Chapter Sixty-Nine

Regan’s POV

Needless to say, once we had received the pledge from the Alpha of Redclaw pack, there was no reason to remain there much longer.

I agreed to stay an additional two nights at their pack for Luke’s sake.

I could tell that he wanted more time with his mate.

However, the tables had slowly turned.

While it had been Luke’s mate who seemed besotted before, Luke’s eyes now followed her everywhere like a love sick puppy.

It was amusing to say the least since I had never seen him that way.

Our warriors had even started to secretly tease him among themselves about how he was completely besotted with his mate.

She, on the other hand, seemed to be avoiding him, even though her eyes searched for him whenever she walked into a room, only to look away when she saw him already watching her.

I had written to my mate about Luke finding his mate, so that she could share the good news with Lena and Nana.

However, seeing Luke and his mate simply made me miss mine so much more.

But I knew we had no other choice.

We had only one more place to go before I could go home. And despite how badly I wished to see my mate and family again, I did not have it in me to rub Luke of the time with his mate.

Especially since he would not be able to take her with him just yet.

The old Alpha’s health was worse than it appeared.

And I was clear to see that he needed his daughter just as much as she needed him. So it went without question that she would remain in Redclaw pack when it came time for us to leave.

We had just finished the evening meal and I had bid my warriors good night to come out for a stroll.

Redclaw pack had a vast amount of land, so I strolled around it, under the light of a full moon.

It was times like that that made the ache for my mate almost unbearable.

I found what looked like ruins of a house and walked towards it. Climbing up the steps that led to an almost completely broken down wall, I leaned over it to gaze out at the satisfying view of the landscape before me, beautifully illuminated by the light from the moon.

How I missed home.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Rage’s ears lifted in alert.

We were not alone.

I remained where I was, acting oblivious to the fact that I knew someone was watching me, before I soon got tired of the waiting game.

“You may as well come out”, I said into the night, sure whoever was watching could hear me clearly. “I doubt there is much use in your hiding when I am already aware of your presence”, I said.

Though I did not expect whoever it was not to oblige, I hid my surprise when they finally revealed themselves and Lady Zara stepped out into the light of the moon.

“Lady Zara”, I said. “It is not safe for you to be out alone at this time of the night”, I said, strictly out of concern.

She scoffed. Reminding me of Lena in the moment as she drew closer.

“The day I cannot protect myself in my own pack will be the day the Moon ceases to exist”, she said confidently.

I lifted my brows, mildly impressed, but said nothing else.

“Why are you out here at this time of the night?” She asked, watching me closely with suspicion.

I smiled. “When will you stop being so suspicious of me, my Lady?” I asked.

She looked away.

“It is not my intention to be rude”, she said. “But I do not trust people easily”, she explained. “While I may believe your reason for coming here being to protect your family, I still find it hard to believe that you are not here for revenge”, she said.

I looked out at the night before I replied.

“The revenge is not mine to seek”, I said.

“Then is it my mate who seeks revenge?” She asked.

“Luke?” I asked, turning to her in surprise. “Luke did not even want to come here”, I revealed to her. “Yes, he lost his brother, but he wanted nothing to do with your pack”, I told her. “I can assure you that the only reason he agreed to come here is because he wishes to protect our family as well”, I said.

She finally nodded, looking like she believed me.

“If you think I have the answers you seek, I do not”, she said after a moment of silence. “I was very young when it happened. And it was a topic that was forbidden here in our pack”, she said. “But like you, a part of me wonders what happened as well”, she said, her voice lowering in sadness. “Especially since I lost my only brother that day as well”, she revealed.

My head whipped around to face her so fast that she actually moved back.

“What did you just say?” I asked her, the shock of her words, clearly showing on my face.

At my obviously surprised reaction, she replied.

“You did not know?” She asked almost in disbelief.

As I continued to stare at her in shock, she went on.

“Truly?” She asked before continuing. “You did not know that my brother also died that day?” She asked. “That they died on the same day?”

I slowly shook my head, recovering from my shock.

“We did not”, I told her, somewhat dazed. “They would not tell us anything”, she said. “No one spoke of it”.

She was silent for a while.

A realization suddenly dawned on me.

“That was why they never sought revenge”, I said aloud. “Because they were not the only ones who lost a child”, I said.

She shrugged a shoulder.

“My mother was sure that your pack would try to blame us and try to seek revenge one day”, she said. “Though my mother was not always in her right mind. My brother’s death broke her”, she shared. “She died not too long after”, she said.

I looked away from her.

“I am sorry for your loss”, I said.

“Thank you”, I heard her say as we looked out into the night. “Although it may be nothing compared to the losses you all suffered from the Blackmoon massacre”, she said.

I nodded slowly.

“I lost my parents and my mate”, I said. “There wasn’t anyone who did not loose a loved one or family member to that attack”, I told her.

She was quiet for a while before she spoke.

“I wonder why the Elders simply excommunicated that rotten pack”, she suddenly spat. “If it had been up to me, I would have all those involved hanged from their intestines”, she said.

Having not expected to hear something even close to that in a million years, I burst out laughing.

I held onto my stomach as I laughed, struggling to be quiet as it was night time.

By the time I recovered from my laughter, I turned to see her still looking out into the night with a smile.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side”, I said as I returned to my previous position.

“It will do you well to remember it”, she said, and we fell into comfortable silence.

“What is he like?” She asked after a while.

I turned to her with a lifted brow.

“Luke”, she clarified. “What is he like?” She repeated.

“Well”, I said, turning back around. “You would already know if you were not so busy avoiding him”, I said.

Even though I did not see it, I could feel the heated glare she directed at me and forced myself not to smile.

“You all leave in a few days”, she said. “What would be the point in growing closer to him, only to part with him when it is time for you to leave”, she said.

In a way, I understood what she meant. She was trying to protect her heart.

“But he would still leave”, I told her. “So would it not be better if you at least had memories of him to remember when he is not here?” I asked.

She thought about it for a moment before nodded.

“You may be right”, she said. “Is that what you do whenever you miss your mate?” She asked.

I nodded, a smile coming onto my face as a picture of mine came to mine.

“If I was home”, I said. “Around this time, I would go to fetch her from Lena’s room, or try to convince Lena to leave our room”, I said.

“Who is Lena?” She cut in impatiently. It was something Lena would have done and brought another smile from me.

“Lena is the sister I never had”, I told her. “She is Luke’s cousin and we grew up together”, I said. “She is also my mate’s dearest friend and my number one competition for her attention”.

I heard what sounded like a soft laugh and turned to see the amusement in her eyes that she did not try to hide.

“You are jealous”, she said bluntly.

Since I was in no mood to deny the truth, I nodded.

“Although I have gotten used to it”, I said. “It made me jealous how much time they spent together”, I told her. “Wherever you saw my Jasmine, Lena was always close by”, I said with a smile. “Now thinking on it, it warms my heart to know that two out of the three women in my life, have such an extraordinarily sister bond. I would never wish otherwise”, I said.

From the corner of my eyes I saw her nod.

“Who is the third woman?” She asked.

I turned to face her with a wide smile.

“Nana”, I said, and went on to clarify at her look of confusion. “She is Luke’s grandmother”, I told her. “She raised all of us and is the closest person we have to a mother”, I said.

“I suppose you are both closer than I had thought”, she said. “You and Luke”, she clarified.

I nodded.

“He could not be more my brother if we were birthed by the same mother”, I told her. “He is my best friend”.

She smiled at that.

I went on, deciding to tell her more about her mate as she wished.

“He is one of the strongest and swiftest werewolves you would ever meet”, I told her, almost sounding like a proud father. “He is loyal and protective, and wise beyond his years. There is no better werewolf I know, than my brother, Luke”, I told her, suddenly catching his scent as I finished my sentence.

So I raised my voice enough so that he could hear me from wherever he was lurking in the shadows.

“And he should know by now that I have lived with him all my life”, I said aloud. “And can catch his scent from a realm away”, I said, even as his mate’s expression turned to one of confusion before understanding dawned on her.

She turned to take a deep breath to catch his scent, easily locating him as he came out of the shadows.

“You should both be in your beds at this time”, he said with a glare at me, one I knew for what it was.

I grinned.

“Jealous?” I asked.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“It is good that you will finally how I feel whenever I see you with my mate”, I said with a smile.

“Jazzie could not be more my sister if we were born from the same womb”, he replied.

“And that is the only reason I have never ripped you to shreds”, I said.

Zara growled at me, not liking me threatening her mate, before turning to him with a glare.

“Jazzie?” She repeated with a pointed look.

I grinned, thoroughly enjoying Luke being uncomfortable.

“I will now bid you both a wonderful night”, I said, still grinning, and took my leave, leaving Luke to explain why he had decided to give my mate a special name to his mate.