Chapter 37: So It Begins

“Are you okay?” Garin asked as Willow came bursting into the house, her eyes frantic. “Come here,” he stood and wrapped her in his arms, smoothing down her braid. Her breath hitched against his chest.
“I’m not okay. Shit just got serious. I got a summons,” she said and pulled out of his arms, pacing around the living room.
“A summons? To court?” Garin asked confused. She shook her head roughly.
“Not exactly. The council, it is like a group of our elders that uphold our laws, sent me a message today. I am to be tried in a few days for our relationship. There are a few different outcomes, two of which at least still leave us alive.” Garin watched her pace, his arms crossed in front of his body.
“Your grandmother told me, well, sort of, about what our options are.” Willow froze.
“You spoke to my Gramme?” Her eyes were wide and wild, her scent grew stronger the more agitated she became.
“She came by earlier. She…she told me about your parents. She said that we only have a few options. One of which is to run,” he replied and walked to her, grabbing her arms. “I’m leaving it to you. I don’t want to run. I like my life here. But if it means keeping you safe, I’ll leave now.” His cerulean eyes implored her to explain.
“I understand why you didn’t want to tell me about your parents earlier. I can’t imagine…” he trailed off, not sure what else to say. Her yellow eyes turned to his. They seemed to glow brighter than usual.
“It isn’t just my safety I am worried about. The Red Hoods will kill you too. Family or not, you broke one of their rules. Have you not read the treaty?” she asked, realizing that he didn’t quite grasp the seriousness of their situation.
“No, I’ve always kept my distance from that. For the longest time, I just thought my parents were hunting real wolves and were involved in some weird, fucked up cult. Which in retrospect, I suppose is all true in a convoluted way,” he said, a wry twist to his lips. She took a step back, breaking his hold on her.
“It’s all true, as you have now seen. The Red Hoods aren’t the only hunters out there. There are others that aren’t part of an organized group. They aren’t hateful like the Hoods, rather they are there to keep the peace in case of a rogue wolf or in instances where our hands are tied in clan disagreements. They used to help prevent wars between the packs or at least keep them contained. But the Red Hoods…they are different. They are extremists.” Her brow was furrowed, her eyes flashing.
She looked at him, really looked at him.
“They want to see all of us dead. Whether the treaty has been broken or not, they are always waiting for one small misstep. And this,” she gestured between them, “is a giant misstep. This is a flagrant display of breaking their laws. Our only choice is to run,” she stated, her hands falling limp at her sides.
He was quiet for a few minutes, a contemplative expression on his face.
“Or we can fight it. Plead our case. In front of the council. Your grandmother told me that the council was going to exonerate your parents, maybe they would grant us the same mercy. I have no interest in upholding any family legacy. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ve never been close to my family anyway,” he said diplomatically and cautiously took a few steps towards her, closing the distance.
“That doesn’t take care of the Red Hoods issue with it,” she replied, her heart still heavy with the enormity of what he was proposing in front of them.
“Let me worry about them,” he said and kissed her head. She admired his bravery but couldn’t ignore the taste of danger that lingered in the air.
####
“I need to speak with you,” Ava hissed into her husband’s ear. He politely excused himself from the Suttons sitting across the table from them. They nodded with small smiles and went back to speaking with their daughter, Mile’s soon to be wife.
Ava led her husband into the kitchen, away from the others.
“It is time,” she stated simply and refilled her husband’s glass of bourbon and pressed the heavy crystal into his hand.
“You’re sure?” he asked, not bothering to hide the excitement that laced his words. She nodded once.
“Garin is still seeing the little she-wolf. I believe it was her jilted lover who left an incriminating photo of the two of them on our door,” she ran her hand lovingly, almost seductively down her front, feeling the cool metal of the blade lick into her skin.
Weyland sipping the amber liquid, letting the warmth flood through his body. Years of anticipation waiting for this moment nearly threatened to overcome him. He was drunk with the thrill of finishing this.
“When?” he asked, looking at his beautiful wife. He often forgot how beautiful she was. Not that it wasn’t evident, but he had been with her for over twenty years and these things sometimes were not noticed. But now, with the lamplight highlighting her cold, sharp cheekbones he was taken aback by her frigid beauty. Her blue eyes gazed at him, their icy irises shooting a small thrill of fear through him. These were the eyes of a deadly, calculating predator.
“In two days, before the moon is full. We don’t need to give them an edge,” she said with a cold smile edging her full pink lips. “Have the others on standby. Rashida has been lurking around. I’m not sure how quickly she would come to the aid of the girl but just in case, we need to be ready.” He nodded once and walked to his office. Soon the town would be flooded with Red Hoods.
####
Willow couldn’t sleep after her conversation with Garin. They had made passionate love but even that wasn’t enough to lull her to sleep as it usually had. She was restless. She knew it was in part because the moon was nearly full, and she could feel it thrumming in her veins. But teetering on the edge of death was also making it hard to capture sleep.
She slid out of bed and wrapped herself in Garin’s flannel robe. Looking over her shoulder, Garin was still slumbering so she crept quietly from the bedroom and went into his office. She loved this room with its oversized leather chairs and floor to ceiling bookshelves. She ran her fingers along the spines, feeling calmer already.
She settled herself into his desk chair, tucking her feet underneath herself. She figured grabbing a book might help her sleep or at least distract herself. It was then that she noticed a familiar leather book poking out from the center drawer. Silently, she slid the drawer open. It was the book her grandmother had given her weeks ago. A page was tabbed.
Curious, she flipped to the page and her eyes widened in horror at the entry.

Ava Brochade m. Smith, 1963-still living. Residence previously unknown. Whiteridge, house in Estates neighborhood. Over 100 known kills. (most of which were known to be unauthorized.)
Appearance: 5’6”, 130lbs, bright blonde hair, blue eyes.
Husband: Weyland Brochade
Red Hood Legacy
HIGHLY DANGEROUS & DISTURBED
Run if encountered