Declaring war was definitely not a good proposal, and everyone was well aware of it. Marvin knew this was Aldrich giving him the opportunity to settle scores with Ethan directly, to go through all the past grievances and confrontations.
After a considerable pause, Marvin’s mind swiftly flashed through the myriad of events that had occurred recently, and he came to a conclusion: now was not the right time, whether it was for war or a large-scale rescue mission for Grace.
Although this wasn’t his innermost desire, he had learned to think for the greater good, just like Aldrich and Grace. He wasn’t only focused on immediate gains and losses anymore.
“She wouldn’t want us to do that.”
Grace always prioritized the safety of Blue Moon Pack and its members. Her own thoughts, emotions, and interests would always come last. Marvin, at times, despised Grace’s selflessness, as it was this very quality that led her to choose his brother Aldrich over him.
However, if someone asked him to put himself in Grace’s shoes and consider why she acted this way, he wasn’t entirely incapable of understanding. In Grace’s eyes, the only way to prove her worth was to continuously create a better future for the pack, realizing more value for its members. Her value couldn’t solely rely on her inner feelings; it had to be tied to Blue Moon Pack and even the entire werewolf society. She was like a thread tethered to a spinning wheel, only valuable when constantly pulling and making the wheel turn.
“Grace knows how to take care of herself. Declaring war now means both sides have to enter a state of preparedness, and Blue Moon Pack is not suitable for war at the moment. People are tired of war, and Grace will never allow the people to pay the blood cost for the sake of one person. Let’s wait a bit longer; let’s wait for Maggie to return. Maybe by then, she can communicate with Grace using her consciousness.”
Unexpectedly, his older brother showed such maturity. Aldrich wanted to say something but felt that expressing it might not be entirely appropriate. “Then take care of yourself there, and take care of Alisa. Maggie has been eager to see her, wanting her to come back, but we are all quite busy. Alisa seems busy too.”
Alisa added, “I’ve been busy with the company’s projects lately.”
“Once everything is settled, let Marvin bring you back. It should be just in time for Maggie’s delivery. You can stay for a while, participate as the child’s aunt in their coronation ceremony. There will also be the ceremony where Maggie and I officially become mates. I think Maggie would like you to stay and attend these important ceremonies in her life before leaving.”
Alisa agreed, “As long as it’s for Maggie, I’m willing.”
Marvin felt a bit like an unimportant outsider. He was somewhat ignored, “Hey, does anyone care about my thoughts? Why didn’t you ask me?”
Aldrich didn’t plan on asking him, “I have things to do, I’ll hang up.”
Marvin, feeling slightly disregarded, turned to Alisa, “Why are you doing this now too?”
Not willing to indulge him, Alisa replied, “I’ve never considered your thoughts.”
“Do you think I said the right thing?” His sincere gaze locked onto Alisa. “I feel like I shouldn’t be this rational; it doesn’t fit my style. But I can’t think of any other way. Grace wouldn’t want us to act this way. She doesn’t like war or bloodshed. I think, at least once, my mindset should align with hers.”
Alisa rolled her eyes; she didn’t believe that two people had to share the same mindset to love each other. Love wasn’t a political exam, and there was no need for political alignment for a union. Moreover, her silly sister Maggie wasn’t initially favored by Aldrich for having an exceptionally high mindset. In terms of mindset, Maggie couldn’t compare to Grace, yet in Marvin’s words, Grace’s heart still leaned towards him.
“Love doesn’t need too many deliberate details; love is about respect and tolerance,” she crossed her arms. “You can’t be overly competitive in a relationship.”
Marvin didn’t understand; in the world of werewolves, they were always required to determine a winner and a loser, and the outcome was the most important.
Alisa didn’t bother to explain further and instead mocked him, “I’ve noticed something; you like to do what you think is right in the wrong situations.”
Marvin widened his eyes, “Like what?”
“Every time you should have told Grace you loved her, you chose silence. You had many chances to prove your determination, but every time, you felt you could wait a bit longer, until Grace left you. You also had many chances to directly ask Aldrich about how he sees you as a brother, but because of your inferiority and cowardice, you chose silence. Every time you should have spoken up, you chose to be mute. Just like this time.”
This wasn’t something Marvin could change by himself. There was a part of weakness in his genes, flowing from the Elwin bloodline. Otherwise, Elwin’s two former mates wouldn’t have met such unfortunate ends. The Barrett family clearly had many ways to solve problems, yet without exception, they chose to bury things and not confront them, as if doing so would solve the problem.
Marvin couldn’t articulate that; it sounded like a desperate excuse to say that his family’s bloodline was tainted with weakness, making it impossible for him to change.
“I don’t want to be like this either,” he muttered softly, “I want to be a warrior, never knowing the embarrassment of rejection, not even kneeling if knocked down, always letting her know I’m behind her. But I can’t do it. Every time I want to be a warrior, a voice tells me, you can never become the person you idealize.”
Alisa looked at him, her blue pupils reflecting Marvin’s vulnerability. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would easily reveal his vulnerability. No matter how incompetent he seemed in everyone’s eyes, he was still Elwin’s son, a descendant of the Barrett family. However, he had gradually become accustomed to showing his soft side around Alisa, exposing Achilles’ heel in her line of sight. He fully trusted Alisa, and Alisa realized this herself.
She silently smiled, a truly naive little pup.
“By the way, our company has a project recently, though it hasn’t been finalized yet. But I thought you might be interested in hearing about it?”
Marvin immediately put on a curious expression, “What is it?”
“It’s a genetic engineering research project. Although it hasn’t been decided yet, in simple terms, after successful implementation, it can change the human genetic code. It can suppress a part of your genes, like if someone is always irritable, it can change the gene segment that makes them feel irritable.”
Marvin widened his eyes abruptly, “Has biotechnology advanced to this level now?”