Revolutionary

Yellow faded into orange, fading into pink, fading into red as the Saharan dust storm hazed the hues of the sunset against the backdrop of the bayou.  Aiden sat at the end of the pier that extended over the water from the deck of Jackson’s cabin.  Staring off into the horizon, it was apparent that there was something bothering him, something he needed to talk about, but perhaps he just wasn’t sure how to get the conversation started.  Jackson watched from the house, already having a hunch of the issues plaguing his second in command.  

The alpha’s thoughts drifted back to high school when Aiden and Oliver were sophomores and Jackson was a senior.  Oliver had been giving Aiden sh*t over an incident in the boy’s locker room in which Aiden was making out with a jock and when someone caught them, the jock pushed Aiden away accusing him of coming on to him when in fact, it had been consensual.  Jackson’s heart had ached for Aiden as he pulled him and Oliver apart that day; Oliver mumbling a string of derogatory explicatives that prompted Jackson to bust his lip.  It didn’t matter to Jack what Aiden’s sexual preference was and it shouldn’t have mattered to Oliver either.  They were all friends, but more so, they were a pack… a family.  Pack life meant loyalty and only one act would validate turning your back on that, treason.  

For as long as Jackson could remember Aiden had been like a kid brother to him.  Having been an only child, Jack’s brothers were his packmates.  Pack mentality had been instilled in him from a very young age: loyalty, honor, integrity and respect.  Not just to your pack, but to yourself as well.  He was groomed to be the leader, the alpha, like his father, his grandfather and the entire Kenner bloodline before him.  The Mikaelsons may have been the original vampires, but the Kenners were a pack of original werewolves.  The Mikaelsons could look down their haughty noses at what the Crescents were all they wanted.  It was a small price to pay for the freedom Jackson knew they had.  If he had to play a game of Would You Rather, he’d rather be a Crescent with freedom to live without constantly looking over your shoulder for enemies like the Mikaelsons had.

People viewed living in the bayou all wrong.  There is a difference between a swamp and a bayou.  A swamp consists of wetlands, grassy flora, cypress trees, moss and other plant life in shallow water that has little to no movement, often stagnant and producing a noxious gas that sometimes emitted a green glow.  A bayou consists of an actual body of water extended from a river or lake that has a flow or current.  Unlike a swamp, a bayou is not stagnant and although it may feature flora and fauna, it also features estuaries that produce a vast array of seafood such as shrimp, oysters, crab, crawfish and a variety of freshwater fish that were suitable for eating.  Not to mention living on the waterfront provided hours of entertainment with swimming and boating, amazing sunrises and sunsets and an abundance of natural resources to build and handcraft various goods... like new and improved fancy ass cabins.

Being a Crescent in the bayou was highly underrated, but it was a secret Jackson was happy to share with the exclusivity of his pack. There was a certain pride and responsibility that came with pack life and sometimes there were exceptions to the rules, such as family not always being a werewolf or a specific bloodline. Jackson was very welcoming to those who didn’t have families and wanted a sense of belonging. Vivianne for instance, was under the protection of his pack. And more recently, Tyler had been hanging out with them, enjoying the spoils of bonfires, beer and the best damn baby back ribs this side of the Mississippi.

Speaking of pride, Jackson wanted Aiden to be proud and unashamed of who he was. Joining Aiden on the deck, Jackson laid back in a lounge chair gazing off in the same direction. “I know something is on your mind and I’m sure it has everything to do with a not so tall, but definitely dark and handsome party boy that came here for spring break and fell victim to Marcel... Josh. I know you ain’t gonna ask me for my blessing, nor do I expect you to. You don’t need my permission to love someone. Love is love regardless of who or what it’s with. But I’m gonna give it to you anyway because I love you like a brother and I want you to live your best life, unapologetically. Go get Josh, bring him back here and hang out with us. I know him well enough to know he’s cool and if you give everyone else the chance to meet him, I know they will too.”