you weren't here but could scent that you had mated, he lost interest and left. Whoever he is trying to appease only wants an unmated white or red wolf. I'm sure he will continue to try to acquire one," Janie explained.

"Ariel needs to know that Graves is once again on the hunt. She also needs to know what happened to step in to make the council take adequate action," Mel observed,

"Maybe someone just needs to take over the pack. An offended mate could challenge that crazy asshole. I've talked to some of these people. They've not been treated well. Everyone should be given an opportunity for a better life. The pack alpha has avoided fighting for years, so I would think any of our males could beat him," Janie suggested.

"You're suggesting Adam fight him? I don't believe I could bear it. Even a poor fighter can win under the right circumstances," Mel explained.

"You just have to believe that he can win, and he will. He's learned a lot and gotten so much better in every way. Allow him to make the decision and support whatever it is," Janie offered.

Mel looked at Adam and knew she wouldn't know what to do if he lost the fight because most alpha challenges were to death. Mel had finally decided he was the one for her, and now he would risk it all. Is that really what you wanted to do? They needed to talk and decide that they could both live with. While she knew that Adam could fight, she also knew that he couldn't yet beat Trev. It was hard for her to say where Trev stood regarding fighting ability. Mel thought it might be pretty high, but she didn't have much experience in that area. What if Trev were average, and that made Adam less than average?

While she thought the pack alpha Adam would be fighting wasn't very good, she wasn't sure. The guy was nuts. Sometimes, being crazy could give you an edge. Since there are a lot of insane people in her family, she understood from personal experience. Adam moved towards her, and she led him down a level into her room so they could talk privately. It might be the most important talk they ever had.

"I need to know what you are thinking and what you want to do. I don't want you to take any risks. Now that I have found you and we have been together, I do not want to lose you," Mel admitted.

"You need to understand there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect you. I'm not sure what the council will do with that alpha, but I have heard they released others who were taken into custody. I cannot risk that happening with this alpha. Nothing matters more to me than you," Adam explained.

"Then you should understand that I feel the same way about you. How can this work if you will not give me the same understanding I am trying to give you?" Mel asked.

"I am an alpha male, and you should understand that I cannot let this go by me unpunished. That is the understanding I need from you right now." Adam responded.

"Isn't it more important that you live with me and stay with me than that you try to punish someone and possibly die?" Mel wondered.

"Have faith that I can do this. This thing must be done for us, and I must let others know that I will not let them harm my family or my pack," Adam explained.

Mel had never considered herself brave and knew she wasn't being brave now. All she wanted was to go somewhere with her mate and never return. Why was that such a bad thing? Why did no one here understand that she didn't want him to risk his life for this? She wasn't strong enough to survive losing him. She knew little about these kinds of situations, and she really didn't want to learn. It looked like her wishes would not be answered, and Adam would pursue this fight with or without her.

"I'll have to challenge him. I will never feel like an alpha again if I don't," Adam explained.

It was clear that she should have resisted him longer. Had they not been mated, he would not have felt the need to fight the crazy alpha, and they could have mated afterward.

Timing was everything, and Mel's was bad, really bad. Because of their commitment now, she would be forced to watch her mate fight and risk dying. The crazy alpha pack people seemed excited about his possibility of being taken out. Why wouldn't they be since he was so damn crazy? The possibility of getting somebody closer to normal would excite anyone in their situation.

"What will happen?" Mel asked.

"I will challenge him. If he refuses to accept, he will lose his pack. It will be as if he fought and lost, except he will not be dead. Instead, the council will take him to their prison, which I have heard is worse than being dead. Trev must determine where the fight will occur if he accepts the challenge. Once he does, that place will forever be designated for fights in his pack. The next step is that two people in a leadership position must witness it, and another person in a higher leadership position must be the judge. If anything unusual happens, the judge will determine the winner. I know this doesn't make much sense to you. I've only recently had someone explain challenges to me," Adam observed.

"Why wouldn't you know this?" Mel asked.

"My grandfather did not feel I needed to know. He feared I would put a challenge to use," Adam responded.

"Your grandfather was really bad. He was not a good example of a pack alpha or even grandfather," Mel growled.

"It no longer matters," Adam agreed with a deep sigh.

"What are you going to do now?" She questioned, even though she had a good idea of what he planned.

"I'm going to challenge him. He will either accept or refuse. If he accepts, Trev knows what to do," Adam answered.

Mel followed him to the dining room, feeling a deep dread inside her. She knew there was a good chance Adam would win, but there was also the possibility that he might not, which pained her heart and soul. To finally have true love only to lose it would kill her.

Mel never really understood how people faded away after their spouse died. It was the same with some after a divorce. They couldn't seem to go on and didn't want anyone else. In that case, it must have been a one-sided love because usually, the other person seemed to go on just fine. She was beginning to understand how you could care enough about someone that life didn't seem worthwhile without them.

Mel hadn't thought she would feel that way, but she did. Now, she would have to go through a ceremony and a challenge. She would have to watch as her mate took on another pack alpha with the possibility that one of them would die.

A pack alpha challenge was usually to the death. There were exceptions, especially if the council wanted the losing alpha to be questioned. It was hard to imagine that would happen in this case. The alpha of the Mexican pack had been a poor leader, but the only thing he had done that was illegal was to come after white wolves.

"I challenge you for coming after my mate," Adam confidently stated.

"I accept your challenge," the crazy alpha said. "When will we fight?"

"I am requesting that Damon come to judge. He will set the day and the time," Trev responded.

"Who else?" The crazy alpha asked.

"Is there anyone you want to attend?" Trev questioned.

"Ricardo Juarez is the Councilman from my area. I wish him to be present."

"I will alert him," Trev answered.

The challenge was now accepted, and plans were being made. Mel was sure Damon would come and oversee things, which made her feel better. He was a good male and would see that things were done correctly.

She had heard in the past that cheating occurred, and she didn't want that to happen. She was worried because this would be Adam's second challenge and the first one, he had lost.

Everything was moving along quickly. They heard that Damon and Cage would be present. Ricardo Juarez would also be there, but she heard he was fair and honest. Why the crazy guy would want him present, she couldn't imagine.

Trev had been taking Adam down to the workout room, reviewing the rules of an alpha challenge, and working with him on anything he wanted.

The crazy alpha was being kept in the barn. He was told he could work out, but he refused.

That sounded stupid to her, but stupid is as stupid does. Many of the guy's actions sounded ridiculous, and it was obvious he didn't treat his pack right.

Adam and Mel spent each night together. They were growing closer, and she worried about what would happen if she lost him.

It would be their last night together. In the morning, the alpha challenge would occur. Damon and Cage were coming in the morning, but Ricardo had already arrived and been assigned a room.

Ricardo expressed surprise that he was invited to participate in the challenge. He said he barely knew the alpha and had no idea why he would invite him. If there was a reason, it remained to be seen.