Alpha Ocean ✔

Epilogue (2)

3 months later
Naya's POV.

Ryan's house, or office, as he liked to call it was near the mountains, by the lake. There was a cell tower near the human civilization that gave him a clear line for communications. I'd been accustomed to use hardly any social media, hence, I didn't even have the urge to even check anything when my phone received a full signal.

"We have 14 new shipments ready for delivery but the damn people I do business with knows we don't have many connections so they lowered the purchase price." He banged his phone on the table.

"Do you have other companies around here?" I wondered. He handed me the yellow pages and I flipped through them to find couple of competing companies and did some research on the computer. Ryan was the sole businessman in this whole pack. I understood that Ocean didn't want to endanger anyone else. Ryan's life was always in danger every time he went outside the walls before but it's not the same anymore. I was sure more people would be interested in this and take the burden off him. It took me about an hour to jot down details about their business management their purchasing prices.

Picking up the phone I called each and one of them, arranging a meeting with nearly every one of them. I was open to travel out and do the meeting myself, on my own. We hadn't had a single hunter attack in months, I wanted to get out there in the city for even just a day.

"How the HELL did you manage to do that?" Ryan sat there in awe. I knew he was a tremendous businessman but they lost a lot of business because they weren't allowed to visit those warehouses.

"I'm going to go meet them, solidify the deal." I was sat across from his desk. I didn't have my own office yet because I liked working outside in the sun, by the lake among serenity. Ocean said he placed an order for a mahogany desk but I didn't care much for an elaborate design.

"You aren't allowed." He stated as a matter of fact.

"We will be. We haven't had any attacks in months, the guy who was after us is dead and I think we deserve to live as freely as we can. I know people still will be sceptical and I also know we are doing exceptionally well but have you seen these..." I showed him the hand carved lion designs with rays of mane etched into the wood. "...this could sell for twice as much as those leeches are offering you. No hunter attacks, means, no need for 100s of enforcers. We can build another workshop and make MORE and sell for more."

"True but let's not get ahead of ourselves." He leaned back in his chair.

"No, let's start small, find more than 5 companies we can create a relationship with. We have amazing craftsmen, trust me, after they see what we have, your current company would weep for their losses." I smiled but my optimism didn't reach him.

"Sweetheart, you go ahead and make those new connections. I've lost hope but with the Darkling gone, maybe we can finally live more freely." He paused, getting up on his feet from his black revolving leather chair and headed towards the open window that hosted the most spectacular view. It reminded me of one of Lorenzo's painting of the valley near Verdicci.

My eyes diverted towards the photo on his table. It stood out from his sophisticated room filled with dark wood furniture. The simple square frame was badly brushed with chipped yellow paint, bright pink and red flowers with green leaves. It was done by his daughter in the frame. She inherited Ryan's bright blond hair and her mother's deep green eyes.

"Where's your family?" I remembered seeing them at the pack house.

"They are at the workshop. She told me she loves the smell of wood and wants to be carpenter." He laughed. She was a ball of spitfire. A 7 year old with full of life.