by Cloe Cullen
Should they go to Gray Creek or Red Rock?
Orpheus' army could go to either one, and all Ambrosia told them was that Orpheus had gone north. Amara had no way of knowing which place Orpheus decided to invade first. So where should she rush to first? Gray Creek, where Darius might be fighting for his life, or Red Rock, where her father and mother could be battling the psycho Vampire? Wherever Amara decided to go could very well finalize the outcome of this short war.
Remus bounded ahead of her, sliding to a stop near a river, which Amara recognized as the border river. Amara and the others followed suit, pulling up shortly behind Remus. In either direction was roughly the same distance between each clan's home. Remus stared back at Amara, awaiting her answer, and she realized he would go wherever Amara decided to go.
She stared at the gushing river, her mind somersaulting in trying to predict Orpheus' game plan. Eventually, she forced herself to a decision; standing around was even worse. Amara growled at Remus, telling him they would go to Gray Creek, but she also growled at the two other shifters to head to Red Rock, just in case. The cougar growled in agreement, while the wolf shifter appeared less than thrilled, but he chased off after the cougar all the same. Amara turned to Remus, and they both sprinted off to the west.
***
It was frustrating how long it took for both Amara and Remus to run to Gray Creek; They passed into the dense western part of the Oldwood quickly, but since then it was like an eternity passed. Mist and overgrowth blocked their path and slowed their sprints.
The longer they ran, the more icy fear pressed into her mind. Would they even make it in time?
Luckily for Amara, just as full on panic was beginning to take hold, howls met her ears. Howls and screams and shouts and laughter. The sounds of battle.
Remus stole a stern glance at Amara, and both picked up the pace.
It wasn't long before they came within yards of the archway, which they found on fire, the flames licking and catching the trees around it. Changelings went wild everywhere, overflowing from just past the archway. Wolf shifters fought all over, slamming into Changelings and throwing them into the pond and dropping massive trees on them. And in the middle of Gray Creek, cackling wickedly and swiping at wolf shifters with his long, lanky arms, was none other than the pale Vampire Orpheus.
Just the sight of Orpheus sent chills down her spine for a variety of reasons, but she didn't have the time to focus on him. Amara needed to find Darius.
As she turned to her left, though, a trio of Changelings jogged over to them, yapping and growling in joy at finding new prey. Beside her, Remus howled in anger and charged them, startling the Changelings who probably didn't expect a single shifter to be so aggressive. Remus barreled into them, knocking one back into a tree, swiping one's feet out from under it with his tail, and latching onto the third's leg with his teeth. Amara watched in stunned wonder as Remus went wild, scaring the living daylights out of the Changelings.
Looking back at her, Remus howled at her to leave and find Darius and the others. Thankful, Amara turned and sprinted away, hoping that by some miracle Remus would be okay on his own.
The further on Amara ran, the more chaos surrounded her. Fires were lit everywhere, catching the grass, bushes, multiple wooden homes, various trees, and smoke began to rise above the treetops. Changelings ganged up on practically every shifter that came within her vision. It was madness and pure carnage, and it all frightened Amara to her very core.
"Wonderful!" Orpheus called out from the middle of Gray Creek, his voice resonating through the forest with ease. "This is amazing! Watch, you animals, and see how Orpheus the Great exacts his revenge! Beautiful! Beautiful!"
Amara wanted to go rip his throat out, but it wasn't quite time for that yet.
She forced herself to stop next to a tree where she was relatively hidden and sniff the air. A myriad of smells entered her mind, and she discerned between the mass of scents, fighting smoke that was beginning to fill the air. Snarling in frustration, Amara climbed the tree, getting to the top and peering out. If her nose couldn't help her, her eyes would.
Scanning the forest, she noticed a trio of shifters sprinting towards the middle of Gray Creek. Two were gray wolves padded alongside a red-haired cougar. Darius and Gavriel! But who was the red-haired cougar? There was only one possibility Amara could think of, and even though it seemed strange that Sarai would be with Darius and Gavriel, she didn't let that fact occupy her mind. Leaping off from the branch, she ran to join the trio.
Upon seeing Amara, Darius' massive gray wolf turned on his heel and shifted back to his human form. "Amara?" He called.
Emotions took hold of Amara's thoughts, and her heart skipped a beat upon seeing him. Instantly she changed back to her human form and jumped into Darius' arms. She kissed him on the lips so passionately he recoiled at the impact of her lips but stayed connected. Letting go, Amara panted as Darius gripped her cheeks. "I thought...I didn't...when you didn't return before Orpheus, I assumed the worst."
"I'm fine," Amara quickly said. "And so is Remus. We got to the Blackwood and found out that Orpheus had already left. We must have passed him by on the way to the Blackwood. I'm sorry I'm late."
Darius smiled. "I'm just glad to see you're okay. Gavriel and I were helping to escort Sarai; she's helping tend to the wounded while we fight."
Amara glanced between all three, letting her gaze linger on the shy cougar behind Gavriel. This wasn't the time to ask questions, so Amara took a deep breath. "What can I do to help?"
Darius' expression turned stoic, and he turned his gaze towards Orpheus. "Help us end this, right now."
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Darius
“So, what's the plan?" Amara asked.
Gavriel and Sarai remained in their wolf and cougar forms respectively as Darius looked back at his mate.
"Right now, we need to keep Sarai hidden, and bring her wounded," he said. "We need to keep our people safe."
"But what about Orpheus?" Amara asked frantically. "He's destroying your home!"
Darius bit his lip as he stared out at Orpheus, anger swelling inside him. Orpheus was taking down shifters left and right, destroying homes casually, his face covered in the blood of Darius' people. He hated this situation, but Darius needed to stay calm and do what was best for his people. "Right now, our people come first. Orpheus is prepared for us this time, meaning we won't be able to catch him by surprise. Gavriel and I will distract Orpheus for the time being while you and Sarai help get the wounded and weak to safety." Darius looked back at Gavriel, who grunted in agreement.
Amara's expression soured, but Darius gripped her shoulders and stared her in the eyes. "Once you two clear the area, you'll find Remus and you both will join us, and we'll all attack Orpheus, together, okay? I understand how you feel, but right now this is our best chance to save everyone."
Amara nodded firmly. "Right, leave it to us."
Shifting into her cougar form, Amara sprinted away with Sarai, the two separating after a certain distance.
Darius watched her go and turned back to the rampaging Vampire in the middle of Gray Creek. Gavriel padded up next to Darius, and the two watched Orpheus continue his violent spree, an evil smile plastered on his face. Gavriel nudged Darius with his head and then charged forward. Darius followed suit, shifting into his massive wolf form and howling a battle cry that shook the earth.
Orpheus immediately spun on his heel, his body undulating, his expression brightening at the sight of Darius. "Ah! And the star of the show finally arrives." Gavriel leaped toward Orpheus, mouth open to chomp down on the Vampire's body, but he dodged his father without so much as a glance in Gavriel's direction. Gavriel hit the ground, but pounced to his feet, snarled, and began to circle Orpheus. "I must admit, you arrived quicker to help those two little cubs the first time we met...which I still find strange. Aren't the Pack and the Pride mortal enemies? Why help them? Are you mad, like me?"
Darius shot forward, attempting t
he same as his father, but instead of dodging, Orpheus reached his hand forward and wrapped his bony fingers around Darius' neck. Shocked, Darius fought wildly in his clutches, roaring and howling, spit from his mouth landing on Orpheus. The Vampire's smile never faded, and instead, the pressure around his fingers began to crush Darius' throat. Darius swiped, attempting to smack himself free as his breathing faded.
"You think I wouldn't be prepared for this battle?" Orpheus asked, his voice worming its way into Darius' mind. "Last time I didn't realize the extent of your strength...but now I have a full grasp of your capabilities."
Glimpsing Gavriel over Orpheus' shoulder, Darius thrashed wildly again, hoping to keep Orpheus' attention on him instead of his father. Leaping forward, Gavriel attempted to lock onto Orpheus' leg, but the Vampire sidestepped just in time, letting Gavriel trip face first into the dirt. Orpheus stepped on his father's head, pinning Gavriel to the ground.
Gavriel thrashed wildly as well but whimpered as Orpheus put weight behind his foot. Gavriel's skull was slowly being crushed. Dread overcame Darius, and he fought even harder, but Orpheus only continued to crush his windpipe.
"No!" Orpheus squealed. "It's over for you now! Rejoice! Now you'll be able to rest peace…"
A howl broke Orpheus' focus and forced him to swivel his head behind him. Darius was able to snatch a glance to spy a blonde wolf snarling low just out of Orpheus' reach. The Vampire clicked his tongue at the sight. "Another mutt...there's never an end to you dogs, is there?"
Remus padded forward, his snarls growing more intense.
Orpheus' grip slightly weakened on Darius' throat as his attention was drawn away, and a thought crossed his mind. If Remus was here, then where was Amara?
On cue, a cougar fell from the sky and landed on Orpheus' arm, clamping down with her teeth and freeing Darius as Orpheus recoiled in pain. The Vampire cursed loudly and flailed away, leaving Gavriel to also leap to safety. He punched Amara in the snout, forcing her to let go and jump to Darius' side. Coughing, Darius finally managed to get to his feet, Amara protectively standing in front of him and growling.
Gavriel came over with Remus, and the four stood tall in front of Orpheus.
Orpheus ground his teeth as he caressed his forearm, his face twisted in irritation. "I take it back, instead of killing you all, I think I'm going to capture you, and then torture you for the rest for your days!" He roared.
Darius and the others didn't wait though, as they howled and snapped their jaws together, beginning to circle Orpheus. The hunt was starting, and now that four of them opposed Orpheus, they had the edge in this fight. Darius padded forward as his father and Remus went left and right. Amara disappeared into the shadows, to sneak up on Orpheus when he wasn't looking.
Orpheus' gaze snapped to each one of them, baring his fangs and anticipating their attacks.
Gavriel jumped forward first, roaring at Orpheus as the Vampire swung to keep Gavriel back. Remus went next, swiftly dodging a strike from Orpheus and leaping away. Finally, it was Darius’ turn, and he followed in the previous two's footsteps, avoiding a swipe from Orpheus, and turning away, but he immediately turned back and attacked in unison with Gavriel and Remus, the three surprising Orpheus as he swung at Darius and Remus, but didn't react in time to stop Gavriel from chomping into his stomach. Orpheus screamed in pain, the blood seeping through Gavriel's teeth, and he gripped Gavriel and pulled him off, chunks of Orpheus going with him.
Descending on Gavriel faster than anyone anticipated, Orpheus made to stab at Gavriel's stomach.
Then something strange happened. Something red appeared in front of Gavriel right before Darius' eyes and took the hit for his father. A red-haired cougar took the full brunt of Orpheus' strike, his hand like a blade, stabbing into the cougar's upper shoulder and causing the cougar to roar in pain. The cougar crumpled to the ground afterward, bleeding profusely from a huge wound. Time seemed to slow. The cougar didn't make any attempts to stand back up.
Moments later, recognition washed over Darius. In an instant, Sarai had come out of nowhere and kept Gavriel from death's door and traded places with him.
Adrenaline injected into his bloodstream, and Darius’ rage boiled over. Howling like a frenzied animal, Darius burst forward, colliding with Orpheus and tearing into him. Orpheus called out in shock and pain and fought back, but Remus and Amara jumped to Darius' aid and helped form fresh wounds all over Orpheus. Eventually, the Vampire knocked them all off him in one sweeping swing and stumbled to his feet. Pure fear entered Orpheus' expression, and he glanced around. "Help! Changelings, come to my aid! I need help now!"
But nothing came. Instead, Darius looked up to see shifters of both clans surrounding them all. A mixture of cougars and wolves padded forward, all snarling and growling towards Orpheus.
"Impossible…" Orpheus whispered, his voice quivering and rising. "What happened to my army? What did you do to my army?"
A single massive cougar came forward, roaring into Orpheus face, forcing the Vampire to slide backward.
Darius' eyes widened as he recognized the cougar as Torian, Amara's father.
Within an instant, every cougar, panther, and wolf shot forward and tore into Orpheus, attacking him from all angles.
"No!" Orpheus shouted, trying to fight them all off. "My life...can't end here!"
The slaughter was over within minutes, Torian watching with an unblinking stare. Shifters backed away once Orpheus' voice faded, and his mangled body remained. It was a disgusting sight, but Darius quickly forgot all about him.
Darius shifted back to his human form and rushed over to Sarai's side. The skies opened up overhead and began to rain. "Mother! Please tell me you're alright…"
Gavriel had already shifted back, and so did Sarai. She lay with her head in Gavriel's lap, blood pooling below her shoulder wound. "I'm fine…" she croaked. "I can recover from this...it'll just need some time."
She winced as she tried to rise, but Gavriel put a hand on her bare chest and gently pushed her back down. "Don't move, cat. You'll only aggravate the wound."
Amara and Remus appeared at Darius' side. "Is she okay?" Amara asked.
Darius nodded, relief flooding his body. Suddenly his whole body ached, and so he sat down and leaned back. "Yeah, it seems."
Amara jumped on him, embracing his aching body. Darius flinched at the pain, and Amara whispered a quick apology. Tears brandished her cheeks again, and so Darius hugged her close. "It's over," he said softly. "We're safe now."
Remus backed away. "I'm going to look for Nyssa." Darius nodded as his friend took off.
Torian came over in his human form, frowning and grunting at Darius and Amara's hug, but staying silent until Darius could rise to his feet. "I don't know how to thank you, Torian," Darius began. "Without your help…"
"Thank me by taking care of my daughter, Darius," Torian replied. He eyed Amara. "Besides, I think she's finally found a worthy mate."
Amara smiled up at her father as he turned and walked away. Glancing to Darius, she kissed him on the lips. "So, what now?"
Darius gazed back at her. "Now, we start anew."
Chapter Thirty: Amara
“Shifters of the Pack," Torian called. "And shifters of the Pride. Our war with the Vampire Orpheus is over!"
A massive crowd stood before Amara's father, a mixture of both cat and wolf shifters, and their raucous cheering echoed into the Oldwood. It put a smile on Amara's face as she stood beside Darius, the pair awaiting their turn in the spotlight.
Torian gazed at them all. "Now, we stand here in Gray Creek, home of the wolves, only a single day after the battle with that wretched Vampire. I'm sure I can speak for everyone from Red Rock, that even though we have stayed by each other's side and protected one another, it still feels strange for cats to be in the lands of wolves."
A wave of nodding heads and suspicious glances swept through the crowd. Torian nodded. "Aye, it is strange. A week ago, we were still enemies...but today is a new d
ay and the end of an era.
"There is nothing I want more than to keep my family safe. My wife, my daughter, all of you...but I realize now that I was too stubborn before today. I didn't listen to reason, and led you all down a path of hate, as did the former wolf Alpha, from what I understand." Her father glanced back at Darius, and Darius nodded his approval. He turned back to the crowd. "That is why from now on we will strive to unite our two clans for the better, to keep our homes and the Oldwood safe. We cannot allow what happened to the Bear Clan happen to us, and so we shall rise above."
A shifter from the crowd called out. "And how do we do that? It isn't easy to just get over what we've been taught our entire lives."
Torian once again peered back at Darius, and so Darius stepped forward, Amara at his side. Darius stood tall next to her father, and he held onto Amara's hand, letting all see their relationship.
"We're not trying to force our two clans together into one," Darius started. "All we want is to become friends instead of enemies. Have either clan be able to cross the river border in safety and peace, allow trade between our two groups." He paused a moment to let his words sink in. Shifters moved uncomfortably in the crowd. "We're not trying to make it happen instantly, either, but rather make it a gradual change, one where our children will be able to grow up in a world where they can grow up without watching their backs or losing a parent."
Darius squeezed her hand slightly, and she knew this had to be about his mother. She glanced back where his parents stood, seeing Gavriel and Sarai stand side by side, stoic and proud. Amara still couldn't get over the fact that Sarai was Darius' mother. It felt so surreal, yet she was also kind of happy about it.