Edited 6/6/22.

A/N: This chapter contains mild swearing, implied references to blood, and implied homophobia.

***

"So baseball, huh? I didn't take you as one for the sport." Paul chuckles.

Marshall turns around to keep his family members from seeing his growing smile. His cheek rubs against the screen of his phone being held up to his ear. "Eh, it's not my favorite, but it is fun. Despite the drizzle, it's a nice day to play- not too cold out. We're just waiting on Edward and Bella to arrive so we can start."

"Mm." Paul hums. "We still on for the movies later?"

"Yeah- if you want, we can grab a bite beforehand. Just let me know what you'd like to do." Golden eyes glance upward at the sound of an approaching car. "Looks like it's time for me to jet. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Gotcha. Have fun, Marsh. I'll see you." Paul lowers his voice to barely above a whisper. "Bye, beautiful."

"Bye, Tiger."

Marshall ends the call and puts his phone in the pocket of his joggers. He makes sure to block out Edward before allowing his thoughts to swarm about the wolf.

If he were human, the older male would certainly be blushing at being called beautiful. Phantom warmth in his cheeks is giving him a similar feeling. A sense of bashfulness washes over him, leaving the vampire with no choice but to fiddle with his fingers. It's impossible to fight off the involuntary fluttering in his gut. He tries though, because he doesn't want to attract any unwanted attention.

It's noticed how Jasper is looking at his coven mate out of the corner of his eye. The gesture is expected since the blond can feel other people's emotions. Marshall tries to not be bothered by it since this isn't the first time he's had to rein in his excitement about having a boyfriend.

Ever since he let it slip that he went on a date, his family members have been harassing him to find out with whom. He's remained steadfast in his endeavor of keeping them out of the loop though. No name has been given. Or a description of appearance. He hasn't even given them the gender of the person who suddenly has his attention.

It's done on purpose. The less they know, the better. Especially in this case considering Paul is a man.

That talk with Rosalie from months ago crawls into Marshall's subconscious whenever he feels a semblance of desire to tell them the truth. Not of Paul being a wolf or of himself being an imprint. He doesn't want anyone knowing about that yet; not when he knows what chaos would ensue. His annoying tension stems from his family members' possible reactions to finding out about an interspecies and same sex relationship.

He knows that if they find out he has a boyfriend, it'll be one of the most annoying things to deal with.

Everyone is aware that Marshall wouldn't choose to date someone out of the blue; he's not that kind of person. He's more of a sleep-around-and-never-call-again type of guy. They know he'd only agree to date someone if he felt that the person in question was his mate.

It just doesn't help that a clear preference for an inherently female partner has been pushed on Marshall for years. If anyone were to find out that his partner is a man—well, he'd rather not think about it.

The vampire turns his attention back to his family. From his position outfield, he can see Bella standing next to Esme who is the catcher for their game. On her team: Rosalie, Carlisle, and Jasper will be batting. On Marshall's team: himself, Edward, and Emmett will be batting. Alice acts as a universal pitcher.

Since Bella doesn't have enhanced speed or strength like the rest of the family, she will act as umpire. It's not the most exciting role, but the older male guesses that just watching everyone play will be entertainment enough for her.

Marshall rolls his sleeves up to his elbows. Colorful tattoos pop against pale skin. He catches Bella looking at the designs as she's never seen them before, the vampire usually being seen with long sleeves. A quick peace sign is flashed in her direction before a moment is taken to get ready.

Long legs are spread shoulder width apart, and he rests both elbows against his toned thighs near his knees. It's a comfortable stationary position. It also gives him the opportunity to spring into action in a fast manner if necessary.

With a loud boom of thunder, Alice calls for the game to start. Up first to bat is Rosalie.

She flashes her brother a teasing grin before readying her stance with the bat in her gloved hands. Alice kicks her foot up to give herself the leverage necessary to throw a fastball. Rosalie smacks the small object, a sharp crash coming from metal making contact with synthetic fibers. The baseball is sent flying, and Rosalie speeds off.

Marshall turns in the direction of the forest. He catches Edward already on his way to retrieve the projectile. Only a matter of seconds pass before it's hurled out of the treeline, and back toward home base. Esme catches it mere moments before Rosalie slides back onto the marker.

"You're out." Bella announces with a sheepish tone.

From the look on Rosalie's face, the older male can tell that she's pissed.

He tries to hold back a laugh when Emmett's boisterous voice chimes in, "Out! Woo!"

"Dude." Marshall chuckles.

The game continues in a similar fashion. If someone is safe, Bella announces it. If not, she does the same.

Marshall springs into action during one of Carlisle's turns. When the ball is sent flying, Edward and Emmett attempt to jump for it at the same time. Marshall facepalms when they smack right into each other. He slides underneath their falling bodies and catches the ball. It's whisked toward Esme with blinding speed. A sharp whistling sound comes from the ball traveling at such a fast pace.

Unfortunately, the pitch is no good as Carlisle reaches home base before his wife can catch anything. Such a close win is still given an impressed look of approval.

When it's Jasper's turn, the ball is sent flying in Marshall's direction. He catches it thanks to a high jump. He lands on his feet and aims to throw the object back. The action is halted though, when a foreign scent invades his nostrils.

His head snaps in the direction of the smell. It catches his family's attention. They call out to him, but he doesn't answer. Instead, Marshall focuses on the mouthwatering fragrance of faint human blood coming closer and closer. The scent is also backed by a different yet equally distinct coppery fragrance.

That can only mean one thing: another coven is on the way.

Not only that, but based on the smell, the vampires coming in their direction regularly feed off of humans.

"Stop!" Alice calls out, the woman most likely having seen them coming via a premonition.

Marshall drops the baseball. He straightens his posture, but stays rooted in his spot. He continues to stare in the direction of the opening to the forest.

His family members flock around Bella in an attempt to mask her scent with their own. Edward tries to pull his mate away so they can leave, but Carlisle informs them that there's no time. She's instructed to get her hair down underneath her coat. It does little to mask her strong natural smell.

Everyone shifts position, and they end up behind Marshall. Carlisle stands beside him. With Esme guarding Bella, the two other physically oldest members take the reins in front of the group.

A warning snarl is held back when three individuals come out of the forest. There's a redheaded woman and a blond male; they're both the distinct pale color most vampires are. In between them is a vampire of darker complexion with styled dreads. They all have piercing red eyes.

The trio stop walking a good few feet away. Their expressions are playful, but they give off a threatening aura. Marshall clenches his fists at his sides when the vampire with dreads speaks.

"We hope we are not interrupting. But we heard the sound of a baseball game and decided to see what was going on. We haven't seen another coven of vampires in this area until now. Oh, forgive me- my name is Laurent. And my two partners are Victoria and James."

"Hello, my name's Carlisle, and this is my family," the doctor greets. "I hope this isn't too frank, but I'm afraid your hunting games have created a bit of a mess for us. We maintain a permanent residence nearby, and unfortunately your activities have raised some suspicion from the humans."

"Our apologies. We had no idea this territory was claimed," Laurent adds. "Well, we shouldn't be an issue anymore. We're nomads you see, and are simply passing through the area. Before we go however, would you mind partaking in a game with us? We haven't had the chance to play in awhile, and it looks like it'd be fun."

Carlisle and Marshall share a quick, tense glance. The former speaks up. "Sure. A few of us were leaving- you can take their place. We'll bat first."

He picks up the neglected ball. It's tossed toward Laurent, but Victoria catches it.

"I'm the one with the wicked curve ball."

"Well, we like a challenge," Marshall teases.

He purposely draws attention to himself to drive it away from Bella. Although he keeps his gaze forward, Marshall senses his family members moving around behind him. He senses Bella try to walk away. At the same time, a particularly harsh breeze rolls in. The human's scent is wafted into the direction of the other bloodsuckers.

James' eyes shift to black. He zeroes in on a frightened Bella. "You brought a snack."

The Cullen family jumps into action as the other coven does as well. Bella is pushed to the very back of the group to be protected.

Marshall only shifts positions in a protective manner because Rosalie is behind him. He crouches in front of her with hands ready to claw. His golden eyes meet that of Victoria's red ones. The predatory stare down is intense, but he doesn't falter. He snarls in warning. Natural fangs are bared to show that he's a threat.

"The girl is with us," Carlisle states. "I think it'd be best if you leave."

"We can see that the game is over. Apologies. We will go now," Laurent replies.

The Cullens keep their protective stances until the trio are gone. All too quickly, everything descends into chaos.

Edward and Bella rush to the vehicles, driving off. Everyone else piles into their own respective cars. Multiple make a beeline straight for their house.

Now alone, Marshall takes out his phone. He finds his mate's contact information. A call is made with zero hesitation.

"Hey-"

"Something came up." Marshall's voice is calm, but he's sure a hint of cautiousness is leaking through. "Other vampires found us while we were out. They found out Bella is human. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cancel tonight. This could mean trouble for myself and my family."

"There's no need to apologize," Paul answers. "If you need help, tell me. I'm sure your family will be fine- but if you specifically get into trouble, let me know. As an imprint, the pack has your back. Our land or yours- we'll be there if you need us."

"I appreciate it." The vampire sighs. "Still though, this is so stupid. I have to be honest- I don't want to get involved. Just being there was enough to fuck shit up. This isn't my fight. And while I'm glad Edward has found his mate, I don't know if I'd actually risk my life to protect hers. I don't know."

Paul remains quiet on the other line. Despite not speaking, his presence alone helps to quell budding anxiety.

Marshall sees his multi leveled house come into his field of vision. He also sees Carlisle outside talking to a rather annoyed looking Laurent. "Shit- I need to go."

"Keep me posted. And please, be careful."

Marshall hangs up the phone. His car skids to a stop at the edge of the driveway ramp. He's cautious while exiting his vehicle with a hard look on his face. Laurent notices and holds his hands up to show he's not a threat. Carlisle confirms this to be the case. Marshall remains stiff as he watches the two men talk.

He gets the gist of the conversation: James wants Bella because of Edward's reaction to wanting to keep her safe; and Victoria is staying close by but waiting in the shadows to act as backup for her mate. Laurent himself doesn't want to get involved with the chase. Marshall relaxes a bit at the sentiment, but remains guarded.

He's silent when Edward and Bella arrive. Rosalie takes her place beside her older brother. The two remain stationary, while the other vampires and their human scramble into the garage after seeing Laurent off.

Left and right, bags are being packed and placed into the trunks of cars. Bella's heart is hammering in her chest as she stands in the corner. Alice tries her best to calm the girl down. It does little to help.

Marshall frowns when Edward approaches Rosalie with one of his mate's jackets. He instructs her to put it on. The younger woman initially declines due to her distaste for Bella, but ends up agreeing. It's done halfheartedly, but still an agreement all the same.

Once satisfied, Edward brings his attention to the older Hale. "Marshall, you'll be going with Alice and Jasper to drive Bella south. You'll act as reinforcement. If for any reason James or Victoria catches you guys, I want you to step in and-"

"No."

His single statement makes everyone pause. Multiple sets of golden eyes lock onto Marshall's form. He doesn't back down.

"Marsh-"

"I know that Bella needs protection, Edward. I know you want to keep her safe. But this is big. We may outnumber James and Victoria, but you don't know what type of fighters they are. You don't know how strong they could be. I'm not trying to say that Bella should be defenseless- it's just that there are already multiple of you acting as her shield. There's no reason for me to put my life on the line like this. You're asking me to act as reinforcement- something that could get me killed. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be involved. If you need me to go and watch over her father, I can do that. But I'm not fighting anyone."

"But- Marsh- Bella needs us," Edward presses on. "I can't lose her. I don't know what I'd do if I did."

'...But you're okay with losing one of us if it means you can save her?'

The comment isn't made verbally. Edward still hears the thought loud and clear. He makes eye contact with Marshall.

Edward's face is hard and unwavering. His eyes are frantic. There's also a level of certainty in them as well. He doesn't respond to his brother's comment. But the lack of response is an answer in itself for Marshall.

He keeps his face neutral to mask his anger. "I'm standing by my decision. This isn't my battle. So I'm not going to fight it."