Unknown daughter

"Hey, alpha. How's it hanging?"

I glared at Luke, who's my best friend and beta.

"What have I said about that alpha crap, especially when it's just us?

He chuckled.

"Damn, hard day, B?"

I sighed heavily and rubbed a hand down my face, leaning back into my office chair.

"Hell ya. These meetings aren't going anywhere. Alpha Sanders and Alpha Greg are refusing to see eye to eye on this situation, and I'm stuck in the middle. I don't wanna use force to solve it, and it can be seen as me choosing sides. But I also don't want to go to war over this either. If anything, if things escalate, I'll have to go see the Alpha King for help. Besides him and his pack, we're the strongest pack, and if we step in, shit can go left easily."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's give it a little more time. Maybe we can work something out that doesn't involve all that happening."

Luke leaned back into the chair he sat on. He slapped his legs with his hands, standing up.

"Pivoting. How's the family?"

I smiled. Luke knows the fastest way to get me to relax was to speak on my family. I chuckled.

"Everyone's doing great. Daniel is doing amazing in training. Bruce told me he was quick to get new techniques, but he's also very helpful to the other pups in his class. And Sierra is growing to be quite beautiful. She looks more and more like her mother every day."

I noticed Luke's face immediately changed when mentioning my mate Lisa. She can be demanding and come off as rude, but she's just passionate. She does try to help where she can, as much as she can, but she's not the best in authoritative roles. Meaning well doesn't produce real results, so I have her sticking to just the labors of the packhouse and events/banquets of that nature. She flourishes there. Although they don't see eye to eye, he nore my gamma and commander have never been disrespectful.

"Yes. How's the Luna?"

"She's doing just fine as well. We have our annual spring/summer dance coming up next weekend, so she's busy preparing for that."

"Why do we have that dance anyway? We already have the mates ball we do at the end of summer that gathers young wolves from all over to see if they can find their mate. What's the point of a second dance before the big one?"

I looked at him, and he shrugged.

"This one is for just our pack. Moreso, as a coming together to commune with one another."

Luke gave me a look that said "Yeah fucking right". I didn't even bother to respond to his face. We drifted in and out of conversations for a few minutes when a ding went off from my laptop. I thought maybe one of the alphas was sending over some more information or tryna drag me to his side, but the email was from an email I haven't seen. I have 2 separate emails. One for work and my personal, and this email came through my personal, which only very few have access to. I opened it, and to my surprise, a video was attached to it. The freeze frame was of a woman I hadn't seen in 12 years. She was a human woman I met during my travels as a younger man. I met her when I was 21, and she was 20. I never thought I would fall for someone who wasn't my goddess given mate, but she snatched my soul from me. I still remember the day I left her and the hurt in her eyes when I did. I had found my mate. It felt as if my heart was gonna split in two. I told the woman who I really was and that was the nail in the coffin. She didn't want me to have to choose between my people and who I was and her. So she let me go. When I try to look back on my past with her, everything always feels hazy, but the love I felt for her never faded or the hurt I felt when she made the choice I couldn't. I will always have love for her for doing that for me. Now, 12 years later, I'm seeing a face I thought I've longed forgotten and eyes I never thought could still peirce my soul. She was still as beautiful as I remembered. I gasped once I saw her face. Luke jumped up and came to my desk, peering over my shoulder. He, too, gasped once her saw her face.

"Is... is that really her?"

I knew what he was asking and nodded.

"It's a video. Play it and see what it says."

My finger hovered over the play button for a brief second before I finally decided to play it.

"Hello, Brandon. I know you're probably wondering what I'm doing contacting you after all these years. Firstly, if you are seeing this, it means that I have died."

It felt as if my heart had fallen out of my chest. My wolf howled in my head, feeling the same loss. Not only did I love her, Axel did as well. I can't believe the next time I see her, it's through a video telling me she died.

"I know it's a bomb I just dropped, but trust it won't be the only one. I did, however, wanted to tell you that I hope you are living a great life and that I've never hated you for not choosing me. I would've never put you in a situation to choose the impossible. Also, I still love you. I have always loved you, and that will never change. But I also need to apologize to you. I've kept something from you for years. I don't know exactly how long it will be when you see this, if ever, but right now, it's been 9 years. We have a daughter. She's 9 now going on 10 and a little over half a year, and she's beautiful. She has a lot of aspects of me, but she has some of you as well. Take care of her. Love her in my absence. I tried to give her love enough for the both of us, but I can't anymore. The day I came to tell you about her was the day we separated. I didn't want you to feel guilty. I wanted you to be happy and free. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wanted to protect my baby and give her a normal life, but I can't grant that for her. Please. PLEASE protect and take care of her. She's my world. Her name is Kwenali Emeri Moore. Once this video is done, another email will be sent to you, giving you instructions on where to find her. My funeral will be done within 3 days of my death, so please get to her by then. I love you, and I'm sorry. Maybe we can be together in some other life... you never know. Goodbye."

I was stunned silent, as was Axel. I have an unknown daughter I knew nothing about for 12 years. It was way too much to unpack here, but the biggest thing was that I had a daughter I knew nothing about. I didn't know whether to feel angry, sad, happy, or scared at the thought. Axel, on the other hand, was ready to go get his little pup, who's now alone in the world, thinking she has no one. But he, too, had a bunch of questions.

What does she look like?

Is she tall?

Does she look like me?

What's her wolf gonna look like?

He's was driving me insane with countless questions.

"Bradndon, you ok, man? Congrats on the daughter, but damn this is crazy. I can't believe how well you're taking it. I'd be freaking the fuck out."

I looked at Luke and shook my head.

"I'm not doing all that well either. Axel is going crazy with questions and wants to meet her immediately, but my brain can't seem to catch up. I can't believe I've been kept away from my daughter for 12 fucking years. Not that I don't understand why she did it, but still."

Just then, another ding came from my laptop, and it was the follow-up email I was told about. Axel was pacing in my head, needing to get his pup. I can't can't lie, I was impatient as well.

"What are you going to do, B? I'm with you either way."

I took a look at the instructions, then back at him.

"I'm going to get my daughter."

*note: the son's name is not Stephen but Daniel. I can't seem to change the stupid thing.