The Alpha & Beta’s Regret – Chapter 88

Jack POV

He sat in his office looking at Addi, had come back to the packhouse to find out that Rafe had taken Addi into Luci’s room. To stop her from confronting Melissa, and the possibility of her being affected as he himself had by those petals.

Neither he nor Rafe yet knew the extent of what they could do, who they would affect or if it would take away their memories of Luci and the boys. They couldn’t risk that happening to anyone at all, especially not Addison, the woman’s mother. Though Jack did doubt it would work on Addison herself, to remove a lifetime of memories like that.

Didn’t think it would work on Addison solely because, she was the girl’s mother, had raised her and loved her with all she had. Their bond, even after being separated all this time, was still so damned close. Nothing was going to be able to sever ties between them. But he did understand Rafe’s concern over it.

So now Addi knew all that they knew. She was looking right at him, had been for a solid minute now, hadn’t said anything at all, appeared to be considering something. He watched her right back, he could see the wheels turning inside of her brain almost.

Then she simply shook whatever she was thinking off and stated “I’m not going to lie to Luci. But I will not volunteer the information, so relax. I also doubt that she will ever ask about any of it. She has been gone for a very long time, and knows nothing about you or your Mates, and from what I saw this morning, doesn’t want to either. As long as that remains, she won’t care to ask or become curious.”

He sighed internally because he had just told Luci that things within the pack were different, not as one would expect. Hopefully, that wouldn’t start a long line of questions for her mother to answer. If, as her mother stated, she didn’t care to know anything about them and their mates. Then she wasn’t likely to ask at all.

He just nodded, knew that all he could was wait and see.

“You’re not affected any more by what they did, Jack” she asked.

“Doesn’t appear so.” Flare was still all quiet inside his mind, though he had returned this morning to lye inside his mind and see Luci and the boys. His wolf had watched her a lot, he’d also been the one to make Jack go and sit next to her. He’d not have done that himself, knew Luci was still uncomfortable with it. But Flare had wanted to be closer to her and wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Rafe had followed his lead, was trying to take a step back and cues from Jack where she was concerned, so as not to be so overbearing in his need to be in charge. Their rolls had almost reversed this morning. Jack was acting more like the Alpha and Rafe, the Beta. It was a little weird but only really made him smile.

How they had sat this morning with Luci was once how they had always sat; with her between them. Even at Nightfall before she came here, she would sit with them, next to them mostly, unless Victor was there and then always managed to drop herself between the two of them. Though it looked like she did that, Jack had always stepped aside and given her his seat, so she was between the two of them. Liked her between him and his Alpha.

“Flare and I seemed to just get really angry. The more we stood there and smelled it. Those dried petals, that they brought back to put all throughout the packhouse, the more angry we got.”

“It had the opposite effect?” she queried.

“Yes.” He nodded “They were talking about calling their father and fixing it. That Rafe was back under Melissa’s control.” He huffed and then shook his head, was not about to go and tell her that Rafe had not only lost his memories but had, had s*x with Melissa as well. Not considering what she’d just learned about them.

“They don’t know about the twins being yours,” She said thoughtfully.

“No, why?”

“Because the original spell would not have accounted for the two of you having children. They still don’t that, didn’t when they went home either.”

“We didn’t know about them.” Rafe nodded.

Addi looked right at Rafe, “How is it you know everything if you lost your memory?”

“Jack, Allen and Ian all confirmed I knew about the fire, and Jack spent most of last night telling me all that has happened over the past few weeks.”

“And you believe them? just like that!” she was frowning.

“Yes, Jack would never lie to me. Also showed me pictures of the boys, one of them myself and little Rafe. I had no memory of it. All that was written in my own hand, you saw it. Believed it, did you not? That is why it’s there in case we forget.”

Jack was watching her closely, she was still thinking about everything, it appeared. “Alright but I’ve seen you both over the years, though you never spoke of Luci, brought her up yourselves, if she was spoken of, both of you looked sad, recalled it was your fault. I don’t understand that.”

Jack saw where she was going with this. “They took our memories of her. That’s why we didn’t call her or warn her. Neither of us could remember who she was, not until that border patroller mind-linked us to tell us she was out there. Only when she, is brought up, it seems, by others did we know who she was.” He huffed “I hate knowing that, I would never have hurt her like that.”

Addison sighed herself “I do believe that. I never did understand it. Why you didn’t warn her? It was not like the two of you at all. You were always so very considerate of Luci.”

“It’s not.” Rafe nodded.

“I do have one question. If you don’t mind?” she asked.

“Go ahead.” Both he and Rafe stated together.

“Why did you wait so long to claim her?”

“A year is the standard in a relationship, before asking one to be your chosen Mate.” Rafe answered her.

Jack stared at him now. “What? That was all it was. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” he snapped right at the man.

“You, would not have waited, would have claimed her the moment I voiced it.” Rafe looked right at him.

“Yes I would have.” Jack shot right back. “Now look at the mess we’re all in, not just us but Luci.”

Watched him take in a long breath “She was only young Jack, she could still have had a Mate out there. A year is the protocol.”

“She doesn’t.” Addison interrupted them both before he launched into a full-on argument with Rafe about that, thought it was utter nonesence.

He turned and looked right at her. “What do you mean by that? She doesn’t have a Goddess Gifted Mate?”

He watched as Addison stood and contemplated her words, then looked from one to the other, sighed very heavily and motioned for the pair of them to sit down, waited till they both did “Siren’s are not like other creatures. They don’t get Goddess Gifted Mates like the rest of us do.” She shook her head sadly “I always feared this for Luci, but she was only part Siren and I hoped she would get a Fated Mate. Never did though. Is not likely to every have a Mate.”

He sat staring at her now. “Why didn’t you tell us when she came here?”

“She was a Wolf Jack. I had no proof at that point, but yes. I wish I had trusted the two of you with the knowledge that she was likely to be mate-less.”

“Would have solved the issue.” Jack muttered. “Rafe would have agreed much sooner, I think.”

“It is likely.” He heard Rafe sigh “Knowing that…I always made sure she attended all our Mating Balls and went off to allied ones as well, I believed she had the right to find her Goddess Gifted Mate.”

“It seems we’re all to blame. But Luci. For the current circumstances,” Addison sighed.

“It appears so.” Jack huffed. They’d not had all the information on Luci, been bewitched or cursed or something by the two she-wolves upstairs and lost Luci over it. Had been made to forget her, even “I’m curious as to if those two up there go home when we recall her? Do you think that was always it?”

“It could be? but only they would know the truth about it,” Addison stated.

They were all quiet for a long minute, thinking on that one: “Did you call Orien?” Rafe interrupted the long silence in the room.

“I did…he is prepping for war with Alpha Victor…we talked.” She sighed.

“And?” Jack asked when she said nothing else.

“I’ll video call him and we’re going to reject each other formally.”

“Addison, that could kill you or him.” Rafe stated. He could hear the concern in the man’s voice.

“Mm, we both understand.” Addi nodded, “but we also both know our bond can be regrown. It will hurt a lot. Hopefully, the goddess will spare us both death because we are doing it to save our pack…He loves me, and despite his failures of late…that arrogant chauvinistic Alpha belongs to me. I love him in return, we fight a lot at the best of times, both headstrong and proud.” She sighed “maybe it will be better the second time around, we’ve already agreed to regrow it, when he gets on his knees and apologises to Luci.”

“Not yourself?” Jack asked curiously.

“No. He knew that severing ties with Victor would see that man s*******r Nightfall. It is actually complicated.” She huffed, sounded annoyed though. “Victor also has a mating alliance regarding Luci, which is actually signed by Orien himself. Orien told me last night. I didn’t know about it. I never signed one and neither did Luci, but as her father and her Alpha, he did.”

“That won’t hold up Addi.” Rafe stated. “Point of fact, Orien is no longer her Alpha, hasn’t been for years. He is also not her father, so its null and void.”

“I understand that, but Victor still held onto it. Like a weapon to be used, I guess.”

“Ah, to get you away from Orien.” Jack nodded.

“It’s likely, he knew we were always turbulent over Luci, likely though if he put that contract in my hands directly, it would have seen me leave Orien.”

“Victor was going to offer you sanctuary, in other words. Just to get you inside his pack.” Rafe commented.

“I believe so.” She nodded.

“And with you there, Luci would come to you.” Jack huffed in annoyance, that man was very strategic.

“Of her own free will,” Addi sighed, “Likely not the only thing he’s got up his sleeve either.”

Jack frowned. “Likely going to try and come up with many ways to obtain Luci for himself. has just yet to make his mind up on the best option open to him, I’m guessing.”

Addi nodded once more as her phone rang. She looked at it and sighed, “It’s Orien.” She told them “I guess it’s time for our rejection.”

“We’re right here, Addi, unless you want to be alone?” Rafe told her.

“It’s fine, I might need one of you.” she said as she answered the phone. “Hi.” Was all she said. It sounded sad to Jack’s ear.

“Hi sweetheart,” Jack heard Orien’s voice. He to sounded sad “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“We have to, to save the pack. We can sort us out after Victor has been dealt with.”

“Addison, I will remain loyal to you, I will never stray. You are the only one I love, the only one Rali loves, we will touch no other while we’re apart.”

“Neither will I.” she sighed.

“I know that about you, sweetheart. I just wanted you to know that about me. I trust you completely.”

Jack watched her smile just a little. “We shouldn’t drag this out, it already hurts, just knowing its coming.” She murmured.

“Alright.” He heard Orien state softly and after a full minute of silence, “You go first Addi.”

She was just sitting there staring at the coffee table, took a long breath in and stated the words no bonded pair ever wanted to hear, “I Alpha Addison, reject you Alpha Orien as my Mate.” He could hear the pain, watched on and saw it touch her face as well.

“I Alpha Orien of Nightfall, reject you Addison as my Mate and Luna.” Orien stated back after a few seconds.

Jack was up out of his chair the moment her phone fell from her hand and she was clutching at her chest, grabbed onto her and held her to him in a tight hug “It’s alright.” He murmured softly “I’ve got you.”

She was gasping and sobbing, clinging onto him as the pain he knew she was feeling was ripping through her as though she was being torn apart from the inside out. He’d never experienced it himself, but all wolves knew how bad it was, that the pain could kill one.

He just sat and held onto her for support. He saw Rafe pick up the phone and look into it. “You’ll protect her and Luci?” the words were strangled and it appeared Orien was struggling to get them out, in his own pain.

“Yes, and you, Jack and I, will talk more when this is all over, Addi will be safe here inside of our pack.”

“Don’t you lose her, it’ll be war between us if you do.” Orien grated out and the call was ended.

Jack sighed. The man was in just as much pain as Addison was, she was barely holding up, felt a hand on him and found Allen right there, smiled at the man thankfully. Rafe must have called for him. Luna’s were his job and this was what he was good at.

“Addison.” He heard Allen state calmly “Come here honey, I have you now.” That southern drawl rolled out of him so very strong, and he felt Addi just turn to the man. He was all Gamma now, likely using all he had to help ease her pain.

He relinquished Addi to Allen and watched her just latch right onto the man himself, as she was enfolded into Allen’s arms a moment later and pulled in snuggly to his chest, “it’s going to be alright, I’ve got you now.” He rested his chin on top of Addi’s head, full body contact for her to help ease her pain.

Jack sighed and looked at him. “I’ll stay with her, take her back to Luci and the twins, when she’s ready to walk.”

“Thank you.” both he and Rafe stated together.

“All’s good.” Allen smiled at them “Oh, Hannah said to tell you, she and her sisters will greet Alpha West and Alpha Terence with you, in my place.”

Jack stared at the man now as he stood there, a hand rubbing Addison’s back gently that was not usual for his Mates. But he just nodded after a moment, “Alright.” Those three women would do as they pleased, and he knew it, had been for years now, nothing was going to change that.