Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 87

Ana

There those two girls were again, back inside the café, Londyn and Sara. There was a film crew here in town or out at the ski resort, and a photography crew as well. Sara was there to film an advertisement for the local ski resort, and from what they were hearing Londyn was still her manger; no surprise there.

It was from what she could tell an advertising campaign to attract more clientele to the resort in the warmer months, she’d been seen hiking, and mostly out on the nature trails, as well as in the resort itself, at the restaurant. They’d been here for two days now and today was the last day of filming.

The lunch rush was over for the moment here in the café and those two had come in and looked right at her and Maddie, “Afternoon Ana, Maddie, we’d love your coffee before going off to the final shoot this afternoon.” They’d been addressed informally as though they were all good friends as they’d sat down.

‘Trouble is brewing’ Maddie had mind-linked right to her, in front of both those she-wolves and they had registered it.

It hadn’t taken long to figure out why they’d been so friendly to them. About three minutes after they walked in, so did two well-dressed male rogues, and they sat across the coffee shop and openly watched Londyn and Sara.

‘Agreed.’ Ana had mind-linked right back to her after serving those two male rogues with a happy friendly smiled and a “I hope you like the coffee.”

Those two men looked and dressed just like businessmen in the human world. That had simply stopped in for a coffee, they had already smelled her and Maddie and dismissed them as human.

Of no interest to them whatsoever.

‘We have to help them, or they’ll end up kidnapped and sold on the black market.’ Maddie texted her as she leaned casually on the counter. They weren’t that busy this afternoon yet, the rush wouldn’t start for 20 or 30 minutes.

Ana agreed with her statement and texted back ‘I’ll take a walk outside and see if it’s just the two of them?’

‘Alright.’ Maddie sent back. Then she’d spoken aloud as Ana had headed for the front door “It’s good to see you back Londyn, Sara. How are your mother’s doing, Ana and I haven’t spoken to them in a while.”

Ana smiled as she pushed the door open and stepped outside. Yes, let’s play the we know you and your parents card, should help delay those two rogues. Maybe make them think twice, about

acting impulsively. “Dad just asked me to get a photo of us all together. It’s been a while. He

apparently misses the old days when we all hung out.”

“Oh, that would be great.” She heard one of the girls ask “Where is Ana going?”

“Oh, she’s got a date with officer Huntly, he’s a persistent fellow, and finally she’s agreed to go on a date with him.”

Ana chuckled softly, Maddie was in there pulling out all the stops, it seemed. There was no officer Huntly in this town, but those rogues were unlikely to know that. It also gave her an excuse to be gone for 30 or 40 minutes and allowed those two to stay right there and talk to Maddie, like they were the best of friends. Would be missed if they suddenly disappeared.

Thankfully, today was a day Ocean was at daycare, and her little girl was not seen by those rogues. She always stared at other wolves when they came in, didn’t yet understand; being only two, that she shouldn’t do that. But those rogues would notice it. Austin put it down to how all humans looked at him, he exuded power just walking into a room.

She and China strolled about the town smelling for that rogue scent and found the car those two men were using, a four-wheel drive with darkly tinted windows. There were no other rogue scents she could pick up on just the two in the cafe, other than Londyn and Sara, and she headed back to the café about an hour later, texting Maddie on her phone. ‘Only the two of them.’

“How was your date?” Maddie asked her right away.

“Awkward.” She muttered “why I let you talk me into going I’ll never know. I texted dad, he’s driving through tonight on his long haul, wants to stop in for a barbeque, to break up the drive, said to ask Londyn and Sara if they wanted to join.” She turned and looked at the two girls, smiled right at them. Yes, she was offering sanctuary to them.

“Yes,” Sara answered, “Maddie already asked what we were doing before going to our next job tomorrow.”

“Perpetually busy.” Londyn chuckled softly “Sara’s in high demand right now.”

“I’ll text dad, it’s on him tonight,” she nodded as she stepped behind the counter and smiled at Maddie and saw her slide a piece of paper along the front of the coffee machine. It read “I’ll collect them from the resort, you pick up Ocean, and we’ll meet back at the house after I’ve ditched them rogues. I’ll get necklaces for them before picking them up. I got Londyn’s number while you were away. It’s all sorted out.”

Ana smiled, she didn’t doubt that at all, Maddie had, had an hour to work on her own plan to save those girls. Maddie left the café with Londyn and Sara, chatting while Londyn was on the phone to their employer, it seemed, to tell them they were on their way to the resort now.

Ana stayed at the café and chatted to her customers like nothing was wrong. She knew Maddie had headed for her car after seeing Londyn and Sara to a car themselves. She had a driver come and get them. That was interesting. Those two rogues who’d ordered meals to cover them being

in the café for so long, were up and gone within two minutes of Londyn and Sara leaving the café.

She and Maddie introduced themselves properly, and told them how long they had been here, living like humans without any issue from the wolfen world. Maddie had already explained those necklaces to the two girls who would be staying here for a little while. Maddie had offered them to stay permanently.

When they heard it got a bit on the hairy side, at times, for Londyn and Zara, and at times they had to flee. It was as Maddie had originally thought, Zara used her Gamma’s charm on any male wolves that they came across, to help get them to back off. She also used it to get work, and paid cash for most of their jobs as well.

It worked a treat on human men, and most of the photographers they worked with or companies even, were men, so that helped them with move about, and get work all over the place. They never stay put for too long, usually only two or three days at a time. It was too risky after that.

They actually didn’t have a residential address to call home, lived out of hotels and motels on location at shoots most of the time. Zara had taught Londyn to fight, and they had, over the past year, had to fight off a few rogues and a couple of non rogue wolves as well.

Londyn and Zara had come across each other by pure chance one day out walking in the woods. Zara had been in wolfen form and Londyn had kind of just stared at her, a little shocked, never come across another like her until Zara. Thought she was the only one.

“Maddie, perhaps you should sss Austin.” Ana had commented as they sat there,

“What! You don’t think I didn’t do that while I was in this house hours ago?” she smiled at Ana. “Of course I did.” She snorted, amused “Though I didn’t stick around for an answer.”

“Who’s Austin?” Zara asked.

“An Alpha on the council, who Maddie here thinks it’s funny to play with…hump the hell out of each other occasionally. But he has no idea Maddie is a she-wolf. It’s hilarious.”

“He also doesn’t know I’m the one that uses his pack to access the intranet when I want something, comes here looking for me.” Maddie laughed “Has no idea, Ana is right. It’s hilarious.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit risky?” Zara asked.

“Nah, I’ve known him for years, I’m just human to him.”

“Yeah, a human he came to see on a full moon.” Ana smirked. “Likes her a lot.”

“Ah but he won’t give me what I really want.” Maddie huffed. “Cos I’m human.”