Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 173

Ana

She walked from her bedroom and found Zara looking at her. “We’re leaving tomorrow. Could you help me pack for everyone?”

“Ana leaving is not the answer.” Zara frowned at her.

“Not running away, being transported to Highland Hills at the Alpha Council’s request. I just talked to Alpha Austin, the whole council was there. He’s sending Sloan to collect us all tomorrow.” She elaborated, her word choice had been poor, it seemed.

“What about Slade and his unit?” Zara asked.

“They’ll be on the same flight.” She nodded. “I’ll call a family dinner. Everyone, even Ocean, needs to know.”

She nodded.

“Will you be alright seeing him?” Zara sighed now, as she looked right at her.

“I have no choice. I will have to deal with everything I’m feeling.” And she knew she would. But she also knew she probably shouldn’t let it be on that plane in full view of Ocean “I’ll… sort something out myself.”

she murmured.

Zara just nodded and Ana walked away, went outside to think about just that. No, she couldn’t see him for the first time, after all she’d just learned, and now had confirmed with Austin. The Wolfen Council right there as well. No, she didn’t want that to happen, with Ocean right there next to her to see it all. She had to see him before getting on that plane, or she might not be able to get on the plane at all.

She sighed softly to herself, that didn’t leave her much time to come face-to-face with him either. She mind-linked to Londyn ‘Hi.

‘How you doing?’ Londyn asked right back.

She shook her head. All of her sisters had now asked that of her, ‘Not that good Londyn to be honest, I need you to do me a favour.

‘Sure.’

‘Text Yuri and get Slade’s number for me, I need to speak with him.’

‘Alright, give me a few minutes, I’ll send it direct to your phone, Londyn stated.

‘Thank you, oh, a full family dinner at six tonight.’

‘Okay, I’ll tell Maddie, I’m headed for the café to get coffee’ Londyn closed out the mind-link.

It took all of three minutes for her phone to chime with Slade’s number. Ana stood and looked at it. He’d not changed it in all these years, it was still the same as it had been when she’d been part of his unit. She wondered a little absently if he’d not changed it in the hope that one day she might call him, for any reason at all. She tapped the number and hit save, took a breath in and typed Slade, as the contact. Something for the past seven and a half years she’d never thought she would ever do.

She sent him a text ‘It’s Ana’ was all it read, and she looked out at the frozen lake and waited for his response. She heard the chime and looked at it, something she never thought she’d ever see. His name flashed up on the screen ‘Slade’ the notification of the text read.

She clicked it open.

‘Thank you for giving me your number. Are you alright?’

She sighed and looked away from the phone ‘was she alright? After everything that had happened, he could still ask her that. No, she wasn’t alright, was filled with guilt and partially hated herself right this minute. Not even China was happy, she had been quiet all morning and was now, after hearing Austin and the council talk, just laying inside her mind, feeling as guilty as Ana herself did about separating Ocean from her father. Separating not only Slade but Hail from their daughter.

‘Not really.’ She finally texted him back, how he could be so concerned about her well-being after all this time. She didn’t know. Why wasn’t he a furiously mad Alpha in a rage over her keeping him from his child?’ We need to meet but…not with Ocean there. You can see her tomorrow. I’ll not deny that. I’ll also talk to her about a few things so she’s more receptive towards you.’

‘Ana, I do understand. Just let Ocean feel how she needs to. We’ll get along soon enough, I’m sure of it.

Where do you want to meet?’

That was a very good question. Everyone in town knew her, so the café was out, because there would be too many people around, and she had no idea how she’d handle seeing him to be honest. That was why she needed to do this now, just him and her alone, without Ocean there.

‘I’ll get back to you… Just you and I though, please. Leave your unit out of it.’

‘I can do that. He sent back.

She walked inside and found Zara looking at her. “Are you going to watch me all day?” Ana asked her.

“Yes.” Zara nodded. “Where you go, I go. Until I think it’s not necessary, I can feel what you’re feeling without touching you.”

Ana sighed “Tomorrow will be a bigger issue, than today, Zara. You might want to save your energy for that.

Zara frowned for a moment and then nodded. “Going home, to that place you mean?”

“Yes, considering I now know China and I were almost lost to a bloodlust.” Slade’s account of things in that file had confirmed it. Both Palmer and his dad had felt it start to evolve but not complete.

“How is China?” Zara asked.

“Quiet, unhappy. Guilt ridden as much as I am.” She muttered. “Hail and China always got along, liked playing with each other.”

“Hail?… is that Slade’s wolf? His name is Hail?”

“Yes,” Ana nodded.

Zara suddenly chuckled.

“I’m not going,” Londyn voiced, was there in Maddie’s office.

“Calm down, the four of them will be going as well Londyn,” Ana told her. “On the same plane even, you’ll have like seven to nine hours to talk to Yuri and bask in his scent. I don’t know i can’t be bothered to do the math.”

“Sweet, I’m in then.” Londyn chuckled.

“Ana?” Maddie murmured.

“It’s fine, Maddie. That request, however… I’ll go and meet Slade tonight. After dinner, is it at all possible..?

“No it’s not.” Maddie stated. “I need more time. If we are leaving in the morning or tomorrow sometime, I have to redo the café rosters and call the staff about the changes, see who can and can’t come in to cover our shifts for at least a week I imagine.”

“Crap.” Londyn muttered. “So do I, I’ll catch you at home.” She stated, and Ana heard her leave the office.

“When can it be ready by?” Ana asked.

“By morning, I suppose, I can stay up all night and catch some sleep on the flight.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“It’s alright, what are you and Zara doing?”

“Packing all of us clothing for the trip.”

“Okay, remember it’ll be warmer over there, more like summer for us, I imagine, so don’t over pack and not too heavy”

“Yes, mum.” Ana chuckled. “I also know it will be sunny and cold but not freezing and covered in snow. Jeans and tee-shirts, a few sweaters are all that’s required.”

“Do you want me to tell Ocean when I pick her up from school?” Maddie asked.

“No, that’s what the family dinner is for.”

“Then bring it forward to five, she’s anxious enough today.”

“Alright, I’ll make her favourite. Could you bring home cake?”

“Yes I can, I got a strawberry shortcake with enough slices left to bring home.”

“Thank you.”