Wasting My Time

Beta Jace's POV

With Erina by my hand, I walk in the direction of the sports center.
I have to say it's quite a relief to be able to come clean to Enrick and now the Council too. Avoiding Erina was eating at me, my mate is still young but demands my attention as the sole claimant. She wraps her life around me, she tells me everything straight away like an open book. She's a brilliant girl, somehow she makes sure we don't get bogged down in a father-daughter relationship. For a five-year-old, that's surely remarkable.
But I don't really know much about her.
For me, her life begins the day she ends up here in the pack. But I know there is more. When hinted at her life before that, she kept her jaws tight. She never speaks up. All I know is she's part of triplets, but I doubt I'll ever see her other two sisters. And yes, she also mentioned that her mother had just given birth to twins. That statement made me doubt now if Drina is really her mother, as I suspect.
No, I've never seen Drina pregnant since she first entered our territory more than five years ago. And I didn't notice that this was the case in recent months. And Enrick didn't say anything about any pregnancy either. Why would Drina hide that from Enrick if she was carrying his child? I'm sure he would be overjoyed. He adores Drina and can't wait to start a family with her. It just gets more complicated. The warlock's curse and Alcina's nefarious schemes shouldn't stop her from making Enrick happy if the pups were all theirs.
Now that I've heard Drina's side of the story, I might be better off talking to Alcina. Maybe she wants to lose more information. I'm going to investigate today and find the witch. She's already noticed that I'm not quite charmed by her, but if I want to know more, I'll have to hold back.
“Erina, sweetie. I have to finish some work. I won't be able to watch your workout today. But I'm coming to pick you up, okay?” I tell the little one as I squat before her. She pouts but still nods. “Remember, Jace. You promised we'd go to McDonald’s in Human Town after training. Do not be late. And Drina has given me a credit card, I want to go shopping in the mall”, she lets me know.
I look at her in surprise.
“Did you ask Drina for money, Erina? You know I have enough money for both of us. You don't have to ask anyone for money, I'll cover everything you need”, I say sullenly. “I want you to give her the card back. Now that you've announced that we're mates, I'm responsible for your expenses. If you want, I'll give you your own credit card”, I let her know, a little offended. To my surprise, she laughs and kisses me on the cheek. "No problem. I give it back to her. And yes, I would like to have my own card”, she says maturely. I chuckle at her tone, kiss her on the forehead and leave.
As I thought, I found Alcina at the pool of the packhouse on the first floor.
She lounges in the sun in a tiny bikini that leaves nothing to the imagination. I sigh, this is not a healthy situation considering the many unmated male wolves that live in the packhouse. Not a single she-wolf in the pack is dressed like this in public. Alcina is clearly looking for trouble.
“Hi, I'm Beta Jace, we've met before”. I walk toward her with an outstretched hand. She squeezes it lightly and sits up with a bored expression. “Yes, Clark told me about you. Beta, what can I do for you? I was improving my hue," she says, a bit irritated. "Is there something you need from me?"
“Well, we're glad you're enjoying our pack. I hope Clark is looking out for you”, I answer her with a friendly yet distant smile. “Yes, I have nothing to complain about. My apartment and food is fantastic. And I enjoy myself when Clark is at work," she says. I nod approvingly.
“We know that you are human and we take that into account. But you would help us if you consider that many unmated wolves live in the packhouse, " I tell her. “Your clothes could be offensive. And I'm sure you don't like being pushy."
“Beta, does this mean the men in this pack have never seen a woman in a bikini before,” Alcina mocks. "I doubt that. The men here are handsome and healthy. I'm sure they're having their fun."
I sough resignedly, this discussion is becoming pointless. At least I gave her a hint about the matter. I take a chair from one of the tables and sit next to her lounger. She shifts uncomfortably but eventually sits up straight in the lounger. “Tell me, Alcina, which city are you from? At the last meeting, the Alpha King asked you the question, but you didn't answer it," I tell her.
She tightens.
“Well, nothing is exciting about my life story. After years of study, I thought I would go out into the wide world for some fun before settling down. I hope to find a well-paid job when I'm ready and, of course, a handsome husband later on." As she tells me the trite tale, she sips a glass of white wine.
“Hmmm, so you're around twenty years old now”, I ask somewhat skeptically. Actually, her face is ageless, which is typical for witches. They stop aging around the age of twenty-five.
“You know, Beta. If I didn't know better, I'd think you are hitting on me," she says with a smirk. “But then I think you probably like immature girls. The way you parade through the pack with a five-year-old is unheard of. Perhaps you should examine that inclination in you instead of wasting your time on me.”..