The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 18

Jack POV

It appeared that Alpha Orien was more than annoyed by his Luna’s attitude and the yelling at him in front of others, especially an allied Alpha and his Beta. Out on the front steps of the packhouse for all their pack to see, and there had been a fair few of their pack members about, not to mention half the teens strolling home from school had witnessed it as well.

Orien stalked right past Jack, didn’t even so much as greet him, asked somewhat angrily “My usual suite?”

Jack had simply nodded “Yes. I have placed Thatcher in the room next to yours.” Then Orien had simply stalked away from him and up the stairs to where he knew his suite would be on the first floor. It was the same one they’d been using since Luci had first come here. In fact, Thatcher was being placed in the adjoining room where Luci had used to stay, when she visited with her family prior to moving here.

Jack let the man go, the door was unlocked at this point and the security cards to access and lock the doors were in their rooms on the bedside tables. He was not about to go getting into anything with the man. An Alpha male in a mood, not something anyone wanted to deal with. He could handle Rafe because of how close they were. Very like-minded about most things.

He turned his eyes to Thatcher. “It’s been a while, Thatcher.” He commented “Nice to see you again.”

The boy just looked at him, was practically the spitting image of his father, even had that attitude as well, it seemed, though he’d always had an attitude, brought up to be just like his father. He just frowned at him, nodded his head and then turned and followed his father up the stairs, took his Mate with him, without so much as an introduction.

A little on the rude side, considering she was here inside the pack, there should have been an introduction and that boy knew it. Was acting just like his father was, rude and arrogant. Like talking to a Beta was beneath him.

Though it was also to be expected, the boy had not spoken a single word to he or Rafe since Luci’s disappearance. He’d been 13 at that time, so nothing really new on that front. Thatcher blamed them for Luci going missing, and he was right too. It was completely their fault.

His Mate had looked at him and smiled, though a little apprehensively. Had likely been expecting Thatcher to introduce her, but he had not. She didn’t scent of Alpha b***d, so how he’d met her at Alpha college Jack wasn’t certain. Likely had been visiting someone or picking up someone from her pack and come across him accidently.

“Don’t take it personally Jack.” It was Orien’s Beta, Milton. “There was a massive disagreement before coming. Thatcher is ticked off at everyone right now.”

“Where’s the boy’s Alpha Unit?” he asked out of curiosity. If he was home, they should be travelling together. Bonding, considering they had been Luci’s unit and then given to Thatcher, he knew they liked Luci. She was fun for them, even growing up as small children and being a year or two older than her, they’d all gotten along. They were a good nine or ten years older than Thatcher.

“At the pack…” he sighed heavily.

Jack looked right at him at his hesitation, that Unit had once been going to be Luci’s Unit. They had grown up with her, were much older than Thatcher, perhaps with her being found there was now a conflict. He didn’t know he would have to replace out though. Jack did recall they all liked Luci, thought she was a riot and a half.

“Is it so bad, in Nightfall?” He asked as his eyes moved to their Gamma. That man should have gone with Addison. Was likely here to try and keep her calm, though it didn’t seem to be working.

“Tension is high, since Luci’s reappearance.” Milton nodded “We’d better go up.”

“Across the hall from your Alpha, Milton.” His eyes moved to Chad. “I put you two in a two-bedroom suite, hope that’s okay.”

“It’s fine.” Chad nodded.

Jack stood and watched the two of them go on up the stairs to the first floor. They had been here many times before, though under much better circumstances it seemed. They both knew their way around. He would let them all settle in. Those two also looked like they could use a break from their own ticked off Alpha and his Heir for that matter.

Saw Allen walking towards him. “Hannah is agitated.” He stated with a frown.

“About?” Jack asked. He did not need agitated witch’s right now.

“I don’t know.” Allan shook his head “I was sent to stay here in the Gamma suite, for a few days.” He was frowning now. “needs peace and quiet to meditate with her sisters.”

Jack sighed as he looked at the man. “Great” he muttered, it was just what they needed right now.

“Mm, trouble is brewing I think.” Allen nodded “All three of them kissed me good and proper, then walked me out the door.” He was frowning deeply, shook his head after a moment “Whatever is going on, it’s not going to be good.”

“Agreed.” Jack nodded “I’ll let Rafe know when he comes back.”

“I felt him leave the pack. Where did he go on his own?”

“Took Addison to where Luci had that fight with those rouges, she demanded it of us.”

“Alright.” Allen nodded “Hannah did say something last night that got my attention. Said Ian’s Mate could be in trouble.”

Now that grabbed Jacks’ undivided attention. “Really?” Ian didn’t have a Mate.

“Mm, it was odd…she didn’t elaborate.” Allen shook his head and then walked away.

Jack stared after the man, but said nothing, knew he would have asked a million questions himself. If he wasn’t forthcoming on who Ian’s Mate was, then Hannah herself had not said who she was, though it was now clear to him that they knew who she was. Interesting turn of events.

Walked into the Alpha’s office and sat down at his desk and opened up his Hannah file, added her comment to it. He knew Hannah wouldn’t say it unless it was important. Those witches were always cryptic. Never spoke plainly about anything they didn’t truly see the outcome of.

Sat and wondered if Ian’s Mate was about to make an appearance. Jack hoped so. That man had not so much as looked at a she-wolf in his entire life. Stated he was willing to wait on his Mate, not many did that. Had needs to be sated, but Ian seemed happy enough as he was.

Those witches liked Ian, watched him sometimes and then just smiled right at him occasionally. It was weird they only ever smiled at Allen otherwise. Jack had never gotten them to tell him what it was about Ian, that made them smile and watch him. Neither had Allen.

Allen wasn’t at all jealous or even slightly concerned about the way they did that, found it somewhat amusing from Jack’s point of view. They just like Ian for some weird a*s reason, only they knew about. It was their little secret and they were not willing to part with it.

Jack personally thought it was because the man was willing to wait for his Mate, to be honest. They liked people who were innocent, so to speak. Odd creatures, reliable and loyal, but never really cared much about anything other than Allen.

Jack thought that they were old, ancient in fact. Not that they looked it. But it was very clear to him, a bloodied and death-strewn battle was nothing to them, the sight, sound and smell of war did not bother them at all. They’d seen many battles before, he believed, very clear from the way they just strolled about and didn’t react to it.

Their power it was also strong. Those witches were steeped in b***d and used b***d magic. Used the b***d of others to help achieve their goals at times. Though surprisingly, only b***d that was freely and willingly given. They did not appear to be evil, but could be completely ruthless and he knew it. They had the potential to rain death and destruction if they so chose to, he believed. Though mostly they stayed out of everything, just cleaned up after battles and then did their own thing.

Jack had spoken to the three of them after their battle with Victor, about that creature in the lake. It had not escaped his attention that they had been by the lake, which meant near it. They had all just stared at him, said nothing for several minutes and then stated, “It’s a Triune.” And walked away from him.

“A trune?” What the hell was a trune? It didn’t even sound like a word to him, didn’t sound English either if it was a word. So, he’d researched that word only to get it wasn’t a word and then had set about different spellings of it in case he’d not spelled it right. Only one came up Triune.

It was likely that it was an otherworldly word that only those women knew and understood because all he could replace on that word was that it meant three fold. Having three components that are all separate and united at the same time.

Jack had not been able to get them to elaborate at all since they’d stated that word and he’d gone back twice. On the second time, Hannah had glared at him and stated, “It is what it is. Leave the Triune alone.” Then had shut the door in his face. He’d called out to her that he thought it was Luci to try and get them to open up again.

That had not helped him either. The door to their cabin had stayed shut, and now they were all locked up tight meditating on something. It could be Ian’s Mate, of course. Though it could be absolutely nothing to do with the pack at all. Who knew? Only they did, that’s who.

Though for them to send their Mate away, they didn’t do that very often, so something was definitely brewing behind the scenes, even Allen thought so. They had outright refused Allen going to the Bloodless Moon Pack for recon of Victors pack. Stated “No” all in unison without any hesitation at all and then had just walked away. It was clear they were not going to change their minds.

Neither he nor Rafe had overruled them, and they both could. But the way they’d all been united on it, spoke volumes to them. Nothing could touch Allen in a harmful way, or not that they had ever seen. It was likely Victor had a way to do so something inside his pack, that he himself had not thought of. Something Victor wasn’t willing to let anyone know about, so wouldn’t bring it out of the pack. It made him curious.

So, they would wait until Luci was back in this pack and approach again. Luci was currently their most pressing need. If she was out there all alone, it wasn’t a good thing. Wolves didn’t do so well on their own. Though she had smelled different to Jack, she shouldn’t unless she had moved to another pack and that other scent he now smelled was the new pack scent that would make sense. Though he had picked up his own pack scent on her trail, so then it didn’t make sense, it was all very confusing to him.

He did not think like Rafe did, that she was Mated, that would not have changed her scent not to them, only her Mate would smell something different about her, that unique Mate scent that only one could smell used to identify one as your Mate.

But she did smell different to him, and Jack now wondered if it was because she was that Siren in the lake, to him that would account for the change of her scent, likely it was the Siren he smelled and freshly fallen rain; what else would a water creature smell like to him, but water. It was fresh and pretty still delicate to his sense of smell. Quite liked it.

It was Luci, his gut told him so. Convincing Rafe was another matter, but with Addison here, he knew she could answer some of, if not all of his questions. Neither he nor Rafe had ever really believed that Luci was Orien’s child. Not after the way he treated her and then there were those brilliant green eyes of hers. They were not like her mothers or Orien’s either, they were so unusual and he was willing to bet. That was also why Addison doted on the girl so much. It was likely that Luci was a child from another, and not just any other, someone that Addison had loved. It was completely possible that Addison had a Mate before Orien.

Orien had never wanted Luci to be his heir either, but Addison had. It had always been a sore point between the two of them, for as long as he had known Luci. That girl had been kept out of his and Rafe’s sight until she was 18, or at least that is what they believed. Smiled to himself, he was certain it was because of their reputation which had preceded them.

That Orien had not wanted Luci anywhere near he and Rafe, she had likely always been beautiful, stunningly so, even likely to have been as a child. As she had grown up into the beautiful woman she now was. Orien would have known that he and Rafe would have been attracted to her. Hell, she’d not even survived twenty-four hours in this pack without the two of them tasting her.

Once they had, they’d certainly wanted more of her. She was amazing. So free-spirited and very open-minded. How could they not have been drawn to her and her needs as an alpha-blooded female, he smiled to himself, well they were high, and he and Rafe had enjoyed sating her every little whim.

Jack sighed and got up from his desk. He should not be thinking like that, he had a Mate. Currently not here in the pack, one that hadn’t even so much as called him in the six days since she’d left. Jack had steadfastly refused to call her either, like he normally would do, daily to make sure she was doing okay. No, not this time, he wanted to see what would happen if he didn’t call her. Would she call him? Apparently not. Didn’t feel the need any more than he did.

Walked out of his office, better be prepared for Addison to not want to stay with Orien. He was hoping those two were still on good enough terms to share a room. If not, that could mean that their Mate bond was in trouble. Organised with one of the omega’s to prepare a few of the other rooms, also had one of them go up and clean Luci’s room just in case they could replace her and bring her home too.

Would start prepping for that, he was hoping she would be willing to come home, willing to stay here. Jack didn’t believe that she was going to go home with Orien. Not after he’d handed her over and told her to go be a concubine, who did that to the Heir to their pack.

Sighed he’d been happy to have her, but those words had hurt her feelings. He’d known it. She’d played it off as though it didn’t matter inside her pack. But once in the car with them on their way back here, she’d been quiet and why wouldn’t she be? Her own father had tried to give her to Victor even though he knew she would never want that.

She’d turned to them for help, they both knew that Orien had tried to give her up to Victor and more than once, since turning 18, had tried pushing the girl at him even. They knew from her she didn’t want it. So, they had given their help without issue. Of course she was welcome here. Hell they enjoyed every visit to her pack and her to their pack.

Jack was going to convince her to stay here, he would do whatever it took to get her to stay, regardless of what that was, or how much anyone hated it. Luci belonged here, always had he thought. The whole pack had liked her, she trained with anyone and was friendly and fun, fitted in like she had lived here her whole life, like she was born here.

It was just that he and Rafe had royally screwed things up was all, and now she was gone and had been for too long.