The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 101

Jo-anne POV

She stalked away from Luci’s house, to go off and hunt those witches down. What she had just seen inside that house and what she now thought was going on here inside this pack did not impress her at all.

Those three had pledged their loyalty to Alpha Rafe and she could smell the pack’s scent on them as well, so how was it that they did not do anything to protect their own Alpha and his Beta for that matter?

She’d heard why they were here, to help protect Luci and her children. The Alpha and Beta’s children at that. Surely those witches knew about those boys as well. Something was definitely off inside this pack, and to not protect your own Alpha, when you certainly could, and she knew that they could. It was wrong.

What the hell did their loyalty pledge mean to them? Nothing at all, if they had done nothing to stop harm coming to those they were supposed to be loyal to. This was looking to be the case to her. She understood that they were witches and not wolfen, but also understood that they were not simple witches or powerless either.

They had known she was coming here today, so she knew that they saw things, much like Belinda did, she guessed. Were likely powerful seers as well. Jo-anne could not see into the future of anything, but she could read a person’s mind and see what they were up to, or had done, once touching them. She could also read people very well most of the time. It was kind of like a gut instinct.

Jo-anne wondered just how those three would feel about her putting hands on them, to find out what the hell was going on. She had thought not to do it earlier, but right this very minute, with what she had just seen and what she knew, perhaps it was time to interfere. Lay the law down and get her own answers to help out that young lady who was clearly heartbroken and likely didn’t need to be.

Knew those three did not live inside the packhouse, had seen their bare feet. They lived out in the woods, staying connected to the ground. To their mother earth. She stopped and looked at the packhouse when she reached it. Tailored to the Luna and her sister. Nearly snarled at it, no wonder it felt off being inside of it.

Stood outside of it and thought about those witches, the family bond she had sensed earlier between her and them. Latched onto it and followed it around the packhouse and into the woods behind the packhouse, heading off into the northern woods.

She was walking through the woods when West mind-linked to her ‘Jo-anne, Rafe and Jack are asking about you. What you are to their witch’s.

‘Just tell them the truth about me West.’ She muttered, was still annoyed and trying to hang on to it. It was actually a really hard thing to do. She was not an angry person, very forgiving all the time. ‘I’m about to out myself anyway. There is foul play here inside the pack. Witchcraft all over it. I’m going to find out what it is and why those three have done nothing about it.’ she grated out ‘Get some damned answers.’

‘I don’t like it Jo-Jo.’ T.J. stated flatly.

‘What’s to like T.J., they pledged to serve me, I want to know why they are not helping their Alpha and Beta. Are letting someone actively use magic against them, and not for the good. It’s not just affecting them either. Others are being hurt by it.’

‘Jo-anne, please be careful.’ West sighed. He knew he couldn’t talk her out of it. She was more stubborn than even he was.

‘I’ll get answers West.’ She told him and closed out the link to both he and T.J. She knew neither of them would like her wandering out here in another pack’s woods, actively hunting out three witches. But this was likely why her own mother had told her that she was the one that was needed here. Had seen something or understood that being who she was. How powerful she had become herself over the past 3 and a half years, because of who her biological father was, those witches would bow down to her.

Stalked along the path that was winding through the forest, this place was really bloody dark, she realised as she got deeper into the woods. It was more like night in here, she knew the sun wasn’t going to go down for at least an hour yet. But the trees were dense and blocked out all the sunlight.

This path that she was on, she noted, was well worn, it was very windy and weaved through the trees, had been created around the forest, no trees cleared for it, a natural path had been weaved. She had been walking for a good ten minutes when suddenly before her there was a ball of light.

She stopped walking instantly, and just stared at it, then it just seemed to float off away from her, down the path as though lighting her way, realised that it was those witches, they knew she was coming and were lighting the way for her now.

Jo-anne trailed that ball of witch’s light for a further 20 minutes, before she stepped into a large circular clearing in the forest, hadn’t recalled seeing anything like that on her way here. There was a long log cabin which sat at the very back of the clearing. When she looked up, she could see the sky above her, though it shimmered and she knew why. The area may be cleared, but to the outside world, anyone flying above would not see it. It was an illusion that likely saw forest from above. Made with witchcraft.

The log cabin looked simple enough, showed just the front side to her and looked to back right onto the forest line. It had a purple door in the middle, with her Celestial Moons all the way down it. There were two windows, one on either side of the door. And it had a long veranda that ran all the way across the front. She could see a chimney on the left side of the cabin.

The area directly before her was all soft looking grass that was surrounded by multiple garden beds that grew a very large variety of plants, herbs and spices, she thought. Things that witches needed to aid in their magic. Though as she looked at those garden beds and how they were laid out, it was to her a large circle with wavy triangles all around the central part.

Jo-anne frowned deeply as she looked at it. Something itched her brain, as she tried to figure out what it was. Definitely a clear design to it, all those triangular beds looked identical to her. Her eyes moved to the three women who stepped out of the cabin. She frowned right at them and then made her way through the garden beds.

They did not move, and she noted they’d changed clothes into pale blue hooded dresses. Aaliyah was holding a gift tied with a cord, though getting a gift from witches she didn’t know if that was wise.

Doubted very much it would harm her, she looked at the garden bed as she walked into the centre of it and felt warmth spread throughout her body almost instantly. She stopped walking as light suddenly started moving along the pathways, tracked it herself, turning and following it to see what it did.

Saw the actual design of the garden now with that light, and realised what it was. A large sun on the ground, recognised it right away as the mark that her birth father had on his back. Yes, these women were related to that man himself.

Turned and continued on until she was out of the garden and felt the warmth leave her as she left it. Magically imbued ground and she knew it. “Who are you?” she asked. It was not the question she had come here to ask, but now she thought this had to come first.

“Your kin.” They all said at the same time.

“I understand that.” Jo-anne stated simply, “What is the kin bond?”

“We are your Aunts.” She was informed.

Jo-anne stared at them now. “His, sisters?”

“Yes, his sisters.”

“Are you like him?” she wanted that answered first. Knew he was an evil bastard.

“No,” was the answer.

“Explain yourselves to me. No one knows who I am, and you three put that in front of others, without my permission.”

“You would have told them anyway. We saw it. So, there was no need to hide who you are.” Hannah stated, “We would like to give you your Royal robes, your highness.”

“Stop calling me that.” Jo-anne frowned, “and why do you call me that?”

“You are a royal.” All of them stated.

“I renounced my grandfather. I am only a Luna.”

“On your wolfen side. Your father was our King, before he went insane, became crazy for power, and turned to the dark side to try and obtain what he wanted. He couldn’t even with you, can’t change the past.”

That got her undivided attention. She had not known that she was royal blooded on both sides of her linage. Mother and Father. Guess that accounted for where he’d lived, in a castle, or at least that was what it had looked like to her in her mother’s memories.

“Do you still cling to him?” she asked.

“No.” They all stated simply.

“We abandoned him long ago.” Hannah informed her “When he killed our parents to take over, drained their powers for himself.”

“Evil bastard always I see.” She muttered.

“Not always.” The three of them stated, sounded almost a little sad to her ear.

“What changed him?” she asked, might as well get all her answers while she was here.

“Accept your royal robes and we’ll tell you.” they all stated together, and she watched as Aaliyah stepped forward and offered them to her.

Jo-anne stared at them for a long moment. Did she really want to accept those robes? If she did, it would be like accepting her royal title and she knew it. That’s why they were doing it, they wanted her to accept it.

“They are not imbued with anything, simply the robes of the royal family.” She was told.

“That is not the concern,” Jo-anne murmured.

“Ah.” Was all the three of them said.

“If I refuse them?”

“You’ll not. I’ve seen you in them,” she was informed.

Jo-anne sighed now “Seers?”

“Yes, as are you. We’ve waited a long time for you.”

“You’ll die if you try to take my b***d.” She grated out, recalling why those other witches had wanted her. Knew what her b***d was to them. Recalled that b***h biting her and drinking her b***d. It was the very reason her own father had wanted her. Wanted to create her even, to drink her b***d and gain more power for himself.

“We would never.” They all said in unison.

Her eyes moved from one to the other. “Are you dark or light?”

“Hmm, we were once light, more grey nowadays.”

“Is that why you’re letting another witch harm your Alpha and Beta?” she got right to the point of her visit.

“From evil and darkness, sometimes comes goodness and light. You are the perfect example of that.”

Jo-anne frowned deeply now.

“The moon Goddess herself told you, you’re all heart, she was not wrong.”

Jo-anne sighed “How old are you?”

“Many hundreds of years old. Give your mother our blessings, we could not do, what she did.”

She knew with those words, they likely saw everything, reached out and took the still offered robes, “This does not mean I will wear them, or accept the title.”

She saw all three of them laugh, “You are our Queen, and we have waited many centuries for you. Help will be given when it’s needed your highness. Please come in.”