The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 68

Luci POV

They walked on in silence for many more minutes before both Rafe and Jack announced “Here we are.” And stopped walking at the end of a driveway.

Luci couldn’t see the house from here, just a nicely graded dirt driveway with dense forest on either side, it looked to be a very well maintained driveway, and there was a small sign on this road that stated “Forest Creek House.” It was definitely out here in the depths of the forest a good half an hour from the centre of the pack. Well away from the packhouse too, so that was nice. Good for her and Kali, perhaps this could work. She might never have to see them with their Mates, that would suit both her and Kali.

“It’s open.” Jack told the boys “Run on ahead and go explore the house.” He smiled right down at them.

They were gone in a flash, using their wolfen speed and even Luci had to smile, she’d not seen them do that yet. This was the first time and she could see they were fast. Those two really did like it here, and loved being out in the woods. Had run off with both Solar and Flare last night itching to go running in wolfen form, hadn’t come back for two hours, they’d been all tired and tuckered out, barely stayed awake for their bath. They’d had a fun time chasing their fathers’ wolves around, it seemed. Had enjoyed being chased by them, wanted, she had heard, to grow up and be big like Solar and Flare, they’d even used their fathers’ wolves names.

They really did love it here inside the pack, loved having their fathers around. Didn’t yet understand, she thought, that they actually belonged inside the packhouse itself. Were the actual Heirs to the pack, and she wasn’t about to go and tell them either. There was no need as far as she was concerned. They were happy and that was all that mattered. They were also not used to living with others or in such a large place, so a house with just her and her mother, their Grammy, was completely normal for them.

Had never lived with their fathers, so she didn’t think, seem bothered at all, that even here inside the pack, they were not living with them now and were not going to be either. Luci wondered just when they would start asking all those questions? When it would become apparent and obvious to them that they were supposed be? That they were separated from what was their right.

Would they at some point want to be inside the packhouse? as was their right to be. ‘No’ both Kali and Alari told her in unison.

‘with us always.’ Alari told her, matter of factly. There would be no arguing about it.

Luci let it go as the house came into view down the driveway she was now walking. It was nothing like what she was expecting. She had been expecting some sort of cabin in the woods. This place was huge, it had a massive curved roof that not only roofed the house but covered the duel parking space as well. A set of grand double doors to enter the house, made of glass with wrought iron leaves in arching branches across them, much like the grand staircases inside the packhouse itself, it was beautiful. There were half a dozen sandstone steps that led down to the front entrance. This place looked like a mansion under an archway, she thought to herself. She even liked the red of the roof, quite artistic she’d thought as she looked at it.

All the windows that she could see were darkly tinted, for privacy, she thought absently, though the overhang of that arch was deep and darkened the front of the house. There were many down lights along the roof to lighten the houses appearance, and there were lovely knee-high lights all along the stairs and the paved sandstone path that led around the house and disappeared off down the sides.

The twins had pushed open one of the big doors and were already inside. She could hear them running about in there. Luci followed her mother inside the house, as her Alpha and Beta stood outside to let them pass through first. The boys were already off up the stairs to the split-level home. She could hear them talking excitedly and climbing on everything already.

Luci walked in and heard even her own mother gasp at the sheer opulence of the place. As her own eyes moved about this floor, she could see it was a mansion indeed, it had all the luxury of the packhouse, of the Alpha Suite almost. She turned and looked at both of them with a curiously raised eyebrow.

They both just smiled at her, she moved her eyes away from that sight, didn’t need to see them looking at her like that. They looked very happy and pleased with themselves, like they used to look at her sometimes. She walked about and looked at the things. “Why?” was the only question she asked. Knew they would understand her.

“Because, Luci, this is what you are entitled to. You should be on the Alpha floor in a fully kitted out luxury Alpha Suite, but…We understand why you don’t want to be there.” Rafe told her.

She watched the boys come down the five stairs and run all over the place down here, and then they were gone out the back door, to investigate the outside.

“Luci, we would like to apologise to you for the way things happened. It should never have been like that.” Jack told her. She could even hear sadness in his voice.

“We are very sorry, Luci.” Rafe sighed heavily.

“Does that ease your guilt?” she asked.

“Luci!” her mother exclaimed, shocked it seemed by her response to their apology.

She turned and looked right at her “What?” she asked simply.

This place to her felt like they were guilty and were trying to give her something of monetary value. It was actually what Orien did when she was a teenager, by her things to apologise for hurting her. And right this minute this house, it actually felt like they were doing the same to her as Orien once had.

Why her mother was shocked by her response, surprised her, she was not known for her tactfulness. If she was going to be here, in this pack. She was going to at least try and be who she had once been, had realised herself she was quiet and more than reserved around them. Kind of become submissive and that was not her, she’d never been like that, she needed to pull herself together and get back to being normal.

It was going to take some time, she knew, to be able to be herself, direct and upfront around them, but that was because it still hurt to be around them. She was still trying to deal with just having to look at them, or see them smiling at her, was uncomfortable with that still, might never be, with how it created pain in her chest. Those smiles made her recall how they had once been with her, something she could never have again. Even just holding a conversation with them was hard for her. Or being near them, her mother knew why.

“It’s rude.”

“Tough.” She shrugged, looked right at Rafe and then Jack and stated, “I knew it would happen one day.” Kept her tone flat and devoid of all emotion, then just walked away from them. She ignored the well of pain inside her that was now rippling through her entire body. They had never truly been hers, she’d just been young and completely stupid had gotten caught up in a single moment and now suffered the consequences of her own actions.

She saw the boys looking at her, waved them off, “It will happen a lot.” She told them simply as she stepped out the back door “Best for you two to just ignore it.” It’s what she was trying to do.

It was just much harder to do with both her Alpha and Beta standing right there so very close to her. Outside was a covered area with a large spa and an inbuilt firepit. She walked down the sandstone stairs out the back of the house, all the way down to the creek that was behind the house and looked at it.

It was about 2 and a half meters wide and she felt Alari push forward and stare right at it. Huffed it was not to her liking. She knelt down and touched it, felt for the current for that connection to her lake, it was there, it seemed, and that made her a little happier. though not by much.

Alari turned and looked at the boys. “Stay here with Grammy.” She told them and they nodded, then she just stepped into the creek as she peeled off their clothing.

“Luci wait.” She heard both Rafe and Jack call out to her. Little did they know, Alari would not heed their objections. Shifted to her Siren form and was gone under the water, she was in no rush as she swam along the creek bed, just checking it out.

Looking to see how long it took to get from the lake to that house. Trying to decide if it was suitable, Luci supposed, felt her dive deep down inside the lake when they reached it, just swam along the bottom. Alari was happy here, the lake being her home. She didn’t care that it was mid-morning and she could sense there were humans up on the lake surface, she was swimming down in the very depths. No one would see her.

She was just doing what she always did, enjoying the feeling of being in the water. Only this time there was no concern for their boys at all. For the first time ever since the twins were born, she was free to swim in a carefree manner. They all knew the twins were safe inside the pack, with their Grammy and their fathers. All three of them would be a force to be reckoned with, not to mention the boys were two perfect and deadly weapons as well.

Alari knew every inch of this lake, there was no fear in swimming here, she was the apex predator of this lake. Enjoyed being the Alpha out here, though out here there was also no one to order around. She was a lone Alpha Siren with no pack. Felt a wave of sadness roll off of Alari because there was none of kind to mingle with. Something that she did want for herself. Perhaps one day they might come across another Siren or a few others.