CoR Bonds of Blood
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Aimée smiled softly at Amara, fingers running through the soft fur at the whine though the rest of her body remained still. She understood all too well about being lonely and knew it was because she had deliberately distanced herself from the Pack, but still. Sighing, she could feel the hangover dissipating and for the first time in a long time, felt content.
"I know how it feels to be lonely. I like her... a lot. Did you know much about my dad...? Do you see either of them in me? Sometimes I feel like I'm neither of them, but then other times, I feel like I'm destined for the same fate as my dad. I don't want to betray the Bloodstones... they're my family, but what if it's hereditary to be a moron like him?
"I know how it feels to be lonely. I like her... a lot. Did you know much about my dad...? Do you see either of them in me? Sometimes I feel like I'm neither of them, but then other times, I feel like I'm destined for the same fate as my dad. I don't want to betray the Bloodstones... they're my family, but what if it's hereditary to be a moron like him?
"I did not know your father very well I am afraid," Colette said. "And you may have inherited traits from both of your parents but your choices on what to do with them will always be your own. Why don't you get some rest, you look like you could use it. And I believe we have kept James waiting long enough," she said with a wink.
"Mm... that's funny because I didn't know my father very well either. So many secrets kept most of my life. It's dumb." Aimée grumbled softly though she did find herself nodding at the idea of getting sleep. Blinking a few times, she tried to think who James was before it clicked that it must've been Baron's real name. A name she was going to put out of her mind immediately. He was too scary to call anything other than Baron.
"Thanks for the kind words. I know you're right... that it'll be up to me how I let them live through me." Yawning widely, she snuggled against Amara and let her eyes close. Man, she was so exhausted. So many thoughts rampaging through her mind even as her body drifted off to sleep.
"Thanks for the kind words. I know you're right... that it'll be up to me how I let them live through me." Yawning widely, she snuggled against Amara and let her eyes close. Man, she was so exhausted. So many thoughts rampaging through her mind even as her body drifted off to sleep.
Colette stepped outside to find Baron standing nearby, looking off into the distance while he smoked. She approached on soft steps, seeming to flow through the forest in a way that Baron and Aimee had not. They were interlopers while Colette and Amara were a part of the forest.
"Sulking I see?" Colette said as she reached him.
Baron snorted and stubbed out his cigarette on the tree he stood next to, before returning it to its box which he tucked away in one of the inner pockets of his jacket.
"Just giving you two space," Baron answered.
"As if you couldn't hear every word we said," Colette chided.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you," Baron said abruptly. "About Cecilia."
"I can understand why you kept it from me. But I do not understand why you would hide such a thing from the child," Colette replied truthfully.
Baron sighed and shook his head. "How could I?" he asked. "When he challenged my claim to the pack. I nearly killed him. She was just a child about to witness the death of her father after she had already lost her mother. I spared him and let her fear me, rather than her father."
Colette picked up on the tension in his jaw, and his shoulders and knew there was more there, beneath the surface still.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
"He betrayed us," Baron answered.
He kept the emotion from his voice, but the tells where there that something stirred beneath his calm. Colette did not press further and simply stood next to him in silence. It was a comfortable silence, and one they had shared many times in years past.
It was Colette who finally broke the silence.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"We need to reconnect with the Iverians," he explained. "Things back in the city are bad. We need to repair old alliances and you know this region better than anyone. It has been six years since we have come through here. We can't afford any surprises."
Collette did not answer immediately. In many ways Baron was not his father, but in others he had never been able to rid himself of Mathis' influence. Every instinct within her told her to turn him away. That this path would only bring more grief. This was his path to choose though, not hers. She let out a resigned sigh and gestured for him to hand her something.
"Very well. Let me see."
Baron retrieved the folded maps from a coat pocket and passed them to Colette.
"Thank you," he said.
"Sulking I see?" Colette said as she reached him.
Baron snorted and stubbed out his cigarette on the tree he stood next to, before returning it to its box which he tucked away in one of the inner pockets of his jacket.
"Just giving you two space," Baron answered.
"As if you couldn't hear every word we said," Colette chided.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you," Baron said abruptly. "About Cecilia."
"I can understand why you kept it from me. But I do not understand why you would hide such a thing from the child," Colette replied truthfully.
Baron sighed and shook his head. "How could I?" he asked. "When he challenged my claim to the pack. I nearly killed him. She was just a child about to witness the death of her father after she had already lost her mother. I spared him and let her fear me, rather than her father."
Colette picked up on the tension in his jaw, and his shoulders and knew there was more there, beneath the surface still.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
"He betrayed us," Baron answered.
He kept the emotion from his voice, but the tells where there that something stirred beneath his calm. Colette did not press further and simply stood next to him in silence. It was a comfortable silence, and one they had shared many times in years past.
It was Colette who finally broke the silence.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"We need to reconnect with the Iverians," he explained. "Things back in the city are bad. We need to repair old alliances and you know this region better than anyone. It has been six years since we have come through here. We can't afford any surprises."
Collette did not answer immediately. In many ways Baron was not his father, but in others he had never been able to rid himself of Mathis' influence. Every instinct within her told her to turn him away. That this path would only bring more grief. This was his path to choose though, not hers. She let out a resigned sigh and gestured for him to hand her something.
"Very well. Let me see."
Baron retrieved the folded maps from a coat pocket and passed them to Colette.
"Thank you," he said.
Jerking awake at the sudden sensation of a hand on her shoulder, Aimée grabbed for the gun lying nearby just as Baron's face registered in her sleepy brain. Oh, right, she had gone on a trip with him. Plus, he had her ammo. What was she going to do, throw the gun at the person shaking her awake had it not been him? That was a dumb idea. Grumbling to herself, it took her a few minutes longer to realize Colette and Amara were gone.
"No wonder I got cold..." Aimée rubbed her face sleepily and sat up in an attempt to actually wake up. There was still a hint of a hangover, but the food and rest helped immensely.
"Alright... let's go. Wish I could thank Colette and Amara. Maybe another time." Grabbing her ammo-less gun and phone, she stashed them both in her sweats as she stood up and moved back outside.
"I should've brought a jacket. At least it's not too far to the truck."
"No wonder I got cold..." Aimée rubbed her face sleepily and sat up in an attempt to actually wake up. There was still a hint of a hangover, but the food and rest helped immensely.
"Alright... let's go. Wish I could thank Colette and Amara. Maybe another time." Grabbing her ammo-less gun and phone, she stashed them both in her sweats as she stood up and moved back outside.
"I should've brought a jacket. At least it's not too far to the truck."
A short while later...
Baron stood expressionless staring at the truck where they had left it. The air reeked of the smell of gasoline and the ground beneath the vehicle was saturated with it. Since their departure, the entirety of the truck's fuel had drained away. He looked to Aimee, back to the truck, then to Aimee again.
"Really, kid?"
There was a touch of incredulity to his voice. The odds of that stray bullet from Aimee's gun striking the vehicle, let alone striking it in a manner capable of actually doing damage to it was... astronomical.
Baron stood expressionless staring at the truck where they had left it. The air reeked of the smell of gasoline and the ground beneath the vehicle was saturated with it. Since their departure, the entirety of the truck's fuel had drained away. He looked to Aimee, back to the truck, then to Aimee again.
"Really, kid?"
There was a touch of incredulity to his voice. The odds of that stray bullet from Aimee's gun striking the vehicle, let alone striking it in a manner capable of actually doing damage to it was... astronomical.
Aimée blinked a few times at the state at the truck. The smell made her a little nauseous and the fact that the bullet managed to actually nail something vital was in her eyes pretty impressive. Bet she couldn't do it twice. Sighing at the tone of his voice, the Pup shrugged sheepishly.
"If you really think about it, Baron... it's your fault. I mean, yes, I had pointed a gun at you, but you're the one that rushed at me and wrestled it away. The gun probably wouldn't have gone off had you not done that." While her voice had been normal when she started talking, it ended up being rather quiet at the end. Even now she still feared him. Her mind always seemed to go back to that fight.
"I mean..." Coughing awkwardly, she tugged out her phone and swore softly.
"I don't have any service."
"If you really think about it, Baron... it's your fault. I mean, yes, I had pointed a gun at you, but you're the one that rushed at me and wrestled it away. The gun probably wouldn't have gone off had you not done that." While her voice had been normal when she started talking, it ended up being rather quiet at the end. Even now she still feared him. Her mind always seemed to go back to that fight.
"I mean..." Coughing awkwardly, she tugged out her phone and swore softly.
"I don't have any service."
"If you had pulled the trigger as you should have, it would have hit me instead of the truck," he retorted.
He pulled out his own phone and held it overhead watching for any bars. When none appeared he hoisted himself up onto the truck and tried standing up on the roof to get some additional height. Still nothing.
He let out a sigh.
"Looks like we're walking."
He pulled out his own phone and held it overhead watching for any bars. When none appeared he hoisted himself up onto the truck and tried standing up on the roof to get some additional height. Still nothing.
He let out a sigh.
"Looks like we're walking."
What the fuck did he just say? Had she really heard Baron right? He was chastising her for NOT shooting him?! This trip was becoming more agitating than expected. Squeezing the bridge of her nose, she sighed deeply and merely shrugged.
"Had I pulled the trigger and shot you, I'd be labeled a traitor like my liar of a father. I'm not..." She paused and glanced down at the ground while he was busy looking for a signal. Her shoulders slumped at the idea of walking and Aimée glared harder at the ground.
"I'm not like all of you... I'm not a killer. I don't have those instincts because I've never..." Aimée trailed off as she finally looked at Baron.
"That night at the den was the first time I got into something over my head. It was the first night I had no one to protect me. I don't want to feel that way ever again."
"Had I pulled the trigger and shot you, I'd be labeled a traitor like my liar of a father. I'm not..." She paused and glanced down at the ground while he was busy looking for a signal. Her shoulders slumped at the idea of walking and Aimée glared harder at the ground.
"I'm not like all of you... I'm not a killer. I don't have those instincts because I've never..." Aimée trailed off as she finally looked at Baron.
"That night at the den was the first time I got into something over my head. It was the first night I had no one to protect me. I don't want to feel that way ever again."
"You know as well as I do that you could have pulled that trigger and it wouldn't have done much more than piss me off," Baron told her. "It would take more than that to get yourself labeled a traitor."
"Thing is kid," Baron replied at he hopped down from the truck with a grimace. "You're weak. You aren't strong, you aren't fast, you can't regenerate. We never taught you the value in anything else, so you try to act the part. And that is going to get you killed. You will never be as strong, or as fast, or as resilient as the rest of us. But I would wager you could outrun, out jump, out maneuver, and out compete any professional athlete. We spent so long looking at what you couldn't do, that we never helped you to see what you can do."
"If you're going to survive, you need to relearn everything we taught you," he told her. "Because we taught you wrong."
"Thing is kid," Baron replied at he hopped down from the truck with a grimace. "You're weak. You aren't strong, you aren't fast, you can't regenerate. We never taught you the value in anything else, so you try to act the part. And that is going to get you killed. You will never be as strong, or as fast, or as resilient as the rest of us. But I would wager you could outrun, out jump, out maneuver, and out compete any professional athlete. We spent so long looking at what you couldn't do, that we never helped you to see what you can do."
"If you're going to survive, you need to relearn everything we taught you," he told her. "Because we taught you wrong."
"I bet others wouldn't see it that way. They'd be like... 'yep, apple didn't fall far from that tree. We knew she was the same... yadayada...' and you know it." She glared at the truck and let out a light huff at the thought of having to walk a long distance. At least her shoes were comfy! One plus among a zillion negatives. Speaking of negatives... her shoulders slumped as he told her in a sort of nice way that she was useless as a werewolf. Hell, as a person. While he was correct in his assumptions, it still hurt.
"Gee, maybe I should just go to the Olympics then. This trip has been fantastic for my self-esteem. Want to diss on anything else while you're at it? Maybe come over again and complain about my apartment?" Scowling, she knew he was right and maybe that was what hurt the most. How many times had her mouth tried to cash a check that she couldn't back up?
"The pack as a whole did a lot of things wrong with me. But, how much of that was due to Jacques? I don't want to die, Baron and I sure as shit refuse to be the reason someone else dies. I'm scared... and I..." Aimée paused and clenched her fists.
"I'm scared that I will just be a disappointment."
"Gee, maybe I should just go to the Olympics then. This trip has been fantastic for my self-esteem. Want to diss on anything else while you're at it? Maybe come over again and complain about my apartment?" Scowling, she knew he was right and maybe that was what hurt the most. How many times had her mouth tried to cash a check that she couldn't back up?
"The pack as a whole did a lot of things wrong with me. But, how much of that was due to Jacques? I don't want to die, Baron and I sure as shit refuse to be the reason someone else dies. I'm scared... and I..." Aimée paused and clenched her fists.
"I'm scared that I will just be a disappointment."
"Your mothers talents would have been wasted in the Olympics. As would yours," Baron answered with a snort. "The mistake we made is in how we defined strength. Being a werewolf doesn't make us strong. It gives us an advantage, sure. But your mother was about as deadly as they come, and the closest I have ever seen a human come to being one of the pack. She had a way of existing just outside of peoples awareness. Many disregarded her. A deadly mistake. She was a master of deception, and could analyze a situation faster than anyone I know, and she always seemed to know right where to be. And maybe you're not a killer, but very few fight to kill. Some fight to survive, and some fight to protect. The end result is the same, but it will help you sleep better at night if you know what it is you fight for."
Aimee's eyes almost immediately brightened up when Baron started to talk about her mom again. She found herself listening closely and taking in every word spoken. It was so astonishing that her mother was so... so...cool! With the right training, could she be like that? Maybe she could be like a background fighter. One that didn't do up close brawling, but took out the enemy from afar.
"There is so much I've missed out on." She stretched her arms out above her head, popping her shoulders and neck in the process.
"I want to be more like her. I want to protect and be useful. I'm tired of being a liability."
"There is so much I've missed out on." She stretched her arms out above her head, popping her shoulders and neck in the process.
"I want to be more like her. I want to protect and be useful. I'm tired of being a liability."
"That's good," Baron replied. "Some people think family are who you're related to. But family is who you're willing to bleed for."
He looked pointedly at the scars on Aimee's face to punctuate his words.
"Come on, let's going. It's a long ways back."
He looked pointedly at the scars on Aimee's face to punctuate his words.
"Come on, let's going. It's a long ways back."
Not there...
Aimee's eyes immediately flicked away from Baron's face as he looked at her scars. Even now she was embarrassed of them. She had been so stupid going out and trying to fight Sasha, but...
"Dad was pissed, but I feel like I did what needed to be done to help keep all of the Scions off them." Shrugging, she reached a hand up and brought her hair back forward so that it covered her scars again.
"Sure, let's get going. Hopefully by now my front door has been fixed. At least Xandre was nice enough to knock." Aimée grumbled as she started walking in a direction that would hopefully get them some service.
Aimee's eyes immediately flicked away from Baron's face as he looked at her scars. Even now she was embarrassed of them. She had been so stupid going out and trying to fight Sasha, but...
"Dad was pissed, but I feel like I did what needed to be done to help keep all of the Scions off them." Shrugging, she reached a hand up and brought her hair back forward so that it covered her scars again.
"Sure, let's get going. Hopefully by now my front door has been fixed. At least Xandre was nice enough to knock." Aimée grumbled as she started walking in a direction that would hopefully get them some service.
The sun was low in the sky and the surrounding forest had cast everything in shadows when the pair had stopped. Baron may have been able to press on, but Aimee was having a hard enough time keeping pace without dragging her through the dark too. And truth be told, the strain of the days walk was taking its toll. He masked it well, but the ligaments and muscles in his knee that had knitted together so poorly where protesting every step. His body needing to continually allocate resources to repairing ongoing damage he was causing was leaving him fatigued.
Much to Aimee's dismay, Baron had met her complaints of hunger with a pair of squirrels currently roasting over a small campfire that he had thrown together for them.
Camping survival skills weren't exactly his forte, but his lighter had proved useful in getting their fire going.
He was currently seated near the fire with his back to a fallen log and one knee bent.
Much to Aimee's dismay, Baron had met her complaints of hunger with a pair of squirrels currently roasting over a small campfire that he had thrown together for them.
Camping survival skills weren't exactly his forte, but his lighter had proved useful in getting their fire going.
He was currently seated near the fire with his back to a fallen log and one knee bent.
The more they walked, the more agitated she seemed to feel. Why hadn’t they reached an area with service yet? Why was the area so desolate with absolutely no traffic. It felt like they were in bumfuck nowhere and Aimée hated that. She definitely wasn't the outdoorsy type. Sighing hard, she slumped her shoulders the more they seemed to keep going.
"This is dumb..." Mumbling under her breath, she was trying to keep her petty thoughts to herself, especially since she was the one that broke the truck. Bastien was going to be mad.
While she was very thankful when they stopped, her stomach was not thrilled at the notion of eating squirrel. Plus, they had nothing to sleep on and she was getting cold. Scrunching up her face in disgust, Aimée found a different log to sit against and glared at the ground.
"Are we seriously sleeping out here? It can't be safe and there's nothing to sleep on... plus, it's going to get cold and... It's gross." Yep, she was definitely out of her element.
"What if there's a bear? You have my ammo."
"This is dumb..." Mumbling under her breath, she was trying to keep her petty thoughts to herself, especially since she was the one that broke the truck. Bastien was going to be mad.
While she was very thankful when they stopped, her stomach was not thrilled at the notion of eating squirrel. Plus, they had nothing to sleep on and she was getting cold. Scrunching up her face in disgust, Aimée found a different log to sit against and glared at the ground.
"Are we seriously sleeping out here? It can't be safe and there's nothing to sleep on... plus, it's going to get cold and... It's gross." Yep, she was definitely out of her element.
"What if there's a bear? You have my ammo."
"Then you'll get to eat something other than squirrel?" Baron remarked.
They had made good time, under the circumstances. The old dirt road would eventually lead them back to the highway, or to one of the farmhouses they had passed on the way out here. They just needed to get somewhere they could get a call out to have someone come pick them up. He expected they would be back in the city by late morning.
A lingering guilt hung over him though. He wouldn't make it back in time to be there when Rhetta and Sel get out. There was nothing to be done about it now though. He reached for his pocket out of habit, but he had finished off his last cigarette hours ago. The empty box quickly reminded him and he sighed.
After a moment of deliberation he shed his coat and tossed it to Aimee.
"The ammo is in the left pocket," he told her before folded his arms behind his head to lean back against the tree log. It was rare to see him without his cut on. Some had even questioned if he slept in the thing, or if they would recognize him if he wasn't wearing it. All in good humor of course. Though truthfully it always did feel strange to him to be without it. Uncomfortable even.
They had made good time, under the circumstances. The old dirt road would eventually lead them back to the highway, or to one of the farmhouses they had passed on the way out here. They just needed to get somewhere they could get a call out to have someone come pick them up. He expected they would be back in the city by late morning.
A lingering guilt hung over him though. He wouldn't make it back in time to be there when Rhetta and Sel get out. There was nothing to be done about it now though. He reached for his pocket out of habit, but he had finished off his last cigarette hours ago. The empty box quickly reminded him and he sighed.
After a moment of deliberation he shed his coat and tossed it to Aimee.
"The ammo is in the left pocket," he told her before folded his arms behind his head to lean back against the tree log. It was rare to see him without his cut on. Some had even questioned if he slept in the thing, or if they would recognize him if he wasn't wearing it. All in good humor of course. Though truthfully it always did feel strange to him to be without it. Uncomfortable even.
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