The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 13

Rafe POV

He saw Flare peel off from the pack run, knew why. A wolf fight had been heard not far from the pack out in the woods by the lake. But it was the night of the pack run and after the week they’d had here, inside the Pack. His wolves needed this, so Solar continued to lead the Pack with Melissa’s wolf, Rella, next to him.

Left it to Jack to sort out, he could handle it, was more than capable and knew he’d report it when he got back.

He felt Flare leave the pack’s territory and come back later on, though he did not re-join the pack run. Tracked that man through his bond to him, went right to the packhouse to their office. He was likely already working on the report. He’d thrown himself into his work over the past week, researching everything he could get his hands on. About Sirens and Crossbreeds.

Was practically ghosting his own Mate at this point. Ninety percent of the time he was in the office at his desk, only with Maria when he retried for the night, and he went to bed late.

Though Maria didn’t seem to mind it at all, she was just going about her own business, her usual daily routine. Hanging out with Melissa in the Luna’s Office and watching her attend Luna duties. Something they didn’t share doing. Maria didn’t want the job, stating, “I’m the Beta’s Mate, not a Luna”. They shared everything except he and Jack and the running of the pack. He’d seen them feed each other, even dance together all slow like, hands on each other.

Found Jack shirtless and shoeless, sitting at his desk in their office, he was typing away on his computer, looked to be composing an email. Odd thing to do at nearly 2 in the morning.

“Jack?”

“Luci is alive.” He stated without looking up from what he was doing.

“You know we’re still trying to confirm that, Jack. Don’t jump to conclusions.” He sighed.

“I have confirmed it.” he snapped right at Rafe, sounded very annoyed with him at this minute. Then pushed a few photos across the desk at him.

Rafe picked them up and stared at them, more than a little surprised. It was definitely Luci and Kali, photos of both of them. “Where did you get these from?” he asked quietly, he’d not even known Jack had people out looking for her, let alone snapping pictures of her.

“Off the two dead wolves she killed tonight, she was the one in the fight that was reported.” Jack sighed.

“What?” Rafe was completely shocked now, “Where is she now Jack? Why didn’t you bring her home?” Knew that Jack would not only have wanted to do that, he would have picked her up and made her come home too. Likely she wouldn’t have gotten a say in it. Not with how he’d been this week.

“In the lake, I believe.”

Rafe frowned at him now, “What…I don’t understand.” though Jack had his thoughts on that hybrid, Rafe knew Luci was a wolf. A pure-blooded Alpha Wolf, it was not her in the lake.

“Kali’s tracks led right to the lake. I tracked her myself, she smells different now too. Kali launched herself right into that lake or that’s what the tracks denote.”

Rafe sat down and looked right at the man. “The photos?”

“Those wolves, they were looking for something. Victor’s wolves, I believe, and I think that one of the wolves she killed, was more than happy to see her, laughed when she shifted and looked down at him. Don’t know what happened, she killed him a few seconds later. Then fled the scene.” Jack’s eyes moved right to Rafe’s. “She went right into that lake, and did not come out, Rafe.”

“That does not mean, she is the Siren hybrid thing.” He frowned at Jack. Knew the man was already convinced it was her, had been prior to this event. But how could she be when both her parents were wolves?

“It would make sense. She didn’t surface, Rafe, not a bloody ripple on the water.”

Rafe sighed, he was not going to be able to convince Jack otherwise, not until they could actually confirm who and what lived in the lake. “You said she smells different?”

“Yes, but she still has the pack’s scent on her.” Jack nodded. “It’s odd, to say the least.”

“Could you feel her? Connect to her?” he asked. They couldn’t connect to the thing in the lake, though it could to them, and called him Alpha. Was part of the pack but could sever any connection to him at will. Had out ranked him and this was why it could disconnect itself from him.

“I didn’t actually know it was Luci, though I suspected. Not until I got back here and checked the footage did I confirm it.” he frowned “You should watch the footage.”

Rafe did just that, stood behind Jack as he loaded up the footage and then watched “It’s watching her.” he murmured, “stood back and just watched her.”

“Filmed her, not watched her.” Jack corrected him and Rafe knew he was right. “I think he belongs to Victor Sampson, and that laughing. They finally found her, and she is off pack territory. Victor still wants her and has just located her.”

“She’ll not go with Victor.” Rafe shook his head, knew that with full certainty “Not a hope in hell of that happening.”

“He, might not care. If she is willing to go with him, Rafe.”

That was also very true. That man would not care, she had nearly been his once, and the way that man had looked at her. He wanted her, most did, Luci was absolutely stunning to look at. From what he was seeing now on this footage, nothing had changed, still so very beautiful.

Smiled at her photo still in his hand, she was not smiling though, Luci looked more than annoyed, not something he’d seen often here in the pack, always a happy cheeky woman. But the look changed from annoyed to cold when that man started laughing, like an Alpha when killing something. It did not mar her beauty at all, though, she would make a great pack Alpha, he realised. Strong and beautiful but could be cold and kill when needed.

“I’m glad she’s alive.” He murmured, and he really was. Didn’t look to be emaciated or undernourished in anyway. He was also glad about that “She looks good.”

“She does.” Jack agreed with him. Leaned back in his chair, “I just sent Alpha Orien, and Luna Addison the photos of Kali and Luci, though have explain we didn’t actually see her, or have her yet, but is close by the pack currently. Still a pack member.”

“Good, Addison will be happy about that,” Rafe nodded. “likely come right here herself.”

“We need to replace her, Rafe, bring her back in.”

“Agreed, what does she smell like now?” He was curious, Jack had said she smelled different to him.

“White tea and freshly fallen rain, it used to be white tea and thyme.”

“I recall what she used to smell like.” Rafe nodded. “Always soft and delicate to the nose. Liked it a lot.” and he had. Could drive him completely insane with wanton need some days. Never really understood why she wasn’t there Mate. They’d never had any inclination to have another from the day she came to the pack. Had known her since she was 18, not their Mate, but could and did have her like she was their Mate, more often than not.

Her needs matched theirs and he’d loved taking her on his own and with Jack, annoyed him a lot when he found them together without him, though he was certain she did that on purpose to rile up all his alpha needs, to be punished by him, in a good way.

Luci had enjoyed them as much as they had her. Sighed if her scent was different, she’d likely be mated now. Someone else got to enjoy her, felt a pull of pain inside his chest, hurt a little to think of another with her.

Not that he had any right to have pain where Luci was concerned, they’d been the bastards. Had hurt her, not the other way around. He had a Mate, had brought one home, uncaring how it would make Luci feel, to bloody wrapped up in the Mate Bond love bubble to think about anything or anyone else.

“Perhaps Addison will come and stay, help us to look, search the area. They were always so very close.”

“Yes, they were.” He heard the smile in Jack’s voice “Always understood her daughter’s needs.”

Rafe chuckled, “Catered to her daughter’s needs, against Orien’s wishes at that.”

Jack’s eyes turned right up to him, fully amused now. “That she did, always made sure we were invited to every Mating Ball she held.”

“Mm, Addison is likely the only one to help us with this.” He sighed “Luci will go back to Nightfall when we replace her. She won’t stay here.” Rafe was one hundred percent sure of this.

Luci had left when they’d come home with Mates and never returned. She didn’t want to be here, to see he and Jack with their Mate’s and Rafe could not blame her. Neither of them could.

To date, Luci was their biggest regret. They’d never be able to fix it. Wouldn’t even know where to start. How could he when he had a Mate, which had broken her heart! So callously and unfeelingly, he didn’t believe a simple apology would do it.

Though if they did manage to replace her, he would offer it, and it would be sincere and heartfelt. Felt Jacks hand on him and looked down at the man, shook himself, Jack had felt his sadness through their bond.

“We’ll replace her.” Jack told him softly.

‘Better do it before Victor does.” Rafe muttered, that man was a complete brute, and he did not like thinking of what he would do to Luci.

“We need recon on him and his pack now,” Jack stated flatly.

“Yes, we do.” Rafe agreed, “though anyone he catches will be tortured for day or weeks, months even.”

“Only one person I can think of in this pack, who will survive it unscathed.” Jack huffed “They’re not going to like it.”

“Not they are not…but you’re right.” he nodded “Allen is the only choice. We’ll talk to him in the morning.”

“Perhaps…”

“Perhaps what?” Rafe prompted after the man didn’t finish his sentence.

“Her mother, would give us information on Victor.”

“They’re allied packs Jack.”

“If Victor is after Luci.” He looked right at Rafe pointedly.

“Alright, Orien won’t though.” He huffed that man was a good ally and did not go about divulging information to others on his allied packs. “We’ll try that first, though we will need to get Addison on the phone without Orien there.”

Rafe really didn’t want three irate witches stalking into his office and staring him down, for sending their Mate on a lone mission with no back up. But Allen couldn’t be harmed by anyone, not even in an unconscious state. Not by anyone. He was protected by his Mates.

Powerful triplet witches, who Allen liked to call himself their fun toy, but that man loved them as much as they did him, enjoyed being their fun toy a lot. And that spell they had on him, he’d agreed to it, had to, apparently, in order for it to work. Used all their b***d plus Allen’s as well.

“How’d the pack run go?” Jack asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Fine.”

Saw the man raise an eyebrow at him “Then why are you here?”

Rafe shrugged, Solar had mated Rella, but then walked away from her. They did not Mate like normal bonded wolves did. It was also due to Solar being like Rafe, needed that connection of sharing with Flare. His mating with Rella was always brief. He had never knotted her, not once, Mate and walk away, and only ever on a full moon, just once a month.

Rarely did Solar even talk to Rella, his wolfen Mate. Didn’t have that connection to her that he wanted, he wanted more, both wolves as Rafe wanted both women. Rella was closed off to him, always had been, in fact. Never one to just talk to his wolf, or even start something with Solar.

Unlike other bonded wolves who would mate all the time, just antagonise each other into a game of hunt the prey for fun, to enjoy being with each other and mate like crazy in the woods. Rella was not interested at all. Bothered Solar as much as Rafe, those two should have bonded quickly. It was almost like they were contracted Mates, not something either of them wanted. Not even Chosen Mates acted like Sola and Rella. He had a few Chosen Mates here in the pack and they were as happy as if they were gifted to each other. They were Goddess Gifted Mates, but acted like strangers, it was unexplainable.

“You and Melissa?”

“No.” He shook his head “I came here to see what was going on.” and he had, Solar had walked off and Rafe had come right here to his office, to Jack, in fact. He was more comfortable around his Beta than his own Mate. More connected to him and as the years passed, the gap between his and his Mate widened.

“You should go upstairs then.”

“So should you.” Rafe shot right back a little annoyed, then sighed “Sorry Jack.” he apologised.

“Accepted, how about I get us both a drink?”