The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 62

Jack POV

He walked himself to the cottage with Luci and the boys in it. He was happy to be going to see her, couldn’t stop smiling and he knew it. Knocked on the door and smiled right at Addison as she opened the door to him. He saw her shake her head just a little, likely understood that he was never going to be able to stay away.

“Are Luci and the boys busy, Addi? Can I borrow them for a little while?” He asked. Luci would know it was him, would be able to feel the pack tether right to him, likely had her mother get the door. Couldn’t blame her, so he approached this like he was just visiting, and asked her mother’s permission.

Watched as Addi frowned up at him “Why?”

“Rafe and I have found what we believe is more suitable accommodation for Alari, her needs as a Siren. We’d like to show her and the boys after dinner. I would also like for all of us to have dinner together tonight.” He smiled right at her, he would really love to have dinner as a family with Luci and the boys.

“Jack,” Addi sighed, “I understand you and Rafe want to get to know the boys. But Luci has been here all of a day and a half, she needs a few more days, and after today with Orien.” She shook her head.

“I’m aware she’s had a not so nice meeting, but today I saw the real Luci for the first time. It was nice to see her like that. Rafe and I would like to sit down and offer our apologies. We haven’t done that yet.’ He told her, it was something they needed to do. Didn’t know if they should be doing that with the boys in the room, but getting Luci alone was likely not going to happen for a while, as much as he wanted that. He understood it wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

“Where is Luci?” he asked, realising he couldn’t feel her in the house. Took a deep breath in and couldn’t smell her “Addison?” he questioned instantly.

“She’s fine Jack, Kali has gone for a run.” She told him.

He smiled big now, he could go and join her. Flare was itching to be with Kali, turned to leave, only to have Addison’s hand land right on his arm. “No Jack.” She shook her head at his frown “Please just leave them be.”

“The boys?” he asked, but he could smell them and felt them here in this house, that was curious that she would go off without them.

“They are here with me. She wanted to be on their own. You’ll have to give them that Jack. It’s not just Luci and Kali anymore, but Alari as well. She asked the boys to stay here with me. They wanted a minute to themselves. Not only had to deal with Orien, but this is a big adjustment for them.”

“I know.”

“Do you really? She’s been living alone, Jack, doing as she pleases, all three of them, with no interference or instructions from anyone, being here and taking orders or not being able to be alone when they want to be, always having you or Rafe wanting to be there, might not be as welcoming as you think. I understand your needs, but her needs are very different.”

He sighed, he could understand all that. Also knew Alari was a solo creature, had been born out there all alone, was not used to having pack members around her at all. “Alright,” he nodded. “But dinner, I’ll set it up in the private dining room for seven. I’d really like all of you to come.”

“I will ask her, Jack, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Alright Addison. How are you doing? Your day was not really any better than Luci’s.” He was concerned about her, to see a bond that had been together so long falling apart, was never nice.

“I’m still angry with Orien, just like you are Jack.” She sighed “I don’t know what he’ll do, to be honest.”

“If he truly loves you, Addi, he’ll choose you over Victor.” He stated frankly, “to be honest Addi, he was a fool to have even denied you your right in coming here, to look for Luci.” He shook his own head now “I don’t understand that at all.”

“Neither do I, Jack.” He saw her shake her head, could see the actual sadness in the woman, “We’ve been together 27 years. It’s not long, I suppose, in the wolfen world, but I get the feeling we’re very much over Jack. That he’s not going to come back and if I have to go there, it will only be to state a full rejection.”

“I’m sorry Addi,” and he was. There was no guarantee that either of them would even survive it. They could lose their wolves to it. The Goddess herself may see fit to render them wolf-less or Mate-less for the rest of their lives. No one wanted that. He didn’t want that for her.

“Addi, you are always welcome here within this pack.”

“Thank you, Jack. While you’re here, do you think you have the time to help me with something?”

“Yes, may I come in then?” he did want to go inside and see his boys, but had not intruded at all. This was their home, not his.

Addi stepped back and waved him inside, he walked through the door and smiled right at both his boys, they looked right up at him and smiled “Hi Daddy.” They both said and it warmed his heart so much. He walked over and ruffled both their hair, noted they were watching TV “Hi.” He returned to them, before going back to Addison.

“I should probably send some games over for them to play with or they’re going to end up addicted to that TV.” He chuckled softly.

Addison chuckled to herself, “Probably, they do like it. Never had one of their own, a new novelty for them.”

He sank himself down in the dining nook with Addison. “What can I help you with?”

“Finding my Siren’s pack.”

“Oh…” he had not expected that “You don’t know where it is?” he asked after a moment’s thought.

“Not exactly where. I was a rogue wolf once upon a time, on the move constantly, female and well…” she sighed a little heavily.

“Beautiful.” Jack smiled right at her.

“No, Jack.” She shook her head “alone out there, I rarely stopped moving, only long enough to get a few hours’ rest at a time. Mostly, Fallon was out. We could move quicker that way.”

“Ah, yes. Faster and more agile at getting away from other rogues.” He understood now what she had meant. A lone Alpha female rogue, something that would attract male rogues to her, wanting to mate her. Might even attract wolves from packs to try and capture her and take her for themselves.

“So, other than the state and a rough idea of the area the lake was in,” she sighed and shook her head. “I don’t really know. When I fled the lake, I was in no real state to look at where I was. I don’t even know how Luci wasn’t born when I felt her father sever from me. Most would go into labour or miscarry with the pain of losing one’s Mate.”

“You’re strong and so is Luci. Perhaps your witch’s bloodline helped you to protect the most precious thing you had left.”

“It is possible.” She nodded.

“Why do you want to go there? If you don’t mind my asking,”

“I don’t. There is a ceremonial blade in my Lucian’s pack. A Sirens blade. I’d like to retrieve it, for Luci. It’s her birthright. But I don’t know which lake, what humans call it or exactly where. I’d like to use your computer to search for it. I don’t want to do that in your pack library, with others watching me.” She sighed, “I never looked for it while in Nightfall, had to just leave that part of my life in the dark, to protect Luci and what she was, what she could have been. I think now is the time to replace my home.”

“You still love him.” Jack smiled at her.

“Yes!” she stated simply “I never stopped. I loved Orien too, there was room for both in my heart, I guess.”

“It’s nice to know one can love two at the same time.” He nodded, knew it was what Luci had done with both of them, never voiced it though, but it had been ruined now.

“It’s common, Jack. Most second chance Mates have this. Room for both in their hearts.”

“A second chance.” He mused, “wouldn’t that be nice?” Then he sighed, he was going to need that with Luci. Had already realised he loved her. Flare loved Kali, but without proof of what his Mate had done to him.

It would just appear he’d left his Goddess Gifted Mate, for a chosen Mate, after he’d abandoned her in the first place for his Goddess Gifted. He would seem fickle and selfish, he didn’t want that to be how he was seen. Not when he didn’t believe that was what it was.

He also didn’t want Luci to see it that way either, he wanted her to know the truth of the entire situation. Sit her down and explain it to her, when he actually understood it all himself. So that she could see they had never meant to hurt her, that he had always loved her and that something had been done to him and to Rafe to stop that.

That it was Maria and Melissa who had done this to them, split them up and caused this horrid mess that was only now just unfolding. Wanted to be able to tell her he loved her still, that he wanted her to be his Mate. That she would feel, as he wanted her to, that she should always have been here with them. That he would never have left her.

He realised his mind had wondered when Addison touched his arm and raised an eyebrow at him, “My apologies, my mind wondered.”

“I noticed.” She nodded “You can’t have her Jack. You have a Mate, I can guarantee you, that Luci is not about to become your mistress, or concubine once more.”

“I understand that.” He nodded and he would never ask her to be either of those. “I also wouldn’t do that to her, Kali or Alari, for that matter. I respect them all too much, Addison.” He told her and meant it.

“You’re dreaming of it though, I can tell.”

“I am not dreaming of Luci being my mistress or concubine Addi. I promise you that, I nor Rafe, for that matter, would ever do that to her.” he assured her. “Now as for the use of my office. I don’t see a problem with it, though I think you should let Luci research with you. I’m sure she would like to see a picture of her father’s lake.” He smiled.

“It’ll not just be a picture Jack, I will need Alari to go and get it, that blade will be within the lake itself.”

“No.” Jack nearly snapped at her, “Are you crazy? Victor could be watching, waiting for her to leave this pack.”

“Calm yourself Jack. I do understand your concerns, but you will have no say in the matter. If she wants to go, to do that. There will be no stopping her, you know this.”

“It’s not safe for her out there, Addison.” He stated flatly as he tried to rein in not just his annoyance but his fear of losing her once more.

“Victor does not know anything about my previous life. No one knows anything about my life before Orien, not even my original home-pack. I have never, not once ever spoken of anything of my past prior to meeting Orien. Not even Orien himself knows where I originate from. I never mentioned Lucian until the day I told you and Rafe. So it will all be fine.”

Jack frowned, this woman had many secrets and knew how to keep them at that, but if this was the case, then perhaps he shouldn’t worry so much. She was also not wrong. There would be no stopping Luci or Alari from going to her father’s pack. “Alright, what about warriors to go with you, to keep you safe, if you can replace it? Then, Luci, to follow you once you’ve confirmed it is the right place, Rafe or I could go with her with more warriors, to keep her safe.”

“You worry too much, Jack.”

“Yes, I worry, of course I would she’s my…” he snapped his mouth shut and stopped himself before he stated the word ‘Mate’. Got a full arched eyebrow from Addison now, as she stared right at him, she’d likely not missed it. She was not a dumb woman and a Luna ranked wolf. Also knew how he’d felt about Luci back then, it likely still showed.

“Perhaps a proper discussion, when you replace the lake.” He stated, ignoring that questioning look altogether.

“Fair enough.” She nodded.

“Why do you need the Siren Blade?” he asked curiously, something like that was used for Alpha’s to initiate pack members.

“It’s her birthright,” Addison stated simply with a nonchalant shrug. Was trying to appear indifferent about it, he thought. But he didn’t believe that. She had a reason. “Luci should have something of her fathers. Her real father that is. I also think Alari would love to swim in her father’s pack waters. Technically, it’s still hers. I never went rogue, just ran when told to. I’m technically still the Luna of the Lake, so Alari would be the Alpha to it. It is her birthright.”

“I don’t want to lose her to that lake, Addison.” Jack sighed, knowing they could lose Alari to that lake. Alari was not attached to this pack, to him or Rafe. If she went there and felt a real strong connection to her own kind, she may never return at all. He didn’t want that “Were there any survivors, Addison?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She looked quite sad to him, as she thought about it. “likely if there were, when Orien claimed me, I would have been severed from them, and they would have thought I died.”

“So there could be? If that’s the case, then you don’t need Alari at all.”

“It is possible.” She nodded.

“Let’s hope some survived.” He told her.

Knew it was very selfish of him, but he didn’t want to lose Luci, didn’t want her leaving this pack, didn’t want Alari replaceing other Sirens she would be attached to. Sirens loved Sirens from all he’d read. They were closely bonded to their families, the social groups they lived in. If there were any survivors, they would know Alari was Lucian’s child, they were her family, her Siren family. They would know that Lucian had told Addison to run and flee to save their daughter. Would likely understand that now she was bringing her home to them, understand if there were any left and no new ruler had taken over. Addison would still be their Luna. She was right on that, they would all recognise her as such.

See her as the woman that had fled and protected the Heir to their Pack, could well all be there just waiting for the Luna’s return, with their future Heir, when it was deemed safe to do so.

Alari would feel connected to them and they to her. The moment they all met, it would be like a feeling of coming home for the first time. They would likely want her to stay with them, be a part of that pack. Be the Alpha Siren, as was her birthright. He would lose her to them. They were her b***d, her kin.

Not only would he lose her, but he would also lose both his boys as well. They were as closely bonded to Alari as any Siren was to another Siren and he knew it. Saw it in the way they always went to Alari, without hesitation regardless of the situation. She called them and they went. Their Siren genes were as strong as if they were Siren’s themselves. Called their beasts Siren Wolves.