Forced Ties: A Mafia Marriage on the Border: Chapters 1–5

Jenny’s POV

I wake up to the sound of my father screaming in rage, followed by something smashing on the floor. It has become a daily routine in this house. Another day, another unanswered prayer for his demise.

I get up and head to the bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror. I don't recognize the person looking back at me.

Living in this deadbeat town called Snow has drained me.

Snow, a small Alaskan town known for its illegal smuggling activities across the US-Canada border, is a place I despise.

Yukon, Canada was about a half hour drive from here, through the mountain road.

This specific feature made it the perfect place for smuggling anything from and across the border.

The town's name honors the Snow family, who started the smuggling business here. They control everything—schools, hospitals, supermarkets, and even the police. The Snow clan makes up half the town's population and has strict rules: no addictive drugs or human trafficking.

My family, the Walkers, is also deeply embedded in this town. My father and uncle have worked with the Snows for decades, despite having a legal trading business.

Greed keeps them involved in illegal activities, and recent disagreements with the Snows have made my father even more intolerable. He takes his anger out on us, mainly my mom, but I intervene to share her suffering.

My mom is too scared to leave him, and we have no one to turn to. My aunt Jenna, who escaped to Canada, knows about the abuse but not its extent.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15 after one of my father's beatings left me unconscious. Managing diabetes is a constant struggle, requiring insulin shots and strict monitoring. My smart watch helps track my blood sugar, but stress from living here complicates my condition.

After checking my blood sugar and taking my insulin, I hear my father leave. I walk into the kitchen to find my mom cleaning up his mess. On the table is a torn wedding invitation for Alex Snow, Isaac Snow's oldest son.

Isaac Snow, the leader of the Snow clan, has four children. Three sons and one daughter. The oldest one was Alex, followed by Jacob, Lucas, and April.

I have never met any of them before. I’ve only seen glimpses of the daughter April at my high school. She was seventeen years old, a year younger than me. The boys were all older, that’s why I never ran into them despite living in a small town where everyone knows each other.

I look up at her in confusion and ask “So he got mad over a wedding invitation? I don’t get it”

She sighs and says “The wedding is today, I took out the invitation to double check the time of the ceremony so we could get ready beforehand. When he came into the kitchen and saw me reading it, he just flipped out on me. Said we were not allowed to attend this wedding. I tried to ask him why and he started shouting at me in rage and smashed the plate on the floor” she said sadly.

I raised my eyebrows “Well, apparently the arguments they’ve been having are bigger than we thought”

I sat down on the chair and started eating breakfast silently as I kept staring at the invitation, while mom was cleaning the dishes at the sink.

Alex Snow was marrying an outsider. The town was buzzing with this news for the past month, ever since they sent out those invitations.

It was unheard of, because they never allowed outsiders in. Well, seeing as it is Alex Snow; the next in line to take the leadership after his father, he apparently got to do whatever the hell he wanted.

My father forbade us from attending the wedding, further fueling his rage.

Alex is marrying an outsider, Melanie Sullivan, a rare occurrence in this insular town. I pity her for marrying into a family of criminals, oblivious to the danger she is walking into.

The Snows are currently facing threats from a powerful new player trying to smuggle drugs through the town.

The last time I eavesdropped on their meeting, they were discussing their problem with convincing Isaac Snow to let drugs in before someone else wipes them all out and takes over.

There was a powerful new player trying to enter the business. A drug lord I assume. He managed to convince my father and uncle to allow him a passage through the town to smuggle his drugs into the US.

Isaac Snow's refusal to cooperate has put them in danger. My father's discussions with my uncle and cousin reveal a looming threat. A drug lord is determined to take over, and the Snows are his primary target. This spells disaster for anyone associated with them, including Melanie.

I finish breakfast in silence, contemplating the grim reality of our lives.

My father's anger, the town's corruption, and the impending danger from the drug lord create a suffocating environment.

Melanie's marriage to Alex Snow is a ticking time bomb, and I can't help but feel sorry for her inevitable realization of the nightmare she's entering.

In Snow, no one is safe, and our lives are dictated by the whims of powerful men. My only solace is the hope that one day, something will change, but for now, we remain trapped in this cycle of violence and fear.

But what I did know was that the Snows were currently staring down the barrel of a gun.

And that poor girl who was about marry Alex Snow, will regret ever laying eyes on him, I was certain.

She either had no clue that she was killing herself by marrying into his family, or too stupid to realize it now.

But she will definitely figure it out someday, and it will be too damn late for her.

Alex’s POV

I'm standing outside our house, waiting for my bride to arrive with her father and sister. Today marks the start of our life together, and I can hardly contain my excitement.

Four months ago, I met her by chance. I never believed in love at first sight until I saw her. She was visiting her father when her car broke down. I was driving back from Fairbanks when I saw her panicking by her smoking car.

"Hello, what's the problem?" I asked, trying to hide my awe at her beauty.

She looked at me, terrified. "I think my car is going to explode. We should run."

Suppressing a smile, I said, "It's just overheating. The engine's smoking, but it won't explode."

She calmed down and introduced herself as Melanie. I offered her a ride and assured her we'd have her car towed and fixed.

"You have an auto repair shop?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, among other things. Where are you headed?"

"Alcan, to visit my father. Where are you from?"

"Snow," I answered, knowing our town's reputation.

Her smile faded. "And your last name?"

"Snow," I said reluctantly.

She looked fearful. "Please, just leave."

My heart sank. Despite her fear, I backed away and drove off, calling our shop to tow her car. Then, I went to Alcan and told her father about her situation, giving him her location.

Later that day, I got a text: "Hi, it's Melanie. I'm in Snow park. I'd like to talk."

I rushed to the park, finding her on a bench. She looked nervous but determined.

"Hi, I'm glad you came despite my behavior earlier," she began. "I want to apologize. I judged you based on your last name. But after you helped me, I realized I was wrong. My father told me about your family's good deeds. Can you forgive me?"

I smiled. "On one condition: have dinner with me...if you're still single."

She hesitated but then agreed, "I'm single... and starving."

Over the next four months, we fell in love. She just graduated from nursing school and was starting work at our hospital. Our families gave their blessings, and she eagerly accepted my proposal.

Today, as I waited to marry her, I felt nothing could go wrong. My family welcomed her, and the entire town was invited to our wedding.

But then, my world shattered. My father was murdered, right before my wedding, right in front of my eyes.

As I waited for Melanie, my father stood next to me, dressed impeccably in a tuxedo, his hair styled back and beard trimmed. This was a rare sight, as he usually dressed casually, even for business meetings. Seeing him like this filled me with pride.

Despite our dangerous lifestyle, we had a loving home. My father wasn't the strict leader people imagined. At home, he was caring and devoted, both to his children and his wife. He was everything I aspired to be, both as a leader and a family man.

I teased him, "You look dashing, Dad! You might steal my spotlight."

He laughed and smacked my shoulder. "If you wear your tux and trim that beard, we could pass you off as the groom."

I touched my beard. "Melanie likes it this way, so it stays."

He laughed, then turned serious. "Are you really ready for this? Marriage is a huge responsibility, especially in our position. You'll have to make tough decisions, sometimes choosing between your own happiness and the town's safety. Promise me you'll put the town first."

His words weighed heavily on me. We were under pressure to accept a drug deal with a powerful Canadian drug lord, which my father had refused. Our town was on high alert, preparing for an attack.

I assured him, "I won't disappoint you, Dad. Melanie and I are ready for this."

He hugged me. "I love you, Alex. I'm so proud of you. Seeing you get married will bring me so much joy."

Melanie's car arrived. I greeted her with a kiss. "You kept me waiting, Mrs. Snow."

She smiled. "You'll have to wait a bit longer, Mr. Snow."

Her sister Mia, whom I was meeting for the first time, joined us. I shook her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mia. Melanie talked so much about you."

Despite her initial reservations about our marriage, Mia respected Melanie's decision and came to support her.

As guests arrived, my uncle Stefan and cousin David, who lived in Canada, joined us. David was shy, a stark contrast to my more outgoing brother, Lucas.

I nervously checked my watch, counting down the minutes until the ceremony. Just as time seemed to drag, a flash of red light caught my eye. A laser pointer, aimed at my father.

Before I could react, a bullet struck him. He collapsed, and I caught him in my arms. The chaos that ensued was a blur. My mother sobbed beside us, and I ran to the guards, demanding a gun.

"Follow me to the hill," I commanded, sprinting towards the source of the shot.

Just as I started gaining speed over him and inching closer, I aimed my gun and pulled the trigger.

I was extremely talented with my aiming. I was the best at this and my gunshot always hit its target.

My bullet lodged into the back of his thigh, causing him to scream and tumble down, rolling over a couple of times before coming to a complete stop.

I didn’t give him time to recover, as I crouched over him, gripped him tightly by the collars of his shirt and hissed furiously “Who are you? And why did you shoot him?”

He wasn’t from this town for sure. I knew every man in this town, knew their names and even their houses.

He struggled to speak as he kept screaming about his damn leg. My patience was wearing thin at that point, I held my gun to his other thigh and threatened him in a deadly voice “Unless you want another bullet in your other leg, I suggest you start talking… now!”

“Lord Z. It was lord Z’s order to take down Isaac Snow”

It didn’t surprise me really, with his determination to make a deal with us to smuggle his drugs into the border, his refusal to take no for an answer, and his influence over many people that we heard about.

But we were expecting a take over, not a fucking assassination!

“What’s his name? I want a fucking name!” I shout at him while still grabbing him by the collars of his shirt viciously.

He pales as he answers shakily “No one knows his real name. Only his trusted people know it, and they never share it with us. We are nobody to them”

I could hear the sound of the sirens approaching, but it was too late. He was already dead before his body hit the ground.

I looked down at the man who killed my father, deep in thought. Something wasn’t right, there was something missing.

“How did you sneak into the town? All the roads are being watched thoroughly”

He hesitated before answering “It was Patrick Walker. He helped me sneak in across the border from the road his men were supposed to be guarding”

And that’s the missing piece falling into place.

Someone helped that motherfucker from inside our town. Someone had dared to betray our beliefs, our trust, and our loyalty.

Patrick Walker, you’re a dead man walking.

Alex’s POV

"Call Uncle Stefan here," I commanded. Moments later, Uncle Stefan arrived, his clothes stained with my dad's blood. I handed him my gun. "That's the guy who killed your brother. Avenge his death while I go after the other traitor."

"Who ordered the hit?" he asked.

"Lord Z, with help from Patrick Walker."

Uncle Stefan's face darkened with rage. "That traitorous son of a bitch!"

The killer begged, "You promised to spare my life!"

I leaned in. "I promised I wouldn't kill you. Someone else will. Did you think you could kill the head of the Snow clan and get away with it? Save a seat in hell for Patrick; he's next."

As I walked away, I heard five gunshots behind me.

Back at the house, chaos reigned. The ambulance was gone, taking my father's body. My mother wept on the ground, comforted by my sister April. Jacob and Lucas approached, their faces filled with anger.

"Who did it?" Jacob asked tightly.

"Lord Z and Patrick Walker."

They stared in disbelief. "Gather all our men and meet me in the town square," I ordered.

I approached Melanie, standing in her wedding dress, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry for your loss," she cried, touching my hands.

"I'm sorry too, Mel. I have to settle this, but I'll come back for you."

"You're not going to kill him yourself, are you?" Mia asked, horrified.

I looked at her coldly. "The shooter is dead. Now I’m dealing with the traitor."

At the town square, I saw Patrick's men, armed and ready. I addressed them with Uncle Stefan by my side. "We're not here to fight. Patrick betrayed us, sneaking a killer into town. Hand him over."

"I never betrayed this town!" Patrick shouted, stepping forward. "This is a setup to divide us!"

"Why weren't you at the wedding? Why gather your men if you had nothing to do with it?" I retorted.

Patrick hesitated. "I warned your father, but I had nothing to do with his death."

I aimed my gun at him. "You might not have pulled the trigger, but you loaded the gun. That’s just like committing the crime yourself."

"Don't do it, Alex!" shouted Sheriff Charlie Dawson as SPD patrol cars arrived. "Everyone put your guns down! There's only one way out alive—lower your guns and leave."

The sheriff whispered to me, "Your father wouldn't want this. Patrick is at fault, but the rest will die for nothing."

I considered his words, then ordered, "Everyone, get back in your cars and retreat." I glared at Patrick. "An eye for an eye, a life for a life. This isn't over, Patrick Walker."

The past three days have been the darkest of my life. A single bullet turned our world upside down, leaving us grappling with grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Each of us is in a different stage of mourning. My mother is in denial, locked away in their room, convinced my father is still alive. My sister is engulfed in depression, moving through the house like a ghost. Our clan is bargaining, blaming themselves and eager to avenge our leader. My brothers, uncle, and I are consumed by anger, especially since his killer remains hidden, surrounded by his men.

The funeral is underway, and though everyone wants revenge, I've insisted we wait until after the service. I plan to kill Patrick Walker publicly, making an example of him for betraying the Snows, but I need a plan that minimizes casualties.

Melanie, my fiancée, has been devastated by the events of our wedding day. I’ve spoken to her briefly, urging her to stay away for her safety. I worry she might not want me after all this, but I hope our love will endure.

As the funeral concludes, our clan’s attorney, Erik Snow, asks me to gather the family to read my father’s will. Erik, a distant relative and my father's godson, has been loyal to our family since his father’s sacrifice.

I find my mother, finally outside her room, accepting condolences. “Erik wants to read Dad’s will. Stay here while I gather everyone,” I tell her, kissing her forehead.

In the living room, with Uncle Stefan, Erik, and the rest of the family, Erik begins reading the will, detailing the distribution of assets. My father’s belongings are divided among us, while his inheritance goes to Uncle Stefan.

Then Erik reads an unexpected letter from my father. Its final words stop my heart.

To my loved ones:

I'm deeply sorry for leaving you like this. My heart breaks imagining you all gathered to hear this. Please, grieve no more, as it will only break my heart further. Wherever I end up after my death, know that I will be with you, even if you cannot sense me. I want you to stand strong and believe that I am always with you—in your hearts and souls.

I write this not only to my family but to the new leader of the Snow clan. It is my duty to appoint a successor in case of my unexpected death. I know the role can be overwhelming, but you will gain confidence with time. I trust you completely; you are the perfect man for the job because I raised you well.

I hereby appoint my son, Alex Snow, as the new leader of the Snow clan. May your leadership be prosperous and just until you are ready to appoint the next leader.

Lastly, I love you all and will continue to love you from wherever I may be.

—Isaac Snow

A deafening silence fills the room. Confusion grips us—why did my father choose me over Uncle Stefan, who had seniority? I look at my mother, who doesn’t seem surprised. She must have known.

Uncle Stefan stares at the fireplace, anger evident on his face. David, his son, looks fearful. I feel unprepared for this responsibility.

Lucas breaks the silence, standing to approach me. He hugs me tightly, offering acceptance. Jacob, April, Erik, and my mother follow suit, each showing their support.

Finally, Uncle Stefan approaches, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Congratulations, Alex. Your father made the right choice. I will be here for you.” His support means a lot; I feared he would challenge me for the position.

“Thank you, Uncle Stefan. I didn’t know about my father’s wish,” I reply.

“Your father made his choice. We should respect it. He didn’t decide lightly,” he assures me.

I nod, but I wish I knew why he chose me over Stefan.

“Mom, April, can you give us some privacy?” I ask gently. They leave, and now it's time for action. We can finally seek justice for our former leader.

“Patrick Walker will not live to see dawn. He dies tonight, right in the middle of town. He’ll serve as an example of what happens when someone betrays us,” I declare.

Lucas, eager for action, suggests going in guns blazing, but I want to minimize casualties. “We need a plan. We can’t let our emotions dictate our actions.”

Soon I made a plan and told everyone about it.

“Jacob and David will stay here to protect April and Mom. We can’t leave them unguarded,” I explain, knowing Jacob isn’t pleased with this decision, but he nods in agreement.

“What time do we strike?” Uncle Stefan asks.

“An hour before dawn. We’ll gather our men and ensure our plan runs smoothly,” I reply.

Afterward, I call Melanie to inform her of my new leadership role. She’s shocked. “I thought your uncle was taking over!”

“That’s what I thought too. But my dad’s will made me the leader,” I say firmly.

“And you accepted it?” she replies incredulously.

“There’s nothing to accept or decline. It’s done,” I insist.

“I can’t believe you’re saying this! You didn’t even consult me! You’re putting yourself in danger!”

“Mel, you knew my life from the start. This doesn’t change anything,” I say, feeling the pressure.

“Was going to war with your own people part of the life I fell in love with?”

“That’s not how we handle things in this town,” I retort.

A painful silence stretches between us. I sense her change of heart. “I need space, Alex,” she finally says before hanging up.

Frustration washes over me. An hour before our operation begins, I seek out my mother and April. I find them staring at the fireplace. I kiss them both on the forehead, aware this may be the last time I see them.

“Be careful, Alex,” April says, hugging me tightly.

“Jacob and David will protect you,” I reassure them.

But then April says, “Jacob isn’t here.”

My stomach drops. “What do you mean he’s not here?”

“I saw him leave the house about three hours ago, he hasn’t returned yet. I thought you sent him somewhere” she answered in a small voice.

I run my hands through my hair irritably as I say with gritted teeth “I didn’t send him anywhere. I explicitly told him to stay here until we came back. Where the hell is he?”

“I’m right here” said Jacob as he came into the living room with a gun in his right hand, and attached to the gun, was a silencer.

My eyes widen at the sight of him.

His face and brown leather jacket had little tiny splashes of blood on them.

“What the fuck did you do?” I asked in a low menacing voice.

He drops the gun on the ground and answers in a tight voice.

“You don’t have to go anywhere anymore brother. Patrick Walker is dead… I killed him”

Just then, more than a dozen gunshot sounds were heard in the far distance.

Signaling the start of freaking war.

Alex’s POV

The sound of gunshots kept coming from across the town, but surprisingly, they never got closer to us. The SPD was probably blocking the roads leading to our house.

I was pacing back and forth in utter rage, waiting for the rest of the family to join us in the living room before hearing what my maniac brother had done.

I was barely holding myself from shoving him into a corner and beating the shit out of him.

I was never as angry as I was right this moment.

As Lucas, uncle Stefan, David, and Erik, stood in the room looking between me and Jacob in confusion, I said in a scathing tone “Explain to us why you went rogue and all fucking John Wick on us to kill Patrick Walker on your own, Jacob!”

“Wait, what? You killed him?” Uncle Stefan asks in bewilderment.

Jacob; who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed like he didn’t just ignite the slow match to war, said in a calm voice “Yes, I sneaked into his house, walked in on him in his office, and shot him twice in the chest and once in the head. And no, I don’t regret it in the slightest because that way, no one, not from you and not from them had to die unnecessarily just to kill one bastard”

I couldn’t control myself any longer after that, as I shoved him harshly against the wall and yanked him from his leather jacket.

I bellowed angrily “And what the hell do you think is going to happen now genius? We’re going to make up and shake hands in peace? Are you deaf? Can’t you hear those gunshots that haven’t stopped since you walked in here? You just declared war in the whole fucking town!”

He tries to shove me back but I don’t move a muscle as he roars “And your plan wasn’t going to declare war? It was all coming to the same result, except my way saved a lot more bullets and a lot more men”

He was either too blind, too stupid, or too stubborn to realize my whole fucking point “Your way was fucking wrong! You sneaked into his house like a thief, and killed him with a silencer as if you’re scared of getting caught killing him. I was going to drag his ass in front of the whole town, make them witness and listen to his crimes, make them believe that he was not one of them, that he was nothing but a traitor who deserved to be killed, I might have even won some of his people on my side or all of them without risking a bloody war! But what did you do? You made him look like a fucking martyr now! In front of all his clan! We had every right to kill that bastard and the town people were going to give us that right, but you blew the whole damn thing to smithereens!”

“It wouldn’t have made a difference Alex! What makes you think they were going to listen to you now, when they didn’t listen three days ago when you drove there to kill him and found his own men guarding him? I did the right thing”

My grip on myself slipped as I raised my fist to punch the heck out of him.

“Alex!”

My fist stopped in midair as the voice I haven’t heard since my father died, spoke up for the first time, my mother’s voice.

I lowered my hand and turned around to look at her, while still holding into Jacob.

She said in a tight firm tone that conveyed authority “Control yourself! He is still your brother despite everything. My children do not punch and hurt each other. Not while I’m still breathing. Jacob, your actions were wrong. It wasn’t the right move to do. Your brother is right. What’s the point of having a leader if you are going to go behind his back and do what ever the hell you want? This is the first and last time you or any one of you goes behind his back again”

She turns to me as she says “Let your brother go, Alex. What’s done is done. We need to stop arguing and think about the next move now”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the fire brewing inside me, eating me alive. My anger at my brother was so not out of my system yet, but I let him go and backed away from him just for the sake of our mother.

“How did you sneak into their house anyway?” Lucas asked curiously.

I gave him a cold look as I said in a tired voice “Really Lucas? That’s your main concern right now?”

He shrugged and murmured “Just curious, that’s all”

I turned to Jacob and asked him “Did anyone see you? Do they know it was you”

“His daughter saw me when I was leaving his office, after I shot him. She was walking out of her room at that second”

My heart skipped a beat as I tried to ask him dreadfully “Please tell me you didn’t…”

“Of course not! I would never kill an innocent girl Alex come on!” he looked offended that I even doubted him.

“What happened then?” I asked tightly.

“Nothing, she was terrified when she saw me, she couldn’t move or make a sound. I sneaked back the way I came from and left the house. I didn’t hear any warning or see someone coming after me all the way here”

She was probably traumatized by my brother’s appearance with those little blood splashes on his face and clothes; in addition to a silencer in his hand, she couldn’t open her mouth for a long time to let out a warning, I bet.

“Do you know her?” I turned to my sister April as I directed my question to her.

“Yes, her name is Jennifer. She’s 18. I never spoke with her before though, I don’t know anything else about her” she said in a small voice.

Her face was pale, she was holding herself tightly with her arms wrapped around herself. She was terrified of the whole situation, my heart ached at the sight of her like this. She was too young to be exposed to such tragedies and cruelty.

I turned to Jacob and said confidently “If she couldn’t open her mouth then either out of shock or fear, you can be sure as hell she opened it now. She’s not about to cover for her father’s murderer that’s for damn sure. Congrats, the whole Walker clan are gunning for you now, brother”

He looked like he was on the verge of saying something, but thought better of it and kept it to himself, thankfully.

“You have to leave town, right away” I said to him.

“I’m not going to run away from this! I’m taking the responsibility of my own actions, Alex. I’m not a little kid that you need to keep out of trouble”

I answer him firmly, putting every ounce of authority and power from my new title in my voice, trying to contain my anger from slipping again “I’m the leader of this clan, and of this family from now on! Whatever I decide will be followed to the dot. No arguments, no objections. You will leave this town right now, you won’t return until it’s safe for you to come back”

When I don’t hear any disagreement from him, I turn to my uncle “Uncle Stefan, I need you to take Jacob with you back to Canada. I’m sorry, I know you wanted to stay with us and help us, but I can’t trust him with anyone else but you”

Uncle Stefan nods right away “You got it Alex. I’ll keep him safe don’t worry. But I would like for David to stay behind and help you out, if it’s okay with you of course”

I look at David who looked rather surprised by this.

“I don’t know uncle, it’s a pretty dangerous town to be living in these days, none of us know if we’re going to see the light of a new day, if something happens to him on my watch…”

Uncle Stefan cuts me off “That’s why I want him to stay behind. He will have your back Alex. If anything were to happen to him, it won’t be on you, I won’t hold you accountable. He’s old enough to take care of himself”

I couldn’t argue more with him on that matter, partly because I didn’t have any time to waste on arguing anymore.

“There is a secret road across the border, through the mountains, that only the people in this room know about. It’s not watched by anyone because we made sure it looks like a dead end that no one can use to cross over. Jacob will lead the way for you uncle. You need to leave immediately”

“I’ll take my suitcase from upstairs, meet you in the car, Jacob. David come with me for a minute”

Mom walks over to Jacob, and puts her hands on his face.

She says emotionally “Trust your brother Jacob, please. He’s doing what’s best for everyone. It’s not goodbye, but see you soon. You’re coming back honey, before you know it, you’ll be walking through the front door again”

They hug each other silently, Jacob doesn’t say anything to her in response.

Her words cut me deep.

Am I doing what’s best for everyone? Cause it looks to me like I have no fucking idea what I’m doing right now, or how the hell I’m going to stop a bunch of bloodthirsty people from killing each other in vein.

Alex’s POV

I was standing in front of the window in the guest living room; where any guest coming here would meet with my father to discuss all matters related to town, it was a huge room filled with long black leather couches. It had two entrances, one from inside the house, and a separate entrance through an outer staircase from the front yard.

My hands were clenched in fists behind my back, my mind running at a blinding speed trying to find a solution that would stop both families from killing each other, without wasting a single innocent life.

I had just received a text message confirming that my uncle and Jacob crossed into Canadian territory without any complications. At least that problem was taken care of, for now.

The gunshots have also stopped firing a while ago. Instead of comforting me, it brought a ton weight of worry inside me.

There was a saying that popped into my head just now, that really described this unfortunate situation.

Don’t fear conflict, but fear the silence. Fear the silence before the storm.

And a storm was coming all right, in full fucking force.

Someone clears his throat from behind me, I turn around to see Mathew standing at the entrance of the room.

Mathew and his wife Sara live with us, in a separate small house next to ours. Mathew is a Snow, he was my father’s right hand. Helping him with all matters related to our business. He was my father’s age. His wife Sara helps mom with taking care of the house and cooking for us. They have been living here ever sense I opened my eyes.

Now that I am the new leader, that meant that Mathew just became my right hand.

“What is it Mathew?” I asked tightly.

“The sheriff is here to see you, Alex” he answered.

That was expected.

“Let him in, and get Lucas, Erik, and David to come here”

He nods his head and disappears.

A few minutes later, we’re all sitting on the couches, waiting for the sheriff to speak.

He looks at each one of us, his eyes landing on me at last, and says “Patrick Walker was found killed in the office of his house two hours ago, don’t bother to act surprised on my behalf please, I know one of you did it. And judging by the absence of your brother Jacob, I’m guessing that was his doing. Because frankly, killing someone in his house quietly and without causing a fuss or putting on a show is not something you’re known for, Alex” he said firmly.

If he was trying to get me to confess to anything, it was a futile attempt, and he knew it.

But then again, why is he guessing that it was Jacob if the daughter has already seen the man responsible? Something wasn’t right.

“Do you have any hard evidence in your hands sheriff, beside a lucky guess?” I asked mildly.

“Unfortunately, no. His daughter was the one who discovered the body, but she said that she didn’t see anyone enter or leave the house at the time of the murder. So there are no witnesses to confirm my theory, but unlike me, his family do not really need any evidence to demand justice for the head of their clan”

This catches me by great surprise.

Why is she lying? How come she kept quiet about my brother despite catching him red handed, literally?

What’s her motive for hiding the truth about her father’s murder?

The sheriff carries on, oblivious to the million questions roaming through my head.

“They know it was one of you, although like me, they don’t believe it was you, they are certain it was someone from your clan. Whether you ordered that hit or not, neither me or them is certain of that, either. But the end result is the same, their leader was killed from right under their noses after you clearly stated to them three days ago that you were going to kill him. Now he’s dead, his clan is promising payback and his brother and nephew are at the head of that promise, and not just any payback, they want to end anyone with the last name Snow. We are on the verge of a full on blood feud, son. I’m sure you already realized that. I prevented them from coming over here by posting my men on every road leading to this house. But I’m only delaying the inevitable here. They will come for all of you and I’m here to try and find solution before this gets out of hand. I also need to speak with Stefan Snow, as the new leader of the Snow clan, he needs to figure out something, fast”

“I’m the new head of the clan now sheriff. My father passed the leadership down to me” I declared to him plainly.

His surprise can be clearly read from his expression, as he registers what I said to him.

“Well, I don’t know whether to congratulate you or console you for taking the leadership at this unfortunate time…” he says reluctantly.

“I think the latter suits the situation best right now” I said dryly.

“So what are you planning to do about this, Alex?” he asks.

I have no fucking idea.

The fact that I have no possible, non-violent, solution that satisfies both parties was gnawing at me for the past hour.

A true leader should be able to come up with a reasonable, fair solution for every problem without letting things escalate to the point of utter destruction.

But my mind was drawing a complete blank.

It was making me doubt my ability to lead or take care of this town my father left me in charge of too damn early.

Other than going to war, risking many lives in the process, and gaining more enemies, I couldn’t come up with anything else.

War was the only plan I’ve got. It was a guaranteed win because we outnumber them by a lot, but at what cost?

We’ll lose more than we’ll win. Lose innocent lives that will be caught in the crossfire, lose the town people’s faith in us and in our oaths to protect them and keep them safe from everything, and lose our reputation as a peaceful town that coexisted with illegal activities for a very long time without being exposed to the public and seen as a threat to society.

The longer I stayed quiet, the more I considered myself as a failure, not ready, fit, or deserving for leadership.

There is no other choice.

But maybe one last hope for things to take another turn by any miracle, with one last attempt.

I turned to the sheriff and said “I want you to go back to Patrick’s brother, Jack, and convey this message on my behalf: if he wants war to erupt in the whole town, then let it be war, but he should know that whilst their vowing to wipe our name from this town by killing every last Snow, the exact opposite will befall on them all. Because we outnumber them by a lot, we might lose some along the way, but we will be the ones to wipe them off. His brother cashed out his chips the second he decided to stab us in the back and betray our trust by joining hands with an outsider, he made his own bed and he got what he deserved for it. His death was our rightful payback, so he doesn’t get to act like we wronged his brother. It was a life for a life. He has the choice to either let it end at that and accept that his brother was at fault for how things played out or we meet in the town’s square to see who will be the last man standing”

He averted his gaze from me, probably trying to come up with another suggestion, and failing, like me.

He stands up, and we follow suit, as he nods his head and says solemnly “I’m headed over there right now, I hope he agrees to back off and control his clan, for all our sakes”

“I need something else from you sheriff” I add warily.

“What is it?”

I hesitate a little, trying to choose my words carefully “I need you to find out, very subtly, if they know the real identity of Patrick’s murderer. I need to know if they were hiding a witness from you to throw us off into letting our guard down”

He nods his head in agreement and says “I’ll call you as soon as I finish meeting with him to let you know what he said”

“Thank you for everything sheriff”

After the sheriff leaves us alone, Lucas turns to me and asks curiously “Why do you think his daughter lied about seeing Jacob?”

I shook my head in frustration “I have no idea. While there is a slight possibility that she didn’t recognize who Jacob was, she still could have given them his description, at the very least. But why she lied about not seeing anyone at all, that I can’t figure out”

We stay together in the room the entire time, anxiously waiting for the sheriff’s phone call. Mom and April join us after a while as Erik tells them everything that went down with the sheriff.

My mom stays quiet and doesn’t comment on my decision. Which made me want to hear her opinion even more, but I was afraid she might have been disappointed in me for not coming up with a better solution and I wasn’t prepared to hear that right at this moment.

I kept pacing nervously and checking my watch to keep track of the time the sheriff was taking to get back to me.

It has been 40 minutes now, and nothing happened yet.

It was nearly seven in the morning. None of us had any decent sleep in the last twenty four hours. But the tension kept us all on alert.

I ordered Mathew to let all of our men, who were stationed outside the house, to be prepared to take off for battle at any minute.

My phone rang in my pocket. I looked at the screen, and my heart started accelerating as I answered it right away.

“Talk to me Sheriff” I said tensely.

I heard a heavy sigh on the other end, and just that little response, gave me everything I needed to know before he spoke.

They chose war.