The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 131

Victor POV

Victor was more than happy with how his day was going, until his border patrol reported to him that a black Kitsune was at his eastern border. Huffed in annoyance nearly instantly, that thing could stroll in to his pack at will and he couldn’t do a damned thing about it.

If it was who he suspected, he needed to smile and be polite. Mind-linked right back to his patrolman, told him to leave it alone. It was likely Alpha Sloan, on some sort of council business, that he was on his way, to continue to just patrol as normal. To simply tell the Kitsune that he was on his way to greet her.

Then he got up out of his chair and headed off to go and speak with the woman. He’d met her before, didn’t particularly like talking to the woman herself, tried not to, in fact. If he didn’t have to say anything, he simply didn’t. She was a truth seer and he had to actively think about his word choice and inflection, the way he stated things.

Tried to keep his answers short and simple, the best way to deal with her was with monosyllables a, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and in a flat, unemotional tone. Long sentences allowed that woman to read one better. A flat yes or no, made it much harder for her to feel one out. He’d spoken with her before on a few occasions, and didn’t much enjoy her company.

He had to keep himself off the topic of rogues at all times. She was rumoured to be 500 and she was very perceptive at that. Also worked for the Wolfen Council as a retrieval specialist and investigator. He also currently had something that was not his, though Victor doubted very much that anyone knew about that at this time.

Not even he had contacted the Black Forest Pack to let them know he had Addison, and his understanding was that Angus had left the woman’s phone in the cabin she’d been at. Smart man had thought about whether anyone would track her phone. Left it there to make it look as though she was still there. Liked that about Angus, that he used his brain.

He doubted very much that Sloan was here about that, so he would do what he always did, when Sloan strolled on by and prowled around, stopped off at Silla’s tank and tapped the small bell that would draw her attention and alert her to him being there wanting to see her.

She appeared just a few seconds later and smiled up at him, “Walk with me Silla,” he smiled down at her “I have a surprise for you.”

She shifted and got out of the tank, dried herself off with the towel he gave her from the waterproof cupboard he had out there, and chose for her a lovely summer dress to wear. It was a soft white with thin straps and fell in flowing material to her knees, her long brown hair fell past her h**s, nearly to her knees. She never cut it. Liked it long, as most Sirens did.

She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and strolled across the pack with him at a casual pace, making sure that Sloan knew he had no concerns about her being at his border, or wanting to speak with him.

He chatted with Silla, as she tried to guess what the surprise was, chuckled a few times at her excitement. She did like gifts, though not actual things, just small like this, her favourite snack, or going to see someone she hadn’t seen in a long time. Talked to her about things that interested her, like what could be on the bottom of lakes, what type of fish were in lakes, how many lakes there were. She dreamed of going to a lake one day and swimming freely for hours or days.

He’d had to remind her she wasn’t safe out there, unlike him, there were many that might hurt her. She’d just nodded, looked a little sad and he’d changed the subject, offered to let her do some shopping and buy her some beautiful dresses, or perhaps trinkets for her tank, now that made her smile and giggle up at him.

Buying things for her tank, she did like that, had many things in that tank on the floor of it, though mostly he noted they were things that would be on the bottom of a lake floor. She was trying to make it like a lake and he knew it. He had to remind her on occasion that it wasn’t a lake and too many rocks and dirt she liked to throw in there meant he had to drain the tank to clean it for her.

She hated when that happened, sulked in his bath tub till it was refilled.

His pack members all addressed him and Silla with the formalness he expected of them. She was a happy creature and he’d managed not to incur her wrath ever. She liked him and that was why he always took her with him, when Sloan appeared on the border.

The girl always smiled up at him, and he could genuinely smile down at her, with real affection in return. Sloan did not miss that about the two of them, not many things could take on a fully grown Kitsune. Silla, however, could. He’d never had cause to ask her to and wasn’t likely to either, didn’t want her only believing she was there because she was a weapon. She helped defend the pack at times of her own free will. He liked that too.

Sloan, he now knew resided within a pack in Utah, had a Kitsune grandchild, who was now a Luna to that pack or was going to be soon, he supposed. He’d not heard about the heirs’ ascension at this point in time, but didn’t think it was far off.

Victor also knew he shouldn’t mess with them, though Silla could Siren Call a Kitsune just as well as any other creature out there. Nine tails meant nine lives and he didn’t think Silla would survive more than three or four calls. Sloan’s beast would be on the move and hard to attain after just the first one and she’d be smart enough to try and put herself between him and his Siren.

Though Sloan was a no-nonsense creature, she was not stupid and a twin he’d heard, though he had not seen the woman’s twin. He did know Kitsune had multiple births, rarely ever did they have no direct sibling that would feel them sever from them.

A litter was 2 to 5 Kits at a time, and he knew she was in contact with all the other Kitsunes in the country, he couldn’t take her on, not without the risk of a full war with her home pack, wherever it was, not to mention the pack she now resided in, was only six and half hours away. It also had another nine-tailed Kitsune within it, her granddaughter, only young but would have been born with the knowledge of all Kitsune, as wolves were.

So, no. He didn’t want to take on one that had connections that were close by and could be here before he could pull his allies here. Her beast was just sitting waiting on him, all its tails waving about and on display for all to see. It was an impressive sight and if he could get himself one, he bloody would. It took them years to replace mates, sometimes hundreds of years. Sloan, he knew, was still unmated and he’d never heard of one taking a chosen either. Just seemed to have the patience to wait it out.

He heard Silla laugh as soon as she saw Sloan, jumped on him and hugged him. He chuckled himself and then she was gone, running off to Sloan. She’d known Sloan since she was a little girl, and liked not just Sloan but her beast too. The first time she’d seen her, squealed with pure excitement, she’d only been here a year and was still getting used to the idea of no one hurting her.

Seeing Sloan’s beast that first time had been the first time she’d lit up with real joy, even he’d liked seeing that. Now, for Silla was no different than that day, she still got all excited about seeing Sloan and her beast. Likely why Sloan stayed in her Kitsune form just for Silla, she knew he would bring her.

The fact that he had a Siren that was happy and liked him, smiled up at him and loved him always, went in his favour where the council was concerned, because Sirens were not something to be messed with and torturing one or trying to actively contain one was not something one would normally survive. So, if a Siren liked you, it was a sign that you were a good person and your pack was a nice place to live.

Sloan’s beast allowed Silla to not only pat it, but hug her tightly as well. Only then did she shift to Sloan herself. She smiled down at Silla and touched her face. “You get more beautiful every time I see you, Silla.’

Silla smiled right at her, beamed practically at hearing the compliment, she did like knowing people thought she was beautiful, though he’d never seen a Siren that wasn’t an alluring creature. She also knew she was beautiful. The entire male population of his pack practically drooled over her. She’d slept with a few of them, he just let her, couldn’t stop her even if he wanted to, she was unmated and a s****l creature.

Though the ones he’d seen her with weren’t the brute type, usually 18 or 19 and still decent in treating others. He was her only brute, but that was because she trusted him and he’d never once hurt her. He’d also lost a few men to her. When they’d tried to get what they wanted from her, she’d Siren Called them to death. He’d never even so much as frowned at her for it. Smiled at her and told her he was proud of her, that she could defend herself, expected nothing less of her than to kill those trying to hurt her.

“Sloan, what can I do for you?” he asked simply, still smiling at Silla.

“Nothing really, Victor, just here to check on that band of rogues for the council.”

“There have been no issues with my pack.” He stated, and it was the truth.

“Yes, I’m aware of the last report you put in. I have been requested to inform you of some news from the council while here.”

“That would be?” he asked with a raised brow.

“The council has decided to offer them a new pack territory, to relocate them. The council has found a nice piece of land for them to settle on, out in Colorado. Close to a human city, where the council themselves can watch over them. I believe are going to introduce them to another pack, a mostly female warrior pack. It has a strong Alpha and a Warrior Luna, which they believe can handle them. Will likely absorb them in a year, are hoping to even out the numbers in the warrior pack and let many replace their mates. Which will help both packs, as well.”

Victor was frowning at her now, and didn’t like what he heard. “Why move them? They are settled where they are.”

She was looking right at him and he knew she was doing her truth-seer thing, “Not up to me, Victor.” She stated simply, “Just relaying a message is all.”

He nodded, wanted to rage about it, but kept himself in check, “Why you? and not a phone call from the Alpha Council themselves?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know, call and ask them.” She smiled at him.

He was very bloody unhappy about this turn of events, they were his band of rogues, not just a group of them out there. Thought about it for a minute, then stated, “I could take them in,” He commented. It was true and right this minute he was thinking about bringing them all in. Couldn’t yet trust them with the female population here, he didn’t think, but he’d rather deal with internal issues here in the pack than lose them altogether.

“Bring that up with the council, not my thing.” She stated simply, “I see Silla is well.”

“She is always well.” He smiled and she was. Silla was a topic he could talk about with Sloan and not concern himself with. “Likes it here, with me.”

He watched Sloan turn and look at Silla, “She might be better in a lake, Victor.”

“Oh, is that so?” He cut her off, before she could mention other Sirens. “You do recall I saved her life when she was just 2, yes, from those who captured her, killed all of her kind and took her for themselves.”

His eyes moved to Silla and he saw sadness touch her beautiful face, for the loss of her Siren family, he held out his arms to her and she came right to him, moved into them and he hugged her, as she took comfort from him. “I have always protected her at all times, I will always protect her from those that would use and abuse her.”

“Vic Vic.” Silla half whispered. He could hear the sadness in her voice.

He rubbed his hands down her back. “You can stay here Silla, as long as you like.”

Felt her hug into him and watched as Sloan noticed once more, as she always did, just how much Silla loved and trusted him, agreed to stay here with him, which is what he wanted her to see, wanted the council to know. It showed them he had a heart and wasn’t a cruel and uncaring man all the time. Though they all did know he was a very hard man, and held all his allies to the letter.

They all also knew he was a good ally to have, assisted when requested every time. Knew he could be fair and honest due to that, he was reliable to those he himself chose to make alliances with, for one reason or another.

“Is that all, Sloan? Silla is now upset, and wants to be back in the water to help comfort her.”

Sloan nodded “Yes, I’ll be going. I have need to get back to my pack. My grand daughter just gave birth to her first litter of Kits, so bloody cute they all are.”

“Congratulations.” He stated, didn’t mean it and knew she’d pick up on it, and didn’t care. Turning Silla away to walk her back to her tank. She did not like being reminded that she was the only one left.

It actually did make her sad, there was this little muling sound coming from her, and he could feel waves of sadness rolling off of her, “I’m sorry Silla. She was cruel to make me bring that up.”

Silla just nodded and leaned into him.

Though that news, an entire litter of Kitsunes had just been born, that bothered him, considering he did know some of those Gypsy’s had gone to that pack, they’d all been split up, though his little princess, the most powerful of them, was with the Black Forest Pack. Just something else those two pricks had taken from him, just one more reason to hate them.

He stopped at the tank, “Silla, I will always be here for you. I promise.”

She nodded but said nothing, too sad. “Hop back in the water.” He tilted her face up to his and kissed her forehead softly, “If you want company, just come and replace me, I can distract you all you like.”

She nodded and stripped off, dropped into her tank and he returned to his office.