Ten years have passed since the demise of Banastre, and the Yuen Pack thrives under the leadership of the dictator's benevolent stepson, Oscar Yuen. With a flourishing community and accumulation of wealth, the Yuen Pack has become second only to the...
Ananya was standing in Rutuparna's office. She had her head bent and her hands clasped in front of her, but she could clearly see every detail of the small room because she had been there one too many times. Under her feet was a blood-red carpet; the dyed fleece of a polar bear. The walls matched the floor, and the space was filled with rows and rows of awards, trophies, and certificates won by Rutuparna for her successful tutoring business. Two bookshelves flanked the walls, and at the center was Rutuparna's dark brown desk, with the aforementioned woman behind it. Her hands were folded on the desk and her eyes pierced through Ananya. Rhythmically, she tapped a ruler, the clicking sound of the plastic filling the silence.
Ananya wasn't sure how to feel. She had a hurricane of emotions destroying her mind and she couldn't pick out one to focus on. She felt dizzy and her body was depleted of energy, forcing her to lean on one of the chairs for support.
Rutuparna began icily. "Do you see this space on my wall, Ananya?" She questioned, gesturing to a dark red spot on the wall adjacent to her.
"Yes, Mausi," Ananya responded with her head bent.
"Hm, and do you know what is supposed to be on that wall?"
"No, Mausi."
The ruler snapped on the desk and Ananya's head shot up.
"What is supposed to be there," Rutuparna said, her eyes narrowed, "is your certificate for this company. I had high hopes that you'd be my successor, Ananya and that you'd surpass the mild expectations I had placed on you. I thought you'd be different from that useless daughter of mine, but I see that I was wrong." She stood, clapping the ruler against her palm. "You've disappointed me, Ananya. You've tarnished the family name and you've let me down. You're a disgrace."
Ananya said nothing.
Rutuparna walked around her desk and used the ruler to tilt Ananya's chin up. Then, releasing her chin, she slapped the ruler across her niece's cheek and Ananya's head turned with the impact.
"It's a shame." Rutuparna hit her again. "I was so proud of you when you were accepted into Bourdier's elite university. I had my hopes and dreams on you, and you disgraced me by allowing yourself to be defiled by a wolf." The ruler sliced Ananya's cheek, but she remained silent. "This is going to change now, do you understand? You won't be seeing him anymore. You'll stay here, where I can keep an eye on you. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice.
"Yes, Mausi..." Ananya blinked to keep her tears at bay. Her lower lip trembled and she held her hands to keep herself from flinching.
"Good." Rutuparna gave her one last slap, then dropped the ruler. She cupped Ananya's jaw and pinched her cheeks, shaking her face. "I know you don't like this, but I don't care, and do you know why? I don't care because I'm helping you. I'm not your enemy, Ananya. I'm your Mausi, and I care about you." Her nails dug into Ananya's lower lip. "Your Mausi loves you very much, and she wants the best for you. Those werewolves...they're monsters. They are horrible, and you were naive enough to allow yourself to be swayed by them. You're disgusting, and I'm sorry that I can't fix you." She sighed. "My fragile girl. You knew deep down that you could never be a detective, right? You knew that you belonged here, where Mausi could protect you."
Ananya nodded soundlessly, and when Rutuparna released her face she gasped, her hand flying to her cheek.
"I'm glad that you understand me." Rutuparna took Ananya's arm and dragged her nail along the incision placed on the crooked angle her elbow made. Her nails crawled like a spider up Ananya's arm and touched the throbbing pulse on her neck. Her fingers dipped when she brushed Oscar's mate mark, and a tingling sensation dove into Ananya's stomach.
"I hate this," Rutuparna said with a scowl. She tried to scratch the mark. "We need to find a way to get rid of this."
"Mausi-!" Ananya began with a start.
"Rutuparna?" The door opened, and the soft, dark-eyed face of her Mausa popped hesitantly around the corner. "You have a student looking to speak with you, darling."
"Goodness." Rutuparna sighed. "Alright, show me. Ananya, stay here, I'm not done with you yet." She released Ananya and drifted out of the room. The door shut with a click.
"Ah." Ananya's body lurched and she collapsed against the back of the chair. Two tears trickled down her cheeks and she sniffled, gripping the head of the chair tightly. "Ugh..." her cold fingers brushed her burning cheek, running over the deep line created by the ruler.
What should I do? What should I do? She breathed heavily. I can't do this. I don't want to inherit the company. I can't stay with Mausi forever...I want to be able to help myself...I want to be strong...I want...I want to be normal...her lips broke with a sob. I want to be normal...she recalled Rutuparna's endearment for her, my fragile girl, she'd say, and Ananya decided that she hated it. She hated it because it was true, and it wasn't the reality that she wanted to believe. She had failed as a detective. She had failed as a Luna. She didn't know where she belonged and she didn't know what she deserved.
Oscar...I want Oscar...she thought over and over in her head. Oscar...she opened her eyes, her gaze directed toward the ground, when a frayed slip of paper caught her eye. By the door, she noticed a photograph, most likely something that her Mausa had dropped. Ananya released the chair and went to the door. Resting her hand on the doorknob, she dragged the photograph in front of her.
It was an old, black-and-white photo of two people who looked to be a couple. Ananya looked around her aunt's desk and found a stick with a suction cup on the end, something Rutuparna often used when she was teaching. Using the stick, Ananya attached the suction to the photo and lifted it to her hands.
The woman in the picture was clearly Rutuparna, but when she was younger and less vile-looking. She had long dark hair that framed her round face and bright, eager eyes. She was dressed in a sari with contrasting colors, as Ananya guessed from the dark and light parts of the picture, and her body was decked with jewelry. She was smiling, a sight rare for Ananya to see on her aunt's wrinkled lips.
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