Eudora's Baby

Chapter Two: Jasmin\'s Assistant

Jasmin paced restlessly around the office.  Eudora and Jericho where at the desk, sitting side by side, buried in papers.  Eudora was holding her head in her hands like she had a headache.  “This is the biggest mess I have ever seen,”  she groaned.  “There isn’t even enough money to pay last month’s electric bill, let alone this month’s.”

Jericho nodded in agreement.  “It’s a disaster.  This is not a problem we can fix in a few weeks time.”

Eudora looked at her husband desperately, “Help me Jericho, I don’t even know where to start.”

“I’ve got an idea!” Jasmin leaned over the desk.  The two alpha’s looked up in surprise.  “While you two are sorting out all the paperwork, why don’t we get a training program up and started?  This will keep the young wolves occupied, and help unify them.”

Jericho raised his eyebrows in surprise.  “That is actually a fantastic idea Jaz.  You will be in charge of organizing a training program… I think you should coordinate with Beta Caleb on this.  The Black Crow people will be more receptive to changes if it comes through one of their own.  As you implement this, be watching for a warrior who would be a good candidate to take over as the full time trainer when we leave…”  Suddenly he looked a little guilty, and looked at Eudora.  “Sorry love, it’s a suggestion only.  This is your pack, its your call.”

Eudora smiled and patted Jericho’s cheek.  “I’m so glad you are here with me.  Don’t worry about stepping on my toes.  I need your input and experience.”  She turned to Jasmin.  “Go ahead Jasmin, get out of this office.”

Jasmin gave a sigh of relief, and went to find Beta Caleb.  For her there was nothing worse than being cooped up in the house.  Jasmin found Caleb out in the garage, bent under the hood of one of the pack SUV’s with an omega mechanic.  “Hey Beta!”

Caleb jumped and hit his head on the hood.  He rubbed his head and shot the tall red-head a grumpy look.  “Miss Jasmin, how can I help you?”

Jasmin shifted from foot to foot nervously.  “Eudora… I mean, Alpha Eudora – says we should organize a training regimen for the pack.  She said that I should coordinate with you to get it started.”

Caleb rubbed his shaved head thoughtfully.  Training had been sliding off more and more in the later years of Vincent Sakwa’s reign.  “It’s a good idea.  I will send a message out through the pack link.  What time do you want them to muster?”

“Before breakfast.  0600.”  Jasmin pushed aside some tools, and jumped up to sit on the shelf in the garage.  We should probably separate them into age groups… everyone from 10 to 50.”

Caleb lifted his eyebrows.  “You are really serious about this?” He was thinking to himself that the pack had grown lazy, they wouldn’t be too happy about getting up first thing in the morning for physical training.

Jasmin gave him a disdainful look.  “Of course I am serious.  You said yourself that the surrounding packs are restless and threatening to attack.  How do you expect to defend yourself?”  She watched the omega under the hood for a minute before she continued.  “Do you have a gym?”

“There is a gym in the basement.”

“Okay.” She slid off the shelf, not caring that the back side of her pants was now smeared with dust, grease and garage grime.  “I’m going to hit the gym.  I’ll meet you in the morning… say, where are the training grounds?”  Caleb explained that they used the clearing to the east of the pack house as a training field.  Jasmin rubbed a hand through her crazy red curls.  “Can you maybe assign me an omega to help me get around for the first few days.  I’m going to get lost in this place… it feels like the first day of high school all over again.”

Caleb chuckled and elbowed his assistant under the car hood.  “Hey George, is your daughter free?”

The man appeared out from under the hood, his wide flat nose smeared with oil.  “Lori?  Yeah, she probably in the nursery.  Shall I call her?”

“Yes, please.”

George shot an uneasy look at the tall, intimidating red-head.  “Are you sure, Beta, you know Lori..”

“Yeah, I’m sure.  It will be good for her.”  

Jasmin watched the exchange with a little frown between her brows.  In the end George nodded obediently and called his daughter from the nursery.  A small teenaged girl came shuffling into the garage.  She had the same wide nose as her father, along with a wide, innocently smiling mouth, and eyes that looked a little puzzled and vacant.  When she moved, she did so clumsily.  “Yes Daddy?”

George wiped his hands on his trousers.  “Lori, this is Miss Jasmin.  She’s a friend of the new Alpha.  She’s visiting here and she doesn’t know her way around.  Beta Caleb would like you to be her assistant.  Can you do that?”

Lori smiled, showing uneven teeth, “Yes daddy, I can do that.”  She turned to Jasmin and offered her left hand, the wrong hand, to shake, “Nice to meet you Miss Jasmin.”

Jasmin shot an uncertain look at the two men.  Lori was obviously developmentally disabled.  But with a shrug, she shook the girl’s chubby hand with her left hand.  “Okay Lori,” she said with an easy smile.  “Can you show me to the gym?”

“Oh yes!” Lori took ahold of her hand like a little girl, and started dragging her back toward the door.  “I know where the gym is.  I know where everything is!  This way Miss Jasmin!”