The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 140

Rafe POV

He could feel it the minute Jack knew it. He felt the flood of emotions through their bond as he stood watching Luci lay out the rules of being on a shaming post. He had been smiling at her himself. Not once had he seen Alari today, not even this morning. She was getting comfortable dealing with them herself. That was a good thing and would make it easier for he and Jack to talk to her, explain things to her.

Though the moment Jack realised he was Mated to Luci, Rafe knew it, felt it, snapped a hand right onto him, felt more than joy roll through him, but it had been replaced in less than three seconds by utter and complete sadness.

‘Breathe Jack.’ Hed murmured to him as gently as he could, needed to keep him calm right that moment ‘1 know.’ He told him softly and he did know Jo-anne had relayed it to him. Hed not told Jack, how could he when he knew it would gut him completely and 1 understand, it’s why you reacted to her this morning, the way you did.’ And it was, he was her Mate already ‘We’re going to fix it’ he promised him, and he meant it, they were going to fix it.

He saw Jack’s eyes move to his, saw the pain in them, so much pain that his normally dark forest green eyes were dull and lack lustre, pulled him right into his body and just held him tightly to try and comfort him ‘Breathe, you can do this. he said softly, slid a hand right up into his hair ‘pull yourself together, or she’ll see it. know something is off with you…’

Could actually feel Jack clinging on to him ‘1 remember it, all of it.’ he murmured, and Rafe knew it was true, he’d gotten the flood of memories himself the moment Jack had. The man had lost himself to Luci’s heat and had Mated her, but hed refrained from Marking her, had only been able to because Rafe himself had never agreed to it.

He sighed softly himself now ‘I’m sorry Jack.’ And he truly was.

This was his fault in reality. Wanting to wait a whole year before claiming Luci. Giving her the chance to replace her Goddess Gifted Mate in that time.

Hugged him even more ‘Blame me, it’s my fault!’ He murmured None of this would be happening to you, to her.

If I’d just let us claim her the day she’d come home with us.’

He could feel eyes on him and looked at Luci, saw her looking at them, the way they were standing holding each other. Tried to smile at her, didn’t know if he’d pulled it off or not. Jack’s pain was not only affecting him but Solar as well. All four of them were really starting to struggle with it.

With all that had happened to them in the past six and half years. Knew it was going to catch up with him at some point, he was desperately trying to delay the emotional explosion he knew was coming his way, trying desperately every second of every day to maintain his Alpha persona to keep his own emotions in check and not lose it like Jack was doing right this minute.

But with Jack in such distress, he was struggling to hold himself together. To be strong for the both of them right this minute. Was at some point going to crumble himself, was trying to keep himself contained and strong, in check and act like the Alpha he knew he needed to be.

Jack and Flare knew they had lost everything and it was killing them right this minute. They were barely holding themselves together. Didn’t know how long it was going to last or when he would completely just lose it.

Though the moment Luci tried to walk away from them, give them a minute as shed stated, Jack’s whole attitude changed in an instant. He’d yanked himself from Rafe’s arms and snapped right out of it. He pulled himself together, pushed passed his own pain and Rafe knew why, because she, his Mate was about to walk away from him and Jack didn’t want that at all. Needed right his minute to be right there next to her.

He belonged to her and didn’t want to be apart from her, not ever. Right at this minute, knowing she was about to walk away had snapped him to his senses, and he was all Beta. Rafe actually felt it, the shift in Jack as he pulled on his bloodline, so he could deal with what was going on around him and still be able to function. Much like they did when in battle. Disconnected themselves from their emotions to fight without distraction.

Like he himself was doing every damned minute since replaceing out the truth.

Those words about lashing the she-wolves on the shaming post, it had come off as a simple enough statement, but Rate had the distinct impression it was going to happen.

Rafe also wasn’t going to stop the man. Would hand him that Cat of three tails which he had lan bringing to them. It was down in the cells hanging on the wall for all their prisoners to see.

He let Jack walk right next to Luci, the man and his wolf needed it, but felt sadness roll off of him and Flare when she declined to have dinner, ‘honestly didn’t want to have a family dinner’ with them. Those words just gutted Jack and Flare completely. Rendered both of them silent, he could feel pain welling up in the two of them. The woman they loved and had unwittingly mated themselves too didn’t want to spend time with them.

A part of Jack and Flare understood, the circumstances were not great, with all that was going on at the moment, but they were hurt by the words and didn’t know how to deal with them, it seemed.

Rafe had to take hold of him and actually walk him away, or the man was likely just going to stand there all afternoon and night staring at her house, wouldn’t budge at all, until he told her what was going on with him.

‘it’ll be alright Jack.’ He mind-linked to him ‘it’s Luci on the surface, not Alari and not Kali, it’s been Luci all day long.

She’s getting more comfortable with us. That is a good thing..breathe Jack.’ He told him, but got nothing from the man, he didn’t seem to be able to think at all right this minute. Was just completely numb, it appeared. Rafe sighed and steered him gently back towards the packhouse. Walked at a slow pace, it was all Jack could seem to manage, barely able to function and put one foot in front of the other.

Rafe walked with his hand on Jack’s back. Jack stopped walking as the packhouse came into view and then there was just pure anger rolling off of him and Rafe knew why, his eyes were on Maria.

“That witch of theirs, she would

have known.” He suddenly grated out. “the Beta was always the problem.” He snarled out and then was just gone off across the pack at full wolfen speed.

Rafe shot after him not to stop him, the man needed to punish those two and the only reason hed not done it himself now, was because Luna Jo-anne had told him Luci would need to do it herself. Need to get all her anger and rage out for the pain she suffered

He stopped short of the shaming post, and just stood there watching as Jack swung that cat of three tails. He could hear and see both those she-wolves screaming and trying to get out of the way of the lashing Jack was unleashing on them.

Stood there and stared right at the scene unfolding before his very eyes, looked at the anger Jack was displaying right this minute and realised that was exactly what it was.

What Luci needed to do, he turned and looked back the way they had come. His brain was screaming at him, he turned and looked at Jack, ‘an incomplete bond’ Jo-anne had said and he suddenly knew what it meant.

Luci had mated herself to them both as he had suspected, but shed not marked either of them, so hed let it go. Had thought he’d been wrong about it. Felt pain not only touch him as he turned and stared at Jack, but ripped through him as he realised Luci was already attached to them both.

She had mated herself to them, that was why she wouldn’t spend time with them. Hadn’t been able to look at them, didn’t want to have a family dinner, as Jack had posed it.

Being around them caused her more pain than either one of them had understood. It’s why she wasn’t herself and was unable to deal with them.

It was likely killing her as much as it was now killing Jack and ripping through himself. No wonder the boys always went to her when she was upset. They could feel everything she felt, knew it hurt her just to look at them.

Saw as Jack stilled and turned to look right at him, Rafe’s own pain and sadness at this realisation had finally pushed passed Jack and Flares rage and filtered to the man. Watched him drop the cat and step over to him “I’m sorry.” He blurted out as tears fell from his own eyes. He’d truly ruined both their lives with his stubbornness to follow through on their pack law of waiting one year to claim a chosen Mate. Had ruined all their lives, not just theirs, but hers and the boys as well. This whole pack had suffered because of his one decision.

Being the Alpha of the pack, he’d only been trying to abide by the pack laws, showing his pack that the Chosen Mate rule also applied to him, their Alpha, to their Beta as well.

That he wouldn’t pull rank and overrule that law just because he was the Alpha and could do so.

No, he’d wanted to show his pack that he was fair and just and held himself to the same rules that he expected all of them to abide by. That he would also wait out the one year of being together before claiming a Chosen Mate, just like they all had to.

That it wasn’t just them that he expected to follow the law, that he too was held accountable to them as well. That he held himself to the same standards he expected all of them to hold themselves to. He wasn’t just their Alpha, but a pack member as well. Knew the laws and could and would follow them.

That one decision had ruined everything, he’d hurt so very many. Felt Jack hug him and stood there and just let him ” I’m sorry.” He whispered and hugged him back.

“I understand.” He heard Jack state, knew Jack could feel why he was upset, his walls had just crumbled on his own emotions, he couldn’t hold them back from Jack right this minute. “Luci and you are in so much pain because of me.”

“We’ll fix it.” Jack murmured.

Rafe’s eyes moved to Melissa and he understood the anger Jack felt. She was bloodied and sagging on the ground, had held up better than Maria, who was now unconscious dangling from that shaming post. “I’d kill you,” he told her, ” But, I think Luci will benefit more from doing it herself than I would. It’s her right to kill you and I’m going to let her.” he told her simply “your hours are numbered.” And he meant that. He would tell her everything tonight when they dropped the boys home.

Mind-linked right to Hannah 1 need to talk to you now.’

“In your office would be best. She stated simply.

Then he and Jack were stumbling around inside their own office. He gagged as did Jack, as they pushed away from each other, he managed to hold in the vomit until he had his hand on the bin by his desk, then just heaved his guts up into it

Looked up at Hannah standing there in the middle of his office watching the two of them, really wanted to smack that woman with all he had, saw her raise an eyebrow at him, knew what he was thinking in all likelihood; reined it in.

“What the hell Hannah?” Jack yelled at her.

“A private conversation is needed.” She stated right back.

“You could have bloody asked.” Jack snarled out.

“Rafe asked me, so here I am.”

“Enough.” Rafe sighed “I didn’t mean for you to blip us here.”

Hannah shrugged “I couldn’t have the two of you walking passed Luna Jo-anne right at this very minute. I have her on another quest, so to speak. You two are an emotional mess that would distract her.”

“Well, who’s bloody fault is that?” Rafe suddenly roared right at her, she’d done nothing to stop any of this mess.

Again, that raised eyebrow, she was not afraid of him, could wave him to sleep or blip herself away in a millisecond “Calm yourself. What do you need from me?” she stated.

He took a moment to do that, calm himself. “The twins…

when Luci loses it and it’s coming.” He sighed.

“You don’t know the half of what is coming.” She stated”

But go on.”

“I don’t want the twins feeling it. Getting involved, can you stop that? Intervene.”

“Rafe?” it was Jack. He could see that Hannah was thinking it over, or weighing up the odds even. Wasn’t exactly sure. He turned to look at Jack. “Your rage, will be Lucis rage, which the twins will feel and react to. I don’t want them to feel that from her, be apart of that with her.

They are just children.”

“No, you don’t,” Hannah stated. “They will kill many, are more powerful than Luci, her rage…it has to come out. But the boys are a witch’s children. I can’t actively touch them without the said witch’s permission.”

“Is there a way around that?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Magic on a witch’s child is even worse without permission. I don’t know if even Jo-anne could intervene in the backlash that would be caused if I used magic on the twins without their mothers permission.

Only more deaths I’d suspect. I need Luci’s actual permission, if I can get it. I could put the boys into a deep sleep state. Until her anger resolves. They’d not feel it and be unharmed. Perfectly safe here with the two of you…how much time do you think I have to get it?”

“I’d have to say a matter of hours. From what I just learned and what I think she is now starting to understand.”

“Ah!” she nodded “The truth is out for you to see.”

“You have explaining to do.”

“I did nothing wrong. Was not my place to intervene in fate.

Though..” she sighed on the heavy side “I wish I had intervened between the three of you when she was 18. She should have become a Triune then, but you and Jack stopped it…intervened in that path yourselves.”

He was staring at her now. “What?”

She waved it off. “Luci, I’II need her permission, I’ll attempt to get it.”

“Leave the Triune alone?” Jack murmured.

Hannah looked right at him. “Yes, that still remains.” Then she was just gone, blipped out of their office.