Reckless Regrets
Chapter 6

Marisol

“Marisol! Get in here, now!” My father screamed from his office. He was always pissed off about something these days; I swear I couldn’t do anything right in his eyes.

I removed the scowl from my face and plastered on a fake smile then walked through the door. “Yes, father?”

“Don’t give me the sweet innocent act. What did I tell you?”

“Eat my vegetables? Make a guy take me out on a date before I screw him? I don’t know, Dad; can you be more specific?”

“Watch your mouth. I told you to leave Kaden alone. I talked with Alpha Black; we were working out a way for the two of you to talk, and you decided to sneak onto their land? What is wrong with you? You could have been killed!”

“He’s ignoring me! Rejecting me! Do you know how it feels to be rejected?”

“Stop being so damn dramatic. He’s not your mate, and you haven’t been rejected; you’re just being too clingy and making him run for the hills.”

“How do you expect me to marry him if I don’t even know him? I’m trying to get to know him, but he wants nothing to do with me.”

“Your relationship didn’t start on the best foot. You went against everything you were ever taught and slept with him without even knowing his name. Then you hid a child for four years. And now you’re stalking him. Do you expect him to respect you and openly leave his mate for you with you behaving like this?”

“I’m giving him a child and an entire f*****g pack, Dad! What else does he want? What else do I have to do to make him want me?”

“Act like you’ve got some common sense! Give him some space to accept what’s happening and stop pressuring him.”

“I can’t do that. I think I may love him,” I replied with a shrug.

“Cut the s**t, Marisol. You don’t love anyone but yourself, and you have no choice.”

“What do you mean, I don’t have a choice?”

“Alpha Black sent over a cessation of contact order, which I accepted. Until those test results come back, you are not to call, text, email, or visit Kaden. No smoke signals, no messenger pigeons, nothing. Do you understand me?”

“Why would you do that? Do you know what you’ve done?!” I screamed.

“I’ve protected my pack! It’s was a lucky break that your being a w***e landed you in this predicament with a Beta, let alone Blue Moons Beta. Now I’ve finally got someone I can leave this pack to who won’t run it into the ground, and your inability to sit back and listen is going to ruin it.”

“Whatever, you’re the one ruining things. And I’ll talk to him if I want.”

“If you’re purposely trying to screw this up, it won’t work. Do you think I don’t know about the omega you sneak off with every chance you get? I’ve known for years, but an omega will never be Alpha of this pack. You’d better pray that those test results come back in your favor because if they don’t, you and he will both be banished.”

“What about Cameron? You can’t banish me; you wouldn’t do that to him.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I will throw you and your f**k buddy out on your asses and keep my grandson here with me. He shouldn’t suffer because of your stupidity.”

At that moment, I hated my father. Was he so desperate for a successor that he’d treat me this way? No, Kaden wasn’t my mate, but he would be my husband, and that mattered for something. No one was going to keep me away from what was mine. I didn’t care what some stupid piece of paper said.

“Are we done here? I have things I need to take care of,” I asked.

“Just get out, but remember what I said. Don’t play with me, child.”

I left the room and stormed down the hall. The few members of the house staff I passed were smart and knew to get the hell out of my way. I tended to be a b***h, mostly when I was upset, so now was not the time to f**k with me. There was only one place I needed to be right now, and only one person I wanted to see.

Nathan. He was the omega my father hated so much, but little did he know, Nathan was my mate. We’d grown up together and had been close since childhood; however, when we turned eighteen, it was apparent that we belonged together. But we kept it a secret; we had no choice. My father would never accept that my mate held no rank, and he’d never allow us to marry. And now, my plans with Kaden were being ruined because my i***t father was cutting all communication. I needed to think of how I was going to get around this.

I barged into his room in the lower level of the house and was livid when I found him balls deep in Chloe, the house slut who had been trying to get her claws in him for years; it looked like she’d finally succeeded.

“What the f**k are you doing? Is this what happens every time I’m gone?” I yelled.

“Not every time… sometimes… she’s busy,” he replied, never once having the decency to stop thrusting. I turned my back, not wanting to see them sweating all over one another, and waited for them to finish. When I heard his telltale grunt, I knew he was done, and now the b***h could get the f**k out.

“That’s it? But I didn’t even c*m yet, Nate! You always do this to me!” Chloe complained.

“And yet you keep coming back for more. Now get out. My lady and I need to talk.”

Chloe angrily grabbed her clothes and stormed past me. Nathan was an a*****e, so I really didn’t know why she continued to do this to herself, but I hated her, so I didn’t care enough to try and help her out.

“You’re a f*****g w***e, Nate. I was just here this morning, and already you’ve got another woman in your bed?”

He began to pull his clothes on and gave me a smug smile. “Yes, you were here, but if you remember correctly, you ‘had a headache,’ and I didn’t get my nut, so I had to go with a backup plan. What do you want?”

“Why do I have to want something to see my mate?”

“Now I’m your mate? I thought I was your dirty little secret that you occasionally visit when you needed d**k. I didn’t know I’d been promoted,” he angrily replied.

“You’ve always been my mate. And one day you’ll be my husband. I promise.”

Nathan laughed out loud, and it pissed me off. Why did he always have to be like this?

“The Alpha won’t let that happen; we both know this. It’s that Beta, who will be your husband, I doubt you’ll even remember my name once he gets here.”

He tried to brush past me, but I stopped him. “Why are you acting like this? What have I done?”

“You know what you did, Mari. You were underage, but you knew you were my mate at the summit, and you f****d a random a*****e just because he had a title. And then instead of telling your father about us, and just telling him I was Cameron’s dad like we’d planned, you handed him what he always wanted and left me out in the cold. This was our chance to be together finally. For me to be more than just to guy who washes the cars and cuts the f*****g grass, but you ditched me for him!”

“I didn’t ditch you! My dad wasn’t going to give the pack to me any other way. I had to do this.”

“I’m the only father Cameron has ever known, not that a*****e from Blue Moon. He f****d you and left; it was me who’s taken care of the both of you since then. And what do I have to show for it? Nothing. Get out, Mari, go replace someone else to cry to; the s**t stopped working on me a long time ago.”

I didn’t even realize that the tears were falling. Nate was right, but he was still my mate. And I loved him. But I didn’t know what else to do. Once Kaden and I were married, I’d be Luna and no longer under my father’s control. Alphas die all the time, and when that happened, the Luna was free to remarry whomever she wanted. I wanted Nathan.

“Please! I need your help. I have a plan; I promise you I do, but I need you to help me. Blue Moon sent a cessation of contact order over, but I need to get to him!”

“Why Mari?! What is going on that makes you need him more than you need me?!”

“I’m pregnant, Nathan, and it’s yours! But if he or my father knew, they’d never go through with the marriage.”

Again, he started laughing, almost maniacally.

“You think I’m stupid? You are as big a w***e as Chloe, who knows who that kid belongs to. Do you think he’s that stupid? He’s a Beta, and from what I’ve been hearing, he hates you.”

“He’s a man, so yes, he’s stupid. I just need to get him to have a meal with me. That’s all.”

“So, you want me to help you pin a child you claim is mine on someone else? Then stand back and watch him raise it? Are you f*****g insane?”

“No, but at least I’m trying. I’m the only one of us who is! All you do is b***h and m**n and f**k everything breathing. Do you want us to be together or not? This is your only chance to be Alpha; if we miss this chance, it’s all over.”

“Get out. I’ve got actual work to do; I don’t have time for your childish games. You came up with the plan, so you figure it out.”

I turned around and stormed out of the room. How was it possible to both love and hate someone at the same time? He hurt me repeatedly, and I did the same to him. But once we were marked, I hoped things would change. Nate had wanted to mark me ever since we found out we were mated, but I refused; because of my father. He’d been blocking this relationship since before it even started, and I’d had enough. It was time for a change.

I would get Kaden to marry me no matter what it took. I could play the sweet, demure housewife and Luna. Then when the time came, I’d put my plan into place and take what was mine.

***

“Why would you tell him you’re pregnant? That was just stupid, Mari.”

“I didn’t know what else to do. Nate was pissed off and wouldn’t listen. I think I’m losing him; he’s tired of waiting in the shadows.”

“I’m sure he is. It sucks to be hidden away like some kind of second-class citizen.”

“Well, to my dad, he is. What am I supposed to do?”

“Maybe stand up for him? Yes, Nate is an omega, but much more importantly, he’s your mate. A mate, you refuse to claim. How do you think that makes him feel? Why do you think he keeps f*****g around with every chick he comes across? He’s hurting,” Gabby said.

She was our Beta’s daughter and my only friend. I loved the fact that she knew all my secrets, she never judged me, and she always told me the truth. No matter how much it hurt.

“If I stand up for him, I lose everything. Are we supposed to live our life on an omega’s salary?”

“Maybe you are. None of that s**t matters if the two of you are together. That’s your problem; you’re too worried about money and status, too materialistic. It’s that prima donna bullshit that’s going to leave you sad and alone.”

“What would you suggest then?”

“First, tell Nathan you’re not actually pregnant. Stop piling on different lies and drama; you’ve done more than enough of that already. Then tell the Alpha about him being your mate and mark him. Third, have faith that the two of you will figure this out and make it work.”

“Things are already underway with Kaden; there’s nothing I can do to stop it now.”

“Ugh! Are you going to sit here and tell me that you’re 100% sure that he’s Cameron’s father? You and Nathan were messing around since you were fourteen. He could be Cameron’s dad for all we know!”

“Shh! Don’t announce it to the whole pack! And yes, I’m sure. I hadn’t even been with Nathan that day.”

Gabby shook her head and laughed.

“I love you, but that’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth. You were with him every day before and every day after, weren’t you? You don’t know the exact moment you got knocked up.”

“Did you see Kaden? Cameron looks just like him.” I replied.

“Dirty blonde hair and blue eyes? Just like you and Nathan? Don’t try to con me, I know you too much for that s**t, and you know it.”

“Whatever, Gabby, I don’t need this. Will you go talk to Kaden for me or not?”

“How about ‘not’? You’re sitting by watching his life go down the drain, pulling him from his mate and his pack, for your own selfish gain. You could just mark Nathan and put an end to all of this, but you’re being greedy, so no. f**k no; I’m not helping you.”

“You’re supposed to be my best friend! How can you do this to me?!” I screamed.

“You’re so spoiled, Mari, always have been. Think about what you’re doing to everyone else for a change.”

“This is what’s best for everyone; me being an omega’s wife won’t help anyone.”

“Is it really? What about Kaden’s mate? What about him? Do you think I don’t know your plan? I’m not going to sit around while you ruin their lives just because you want to be Luna.”

What was with everyone today?! First my father, then Nathan, and now Gabby. Was there no loyalty in this pack; in this family?!

“Why did you take so long, anyway? Why wait for four whole years?” She asked.

“I hoped that my dad would change his mind about giving the pack to me. He’s gotten older, so I figured he’d also get softer. And seeing Cameron grow up, he would want what’s best for him and finally give in; we see how that worked out.”

“I get it, but before things go any farther, sit down, and think. All I want is for you to be happy, but not at the expense of other people. Do you want my help? Fine; l help you talk to your dad. I’ll help you and Nathan. That’s it.”

Maybe I could make this work. Dad loved Gabby; perhaps she could get him to listen. It was worth a shot.