The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 24

Rafe POV

Rafe walked with Jack and Addison out to the lake, she’d told Orien to stay out of it and away from Luci, had snarled right at her own Mate, pure Alpha aggression aimed right at her Mate. Rafe had seen the way her eyes had glowed just a little. He’d never seen that before, where she was concerned. Neither had Orien from the look of shock on his face.

The man had stalked away from her in the end. She could make that man bow down, he’d seen it yesterday, but that glow was something else altogether. Their family unit was being torn apart by Addison’s need to find her daughter, to her first Mate. And Orien’s need to keep Thatcher as his heir. Orien didn’t want Luci to take over his Pack; she wasn’t his child. The man had no idea just how powerful Luci was; she’d made Solar bow his head to her authority, didn’t even know if she had been trying to do that or just trying to make sure he listened to her, was pretty certain it was the latter. Luci held more power than her own Alpha, likely Orien and any other Alpha out there that was not pure-blooded and even those that were would likely find her one hell of a challenge. She was a double shifter or Truine as Hannah had told them, whatever that was. Likely more power in her than anyone he knew.

He watched as Addison knelt down by the lake. They were still inside the pack, this was actually the last place that Luci had been seen, before disappearing into the lake.

He watched her place her hand on the water’s surface, then closed her eyes and let out a very low and deep sounding whistle, directing it right at the lake by her hand, it seemed.

Saw as ripples appeared on the surface and then light appeared from her hand, she plunged that hand down into the water and flicked it away from him, then just stood up as the light from her hand shot away from her out into the lake and disappeared.

“Not just a wolf, are you?” Rafe asked.

“No. Half witch, half wolf. Considered a bastard breed.” She sighed “Don’t concern yourself with it, I only hold basic witch’s powers.”

“So, Luci is a witch, wolf and Siren cross breed.”

“Yes, and Alpha on all sides.”

“Orien?”

“Has no idea what I am. Would likely have rejected me if he knew the truth. Most don’t like halfbreeds, let alone one like me, my linage.” Sounded sad to his ear. He had no issue with blended species at all, and was expecting little half witch half wolfen pups from Allen at some point. Didn’t bother him at all.

“How long until that call works?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know, it depends where in the lake she is? If she’ll even acknowledge it! Her Siren does not know me, likely be curious though. That’s what I’m counting on mostly.”

“So, we wait?” Rafe asked.

“That we do, an hour is all. If she wants to come, she will. If not, she won’t. I never had to wait for Lucian more than 5 minutes, Sirens are fast in the water, and Lucian always came right away.”

“Your Mate loved you.”

“Yes, he did. Knew what I was, didn’t care, thought I was beautiful.”

“You are.” Rafe smiled at her “Luci takes after you.”

“I know, so pretty. My little girl, beautiful even as a newborn baby.”

“Is that why no-one saw her till she was eighteen?” He asked curiously.

Addison turned and looked right at him, then laughed softly “No, not at all. She was just a rambunctious child full of mischief, never could sit still, you just didn’t come across her was all, couldn’t sit still for a meal most of the time, so she was made to eat in the suite likely why you didn’t see her, had four nannies to try and contain her” she chuckled softly, “wore them all out, was only ever still when on my lap…though, probably wise now I think that she never laid eyes on you at 16.”

Jack chuckled. “I liked her from the moment she got out of that car.”

“I’m aware.” Addison smiled at him “It was the same for her. It’s a shame things didn’t work out, like I thought they would.”

“It is.” Rafe admitted. He knew she was talking about, them having been her Mate or taking her as their Mate.

“If she doesn’t come, we’ll try again at lunch and again after dinner, might not live in the lake all the time, could be out in the woods as Kali.”

“Alright, may I ask what that call does, is it a word?” Rafe enquired.

“No, just a sound really, something Lucian taught me. It’s the pitch really. You wouldn’t hear it. Draws a Sirens’ attention. It was hard for me to learn, but once he marked me it was easier to do. Having his venom in me helped me to produce it better. And coming from the surface, Lucian always knew it was me. The witch’s light also allowed him to know it was me and of my own free will, no light with the call and I was in trouble.”

“Smart man.”

“Not many knew I was his Mate, and not many know I am a halfbreed. Only my home pack, and I went rogue at 18, to save myself from being Mated off by my own stepfather. He did not care for me, a bastard child born of a forced mating when my mother was taken to hurt him and their pack. He got her back, but she was already pregnant with me, and she wouldn’t give me up, was already attached to me.”

“I’m sorry, Addison.” Rafe sighed, some wolves could just be plain cruel.

“It’s all in the past Rafe, don’t concern yourself with it.” He watched her turn back to the lake, to stand and watch it in the hope that Luci or her Siren would allow themselves to be seen. All three of them were standing waiting. Hoping that Luci would come forth, he wondered if he and Jack should step away.

Addison was safe, she was still inside the pack’s territory, and they would only have to retreat to the tree line. Wondered if Addison would have more luck bringing Luci in if it was just her out here on her own?

‘Alpha in town, now.’ Was roared down the mind-link to him ‘s**t is hitting the fan.’

‘Petra?’ Rafe asked as he included Jack into the mind-link. He couldn’t add Addison as she was not a pack member.

‘Who the hell else would have the balls to yell at you.’ Petra’s annoyed voice came right back ‘Windows are exploding all up the street…it hurts our ears, the sound….shit…two boys, twins I think…f**k, yours and Jacks I think, their screaming and exploding windows .”

‘What?’ both he and Jack together.

‘s**t Rafe, it’s Luci, some guy has her…could be Alpha Victor, she’s unconscious. Those boys are headed right for her, the blonde boy screaming so loud windows are exploding along the street.’

‘F**k.’ Rafe muttered. He felt Jack was already moving away from him, heard Flare rip right out of him and was headed right out of pack territory at full wolfen speed.

‘Jack’s coming now. On the lake, he won’t take long to get there.’

‘Clean up crew is needed…s**t Rafe the blonde boy is out, that Alpha just cracked him one into a parked car…f**k, the other twin, just shift in full view of the humans…I’m on the move Rafe, calling all the teens from the high school who can shift…that wolf is going right for that Alpha.’

Rafe pulled himself from the mind-link, he knew Jack would still be in full contact with Petra, she was not just his cousin but his head elite warrior. Looked at Addison, what the hell did he tell her?

“Addison, Luci is in town, someone just tried to take her, my warrior thinks it was Victor, s**t is hitting the fan. Go back to the packhouse, I have to get on clean up. I’ll bring Luci to you.”

Saw Addison turn and look towards where she knew the town was. He could tell she wanted to go herself but couldn’t risk her getting hurt. She was Luci’s mother and an allied Alpha’s Luna, “Please, I’ll bring her back.” He reassured her he couldn’t stand here and try and talk her into it. For Solar was going absolutely ballistic inside his mind all of a sudden, roaring furiously to get out of him. Let his beast rip right out of him and he was gone just like Flare was at full wolfen speed headed for the town as well.

Used the mind-link to grab Allen and get his Mates on clean up ASAP in the human town, if they, of course, could be pulled from their meditation, that was. Relayed all he could and heard the man swear himself.

Hit the town and shifted back right in front of the back door to the clothing store the pack owned here in town, just for this very reason. Grabbed pants and a shirt and was gone. Tracking Jack by his tether to him. He was already stopped, likely at the place where it was going down. Could feel all the teens that had wolves as well all milled about around Jack himself.

He got there to find Jack already holding an unconscious boy in his arms, small and blonde, he was kneeling down next to Luci, who looked a lot different. She was clearly taller and all lean muscle, her hair was much lighter now too, though he noted it was still long and thick. Had a dart in her abdomen, a tranquilliser in all likelihood.

The naked boy that was sitting on the ground next to Jack, holding Luci’s hand, said it all. They were her children, the boys’ eyes moved right to his and Rafe’s heart nearly broke completely. He had a son. The boy looked just like him, knew by the way Jack was holding on to the other child. These two were twins and that boy, was Jack’s son.

Could feel regret welling inside of him, sank down next to the boy as he turned his eyes back to him “mamma?” he asked right up at him, didn’t even seem concerned about Jack holding onto his twin brother.

“Tranquillised son, she’ll be alright.”

He could hear sirens coming this way now, new it was his people, their pack ambulance coming at full speed, its sirens held a slightly different pitch to that of the human’s, allowing them to differentiate between wolfen help and human help. “Jack?” he looked right at him.

“Head wound, I don’t know how bad.” His eyes finally met Rafe’s and there was so much pain in them, he felt a small hand touch him “Mamma?” his son said up to him. His other hand was shaking her now.

“She’ll wake up, in a few hours.” He reassured the boy.

“Mamma, he needs mamma.” He was suddenly clutching at Rafe’s hand; Rafe didn’t really understand what the boy actually wanted. He found a hand on him and turned to find Petra standing next to him. She held out a shirt and shorts in a child’s size. “Thank you.” He nodded to her.

Dressed his son, the boy didn’t seem to have any fear of him and allowed Rafe to dress him, obviously knew who he was to him. Wasn’t concerned about him at all. Perhaps Luci had told them who their fathers were, or perhaps the boy just knew now that he had shifted, could sense it like Solar could.

The minute Petra had stated she thought they were his and Jacks, his wolf had been all attention, though the moment she stated he had shifted had been when Solar had gone ballistic in his need to rip out of him, wanted to get to his son. To protect him. Knew instantly she was right. Could feel it, he had a son.

He picked Luci up when the pack’s paramedics arrived a few minutes later, along with their pack doctor, stepped up and into the van with her. Jack put his son down on the gurney and then turned and reached out for the other boy. He went with ease, even put his arms up to be picked up, noted the boy was crying softly though.

Watched as his son walked right between his mother and his twin and took Luci’s hand and put it on his twin’s chest “Mamma.” He looked right at Rafe “He needs mamma, is injured.” Tears were filling the boy’s blue eyes as he pressed Luci’s hand to his brother’s chest, his eyes were pleading up at Rafe to do something.

Rafe didn’t know what to do.

“Alpha let me use adrenaline to wake the girl.” It was Norman the pack doctor, saw him preparing a syringe and then look right at him, Rafe nodded for him to go ahead.

Knew she was going to wake up fast and likely be angry and aggressive due to how she had been taken down. “Do it.” He stated firmly and pulled the dart from her abdomen ready to brace himself for the fight that was about to happen or start maybe.

Norman injected her and they all waited, took all of a minute for her eyes to snap open, landed right on him, locked eyes right with him “Mamma, Jack.” He heard his son say.

Watched as Luci’s eyes moved right to her boy and then was off of him in a second, felt the change in the air and then she was leaning over her injured son, little Jack, named after his father. It made Rafe wonder if his own son was also named after him as well.

The whole van started to resonate with sound as she leaned over him, waves of sound rolled through the van as she did Goddess only knew what to her son, was likely healing him, using her Siren to do so. His eyes moved to Jack, his Beta. The man looked stressed out completely, had a son, but could be losing him at the same time as gaining him.