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...
Dhrys laughed, then, when he caught Oscar's eye, a moment of silence passed between the two men. They seemed to be speaking with each other, but their mouths weren't moving, and Ananya watched in confusion as they spoke with their eyes, nodding now and then. Finally, Dhrys turned and brought his arms up. A swirl of black overwhelmed him and his body shrunk into a small, black crow that propelled itself into the sky.
It was just Oscar and Ananya in the grove, then. They didn't look at each other. The wind passed through them with a gentle whistle and the grass and leaves rustled. Oscar kicked the bloody log that January Bayor had used to save Ananya's life. Ananya swung her feet on the stump idly.
Finally, Oscar moved. He walked toward her and knelt in front of her. His head fell, pressing against her plush belly, and Ananya felt something wet and warm dampen her clothes.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Oscar murmured. He sniffled and his voice came out choked. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed his head deeper into her stomach. "I'm so glad you're okay..."
Ananya found tears forming in her eyes. "I'm glad you're okay too," she responded, carefully sifting her fingers through his matted hair. She touched the patches of blood on his skin, her small fingers dragging along his exposed shoulders, brushing the biceps that bulged at her touch and the veins that wiggled when she'd tap them.
They stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity, and Ananya decided that she wouldn't have minded staying eternally with Oscar by her side. She realized, with a leap of her heart, that she had found a place that she never wanted to leave. She had found a place where she could stay and feel happy; she had found a place where she finally belonged.
"Ananya, marry me," Oscar mumbled into her stomach.
Ananya's heart nearly stopped. "Huh?" She blinked, and abruptly her heart began to work again, racing like it was aiming for first place in a marathon. "What did you..."
"You heard me." Oscar lifted his head and shifted his body so that he was on one knee. "I know this may seem sudden, and I know that you aren't ready right now, but promise me that one day...one day you'll marry me. Promise me that one day...you'll be mine...you'll agree to be my wife..."
"Oscar..." Ananya sniffled and with shaky hands, she cupped his jaw. "I can't promise that."
He frowned, his body going still. "Why not?"
She smiled and laughed. "Because you already have me, silly," she said and kissed his nose. "You've always had me, Alpha Yuen." Her lips found his cheek. "I'm always going to be yours...if you promise to be mine."
"That's not even a question, sweetheart. I wholly belong to you," Oscar proclaimed, kissing her fiercely. "You scared me, though. I thought...by God I thought..."
Ananya chuckled. "I should have continued instead of pausing," she said with a blush and leaned into their kiss. "But I promise that I'm already yours...I have been. And soon, when we bring order back to the pack and Bourdier...when we bring peace to our people - not werewolves and humans - our people, then I'd be more than happy to marry you."
Oscar grinned. He stood, a surge of energy sweeping through his system, and he spun Ananya around, bringing her down for another strong kiss.
"That's all I ask," he murmured through their kiss. "Damn, I love you so much."
"I love you too," Ananya giggled, gripping his smooth shoulders. She threw her head back in ecstasy when their kiss ended so that she could feel the wind combing her hair and tickling her neck; so that she could feel the reality of her situation; so that she could make sure that what she was experiencing wasn't a dream.
Their blissful moment ended when they heard voices beginning to rise in the distance, along with the banging of objects and the beeping of machinery. Oscar set Ananya on the ground and frowned, squinting at the horizon.
"I wonder what's going on," he mused. He took Ananya's hand. "Shall we go see?"
She nodded. "Let's go."
They rushed to the pack, slipping through the dented gate and past the cots being set up on the ground. Ananya tried not to pay attention to the blood on the ground and pushed her vomit down her throat, working her muscles over their limit to keep up with Oscar.
"What's going on?" They reached the entrance to the border, where a group of military wolves had gathered. Oscar pushed through the crowd, finding himself met with a crowd of humans, some carrying weapons, others carrying boxes and piles of wood.
"Are you Alpha Yuen?" One of the men asked gruffly. He was holding a gun in one hand and a rope attached to a pile of saws behind him.
Oscar straightened. He put his arm out to prevent Ananya from approaching any further. "I am," he responded.
The man nodded. "We're from Bourdier. We wanted to let you know that Mayor Dafowick will no longer be Mayor. Regulations say that he has someone to succeed him, but we'll be holding an early election to have our representative be more accepting of improving our relations." His rugged face broke into a smile, one that garnered a stunned hissing from the crowd. "We apologize for the sudden arrival, but when your pack helped us escape from June, we decided that we needed to pay it forward. After all, if we're to be allies, we should help each other in times of need."
"What are you implying?" Oscar questioned, his eyes narrowed.
The man set his gun on the ground, and behind him throes of people put their things on the ground in front of the pack, ranging from weapons to wood to metals of all kinds.
"We want to help you rebuild," the man said. "We want to prove that we can change - all of us - and we want to start amending our past." He offered his hand. "Please, accept our help."
Oscar was silent, then, with a quick glance at Ananya, who was unable to contain her grin, he returned the man's smile and shook his hand. "We'd be honored to have your help," he said. "Welcome to the Yuen Pack."
------
Ananya lay on the bed. She felt like she was dead, but her eyes were open, and she still had her wits about her. Yet, she was dead. Her chest rose and fell laboriously and she oscillated between taking a nap and taking a shower; she was undecided.
Ugh, I don't want to get up, she thought with a groan. I have to...but I don't want to... she closed her eyes and tapped her fingers on her belly, playing a tune with the air that had filled up the place food was supposed to be. She didn't want to admit that she was not only lazy but also bored out of her mind. Where's Oscar when you need him?
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