Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 102

Ana

The years passed without issue for all of them, and Ocean was off to her first day of Kindergarten. She was now five years old, and her long blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail that had one plait that ran through it, a plait that the bead she’d ripped from Alpha Austin’s head was braided into.

Ocean was so very excited to go off and meet the other children, make more friends, she understood already not to talk about their wolves, that they weren’t human like everyone else in this town, and to never take her necklace off.

She’d been given the choice this week of a bracelet or a necklace to wear. She was old enough to choose, and her little girl had looked from her to her aunts, Maddie, Zara and Londyn, and then just smiled and said, “I want a necklace like you all wear.” and now she too got to wear a necklace just like they all did.

Today, she, Maddie, Zara and Londyn were all there to watch Ocean go off to her first day of proper school. A moment that was exciting for all of them, where pictures had been taken and though it was a bittersweet moment for Ana herself, she knew that all parents had to go through this.

Maddie hugged her and murmured “She’ll be fine.”

“I know,” and she did know that school was only a few minutes’ walk from the café itself. “But five days a week.” She’d sighed, she was going to miss her little girl who had always been in the café with them, bar the two days a week in daycare.

They’d all headed back to the café where the four of them worked when Zara and Londyn were here in the town and not away on some modelling or photography job. Something Londyn had gotten into and was quite good at, she had her own small photography business where she took photos of weddings, anniversaries and birthday parties.

Londyn even shot Zara herself for some of the shoots they went off too. She was also still Zara’s manager in the modelling industry, and had sold her footage of that Luna to a tabloid for a nice sum of five grand. Had come running into the house waving her phone with the deposited amount in it for all to see. Happy with her putting of that Luna in her place.

She’d been convinced by Londyn, with Zara’s help, to do some photoshoots for a few well-known glasses brands. After Londyn had shown them a picture of her eyes, she’d not been convinced to let Ocean do that. No she was not having her daughter splashed all over the place.

Though she’d only been convinced due to hearing that photoshoots were always taken weeks or sometimes even months prior to them being seen in magazines. So, there was no real chance of anyone hunting her down from any of them. Londyn and Zara had come up with a modelling name for her, Brianah Summers, and Londyn was her manager, though she wouldn’t allow Londyn to put that on her website.

So, she had been in a few magazines over the years, and in one of the photos on Londyn’s website, a photo of her and Zara and two other models up in Whistler. It had become like their winter vacation destination, they went every year for snowboarding. They always stayed at the same hotel too. A full family tradition for them, Maddie even managed to wrangle them into the same room each time.

One of those shoots up in Whistler had been for Blenders Eyewear, and they’d modelled not just sunglasses but snow goggles as well. All of them had been there, but it was just Sara White and Brianah Summers along with two other models in that shoot. Though Londyn had made a deal with the company, and they all now had sunglasses from the company. Only wore their brand. Even Ocean had been given a pair. She had loved it.

She was making herself a coffee and looked up to see Alpha Austin opening his car door for a tall slender woman to get out. She had looked up at Maddie’s words down the mind-link ‘Austin’s found his Mate.’

There had been a tinge of sadness in her words.

She and Austin had continued to see each other when he was here in town, though the man had stopped hunting for his Greenville friend. Even though she’d tormented his tech teams a few times, with her accessing of the wolfen intranet, through Austins pack. Though she, as Maddie the human, had never gotten actual sex from Austin, though from all accounts, it had come close a few times.

Austin walked into the café, with that woman, holding the door open for her as any loving mate would.

They’d not actually laid eyes on him in six months. He smiled at them all, “Morning Maddie, Ana, Zara, Londyn.” He addressed them.

“Morning Austin.” They’d all stated right back at him in unison. It was something they’d started doing, once he’d been introduced to Zara and Londyn and heard they were their two younger sisters.

He’d been a little shocked by it, new sisters that looked nothing like either of them, but he’d gotten the same story as her and Maddie about them, same dad, but different mums. They embellished just a little. Their dad was now a long-haul truck driver, and he had girls in many towns, he was a ladies’ man. Though Londyn had snorted ‘man whore. Under her breath.

Austin had just chuckled along with them at her word usage, seemed plausible to him from what they could tell.

He chuckled at the four of them and their greeting of him, as he always did when they said hello like that.”

This is my wife, Sloan.” He’d introduced the woman standing next to him.

“Hello.” She had greeted them with a warm, friendly smile of her own. “I hear from Austin, that Maddie, you have the best coffee in Greenville.”

“Ah, is that what he tells you about me?” Maddie had half smiled, “But I don’t know about that, but it’s pretty good, definitely the happiest, friendliest coffee in town. What can I get you this morning?” Maddie asked them and they both looked to the board to see what they wanted.

“Congratulations Austin,” Ana smiled at him.

“Thank you.” he nodded.

“When may I ask was the big day? You never told us you were getting married.” Londyn stated “I could have come and been your photographer.”

“A couple of months now, and sorry Londyn, I have a company photographer.” He answered her.

“Pity.” Was all she said in return.

“Are you and Austin planning children?” Ana asked her.

“Yes,” she nodded, “They’ll have eyes just like mine, beautiful like your own daughters. Will inherit that family gene.” She looked to Austin. “Blue is so generic.”

She heard Maddie snort in amusement at the bold statement, and yes, it was quite generic for alpha wolves to have deep dark blue eyes in their human form. She looked right at Sloan’s eyes and realised that they too were quite unique. “Wow, like mercury.” She stated.

“Yes,” Sloan stated “Can we get a piece of that coffee cake? It looks delicious.” She tapped the display case. We’ve got a wait for our check in.”

“Of course.” Ana nodded “One or two or a slightly larger slice to share.”

“To share.” Austin called out, and she nodded to him as Sloan made her way back to sit down.

“Honeymoon?” Zara asked as she put their cake on the table.

“No, that was in a lovely beach house down in Cape Cod. A beach house one of my longtime friends owns.

“So why the stay in Greenville?” Maddie asked. “is your wolf restoration program having issues?”

“No, he shook his head.” And they sat to eat their cake quietly. She watched him read a text message, and then he just smiled “I got me, a lead on someone I’ve been tracking for years, who lives here in Greenville.”

Ana held in the snort of amusement, but both Londyn and Zara didn’t and Maddie leaned on the counter and smiled right at him “Well, I wish you luck on your hunt.”

“I don’t need luck. I got me a wife that’s in the bounty hunting business, is also a truth seer, nothing gets passed her.”

They watched the two of them get up and leave the café with a cheery goodbye, see you later, and drive off in their car, “Sorry Maddie.” Ana hugged her.

“It was bound to happen at some point.” Maddie sighed “No more fun for me, back to waiting on Mr Right I guess.”