Archive of Our Own ^beta

“If this were really a family barbecue, Jesse would be here.” Mercy crosses her arms as she closes the door to Adam’s SUV. Summer in Montana wasn’t cold, but it sure tries to be sometimes. Adam walks around the front of his car wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, looking as sexy as he would in a suit.

“I’m glad she’s not here with us to see the werewolf politics.” He leans in close, wrapping Mercy’s crossed arms with his own in a slow, tight squeeze. “And the invitation was only for Alphas and their seconds, plus their mates.”

“Like that’s not asking for trouble,” Mercy scowls. “If Bran were really going for the family barbecue feel, he should have invited Jesse.”

An antique mustang pulls into the gravel parking lot behind them with its windows rolled down. Darryl and his mate, Auriele step out of the car. Darryl has his game face on, making the glow of his African-Chinese skin all the more striking. A big man of muscle, the usually stoic professor-type gruffs, “It’s September. Jesse had school, and I’m glad too. She’s safer there.”

Auriele, the high-school chemistry teacher puts a hand on her mate’s back and looks around at the tiny church, gas station/post office and school, the only buildings visible in front of the hills of Aspen Creek. “So, this is the Marrok’s town.” She moves her long ponytail behind her shoulder, “Jesse could have made it. For a three-day weekend trip, even I’m only missing one day,” she glances sidelong to her Alphas, “but we all know Bran only invited the mates so Anna and Mercy would be there.”

“Our whole pack is being invited back into the Marrok’s care.” Adam redirects, “It makes sense for the four of us to answer his call in-person. We’re here for diplomacy, and as long as Jesse doesn’t have to play a part in that, I’m happier for it.”

Mercy glares toward the hills. “I’d still prefer Jesse’s company over dealing with Leah any day. The sooner we finish here, the better.”

Adam leads them into the motel’s lobby, done up in wood tones for a taste of rustic charm. A young teenage girl waits behind the counter. Spinning in the office chair, the girl jams out to music on her headphones while chewing bubblegum. She smells of werewolf and happy anxiety.

Adam clears his throat and the girl’s bubble pops. She looks to the four adults in the door, only to drop her eyes immediately. Then she smiles brightly for them. “Hi, I’m Kara. Are you the Columbia Basin Pack?”

Mercy ducks around Adam and heads up to the counter, “Kara Beckworth? Hi, good to meet you, I’m Mercy.” She offers her hand in greeting. “Your father once came to me for advice on if joining a pack would be good for you. How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good.” The girl shakes Mercy’s hand eagerly, noticing the care in Mercy’s voice she recites with a toothy grin, “A lot better actually, I like how the all crazy wolves here make me feel sane.”

Adam gives a cautious smile, “That’s… good to hear. I think.” Mercy mirrors the girl’s continued bright grin. Darryl and Auriele exchange glances.

“Kara wanted to be here to greet the coyote.” A smooth Spanish accent trails from the doorway to the back. Asil leans propped up against the wall, his intensely dark eyes scanning the visitors. Adam, Darryl, and Auriele immediately tense up. Mercy slowly stops shaking Kara’s hand. Adam moves between Asil and his mate, refusing to drop his gaze before the famous Moor. The tension grows between the legendary wolf and the comparatively young Alpha visiting from outside the Marrok’s pack. The air sparks with their dominant power.

A breeze blows in from the door behind them, bringing with it the smell of recent rain from the cool outdoors. A whiskey-brown-topped blur dashes in. “Sorry about that, Adam. Charles didn’t tell me Asil was going to be here with Kara until just now.”

Anna, the Omega of the Marrok’s pack and mate to their second, clears all the fear and challenge from the room just by tucking one strand of brown hair behind her ear.

“Who else would you expect to be guarding this pup?” Asil coos from the hallway, not having moved at all. A warm smile plays across his lips before the Omega wolf. Kara taps her toes energetically on the counter before pushing her chair back to roll to the office wall.

“Here are your keys!” The girl chirps, reaching up to the hooks on the wall, and handing two over to Mercy.

“We even upgraded the locks recently.” The Moor smiles as Mercy hands one of the keys to Darryl, a sticker with the number seventeen on its base.

Anna sighs, “Once you get situated, you can meet me out front. I’ll take you to Bran’s from there.”

“What did Asil mean about the locks?” Auriele asks as they unpack the cars.

“The motel used to only have three, besides the Marrok’s safe room there.” Mercy explains, nodding to room number one as her boots crunch across the gravel and the grass. “I guess each room has its own key now.”

A little later, they meet Anna out in front of the lobby. She whistles a happy tune as they pile into their separate cars to follow her down the muddy roads to the Marrok’s house.