The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 79

Rafe POV

Rafe sighed and put his hand on Jack’s shoulder as he heard Titan state ‘I don’t want his baby.’ That he believed it was Maria who’d said it. Now they both knew that there was nothing wrong with Jack or Flare.

Jack looked right at him, and sighed, mind-linked right to him, ‘I sent Titan because I thought Maria was hiding being on birth control, and that’s why there was never a pup. This also explains why she would never let our pack doctor check her over.” Saw him stare across the room. It was now confirmed that what he’d suspected all along, was true. It was exactly why Maria would never let their doctor so much as run b***d tests on her. Wolfen birth control would be detected. And her constant nagging about not getting pregnant would no longer work. Likely also to start one hell of a fight about it, Rafe thought.

‘Guess I was right. It’s likely Rafe,’ Jack looked right at him ‘Melissa is doing the very same thing to you.’

He could only agree on that part. ‘It still doesn’t make any sense, why though? They could just tell us they don’t want pups yet, birth control would be fine with both of us, we live very long lives.’

Jack nodded ‘Because Rafe…’ he sighed down the mind-link ‘There is still more going on here. Titan has only touched the surface, I’m guessing.’

He sat there and listened along with Jack to the rest of Titan’s tale, missing memories, implanted memories and he felt like his own mind was fractured and he couldn’t keep things right inside it. This was not good.

Though Melissa ordering him not to say anything about what happened between him and Maria, the way she’d been all over Titan, it would have been the easiest way to deal with the man. Call him a traitor. But he was guessing that without them actually feeling those pains of betrayal.

How could she claim that? Not even Maria could state it happened. Jack didn’t feel it and if something like that did happen to their actual Mate, they would feel it. Once Addison sent Titan on home to Andy, he reached out and turned Jack’s head, moved his collar and looked at the man’s Mark.

“What?” Jack asked.

“Just looking at it. Do you think it’s real or faked?”

“What? I don’t know.” Saw Jack reach up and touch it, “What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know, it occurred to me if you didn’t feel Maria all over Titan, which we know you didn’t. Even a chosen mate would feel the pain of betrayal. A Mark is a Mark.” He was frowning now.

“It’s always been there, Rafe. Never gone away.”

“Neither has mine.” He nodded “I might need more time on that one. Just food for thought, I guess. Lets go down and talk to Addi.”

They found Addi still in their office. He didn’t really expect her to leave it. Not when she was scenting of Rogue, it could well set off the other warriors throughout the pack, send them into protection mode.

He closed the door behind Jack and looked right at her. “Sorry Addi.” He knew it hurt her to be severed from one’s pack and she’d had that happen twice today.”

“Why? It sounds as though you need my help right now…your Mates? I was right about them, they are denying you on purpose.”

“Why though?” Rafe huffed. He didn’t understand the logic of what they were doing.

“It could be for many reasons. Though getting to the truth.” She shook her head, “You might need your witches, or a seer.”

“I dare say so, if we are to help Titan come back to normal.” Jack nodded as he sat across from her. “Thank you Addi.”

She just nodded as Rafe walked to get the ceremonial blade and reinitiate her back into the pack. Was more than surprised to hear Addi state she’d volunteer to do it again, be severed once more if needed, for further questioning of Titan or any others they thought were under the same constraints.

But then she herself sighed “I also may need your help, or…Nightfall might.”

His eyes moved to Jack, could feel that man’s anger rise up a notch instantly, “Jack settle, hear Addi out first, she just helped us more than anyone could.”

“I’m not helping Orien, he’s still affiliated with Victor.”

“He is.” Addi nodded “But I got a concerned call from Tracey, Milton’s Mate. Something is wrong, seriously wrong. Orien has not called, Thatcher stated nothing is wrong, then told me he loved me. To look after Luci and the boys. Yet Tracey told me that yesterday Orien ordered all the children gone from the pack, they are prepping for a war with Victor himself.”

“Why? if their alliance is not severed. And why wouldn’t they tell you that?”

“That is the very question I have been asking myself. There is only one reason I can come up with…the answer being, I’d go home to help defend the pack, am not only the Luna. Or was until today. But I am also a pure-blooded Alpha, deadly in combat. I don’t stay in the packhouse, leave Tracey and my girls in charge of that, go out and fight.”

The room was silent for a moment. “Orien texted me. I ignored his call after I severed, but read the message. Asked me to please wait, he’d fix it, to just wait for him. stated once again it’s complicated.”

“It’s not.” Jack interrupted her.

“What if it actually is?” Addison sighed heavily “We’re allied to Victor, always have been, before I was even there. He is a savage, we’ve all seen it. For the most part, Nightfall stays out of everything he’s gone off and done, attacking others for whatever reason suits him…But what if Nightfall severs ties with him and we become the enemy. He’s completely vicious, could just go and s*******r Nightfall. I wouldn’t put it past him. Orien would certainly know more about Victor and his tactics. He could well know that severing ties with him, will bring the Bloodless Moon down on Nightfall. I’m not there, Orien, Milton, Chad and Thatcher were all here as well.”

“The pack was defenceless and Victor would know it, could go and s*******r it easily.” Rafe sighed heavily now. As he understood what she was stating.

“It’s only two hours from Nightfall to the Bloodless Moon, he could go and s*******r everyone, before Orien even had a chance to get back there.” She nodded.

“Complicated.” Rafe huffed.

“Then why didn’t he just state that?” Jack muttered.

“He might not be allowed to. I was not there for their alliance agreement and signing. What it actually stipulates he is or is not allowed to divulge. You both know Orien, he takes those alliance agreements very seriously. He never speaks of allied packs to other packs he knows are not affiliated themselves.

Rafe did know that, as did Jack. The man knew how to say nothing and state ‘I’m sorry you’re not allied to them.’ It was actually the only time he ever heard the man apologise for anything at all.

“So, you’re thinking?” he asked, knew this was leading to something.

“Victor is a savage brute, I don’t know what he’ll do.” She shook her head.

“It’s an ultimatum, Addi,” Jack stated.

Rafe watched him prowl around the room. He was thinking it through “Perhaps Orien has spoken to Victor, as he said he would, and Victor threatened war if Orien severed ties.”

“It is my thought…But what would he gain from it?” Addi frowned. “Luci is not there, she is what he wants.”

“Unknown…” Rafe agreed with her, but he was now also thinking about this. Orien had only voiced it was complicated, likely it was for him. “Maybe he told Orien, Luci or the Pack, you said he’s prepping for war, if Orien can’t hand him over Luci.”

“No.” she shook her head “I would kill him myself, Orien is not that stupid, that is not it. He’d never dare kidnap my daughter and slave her off to Victor. He might have wanted to Mate her off to that man, but he would never dare to e*****e her to him. Orien would know I would kill him. Nothing would save him from my wrath.”

“Luci would also kill him herself.” Jack stated plainly.

Addison nodded “Yes. She would.”

Rafe didn’t disagree. She had threatened to pop that man’s brain inside his own head, wondered if she could do that for real. Then thought about those dead and dying on the battlefield that day. Yes, she could. He realised anyone and everyone that got in her way, didn’t even have to be near them or touch them. Hell, you wouldn’t even know it was happening until it was too late, he realised.

“Then what?” Rafe asked, pushing that very uncomfortable thought aside. He was not a savage himself, didn’t play dirty, so he found it a bit hard to get inside Victor’s head.

“Perhaps.” Jack stopped pacing. “It’s you Addi, Orien and Thatcher have not told you anything’s wrong, right?”

“Correct.” She nodded “Not even when I severed from Nightfall. Thatcher told me to stay here.”

“Perhaps Victor, knows you’re still here, you’d have to go right passed his pack to get to Nightfall, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I see it.” Rafe nodded now “They don’t want Victor snatching you on your way back to Nightfall.”

“What would that achieve?” Addison frowned.

“Luci, is what it would achieve,” Rafe stated.

“Yes,” Jack agreed with him “She would come for you, without a second thought Addi, walk herself right into Victors pack, of her own free will.”

“She’d kill him.”

“He understands sirens Addi. He might have a way to bring Alari down, under control even. Use you to keep her under control maybe.”

She frowned even deeper now. “He is a particular kind of intelligent, never does do anything without preparation…” Saw her smile now. “He didn’t know, the Siren in the lake was Luci. He took her after we were at the lake.” She nodded “He saw us all there, hazarded a guess and got it right.”

“Also didn’t know about the boys.”

“He did not. He got too excited about the Siren he wanted, also being Luci, something he has wanted for years, wanted so much that he got sloppy and rushed things. Didn’t stop and surveal her.” she snorted “He was worried we’d get to her first.”

“It’s not.” Jock interrupted her.

“Botched it, in other words.”

“Alright!” Jack nodded “Addi, no matter what happens you can not go back to Nightfall. Victor, sure as hell is waiting on that to happen.”

“Nightfall is in danger.”

“Only if Orien severs ties.” Rafe stated, “I don’t like that he’s still allied to Victor, but I can now see the bigger picture.”

“Call Orien Addi. Talk to him, let him know what you think is going on.” Jack sighed “Have Orien confirm it. If it’s true,…I suggest you let him tell Victor that he chose him and the Bloodless Moon, to save his entire pack.”

“Victor won’t buy it, unless we actually reject each other. And if Orien is doing this to protect not just the pack, but also keep myself and Luci out of Victor’s hands. How can I reject my Mate? He does it because he loves me, is actually showing loyalty to my daughter in some weird, dumbass of a way.”

Rafe sighed and looked right at her, she actually looked like she was going to cry with relief. They’d never really seen Orien show any loyalty to Luci. This would be a first and if this was the case, he could actually see just how much it meant to Addi, right this very minute.

“It is a tough call, Addison. One that only you and Orien can make for yourselves. For Nightfall. For Luci even. We can’t tell you what to do.”

“If he attacks, it’ll be a full slaughter.”

Rafe sighed, for yes it would be “How much of the pack is gone?”

“At least half, all the children, so their mothers as well.”

“You are also severed from the pack now.”

“Yes.” She sighed “I did that for the wrong reason now, I guess.”

“No.” He watched Jack walk over to her. “It’s not, it’s a good thing Addi. Victor has pack members of his own in Nightfall, Yes. Mated off to your wolves?”

“Yes, quite a few she-wolves, even a couple of male wolves came to our pack for their Mate’s.”

“They’re likely still loyal to Victor, he’s probably got them in your pack to spy for him.” Jack nodded. “So the minute you severed yourself from Nightfall, it would have been reported back to Victor. He already knows by now you’re not only not there, you and Orien are done. Or he now thinks you are. That’s a good thing, tell Orien to stay allied with Victor. It’ll save Nightfall or should do. You and Orien…Well, that part’ll have to be dealt with later, I guess.”

“He’s not going to give up.”

“No, he’s not Addi.” Rafe nodded “But his focus will be on us here now. Not on Nightfall, we’ve got allied coming tomorrow for discussions on allied assistance. It’ll take a while for Victor to plan another attack. Find that way to beat us and get around Alari. The boys even.” He scrubbed a hand over his own face now at both their horrified expressions. “It’s unavoidable,” he sighed “The twins will shift and attack if Alari does. They are pure Siren Hybrids. Follow Alari without question. She’s their mother and their Alpha.”

“Sweet Goddess.” He heard Jack curse “Six and deadly…Your right, they’ll fight. It’ll be pure Siren instinct to defend what is theirs. We’ve already seen it. I don’t want that.” Watched Jack shake his head, could hear and see the concern.

“No one does.” Addi huffed herself now “Sirens, even the children, they fight to protect their own, they don’t run and hide, are deadly even as children and are born with that knowledge, the moment they can use their call. They’re old enough to fight.”

“Alright.” Rafe nodded “Just one more problem we have to solve, firstly though, Victor.”

“He’ll be researching Siren half breeds, won’t know her true nature yet. Then he’ll be looking for a way to see into your pack.” Addison nodded, “replace someone to bribe or blackmail into giving him the layout of the defences. Find out where in the pack Luci and the boys are. He’ll want to target that area specifically. Or draw you away from where she is to sneak in and grab her.”

“No need for that last part, our layout. He’s already got that, or most of it. Has been we believe, attacking this pack for the past six years, on and off. Breached us once, even got into the packhouse, searched the entire place. Looking for Luci, we now believe,” Rafe told her.

He heard Jack snort “She was already gone by then, but he didn’t know that, of course, so at least we know he’s not got anyone inside this pack to relay him information.”

“Okay.” Addi nodded “Then he’ll be looking for a way to outwit or out muscle Luci and the twins. That will take him a while. I’ll call Orien after Luci turns in for the night. I don’t want her hearing any of this. She might want to take matters into her own hands. Alari will just go after him, already wants to, for the injury to her boy.”

“Alright.” Both he and Jack stated together “Let us know Addi, what is going on, keep us in the loop please.”

“Daily updates after breakfast do you?” she stated, just like an Alpha, already had a plan he supposed.

“Yes.” Rafe nodded “Jack, take Addi home please.”