The Alpha & Beta's Regret
The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 89

Rafe pov

Rafe heard the helicopter before he saw it, shook his head and chuckled softly at Jack and Ian when he did lay eyes on it. “Trust those two to get something that big and imposing.” Both Jack and Ian laughed as well.

He looked over to Hannah and her sisters Aaliyah and Giannah. Those three witches were dressed differently for the first time ever since arriving inside their pack 10 years ago. Though the style of the dress was exactly the same, today they wore a deep midnight blue dress instead of pale blue. It was trimmed with a two-inch-wide silver band, it was obviously their formal coven clothing. Their backs were bare as normal and they still wore their hoods, though today they were pushed back to reveal their faces completely, and their feet were bare.

There down along each sleeve of their dress was the same phases of the moon that ran down their bare backs. Something else was going on here today. Something of importance to them. This was the very first time in 10 years that he’d seen them actively present themselves like this to anyone. It was curious to him, they knew West and Terence.

A part of him also wondered if Allen had seen them dress like this, this morning, smiled to himself at the thought of it. Allen would likely have ripped their clothes off, they looked beautiful today even he noticed the difference in them. So probably not. They had been mated for 10 years and he still lusted after his Mates. Them dressed like this would only increase that. He knew Allen was still with Addison.

He, himself, had not heard a single word from his own so-called Mate, all night long. Likely understood that with Jack’s accusing her of what she’d done to him, and that with Jack not under their full control as he likely would normally have been. That Jack would be telling him all that had gone on.

Melissa knew that he would believe Jack, he and Jack were more closely bonded than he and her, and him suddenly not remembering things would only confirm it in his mind. She was screwed and she knew it. Unless she had plans to dose him again every time she saw him.

Jack had also not been wrong, seeing Luci this morning and she was very different from when she’d lived here. Had clearly changed with the birth of her Siren. He’d not been able to stop looking at her. Taking her all in, still so very beautiful, Jack had mind-linked him to remind him not to stare and he’d had to check himself.

Luci was, as Jack had told him, disconnected from them, or uncomfortable. Very dismissive and it actually caused him physical pain to see her just turn and walk away from him like that, call out to the boys, like she didn’t care to see them.

‘She hates us.’ He’d mind-linked to Jack.

‘No.’ Jack had stated right back ‘Looking at us causes her pain still.’

Then the boys had been right there smiling up at them and it wasn’t just him but Solar that was flooded with the memories of all of them, all that had happened over the past few days. He’d hunkered down and just hugged his boys “I missed you.” he told them softly, loved that they had just hugged him back. Had a good bond with them already.

Those two she-wolves were going to pay for taking Luci away from them. They were going to pay for taking his memories of her and the boys away from him. The moment he understood what the hell was going on, he was unleashing Solar on that she-wolve that claimed to be his Goddess Gifted Mate.

“How do you like the house?” he’d asked them and then laughed as both boys had launched into telling them all excitedly about not only having their own rooms, not that they slept in there, had slept in a big sleep pile in their mamma’s bed with their grammy too. Then they went on about TV and how big it was that they loved having the forest all around them.

They were so very lively, he loved just watching them, listening to them, seeing them smile and laugh. Liked that they were so very animated and didn’t mind being held when both he and Jack picked them up. They were their sons to the woman he now knew he truly loved.

Had been robbed of that feeling, had his knowledge of Luci ripped from his memories and she’d suffered the most from it. Their lack of memories allowed for them at the time to feel nothing about the loss of her, while she’d suffered completely heartbroken. Now likely thought that they were callous and uncaring, when that was not the truth.

Listening to her monosyllable answers and the way she didn’t seem to have any emotions, not even when stating Alari would kill the Luna, said it all. She had closed herself off to them completely and yes, she was more than uncomfortable around them. Had a right to be even.

But being that close to her, Jack was right. It helped to rid him of whatever Melissa and Maria had done to them, long ago. To him once more last night. It pained him to see her like this. He didn’t like it at all. She had once been just like the boys, so very lively.

Rafe felt Jacks hand on him, could feel he was unhappy and upset with how Luci was now, ‘It’ll be alright.’ His voice came down through the mind-link as they watched from the edge of the training ground as Terence landed that helicopter and shut it down. It was good to see them, though it was a complete surprise to him when West got out and opened the back door, held his hand out and brought his Luna Jo-anne down to the ground. He looked for Luna Ella, but she was not with them, just Jo-Anne it seemed.

He smiled in greeting but watched as his three witches stepped forward and right up to the Luna. She had never been here before, stayed home usually when West and Terence visited. She preferred to stay in her pack is all he knew.

They’d met Jo-Anne inside the Eclipsed Moon Pack several times, though the last time she’d been with pup. He knew they had two children now, not with them either, he noted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.” All three of his witches greeted her directly, and now he was not the only one watching them, so were both West and Terence.

He watched on as Luna Jo-Anne tilted her head slightly and then just reached out and touched the sleeve of Hannah’s dress “Unusual markings.” She stated.

“Belongs to our coven leader. She bares the mark as we do.” Then all three of them turned around and showed their backs to her.

He saw not only Jo-Anne frown but both West and Terence as well, “Turn around.” He heard her state.

All three of them, to his complete surprise, obeyed her, then shocked him by dropping right down on to their knees and bowed low before her, touching their heads to the ground. “We will serve you, your highness.”

He saw Jo-Anne’s eyes shoot right to his and she hurriedly muttered “Get up.” He raised an eyebrow at her only. Something else was definitely going on here, there was no doubt about it.

‘Your highness?’ both Jack and Ian shot down the mind-link at him.

‘Interesting it is.’ Was his only reply.

Then got to watch as Hannah and her sisters not only stood, but stepped right behind her, as though they were in service to her.

“Interesting.” He commented out loud to the three of them.

Though he could also see that it more than shocked his three guests as well, but that frown on Luna Jo-Anne’s face, denoted that she seemed to understand just what was going on. He understood she was a healer, had been blessed by their Goddess with healing abilities. That was why she stayed inside the pack, mostly, for protection from anyone wanting to kidnap her. Now he wondered if that was actually the real reason. Right this minute, it felt like there was more to it.

“Alpha West, Luna Jo-Anne and Alpha Terence, Welcome to the Black Forest Pack, and thank you for coming.”

“Yes, thank you for blessing us with your presence, your highness.” All three of his witches started directly after him.

“Enough of that,” Jo-Anne stated.

“Of course, your highness.” They bowed right to her and he watched with a bit of a smile as she frowned deeper, it seemed that wasn’t going to happen.

“A little turbulent inside your pack.” Alpha West walked over and extended his hand, seems that he had decided those witches were of no threat to his Luna. Likely to defend her better than anyone could, West and Terence knew what those three could do.

“Mm, it has been more so that you could know.” He shook the man’s hand.

“You had an explosion within your forest.” Terence commented, “We saw it from the air. Part of your forest seemed…”

“Yes,” Jack told him, “Young Luci, seems to have some witchcraft ability. Hannah was helping her and…”

“She was distracted.” Hannah stated and looked right at Rafe, pointedly so, and only then did he get the meaning. That explosion had come right when he’d mind-linked to her, to apologise to her. He said nothing though, but was glad to recall that moment.

“Come, let’s get you all settled in.” he stated “Your luggage.”

“Already in their suites, Alpha,” Hannah informed him.

“That’s handy,” West smiled.

“Yes, they are very useful at times.” Rafe nodded, though they’d never done that before, he understood what was going on. Jo-Anne it appeared, was their coven leader. That was interesting indeed. He would leave it alone. He knew the woman she was of no threat to anyone, as far as he knew. Kind all the time from what he’d seen. “How are the children?” he asked as they headed to the packhouse.

“Growing fast.” West answered him “Little Jacob is now 3 and terrorising the triplets, chases them all over the place.”

“They love it, and its good for the girls.” Terence chuckled “They can out run your boy still.” He smirked at West.

“For now.” West smiled right back “Wait till he grows up. And our daughter is as beautiful as her mother. Is perfect.”

“Will be a handful.” He heard Jo-Anne state sounded somewhat amused “little Anna is more like me than you, West. Unlike Jacob.”

“What happened there?” Terence caught his attention and pointed to the still smouldering house.

“The Luna set it on fire last night.” He muttered and all foot fall stopped.

“Why?” both West and Terence asked, sounding more than shocked.

“She thought Luci was in there, on that note. Jack and I have not informed them about the twins yet, we would like that kept under wraps for the moment.”

“Probably wise.” West commented “Why she is not with you, right this minute?”

“Yes and not going to be for a while.” Rafe stated flatly, forever as far as he was concerned.

“Cryptic as your witch’s, I see.” Terence snorted.

They all headed inside. “Bradley and Cooper not here yet?” West asked.

“No,” Rafe looked at the time and frowned, “Should be, must have been held up, are driving not flying in like you.”

He saw both West and Terence smile, “You like it? It’s an AW139, seats 15 in the back.” Terence grinned right at him.

“Got six more on order, they will be good for allied assistance, currently clearing ground for the landing pads to go in.”

“It would be good, West, if you didn’t take Jacob up in it so much.”

He heard West laugh “Why? He loves it.”

“Hmm, is becoming as obsessed, like you and T.J. and the triplets.” She shook her head.

“That’s a good thing, Jo-Anne. They will be all over the running of the airline when they all grow up.” He smiled right at her.

Rafe had never seen the man smile so much as he did nowadays. Not in all the years he’d known him, he had been a miserable grump of a man, or as Luci put it, surly, he was always smiling at Jo-Anne. He loved just looking at her from a distance even.

“How is Luna Ella? She didn’t want to come?” he enquired.

“Can’t fly” Terence smiled, “is with pup.”

“Again?” Jack snorted “Is she ever not pregnant?”

Terence really laughed now. “That is all her doing. Can’t keep her hands to herself.” he shrugged, “Goes into heat twice a year and what can I say?”

“A whole litter, it will be soon.” Jo-Anne chuckled herself “Ella is happy, that is all that matters.”

“A son or daughter?” Rafe asked.

‘Sons.”

“Sons?” both he and Jack questioned at the same time.

“Yes, twins.” Terence nodded. “Three lovely daughters and now three sons. My mother is over the moon.”