Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 108

Ana

She was standing in her boyfriend of a year and a half’s bedroom, the man himself, Peirce. Was in the shower, she’d arrived early with their dinner and right now, wished she had not texted him to tell him she was coming early at all.

She had smelled a woman outside his house, and she even knew who it was. His ex, Felicity, she had put their dinner on the kitchen counter, telling herself that it was nothing to be concerned about. That Felicity was the mother of his two children; they were divorced, and she didn’t live here in town.

She came to his house, to pick up and drop off the children for weekend and school holiday visits, as per their custody agreement, though, as she had let herself inside the house, as had been his text, “Just let yourself in Ana.” He’d sent to her. She could hear the washing machine going and then had been hit with the smell of sex, and knew it wasn’t innocent.

It hurt to know that this man, who had pursued her for well over a year just to get her to agree to date him.

And then, a further six months of dating him, after her sisters told her to just do it; he was a good guy and the local sheriff, so he could be trusted.

Six months it had taken her to let him seduce her and pull her into his bed, had been sleeping with him for a year now, he knew Ocean. He was really good with her, and she knew his two daughters, Tammy and Samantha. Got along well with them herself.

But now as she stood in his bedroom, she knew why he was in the shower, because he’d been having sex with his ex-wife Felicity, and was trying to hide it from her. What he didn’t know was that there was no way he could do that.

The window to the bedroom was even partially open to try and rid the room of the smell of sex. But he couldn’t hide it from her. China was as unhappy as she was, and was up inside her mind breathing in deeply herself now, to confirm what Ana thought, now knew was going on.

It hurt her to know he could do this to her after all this time, after he’d told her he despised his ex-wife.

That she had cheated on him and that was what had destroyed their marriage. Because he’d not been willing to forgive her, had gutted him to know she could do that to him.

Now here he was cheating on Ana, with his ex-wife; he’d just become like his ex. That woman also knew he and Ana were a couple. She didn’t much like Ana, glared at her all the time, especially if she was there when Tammy and Samantha were also there. She had once stepped up to Ana and grated out “He’s my husband, a divorce means nothing, you’ll see.”

Now she understood that very statement, because it now appeared that their divorce did mean nothing, he was once again sleeping with her. Was right this minute washing the sheets to cover it up. She wondered as she stood there what he was going to do?

Would he own up to it, and tell her, or would he play it off as if it never happened, and keep his ex-wife on the side, as a secret from her? Have both women! She wondered just how much more he was going to betray her? How long it had been going on and would continue? She felt an ache inside of her at that thought, another man she trusted, took years to learn to trust, and he’d just gone on and betrayed her too.

She watched Peirce; a tall, well-built man, with dark hair and brown eyes, stroll out of the bathroom, blinked at her standing before the stripped-down bed. He was only wearing a towel around his waist.

He was a good-looking man, though he was 10 years older than she was, at 35 he worked out and kept himself fit, had a very nice body to look at, to touch even. He smiled at her “Clean sheets for us today.” He stated as he looked at the bed himself.

“Usually already done.” She stated, as it dawned on her that, yes, for the past few weeks there had been crisp clean sheets on his bed when she came over, always freshly laundered, and now she wondered just how long he had been cheating on her with his ex-wife; a woman he professed to dislike.

Ana turned and walked from the bedroom. “I’ll get dinner laid out.” She stated simply, though China was of the opinion they should just beat him one and leave.

“Alright, I’ll make the bed.” He called out after her.

Ana stood there in the kitchen and tried to comprehend what was going on, how this could happen. They’d been going out for a year and a half, and though the sex could be better, she knew that was solely because she was wolfen, and he wasn’t her Mate; was a human that she liked was all.

She actually didn’t mind that the sex. She knew if she was a human it would be considered dragged on by the woman, as he sometimes struggled to reach his own climax. She however, didn’t mind that it lasted longer, was often the one to tell him, to let her turn over and keep going. He thought she struggled with reaching that orgasm as well.

He could get her there, and some days when he was all riled up and just wanted to really go at it; that was actually what she really liked, to have him just give it to her all hard and fast, though it never lasted long when he was like that; a few minutes only. She actually much preferred it when he struggled to achieve his release, and he could keep on going.

He was nice and funny and could be very charming, was a good dad to his girls, and he worked hard, and the town liked him as well, he was a good sheriff. He’d moved here to their town after his divorce, four years ago, to get away from his ex, had applied for a transfer and accepted the first available job regardless of where it was. Hadn’t cared where, she recalled him telling her.

They had agreed to no sleep-overs when his children were there, and he never slept at her place, sex was always here, because she lived with Maddie, Zara, Londyn and Ocean.

Though they did have meals all together, her and him, the three girls, he’d even had dinner with her and her sisters quite a bit over the past year and a half.

He would stroll into the café and lean across the counter, kiss her as any boyfriend would before he ordered his coffee and after being handed it. The whole town knew they were a couple. Peirce liked everyone knowing she was ‘his woman’ as he liked to call it.

Her eyes moved right to his. “You’re a liar and a cheating son of a bitch.” she grated out, “Turned into your ex-wife, and now have made me feel, how you yourself felt, when she did this to you… An asshole Peirce is what you are.”

“Oh, come on Ana, you don’t even love me. I told you I loved you six months ago and not once have you said it back, not ever. How do you think that makes me feel on a daily basis?” he shot at her.

Ana stared at him now, he was going to blame her for his cheating. “Everybody falls in love at different speeds.” she countered “Never have I ever been with any man in this town, no one, not ever. I came here at 18, and only ever you, does that not tell you how much I liked you.”

“Like is not love Ana, Felicity loves me and…”

Ana snorted “Oh, and you love her now, once again, do you? After she fucked around on you…well I hope she’s faithful this time around.” Ana snarled at him, never once had they fought about anything, but she was angry with his lies, and hurt by his betrayal. Couldn’t bloody help but snarl at him, and his telling her he was cheating on her because she’d never used the word love.

She turned to leave, grabbing her purse, and stopped as she pushed out the front door, saw Felicity’s car parked across the street. She turned and looked right at him. “You’re a cheating asshole and your mistress is across the road right this minute. At least this town will know you’re the one that cheated.”

“Don’t you dare think to ruin my reputation, Ana.” he stalked over and grabbed her arm as she stepped outside, yanked her to a stop, “It’s a small town, and I’m the sheriff.”

“A lying sack of shit you mean, untrustworthy. I’d let go of me.” She grated out and even as he did, she felt China snarl inside of her. He was not their mate, but Ana was hurting now because of him. He was no different to the others in her past.

Betrayed her for his own wants and needs, she felt her hands curl into fists, she’d not been able to hit the last man that had hurt her, but she would do this time. There was no risk to herself.

She screamed right at him, and saw him blink, and then he was just gone, flying backwards as she put a foot right into his abdomen, a full front kick with her wolf behind it. He knew she trained, and could fight, but he had never been on the receiving end of it before.

Now he knew just how strong she was, he might be big and muscled up, strong for a human and hard to take down in his world, but he was no match for her. “I hate you, Peirce.” she yelled at him and was gone, off into the woods, ran away from him; she wasn’t even good enough for him; a human.