The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 17

Rafe POV

Rafe stood with Jack, at the front of the packhouse, on the stairs. They were waiting for Alpha Orien and his Luna, Addison, to arrive. Mostly they were waiting for Addison. Jack had been emailing the pair of them, had been called and always got Orien, even when they wanted to speak with Addison, they had been calling back and forth all week long in regard to Luci.

It had apparently been a long week over in the Nightfall Pack. Their son Thatcher was away at Alpha College and Orien wanted him to be here as well. Stated it was to try and bring a solid family connection to Luci, as she and Thatcher had always gotten along well. Wanted a good connection to be made with his daughter so she would come to them.

Thatcher had returned 5 days ago, but had not returned home alone. Apparently, he had found his Mate at Alpha college on the previous full moon and so she had to be brought to their pack and a celebration had to be attended. As the future Luna to the Nightfall Pack, her introduction to the pack had to come first. According to Orien.

Though her Luna Ceremony was years away, a celebration had to be held, and Orien had insisted on it. Addison was more than pissed off about this from what they’d heard. She had wanted to come here to their pack ahead of Orien, but again that man had stopped her from doing so.

They watched as Orien stepped out of the front passenger seat of the lead car, with his Beta who’d been driving. Watched as Addison had gotten out of the following vehicle, along with the packs Gamma. This surprised Rafe. Usually they always travelled in the same car, both in the backseat, liked being together.

It was likely Luna Addison was very unhappy with her own Mate, possibly pissed off at him. No real surprise there. Luci had been missing for six and a half years. Was the woman’s only daughter, her eldest child at that. Addison, he knew, had doted on Luci, always.

He watched Addison stalk right passed her Mate, Alpha Orien, and didn’t so much as glance at him, or even acknowledge that he was right there. She was definitely not happy with her Mate. Stalked right over to he and Jack. Saw her eyes move passed them was looking for their Mates. Who were still in their fathers’ pack, had yet to return, nearly been a week now.

“Where did you see her? Take me right there now.” Did not even greet them, didn’t care to in all likelihood.

“Addison, let us settle in first.” It was Alpha Orien. “My apologies Alpha Rafe.” He said, indicating a hand towards Addison likely for her attitude.

“I don’t want to settle in.” Addison snapped “You put me off coming here for a whole bloody week.” She shot right at the man. “I want my daughter. She needs me.” Turned and glared right at Orien.

“If she wanted her mother, she would have come home.” Orien shot right back.

Rafe’s hand snapped out and latched on to Addison as she spun on her heel and he felt anger roll right off of her in waves. They were going to get into a physical fight over this. His gut instinct was rarely wrong. His hand was gentle on her arm and before she could say anything, he spoke first “We’ll take you Addi.” He used her shortened name, trying to appeal to her gentler nature. He kept his voice soft and gentle as well, showing her he understood her need as a mother to reach her daughter.

Looked to Jack “I’ll take the Luna, you welcome and settle Orien and his unit.”

Jack nodded in response.

Rafe turned his eyes to Orien, who was now glaring right at him. Rafe knew why. Another Alpha male was touching his Mate, trying to calm her down, something only he should do or their own Gamma. Curiously, that man was still over with the Alpha and not here with his Luna. Something was off.

He saw Thatcher get out of the car and step over next to his father, with a tall blonde girl next to him, likely to be his Mate Cathy. They were both Marked it seemed. “Orien, Thatcher, it’s good to see you.” He stated “Let me ease the Luna’s stress and show her where Luci was last seen.”

“I don’t care what he wants.” Addison’s voice grated out “I want my daughter.” Turned away from her own Mate, who actually looked a bit pained by her words. It was definitely not good between them. Then she turned and put her hands on his chest and shoved him backwards, all her alpha strength used to do so. “Take me now Rafe.”

He sighed internally at her but would not argue with her. He didn’t like being ordered around inside his own pack and wouldn’t normally stand for it. But it was his own fault that her child was missing, so he could not deny her needs or wants in this regard. She was also an Alpha female and could challenge him if she liked. Not that he thought she would, was usually a happy woman.

Turned and walked away from the front of the packhouse, motioned for her to follow him, got to the forest line, and looked down at her “Addi, it might be quicker if we shift and go in wolf form, though it is afternoon. We will have to stick to the forest.”

“Then shift.” She stated flatly and stopped to pull her clothes off, so she to could shift.

Her wolf, Fallon, ripped right out of her, she was a large light tan-coloured wolf with grey eyes, not green or red like a normal wolf would.

He shifted to Solar, who then led Fallon at a good run, stretching out his legs, knew that Fallon could keep up with him. Took her right out of the pack’s territory and around to the north side of the lake where he knew she had fought and killed those two rogue wolves.

Saw her shift back to human form and stare at Solar expectantly, they couldn’t talk to each other via the mind-link, not being from the same pack. He shifted back knowing Orien was not going to be happy about this, neither was Melissa, for that matter. The pair of them out here in the woods alone together and naked. Not that anything would happen, just pure Mate jealousy was all it would be.

“Right here?” she asked him.

“Yes, and the other wolf she took down was over there.” He pointed behind her right shoulder “They both scented of rogue, but did not look like rogues. To well fed and muscled up. We got attacked by Victor Sampson a few days prior to this.” Rafe commented “I believe, as does Jack, that they were both Victor’s men.”

Saw Addison frown right at him “Why would Victor attack you? That would be suicide. Your pack is larger than his.”

“We don’t know.”

“How come you didn’t mention this earlier in the week?”

“Orien was always with you for all calls.” Rafe answered honestly “Information like that.” He shrugged.

Addison huffed and then nodded a moment later “I understand, our pack and Victor’s pack affiliate.” Saw her look about and then stated “You know, we never acknowledged to any of our allies that Lucian disappeared. As far as they are all aware, she is still here a part of your pack.”

“She is, still has the pack scent on her. Jack said.” Rafe nodded. “I also never felt her sever from the pack itself, just can’t reach her.”

“If Luci doesn’t want you to, you won’t be able to. She is a pure-blooded Alpha female Rafe.”

He wanted to ask her more questions. But did not want to do it out here in the open, didn’t want anyone over hearing that conversation. “Jack and I do have some questions, Addi…though in private would be appropriate.”

Addison turned and looked at him, stared at him long and hard “How’d she get away from your men?” was all she stated in the end.

“Smells different now and it was Jack, who she got away from. He didn’t know it was Luci because she smelled different now.”

“The new scent?”

“Freshly fallen rain, is what Jack said, still smells like white tea as well but not Thyme anymore.”

Saw the woman again frown deeply but say nothing at all other than “Where did he track her to? Show me that too.”

“I think she has a Mate now.” Rafe commented “Why she smells different?”

“No, she doesn’t, and she wouldn’t smell different to you, even if she did.” Addison shook her head “Show me.” She prompted.

Rafe frowned at those words ‘No she doesn’t.’ sounded so very certain, like she knew something they did not. It was likely she was the girl’s mother after all. Shifted as she did, and he took her to the edge of the woods, as far as they could go in wolf form in daylight. Couldn’t take her all the way to the water’s edge, being naked, pointed out the place. “There, Kali ran full tilt into the water and we could not replace any tracks that lead out.”

Saw her turn and look right up at him “None at all?”

“No.” Rafe shook his head “There is something else I want to talk to you about. Both Jack and I, in private.”

“Mm…” was all she said as she stood there and looked out over the lake. For a long time she looked at it, allowed her eyes to follow it and appeared to look at the entire thing, well all that could be seen from here. Then she just sighed “I miss my little girl.” Sounded very sad.

“I’m sorry, Addison.”

She nodded without looking at him. “I’m sure you are Rafe.” Sadness etched every word “Let’s go back.” Then she just turned and walked away into the woods. They shifted and headed back to the pack, but at a much slower pace.

Stopped and shifted where they had left their clothes to redress. Addison looked him over while he was getting dressed and Rafe raised an eyebrow at her. “Addison?” he questioned her, for it was not something a Mated female would or should do, actively looking at another male’s naked body.

“You’ve lost more weight and muscle tone, I see.”

“I’m still strong Addi.”

“I know. Has Jack as well?”

“What? Why do you ask?” He was more than a bit confused.

“No reason.” She shrugged as she finished dressing herself. “I’d like to see the actual footage.”

“Of course!” Rafe led the way to his office.

“Where are your Mates?”

“In their home pack. Went home a week ago.” He answered, it was the truth, and she was of no threat to him or his mate.

“What? Why would your Luna leave the Pack? It would weaken you and Jack for that matter.” She was frowning up at him. He’d not seen the woman smile at he or Jack in years, not since Luci had gone missing.

“They do it all the time.” He shrugged “I don’t understand it, every six or eight weeks. For a week most of the time. Sometimes longer.”

Addison was really staring at him now. “That’s like 6 weeks a year away from you and Jack. I presume, being twins, they always go together.”

Rafe nodded “It’s not something Jack and I ever tell other packs.”

“I can see why. It would be the best time to attack you. When they’re not here. Or go and kill them on their journey home or in that tiny pack they came from.”

“Mm…it’s not something Jack and I like.” He admitted, though he had never been able to stop it. No amount of reasoning or arguing had ever stopped them from leaving and going home.

Addison sat down at Jacks’ desk and he played both the camera’s footage for her. Saw her touch the screen, rewind and pause it, watched it many times. Then just sighed heavily “She looks different.”

“Yes.” Rafe nodded. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but she did to him as well.

“Her hair colour is different, it’s much lighter.” Addison told him.

“Could have died it Addi to keep herself under the radar.”

“Not my girl…loved her dark chocolate brown hair. She thought it was her best feature.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Rafe chuckled softly.

Felt Addi hit him in the arm. “Stop that.” She shook her head.

“Her eyes, Addi.” Rafe tapped the screen, frozen on Luci’s lovely face, even though she looked more than annoyed in it. “Never seen anymore prettier than hers.”

“They are beautiful.” Again, she sounded sad.

“Jack and I have a theory, but…”

“I’ll replace you after Orien goes to bed.”

“We’ll be here. Make it easy for you.”

“Good.” Was all she said and then got up and walked out of his office.