CoR Bonds of Blood

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Finally calming down, Aimée felt her shoulders slumping in defeat. He was right, she should have moved back, but she was too busy running wild. Now look at her... a fucking mess. Running her fingers through her dark hair, she didn't bother fixing it over her facial scars. It was just them. No one was going to see her and mock her.

"I'm calm... please just tell me everything. I just want the truth... all of it." Aimée's voice was soft and she knew without a doubt that there would be consequences from her pointing her gun at him. If anything... she wasn't sure why he didn't do anything. Maybe he was waiting.

"I know I'm a fuck up and can't fight or even take care of myself, but... I don't want to be excommunicated out... I'm not him...
 
Baron nodded, seeming to accept her words as he indicated for her to follow as they continued on their way.

"Your mother wasn't pack," Baron began. "And your father had become an alcoholic, a violent one. Maybe if we had excommunicated him back then, none of this other shit would have happened," he said with an edge of anger to his words.

"When he came to us over what he had done, the pack officers where conflicted. Some wanted to take you from him, and to excommunicate him. Others couldn't see what the problem was with a dead human. In the end though it came down to the fact that he was pack, and she wasn't. So instead of throwing his ass out, we covered it up."

"The JCs had always been a thorn in Matthis' side, but we had a mutual ally. It was his idea to pin it on them, to give justification for the pack moving against them. Only a few people knew about this. The rest of the pack was fed the story. Jacques knew if he ever lay a hand on you that it wouldn't go in his favor again, and he gave up drinking. I thought perhaps it was out of guilt over what he had done, but now I suspect it was out of fear of the consequences if he didn't."
 
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Once again following behind Baron, she looked up at the sky to ground herself a little more. Whatever she had been expecting was most definitely not what came out of Baron's mouth. She stared at him in absolute disbelief, her fingers squeezing at her sides. That... no. There were so many questions and it ultimately pissed her off that she couldn't even ask Jacques. Was her life a fucking lie? Coming to a stop, she growled softly. Digging her foot into the grass, Aimée glared hard at the ground.

"I know I was only six, but why wouldn't I remember how drunk and violent he was? I... he said mom was pack... and ... I just..." Stammering and trailing off, she clenched her eyes as tears slid down her cheeks.

"She wasn't just a human... she was my mom... and you all... you just let him get away with taking her away from me. I..." Her fists clenched harder, nails digging into her palms.

"Did he even love her? Or me...? Was I even wanted...?" Her voice was soft and she dropped her head, crying harder.

"He should have let Sasha kill me..."
 
"I think he did," Baron answered. "He wasn't always lost in alcohol."

He paused and looked at her.

"I could give you a dozen reasons into why we did it," he told her. "But they won't much change what was done. And no, she wasn't just a human."

He sighed.

"My son was born around the same time as you. I was furious with Jacques. When I took over after Matthis, and Jacques challenged me , I nearly killed him then and there."

Aimee would remember well that day. Her father had bore those scars until the day he died. To a young girl, the sight of Baron's massive wolfish form standing over her fallen father and staring back at her had no doubt been traumatizing.

"You where just a child that adored her father. I thought letting the lie live on would protect you," Baron said. "And now we're all paying the price for that."
 
Aimée certainly knew what it was to be lost to alcohol, especially lately. She had spiraled so far before Jacques' demise and then it just became easier to be drunk than be alone with memories. Exhaling shakily, she scrubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and fought to keep calm. The last thing she wanted was to lose her shit and do something stupid. Again. How many times had the pack looked the other way for her behaviors even before shit went sideways? Probably way too many. She remembered Baron's son although vaguely, but most definitely remembered the night her father challenged Baron.

"I..." Wrinkling up her nose, she looked down at the ground, tugging on her fingers as she stood there. What if he had just killed Jacques? How many of the pack would have lived? Baron definitely would have not been so hurt. But, he was her father and in that, she was happy he hadn't been killed. She was torn between both sides and was about to say so when that image smashed into her mind of that night.

Tensing up almost immediately, Aimée automatically stepped backward away from Baron and let out a choked sob. She had somehow managed to put that memory in a small box and cemented it up deep in a hole, but it somehow made it back at the most inopportune time. She had suffered from the nightmares for a very long time and the most part suffered alone. She didn't think her dad would understand because that was just how the pack was. Or maybe he would have cared. She just didn't know anymore. Did it even matter? He was dead and she was on her own with Baron who thus far hadn't eaten her face off despite her pulling a gun on him.

"Fucking... I... I did adore him, but... you all should have looked at the greater good, not just a naive child. I often wonder how different I would be if he had been killed that night." Her head was starting to pound and she rubbed her stomach to soothe it.

"It doesn't matter anymore... where do I go from here? I thought you were bringing me out here to just kill me, but that doesn't seem the case. My head is killing me and I'm hungry... and so very alone. It's sad. Despite growing up in the Pack, I don't feel like I belong."
 
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"Probably, but you're hardly the only person to have made shitty choices," Baron pointed out.

He was quiet for a bit as he thought on the rest of her words.

"Alcohol induced psychosis. Your father suffered from it before he gave up drinking," Baron said with a frown. "Your mother tried to get him to seek treatment. Have you had any other outbursts like earlier?"
 
Her brows scrunched at his words. Even as a kid, how did she not notice her father was suffering? Did her mom hide it from her until he finally snapped. Was that her fate too? That instantly worried her and she frowned deeply at his question. Should she come clean? Would they outcast her if she did? Would they just decide to kill her? Alcohol induced paranoia was real.

"I..." Biting on her bottom lip, she shoved her fingers through her hair and let her shoulders slump in defeat.

"Twoish weeks ago... when Xandre rudely visited... I pulled a gun on him. I don't even remember why I did or even what we were talking about. Also... this morning at the Rusty Nail I thought this guy was a Scion and pulled a knife on him. He's not though... and he's fine. I... guess you probably already know about me not going underground and instead traipsing to the Den to get more booze the night it was torched." She clenched her jaw tightly, growling softly at the memory of Sasha clawing her face.

"After Jacques was killed... I started gathering maps and made plans to run. I was so sure I was going to be killed... still think that, honestly..." Aimée looked briefly at the sky before looking forward again.

"I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff. A lot of my memories are blank."
 
"Shit, kid," Baron replied. "You don't do anything half-assed do you?"

When Xandre rudely visited... What was Xandre doing paying Aimee visits? The thought perturbed him enough to make a note to follow up on it later.

Baron was still feeling out of sorts with the lost time. He was accustomed to being in the know on all of the pack happenings, but a great deal had transpired in those two weeks he had missed.

"Come on, it's this way," he said as he lead them down a rocky slope.

It was steep enough that he stepped with care, but it was not particularly arduous going.
 
The pair continued on in silence for a time and Baron didn't press the matter further. The quiet wasn't the awkwardness of the car ride though. It was a more inviting silence rather than an oppressive one. It would take Aimee time to reconcile her memories of what she had thought was real, against the information Baron had given her.

The quiet gave him time to reminisce over his own memories. He hadn't been out this way since... well since Mathis had taken off. Had it really been that long? He supposed it had. He remembered the route well though, and soon he could hear the distant trickle of a nearby brook.

The going was getting a bit rougher, and the footing less sure but soon the incline leveled out and the small stream came into view. The water bubbled over the bed of smooth pebbles almost languidly as they approached it. There were large paw prints in the mud along the bank.

"We're almost there," Baron told Aimee. "Are you holding up?"

Before she could answer a low growl came from the rocky hill at their back. Standing atop a chunk of protruding rock was a large wolf. Its fur was a striking contrast of blonde and golden hues against darker shades of brown.

"Easy there Amara," Baron said. "She's with me. Is Colette around?"

The wolf huffed and hopped down to lope past them, heading upstream.
 
Aimée couldn't think of a response and merely shrugged even though Baron couldn't see the motion. Why go halfway when losing one's shit when you could go all the way? Sighing as she silently followed behind him, she somehow managed to keep from falling. This was way too much walking on an empty stomach, but instead of complaining, she thought about all that had been said. To say she was at odds with the conversation was putting it lightly and the teen wiped the remainder of her tears with the back of her hand.

Damn it, dad. Why did you keep so many secrets? Look at what I've become. What if I become exactly like you and betray then? No! That's not me... Why can't I remember much of my mom...? Why didn't she take me and flee from him? I just... I don't get it.

Fighting with her emotions, she nearly bit the dust as the footing grew more difficult before it seemed to be done with. Glancing at the water, she listened to the sound the stream made. It was oddly soothing. Unsure how to answer when asked how she was holding up without it coming out sounding like a complaint, Aimée came to a stop at the sound of growling.

Knew it!!

Spinning around to look at the wolf on the rocky hill, Aimée felt her entire body tensing up, though she didn't budge an inch. Instead, she looked at Baron who knew the creature?! Just what in the fuck was going on?

"What in the hell? Baron, what's going on? Who is that? Why are we here...?" She flinched when the one named Amara moved past them.
 
"That's Amara," Baron answered as he followed after the wolf. "She and her sister, Colette, live out this way. Back in our gun running days with Mathis, we used to pass through here. We aren't far from the Iverian border," he explained. "Why we're here doesn't matter. I brought you along with me because Colette knew your mother well."
 
Her head was pounding and she glared at the back of Baron's head before she too trailed behind the two of them. She was surprised though at how close they were to the Iverian border. She had never been there as far as she could remember and made a mental bucket list to visit someday soon. Tilting her head at his comment, Aimée nearly stopped walking but didn't want to get left behind. This day was becoming almost too weird for her liking. However, the notion of learning more about her mother was enough to keep the grumbling at bay.

"I... what? Alright, alright... I'll just go with the flow," Aimée's voice was soft as she spoke and she rubbed her pounding head. "I'm starting to feel really nauseous though. Please tell me we're almost done walking around."
 
as written by Tiko and Faithy

"I have some things I need to discuss with her," Baron explained. "But after we're done, I'm sure she would be willing to talk to you about your mother."

The going was pretty easy at this point, and the wolf paced itself to make sure they could keep up at a relaxed pace.

Aimée’s brow raised up in immense surprise when told the woman they were heading to meet could tell her about her mother. She was not sure just what kind of business he needed to talk about, but hoped it wouldn't take long. Was that selfish? Maybe but she desperately needed to learn about her mother. She missed her so much. Still, she was growing sicker to her stomach and rubbed both her stomach and forehead. Nauseous with a side of migraine. How delightful.

“Fine…” Not trusting her grumpy nature to say anything further, Aimée was at least grateful the pace wasn't super quick. That would probably end her.

Colette’s home was well camouflaged, even with the sparseness of the undergrowth. Within a few months, it would be nearly invisible until you were right on top of it. It had been dug out beneath the roots of a massive tree. The growth of the tree was unlike anything Aimee had ever seen. The trunk was easily over twenty feet in diameter, and the roots were nearly as thick as tree trunks. They had grown in a gnarled sort of way that left the space beneath them clear of growth.

The opening that led beneath the great tree was covered with some old leather scraps that blended into the earthy backdrop of soil and tree roots.

Outside the entrance were signs of someone living here though. An unlit campfire sat with an empty pot suspended above it, and a mortar and pestle rested atop some furs that had been laid out on the ground.

Amara nudged open the leather scraps and headed inside while Baron and Aimee waited outside.

It was only a few moments later that Amara reemerged with a tall woman with raven black hair and startlingly yellow eyes. She had the faintest touch of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"My my.... to what do I have the pleasure?" Colette asked, her words silky smooth.

Amara drifted closer to the pair, pausing to sniff at Aimee before circling around Baron and sniffing at his leg.

He didn't seem to be paying her much mind though. His posture was relaxed and he didn't appear tense by the presence of the large wolf in such close proximity.

"Business I am afraid," Baron replied.

"I thought you had left those days behind you?" Colette asked inquisitively.

"So did I," he answered with a sigh.

"And who is this?" Colette asked as she looked at Aimee. The question was laced with genuine curiosity.

"This is Aimee," Baron answered.

"Aimee... Aimee Chevrier?" Colette said with genuine surprise.
 
as written by Tiko and Faithy

Coming to a stop at the sight of the tree, she was definitely impressed and awestruck. She had never seen anything like it in her life and liked how it made the place almost invisible. Tilting her head to the side once Amara disappeared to no doubt tell Colette she had visitors, Aimée blinked at how beautiful the woman was. She was still admiring her when Amara was suddenly sniffing at her. Moving away from the wolf, she grumbled and crossed her arms while mostly ignoring the conversation. She had no interest in business. Aimée probably would have kept tuning it out had she not heard her name.

“Huh? How'd you know my last name?”

“Because my dear, I helped bring you into this world,” Charlotte replied smoothly. “Come on inside you two,” she said with an inviting wave.

Baron took the invitation and ducked inside, disappearing through the draped leather.

Aimée’s mouth dropped open at the revelation without her noticing at first. Quickly coming to her senses, Aimée snapped it shut and was lost to her internal struggle of attempting to understand just what was happening. What did she mean? Although Aimée never asked, she just assumed she had been born in Lupaix. Maybe she had been and for some reason Colette was there? Why would she be there though? Well… Baron seemed to know her, maybe she had been part of the Bloodstones? Still pondering, she automatically followed Baron inside, not wanting to be away from him in such an unknown environment.

The home was only a single room, but it was quite spacious. The floor had been layered with reeds, and furs had been laid out atop the reeds to create a soft flooring. It was lit by a small lamp that gave off a faintly green glow. Little wisps of light darted and danced about inside the glass casing.

There wasn’t a great deal in the way of furniture, but there was a roughly carved wooden table with some wooden bowls set atop it. The bowls were filled with nuts and jerky.

The only other furniture was a large wooden cabinet, a desk, and a bookcase. The front of the bookcase was overgrown with ivy that was lush and green despite the time of the year, and it formed a curtain that veiled the books behind it.

“Oooh… cozy,” Aimée murmured more to herself, but it was clear she liked the inside better than the outside. Finding a spot that was both on the soft floor and ensured her back was to the wall, she continued her assessment of the dwelling. She wondered what kind of books were beyond the ivy, but didn't want to be rude and go look. Sitting with her knees tugged to her chest, the Pup wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed softly. This was better than walking. Hopefully she wasn't going to puke, though the thought reminded her of that briefly delicious hamburger.

Baron pulled a folded up map from the inside of his jacket pocket as Aimee and Colette joined him inside, but Colette was quick to interrupt that with a gentle hand atop his arm.

“Now now,” she said. “It has been what… five or six years since I saw you last? Surely there is time to talk and catch up before we get down to business. And young Aimee here I’m sure would like a chance to chat. Surely the years have taught you some patience?” she chastised. Her tone had a playful tilt to the teasing and Baron didn’t seem bothered.

“Very well,” he said as he returned the map to his pocket.

“Would you like anything to eat?” Colette asked them. “It’s too early in the season for much. But there’s some nuts and jerky on the table.”

Blinking when Baron was kept from discussing business, Aimée felt a small grin tugging at her lips. Bet he wasn't used to that. Her fingers pitter-pattered on her legs and keeping her chin resting on the top of her knees, Aimée couldn't ignore her stomach as it growled at the mention of food.

“I'm famished… so I'd appreciate something and then maybe an explanation at how you were at my birth and … err, stuff.” Grumbling at her stupid brain, she rubbed her forehead just as her stomach growled again.

Baron sighed inwardly. When Colette set her mind to something, there wasn't much he or anyone else for that matter could do to change it. He might as well leave them to it.

"I'll be outside," he told them.
 
as written by Tiko and Aimee

"Don't mind him," Colette said with a wink to Aimee. "He never was any good at not getting his way. He'll say he's going for a smoke, but I call it sulking," she added in a playfully low and conspiratorial whisper.

Amara meanwhile made her way over to Aimee and flopped down on the rug next to her with a yawn. The massive wolf lay its head on its paws and seemed content.

Aimée couldn't help but giggle at Colette, knowing she was definitely correct about Baron. He could discuss business in a bit. She needed clarification and was glad she was about to get it. Shifting her gaze to Amara as the wolf settled down beside her, she finally felt relaxed enough to keep from scooting away.

"She trusts you," Colette noted as she retrieved a bowl from the table and brought it to Aimee. "She always has been a good judge of character."

"How old are you now?" she asked. “I sometimes lose track of the years out here.”

“Mm… I'm glad she trusts me. I feel like not many do, but that's a whole other conversation,” Aimée spoke softly, almost bitterly before her attention was sidetracked by the bowl. Food! At that moment, she wasn't even very fussy about what she was about to eat.

“Well most people have a way of getting distracted by what is right in front of them,” Colette explained as she handed the bowl to Aimee. “Amara has a way of seeing past that.”

“Thank you. Baron got me a burger, but I threw it up.” Finally beginning to eat, Aimée did so slowly, refusing to get sick again. Not wanting to be rude, she stopped eating long enough to answer Colette.

“I just turned nineteen a few months ago.”
 
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as written by Tiko and Faithy

“Are you unwell?” Colette asked curiously.

She knelt down and curled her legs under so that she wasn’t standing towering over Aimee while she ate.

That was a good question and Aimée took a few more bites, letting her body slowly relax. It definitely helped that Colette was no longer standing above her. It was more intimidating than she wanted to admit. “I’m hungover and recovering from my alcoholic binge. Today is the first time I haven’t inhaled alcohol like a fish out of water or however that saying goes. I’ve been wasted for the last few mmm… weeks? Months? I’m really not sure of how long.”

“I see,” Colette replied. There was no judgment in her words though. “It sounds like you have a big battle ahead of you. But if you are your mother's daughter, I trust you will find your way again. I do not trust humans, as a general rule. That is why I choose to live out here, far from the cities of humans. But if there was ever a human with the spirit of a wolf, it was your mother," she said with a sad smile. “I was saddened when I heard of her passing.”

Finishing up the food that had been given to her, Aimée scrunched up her nose and placed the bowl beside her. Once again hugging her knees against her chest, she sighed deeply, not sure if she was her mother’s daughter. How could one be like their mother if they didn’t remember much of her? Shifting just a little, fingers playing with her sweatpants, she frowned deeply.

“I don’t think … err…” Pausing in an attempt to get her mind to function properly, she wound up flopping over to her side, making sure not to land on Amara. “I don’t think I’m anything like her. I don’t know what to think about anything anymore. Baron laid some heavy truths on me earlier and well, I’m struggling. I barely even remember her and I think that hurts the most.” Aimée tensed up and growled softly at the passing comment.

“She didn’t pass away. She was wrongly stolen from me by my own father. Let’s call it what it was… murder.”

Colette was taken aback at Aimee’s words but her surprise quickly shifted to irritation as she narrowed her eyes. “Leave it to Mathis to lie to me,” she said. “I never did like that man. I am sorry, I did not know. Amara did not trust your father, but I never understood why. But I have learned to trust her instincts about what lies in people’s hearts.”

The wolf huffed loudly, and you could almost hear the ‘I told you so’ behind it.

“Is this the truth you spoke of, that James gave you?” Colette inquired.

Wiggling on the floor to get more comfortable and hopefully ease the pounding happening in her head, Aimée lifted her left shoulder in a slight shrug. She wasn’t surprised that Mathis lied since very few were told the truth. Hell, she still didn’t know why Colette was at her birth anyway. Something was poking at her brain, but she ignored it and instead chuckled at Amara’s huff. Ever so slightly, she was moving closer to the huge beast even if she wasn’t aware of the movement.

“Yeah, he dropped the bomb on me a little bit ago. After he rudely broke down my door and took my drunk ass on an unwanted road trip. I am still unhappy about that, but at least I’m getting some truth after being lied to for thirteen years. Dad was in a drunk psycho-something or other and in a rage killed her. The details are still fuzzy, but I have the same traits happening with how much I’ve been drinking.” Pausing a moment, she rubbed her forehead again and sighed hard.

“Tell me about her..?”

"I do not know why James would keep something like that from you for so long," Colette replied. "He has a kind heart, but his head... well that leaves something to be desired. I fear it is a flaw that runs in the Guiscard family," she remarked with a dramatic sigh. "I am certain he had a very stupid but well-meaning reason for it. I would be happy to tell you what I remember about your mother though," she added with a smile.
 
"I had only met your mother in passing when Baron asked for my help," Colette continued. "I had no liking for humans, and did not care to have her around when they would pass through. If Mathis had been the one to come to me, I would have turned him away. But Baron was different than his father, and he would do anything for a member of his pack."

"You see, it is very difficult for a human to bear one of our children. Even those of our kind who had once been human often cannot bear children. It was still very early into her pregnancy, but she had fallen very sick. They feared she would not survive long enough to reach the city. I allowed her to be brought here. Jacques wanted to abort the pregnancy if it would keep her alive, but your mother was a stubborn one. She refused."

"That mother's love is what first warmed me to her. It is a love shared by both our kind," she explained. "We are so quick to see our differences that we forget the things we share. Amara had already long understood that, but I did not. When I saw your mother willing to risk her life to protect that of her unborn child, a child that was of our kind, I swore to her that I would see both of them through."

"She remained here for six months until you were born. In that time, I grew to understand that while humanity as a whole may be dangerous and destructive, individual humans can be as unique to one another as we are to each other."
 
Aimée wasn't sure what to expect when it came to her mother, but she was most definitely interested in learning more about her. Tugging out her phone and empty gun, she sat both beside her as she once again adjusted herself on the floor. It was comfortable so that wasn't why she kept wiggling around. She was just having trouble finding that right spot. Finally tugging her knees up against her chest while remaining on her side, the Pup huffed at the notion of Jacques wanting her to be aborted because her mom got sick. While she sort of understood why he'd want that, it still hurt. Would he have abandoned her at birth if her mom would've died in childbirth? She wasn't so sure anymore.

"Mama..." Frowning as the story went on, Aimée felt tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. It wasn't fair that he took her away. It wasn't long before she started to get a mixture of anger and sorrow building up inside of her. The more Colette told her, the more rage she felt toward Jacques.

"I..." She paused and buried her face into her shaking hands, her anger barreling over the sorrow. "Thanks for... thanks for being kind to her. I'm glad she was stubborn enough to keep me inside." Her voice trembled and she fought hard to bite back the rage.

"Fucking dad..." Aimée curled back up, body snuggling up close to Amara's fluffy frame.

"What was she like...? Other than being stubborn and loving...'
 
"She was unlike other humans I have met. It is a shame she had not been born one of us," Colette answered. "She had the eyes of a hawk, and could pass through the forest without a trace. She was quite the tracker. I do not know what all she was capable of, but you could see a poised grace in the way she moved and saw things that others did not. And she liked to sing as well. She sang often to you, though I did not recognize the language."
 
All the things Colette told Aimée about her mother made her feel melancholy. Well, with a small bit of pride. She bet her mom was the best tracker in the whole world! Could she become that kind of tracker? She would love that because it'd mean she wasn't just her father's daughter. She did have the light step thing going for her though. Sort of. Mostly when sober.

"Hm... she sounds amazing." Scrunching her nose up, Aimée wished she could remember her mom singing to her. She bet it was amazing.

"Thanks for telling me about her. Dad never spoke about her... and I stopped prying after getting my head nearly bitten off. I miss her so much," Aimée's voice cracked and she was once again crying, her face burying itself against Amara's soft fur.
 
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