Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 50

Ana

It was quite an adjustment becoming a mother at just 18, and not only for Ana, but for Maddie as well. Having a newborn baby to look after was not actually an easy thing, and even having Maddie there for full support, it was still hard. The two of them were raising little Ocean, and at times they were both tired.

As much as they loved her, and she was cute and adorable at times, there were times when she just didn’t stop crying, and they didn’t know what to do with her. How to fix it? Sometimes nothing seemed to work, it wasn’t fair to Maddie and Ana sent her back to work after just a week. To let her have time away and some peace and quiet at times.

Life with a baby was not all roses, it seemed, and she now understood that if Maddie wasn’t there with her, she might have fallen apart completely. She owed her new life to Maddie, every single part of it, and she now knew it for real.

Maddie had given her a day job, a place for her and now Ocean to live. Even paid her a wage, had helped her to buy the things she needed for Ocean if she was short on funds, helped her set up the nursery and had even delivered Ocean. Where would she be without Maddie? Likely a howling mess in some dingy old apartment, she couldn’t afford or homeless with a newborn is where; and she knew it.

Because she was not going back to that place she’d come from, a place that though she knew everyone. She was worthless to even her so-called biological relations. Her own bloodline had made her lower than all of them. Turned her into nothing inside that pack, and why? So, they could have their son rank up. Finally, they had found a way to discard her, and had done it harshly and for all to see. Had shown her just how much she was worth to that bloodline; which was nothing.

Maddie was amazing, had given her back everything that she had felt she’d lost. Had become her family and in the true sense of the word and feeling. Ana had lost everything in the space of one day and Maddie had shown up in her life, and given it all back to her in the space of a day.

Ana could only think that Selena was looking out for or smiling down on Maddie, who’d been lonely and in need of a family, or that Selena had seen that she, herself Ana, had needed someone just like Maddie. That their own Goddess had brought them together because they had needed each other. Both alone and lonely in the cruel world of wolves they lived in.

It had to be one or the other in her mind, though Ana honestly thought it was more about Maddie, than herself. That girl was a truly good soul, had a terrible life laid out for her, inside that pack, yet she harmed none in her escape and fleeing to her freedom. She’d had every right to, as far as Ana was concerned, but she’d not.

Maddie was also devout where their Goddess was concerned, she not only liked the woman but believed she’d met her that one time out in the woods even. Ana now liked to think so as well. When she thought back on the words that woman had spoken to Maddie, they were the words of one that could see the good Maddie was doing.

Kind of almost like she knew the girl was doing good and would continue to do so even, Maddie was bright and happy, living her life to the fullest now. Her way, she didn’t harm anyone, not wolves, not humans. She liked the humans, liked living among them and pretending to be one of them even.

Their lives were so very different to the wolfen world, they had more struggles out here in their world, it was just as harsh as the wolfen world, a little more so, Ana thought. They didn’t have a solid group around them to support them if things turned bad. No pack to turn to for help.

Not that she or Maddie had that anymore, they just had each other and even just that, was good for both of them. They had a family now, a wolfen connection that helped them. Wolves were social creatures and being alone was never good for them. Now they didn’t have to be alone at all.

Were blood bonded to each other, had a real family. Family that would never turn their backs on each other. She loved Maddie and knew Maddie loved her and little Ocean as well. Their chosen family was more loving than a real family. They had found solace in each other and brought more joy and happiness to their own lives, by simply opting to become each other’s family. A choice she would never regret and she knew it.

Maddie had worried more than Ana had about the Beta from her former pack seeing it and recognising her, maybe coming for that child she’d birthed, being that it was Beta blooded in his eyes, he wouldn’t know it was that little Ocean was Alpha-blooded. That fear from Maddie had diminished with every day that had passed over the last three months. Ana had doubted anyone would come for her. None of them knew she had been pregnant, let alone with the future Alpha to that pack’s pup. Even if he’d seen it, the minute he’d heard it was a baby girl he’d have dismissed the idea of coming for it. Would be worthless in that Beta’s eyes, just like its mother was.

There had been an article in the Maine news about a woman giving birth to a baby girl on that beach, but no names had been given, because no one had known who they were, and they’d been gone from that beach and the hospital the minute they’d been allowed to. Though there had been a photo, with their faces all blurred out thankfully, because they didn’t know who they were and likely couldn’t get permission to use it in full. She’d seen it was a picture of her and Maddie walking with Ocean from the beach heading for their car. The article was actually a nice read, about a woman giving birth to her daughter, and that the little girl had come very quickly, and been delivered by her own aunt. ‘A joyous family moment at the beach.’ It had been titled, apparently the reporter had spoken to many of the other family’s there, and it had been reported how well they had gotten along, that they had been laughing and smiling, full of joy for their trip to the beach.

It was a nice article, and they’d clipped it and put it in Ocean’s baby book for what happened during the day of her birth. It would be a nice read for her when she got older, and it was actually the truth of the matter. It had been a nice family piece, she supposed, something light and sweet to bring a nicety to the paper’s readers.

Though Ana believed that no one inside that pack cared in all likelihood, and there was a part of her that still wanted them to, she supposed, because there was this ache inside her chest when she thought about it sometimes. Understood why she’d left, had felt completely and utterly betrayed by those that were supposed to love her, but had, in the end, all turned on her. A part of her still wanted them to love her, that was the ache, and she knew it, the pain of being betrayed didn’t just go away.

But she didn’t belong there anymore, didn’t belong to the world of wolves any longer.

Now she belonged here in the world of humans, a place she found she fitted into nicely.