I was never the favorite, that had always been my sister, at least, of my litter her crimson markings to my strawberry were simply more pleasing to my mother. I did not hold the pride for my line as maybe I should have. Mother offered me little as a child. After all, she had left us all here then after that I had been raised more by the beast Tobias and the old Monster than I was my own mother. I didn’t lap at Tobais’ maw, or worship him as my sister did, I saw him as a challenger, or a means to an end. Of course my heart felt crushed when my sister died, she was still my sister. Rapier was gone by then, and so were mother and father. She was all I had left, then during the hunt her overconfidence and drive to show off was ultimately what lead her to die in the most pitiful of ways. Trampled to death. I sat there by her side as she took her last breaths, promised her she would live on within me, then consumed her heart and had her join me. Shortly after I struck it out on my own, fighting, killing, making myself stronger by consuming the hearts of those I defeated until years later I found myself back here again. So if it seemed I had little love for my family, perhaps it was true, alone for so long as I was, abandoned and tossed aside as lesser than my sibling only to both be left anyway, well… I didn’t have much of my own family history imparted to me as any of my brothers it seemed.

Cuirass pushes back against me playfully, though honestly I’m in a less than playful mood with him. I know well enough he heard what had happened in Diveen, how he disapproved of my constant poking at the bee’s hive as it were. It was the point though, I wanted wolves to come after me. Send more and more after me to challenge me. Someday maybe it would be the end of me, but so far it had only worked out. Single assassins coming after me, and now with Asteraia also as my home they seemed to simply flail and be angry at the borders instead of risking any type of war. Everything was going my way, as planned and that was all I could ask for now. Plus with what the male I killed put me through, well I hardly could feel any pity for them either.

I stand between them, my strawberry fur ever so stark against the crimson and white of my siblings. My tail flicks lightly behind me noticing how pleased my brother is and then intrigued by his look at the news our sister was dead. I won’t lie, I’m pleased to have my own littermate back, nothing against Cuirass, but he tended to act like he was the boss of me, and tried to tell me what to do back when I first came back, and maybe now I was in a pack, but not even Little Opal was the boss of me, Alpha or no. So depending on how my dear little brother was, we would be the two peas in a pod we were fated to be by our bloodline or we wouldn’t and I would continue to be what mother might have thought of me because of my pelt. A misfit to her otherwise perfect lineage. How Rapier looks at me though, it appears he didn’t share our Mother’s opinion as he drinks in my appearance. Perhaps I am being a bit cold towards him, so I lean towards him to touch my shoulder against his own before turning my question to the air. His answer seemed almost predictable.

I roll my shoulders at his answer, so he was here to keep me from doing what I pleased as well? I don’t think so. I scoffed as Cuirass said his bit, clearly feeling likewise, or knowing that keeping me in line was a task no one could handle. ”I do what I want, when I want dear brother, but I will be happy to have you along if you would like to join in on my antics.” I say smoothly letting my bright blue eyes landing upon the stark green of my littermates. Cuirass’ words though cause me to snap back to him giving a look of disgust at his clear lack of thinking. ”The bloodline is yours to own, Rapier. I don’t see myself with a brood anytime soon and our brother here seems to only want to produce illegitimates. I don’t find the act of creating a heir despicable, but forcing that will on some helpless female that can’t even fight back taints our bloodlines rather than strengthens it.” I believe what I say, I recall he had a mate too and I wonder what she thought of this entire situation. Whatever the case I don’t think I would ever accept that child as any heir to this lineage, just as I would never accept that girl who came looking for me either.

”Anyway, I’m glad you are both here anyway, maybe you can redeem yourself to me a bit Cuirass and prove you aren’t just reduced to flailing about here and stealing wolves for fun from the free lands. I want to go find a real fight, get the blood boiling again and depending on what you say I have just the place for use to do this sibling bonding time.” I sound excited, and that’s honestly because I am, Cuirass aside I wonder if he even has interest in fighting and feeding on those we would find. Rapier too, I would be learning a lot about how he has grown starting now.