This Means War

Chapter 1: A Call From Home

It felt like every supernatural creature in Windham flocked to The Hunger in hopes of being privy to the negotiation. The rivalry between the Blackstone and the Avery packs had spanned over the past century and a half and the two families were considered the supernatural Hatfields and McCoys. Even those considered neutral supernaturals were forced to pick sides if they wanted to stay in town. The strife could all be traced back to Ezekiel Blackstone and Philip Avery, the two Alphas who led the species and fought for freedom against oppression and ownership from vampires. The only thing that kept both packs from ripping each other apart was The Order, the neutral faction formed to keep supernatural anonymity in a human world.

Now it all came to a head. After over a century and a half of fighting, peace was within their grasp. An Avery Alpha sitting with a Blackstone Alpha and discussing a possible end to their feud had a ripple effect that held the potential to change the supernatural world forever.

And Marlo Juliet Avery was stranded in Cambridge alongside her sister with a muted speakerphone belonging to Clay held the pack's future on her desk. Nerves clawed deep in her belly and her fingers twisted in front of her lips as she paced the living room. Her smartphone sat on the table, voices littering back and forth. Both families were there and she recognized Gabriel's voice. She recognized Levi's voice.

Even during a peace talk, neither trusted the other to come alone and discuss things, even on neutral territory. The Order wouldn't allow anyone to sully neutral territory and it was pushing it to allow the meeting without their interference. Marlo knew that better than anyone. This meeting was the fate of the future of her family and Gabriel was brave to come forth with a possible treaty. Too many people died as a result of the war.

An unfamiliar, gravelly voice spoke up and Marlo could possibly pinpoint that as the new Blackstone Alpha. She only knew of him in passing from Clay's biweekly phone calls from home.

Adam. That was his name. Adam. Marlo had never met him and knew of him purely in passing, but if he was speaking on behalf of the Blackstone pack, it had to be their Alpha. Part of her wished she could tell Levi to put the phone closer so she could hear more than muffled voices and discernible tones, but there was no way to communicate her desire.

A small hand rested on her forearm and broke her from her reverie when she spotted Micah. Worried hazel eyes bore straight into hers. Marlo's hand covered hers and squeezed gently.

"Let's sit," Micah suggested in a hushed tone. Even if her sister had wanted to go to the mother of all college ragers located on campus, family was more important. Marlo took a seat on the overstuffed grey couch and immediately tucked her legs beneath her body. Her grip tightened on Micah's as both sets of eyes trained towards the phone.

"I'm willing to move forward if you are, Adam." Gabriel.

"This war has gone on long enough and enough of my people are scarred from this for life, but the problem is, you and I have no reason to trust each other. If we want to blur these party lines, we both need to offer up something in good faith." Adam.

And Marlo could understand that, as scary as it was. Offering peace only worked if both wanted to offer something up that the other either wanted or would accept.

"I can offer marriage," Gabriel offered and Marlo's eyes widened.

"Marls, you're hurting my hand." Micah's voice in her ear sent her to the other side of the couch. "Come here. It's okay."

"No offense, Avery, I'm not into men."

Any other situation, Marlo might have snorted in amusement at his words. Instead, she hung onto both wolves' every word.

"Me either. I can discuss it with one of my sisters because I won't make that decision without talking to her first. This affects them."

Micah already began shaking her head, her nose scrunching and mouthing hell, no. Abigail, their oldest sister, had gotten married three years ago. And Micah and Abigail were witches. Witches couldn't insert themselves into this battle.

It only left Marlo.

The sound of her phone vibrating on the dove-grey coffee table broke her reverie and it was then that Marlo realized that the phone call had ended. Gabriel's name popped up on her screen and Marlo swiped to answer it.

"I know you know that Clay had me on speaker," she stated by way of greeting.

"So you heard." Her brother's voice was strained and rough. The meeting had stretched for several hours and negotiations had gone back and forth. "We need you home, Lolo. I hate doing this to you. I know how much you love grad school."

Marlo's eyes squeezed shut. She did. She loved grad school. Her goal to become a counselor for at-risk supernatural youth was now indefinitely put on hold. She had to pack her things, let Micah keep the house their family bought for school purposes, and go home to get married. "Yeah, I do," she admitted.

While she loved school, she loved her family more. Agreeing to the marriage meant there wouldn't be a war.

"When do you want me home?" she asked. If anyone else had asked her to do this, she wouldn't. Then again, she couldn't actually say no to her Alpha. Her brother in particular had a strong voice.

"Tomorrow night, if possible. At least as much as you can bring and come back later for the rest. Dad's going to talk to the school. I just know Micah won't do it and well...you're a wolf like the rest of us."

Marlo had never damned her wolf quite like this until now. Her fingers toyed with the hem of her white T-shirt and her teeth tugged on her chapped bottom lip as Gabriel gave her details. First that he wanted her to agree, on speaker, to the marriage. Second that she assured their family that she would be home. The third was to put together a small ceremony. She couldn't call it a wedding, not like that. A wedding was supposed to be a happy occasion. She'd get home, get married, get marked alongside a man she'd never met, and move in with him. 

She could do that. If anyone could do that, it was her.