The Alpha's Regret

Chapter 5

Wes’s POV


As soon as Annie was gone, Megan turned to me.
“Why on earth would you bring her?”
Sighing I admitted. “My dad made me; he wanted me to help her befriend the Luna.”
Andy turned around; her face scrunched up in disgust.
“Yeah, nope.” She said, popping the p, before going back to the food.
Logan handed off the baby to Alexi before going to dish up the food, so Andy could sit and rest.
“I figured. I told him it wouldn’t work but he wanted a member of the family to be in the Alpha and Luna’s circle.”
Her gaze went to me as she said. “You’re already in the circle, why does he need her to be forced on us?”
I felt myself relax. Despite the fact I wasn’t one of the high members of the pack, and I didn’t live in the pack house, and I wasn’t mated to any of them, they had all adopted me into their group without question.
Tears threatened to fall as I admitted. “I don’t count.”
Megan wrapped an arm around my shoulder, knowing just how my father can be.
Logan placed plates of food in front of us, sitting down beside his mate. Andy thanked him, but never took her eyes off me.
Before Andy could speak, Alexi spoke up.
“Why wouldn’t you count?”
“Because, in his eyes I’m an embarrassment. He’s furious that I’ve been forcing all of you to be associated with someone like me.”
His eyes widen, realization hitting him. With a sigh he shook his head.
“Your father sounds like a jackass.”
The others all nodded in agreement, with a shrug I just sighed.
“There’s not a lot I can do about it, he’s going to freak when I get home.”
No doubt Annie’s already called him, crying and blaming me for everything.
Andy looked at her mate, a silent conversation happening between them. Smiling, she turned her gaze back to me.
“You know, we have a lot of spare rooms. If you ever need a permanent escape.”
Shocked, I just stared at her.
They were inviting me to live with them.
Gratitude filled me as they all looked at me, eager at the idea of me living in the packhouse with them.
Megan smiled, laughing slightly as she said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless before.”
Giving her a halfhearted shove, I rolled my eyes at my best friend.
“I don’t talk that much.”
With a snort, she just drawled a “Sure.”
Giving her a small glare, I turned back to Andy and Logan.
“Thank you, I may take you up on that.”
We all ate, chatting about the party and cooing over the new baby.
Eventually, Megan and Grayson excused themselves, Alexi and Logan leaving not long after to get caught up on work.
After the others had all left Andy turned to Verity, the baby sound asleep in her arms.
“Do you mind watching her for a little while?”
“Of course not.” Verity said, obviously excited at some time with her niece.
She took the baby, saying a quick goodbye to us before heading upstairs towards the nursery.
“Can you help me with something?”
Nodding, I followed her to the kitchen. Watching as she filled a serving bowl with leftovers, before turning and walking towards the basement door.
The entrance to the cells below.
Cautiously, I followed her.
Mindful not to step too close to the bars of the cells. Andy stopped at the end of the narrow hallway, A guard opening the door for us.
Before she stepped in, she turned to me.
“Normally Alexi comes with me, I always bring one of the guys to be safe. I know Logan would worry otherwise. You’ll be fine, just avoid any sudden movements or loud noises.”
Without another word she stepped inside the dark room.
Choosing to ignore the anxiety threatening to stop me, I took a breath and stepped inside.
The room looked half destroyed, even for a basement cell.
Chunks of stone lay scattered across the floor. Claw marks covering the walls.
The copper scent of blood filled my nose as I reached Andy.
With a pained expression, she placed the bowl of food on the floor.
“Good afternoon, Danny, lasagna today. Your mother says it’s your favorite.”
With a whine, a worn brown wolf emerged from the darkest corner of the room. His nose up as he sniffed the air. Slowly moving towards the bowl before digging into the food.
Something seemed broken in the wolf, his fur rough and patchy in places, he was timid as well. But the worst thing about him were his eyes, they were dim and lifeless. The green a sickly shade.
“What happened to him?”
Andy sighed whispering. “Licantile.”
“What’s that?”
“A drug, something Hunter’s invented. We have no idea how to help him. He’s better than he was, but he still can’t shift or mind link. We’re not sure what he’s going through.”
How can this be better?
A shiver ran through me at the idea that there was something worse than this.
“Do we know how to fix it?” I whispered edging closer to the trembling wolf.
“The pack doctors have been trying but they can’t figure out how to reach the man inside the wolf.”
Andy sat on the unused bed in the dimly lit side of the cell.
Her eyes softening as she looked down at the wolf.
Sitting beside her, we both stayed quiet.
The terrified wolf slowly beginning to calm, every now and then inching closer to us.
Until eventually, after what felt like hours, he was sat directly beside me.
He’s never gotten that close before. Andy linked her voice startling me.
How long has he been like this?
About 3 months.
The wolf tilted his head, watching us.
Do you think he knows we’re talking?
He’s a werewolf, he knows what mind-linking is, so probably.
Distracted by our conversation, I almost jumped when the wolf rested his head on my leg. Luckily, I managed to stay statue like. Not daring to even move.
Wow, he likes you. Did you know Danny?
What’s his surname?
Cooper.
The name sounded familiar.
After a few minutes of flipping through everyone I could think of and their relatives.
As if a flip switched, he popped into my head.
Daniel Cooper, he had been in mine and Megan’s class in school. We had never spoken much, both me and Megan had kept together and weren’t interested in befriending anyone outside of our little bubble.
We went to school together; I haven’t seen him in years. I think he had a crush on Megan, he was always staring at her. I always caught him looking.
For a second Andy looked thoughtful, before turning to me.
Seems like you made an impression.
Apparently.
We spent a while just sitting there in a comfortable silence, Until Andy moved to stand up.
“Logan’s getting worried and Amara’s hungry. Goodbye Danny.”
She waited for me, letting me walk ahead of her as we left.
Before she left to go to the nursery, I stopped her.
“Do you think I could go back another day?”
“I think that would be good for him, I’m the only one who visits. It’s hard for his parents to see him like that. I’ll tell the guard you’re allowed in.”
Saying a quick thank you, we both went our separate ways.