Marshall Twins [2 - Twins Series]

12 - Sanctuary

Book: Marshall Twins
Chapter 12
Word Count: 2824

Many of the werewolves who weren't under Finn's control and their children had returned to the Bayou, where they were once again living in the encampments for their own safety. Many of the werewolves were collecting firewood and other necessities in preparation for the Unification ceremony.

Two young boys were throwing around a baseball, which they accidentally dropped onto the ground. As it rolled away, one of the boys chased after it, where it landed right under the foot of Klaus, who had just arrived. Klaus crouched down and smiled at the boy as he picked up the ball, but instead of handing it to him, he carried it with him to address the crowd.

"I wonder if you lot can help me — I'm looking for the hybrid who calls herself your queen." The werewolves stared at him in silence, and Klaus sighed impatiently. "I'd prefer you tell me where she is before I grow irritated. After all... there are children present." He tossed the ball back to the young boy and raised his eyebrows expectantly at the crowd.

---

Avery was near the lake at the edge of the woods, skipping rocks along the water. After a moment, Jackson came up behind her to join her.

"You scared me." Jackson spoke. Avery jumped, startled, before turning back to face him. "I was worried you ran off in the middle of the night."

"No. I was just out here, thinking..." Avery threw another rock into the water, and Jackson picked up a stone to skip as well. "Jack, I know I'm supposed to divulge my great secrets, but I — I can't. I can't even tell you why I can't."

"Ave, do you really think there's a secret you have that's so bad you can't tell me?" Jackson frowned. Avery sighed.

"It's not safe, Jack..."

"When have we ever been safe, Avery? Now, our people have been cursed, hunted, exiled. But you and me, this wedding? We can change all that. We can create a new pack, one with your ability to turn at will! So, we give each other our secrets. If we don't, then the transfer of power won't work, and we're back to where we were." Jackson explained. "Look, even if we call off the wedding, there's still something that I need to tell you."

"Jack, I'm sure you've lived quite the life, but I can't imagine that your secrets are anything like mine." Avery said.

"There's one." Jackson took a deep breath. "It has to do with... how your parents died."

Avery's face fell and she turned to face him, both eager and worried to hear what he had to say.

---

Deep in the Bayou, Jackson had brought Avery to a makeshift graveyard.

"What is this place?" Avery asked.

"It's where wolves bury those who walk away from the pack. Traitors, murderers... like this one." Jackson showed Avery a rudimentary grave marker made out of wood. It had the initials RXD carved into it above a crescent moon. "Richard Xavier Dumas. He was Mary's husband... my grandfather. He was an Alpha of his time. He was a militant, radical, hell-bent on raising war with vampires. When he found out that your parents and mine planned to join the packs, try for peace with Marcel and his crew, he... he went ballistic."

"...It was him, wasn't it? He was the one that killed mine and Hayley's parents!" Avery realised, shocked and horrified.

"He wanted to stop them and everything they stood for... and he did." Jackson whispered sadly.

"I have spent my entire life wondering what happened to them..." Avery murmured. Jackson gulped anxiously and looked guilty for his association to his grandfather. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"