Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 38: Pt. 3

He cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, everyone," he began cordially, staring at nothing in particular, but keeping his gaze straight. "I had originally decided to address you all as humans and wolves, but I'm finished with separating our kinds. While it's true that biologically we are different, today we unite as one. We have overcome the obstacles keeping us apart and while we still have a long way to go, today marks the beginning of a new era. Today, we are not the People of Bourdier or the Wolves of the Yuen Pack. Today, we are friends, family, spouses, and more. Today, we are comrades!" He raised his hands and a cheer raised with him. "We are one, my friends! One! We have won over prejudice and we have won over our enemies!"

"We are one!"

"We have persevered!"

"We've won!"

People chanted and screamed and shouted, enthralled by the passion in Oscar's tone. When his hands fell, so did their voices, and with one hand he brought Ananya forward, and the other Marge.

"Today, we sign this treaty, this paper that marks this momentous occasion," he continued, pausing briefly to sign his name beside Marge's. "We have more roads to pave and traverse, but today, we celebrate our union! We drink, we feast, and we make merry, because from today on we have made a new ally, and not only that." He paused and took Ananya's hand, squeezing it gently. "I have, for the longest time, doubted my ability as a leader. I was killing myself in the shadow of my stepfather, Banastre, and I know that when many of you look at me, you find yourself seeming to look at him. I understood that, and it killed me because I didn't have the courage to see myself as anyone else. In truth, I believed you when I should have believed in myself. Giving into fear made me a coward, a weak Alpha, but," he stopped and pulled Ananya so that she was now beside him. "When I found my mate, I realized that I was wrong. I realized that to become the Alpha you needed, I had to persevere. I had to be strong, just like she is." He hugged her into his side and she blushed, her gaze shifting around the crowd, all who nodded and shouted and praised them both.

Oscar flicked his wrist, and Cai came up to him with a golden headband embedded with amethyst diamonds. He took the headband from the pillow and turned so that he was facing Ananya.

"Ananya Kaushikh, Detective of the Bourdier Investigation Department," he winked at her. "Do you take on this role as Luna? Do you pledge yourself to the safety of the pack? Do you promise to uphold the principles of the Moon Goddess and work for the benefit of everyone?"

"I..." Ananya's voice was small, then, with a deep breath, she dragged confidence onto her tongue and held her head higher. "I do."

Oscar smiled, unable to hide his pride. "Then welcome to the pack, Luna Ananya Kaushikh."

~***~

A colorful burst of lights broke through the damp evening and plunged the pack into a chasm of disarray. Scattered shouts wove with the thumping electronic beats that the DJ played on repeat. The man was deafened by the nonsensical beats and large headphones on his head, covering his matted blonde hair. Around the small pack, woven through fields of long blades and picnic benches and food stalls, bodies of all shapes and sizes swayed and jumped like balloons and balls, laughing and dancing and bathing in the freedom that the evening offered.

Ananya stood at the back of the crowd, sipping from a styrofoam cup and chatting with a group of teenage wolves who were complimenting her dress and jewelry. Her face was completely flushed and her skin was overflowing with heat, something that the juice did little to damper.

"Ananya, you were amazing!" Kathie pushed through the crowd with an excited shout, pouncing on Ananya. "Girl, you looked so powerful on stage! I felt like a proud momma back there! I have so many pictures, see? I'm going to print them and give them to you. Ooh, is that wine?"

"Kathie, let go of her," January Bayor said monotonously, prying Kathie from Ananya. "Don't even think about drinking wine. You know you don't handle it well."

"Has anyone ever told you how much of a damper you put on parties?" Kathie scowled, fumbling with the lid of a can of beer.

"Too many times. It's on my resume," January Bayor muttered. She regarded Ananya and nodded. "Good work up there, Kaushikh."

"I didn't do much," Ananya mumbled. "I just...repeated what Oscar told me, really."

"Where is that bastard, anyway?" Cai fumbled toward them, his eyelids fluttering. "Is he here? Did he run away?"

"Cai, I told you not to drink!" Samiya admonished him. "The Alpha's coming. He's talking on the stage with some businessmen from Bourdier."

"It's weird, isn't it?" Kathie said. "How we signed an alliance even though Marge isn't mayor yet."

"She most likely will be," January Bayor said. "We don't have any opposition yet. It's...startling, and a bit suspicious, quite frankly. I didn't think that a lot of people would support a candidate from the tenth district, no offense."

"No, I agree with you. It's confusing, but I shouldn't question it, since it's a win in my book," Ananya said. She brought her hand to her head where her headband was and dragged her fingers along the metal edge, trailing the bumps of the diamond-shaped jewels.

"That looks expensive," Kathie said, wiggling her fingers. "Can I have it?"

"In your dreams," Ananya said with a laugh. She pried from her head and shook her hair back. "Do you think they're real; the gems?"

"They are." Karsten popped up behind January Bayor with a grin. "It was Luna Hailey's, actually. She wore it during her coronation."

"Really?" Ananya turned the headband around in her hands, inspecting it with awe. "It's lovely...why would Oscar give it to me?" She wrinkled her nose. "He doesn't think of me as his mother, does he?"

"No." Karsten laughed. "But it's very dear to him, so if he gave it to you, he must trust you a lot."

"Oh..." Ananya took a sharp breath. "He...oh..."