by Cloe Cullen
But at the end of the day, Nyssa knew coexisting had been the right idea, and Darius’ courage to stand up for this exchange only made Nyssa fall even harder for him, no matter how out of reach he was becoming.
“Speak of the devil…” Lowell said, causing her to look in the direction of a group of shifters carrying large logs from freshly cut down pine trees. Two familiar figures stopped the shifters to talk, big smiles on their faces. Nyssa caught her breath, her heart picking up the pace as her gaze rested on the Pack’s Alpha and his mate.
Darius...gray-haired, tall and muscular, he stood tall amongst the other shifters, his voice booming naturally through the main hub of Gray Creek. His bold, vibrant eyes matched with his body language, open and welcoming to anyway who would approach him. Next to him stood the radiant Amara, his mate and cat leader of the Pack, the first in their history. With her platinum blonde hair and beautiful green eyes, and amazing, sleek figure, she was undeniably gorgeous, and her smile infectious. The duo made a striking impression upon everyone they stopped, with a few shifters even stopping to worship them. Everyone loved them both; they both deserved it for saving them all.
Myriad emotions began to stir inside at the sight of them both walking through their home. These days Nyssa didn’t get much opportunity to speak with Darius because of his new status. He and Amara were always out and about, helping the community, disbanding scuffles and just making Gray Creek better. And when they weren’t working to make Gray Creek a better place to live, they were off on their own. The closest Nyssa had gotten to speak to Darius alone was when her brother invited her to a run with Darius, just the three of them like old times. That was months ago. Now even her brother was incredibly busy, creating packs to go on patrol and rarely arriving home before the sun rose every morning.
It was all enough to make Nyssa brood like Darius once did every day.
“Look at them,” Lowell began, his envy clearly edging his tone. “Walking around in broad daylight, showing off to the rest of us, as if we didn’t know they were mates, or that Darius was the Alpha.”
Nyssa couldn’t help but snicker. “Jealous much?”
He winked at her. “Maybe a tad. Could you imagine if I was the Alpha, though? I’d be able to show off my amazing muscles all the time.” Flexing to prove his point, a few women walking by eyed him hungrily. Nyssa rolled her eyes once again at her friend, his charm getting through to her core.
“Nyssa!” A familiar, friendly voice called from across the way.
Nyssa froze, her gaze locking on Darius. He was looking straight through her...no, straight at her! His steely eyes washed over her, making her tremble slightly, and she clammed up as he and Amara walked over to them both. Lowell clicked his tongue under his breath as they came to a stop, and so Nyssa elbowed him, causing her friend to jerk to the side.
“Ah!” He nearly shouted. “Nyssa, what was that for?”
Nyssa put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As Lowell muttered something under his breath, Darius chuckled. “I knew it was you. Just as lively as ever, are we?” His voice was like a fine ale hitting the back of her throat and sizzling inside her. That feeling led to more thoughts about Darius and her, alone, doing things that weren’t quite acceptable at the moment. It took Darius voice to bring her back out of her daydream. “So, how are you doing, Nyssa? I know I haven’t been able to see you or Remus as much as I’d like...”
Nyssa quickly shook her head. “No, no, it’s all good! I know how busy you two are…” She gazed at Amara who stayed silent and smiling beside Darius. “I’m fine, and so is Remus.”
“I’m fine too, you know,” Lowell interjected. “Don’t forget about me, the love of your life, Nyssa.”
Nyssa punched Lowell in the shoulder. “You aren’t the love of my life, Lowell.”
Both Darius and Amara chuckled as they two of them argued like a mated couple. “You two sure have a good chemistry,” Amara commented. “You sure you’re not together?”
The comment pained her, but Nyssa vehemently denied it. “No, we’re definitely not. I’m not ready to settle down just yet.”
Darius clasped her on the shoulder, making her mind whirl. The strength of his touch made her body shake and heat up, and she was sure her cheeks were aflame. If Darius noticed, he didn’t show any signs, and instead his grip tightened. “Well, I’m just glad to see you. You two should come by our home sometime, maybe for supper. Bring Remus if you ever have the time. Stop by whenever, okay?”
Nyssa nodded out of a mix of obedience to her Alpha and her inability to speak plainly to the man she was in love with. Darius and Amara began to walk past them. “Well, see you guys!” Amara said.
“Ah, wait!” Lowell said, causing the two to stop dead in their tracks.
“Something wrong?” Darius called.
“Yeah, um, we found another Changeling in the woods. We tried to chase it, but it got away from us,” Lowell explained. “Wiggled into this small hole in the ground, leading somewhere neither of us could follow. We came back to report it.”
Darius nodded, as if Lowell’s report was commonplace. “Go talk to Remus. He’s the the one always off searching for those things. He should be at the western edge of the forest, rounding up volunteers to comb through the Oldwood. You could probably still catch him if you run over now. Is there anything else?”
Lowell faltered. “Ah, no…”, he glanced to Nyssa, who looked at the ground. “We’re good, I guess.”
“Alright, well see you guys around.” Darius turned to Amara, “Come on, let’s go.”
Nyssa watched sullenly as Darius and Amara strolled away, shouting and speaking to other shifters as they walked. It was like Nyssa was just another of Darius’ rounds. She understood why it would feel like that, but at the same time it still hurt. Lowell eyed her.
“You okay?” He asked. “You can just hang out while I go to inform Remus of the Changeling.”
She shook her head, sighing. “No, if I stay here, I think I’ll just go crazy. I need to do something to get my mind out of the gutter. Come on, let’s go together. Maybe we can help Remus with his hunt.”
Lowell smiled, his cheery appearance brightening Nyssa’s mood. He began to jog away. “Alright, then let’s go already! Come on, come on, hurry it up! You heard the Alpha, we don’t have all day!”
Nyssa smiled weakly and ran after him, her mind like a whirlpool, only able to recall memories of her and Darius together. The pain of watching Darius walk away from her began to dwindle a bit, though, as she chased after her friend.
Chapter Three: Jorah
“ What have I told you about traveling down the mountain? It is forbidden!” Dallan shouted, spittle flying from his creaking jaw.
“Seer, please, just listen to reason,” Jorah asked. Their words echoed in the narrow cave they resided in, its walls slick and wet, bouncing any words that came their way. But Jorah was used to the caves, to the dark crater-sized holes and fading light, the slippery smooth surfaces of the insides and the pointed rock formations of the outside. They were all too normal for him, things he’d seen his entire life. Yelling in this one, the cave he called home, wasn’t bizarre either. It was almost a regular occurrence between him and Dallan. Every day saw the two bicker endlessly about the ways of their world, whether or not it was safe to even peer down from their perch atop the Northern Mountains. “It’s not like wondering what the other Clans are like is dangerous! We aren’t doing anything wrong, even under clan law.”
“Even so, it is a sin if a member of the clans somehow sees you,” Dallan growled, clutching onto his staff to keep from falling forward and smashing his face against the cave floor. Matted, long dark gray hair was swept over to one side of his small head in tube-like shapes, making it appear like a dense spider’s nest rested upon his head. “What if they attack you? Throw rocks or run you down? Wolves and cougars are hunters, not friends.”
“Those are baseless assumpt
ions,” Jorah said through tightly clenched teeth. His frustration was growing tiresome, and honestly all Jorah wanted to do was run out into the snow and suck in the fresh mountain air. Between the smoking fire pit in the middle of their cave and Dallan’s scorching voice, Jorah was beginning to sweat. “Even before we were forced from our homes in the Blackwood, the wolves and cougars were friendly with our people, traded with us! You should know, you were alive back then. Others attest-”
“Enough, Jorah!” Dallan shouted, his body quaking at the force of his own anger. The long dark gray beard that clung to his face barely moved when Dallan spoke. Many of the children often claimed Dallan’s beard came from the hair of dead rats; Jorah was no child, but it was a nice idea to focus on whenever Dallan battered him with words. “You will stay away from the edge of the mountains, do you understand me?”
Flushing red, Jorah grunted and stood, too restless to stay cooped up in his home cave. “Jorah!” Dallan called behind him. Jorah didn’t bother to respond as he stomped from the sloping cave, leaving the old Seer behind in shadowy dark. Breaching the warm afternoon sunlight, Jorah blocked the blinding light with the back of his hand as he trudged forward, listening to Dallan’s loud muttering echo still coming from inside. The rocky exterior forced Jorah to be careful of his foot placements, though more than once he stepped on a pointed rock, causing sharp pains to shoot through his body. He was used to it, though; for his entire life he’d been stepping on these jagged formations, never able to go further than what he or Dallan could see from their cave. But now Jorah ventured further on his own, or with his friends; he was much too old to abide by the Seers’ rules and old-fashioned ways.
There was an expansive world below the Northern Mountains, entire peoples his forefathers interacted and mingled with. Maybe even his parents…
Jorah shook his head as his boots crunched the compact snow that blanketed the ridge. No, he didn’t want to think of his parents now. They abandoned him. There was no reason for him to really care whether they were even still alive or not. Whoever they were, they left Jorah at the mouth of Dallan’s cave right after he was born and left to see the world beyond the Northern Mountains. Jorah would have been nothing more than a burden if they had taken him along…
Forcing himself to sigh and focus, Jorah slapped his chilled cheeks and marched forward over the beaten snow field. Covered in a heavy fur coat and insulated trousers, Jorah was far from cold, but yet his fingertips still tingled with the wind chills and his breath stung the air with its cloudy form.
In the distance, Jorah spotted another cave mouth, hidden behind a mess of spruce trees. Just above the treeline a trail of smoke could be seen, and Jorah smiled as the smell of charred wood drifted his way.
He strolled forward, a grin growing on his face. It wasn’t unusual for Jorah to be the last one to arrive, the idea even becoming a running joke between him and his group of close friends. Whatever the case, he sure wasn’t first this time.
As he got closer, the mouthwatering scents of cooked meat filled his nose, causing him to drool slightly, his stomach churning and growling at him, reminding him of his hunger. Jorah hadn’t eaten since the moment he woke before dawn, and now it was too late to go back to Dallan for the salamander soup he always made for early supper. Reaching the trees, Jorah zigzagged along the fresh trail made through the snow; because of how high the mountains were, snow regularly made its appearance, covering paths and trails his clan often used, so new ones were constantly being created.
A bonfire just in front of the cave mouth caught his gaze first when Jorah broke through the trees, it’s licking flames embracing him, even from a few dozen feet back. Logs were set up around the fire, placed to make a triangle around the fire. Two individuals sat at opposite ends. One was thin and small, his light chocolate skin freckled and matching the heavy fur garments draping over his body. His nearly bald head glistened next to the fire, and his young, cheery voice never ceased.
“...and then the eagle swooped in, catching both fish from my bare hands! But being the clever man I am, I looped a loose rope around the eagle’s neck just as he grabbed my fish and took it down! Now I have those treats waiting on ice back in my cave.” The thin man smiled from ear to ear. “I could cook it all up sometime for you, Nyx, if you ever want to come over and just hang out. The two of us. I may not be as good a cook as Keanu over there, but I’m not too shabby.”
The ashen-haired woman sitting across from him giggled as she tore off a chunk of recently cooked meat from a stick. “Now, that I’m not too sure about, Finn. The last time I ate something you cooked I was sick in bed for a week. Maybe try something else if you want to impress me.”
Like a beautiful ghost, the woman’s snowy skin and pale lips combined with her dark hazel eyes to create a deathly beautiful creature. Her curvy, yet muscular figure was covered entirely in a maroon shawl and thick leather garments. The ashen hair above her head was intricately woven and braided, and she looked like a goddess. Her beauty once captured Jorah, when his young mind was still caught up in the superficial aspects of love, but now he was a changed man, or so he liked to believe.
Nyx was the first to spot Jorah standing still and silent, away from the fire, her eyes lighting up and her smile brightening. “Well, well, look who decided to show up.” With a voice like a fine thick ale, Jorah could listen to her speak all day. He needed to keep reminding himself that he wouldn’t, though. She patted the log next her, a sly grin forming on her lips. “Come on and sit with us, Jorah.”
“Jorah?” Finn said curiously. Looking up, he did a double-take. “Wow, seriously? I thought you might have decided to not come today.”
Jorah chuckled. “Yeah, right, and miss this feast?” Taking Nyx’s advice, Jorah strolled forward, but sat on a different log from hers entirely, causing Nyx’s face to drop slightly. “At least I’m not last...though it’s not like Keanu to be late.”
Finn laughed and throw a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s already here. Who do you think cooked all this?”
“Certainly not you,” Jorah commented, peering past Finn to the mouth of the cave. Sure enough, a hulking, broad figure crouched near the entrance to the cave, using a stick to stir the contents of a metal pot over a tiny fire. Long, dirty blonde hair covered most of the man’s face and neck, but when he glanced over Jorah could see his unblinking eyes and deadpan expression. He waved a single meaty hand and then went back to cooking. “Quiet as always, aren’t you, Keanu?”
“So, what took you so long?” Nyx slid over as she spoke, to get closer to Jorah. She leaned towards him, wearing a knowing smile. “Let me guess, it had something to do with Dallan again?”
Jorah nodded, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep the events of his life from his best friends. They were always too good at knowing the details of his life before he could even mention them.
Finn spit out a tiny bone from his meal, juice running down his chin. He spoke as he ate. “Man, I can’t imagine what it’s like to live with those stuffy old Seers. I’d go insane after one day. There’s always ‘mountain this’ and ‘mountain that’, it’s enough to suffocate someone.”
Jorah bellowed in laughter and clapped Finn on the back, causing him to gag and jerk forward. “Lucky for me I only live with one, and he’s the easiest of the nine to get along with. Not to mention he cooks some delicious stews every once in a while.”
While he wasn’t looking, Nyx had suddenly moved closer to him, now within an arm’s length. “Did you two argue? I swear it’s like you two argue every other day, and every time it gets louder and louder. You realize some of us in the clan like to sleep at night, right?”
Jorah shrugged. “I’m not the one who starts them. I would move out of the cave, if there was one that wasn’t already taken by another.”
Nyx blinked. “You could always stay with me, like all those years ago.”
Throwing more tiny bones into the bonfire, Finn glanced quizzically at Nyx. “What about me? I’d love
to stay at your place.”
“I didn’t ask you, Finn.”
“But you can.”
“And I won’t,” Nyx growled. She glanced back at Jorah, who flicked his eyes between the two; watching his friends banter was often the highlight of their time together, and it never grew old for him. “So, how about it?”
Shaking his head, he stared into the fire. “No, I’m fine. I haven’t been a child for almost a decade now, so I’ve learned to live with the old coot. Besides, Dallan still has some charm.”
Finn doubled-over in laughter. “You hear that Nyx? That old Seer is more charming than you!”
“That isn’t what he said, and you know it!” Nyx said, letting her temper get to her.
Jorah couldn’t help but smile now. There was something about these shifters that always put his mind at ease. Bickering and communing around an open fire in the middle of the day...it was like a small family, something Dallan couldn't give him. Once before, when Jorah was still young, he resented Dallan for that fact, that he couldn’t provide Jorah with loved ones to look after him, with siblings to pal around and explore with. Dallan was a Seer even then, and his role as one of their clan’s leaders always took him away from Jorah, leaving him alone to wander the Northern Mountains, to grow an interest in what lay beyond the snowy peaks. That curiosity led him to Nyx first.
He remembered the first day they met, when he caught Nyx bathing in a cold basin just beyond a waterfall on the very edge of their territory. It was just another day of exploring, and then he saw her, young and beautiful and elegant, only a year younger than him already having so much more than he ever did. Competing regularly with three older siblings, hunting racoons and elk with her parents and friends, having steaming meals in caves full of noise and chaos. Nyx was a wonder to Jorah back then, but now things were different, and as he caught Nyx staring at him once again, guilt racked him for how they ended their relationship all those years ago.