The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 22

Jack POV

Jack sat and stared at the closed door to their office. Addison’s words had come out of nowhere. They’d not even been discussing he and Rafe at all. Though her words about their Mates had shocked him a little, he was not so shocked that he was dumbfounded by them. Jack knew that something was wrong with not just himself, but with Rafe as well.

They had both lost weight and muscle tone too; they were currently still strong but soon wouldn’t be. Both of them had even put in more effort to bulk themselves back up, but nothing worked to put weight or muscle on them.

He knew that the longer they stayed Mated to Maria and Melissa, and were denied their true nature. The more it was going to affect them too. It was not just mental now, it was also physical. Jack’s eyes moved to Rafe; he too was frowning over Addison’s words. But that man already knew it, he was being hollowed out on the inside bit by bit by their Mates’ lack of acceptance.

Let it go, there was no need to say anything about her comment, they both knew it, could feel it as well. It was one of the reasons he’d sent Titan with their Mate’s he’d had enough of feeling this way.

“Luci.” Jack stated instead, bringing the topic right back to Addison’s visit.

“Alright, you were right on that.” Rafe finally admitted to him, what Jack had been thinking since seeing that Siren in the Lake, “She’ll not stay here Jack.”

Jack stared at the man now. “You don’t know that, she never went home Rafe. Is still a part of the pack, she warned us about Victor and then saved us.”

“That does not mean, that she will come back into the pack. Lives in that lake, Jack. No-one has ever seen her.” He sighed “likely if Addison can call her out, she will go home with her mother.”

“No, she won’t.” Jack disagreed and shook his head, “not if she senses Orien’s not wanting her there. He gave her to us, his own Heir to the pack, sent her off to be a concubine.”

“Jack, don’t do this to yourself. You heard as I did, what Addison said. Tragedy or utter heartbreak to bring out her Siren side. She is not going to come back to us, we are still Mated.”

Jack glared at him. “And our Mates, where are they now? They deny us our true needs. It’s not a choice Rafe, you and I. We’re bonded and our Mates deny us our bond at every turn. They should not do that, you know this. Its why you still fight about it.”

“I know. But it is how it is, Jack. What can we do?”

Jack was furious at him now, the man was so infuriating sometimes.

“Are you going to reject Maria, Jack? Give up your Goddess Gifted Mate in the hope, that Luci will forgive you, and come back to you. She is still not your Mate.”

Jack stood up, he knew that he was very unhappy about it. In fact, “She could have been. If we’d made that decision quicker.” He muttered and stalked out of the office himself. They had discussed it, had always thought about it. But no, Rafe had always stated she had a Mate out there, and it wasn’t right for them to take that away from her.

Jack wished more than once over the past six and a half years, that they had snatched her up for themselves. He had simply not voiced it aloud. How could he? He had a Mate, one who liked nothing about him, not really.

s*x was always Maria’s way, she never took into account his needs in the bedroom. Never let Rafe near her, never took into account his and Rafe’s bond with each other. Sometimes he could swear she was driving, or trying to drive a wedge between them. To break their bond. Not that he had any proof of it, of course. Maria also never minded being away from him, was always happy to go back to her home pack.

Something was off and he’d honestly had enough of it. Perhaps he could live without her. Was doing that right now, in fact. It had been six days and he didn’t actually miss her. Hadn’t heard from her at all. Not even a text message. She clearly didn’t miss him. Jack had also not heard from Titan as of yet.

But he had instructed that man not to report to him if he thought that Maria or Melissa were watching him or got suspicious about him trailing them or the other way around. It was a waiting game. Jack was damned certain something else was going on out here in the Wolf Valley Pack, otherwise Titan would have at least texted him to let him know all was well.

Jack was going to have that man in his office to report back to him the minute he got back, regardless of what either Maria or Melissa wanted. He or Rafe could overrule any order put on Titan and if there was one? Then something was definitely a miss, they were out there in their home pack and didn’t want he or Rafe to know what they were up to. Though he already suspected that much.

Seeing as neither one of them wanted he or Rafe to go with them. Rafe or himself would always offer to go with them. But both Maria and Melissa declined each time. They wanted to go on their own. It was not a normal thing to do, or want to do, to voluntarily be away from your Mate for a week. It was not a nice feeling either for the Mate left behind.

Though neither Maria nor Melissa ever seemed to mind being apart from them, now with Addison’s comment as well. It was obviously noticeable to others, the toll it was taking on them both now. Sighed and walked into his suite and looked around at the room, at everything. It all screamed of Maria. From the floral wallpaper which he hated if he was honest with himself, the floral upholstery on the couch and armchairs, the pink rug she had under the furniture. It was almost as if everything he’d raised an eyebrow at, she’d insisted on having.

Walked through to their bedroom, gone was his wooden four-poster bed and now there was just an ensemble with a cream bedhead, even the furniture in here was girly. Jack had not denied his Mate anything and now the whole damned Beta suite was like one giant teenage girls room, anyone walking in here wouldn’t even know that he lived in here at all.

The only thing she’d been vetoed was the ensuite. He was not having a ridiculously pink and white bathroom. Maria had pouted up at him when he’d said no and then pleaded with him, he’d stood his ground on it, did not want to come home and try to relax and see pink wall tiles everywhere.

Never once had he even seen the woman wear anything floral or pink for that matter, and it made him wonder if she had done it on purpose, he sighed. He really didn’t want to feel this way about Maria, but the longer she was away from him, the more completely disconnected from her he actually felt.

Right this minute, when he thought about her, he didn’t really feel anything for her at all. He felt like he had before replaceing out she was his Mate. Single and unmated, he realised. Really focused on it to get a better understanding and right this very minute he did feel as though he had no Mate, felt like he was when he’d been unmated. No bond at all. Sighed didn’t even know how that was possible at all.

It should not be this way, not ever. He should always feel connected to her at all times, no matter how far away she was from him, they were from each other. There was not even an ache inside his chest because they were apart from each other and there should be. He’d never really gotten that. Only the first time they went home. After that, nothing. It was odd.

Showered and then dropped down into his bed and closed his eyes, yawned, he was even sleeping better this week too, he’d noticed. Didn’t have any worries or concerns about being woken up by his Mate, looking to be impregnated. He should never feel unhappy about that, but he hated it, and he knew it.

Jack couldn’t even recall the last time Flare had wanted to mate Delilah, Maria’s wolf. Heard Flare snort inside his mind, and felt him roll over and turn his back on Jack. His wolf had no inclination on that front, never really had. It was weird to say the least. Their bond didn’t really happen at all, no attachment.

They didn’t even mate on a full moon, as Solar and Rella did, there was just no interest at all and not just by Flare. Delilah didn’t either from all he could tell. There should be, they had Mated in human form when they’d first Marked and Mated, but nothing since being here inside his home pack.

Let his mind wonder to Luci and he couldn’t help but smile. He really did miss that girl and he was determined to get her back inside this pack, where she belonged. A part of him knew that Rafe was right, she was not going to want to be here. But she didn’t have to stay inside the packhouse, he could build her a house anywhere she wanted, he didn’t care as long as it was inside the pack.

He would build her one right on the lake’s edge if that was what she wanted to keep her Siren part happy and close to the lake. She’d never actually left, was still a part of their pack. Just didn’t want to see them with their Mates and he did not blame her for that.

Jack was going to do whatever it took to bring Luci back in, to make sure she was okay and looked after. Try and get her to be happy once more, no more being out there and alone. Would likely have to convince her of this, but he knew he could. She’d always liked him that tiny bit more than Rafe, or at least he believed.

Would actively seek him out sometimes just to be with him. It always brought Rafe to them in the end, but never till she’d had her way with him and then only did Rafe turn up to punish her for not sharing. Luci had always chuckled a little at him and Rafe and batted her eyelashes up at him, pouted just a little, but he and Rafe both knew it was an act.

Luci liked it when Rafe punished her in the bedroom. Enjoyed doing what her Alpha told her and they all knew it. Taunted him on purpose to get punished sometimes. Sighed softly to himself and relaxed with a slight smile as sleep claimed him, Luci still in his thoughts.