The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 54

Jack POV

He was back in his office, sitting at his desk. “You need to relax a little around Luci, Rafe. Alari is not at all attached to you or I, to this Pack, and from what I have read, if she was born outside this Pack, then she is unlikely to consider this to be her Pack at all. It is not her home as you told her it was. The lake could be considered hers to her, she’s the only Siren in it. She is also Alpha-blooded, the lake will be her own Pack, she may well even have a name for that pack.”

“Jack, that lake is too far away.”

“I understand your concerns, I really do. I don’t want them out there on the lake anymore than you do. But until Alari accepts it here, she is going to challenge you at every turn. She is not only an Alpha, Rafe, but clearly in charge of all of them. You saw what happened in the town, it was Alari who took over. Walked all the way back with the boys, the same as it was today. She can take control at will and stay in control. She is likely the strongest of them. I’ll get you some reading material.” He offered, the man was going to need it, or end up in a fight with a Siren at some point.

Heard Rafe sigh now, maybe he understood “Probably a good idea. How is it you just seem to understand, know what to say and do? Where they’re concerned?” He asked him.

Jack laughed softly now “That’s easy, I’m not the Alpha. I don’t have the need to control everything. Dominate everyone. I want for Luci, whatever she wants. I want her needs to be met, not mine. And right now, that’s just to not be around the packhouse when Melissa and Maria return home. Is preparing herself for that, I think.”

“And you got that from what?”

“Exactly what she said. Wants to be away from the packhouse. She said it yesterday when out by the mudroom, she can’t stay here, I think she meant in the packhouse. Then Alari stated it plainly, ‘Luci and Kali don’t want that.’ I don’t think this is solely just about you and I. It’s also about seeing us with our Mate’s I believe. She doesn’t want to see that and I don’t blame her either.”

He saw Rafe nod. Neither of them could blame her for that one.

“It is likely she saw us come home, we just didn’t see her.” Jack sighed “The last place she saw us was likely here in the packhouse. With our Mate’s at that.” That was starting to bother him more now too. That they’d not called her. Why hadn’t they?

“You just need to ease off, Rafe, and try not to present yourself as a challenge to Alari, or perhaps any of them. Kali and Luci are also Alpha-blooded. You have to remember that at all times, it can be a little hard. I understand because Luci never really bothered about her rank when she was here, was just happy to be herself. But her Siren is very strong. You’ve seen it. She is all Alpha, just like you.”

“I know what she is, Jack. I also know she made Solar bow down to her, outranks me with ease.”

“Then just stop trying to tell her what to do. Some things will be okay. Others not so much, it’s going to be a matter of figuring out what is acceptable and what is not is all. Like enrolling the boys in the pack school, she knew we would do that, and was okay with it. It was acceptable to not only Luci but also Kali and Alari.”

“Likely knows us very well.” Rafe nodded.

“More than likely,” Jack nodded. “It is also likely she knows it’s safer for them…we do, however, need to give her the chance to go and close out her human life. Let Allen go with her, she will be safe with him. She seemed happy to ask him to go with her. Knows she needs to do it herself, found an option that suited her as well.”

Rafe sighed and nodded “Perhaps one of us should still go with her. She might have some explaining to do. Those two boys ran from their school and have not returned.”

“You want to go, don’t you?” Jack shook his head, a little frustrated with Rafe. “Just let Allen go with her, it is what she requested, it’s best to just let her have what she wants right now.”

“One of us should go with her, Jack.”

“I understand Rafe. Please, for just this once, let it go.”

“Jack.”

“The boys will stay here, with Addison. Will that help your need to not be there and control the situation?”

“Unlikely…it’s not only about the boys, Jack. I worry about Luci. Victor clearly knows more about Sirens than we do. That is of great concern to me.”

“There are men in town, watching for anything out of the ordinary, not just the scent of another pack or rogues. Looking for new people who don’t seem to belong in the town, as well as anyone that doesn’t have a scent at all.”

“It’s coming up for the summer holidays, that is going to be a lot harder to do, come two weeks time, and that town is flooded with human holiday makers.”

“Agreed, but we could have her do it this afternoon, or tomorrow before the weekend comes.”

He was watching Rafe, saw him nod slowly, the man had been in charge of this pack for nearly two decades now, had been in charge of it ten years before they had met Luci, when she’d been 18. They’d been 36 when they had met her, and he’d already been in charge since he was 26. It was hard to relinquish control of any kind over a pack member, even another Alpha-blooded one.

The man was now 45 and finding it hard to relinquish control when he knew she needed protecting and that was his job. He was so used to being in charge, that he just didn’t know how to take that step back and breathe. Not when he had children to protect as well as their mother.

And not just from Victor, though that did seem to be his biggest concern right now. But Jack knew that Rafe also wanted to protect her from being hurt while here inside this very pack that she belonged to. She was their pack member and theirs to protect at all costs.

Watched as Rafe got up and walked over to the pack model, which sat against the far wall, as he stood staring at it, appeared to be deep in thought. “What are you looking at?” Jack enquired after several minutes of silence from the man. He got up and walked over there himself.

“Somewhere for them to live. That will make them comfortable, I guess.”

Jack looked at the map himself. The single dorms were out of the question, no parent lived in them. She might be single, shook that off, didn’t know if she would go about sating those needs of hers with any of their pack members, didn’t want to think about it to be honest. Didn’t know how he nor Flare would react to that even. Had absolutely no right to react in anyway, but his gut was squirrelly just thinking about it. Pushed that thought aside.

He looked at the central part of the pack, where most of the family’s lived. They had two large playgrounds down there and the primary school as well. They didn’t really have many available homes at this time.

There were only five with blue pins in them, indicating that they were empty. One was on the main road through the pack, not likely to be a good option, seeing as both Melissa and Maria would use it.

There were two that backed right onto the forest, a few streets away from the main road itself, and one right next to the school itself. The other was the cottage she was currently in, and didn’t want to be in, when their Mate’s came home.

Rafe reached out and touched a house on a creek. That creek Jack saw, ran all the way to the lake, that creek flowed quite well all year round, was not that wide but was at least waist high most of the year. It was not a regular house here in the pack either, it was a good 30 minute walk from where they were. It was one of the homes that their pack families used for private celebrations. It was actually a really nice four-bedroom luxury split-level house.

A lot of mated pairs used it for anniversaries, or private birthday parties for their children. There were several homes along that road, it was on the eastern side of the pack, so closer to the lake itself.

Jack smiled as he realised it was the most luxurious house inside the pack, it would be akin to the Alpha floor. There were 10 homes out there and all here in the pack were allowed to used them, though with their pack being so large, they were booked by the packs reservations system. They’d had to have one due to everyone wanting to use them once they had been built.

They had learned the hard way, years ago, when they’d been built, that it caused arguments about who was getting to use them. So they had created a new position here for several pack members and a reservation system had been set up for those ten homes. They were like holiday homes.

“I like that one. But I’d be willing to bet it’s fully booked for months in advance,” Jack commented.

“Lets find out and see what I can do about that. It’s a good place for her and the children. Secluded and away from the packhouse, like she wanted. Yet still has the luxury of an Alpha Suite, which she is entitled to.”

“I’ve not seen our two Mates go there either. So that’s a good choice.”

Rafe nodded, “I’ll go and speak with Noel, and see just how many deals I’ll be making in short order to free it up if Luci likes it.” he smiled.

Jack watched him leave the office and smiled himself. He did like that Rafe wanted Luci and the boys to have the best possible accommodations there were here in the pack.

He sank back down at his desk and clicked into his email, smiled at the return email from Alpha Bradley of the Black Haven Pack. It simply read ‘I’ve talked with both West and Terence, we’ll all be coming the day after tomorrow. I’m not affiliated with the Bloodless Moon Pack. Congratulations on your Heirs. See you Saturday lunchtime.’

He mind-linked right to Rafe after a quick reply stating he’d have rooms prepared. Let Rafe know that both their allies would be coming Saturday. He was happy about that, at least neither of them were off attending other alliance meetings and could come quickly.

Mind-linked to his head omega to have rooms prepared for their guests, made sure to have enough rooms to accommodate them and their units. Brad had not stated who he was bringing with him, but it was a given that the Alpha and Beta of the pack would arrive, but they could well bring their entire units from each pack. He would make sure to prepare for that just in case.