The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 75

Luci POV

To hear Rafe tell her, his and Jacks Mates were back in pack territory, her hands stilled. They had not really unpacked all that much of their actual belongings when they’d been brought here to the cottage. Most of it was still boxed up. But she was currently in the cottage boxing up the pantry with Nadia.

Who had heard about the move from either her Alpha or Beta and made her way over here with more boxes to help, stated she wanted to make sure that she and the twins had everything that they needed. Without having to worry about returning to the packhouse to get things on the odd occasion.

She heard Nadia herself sigh a little on the heavy side, moments after she’d been mind-linked by Rafe. Likely had felt the Luna return to the pack herself. “I’ll finish up here Luci, you go and be with the boys. We’ll all head off in my truck when your mother comes back.”

Nadia had arrived in her truck to help move everything with ease, though it was no longer Luci on the surface. It was all Alari, who looked at Nadia, nodded briefly and was gone out the front door to watch over the boys. Who were playing in the front yard, she watched both of them look up at Alari being on the surface.

‘Just go about playing boys.” She waved them back to what they were doing. “I’m just watching you.” she’d smiled right at them, kept her tone lite, and they went back to running around. They were kicking a ball around.

Alari had still been on the surface when a car had driven passed them, she’d moved her eyes to it. The driver had looked right at her and then just smiled, she’d seen that man’s eyes move towards the children as well, damn near laughed, before turning his attention back to the road.

The two women in the back didn’t even so much as look at her, they’d never seen her before, didn’t care to either, had no idea who she was, and she’d not looked like this the last time she’d been here, and they’d never met Luci at all. Turned her eyes back to the boys after it passed them all.

Though her eyes did make their way over to the packhouse, it seemed Alari was actually curious about the two women, but then she’d not actually focused on the women but the man driving the car itself. He’d already smiled. Now he looked right at her, and they could see with their sight that he had a full smirk on his face. He bowed his head ever so slightly after the two women passed him, then turned and walked away ‘Who is that one?” Alari asked her.

‘Titan, an elite warrior. If I recall correctly, one of their most loyal.’

‘He bowed to you,’ Alari stated ‘Why?’

‘I don’t know, we are of Alpha b***d, he knows this.’

‘Odd.’

‘It is.’ Luci nodded, he’d never done that with her here inside the pack before.

She watched as her mother walked out of the packhouse a few minutes later, ‘Daughter is everything alright?’ she mind-linked to her right away.

‘Yes, mother.’ Alari answered her right back, was still in full control.

‘You’re on the surface because?’ her tone was lite but curious.

‘It is needed.’ Alari stated simply and then receded finally as their mother walked into the yard. “I like being able to mind-link to you mum.” Luci smiled right at her, it was a really nice feeling to have that pack bond with her mother once more.

“Me to.” Addi smiled at her “Like old times, are we all packed?”

“Nearly, Nadia could use our help…but.”

“I’ll stay with the boys, or go and help. Which is best for you honey?”

“I’ll go and help Nadia, I have to get used to it at some point right!” she muttered and saw her own mother’s apologetic look, before walking back inside to help Nadia finish packing up the pantry.

She did know she was going to have to. The boys would be going to see their fathers and going off to school as of Monday, and she wasn’t going to be able to be with them all the time. It was going to be difficult, and agitate them all the time, but she had to start it somewhere. Try and get herself, Kali and Alari used to it. Them, being out in the pack with the Luna and Beta’s Mate wandering around as well.

Wondered as they all got in to Nadia’s truck 15 minutes later, if they had told their Mate’s about the boys yet. Nadia was just pulling away from the cottage when her mother was mind-linked and let out a somewhat heavy sigh “Nadia, could you let me out at the front of the packhouse please. Alpha Rafe has asked me to come in for a meeting.”

Luci looked right at her. “Trouble starting already, I see.”

“I don’t think it is that, something else is going on, I believe. I’ll make my own way back to the house.” She stated and got out when Nadia pulled up.

Luci watched her mother walk up the stairs and sighed to herself, surely if they wanted her mother it couldn’t be good. Luci recalled the way her mother always went to bat for her, was more than fierce in the defence of her daughter.

“Don’t stress over it Luci, Addison can handle herself, is an Alpha like yourself.”

“It’s not that,” Luci stated.

“Rafe and Jack, they will sort the other issue out. Trust in them.”

‘Like I once did.’ She thought to herself absently, turned her eyes away to the pack and then the forest. She didn’t think that they had told their Mate’s yet. There was no ballistic Luna coming for her, stalking out of the packhouse glaring at her or the boys, for that matter.

She helped Nadia unpack everything even though the woman tried to wave her off. But Luci needed the distraction and it kind of helped. Stood and prepped dinner with her as well, even heard that they had, had a little bit of chocolate with their dessert last night and they’d not had a reaction to it, seeing that it was only small.

Knew they’d liked it as well, was mind-linked by her mother to inform her that she would be severing herself from the pack for a short time. It was only temporary and would be reinitiated again in a little while.

‘Why?’ she asked right away.

‘There is a pressing matter. All is well and it’s actually nothing to do with any of us. Something about needing a non-pack member to question another. It is odd, Luci, but I understand it. I agreed to do it.’

‘Alright, how long?’

‘Not certain. But I will be initiated again once the questioning is over, and brought home…Luci, there will be added patrols around the house, likely Petra and her men.’

‘Alright. I’ll keep dinner for you.’

It was curious, but not her place to ask anymore. Once would have and both Rafe and Jack would have told her, not anymore it seemed. She let it go, if her mother was allowed to tell her she would when she got home.

It was nice to have someone to chat with while making dinner. Both Alari and Kali were settled inside her mind, they both seemed to be comfortable with Nadia in their home. Liked the woman, though she’d always been nice to her when she’d lived here.

Nadia was talking about her grandbabies and how they were six and would be in the same class as the boys. She also made mention that she’d adjusted the school’s menu for the next week to aid in the boys being able to have lunch like all the other pups there.

Luci smiled. “Thank you for all of your help. My boys and I must be taking up a lot of your time.”

“I don’t mind. I have four chefs to boss around inside that packhouse currently.” She chuckled “It’s quite fun actually, and coming up with super healthy desserts that are still a treat for the boys, that has me testing out new ideas. My own grandbabies are tasting everything. I get to see them every day now.”

“That must be nice.”

“It is.” Nadia nodded “But my daughters shake their heads at me and tell me all they do is ask for their grandma and her treats.” She grinned now “I’m loving it, having little ones inside my house once more.”

Luci chuckled softly “Spoiling them.”

“Yes, and I’m going to turn at least one of them into a chef.” She smiled big at the thought.

Nadia headed off after dinner was plated up, she had a Mate, Gil, to feed back home and a packhouse dining room to check on as well.

Luci placed her mother’s meal in the warming draw under the oven to keep it warm, Nadia had showed her how to use it, that was new to her, but would likely come in handy she thought absently to herself.

She was curious as to what was going on up in the packhouse. It was an odd request that was certain. She’d never seen anything like it before. Knew her mother would technically be a rogue right now. No pack status. She was already severed from Nightfall, and now the Black Forest Pack as well. She would scent of a rogue as well until reinstated.

It was almost 7pm by the time her mother returned and smiled at her, reinstated by Alpha Rafe. Luci felt the connection the moment it happened, had been waiting on it. “All is well, Luci.” She smiled and was carrying a dessert box. “I brought a blackberry and apple tart.”

The boys were at her feet in a flash. “Grammy, you bring us pie?” they were smiling up at her now.

“I did, go sit, it’s special too.” She smiled right down at them.

Luci smiled at her mother and waved them to the table, and watched her mother unbox the tart, looked at the boys. “It’s got a white chocolate drizzle.”

Both the boys squealed now, pure joy and happiness could be heard in them both, they were so excited about the tiniest bit of chocolate. Were likely going to be addicted to it when they could just eat it at will. Watched them not only eat one slice but ask for a second. She let them, just hoped it wouldn’t upset their tummies too much.

Asked her mother what happened and saw her smiling right at her “Nothing to worry about. Just trying to get around an order placed on a pack member. They didn’t want to hurt that person was all. It worked a treat.”

Luci was curious about that, but if her mother was not going to elaborate. It was likely she had been asked not to. It was probably serious pack-related business and therefore not for her. She was just a pack member herself, not even a warrior at this point. Nothing had been discussed about what they would expect of her now that she was back inside the pack.

Did they expect her to train daily? Like she had once used to, she had actually enjoyed training. Did they expect her to hold down a job within the pack? If so, what would it be? Not even she knew that. Hadn’t really held a job title the last time she’d been here. Had trained every day and helped with fighting any rogues that needed deflecting, but that was pretty much it.

She’d attended mating balls that they held, not that she cared to, had not really been interested in replaceing a Mate, wondered about that now. Wondered if she’d chosen them long before she’d stupidly mated herself to them when she’d gone into heat, that one time.

Lay in bed that night and thought about that. She’d not wanted any other while she was here. But that was normal for her, even before coming to live here, she only ever looked at others in Nightfall, because there was no one that could sate her needs, until Rafe and Jack had visited anyway.

Rolled over and stared outside, it wasn’t all that late, only 10pm, but she and the boys were used to going to bed early, by 8 or 9pm most nights. Had to so they could get up early and make breakfast before the long walk into town. Didn’t need to do that anymore.

Knew her mother was still up. She was prowling around downstairs, had been going to call Thatcher before going to bed, was likely down there doing that now. She closed her eyes and was dosing off just as Rafe’s voice came to her a full pack wide mind-link, she could feel the weirdness of it. ‘There is a fire within the pack. It is being contained, do not panic, a single dwelling, unoccupied.’ The link was cut, it was just an informative statement so any that smelled it or saw it didn’t panic, she supposed.

A moment later, both her boys were running into her room. She’d settled them into a separate bedroom to see if they would sleep in their, highly doubted it, but they seemed excited about a room to themselves. Both their eyes were wide “Mamma?” she heard the fear.

“Climb up and in, we’re all good.” She sighed and settled them into her bed, then mind-linked to Rafe himself ‘Please Alpha, do remember the twins are six, and actively open to your pack wide mind-links. Please refrain from including them.’

‘s**t, sorry Luci. I honestly didn’t think about that.’

‘Obviously.’ She sighed right back and cut the link.

He re-established it a second later ‘Luci, I do apologise.’

‘I’m tired, Alpha.’ She stated and cut the link once more. He didn’t reopen it, got the point she guessed.

Settled the boys into her bed and watched them go back to sleep. This bed was much bigger than the one they normally shared, Alari was singing softly to them to settle their nerves, and she found her mother standing in the doorway. Waved her in as well, might as well have a sleep pile. She thought to herself.

“It’s like my own little Siren pack” her mother chuckled softly “All piled up in one bed.”

“Is that how you slept with father?”

“No. but sometimes we would sleep by the water’s edge and his pack would all settle around us, to hear him sing. Just like Alari does.”

“Do all Sirens sing?” she asked curiously.

“If they are happy or trying to settle the young ones.” Her mother nodded.

Luci smiled herself. It was nice to know that Alari was just like her father, “Is it the same song?” she questioned curiously.

“No. Every song is unique to each Siren, but that pack would be able to know who was singing and for what reason. It resonates in their sound.”

‘That’s nice.’ Luci thought to herself. She always did like Alari’s singing, though there were never actually any words, just sounds and tones, she felt connected to it and understood if it was happy or sad. Guess that was because they were one.