Chapter 3 Three

"James, what is going on?" Liam said, as he walked closer to him "if it is what Alicia said, I think you should forget about it, you're a 44 year old billionaire, with so much amassed wealth. All those shouldn't deter you." Liam said nonchalantly, as he sat on the closest chair to him.

James turned, looking at him. His mind was filled with so many thoughts.

"Who could be working against me? And why?" He thought aloud, "could it be my pack? my friends? my family? Or even you, Liam?"

Liam grew visibly angry, "how can you even think me a betrayer? I am always with you, day and day out, yet you think I'm a betrayer? That's unfair and ungrateful."

"My bad, my bad." James said, "it was just a question out of curiosity that I asked."

He was the Alpha, the leader, the protector. Who would dare to betray him?

"You know what, let's put the puzzles together." James said, "Who do you think could betray me?"

"I actually do not know but let's think" Liam said, as his face looked like he was in a really deep thought.

Together, they started brainstorming and every list they brought seemed to be wrong and would look like an accusation.

But the more they talked, the more James realized that he didn't know his pack members as well as he thought and that was a very sad thing to do.

"Maybe it's time we plan for a pack meeting," James said, he already had a plan forming in his mind. "We need to get to the bottom of this."

Liam nodded in agreement. "But be careful, James. If someone is working against you, they won't wait to strike before the meeting."

"Don't worry, Liam. I can take care of myself." James said. "Hopefully, things will work as planned."

"Hopefully."

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"I received the message you sent through Alicia." James entered Amanda's office, without pleasantries.

"I'm glad you did, you could sit." Amanda nonchalantly said, "you should have brought Liam along."

"Nope," James said, "He is busy taking care of the park in my absence. I'll be back to business soon, my workers said it's been booming lately.

"Okay, good for you." Amanda reluctantly said. "You shouldn't walk in on me, next time. I don't owe you."

"Well, for whatever transpired on the day we had a misunderstanding, you should have forgotten about it, it's a new day." James said, boastfully.

"Really?" Amanda opened her eyes, her mouth in surprise "James, really?"

"Yeah.." James said, adjusting himself on his chair, "I am an alpha, people should obey me including you, Amanda."

"You should get going, I have a little DNA of animals to work on." Amanda said, adjusting her glasses, visibly angry.

"No please, I can't just come in a few minutes and go." James said, rubbing his head frantically, searching for something to say, "I..I need your help" He stammered.

"My help?!" Amanda snapped "You don't, you should look for those who you don't boast to and ask them for help."

She collected the already prepared sample for study, cleaning her microscope and waiting for Alicia, her lab assistant to be here.

"You have anger issues, Amanda" James calmly said as he tried to help but was rebuffed by the already angered Amanda.

"Let me be!" Amanda snapped as she narrowly escaped being touched by James playfully.

"You have to help me, please.." James said, all playfulness gone, " it's only you that can help me and that's why I keep coming back to you, no matter what."

"Hmmm" Amanda sighed in disbelief, going through her literal records of fossils. "I don't even believe you, that's the thing. The last thing you did was being uncouthful and I really wanted to help you."

"Well, that's what you get from an Alpha." James smirked. He always knew he shouldn't be disrespectful to people he feels are lesser than him.

"You need to earn back my trust, James. And that's not easy." Amanda said, looking up at James, as she dropped the book she held.

"I know. I guess I was wrong to boast and to look down on you, I realize that you and only you can help me, Amanda." James said.

Amanda let out a laugh as she.stared at the confused James sitting close to her and said nothing. She focused on arranging the slides and putting things together.

"And what makes you think I can help you this time?" Amanda said, in between laughs

"Because I know you're the only one who can. You have skills, knowledge and you know me a bit. Look Amanda, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it right between us, in order to find out what could happen to me and my park. The park means a lot to me." James said, almost tearfully and Amanda laughed a bit as she thought it was fake.

"Fine. I'll listen. But don't think this means I'm going to start trusting you again easily." Amanda smiled, revealing her beautiful dentition.

"I understand. Thank you, Amanda." James said wistfully. He knew he just needed this temporal humility before he left.

"Sit down and tell me what's going on. But make it quick. I have work to do." Amanda said, looking elsewhere.

Where did he even start? What does he even say?

"Alicia came to me with a warning from you" he began. "She said someone in my pack is working against me and in all honesty, I don't know who to trust."

Amanda's expression feigned serious. "That's a serious accusation. Do you have any idea who it could be and is that why you have come back.?"

James shook his head."No, that's why I need your help. I need you to help me figure out who's behind this, Amanda. I don't even think Liam is, but he could be a suspect and when I told him, he flared up, which was very much okay."

Amanda nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, let's start by looking at the evidence. There's no evidence at all. Maybe you should just stop worrying and let it be."

James hesitated, he looked at Amanda and she turned her face away.

"I suspect Liam," James finally said..

"I was expecting you to say that but why?" Amanda said.

"He's the closest to me, he knows about my businesses, the fundings, the park, my family, my friends, everything. Isn't that something to point at?" James said, as worry wrote all over his face.

"I am very void of my suspicion, I can't lay fingers at Liam or any one, you caused whatever you're getting." Amanda said, opening her both arms to emphasize how deep what she meant by all those.

James bowed his head in shame, he knew she was right.

"I'll have to figure out how to help you, but for now, our fingers are crossed." Amanda said, looking keenly at James "...and for the DNA I asked?"

"I don't know about that yet, I'll think about it." James said, "that's too much of a deal for me, but I'll try to see what can be done about it."

"Well, if you don't want to, let it be. Your park and authority will be taken from you, speedily and I'll be here, staring at you in the face." Amanda said, as she raised her eyebrow to drive a point.

"They are here." A masculine voice said. Who could that be?