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 flushed. "Oh, I'm not scolding you!" She waved her hands in front of her frantically. "I-I don't want you to get upset, sweetie! I was just worried about you...I don't want anything to happen to you..." another shiver passed through her and she felt like she was being scrutinized. Can a child scrutinize me? "Um...how about we go back and play some catch?"
"Mm, okay," the girl agreed, and just as they were beginning to, she stopped. Her nose twitched and she inched toward Ananya. "Luna..." she whimpered.
"What is it?" Ananya touched the girl's head, her heart spiking. "What is..." she stopped when a sharp object prodded the nape of her neck. Oh darn...
"Turn around, and I'll slit your throat," a voice growled. It was a low, almost masculine sound, but Ananya heard a tiny lift in the voice like the person was straining their vocal cords to sound different. The sharp object pressed into her neck and Ananya stilled, shakily holding her hand up, keeping one protectively on the girl who hugged her leg.
"You're the Luna, eh?" The voice continued, still low, but getting tighter with unbridled emotions. "This is new. We rarely have humans in such a high position, not to mention a crippled one." A laugh escaped them; a cruel, devious sound. "Look how scared you are; your legs are shaking! Oh, how I love fear. I can't wait to see your dear Oscar's face when he finds your body." The knife slid down Ananya's back, trailing directly over the scar on her spine, and she winced. "That hurts, does it? Interesting." The knife pressed into the middle of her back and Ananya bit her tongue to keep from shouting. "Good girl, you know how to be quiet. You're complacent. You've done this before. It's the same song and dance to you, isn't it? Yeah, it is. I'll make this quick for you and the little brat, then I'll finish off everyone else."
"Who...who are you?" Ananya fisted the young girl's hair, holding her tightly, uncaring (at that moment) if she was pulling too hard because all she wanted to do was make sure that the child didn't leave her side.
"Haven't you guessed?" The voice changed, becoming adenoidal but distinctly soft. "Don't you remember me? I was at the party with your dear Mayor..."
"June?" The name slipped past Ananya's lips.
June cackled. "You're a smart one...or maybe you're just lucky. No, I don't think you're lucky. Your precious Alpha left you unguarded, and now you'll die. Isn't that tragic? He'll come back to see his pack in shambles and his mate dead. He'll return from being duped, and everything he loved will be gone."
"But why Oscar?" Ananya's voice shook. "He didn't do anything to you-!"
"What bullshit!" June slashed the back of Ananya's shirt and the cold air bit her skin. The knife was directly against her scar, now, and Ananya's knees trembled dangerously. "What fucking bullshit! He's already manipulated you, I see, but I'll tell you the truth. Oscar's no different from his daddy, you hear? He's the same fucking bastard and I know he will be! His dear papa killed my daughter, and now, I'll kill him! I'll kill them all! I'll make them suffer just like I did! And I won't stop there. No, you're either with me or against me and once I have this bastard out of my way, I'll go higher. I'll get rid of all these pompous brats who think they can tell me how to live my life!" The tip of the knife sunk into Ananya's stiff spine, which was still semi-numb from the surgery she'd undergone years ago, but despite this, she still was able to feel the icy blade in her skin and she yelped, the sound releasing more like a whimper.
"Ah, what wonderful sounds," June sighed. "I'll have you screaming as I cut you into pieces. Oh, I'm so excited for this!"
She's insane! Ananya could see her face, but she was sure that June was grinning.
"Hey!' The young pup that was once at Ananya's side escaped her grasp and hit June's leg. "Let go of the Luna! She's not mean, she's nice!"
June snarled. "Is she?" She kicked her leg, sending the pup flying into a tree. "What brats. All of them are. If you manipulate them early enough, they'll be your clone."
Ananya's jaw clenched. "No, they won't," she seethed. "They have their own free will. You can't tell them what to do!"
"And who says that?"
"I do because I know what that's like." Ananya withdrew her raised hand, then, creating a right angle with her crooked arm, shoved her elbow behind her. It collided with June's stomach, sending the woman lurching and stumbling.
"Fucking bitch!" June quickly regained her bearings, though she still held onto her stomach. The knife clattered to Ananya's feet, but she didn't have a moment to consider how to grab it before June pounced on her, throwing her to the ground. Ananya's body hit the dirt with a thud and her head just narrowly missed a stone.
"Agh!" Ananya cried out as pain rippled through her sensitive spine. She struggled to keep June's hands away from her neck, and at that moment was thankful to have a double chin hiding her throat.
"I'll finish you off without that useless thing!" June screamed, unsheathing her claws. She slashed Ananya's cheek and fought to grip her neck. She didn't expect Ananya to be strong, though, especially in her arms, and she found herself struggling to push Ananya's elbows into the dirt, as the girl was able to match June's strength for a while.
Darn it! I'm losing my strength! Ananya felt her shoulders begin to push back, stretching more than they could, and another wave of pain crashed in her stomach, like the beginning of an avalanche of destruction. Oscar...where are you...?
"Hey!" A shout came from the trees and a flash of black and red jumped on June, prying her from Ananya. "Long time no see, bitch."
I know that voice..."Dhrys!" Ananya tried to raise herself onto her elbows but collapsed. "Dhrys!"
"Hold on, Ananya!" Dhrys straddled June, his fangs elongated as he pinned her to the ground. She struggled below him, clawing his face, but like most vampires, Dhrys's skin grew back immediately.
"Luna!" The pup rushed to Ananya's side, her chubby hand brushing the older girl's cheek. "Luna!"
"I'm okay," Ananya assured her through the aftershock that shook her body. "Don't run off. Stay here. We don't know what's happening in the pack."
"I..."
"Ananya!" New voices came. Ananya could make out Cai and Samiya, but there were also two others.
"Stella?" She attempted to lift her head again. "Soley?" She heard Stella's wheelchair crunch the grass, followed by Soley's heavy footsteps.
"Ananya!" Soley's arms came under her armpits, and Stella rolled herself in front of Ananya so that when Soley brought her to her feet, Ananya could lean on the handles of Stella's chair. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
"Not really," Ananya lied, though her voice and body were trembling. "I-I'm fine." She rested her weight on Stella's chair. "How did you guys...?"
"Oscar asked us to patrol the area while he went to Bourdier," Soley explained. Her chest was puffed proudly. "He recognized our potential!"
"I'm glad." Ananya smiled weakly and regarded Dhrys, who was still fighting with June, although he also had Cai's help. "She's strong. They can barely hold her down."
"That's what happens when you're angry." Soley picked leaves out of Ananya's hair. "That bitch has been tormenting the humans in Bourdier, from what I've heard, and Dafowick's been her slave. I think he likes it, though, because she's keeping humans and wolves separate."
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