A lone cottage sat in a field surrounded by wildflowers, fireflies, and thriving maple trees with red leaves. Rustic stone walls lined the exterior of the house, ranging from light, ashen grays to sandy browns. A long brick chimney casted a shadow down on the cobblestone pathway leading to a wooden front door. Dim, yellow-tinted lights greeted everyone with a warm, homey welcome. Slim windows revealed a plethora of antique furnishings waiting inside of a cozy living room.

It was Marshall's temporary, and completely unplanned, lodging while he was away from home, courtesy of his vacationing extended family from Denali.

Being around them after so long felt...really nice, honestly. The Denali vampires were easy to talk to and always had been. They felt more human in comparison to others of their kind because they weren't privy to staying away from a species they were meant to hunt. It was actually the exact opposite: the Denalis prided themselves for their genuine willingness to be around humans. If not for experiencing simple pleasures of having romantic flings, they found great comfort in just existing around normal, mundane people.

Friendships with those having short lifespans were all the more meaningful to have. They were also beautiful little stories everyone could take with them through the years, reminiscing of times and companions they held dear.

Finding Marshall alone in a cemetery had been surprising, but he was invited to stay with his extended family without hesitation.

And as nice as it was to be around them, it was also extremely difficult.

They still didn't know. About Marshall's desertion, the family breaking up, everyone's deaths. The Denalis were blissfully unaware of all of the carnage, misfortune, and pain which had gone on over, roughly, the last two years. Laughing and joking around while holding onto such a substantial, life-changing secret was a lot to handle.

Regardless, when asking for a sign of triumph during his hardships, Marshall was presented with those currently walking ahead of him.

Maybe they had the answers he was looking for. Or they'd at least be available to help lead him on the path he was searching for.

He really hoped so, anyway.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, darling. That doesn't really seem like you," Tanya stated, clinging to her companion's arm and snuggling against him. 

Marshall offered up a soft smile. "Have I been? I'm sorry- I know I'm usually a chatterbox whenever we're able to catch up."

Kate took his other arm, holding it in a slightly looser yet still tender manner. "There's nothing wrong with a little silence. When it comes to living in a house with so many people like you've been, I'm sure finding a place with some peace and quiet can be hard."

Marshall didn't give a halfhearted response. Instead, he clenched his jaw hard enough for one of his fangs to dig into his tongue.

He silently took in the cottage's interior to distract himself.

Pistachio green walls led up to a high ceiling with dark wooden beams running in vertical patterns. Wooden chairs with cushions covered in pretty floral designs were grouped around a circular coffee table. A home entertainment center was surrounded by dual bookshelves packed with leather bound volumes. Beside the left one, refurbished stairs led up to a darkened second floor where the bedrooms were.

Marshall placed his bag down next to an archway leading into a connected kitchen space. He sat down on one of the single seaters, purposely putting distance between himself and those around him.

"Are you hungry by any chance, Marsh?" Eleazar asked with a soft voice. "We wouldn't mind planning another hunting trip if you're feeling peckish."

"Ah- no, I'm good. I ate before I left. Besides, I'm sure you guys can tell that our diets don't really align anymore..."

"Even so, I'm sure we'd be able to find something suitable for you. Do let us know if you change your mind though, okay?"

Marshall nodded, hiding his hands from view by crossing his arms.

Carmen sat down on her mate's lap before regarding their new guest as well. "If you don't mind me asking, Marsh, what brought you to Vermont in the middle of the night? I know you were visiting your father, and sleep doesn't affect us, but you would've been able to take in more sights if you'd come during the day. Was this an emergency trip for you?"

"...Kind of. Some stuff happened at the house and- I haven't been doing very well. To be completely open, things have been spiraling out of control for a while now. It just reached a really bad tipping point, so..."

"You know you can talk to us if you're struggling."

Marshall did know that. He wasn't open about most serious topics regarding his past family life. When he did reveal some of his emotional and mental troubles, though, the Denalis were quick to offer advice. They also had no qualms in sitting silently while Marshall needed both a figurative and literal shoulder to cry on.

He just wasn't sure if his confession would shatter the bond he had with his extended family.

If it did, and they shunned him, well, all the more reason to be open about it now and deal with the consequences instead of holding himself back and stressing about everything further.

"You...guys might not like what you hear. You might see me in a different light."

Tanya leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on his knee. "If something bad happened, we don't want you to deal with it by yourself. We can listen if that 's what you need. In terms of judging- that's not really our place. Especially if we don't know everything that went on. The only fair thing we can do is listen to what you have to say-"

"The Olympic coven doesn't exist anymore. I killed all of my siblings, Carlisle and Esme are no longer regarded as my parental figures, and I have no allegiance to them."

Muffled chirping of crickets outside was the only noise heard around the room.

The Denali vampires were stunned into silence.

They clearly hadn't expected Marshall's answer. They also hadn't expected him to sound so detached while saying it. His inability to smile or look anyone in the eye after admitting what he'd done proved there was more to what he said.

If he'd been happy with slaughtering his coven, he wouldn't've looked so...defeated.

Irina was the first to ask the expected question, "Why?"

And thus began the tale of Marshall Hale: a man, prone to keeping everyone at a distance, who fell in love with his greatest enemy. A man who faced hardship for being in love with someone of the same sex and from a rival species. A man who tried to live his life freely but was shunned by those who were supposed to care for him. He talked about his family's disapproval, their lacking support, and all of the heinous actions they'd done to wear Marshall down until he broke completely. He talked about the pack welcoming him with open arms, their bond, and how amazing Paul was as a partner. Marshall even brought up his connection with Brad and how, of all the difficult changes made over the last couple of years, Brad was a rare constant and reminder of what true family meant.

Unfortunately, the tale of Marshall Lahote had to be stalled to give Irina some time to cool down after learning about her cousin's connection with the wolves who killed Laurent. Not wanting to further upset her by talking about his marriage or a newly established Forever Bond, Marshall lamented for his most troublesome hurdles.

"In the end, it was Edward trying to kill my mate out of spite which threw everything off course. My siblings backed him up, and both he and Rosalie did everything they could for me to think my life is a mistake. So I killed them. But the things they said have left me scarred, and I don't know how to get a grip on reality. That they're gone, and I'm no longer tethered to a family whose goal in life was to only harm and use me. That I have more worth than even I can imagine. Trying to believe the exact opposite of views that were shoved down my throat for so many decades- it's a hard habit to start. Even harder than kicking the habit of caring about them.

"I thought if I left my greatest possessions behind- if I didn't have anything keeping me tied down for awhile- maybe I could finally find my wings and fly freely. Maybe I'd find my own reason for living. But...I've never felt so uncertain before. And now that I'm on my own, I don't know what to do."

Marshall nearly jumped when the hand taking refuge on his leg gave a comforting squeeze.

Tanya rubbed tiny circles in with her thumb. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. You didn't deserve to be in so much pain. You don't deserve it now either. I'm sorry if you had any doubt in us or thought we wouldn't understand you."

"They were your family too. I would've understood if you couldn't stand to affiliate yourselves with me anymore."

"They might've been family, but so are you," Carmen stressed. "And family or not, no one has the right to put you through the things they did. Your life is in shambles because of them- do you really think we could continue to stand by people like that?"

Eleazar gazed into a pair of red eyes with an astounding amount of patience. "We get why you feel so conflicted. Why everything feels so chaotic. And while we ourselves don't really have the answers for what you're going through, we can give you asylum until you figure it out. So you're not going through this alone. Maybe spending time with people who have an outside perspective can help you see yours a little clearer."

Marshall sank a bit in his chair. He raked a hand through his hair, fingers ghosting down the back of his head and settling on the clasp of his choker.

"If it helps, we could also take you into our coven. So you can experience what it's like to be part of one capable of properly functioning as a close family."

Marshall's expression softened, his smile appearing sad. "I appreciate the offer, but I've been able to find that group with some other people. I just can't be around them right now-"

Frantic buzzing rumbled against Marshall's thigh. A spike of anxiety jammed itself into his stomach when pulling out his phone.

He knew this would happen. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon.

"I- I'm sorry. I need to take this-"

Marshall was up and out of his seat before anyone had a chance to question him. He exited the house, running back toward the treeline to give himself some much needed privacy. Steeling himself with a deep breath, he accepted the phone call and brought the device up to his ear.

"Paul-"

"A note, baby? Really? You couldn't even tell me you were leaving in person? I had to almost tear our house apart while looking for you before finding out from Brad?"

"Honey-"

"Do you know how worried we've been? How worried I've been? I get that things come up, Marshall, but you also need to realize that there are people in your life who actually give a shit when you randomly decide to drop off the face of the planet!"

Marshall's eyes immediately filled with tears. His chin quivered. Both shoulders hiked up toward his ears. A guilty expression was pointed toward the ground in front of him.

"I- I'm sorry..."

The other line went silent before a long sigh rang out. "No- no, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I lost it for a second- it's not your fault. You've been going through a lot, and I should be more understanding. I'm sorry."

"You don't- you don't have to apologize. If I'd been in your shoes, I'd probably freak out too..."

"Yeah, but that's not what you need from me, is it?"

Marshall couldn't stop the whimper burning in his throat. The broken sound was followed by a sniffle, and, without meaning to, he began to cry.

How many times had people asked what it was he legitimately needed over the past couple of hours?

"Oh- oh, honey, no- I didn't mean to make you-"

"It's okay. Really- it's not you." Marshall rubbed at his face to stop more waterworks from coming. "I'm just overwhelmed. I miss you. And I want to come home. But I can't."

Paul fumbled, uncertain of what to say. "...Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Marshall sniffled again. "Y-yes."

"Are you safe?"

"Yes, Tiger."

"Do you know...when you'll be coming back?"

"I'm not sure, honestly. But I will come back. Please, believe me when I say that. My goal isn't to just ditch you and the others and just stay away forever. I just- I have to-"

"To figure things out. I get it, my love. I get it. Do what you need to do."

Paul's tender, soft-spoken voice was too sweet for Marshall to handle. He clutched a hand over his heart to stop the physical pain he was feeling in response to being away from his husband. 

"Please- I'll come back as soon as I can. Please, just wait for me, baby."

"Always, Honey Bun," Paul said with unwavering resolve. "There's no rush. I'll wait for you for a thousand years if I have to. But don't come back if you don't think you're ready yet. When you know you'll be able to be comfortable with just being you, I'll be ready to welcome you home with open arms. I promise."

Marshall nodded to himself, cementing his partner's reassurance within him. "I love you."

"I have, do, and will always love you too, Marshmallow. Always."