Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 10: Pt. 2

"Alpha!" Samiya waddled as fast as she could toward him and Oscar stopped in front of the flagpole, waiting patiently for her to stop. "I have some information for you!" She gripped the side of the flagpole and bent to her knees, gasping for air.

Oscar smiled, hoping he looked friendly.. "I can only imagine what you're going through," he said. "Should we sit somewhere? Shall I carry you?"

Samiya blushed. "No, no, I'll be fine." She rose and placed one hand on her belly and the other remained on the flagpole. "I couldn't find the watch, but I have some wolves, Egon included, looking for it. He said he brought it to me, but I have a theory that someone must have taken it if it held vital information."

"Who could have gotten it?" Oscar frowned. "The hospital is protected quite well, I made sure of that. Nobody would be able to sneak in or out without someone knowing."

"I don't know." Samiya bit her lip. "That's the information I wanted to tell you about. I...I think we have a mole in the pack." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.

"A mole?" The Alpha's narrow eyes widened. "In our pack?" His voice rose an octave with disbelief. "I can't believe that!"

"What else is there to believe?" Samiya replied, and when his voice rose she winced. "Egon brought the watch, he said so himself! Nurses saw him coming inside that day. Somebody must've taken it after he brought it to the morgue."

"Did the cameras spot anything?" The rhythm of Oscar's heart battered like he was about to jump from Everest. A million thoughts ran through his mind, and none of them were comprehensible. "Why wasn't I made aware of this before?" Am I a bad Alpha?

Samiya raised her hands placatingly. "Alpha, the cameras didn't catch anything," she said. "And even if they did, we don't have any cameras in the morgue."

"Right..." Oscar felt the blood rushing through his ears and groaned. "Fuck." He cursed himself. "Now I have a murderer and a thief on the loose. Adam." He called a young soldier passing him. "What regiment are you in?"

"Fifth, Alpha," Adam replied.

"Get the entire fifth regiment to patrol the hospital," Oscar said. "Samiya will explain to you what happened. I want you to find out who our thief is and get the watch back." He left without another word and strode down the concrete with heavy, frazzled footsteps toward the center of the pack, where an elevated pavilion stood and served as a stage for performances, ceremonies, and parties.

Upon climbing the steps to the pavilion, Oscar took a large stick with a padded circle on the top and slammed it against a wide drum. He beat the drum three times until silence fell on the pack and then he howled. It was a ground-shaking howl, one that all the wolves copied as they gathered around the pavilion.

"Followers of the Moon Goddess," Oscar addressed his pack. "As you may have been aware, there were two humans murdered on our land a few weeks ago. They were college students and had years of their lives ahead of them. Their deaths are unacceptable, no matter what species they are. In light of this, the Yuen Pack has formed a brief alliance with the city of Bourdier to work together to find the person responsible for this despicable act. For the next few months or so, you will be seeing humans entering our pack."

A brief murmur spread over the crowd. Some wolves shrunk away from Oscar. Others snarled and narrowed their eyes.

Oscar was nonplussed. "I will not tolerate any disrespect towards any of these humans," he continued. "While we may not have the best history with them, it is integral to the safety of our kind and theirs that we remain hospitable. Anyone who defies my orders will be severely punished, no matter their social status. I hope I've made myself clear."

"What about that human from the day before?!" Someone in the crowd yelled. "That weird-looking one?!"

Oscar's teeth ground against each other. "That weird-looking one?" He repeated with a growl. "Who said that?" Nobody answered. "Who?" Silence plunged the pack.

"You're too cowardly to face the repercussions of your words, but that woman is brave enough to push past the negativity she faces and works harder than your judgmental ass ever has," Oscar spat venomously. He felt his wolf rise at the slander directed toward Ananya. "That woman was Ananya Kaushikh, a detective from the human world. You all will be seeing her more often than we usually see humans, and I command you to respect her just as you respect me. Respect her as though...as though she were your Luna."

The crowd remained silent. Oscar caught Cai's smile at the far edge of the pack. The Alpha saw his Beta tenderly hold his wife in his arms, his gaze shifting from Oscar to the round bulge of her belly where their children were being nurtured. A twinge of desperation created an unappealing screech in Oscar's chest and he turned his attention back to the crowd, bowing as they howled their consent. He slunk away from the podium as the crowd dispersed, leaning against one of the pillars to support the sudden weight his heart released on his body.

"A-Alpha?" Egon appeared from seemingly nowhere, his eyes shifty and wrists bandaged as usual. "U-Um...something's come up..." he was trembling.

Oscar sighed. "What is it, Egon?"

"Erm...i-it's...the Alpha King, sir," he muttered, his fangs digging deep into his lip. The young Italian wrung his hands nervously. "Erm...he wants to meet with you...tomorrow..."

"I see." Oscar's throat tightened, but his heart became lighter. Jackson and Anvi want to pay a visit suddenly? "Invite them over to the pack, then. We'll meet at noon." 

--()--()--()--

Hey guys!

We may be getting a cameo from our previous couple! What's changed in the past few years? Is there a mole in the pack?