Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 37: Pt. 1

"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. "All good, Dhrys," she chirped, licking her dry lips.