Fate & Fur

@ BearGirl

Aiden held her close, making sure she was comfortable and supported without her crutches as he gently rocked back and forth, hoping to soothe her. He held her closer as she called them monsters, nodding in agreement. "I know some wolves in her pack who do not agree with what is being done, but those who are just as bad as her deserve the same punishment. And I'll make sure they get it." He promised, moving to sit at the table with her in his lap, gently rubbing her back as he held her close.

He nodded when she asked him to be safe, burying his face back into her neck as his fingers tangled gently in her hair, breathing in her scent. "I'll be careful. Hopefully Sandra will be reasonable, and we'll sort it out.. But if not, I'll do what I have to to keep you safe."

@ katahdin

As Aiden started to move them towards the table to sit down, Bailey held onto him a bit tighter. She was careful in her movements, trying to ensure she didn't trip Aiden up while also not wanting to hurt her foot in any way. Though once they were both sitting on the kitchen chair, Bailey relaxed into him and laid her head gently on his chest. "I am sure that not everyone in her pack feels the way that Sandra and some of the other do but there is not much that they can do since Sandra is in charge. Right?" Bailey looked up at Aiden gently. "That is how the pack works, that they have to listen to their alpha, correct?"

Her hands gently started to slide up and down Aiden's shoulders. "I have never thought Sandra unreasonable before all of this happened. Though I can't be certain now... Even so, promise me you won't be reckless. I just don't want you doing anything foolish in an attempt to make it all stop."

@ BearGirl

Aiden nodded as she asked about how the pack worked, tugging her closer. "I'm general, yes. I try to do a good job of listening to everyone in my pack, because it's my job to keep them safe and make sure they're happy, so if I'm doing something they disagree with, I want to know about it, so that I can try to be better. But if I order them to do something, they have to do it, or either be punished or challenge me, and that's not something most wolves would do. Luckily I'm a pretty decent pack leader, so no one has ever challenged me, and while I don't know if anyone has ever challenged Sandra, I know that some people have tried to disobey her orders and been punished for it."

He sighed as she rubbed his shoulders, relaxing into her touch. He was still exhausted from the night before, and once they had something to eat he was going to insist that they go back to bed and rest, if only to get back to a normal sleep schedule.

@ katahdin

-skipping to when Aiden decides to meet with Sandra-

Sandra's arms were crossed as she glanced down at the border between her pack and Aiden's. She was surprised when he asked to meet with her the day before. And, in truth, Sandra was surprised with herself that she even bothered to accept it. Surely, this meeting would not be what she wanted. And there was no doubt in her mind that Aiden would not be furious with her and members of her pack after what they had done to Bailey. But, nonetheless, she hoped that he would not ask for anything ridiculous. Like for some kind of punishment as that would never happen.

The woman glanced back at the five members of her pack that she had brought along with her, just to ensure that there would not be an ambush. She motioned to them, wanting the five wolves to stay back during her meeting with Aiden. Sandra had no plan on using them unless need be, and she knew that Aiden would be bringing his own guards with him at this point.

@ BearGirl

Aiden had brought a handful of his pack members as well, and had made sure that James was at the apartment with Bailey, in case she needed anything, or incase Sandra tried to pull something while he was here and attack her, thinking she was undefended. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he walked toward the border, the two packs having decided to meet in the woods in the park that their two territories bordered, so that if a fight broke out they wouldn't attract attention. The alpha glared a bit at Sandra as he came to a stop, not bothering to try to hide his anger.

"I don't appreciate you and your pack trespassing on my territory, Sandra." He said calmly, although his eyes practically glowed with rage. "And I don't appreciate you continuing to harass my mate. You've done enough to her already, let it go."

@ katahdin

"You stole one of my pack mates Aiden and you expect me not to retaliate back? Both of you deserve to be punished for what has occurred." Sandra told him harshly. "And perhaps I have done enough to Bailey but she hasn't come back to rejoin us. Or was even willing to speak to the members of my pack that she hurt."

The alpha took a step forward, growling slightly as she did so. She could feel the rage roaring through her and Sandra was not going to just let this go. This wasn't just about Bailey at this point, but about her pride and the pride of her pack. They had been wronged and as far as they were concerned, the situation had not been solved yet. "As for you, you have barely been punished for what you have done. And I will not be satisfied until you are."

@ BearGirl

"She chose to leave, Sandra, after you and the members of your pack kept harassing her. You're the one who drove her out, and whatever hurt your pack members felt doesn't even compare to the pain you caused her." Aiden growled, standing his ground even as Sandra stepped closer. "You're the one in the wrong, Sandra, and you know it. You have three choices. Back off, and tell your pack to do the same, and find someone else to terrorize, or, if you'd prefer, we can call the elders of this region, and have them decide what should be done." He knew the elders that represented this region would side with him, as they could not ignore the number of laws Sandra broke or her terrible actions, despite what Aiden may have done.

"Or, you can challenge me, and we can fight, just you and me, right here, right now. Winner absorbs the others pack and territory into their own, and the loser is banished." He knew which option she would choose, and knew that she would be the loser, but still felt the need to try to give her a way out. A way to not be further humiliated.

@ katahdin

Sandra let out a huff as Aiden started to give her options to choose from. And none of them were ones that she liked. Backing off was a sign of weakness and she didn't terrorize innocents, which both of them were not. As for the elders, that was certainly not something that Sandra wanted to deal with. She knew that she broke a lot of rules, but so did Aiden. Both of them would surely get into trouble going that route and that was not something that benefited her. But, challenging Aiden was an interesting idea.

A sick smile moved over Sandra's face. "Then lets fight." Sandra said. "When I win, and I will, I'll get your territory and Bailey. Both to do with as I wish. And, as for you, I don't think I'll leave enough of you to be banished. So let's fight, Aiden."

@ BearGirl

Aiden smirked as Sandra agreed to fight, even though some of his pack members looked nervous. "Fine by me. But it's just us, Sandra. No one else. If any of your goons jumps in it's an automatic loss. We want this to be a fair fight." He warned, wanting it clear that it would be a fight between them and only them. Soon enough he shifted into his large brown wolf, growling lowly as Sandra as he waited for her to make the first move, knowing she'd rush in without thinking ahead.

It was a long and nasty fight, but in the end Aiden was the clear winner. He was bruised and bleeding heavily, and would likely have to go to the hospital or back to the pack house for stitches and to get his ankle checked out, but he had fared far better than Sandra had. Once the two wolves had separated for the final time he shifted back, glaring down at Sandra as he watched her carefully to make sure she didn't try to pull anything stupid. "You lost, Sandra. Take those who helped you terrorize Bailey and my pack and get out of my territory." He growled.

@ katahdin

A low whimper left Sandra as she tried her best to get onto her feet. But two of her pack members had to come up and grab Sandra to stop her from falling. There was no doubt that Sandra had lost the battle. And there was nothing she could do now. Her pack, her territory, it was Aiden's now. And she certainly was in no effort to fight...Even coming back to fight would be considered shameful.

Without a word, Sandra and the others headed back to their pack site. Though it was not until later that night that Sandra and some of the other pack members left the area, now in search of where they could go. As for the majority of the pack that stayed behind, they were beginning to set up to meet their new alpha tomorrow.

As for the members of Aiden's original pack, they were quick to take their alpha to get fixed up.

@ BearGirl

While Aiden was getting fixed up he was also busy speaking with the newest members of his pack, arranging to meet with them the next day and try to sort out the best way to integrate everyone together so that they felt like one big pack. It was hours later when he finally returned to the apartment, one of his packmates helping him up the stairs before heading out to make sure Sandra has truly left, Aiden not wanting to take any chances.

He was limping quite badly when he finally walked in, a bandage around his swollen ankle, along with numerous bandages in various parts of his body covering various wounds and bruises. He grinned weakly at James, who was immediately standing to help his alpha to the couch, despite the fact that he has been playing a boardgame with Bailey to help pass the time. Once seated on the couch he let out a groan, shifting to rest his leg up on the couch before looking up at James and Bailey, smiling weakly. "Did you two have fun?" He knew James would have filled in Bailey as soon as he'd heard the news, but it was funny to him to try to pretend like nothing had happened.

@ katahdin

Bailey gave Aiden a slightly annoyed look as he asked if the two of them had fun. "You are a foolish, foolish man." She told him before slowly leaning over and lightly wrapping her arms around him in a light hug. Bailey was trying her best not to hurt him or inflict pain by putting weight on his injuries, though she felt the need to be close to Aiden and hold him gently for just a moment. She had been nervous as to what kind of state Aiden would be in when she heard the news and while Aiden wasn't looking great, it definitely was not as bad as she had been fearing.

After a moment, Bailey slowly pulled away from Aiden and looked him up and down for a long moment. Though she glanced up at James for a moment, giving him a small smile before looking back at Aiden. "Perhaps we should ask James to stay the night. I'm in no shape to take care of you and if something happens, I don't think you're in any shape to fight." She told him softly. "But I do need to speak to you about your decision to go against Sandra." Bailey told him with a raised eyebrow.

@ BearGirl

Aiden grinned faintly up at Bailey as she looked down at him, holding his hands up innocently. "I know, I know. Be gentle with me." He laughed softly as he teased her, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned down to hug him, pressing a kiss to her cheek, despite hugging her close hurting a bit. He'd rather be close to her though, even if it meant he felt a little pain. "I'm ok, Bailey. I'm ok." He whispered in her ear reassuringly, pressing another kiss to her cheek before releasing her and leaning back with a sigh.

He chuckled as Bailey suggested James spend the night, nodding a little in agreement. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. James can take the guest room, and I can hang out here on the couch, cause getting up sounds like a lot." He chuckled at James, who was obviously trying to hide his excitement at getting to spend the night, although when the young wolf noticed Bailey's stern look as she mentioned talking to Aiden alone about Sandra, he stepped back, smiling a bit as he gestured toward the door. "I'll just run outside and get some stuff from my car.. I can also run to the grocery store and get something for dinner. Just text me when it's safe to come back." He called as he grabbed his coat and hurried from the apartment, leaving the two alone.

@ katahdin

Bailey started to calm down slightly as Aiden assured her that he was okay. She let out a little content sigh once Aiden pressed a kiss to her lips before sliding away from him slowly and relaxing against the couch again. The woman then looked to James, offering him a soft smile as she watched the boy basically run out of the house. Bailey smiled softly as she shook her head at him a bit. Her eyes then shifted up, looking to Aiden. "I like him." She said softly.

Though, as a moment went by, her smile dropped a bit and a sigh came out of her lips. "I thought you were just going to go talk to Sandra, not fight her." Bailey said, her voice becoming a bit stern. "And James is telling me that you challenged her so that somehow means you could have lost everything? The pack, your territory. Why did you do that?" Bailey said, her frown deepening the more she spoke. "What would have done if that had been the case?"

@ BearGirl

Aiden chuckled as he watched James run out of the apartment, smiling up at Bailey as she said that she liked him. "He's a good kid." He agreed, reaching out to take her hand as she grew more serious, sighing as he brushed his thumb soothingly over the back of her hand. "I tried to talk to her, Bailey. She wouldn't listen, and I tried to get her to talk things through, to come to an agreement, but she wouldn't listen." He sighed, leaning back against the couch as he looked up at her.

"And I didn't outright challenge her. I gave her a couple of options, two of which were talking things over ourselves or having the elders come in and decide things for us. I tried to give her a way out, but she wanted to fight." He frowned as he looked at her, holding his arms out to her. "Come here." He murmured, wrapping his arms around her securely once she moved into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I wouldn't have challenged her if I didn't know that I would win." He murmured into her hair, his fingers brushing down her back gently. "If I had thought that there was a chance of me losing, I wouldn't have risked it."

@ katahdin

There was no hesitation in Bailey as Aiden asked her to come into him. She leaned into his body, laying her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed slightly as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her head. There was nowhere that she felt safer than in Aiden's arms. And she truly felt like she could forgive anything he did if Aiden just held her tight enough for long enough. It was just so hard for her to be upset with Aiden when they were pressed together, and clearly, he was okay. He would heal quickly and Aiden did win... There was no reason to worry about what-ifs at this point.

"I just get worried about you." Bailey whispered into his ear. "But, honestly, I am happy that she and the others are gone. That I don't have to worry about them anymore... Aiden, you really took care of them." She turned her head and buried her face into his neck slightly. "I just want you to be careful, that is all. But I feel safer knowing that she lost her pack. I feel so much safer now."

@ BearGirl

Aiden held her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he rested her head against hers, letting out a long sigh as she relaxed. He was relieved that they were finally safe, and that Bailey wasn't mad at him for doing what he'd done, even if she had been worried. "I know you worry, Bails. I'm glad you do. And I'm glad that you feel safe now. She won't ever be able to hurt you again, and if she ever is stupid enough to try, I'll rip out her fucking throat with my bare hands." He sighed as he relaxed back onto the couch, running his fingers through her hair.

He looked up when there was a knock at the door, and James poked his head in, giving them a sheepish smile. "Is it safe?" Aiden chuckled and nodded, loosening his arms around Bailey. "Yes, it's safe, James. Come on in." James grinned a bit before coming inside, carrying a backpack with his things in it as well as a grocery bag. "I just got a couple of things from the store, in case you guys are hungry.. But it's kind of late, and I'm pretty sure you both should go to bed."

Aiden laughed at James as he practically told them to go to bed, standing with a little groan before limping over to help him put away the groceries. "Yes, mother." He teased.

@ katahdin

Bailey peered over the couch for a few moments as she watched Aiden and James put the groceries away. A light smile on her lips as she did so. They were both so adorable, in their own ways. She let out a little sigh as she watched Aiden move around, seeing that he was limping. Though, she wouldn't be surprised if he was walking around normally tomorrow. "I wish I had your fast healing." Bailey murmured softly before grabbing her crutches and standing up.

She made her way over to the two of them and grabbed a cookie out of the bag before moving back so they could put everything away. "I am going to head to bed. Let me know if you need anything Goodnight James." Bailey smiled at him softly before glancing up at Aiden for a moment. Bailey then made her way over to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Once inside, she changed into her PJs before crawling into the bed and resting her head against the pillows.

@ BearGirl

"You'll be healed up in no time." Aiden smiled at her as she came to take a cookie, pressing a kiss to her cheek before continuing to put the groceries away. Both wolves nodded a little when Bailey said that she was going to go to bed, Aiden pressing another kiss to her cheek. "Alright, I'll see you in a bit. I'll just get James sorted, and then I'll be right in." He promised before moving to put away the grocery bags.

James nodded a bit as well, offering her a smile and a little wave as he watched her head off to her room. "Goodnight, Mom." The young wolf looked absolutely mortified after he realized what he'd said, and when he looked to Aiden in horror the alpha simply burst out laughing, before a bit of a shouting match erupted as Aiden teased James relentlessly and James tried and failed to get Aiden to stop. The house went silent only after James retreated to the guest room for the night, and Aiden hobbled into the room he shared with Bailey.

He changed out of his dirty clothes and into a clean pair of boxers before climbing into bed with a little groan, draping an arm over Bailey's waist as he sighed tiredly.

@ katahdin

Bailey let out a pleasant hum as Aiden kissed her cheeks. Though, as she turned around, she could hear James calling her mom. A light laugh left the woman's lips, though it was nothing compared to how hard Aiden was laughing at the mistake. With a huge smile over her lips, Bailey looked back at James. "Sleep well, son." She teased him lightly before heading into the bedroom. it was something she would tease him more about later but it sounded like Aiden was taking care of it with his neverending laughter.

It wasn't too much longer until Aiden was laying in bed next to her and Bailey had an arm draped around her waist. She shifted back, pressing into him lightly until she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Once morning came around, Bailey started to shift in the bed, letting out a tired whimper as she did so. It took her some time before she was able to open her eyes and glancing around the room. The young woman let out a tired yawn before turning slowly and pressing her face into James' side gently. She didn't want to get up, but she knew she should. Especially since she knew that Aiden was going to have a hectic day with the new pack members. It would be best if she got up and made them both breakfast.