Mayor Dafowick, Oscar soon realized, was a man who resembled his stepfather in every way but personality. He was a tall man, not as tall as Oscar, but tall enough that he was able to radiate a sense of authority. His eyes were trained and steely, but his expression was as jolly as Santa Clause. In his suit and tie, he looked immaculate, and yet the tousling of his salt-and-pepper hair brought a sense of normalcy to the mayor's look.

"Oscar!" He beamed, brushing past the officials and bodyguards beside him to wrap Oscar in a tight hug. "It's been so long! Last I saw you, you were so much smaller and thinner! You've really been hitting the gym, eh?" He clapped his hand on Oscar's shoulder. "Good to see you again. How's everything been?"

Oscar smirked at the bewilderment etched on January Bayor's face. "You'll catch flies with that open mouth," he whispered to her and grinned. "It's been good, Lance. How have things been on your end? I see propaganda is still high."

Lance Dafowick sighed. "Well, what can you do? Some people just want to fight." He smiled at January Bayor. "Officer Bayor! Please, sit." He nodded to Ananya. "Miss. Kaushikh. I hear you've been added to the job." He beamed. "This will be perfect training for you!"

"If she becomes a detective," January Bayor added icily. "It's still a huge liability, Mayor."

"Ah, you worry too much, Bayor," Lance Dafowick said. "Sit all of you." He glanced at Karsten and Cai. "And who might these young gentlemen be?"

"Oh, this is Cai Suwa, my Beta, and General Karsten King, the head of Yuen Pack's military," Oscar explained. Both men bowed.

"No formalities needed, friends! Sit, sit!" Lance Dafowick sat with a hearty sigh. "I hope my people didn't give you any trouble. With tensions high, they've been quite on edge."

"Tensions?" Oscar frowned. "Has Gifodile been giving you trouble?"

Lance Dafowick's expression darkened. "Not exactly. Word has spread of the disappearance of the two victims. Crime rates around Bourdier have increased as well. Hysteria has taken over many of the people in the town."

"Well, that would explain the hostility I received," Oscar muttered. "If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. Should the situation worsen, though, please be aware that we may have to intervene whether you request it or not."

"Trust me, Alpha, we humans will be able to deal with them just fine," January Bayor interjected haughtily. "We have silver weapons in our inventory."

"You don't know the extent of a rogue's power," Karsten growled. "They're not your average werewolf. They don't follow the rules."

"And by killing humans, you follow rules?" January Bayor retorted harshly.

"When you show me a human who's been killed by a werewolf in Alpha Yuen's pack in the last few years, then I'll rescind my statement," Karsten retorted with equal hostility. "But as of right now, we have done nothing wrong."

"Bayor, enough, please," Mayor Dafowick sighed. "They are our guests."

"Their previous Alpha was a killer," January Bayor grumbled. Ananya was silent throughout the exchange.

Oscar's teeth ground against each other. "Are you implying that I'm like my stepfather?" He snarled.

"You-!"

"Bayor, enough." Mayor Dafowick's tone became strict. "We are here as companions, not enemies. While tensions may be high with the Yuen Pack, we will not use the past actions of a horrendous man to judge his successor." A small, apologetic smile fell on his lips. "I apologize for her behavior, Oscar."

Oscar shrugged. "It's fine," he lied, while the nasty voice in his head giggled. "So, apart from the raging discrimination between humans and werewolves, everything is okay?"

"Yes, apart from that and the recent upheaval of violence." Mayor Dafowick nodded, his expression becoming serious. "I hear from you, however, that a line has been crossed between our two races?"

Oscar licked his dry lips. "Yes," he said slowly. "I was out a few evenings ago and left my pack under the command of my Gamma. My patrol was doing their rounds as usual when one of them came across two bodies." He passed a manila folder over the table, allowing one of Dafowick's security guards to take them. "They've been identified as humans, however, that's as far as our database can go since they're not wolves. We suspect it to be an assault, but the killer is still at large."

Lance Dafowick looked over the photographs and passed them to January Bayor and Ananya to study. "Has the biopsy shown anything?"

"There are no signs of rape, but there was a struggle between the female and the assailant," Oscar explained. "The male seems to have been tied during the ordeal. We haven't found the exact time yet due to questioning and other work, but I have my wolves working on it. We don't know who the killer is, unfortunately. They were careful to leave no trace of their actions." He decided not to mention the semen they found yet since it hadn't been analyzed.

The mayor nodded, deep in thought. "This double homicide happened on your land, I see. I apologize for their intrusion."

"That's the least of my concerns. For all I know they were brought there by their killer." Oscar sighed. "And it is partially my fault. That border is known for its faulty protection, but I kept losing my chance to fix it."

"These are two college students," Ananya spoke up. Oscar noticed a frown on her lips and couldn't help but think how cute she looked even when she wasn't smiling. "They go to Bourdier College. I've seen this girl before."

"You can recognize her?" January Bayor exclaimed. "I can hardly tell which body part belongs to whom."

Ananya nodded. " I can't remember her name though. This man is her boyfriend. I remember the skull piercing on his ear." Her expression was crossed, like she was deep in thought.

"I didn't notice that," Cai murmured. "It blended in with the shell of his ear, I see."

"He had a watch as well, but we took that off for inspection," Oscar added.

Lance Dafowick inspected the photographs with a weary eye. "This is despicable. Whoever did this deserves to be punished," he said, his voice becoming strained. "Oscar, I know our people may not see eye-to-eye, but we must work together to solve this mystery before anyone else from any group gets hurt."

Oscar nodded. "I agree with you one hundred percent. That is why I come to you today. I'm requesting that Ananya Kaushikh aid me with this mystery. As she is the only person here trained for this type of work, I'd like to have her insights."

"With all due respect, I think the police can figure out this case just fine," January Bayor said frostily. "We are detectives in our own right, and these are humans who were killed."

"On my land. It's as much of a right to me as it is to you to find this killer," Oscar said. "He could target one of my wolves next. I can't take that risk."

Lance Dafowick nodded. "I agree with Oscar. Officer Bayor, train your energy in our continuing issues within the town. Ananya, I'm assigning you to the Yuen pack under Alpha Yuen's watch. You will help him in whatever way needed and use the skills that you have picked up to find this killer."

"Yes, Mayor!" Ananya beamed. "I would be most honored to!" She smiled at Oscar. "I promise not to cause trouble for you and help you the most I can!"

Oscar smiled. "And I promise to protect you if you need me," he said, purposefully ignoring the furious glare that January Bayor sent him. Beside the officer, Karsten snickered.

"Good." Mayor Dafowick said. "We will solve this problem together." He shook Oscar's hand. "I wish you the best of luck in this mission, Alpha."

Oscar nodded, his lip quirking. "I'll do my best to protect our people," he said. He looked at Ananya. "May I walk with you?"

Ananya's cheeks flushed. "Of course!" She chirped and followed Oscar out of the room. 

--()--()--()--

Hey guys!

So, Oscar and Ananya are growing closer, but what do they truly think of each other? What do you guys think of Ananya? Don't forget to comment your thoughts and vote!