The Last Bears Daughter

CH 6

Braxton

He was up early for training this morning with his pack, everything had gone as expected, though he could see as he watched over a few of the younger ones, they could probably apply for the ranking up competition that would be coming in spring. Would have his mother go and talk to those omegas that were definitely able to rank up to warrior status; that had put real effort in.

One's he thought actually wanted to become warriors within the pack. It made him smile to see it. He did like being able to rank those up when he could see the effort was being made. The perseverance and pride they took in their training, how they never missed their training and some even turned up early. There were a few that took extra training as well.

Though a lot of the research here was done by the omega’s, and they were more than valued within his pack. Those that lived here and ran the kitchen and dinning rooms, maintained the cleanliness of the pack, the gardens; that was all their own preference regarding where they wanted to work.

No one here was made to do anything that they didn’t want, and twice a year all his wolves were made to clean the entire pack, clean out the gutters and wash all the buildings down and scrub the pathways. Even he and his unit got in and did their fair share. It was a much quicker task if everyone pitched in.

He did like how neat and tidy the pack was, even liked the way it was all laid out. There were no individual homes here, everyone lived in large apartment buildings. Nothing here was over 4 storeys high, and those apartment buildings were long and curved to match the circular patten of the pack. The apartments were all large and spacious, allowing room for the family that lived in them. Or room to grow even, were as spacious as an individual home would be.

His pack had large, paved pathways between all the buildings, there was a well-maintained road from the lake ferry that wound up to the pack and led right to the pack house. That road went all the way around the formal garden. And had only four points of entry and exit to the main road.

There were smaller narrow roads within the pack after every second row of buildings, that led to car parking areas, for the apartment buildings on either side of the road. Between the two buildings there were lovely grassed and gardened areas or playgrounds for the children, barbeque areas for the families to use, and several swimming pools dotted around as well.

All visiting packs stayed in the pack house, and would take up the entire first and sometimes second floor when a mating ball was in full swing. Though those attending all arrived and had to leave their cars; bar the Alpha’s car, on the human side of the lake within his gated car park. It was a fully gated car park with security cameras and motion detectors. All allied pack's alphas had a swipe card to access the gate and let his pack enter the area.

Once on this side of the lake, those visiting packs were transported up here to the pack on coaches, with their Alpha’s car leading the way.

This way, full formalities could be attended when greeting visiting Alpha's. The buses were kept down by the lake in big bus sheds. He owned 6 of them. It also made transporting his own warriors easy when going to allied assistance. Not many wolves used coaches; most traveled in car convoys and could be easily spotted on their way.

Brax, brought his thoughts back to his duty for today, trying to sort out if Rhyse Otto was or was not a pack member here. He picked up the phone and dialed the number for Alpha Sloan, frowned as it rang out and then went to the message bank, “Alpha Sloan, it’s Alpha Braxton of Obsidian Pack, returning your call. If you would tell me your contact within the Wolfen Council, I will email a picture to that Council Member of the Otto family that resides here. I’ll be in my office all day. Waiting on your return call.”

He was not just going to send anyone a photo of the Otto family, it would only go to the Alpha Council, and he did know who they all were, even had email addresses for all of them, all packs did. So, if this was a false claim, it would go no further. He was not so gullible as to send out pack members details to just anyone claiming to be a representative of the Wolfen Council.

This would also deter any further inquiries if it was some sort of scheme to find out information on the Otto family here inside his pack. He knew at least two other packs that had Otto families in them. Now all he had to do was wait for the return call from Alpha Sloan.

He spent the day in his office making phone calls to his companies to see how the new product designs were coming along. The new electronic bikes had been a hit release, a year ago. His team were now focusing upon a proper road scooter. They were usually focused on water sports, lots of his pack liked to go down to the lake and hang out.

His outdoor hiking, camping and boating company was focusing this year on a new jet ski range. Normally they designed and built non-motorised watercraft's like kayaks and canoes, kite surfing equipment, wind surfers and small, one manned sail-boats.

Though the plan for that particular company over the next 5 years was massive, and already the designs were in the works for a grand luxury yacht to be built and launched. His design engineers were on that, and he was often down there in the room with them. He enjoyed designing watercraft's, it was his specialty. When he wasn’t sitting behind the Alpha’s desk, sometimes he would just doodle on a piece of paper or on a sketch pad to take his mind off of things and find he’d made something unique and new, so he would take it down to his design and development team and sit and talk about it. To see if it could be brought to life.

That new small luxury yacht they were working on developing for next year’s launch was his design. It was a risk to venture out into the motorized industry, but he’d been doing research on it for nearly 3 years now and that Ferry he owned was his, and his design team's doing. Patterned and everything. If the small luxury craft was a hit, they’d announce a new brand and company for just yachts of all sizes, standard every day affordable ones to the million dollar and more upscale high-end ones. Then put up the expected designs of some of the yachts in planning to see if there was interest in them.

He was sitting at his desk with his design program open when the phone call from Alpha Sloan came in just after lunch. “Alpha Braxton, good to hear from you, I had hoped that my memory served me correctly. Sorry about the lateness of the call, I found my Mate last night.”

“Congratulations,” he stated and meant it.

“The email of that family photo can go to Alpha Austin of the Council. I presume you have his email address, yes.”

“I have.” He nodded, “I’ll send it now. I presume your inquiry is because you have Rhyse with you.”

“We do have her, though it was not I or the council that retrieved her, that honor goes to Alpha Addison of the Black Forest Pack.”

“Um, would that be the former Luna of Nightfall?” he queried, knowing that Orien’s Luna was now elsewhere, could be titled as Alpha now, and that woman had freed a whole pack from Victor Sampson and the Bloodless Moon Pack.

“Yes, do you know her?”

“I have met her many times over the years, am allied to Nightfall, though I hear she is no longer with Orien.”

“She is not. What a small world we live in. Please send that photo through.”

“I have emailed it just now.” He stated, had been doing so since she stated which Alpha on the Wolfen Council to send it to.

“Excellent.”

“Before you go, if it turns out the girl is from here, please bring her home safely. Though the pack has a new entry point.”

“I’m aware via your ferry.”

Brax blinked at that, he didn’t think that he had met Alpha Sloan before, and his silence elicited an answer from her.

“Like I said, I am a representative of the wolfen council, I also move about quite a bit and keep up to date with packs all over the country. I have been in your pack but long before you were born, I knew your great-grandmother and grandfather.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I hope to hear from you shortly. If so, I will inform her family right away. Please don’t delay in her return. If it is our Rhyse.”

“Of course not. Though we are a full day's drive away in north Idaho.”

“I’ll wait for your arrival if this is the case.”

“You will hear in short order, is a text okay?”

“Yes.”

She was gone from the line a few minutes later, and he sat and waited more than a little impatient. If it was Rhyse Otto of this pack, that would be a really good thing. Telling her family would be something nice. For them to have that knowledge.

It didn’t take long to come through all of 15 minutes and with it was a photo of a dark-haired woman with hazel eyes, she didn’t really smile at the camera, but he could see there was hope in her expression. Under that photo was her name and the words, ‘If her family want to call her and talk to her, use this number.’ Then there was a number under that.

He sent back, ‘I’ll contact them right now with the good news.’

She had been missing for a very long time. He mind-linked his mother with the news and she came right to his office. He knew the Otto family were all likely attending to their day jobs. Connected himself to all of them and requested that they all come to his office for a formal meeting. Made sure to tell them that there was nothing wrong.

He watched Ellen and Kyle walk into the room, followed by Rebecca and her Mate Bishop. He had no idea if Bishop knew Rhyse or not, but this was a full family event. He saw Ellen look at the pack's Luna and then to him and could see a little worry in her.

Watched as Kyle rubbed her back and asked them all to sit down, he had some good news to impart to them. Waited until they all sat and motioned for his mother to show them the photo he’d printed out of Rhyse.

“While I was away I was contacted by the Wolfen Council about a girl looking for her original home pack. Her description allowed an Alpha to recognize this pack.”

He watched as both Ellen and Kyle stared at the photo, saw Ellen look up at him with tears in her eyes and fear as well; didn’t want to get her hopes up, and he knew it.

“That was taken just a few minutes ago. Sent to me to show to you.” He held out a piece of paper to Kyle, who was staring at him now. No one had said a single word, shocked and scared to hope it was their daughter. Though he was certain they would recognize her, she did look like Rebecca quite a bit.

“You can call and speak with her. That’s the number from Alpha Austin and Alpha Sloan.”

“Alpha Sloan?" Kyle asked now, “as in the Kitsune?”

“I honestly don’t know about that, but she said she’d been here before. So likely so.” He nodded, “I’ll give you some time to make that call, mother will stay with you, and” he watched Miles walk into the room. “In case you're too overwhelmed.” He stood to leave the room, didn’t mind letting them use his office for a while.

“Thank you, Alpha.” Kyle nodded.