The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 41

Rafe POV

Rafe sat behind his desk and Jack was standing beside him. They’d both slept well last night once Jack had settled and stopped being restless. He’d woken up to replace his Beta curled around him, the man had been awake already and had hugged him good and long, sighing contentedly to himself. Then he’d smiled right at him, Rafe had smiled right back, he’d felt more like himself this morning than he had in ages.

Had found himself pinned down underneath his Beta unexpectedly barely 10 seconds after waking up. Flare had surged forward and decided to play with him. Solar had then pushed forward, and their two wolves had just rough housed with each other. Until Flare had been pinned down under Solar while he’d been chuffing, fully amused that his Beta thought he could out muscle him.

Both he and Jack had been fully amused by their wolves this morning and had been left laughing. When both Solar and Flare had relinquished control back to them, they’d still been smiling when they’d come downstairs this morning to have breakfast.

They had been requested for a morning meeting with Orien. No real surprise there after yesterday. Orien’s Beta and Gamma were also in the office as well, and he’d been asked for a private conversation. Jack had closed the door once they were all inside.

He and Jack had both heard Orien and Addison’s heated discussion this morning, everyone inside the packhouse would have picked it up. Addison was not shy about getting her point across.

It had not been a nice conversation either. He and Jack both thought that Addison had wanted everyone here to know exactly just what was going on between them. It was likely Orien’s Luna was trying to put him firmly in his place, shame him for what he’d done. Neither of them had heard Orien apologise to her either. Had ended up mad at her.

Now the man was sitting in his office, having questions to be answered, it seemed. She’d outed Luci’s linage to him and now he understood just what he had lost when sending her here. Though Rafe did note that Thatcher was not in this room for this meeting. Also, knew Orien had faced off with Alari yesterday and lost. He now knew just how powerful she was, and he’d dismissed her and hurtfully so.

Rafe was still curious as to what had made Addison strike her own Mate in such a violent manner as well. Though she’d not told them yesterday, he was willing to bet there was some sort of insult towards Luci, before he’d known what she was, of course. It was now very unlikely that he would insult the girl again. Would come off the worst end. He also knew now with the sight of his own Luna’s glowing eyes, he had likely never truly known his own Mate.

He was learning the very hard way just who she really was; the power behind her. That swaying her with a hug was not going to work. Likely he’d not been able to so much as lay a finger on the woman in a week, maybe even longer.

He asked for Orien’s Beta and Gamma to take a seat, and waved them to the couch. This conversation was just going to be he, Jack and Orien. He did not care for others’ opinions at all on the matter of Luci. Didn’t really care about Orien’s for that matter. Addison, on the other hand, he would care for hers. Not only care, take it under advisement.

“You and Addison are still fighting openly, I see.” He stated.

“For now, she will come around.” Orien nodded “She is just mad at me, it will pass.”

“From what I heard and saw; her injury.” Rafe stated, letting Orien know he’d seen it, and it wasn’t pretty, it was never going to heal, was going to be a reminder to him every single day of what he did to her and Fallon. “That might take a while.”

Orien frowned right at him “What happens between my Mate and I, stays between us. It’s none of your concern.” Orien told him flatly, sounding a little annoyed by Rafe’s opinion of the situation.

Rafe didn’t argue with him. “So you called this meeting for what reason exactly?” He asked.

“Addi stated that it was Alpha Victor, who tried to take Luci yesterday, that he…injured one of Luci’s children.”

“My son.” Jack grated out, “Took a hit to his head, which slammed him into a parked car and knocked him unconscious.” They had both read Petra’s report this morning, that was exactly what it stated.

“Did anyone witness this?” Orien asked.

A snarl ripped right out of Flare and Rafe put his hand on Jack to steady him and his beast, saw both of Orien’s men stand up ready for a fight. “Yes, actually. I had people in town, watching for Victor himself.”

“Why would you do that?” Orien asked with a frown.

“Because it was Victor who attacked us out of the blue and it was Luci who saved us. Luci who alerted the pack to the war that was headed our way, in fact.”

He could still feel Flare’s annoyance at being questioned about if anyone saw Victor hit his boy, he wouldn’t lie about it. Why would he? What was to gain from lying about an attack on the pack or their own pup?

“Is there any evidence that it was Victor who attacked you?”

Anger rolled right off of Flare now “Calm down Jack, take a breath. And yes, everyone saw him. He was forcibly shifted from his wolf to his human form, as were half of his men, by Luci herself. I saw him. My entire unit saw him. Luci saw him. Feel free to sit down and question Petra herself, she was the one in town, she was the one to recognise Victor taking Luci.”

“We have his dead Beta, if you want to see proof yourself.” Jack snapped right at him “Do you?” there was a warning edge to his voice.

He saw Orien bristle at Jack’s tone, wouldn’t, Rafe thought, take him on, he would have to deal with Rafe himself, not to mention Ian and Allen, and no one wanted to fight Allen. It was a death sentence, and they all knew it.

“I would actually,” Orien stated.

Rafe felt fury roll off of not just Flare but Jack as well at the man’s words, implying he didn’t trust them to know who Victor’s Beta was.

“Show me, I know what Gary looks like.”

“As do we,” Rafe stated, “Seen that man in your pack on more than one occasion and at Alpha meetings. He was alive when we got to town, didn’t survive.” Rafe looked at Jack. “I believe it was little Jack’s siren call that killed Gary.”

“It was from all reports,” Jack acknowledged. There was pride in his voice about that.

“What? A six-year-old killed a fully grown Beta?”

“Yes.” Rafe nodded “So I’d watch your tone around accusations, that imply I, Jack or any of my pack are lying about it being Victor.”

“I didn’t imply anything, Rafe. Just getting the facts is all.”

“Didn’t believe your own Mate?” Jack stared hard at that man.

“She was not there.” Orien stated.

“Luci was, who do you think told Addison? It wasn’t us that told her,” Rafe commented.

Saw that man huff in annoyance, “Look, all I’m saying is I wasn’t there. I can’t go and confront a man like Victor without evidence now, can I?”

“Get up.” Jack snapped right at him, his anger was on full display. “I’ll take you right to that dead body, you want to see…just to prove to you, we’re not lying, Luci didn’t lie, Petra didn’t lie. Half the pack’s teens, who went to aid, saw him. Didn’t f*****g lie.” Then he was stalking out of the office, he knew right away Jack was barely containing Flare right that minute.

He sighed himself and stood up. Jack didn’t like being called a liar, didn’t like that fact that Orien wasn’t willing to take his own Mate’s word for it either. Even when told Alpha to Alpha they’d both seen Victor’s Beta Gary, had his dead body in their cold storage at the pack hospital, didn’t believe them.

“Get up Orien, or Jack is likely to drag that dead body here to you. Throw it at you uncaring who sees it.”

He walked that man to the pack hospital; Jack was already there, had yanked Gary’s body out of the draw to be on full display, got to see Orien frown right at it. “Good enough evidence?” Jack snarled right at him.

“Why would he come to take Luci after all this time?”

“Because he knows what she is,” Jack rapped out at him.

“How could he? I didn’t even know. Addi never said anything to me, so she certainly didn’t say anything to Victor.”

“He saw her in her Siren form,” Rafe stated “The day he came and attacked the pack, she was there helping us. Came to our aid.”

“What?” both Orien’s Gamma and Beta exclaimed. They had not yet been informed about what Luci was, it seemed.

“She is a double shifter.” Orien told them “Leave it boys, we’ll discuss it later.” He turned right to Rafe now, “You didn’t call and tell us then that she was here.” Sounded a little accusatory to Rafe’s ear.

“We didn’t know it was Luci, no proof.” He added, before Jack could state he knew it was Luci. The man had not been wrong. “Jack informed you the minute he had a visual on Luci, we believe Victor’s men were sent in, scent masked as rogues, took that footage of Luci we sent you.”

“But you’ve got no proof of that, do you?”

“He was here in short freaking order, and tried to take her. It’s pretty damned obvious they were his men.” Jack snapped at him. Rafe could tell he was going to lose it completely if Orien kept on the same track. There wasn’t likely much he could do about it, it was even starting to test his patience now.

“To you.” Orien frowned at Jack. “When in reality it could have been anyone’s men.”

“So!” Jack and Flare snarled. They’d clearly had enough. “You’re going to take Victor’s side.” He was watching Jack, even Solar was. Saw his green eyes glowing indicating they were both in agreement “If that is the case. I no longer want an Alliance with this man or his Pack. He can take his men and his heir and get the hell out of the pack. Now.”

“I’m not saying that, Beta.” Orien sighed but spoke quickly “I just want all the facts.”

Jack’s eyes moved right to Orien. “You want the f*****g facts, here they are. Victors dead Beta by my boys Siren call. Before Victor tried to kill him, after Victor tranquilised Luci and tried to kidnap her for himself. They are the bloody facts. Accept it or don’t.” turning his eyes back to Rafe “I’m leaving this room before Flare issues a full challenge to the death to this man. I can see why his Mate is pissed off, is ignorant is what he is.” Then he just stalked from the room, banged right out the door of the cold room and was gone. Everyone in the room could feel the fury rolling off of him and his wolf.

“I don’t mean to offend him, Rafe.”

“Well, as you can see, you did. How would you like it, if we came into your pack and said we didn’t believe you. It’s rude Orien, and he nearly lost his son yesterday, barely even knew he had one, laid eyes on him for the first time in that injured unconscious state. Luci’s Siren healed him. He had a head wound and his own twin, my son, was completely distraught. They are very strongly connected. It is possible that little Jack nearly died yesterday at Victor’s hands and here you are constantly saying, where’s the proof it could be someone else?”

He saw Orien frown “You mentioned the boy used a Siren call”.

Really wanted to punch Orien right now himself, he’d just blipped over everything, didn’t care it seemed, about the boy nearly dying or Jack’s feelings at all. But he held his anger like all Alpha’s should, stay in control of the situation, try to work it out. “I did. It is likely both of them can.”

“Are they both like Luci?” He sounded more than curious now.

“Not that I saw.” Rafe answered, but it was clear to him, he only wanted to replace out about the power those boys had.

“So?”

“So, I’m not sure to be honest. That would be best asked of Luci.”

He was not about the boys as true hybrids to this man, who was still allied to Victor, and looked like he was going to stay that way. That did not need mentioning at this point, might never mention it. “I just know that both the twins went to their mothers aid…you yourself saw them yesterday, very protective…of Addison, they were not protecting Luci’s Siren.” And he knew they had not been. If those two saw any altercation between their Grammy and this man, who they had seen her argue with, seen Alari shoot forward to protect, he was going to come off the worst for wear. If he survived, that was. They may be just six, but were deadly already and likely, that Siren part of them had more control than the Wolf part.

“We have to take this back to your office, Rafe. Luci will have to come home as well.”

“That is not going to happen.” Rafe stated flatly.

“She is my daughter.”

“But not your pack member anymore. I believe you gave her to Jack and I. Still technically is mine and Jack’s concubine, and I don’t see Jack or I giving up our boys to you. Who is still allied to Victor! Do you see that?” he knew Orien would know no Alpha would be giving up their Heir.

“She is still my daughter.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow at him now. “Actually, she is Addi’s daughter, not yours.” He corrected the man and then turned and walked out of the hospital and headed back to his office. He couldn’t see Jack anywhere as he stepped outside, felt for his tether, and no real surprise, he was off in the woods. Would likely have wanted to go and see his son and Luci. But wouldn’t stand before either of them when he was this angry.

Left him to it, he’d already voiced his opinion, knew where Jack stood on the matter, Luci and his son were now the man’s number one priority. Nothing was going to stop him from defending them. He felt Solar huff inside his mind a minute later, ‘Flare is out.’

‘I know he needs to go and hunt, get his anger out, calm down a little.’

‘Was happy and calm this morning.’ Solar sounded annoyed.

Rafe couldn’t argue with that, he and Jack had both woken up happy and their wolves had rough housed with each other in human form like they used to all the time, like they still did in wolfen form. Luci was back inside the pack and they had sons. It made not only them but their wolves happy. Jack had even been talking over breakfast about going over and having lunch with Luci and the boys. Trying to talk to her about the situation, wanted to tell her they weren’t at all mad about anything. That they were more than happy. That she and the boys were not only welcome but would be protected from Victor, among others.

That they wanted her to stay here, that they were sorry for the way that things had turned out, for their sheer ignorance and hurting of her. Jack really wanted to get moving on her being once again happy and comfortable here inside the pack. ‘I want to see her smile.’ Had been his exact words when they had been talking this morning. It had always lit up her face when she smiled at them. So very genuine and truly happy she’d been, and they’d screwed that up.

They needed to fix that, it was on them, her new demeanour.