“She’s dead, eh?”
There was a crowd in the area where Ananya and January Bayor had been attacked. Cai and Dhrys were kneeling beside the lifeless body of June, and Oscar stood with Ananya, holding her protectively in his arms, though he tried to keep his distance since he was a bit sweaty. Next to him, January Bayor and Karsten stood side by side, occasionally glancing at each other, and Samiya was next to Cai, observing the body from above.
“She is,” January Bayor confirmed. “I couldn’t find a pulse.” Her throat bobbed. “I had to do it. She was going to kill Ananya, otherwise.”
“I know,” Oscar told her, rubbing Ananya’s arms gently and stroking her hair. He kissed her forehead, inspecting her face for the fifth time. “That filth hurt you,” he growled, mostly to himself. “She’s better dead than alive, then.” He turned to January Bayor. “Nothing will happen to you, Bayor. She was declared an enemy of the pack anyway. She would have been in jail or hanged regardless of the circumstances.”
January Bayor nodded soundlessly.
Ananya cleared her throat, finding herself to be very parched. “Is this okay, though?” She asked. “I mean…June killed a lot of people, but is it fair to kill her because of that?”
“She died because she was attacking you. Bayor was doing her job as an Officer to defend you,” Oscar told her gently. “If she wasn’t dead, I wouldn’t have killed her. I would have locked her in prison, and perhaps I would have tortured her a bit, but I wouldn’t have killed her.” His fangs elongated slightly. “I understand this may not make sense to you, nor might it be comforting to know that our lives are entwined with murder, but it’s the simple truth of our existence. At the end of the day, we’re animals.”
“I see…” Ananya sighed. “I suppose you’re right. It was self-defense. I just…I can’t help but feel bad. She wasn’t supposed to die, no matter how cruel her actions were.” Her fingers itched for her phone, suddenly wishing that she had an emoji to translate her feelings.
Oscar rubbed her back, his fingers dancing over the dried wound there. “I understand,” he said again, softer this time, only for her ears. “And I hope that you can forgive me, but know that my main priority is to protect you and the pack. As Alpha, it’s my job to do so with any means necessary. I would never hurt you, though. That’s a line I’ll never cross…”
She looked at him and smiled. “I know,” she said, blinking a couple of times. “And I understand your reasoning. It’s just something I need to process.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I mean, I’ve never witnessed a murder first-hand.”
Oscar returned her smile. “That’s fair,” he said. He held her elbows. “Can you stand on your own?”
“I can.”
“Good.” He nodded and slowly released her, trodding to Cai and Dhrys, and June’s body. He knelt and lifted her head by fisting her hair; he gazed deeply into her pale, cold eyes.
“Ananya.” Samiya came up behind her. “Sit on that stump over there. Let me clean your wounds. I don’t want them to get infected.”
Ananya followed her instructions without complaint. “It’s quiet,” she noticed. “What happened to the fighting in the pack?”
“We won. After June was killed, the rogues retreated. It was as though they were tethered to her existence, and the moment she died, they were freed.” Samiya shrugged. “It was weird. They left shortly after that, or, they tried to. We caught most of them, and I don’t think we’ll be seeing the ones that escaped anymore.” She brought out a bottle of anti-disinfectant and began applying a sodden cotton ball to Ananya’s wounds. “How are you doing?”
“Physically or emotionally?”
“Both.”
“Physically, I’m exhausted, and in pain,” Ananya said, wincing when Samiya applied more pressure. “I feel like all of my bones have been fractured and my muscles are torn, but I think it’s just an ache from all the falling and pulling of my limbs.”
“That’s probably it. You were tossed around a lot. What about emotionally? How are you coping with all of this? I know you’ve been out of it since you returned. It’s not easy to break ties with family…”
“I don’t think I broke my ties with my aunt…at least, I hope not,” Ananya murmured. She sighed heavily and bent her head, exhaustion finally weighing down on her thin shoulders. “I’m…I’m tired, Samiya, and I think I just need to relax. I…I don’t know what to think, honestly. Somebody…somebody died while on top of me…and I know that person was a horrible person but…they died…”
Samiya’s gaze dimmed. “That’s our life, Ananya,” she admitted somberly. “We fight daily to protect ourselves. We have to; we don’t have a choice. Death and murder are part of our everyday lives, and while we try to follow ethical codes, sometimes those codes don’t apply.” She paused. “Consider this: if Officer Bayor didn’t hit June over the head, would you still be here? She would leave scott free, and you’d have so many people mourning for you. June would have added your death to the notches on her bed, and she would have continued on her killing spree. She didn’t care, Ananya. She’s not like you. I can’t say that she deserved to die, but it was warranted if you understand?”
“I do…yes, I think I do.” Ananya offered a tiny smile. “Thank you, Samiya. I appreciate your help. I think…I think I understand now, and I’m not mad at anyone but…but I need to rest.”
“You do. Your body has overexerted itself.” She stood and gathered her things. “I’m going back to the pack to help everyone else. We have more injuries for both humans and wolves.”
“I’ll come with you,” Cai offered, rising quickly. “Karsten?”
“I’ll get June’s body to the morgue,” Karsten said, and it was then that Ananya noticed that he had been holding January Bayor’s waist. She caught the Officer’s eye with a small smirk, and the older woman turned her face with a huff.
“I’ll help him,” she mumbled, brushing past Karsten to get to the body and avoiding Ananya’s prodding gaze.
Ananya laughed. So, she’s finally found someone, huh? She studied January Bayor and Karsten as they worked to lift June. They work well together. I think she’ll be happy.
“I should get back and see how everyone in the tenth district is doing,” Dhrys said, standing awkwardly in the center of the grove for a moment. He began to approach Ananya, then stopped himself and gave her a weak smile. “You okay, Ana?”
Ananya nodded and gave two thumbs up. “Smiley face emoji, Dhrys,” she chirped, licking her dry lips.
Dhrys laughed, then, when he caught Oscar’s eye, a moment of silence passed between the two men. They seemed to be speaking with each other, but their mouths weren’t moving, and Ananya watched in confusion as they spoke with their eyes, nodding now and then. Finally, Dhrys turned and brought his arms up. A swirl of black overwhelmed him and his body shrunk into a small, black crow that propelled itself into the sky.
It was just Oscar and Ananya in the grove, then. They didn’t look at each other. The wind passed through them with a gentle whistle and the grass and leaves rustled. Oscar kicked the bloody log that January Bayor had used to save Ananya’s life. Ananya swung her feet on the stump idly.
Finally, Oscar moved. He walked toward her and knelt in front of her. His head fell, pressing against her plush belly, and Ananya felt something wet and warm dampen her clothes.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Oscar murmured. He sniffled and his voice came out choked. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed his head deeper into her stomach. “I’m so glad you’re okay…”
Ananya found tears forming in her eyes. “I’m glad you’re okay too,” she responded, carefully sifting her fingers through his matted hair. She touched the patches of blood on his skin, her small fingers dragging along his exposed shoulders, brushing the biceps that bulged at her touch and the veins that wiggled when she’d tap them.
They stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity, and Ananya decided that she wouldn’t have minded staying eternally with Oscar by her side. She realized, with a leap of her heart, that she had found a place that she never wanted to leave. She had found a place where she could stay and feel happy; she had found a place where she finally belonged.
“Ananya, marry me,” Oscar mumbled into her stomach.
Ananya’s heart nearly stopped. “Huh?” She blinked, and abruptly her heart began to work again, racing like it was aiming for first place in a marathon. “What did you…”
“You heard me.” Oscar lifted his head and shifted his body so that he was on one knee. “I know this may seem sudden, and I know that you aren’t ready right now, but promise me that one day…one day you’ll marry me. Promise me that one day…you’ll be mine…you’ll agree to be my wife…”
“Oscar…” Ananya sniffled and with shaky hands, she cupped his jaw. “I can’t promise that.”
He frowned, his body going still. “Why not?”
She smiled and laughed. “Because you already have me, silly,” she said and kissed his nose. “You’ve always had me, Alpha Yuen.” Her lips found his cheek. “I’m always going to be yours…if you promise to be mine.”
“That’s not even a question, sweetheart. I wholly belong to you,” Oscar proclaimed, kissing her fiercely. “You scared me, though. I thought…by God I thought…”
Ananya chuckled. “I should have continued instead of pausing,” she said with a blush and leaned into their kiss. “But I promise that I’m already yours…I have been. And soon, when we bring order back to the pack and Bourdier…when we bring peace to our people - not werewolves and humans - our people, then I’d be more than happy to marry you.”
Oscar grinned. He stood, a surge of energy sweeping through his system, and he spun Ananya around, bringing her down for another strong kiss.
“That’s all I ask,” he murmured through their kiss. “Damn, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Ananya giggled, gripping his smooth shoulders. She threw her head back in ecstasy when their kiss ended so that she could feel the wind combing her hair and tickling her neck; so that she could feel the reality of her situation; so that she could make sure that what she was experiencing wasn’t a dream.
Their blissful moment ended when they heard voices beginning to rise in the distance, along with the banging of objects and the beeping of machinery. Oscar set Ananya on the ground and frowned, squinting at the horizon.
“I wonder what’s going on,” he mused. He took Ananya’s hand. “Shall we go see?”
She nodded. “Let’s go.”
They rushed to the pack, slipping through the dented gate and past the cots being set up on the ground. Ananya tried not to pay attention to the blood on the ground and pushed her vomit down her throat, working her muscles over their limit to keep up with Oscar.
“What’s going on?” They reached the entrance to the border, where a group of military wolves had gathered. Oscar pushed through the crowd, finding himself met with a crowd of humans, some carrying weapons, others carrying boxes and piles of wood.
“Are you Alpha Yuen?” One of the men asked gruffly. He was holding a gun in one hand and a rope attached to a pile of saws behind him.
Oscar straightened. He put his arm out to prevent Ananya from approaching any further. “I am,” he responded.
The man nodded. “We’re from Bourdier. We wanted to let you know that Mayor Dafowick will no longer be Mayor. Regulations say that he has someone to succeed him, but we’ll be holding an early election to have our representative be more accepting of improving our relations.” His rugged face broke into a smile, one that garnered a stunned hissing from the crowd. “We apologize for the sudden arrival, but when your pack helped us escape from June, we decided that we needed to pay it forward. After all, if we’re to be allies, we should help each other in times of need.”
“What are you implying?” Oscar questioned, his eyes narrowed.
The man set his gun on the ground, and behind him throes of people put their things on the ground in front of the pack, ranging from weapons to wood to metals of all kinds.
“We want to help you rebuild,” the man said. “We want to prove that we can change - all of us - and we want to start amending our past.” He offered his hand. “Please, accept our help.”
Oscar was silent, then, with a quick glance at Ananya, who was unable to contain her grin, he returned the man’s smile and shook his hand. “We’d be honored to have your help,” he said. “Welcome to the Yuen Pack.”
Ananya lay on the bed. She felt like she was dead, but her eyes were open, and she still had her wits about her. Yet, she was dead. Her chest rose and fell laboriously and she oscillated between taking a nap and taking a shower; she was undecided.
Ugh, I don’t want to get up, she thought with a groan. I have to…but I don’t want to… she closed her eyes and tapped her fingers on her belly, playing a tune with the air that had filled up the place food was supposed to be. She didn’t want to admit that she was not only lazy but also bored out of her mind. Where’s Oscar when you need him?
It had been a week since the fight with June, and the pack was already almost fully repaired. Of course, that didn’t include the extension to the hospital or the stronger gates around the border, but according to Oscar, the pack was almost in the exact condition it had been a few months ago, thanks to the help of their allies in Bourdier.
Speaking of Oscar, Ananya hadn’t seen him in a long time. She’d witnessed him passing through the rooms now and then, and occasionally she’d be semi-awake so that she’d see him clamber into bed or trudge out, but it was so seldom that she wondered if he slept at all. She was tempted to text him, but she didn’t want to disturb his work.
The doors slammed open, nearly startling the life out of her. Ananya pushed herself up with her elbows, blinking blearily and rubbing her eyes. “Eh…?”
“Ananya, what does the eggplant emoji mean?” Oscar questioned, pattering into the room and absently closing the door behind him. “Every time I want to use it, Cai makes fun of me.”
“Eh? Eggplant?” Ananya yawned. “It’s supposed to represent your penis like the peach represents a woman’s butt. Why?”
“It does?” Oscar was incredulous. “But how? An eggplant fluctuates in width. A penis doesn’t. And why do you use a peach to represent a butt? Why are you using food? Why not use something else, like a pole?”
“I don’t know. It’s just something that everyone uses.” She patted the space beside her. “Do you have time to sit?”
“I do. We finished the last of the repairs yesterday, and since it’s Sunday, everyone has the day off,” Oscar said. “I had to do some paperwork today, but I’m done with all that now.” He plopped down on the bed and wrapped his arm around Ananya, nuzzling her shoulder. “For the rest of the day, I’m all yours.”
“Really?” Ananya beamed. “What do you want to do, then?”
“Not sure. Talk? We haven’t had a normal conversation in a while.”
“In our lives, Oscar, I doubt anything is normal.” Ananya fell on the bed and Oscar came beside her, their legs dangling off the edge. She turned her face toward his. “How are you feeling?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
He sighed. “I’m alright,” he admitted. “I’m…I’m a bit out-of-sorts and stressed, but I’m okay. I’ve been doing this for ten years, so I’m used to this by now.” He kissed her shoulder. “Most of the work is almost done anyway. After that, we just have to organize the alliance ceremony and…” he stopped.
“And?” Ananya’s tongue flicked over her dry lips. “Alliance ceremony? What’s that?”
“It’s what we were supposed to do in Bourdier. Each leader stands in front of their people and signs a document pledging allegiance to each other.” Oscar’s gaze searched hers. “And…there’s something else.”
“Something else? What else?”
Oscar’s breath hitched. “Well…you don’t have to say yes, obviously, because it depends on your comfort and willingness to do this but…”
“But…?”
“The pack wants to do a crowning ceremony again,” he said at last. “It’s to officially recognize an Alpha pair as the leaders of the pack.”
“Aren’t you already recognized as the leader of the pack, though?”
“I am…but you aren’t.” He noticed the surprise that widened her eyes and quickly backtracked. “Like I said, we don’t have to do this. I understand if you’re not ready to be officially recognized as Luna. Of course, I’d like for you to be official with me, but again, it’s all up to you. If we don’t, that doesn’t change your authority. It’s just unrecognized by the higher government, which would be Jackson, but I don’t think he’ll have a problem with it.”
Ananya listened to him speak, nodding and saying nothing. Her mind was swarming, though. Be a Luna? Officially? I’d have a job…responsibilities…everything is going so fast…but in a good way? My heart is jumping, am I excited? I want this…I do want this…
She met his shifting eyes confidently and grinned. “I think we should do it,” she said. “I want to be by your side officially, and I know that even if I don’t do the ceremony, it won’t change my supposed authority, but…I want to do this. I’m confident in that decision.”
“You are? Really?” Oscar’s body jolted in excitement, and he seemed to be at a loss for what he should do with his hands. Eventually, he cupped her face, smiling. “You…you want to be my Luna, officially? You want to say that in front of everyone?”
“I’m not ashamed to. I love your pack, and I think they’ve accepted me as well. I want to do this.” She poked his chest teasingly. “Then I’ll be able to boss you around.”
He laughed. “Sweetheart, you can already boss me around.” He leaned in and kissed her, their lips molding passionately. He held her close to his chest, their waists pressing against one another, and Ananya tangled her legs with his, savoring the warmth of both his mouth and body.
“It feels nice to be able to relax,” she said, resting her head under his chin. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve gotten to hear myself breathe.”
Oscar hummed. “It is nice, isn’t it?” He stroked her back, over the bandages that Samiya had wrapped around her wounds. “When do you think we should hold this ceremony?”
“In a while. Let everything get back to normal. I think people just need a break to spend time with their family and get their lives back together.”
“That’s true.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “I need a nap. I think I’ll head to bed early tonight.”
“You should. Your face looks exhausted.” Ananya dragged her index finger along the deep, tired lines of his face. “I’m surprised you had time to shave, though.”
“I hate having hair around my mouth. My genes make it so that I get a wispy mustache, so I look like a teenager in puberty when I have facial hair,” Oscar grumbled.
Ananya laughed. “That’s an amusing image,” she said.
“For you, maybe.” He yawned. “You don’t have to be anywhere, right? I can just lay here and enjoy a nap with you?”
“That sounds nice. It’s been a while since I’ve slept during the day, though I think it’s almost evening at this point.” She cuddled him, and she realized then that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a private, comforting conversation with Oscar. The past weeks had been overwhelmed by work and locating June to take her down, and even before that, Ananya and Oscar’s relationship had only started because a human had been killed (the human that was Ananya’s estranged cousin, she eventually remembered). She wondered if Egon and June hadn’t put their plan into action, would she have met Oscar?
She glanced at him to notice him studying her. “What is it?”
“I think June had this in her head for years,” he said, seeming to begin out of the blue. “After Sara, she’s always been a bit insane. Egon fell into her trap because he wanted to be a complete wolf, not part human because June was able to manipulate him against them. The murders weren’t random. She calculated everything.”
“Even purposefully killing my cousin?”
“I thought about that. Bourdier’s a famous town, but it’s not very big. Everyone knows everyone, so she must have learned that you were the last detective there. Knowing that all the others were busy elsewhere, she most likely saw an opportunity to enact her plan. Our being mates made it more worthwhile, as she would have been able to tear me physically and emotionally. Mate bonds are powerful, darling. It can literally kill a wolf.”
“I see…” Ananya thought it over. If June had done her research like Oscar said, then she had everything planned out to the letter until their mate bond brought upon a mending of bridges between wolves and humans. “It’s funny how fate works, isn’t it?”
“It is. Fate’s mysterious but exciting.” Oscar rolled his body so that he was hovering atop her. He bent and kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips, then the bandage on her cheek. “You still have this?”
“I don’t want to take it off. I’ll wait for it to fall off on its own,” Ananya mumbled, raising her legs to wrap around his waist. “I thought you were tired?”
“I was, but then I realized how much I missed you, emotionally and physically.” His voice was a low, inviting rumble as his lips worked on her neck. His tongue flicked over her mark and his teeth pulled her shirt sleeve.
“I’ve missed you too.” Ananya grasped his biceps, tilting her head both to give him more access to her body and to move her hair as it was splayed over the bed.
Oscar nipped her shoulder and rolled on his back again, but this time he brought Ananya with him so that her body was on top of his. He tilted her chin with his fingers and brought his mouth on hers. “My Luna,” he said through gasps of breath.
“Your Luna,” she affirmed, laughing affectionately. She felt his stomach growl beneath her, and her stomach followed suit. “What do you want for dinner?”
“You.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I,” Oscar smirked. “But I suppose I can have an appetizer.”
Ananya rolled her eyes. “Pizza? I’m feeling too lazy to cook.”
“Pizza sounds nice,” Oscar admitted. He sat up and brought Ananya with him, placing a final, chaste kiss on her cheek. “Come on. I’ll order it. Do you want to watch a movie in the living room?”
“Alright. What’s your favorite genre?”
“Comedy.”
“No way.” Ananya chuckled. “Do you understand comedy?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Oscar opened the door and led her out of his room.
“You’re always stoic and you very rarely use emojis when we text,” she explained. “I pegged you for a science-fiction guy.”
Oscar shrugged. “I don’t mind sci-fi, but I like comedy...” He blushed. “I don’t use emojis often because I’m still learning them. I’ve figured some out, though, like the eggplant emoji you told me about.”
“Please, don’t use that emoji. It’s embarrassing,” Ananya laughed.
“I won’t. I’d be embarrassed to use it.” Oscar stopped in the kitchen and took his phone off the countertop. “Do you want any toppings?”
“Nah, cheese is fine. What about you?”
“I’ll take what you’re having then.” He handed her the remote. “The HOME button - the yellow one - will bring you to the apps. Pick whichever streaming service you want.”
“Nice.” Ananya grinned and skipped (well, she tried to skip, which ended up being a half-trot) to the living room. She seated herself on a long white couch and swung her feet as she flipped through the channels. “What to watch…”
“ANANYA!” The doors to the main entrance burst open with an intensity that made Ananya wonder in her moment of panic if someone was dying. Kathie, who she realized at that moment had lingered in the pack (where she had no idea) ran into the living room, her head turning wildly until she found Ananya, the latter who stood like a deer in headlights.
“Kathie?” Ananya screeched. “What in the world are you doing?!”
“I heard a scream!” Oscar scrambled into the kitchen, his eyes glowing and the hairs on his body upright as his wolf took over. “What’s - who are you?”
“Oscar, relax, it’s Kathie, my friend,” Ananya placated him. “Kath, what are you doing here?”
“I have awesome news, Ana!” Kathie glowed excitedly and bounced on her heels. “You won’t believe it!”
“And…this couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Ananya sighed and gave a soft chuckle of relief. “What is it?”
“Okay, so you know Marge, right? Marge’s been looking for you. I said you were busy. She knows about the wolves and stuff and she’s okay with it, but that’s not the point,” Kathie spoke rapidly, waving her hands like she was piecing together invisible fragments of words. “So, you know how there’s a vacancy for Mayor in Bourdier, right? And you know how nobody wants to do it, right?”
“Right…?” Ananya exchanged a curious glance with Oscar. “So, what?”
“If she does it, we’ll be together at last!” Kathie swooned. “A lot of the people in Bourdier are hesitant, but we’ll prove them wrong! We’ll all be together and I can beat all their pompous asses!”
“Who, Kath? What are you talking about?” Ananya’s stomach growled. Can’t she tell me quickly? I want my pizza.
“Marge, Ananya, Marge!” Kathie rushed toward her and shook her shoulders. “Marge is running for Mayor of Bourdier!”
Guys we're getting there! Only a couple of chapters left and then this story is complete! Who's excited? I hope you're all enjoying it!
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