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...
"I see." The darkness vanished and he nodded. "Well, I'll do my best to uphold your expectations." He glanced at the forest. "If we walk it'll take us an hour or so to get back to the pack."
"How else would we get there? It's not like we can fly."
"Not quite." Oscar's eyes glowed and his bones cracked. His clothes began to tear as his limbs molded together and his back arched, his spine shifting. Fur sprouted over his body and his face narrowed into a long muzzle.
"Whoa...awesome!" Ananya grinned and gave a gentle pat to Oscar's wolfish head. He nuzzled into her palm with a soft howl. "I wish I could do that!"
He shook his fur with pride and jerked his muzzle over his shoulder. Get on, he seemed to be saying.
"Double cool!" Ananya threw her leg over Oscar's back and leaned so that her chest pressed against his back, her hands fisting his fur under his belly, her cheek pressed on top of his head. Her legs were tight around his stomach. "So how does this - whoa!"
With a howl, Oscar's hind legs propelled him into the forest. Ananya yelped, holding onto him for dear life as he jumped over fallen logs and weaved through prickly bushes and outstretched tree branches. She decided that he was much faster than the train, and she lifted her head as much as she could to enjoy the wind sifting through her hair and sliding down her spine.
I feel like I'm flying, she marveled. I've never gone this fast before in my life. It's oddly...liberating. She laughed. I have no care in the world. I'm so...so...happy...her chest burst with a feeling of being alive and she gripped Oscar's fur tighter with glee, laughing into the wind. I'm so happy!
They came to a stop in front of a vine-covered gate. Oscar shifted with Ananya still on his back, holding her like he was giving her a piggy-back ride. He released her legs and waited until she had slid down his back and was stable on her feet before rushing behind a wide tree. When he returned, he was dressed in an old, baggy pair of pants.
"I can hear the commotion from here," he mused, his hands on his hips. The sweatpants he was wearing were obviously not his size. They stopped just above his ankles and were tight around his hips.
"So can I. I hope they've managed to clear some rooms in the hospital." Ananya followed the tight circle of his waist and dragged her gaze to his exposed legs. Have I ever seen his legs before? I don't think so. Why are they so clean? How in the world did he do that?
Oscar noticed her gawking, but said nothing, basking in the glow of her expression-filled stare. God, she's so cute when she looks at me like that. Her eyes are gorgeous, and they're all on me. His chest puffed arrogantly.
"Oscar!" A streak of white and black dove from behind the gates and crashed into Oscar, tackling him to the ground. "You're back!"
"Cai!" Ananya exclaimed, stepping back with a laugh.
"Cai," Oscar growled, standing and pulling a teary-eyed Cai up with him. "What the hell?"
"You're back! You're really back!" Cai jumped around, his hair tousled and his clothes disheveled. "You're...back..." Realization dawned on his features and he smacked Oscar over the head. "I ought to kill you!"
"Ouch, Cai, stop - ouch!" Oscar winced as Cai continued to hit him. Ananya did nothing to help since she knew that both boys were only playing. No matter how hard Cai could hit him, it would never be strong enough to push Oscar back.
"I don't think I will," Cai grabbed Oscar by the front of his shirt. "What the fuck were you thinking, man? You abandoned us! Do you know how close I am to pulling my hair out? I'm going to be deceased by the time my kid is born! Karsten's already digging his grave."
"It amuses me how you can still speak comically in such a dire situation," Oscar studied dryly. He didn't move from under Cai's grasp. "I'm sorry I left. I needed to assess myself. If I stayed, I would have lost control and done something I'd regret for the rest of my life." He glanced at the ground, and then met Cai's fiery gaze. "I thought I was becoming a monster, Cai, and maybe a part of me still thinks that, but..." his stare flickered to Ananya. "I realized that no matter what, I always have to protect my pack, even if they hate me."
"Hate you? Nobody hates you, Oscar." Cai blinked. "Look, I'm glad you came to that realization, but we never would have cast you out, because we all know that no matter what we think or say, you're the only person who can lead this pack."
"You're not Banastre." Karsten appeared from the shadows behind the gate, and with him marched a group of army wolves, led by a bandaged but smiling January Bayor, who winked at Ananya. "You're Oscar, our Alpha. You've protected us and worked only for us. We should be the ones apologizing for being selfish. We never thought about you." He saluted, and the wolves behind him copied his movement.
Oscar smiled. "Thank you Cai, Karsten." He patted Cai's shoulder and nodded at Karsten. "I promise, I won't leave again." His smile thinned. "Have there been any updates on June and Dafowick? I know we've got some humans being held captive."
"We do." Karsten nodded. "And Egon's not telling us anything. He's refusing to eat or drink. We've had to force an IV into him."
"We don't need anything from Egon anymore. Gathering intel is useless. At this point, all we can do is fight." Oscar rolled his shoulders. "We have to lead them away from Bourdier and get them to the pack. Or at least to the area surrounding the pack."
"There aren't a lot of rogues, so we won't need a lot of wolves," Cai added. "While we're fighting, do you think you can get the humans to safety, Karsten?"
"I do. Bayor, you'll show me the back alleys of Bourdier, right?" Karsten grinned at January Bayor, who nodded with a renewed sense of vigor.
"There are a lot of unknown spots. We'll get everyone out," she said.
"What can I do?" Ananya looked between them. "I don't want to sit around and do nothing."
The group went quiet. Eyes shifted nervously, suddenly interested in the dark lines embedded in the trees.
"What?" She demanded.
"Ananya..." January Bayor began.
"Protect the pack with Karsten," Oscar interrupted. He put his hands on Ananya's shoulders. "Keep everyone safe. That's your job."
"That seems like a safe job," Ananya muttered petulantly, her cheeks puffed. "It's too easy."
Oscar smiled wanly. "Keeping the pack safe isn't the easiest thing to do, but it's the most important job of a Luna. Just trust me, sweetheart." He kissed her cheek, and before pulling away, whispered in her ear: "I can't watch you get hurt again."
Ananya's petulance faded and she nodded reluctantly. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll do it."
--()--()--()--
Oscar and Ananya have reunited, and Oscar's back to his pack! What will happen now?
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