"No," the girl replied promptly. "Mama says not to be afraid of him. She says that the old Alpha was scary." She leaned toward Ananya, as though revealing a dark secret. "I saw a picture of him. He's super scary, like the Boogeyman." She drew her eyebrows together and used her small fingers to flatten her lips. "Like this."

Ananya couldn't help but giggle at her expression. "He certainly sounds frightening," she said and sighed. "I'm glad that you're not afraid of him."

The girl released her face. "No, I'm not." The yellow ball hit the back of her foot and she turned. "I'm going to play now."

"Okay." Ananya gave a wave and watched her run back to her friends, mulling over their conversation. Children have an innocence that beguiles me, she wondered. Does she know what's happening? Maybe she does, but it doesn't seem to bother her. That's good. She ran her tongue over her lips. Hopefully, we'll be able to resolve this disaster soon, and she'll have more friends to play with. She certainly doesn't look afraid of humans. She knew that I was one. Why can't everyone be as welcoming as children are?

"Ananya." Oscar's words caressed her ear and his lips pressed against her neck.

"Eep!" Ananya squeaked and jumped, turning her body around. "Oscar, you frightened me! How is it that I can never hear you coming behind me?"

"I'm a wolf, darling. We're made to be sneaky," Oscar teased. He rounded the stump and helped Ananya stand. "You're fixing the gauze?"

"Sort of." Ananya's gaze drifted from Oscar to the man standing behind him. He rose a few inches taller than Oscar was, with wild bright hair and bright blue eyes. He was handsome and less rugged than Oscar was, but there was a sense of danger lurking in his inviting eyes.

"Ananya, this is Jackson, the Alpha King, and my brother-in-law," Oscar said. "Well, technically, he's my uncle-in-law, but we don't view our relationship that way."

"Nice to meet you, Ananya," Jackson said, offering his hand with a smile.

Ananya returned his smile. "You as well." She shook his hand confidently. "So...you're the Alpha King? I've heard a lot about you from Oscar."

"All good things, I hope?" Jackson laughed. "He's told me a lot about you too. You've smitten him, without a doubt. You're all he talks about."

"Quit it," Oscar grumbled, moving to Ananya's side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and it was then that Ananya realized he was dressed differently than the casual attire that she usually saw him in. His clothes were dark green and purple in a camouflage pattern, with the green overtaking the faded purple color. He wore thick, large boots and had a bulky vest over his chest.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop." Jackson thrust his hands into his pockets. "So, how're you adjusting to werewolf life? I know this isn't an ideal situation, but I hope your transition hasn't been super rough."

"It's been fine. I've had Oscar and others here to help me," Ananya told him, leaning into Oscar's side. "If I may ask, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to overlook the preparations for the siege," Jackson explained. "Everything looks in place. I trust that you'll have this issue resolved by the end of today?" He regarded Oscar.

"I will," Oscar assured him. "I'll have everyone safe and June and Dafowick taken care of." His fingers tightened around Ananya's shoulder.

"Will that solve anything, though?" Ananya frowned. "Won't that cause higher tensions between humans and wolves?"

"Humans are being held captive by one of their own. I think they'll be fine," Jackson said. "Besides, Oscar's told me that your relations have improved. Haven't they accepted us already?"

"Well, yes, but won't a fight be..." Ananya searched for the right words.

"Chaotic? Ruin everything we've worked for?" Oscar finished. He shrugged. "Probably. But we're doing this to help them, not harm them, and we can only hope that they'll understand. June and Dafowick won't budge unless we use physical force. Sometimes, that's the only thing that people understand."

Ananya pursed her lips. "You have a point..."

"I have to head out soon," Jackson said. "I'll do my final rounds and let Karsten know when I leave. You guys have planned for three, right?"

"Yes." Oscar looked at his clock. "We have an hour or so. Karsten's prepping the men."

"Good." Jackson surveyed the cots lying on the ground. "I'll negotiate with Rodriguez to see if we can get a good deal for the land behind the hospital so you can make another wing."

"I'll join you when you do," Oscar said with a nod. "Usually, the hospital can hold the number of wolves in there because we don't involve ourselves in fights a lot, but I have a feeling that with this new alliance, we're going to need more space."

"Not to mention the storage corners and recovery rooms," Ananya added. "Samiya was saying that she needed more space."

"Was she?" Oscar frowned. "She never told me anything."

Ananya bit her tongue. A beat of silence passed.

"Oh, I see..." Oscar sighed. "Well, I'll see what I can do." He wiped his brow wearily.

Jackson tilted his head. "When was the last time you slept, Oscar?"

"I don't know...what day is it today?" He blinked.

"Thursday." Jackson scowled. "You're going to fight while sleep-deprived? Oscar, that's a recipe for death."

"Gosh, Oscar, you've done it again!" Ananya sighed. "You need to rest more often! I've told you this before."

"Both of you sound like my mother...or Anvi," Oscar grumbled. He straightened his back, popping his muscles in the process. "Speaking of Anvi, how is she? How's Asha?"

Jackson smiled. "They're doing well. Asha's walking now, which is a bit troublesome. She loves to move around when we're not looking. She's a sweetheart, though." Love seeped from his words.

"That's good. You should bring them by sometime. I'd love to finally meet my cousin," Oscar laughed.

"You met her when she was a baby."

"Not since then."

"Fine." Jackson grinned and waved. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. I'll do my rounds and head out. Take care, Oscar. Welcome to the pack, Ananya."

"Thank you, bye!" Ananya waved, and once Jackson was out of earshot, she tugged Oscar's sleeve and hissed: "Who's Asha?"

Oscar glanced at her. "Asha's my cousin. She's Jackson and Anvi's daughter."

"Oh, I didn't know you had a cousin."

"I haven't seen her in a while."

"How old is she?"

"Hm...she should be almost three," Oscar mused. He kissed her cheek, burying his face into her shoulder. She felt his tongue lick over her pulse, where his mate mark rested. "Mm...you smell good."

Ananya scoffed. "You're sleep-deprived," she said, but she didn't move his head away. "Why didn't you tell me that you weren't sleeping?" There was a tinge of sadness in her tone. "I could have helped you relax."

"I didn't have time to relax. I needed to be prepared, and I didn't want you to worry."

"It's my job to worry. You're my...my mate, after all. Aren't we supposed to worry about each other?"

"Mm...you're right. I'm sorry." He kissed her neck. "Forgive me?"

Ananya blushed. "I...Oscar, we're in public," she hissed. "There are children here!"

"They're playing. They won't notice us."

"Samiya's right there!"

"Is she?" Oscar lazily cracked his eye. "Oh, yeah. Come on." He grabbed Ananya by her waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Ack! Oscar!" Ananya bounced limply on his shoulder, her head knocking against his back. Her hair made a dark curtain around her face, so she couldn't see the expressions of the other pack members, but she was sure that they oscillated from surprised to embarrassed to condescending. Her cheeks burned with shame. "Oscar! You're attracting attention!"