Howl And Growl Complete Collection

by Cloe Cullen

  “Right,” Remus said. “Can either of you get a read on which direction it went?” When they both shook their heads, Remus grunted. “Fine, then we’ll split up. You two go north, Bronwen and I will go south and then spread out from there. If any of you spy the Changeling, howl immediately so the rest of us can come for you, understood?”

  Everyone nodded in unison. This was truly beginning to feel like a proper hunt, getting Nyssa’s blood pumping.

  “Alright then, see you guys later,” Remus said, stalking off to the south with Bronwen in tow. “Be safe, sister.”

  “Oh, our first date? Sounds wonderful to me!” Bronwen said eagerly.

  “Can it, Bronwen,” Remus retorted.

  Nyssa stared after her brother, watching him vanish into the trees, smiling. Lowell tugged on her arm, nodding north. “The Changeling won’t wait for us.”

  “You’re right. Lead the way,” Nyssa said.

  So, the two made their way through, closing the gap between them and the Northern Mountains ahead. She hadn’t realized how close to the foot of the mountain range they had gotten. The slope of land rose steeper the farther they traveled, the trees and foliage opening up a bit, enough for them both to walk side by side. No matter where they went, the strength of the Changeling scent remained the same.

  “You think these creatures would have fled the Oldwood entirely by now.” Lowell mentioned. “Why are they still here? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “As if Vampires and their ways ever made sense to any of us,” Nyssa retorted. “Even Bronwen is still partially a mystery.”

  “Yeah, she could slice us up at any moment, eat us for supper.”

  Growling, she shot Lowell a look. “That isn’t what I meant.”

  A small shape darted out in front of their path from under a fallen tree, sprinting away from them and into the thicket, startling them both and causing them to naturally chase it. Adrenaline flowing through her veins, Nyssa and Lowell jumped over bushes and trampled flowers, sliding through the dirt to make sure not to lose the creature. Was it the Changeling? Nyssa didn’t get a good look, but it matched the small and quick description. Lowell moved faster than Nyssa, sprinting and using a newfound agility to leap over stones and fly through narrow openings between trees. He dove forward just as the creature turned to bound off in another direction, his hands closing around it and capturing it.

  “It’s not the Changeling, is it?” Nyssa asked as she came to a heart-pounding stop behind him. She didn’t need him to answer, as Lowell rolled to his knees showing the creature wiggling in his hands to be nothing but a dark-furred rabbit.

  “Unless bunnies are the new Changelings, then no,” he growled, throwing the rabbit off to the side. Landing on its feet rather splendidly, the rabbit burst away and vanished in an instant. Lowell clicked his tongue as he stood, messing up his handsome hair with his hands. “Damn! I got excited there for a second.”

  Laughing, Nyssa walked over to her friend and patted him on the back. “To be fair, we weren’t exactly paying as close attention as we probably should have…”

  Nyssa’s voice trailed off, leaving her mouth agape as she peered past Lowell into the distance. Seeing the strange look on her face, Lowell frowned. “What’s wrong?” So, she simply pointed past him, motioning for him to turn slowly and quietly. Just like her, his gaze widened at the sight of a small, jet-black furred cougar appraising them from up on a hill. It stood still as stone, its eyes glistening in the sunlight.

  “The Changeling…” Lowell whispered.

  At the sound of his voice, the Changeling inched back slightly, positioning itself to sprint away at any second. Nyssa’ focus returned, and in the few moments of stillness, she made a quick decision. Darting forward, Nyssa shifted into her blonde wolf form, her hide clothes tearing to shreds, howling into the sky and racing towards the Changeling. The Changeling, in turn, bolted from its spot atop the hill, leaving behind a scent that burned Nyssa’s nostrils and lungs. Cursing, Lowell quickly shifted as well, howling and leaving behind his tattered clothes.

  The chase was frantic, full of adrenaline, sweat coating Nyssa’s body, her mind and sharp eyes narrowing on the Changeling. More than once the creature snaked through the forest, kicking up leaves and dirt in its wake, making a clear trail for the two hunters to follow. She ducked under a few fallen trees, serpentined through a number of large stones dotting the ground, climbed higher and higher, never slowing, giving both Lowell and the Changeling a scare. Just as Nyssa was close enough to snap her jaws around the cougar’s hind leg, it suddenly changed directions, causing Nyssa to slam into the side of a raised piece of grassy land. She fumbled over herself, roaring at Lowell to keep chasing instead of stopping to help her, and leapt right back to her feet.

  It was only a matter of time now before they caught the Changeling or chased it out of the Oldwood. But the creature kept running north, and soon enough they’d hit the foot of the mountain. Did it mean to climb to save itself? Desperation addled all living creatures, she supposed.

  The Changeling burst into a large, wide clearing just before the land began to slope steeply up. It came to a sliding stop, turning to face them both as they came to a stop as well. While they panted and padded closer, the Changeling remained calm and silent. Looking to each other, neither knew what was going on. Why did it suddenly stop? Wasn’t it trying to run away? Either way, Remus and Bronwen would arrive soon, so all they need to do was wait.

  But it appeared simply waiting wasn’t what was planned for either of them, as a whole slew of black-furred wolves and cougars emerged on all sides, startling and frightening Nyssa. In the matter of an instant, they were both surrounded. It was a trap!

  Nyssa once again looked to Lowell catching his gaze, but the other new Changelings didn’t wait for them to think of a way out. While Lowell had his back turned, one large wolf barreled towards him, Nyssa crying out for Lowell to dodge. Her cry was too late, as the wolf slammed into Lowell, sending them both tumbling to the ground roaring and swiping at each other.

  Suddenly, Nyssa froze as more Changelings ventured forward, some running, others loping lazily. Four set upon her quickly, not allowing her time to think. Instinct would need to carry her through if she wanted to survive. And so Nyssa danced wildly, swiping and throwing her weight around, forcing the Changelings that circled her to jerk back and forth, yapping and trying sink their teeth into her limbs and tail as she moved from one side of the closing circle to the other. Eventually, one big wolf decided to go in for the kill, charging forward and using its size to thrash Nyssa around like she was a ragdoll. Pain sizzled under her skin and through her muscles as each new Changeling began to punish her endeavor to chase away the original Changeling. Each battering and sinking of teeth into her flesh rattled her mind, causing her to wail for help.

  Nyssa managed to catch glimpses of Lowell trying to fight his way through to her, even going so far as to allow other Changelings to latch onto his body simply so he could gain another foot in her direction. But for every step forward he took, he’d be forced back two steps.

  Eventually one cougar hit her head so hard she slumped to the ground, her vision blurring and her consciousness fading. The last image she saw before blacked out was that of a giant, brown bear lumbering towards her.

  No, that couldn’t be right, there were no more bear shifters in the world, let alone bear Changelings…

  Then her eyes closed, and she drifted away from the pain.

  Chapter Seven: Jorah

  T hey spent the next hour hanging around that ledge, talking and telling tall tales about the past and about monsters that lurked in the dark night. Finn told the most tales, getting up to his feet and using his whole body to help visualize every scene and word that crossed his lips. Dancing like a madman, he began to even sing some parts, offering for the rest to join in.

  So they did, letting their worries and stress melt away as the group moved their bodies, laughing and stumbling around each other
, Finn continuing to tell his tales, mimicking the Seers’ old, weary method of preaching, moving like a rickety and bony elder. The sight was so comical that they all doubled-over in laughter, causing Nyx to accidentally stumble back after losing her footing.

  Jorah caught her just before she fell hundreds of feet to her death below, seizing her wrist, her feet rooted to the ground, yet her body angled out over the vast nothingness beneath her. She simply stared in awe at Jorah’s reaction time, and he quickly pulled her up to safety and into his arms, her smaller frame crashing into his. She looked up at him, thankful and longing, but Jorah sighed and spun her into Keanu’s arms, who promptly picked her up, much to her dissatisfaction, and placed her as far from the ledge as possible.

  Nyx fought off Keanu, tapping her foot on the sloped dirt trail, crossing her arms as she frowned at Jorah.

  “Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Jorah began. “It was your fault to begin with, so how about a ‘thanks’ for saving your life?”

  Nyx rolled her eyes, but eventually caved and smiled. “Fine, thank you. And thank you, Keanu, for so gently placing me away from another potential tumble.”

  Keanu bowed gracefully with a sly smile, causing the rest of them to burst out once again in harmonious laughter.

  Once their sweat covered their bodies, and chests heaved from the exhaustion of dancing, singing, and telling stories to each other nonstop, the group finally sat back down to look back out over the Oldwood forest miles below them. Just as it had an hour prior, the woodland swayed and moaned with the breezes that were sent down from the Northern Mountains. Endless tiny, dark shapes roamed and darted through the small clearings, and many flocks of various colored birds rose and soared from their perches on branches. Off to the side, some pebbles and rocks from a ridge on the mountain rolled down, almost crushing a family of what looked like deer below.

  “It’s a dangerous world out there, isn’t it?” Nyx said, her eyes also glued to the deer below. “I mean, whether the clans of the forest...the Pack and Pride, right? Whether they’re friendly or not doesn’t change the fact that Vampires are still out there, right?”

  “That’s a poor excuse for not making the leap to venture down,” Jorah said casually, lifting his gaze to the horizon beyond. Just barely could the edge of the Oldwood be seen from their tiny perch, though he couldn’t spy any big details. He wondered what the Blackwood really looked like now, after more than half a century of being in the Vampire’s control. Was it still charred and black, or had green sprouted ages ago, reanimating the Bear Clan’s former home? “Besides, whether there are still Vampires or not doesn’t matter.”

  Remaining quiet, Nyx rose to her feet. “Either way, I believe it might be best for us to climb back up. The sun will probably set in another few hours, and the climb will take a little while. We can’t miss the clan meal tonight, or the Seers will throw our butts in the cave prisons again.”

  Both Finn and Keanu agreed, stretching and rising to their feet, but Jorah persisted in staying still, content to stare out at the open world before him. It was so close...if he just descended a bit more, he’d be at the precipice of his world. Before the others had realized Jorah wasn’t following, he’d made up his mind.

  “Jorah?” Nyx called. “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

  Placing his hand on his knee and heaving himself up, he swiveled on his feet with a smile plastered to his lips, one that instantly made Nyx frown. “I’ll catch up. Just want to stay a bit longer, to think.”

  Massaging her temples, Nyx nodded, knowing there wasn’t anything that would prevent him from staying. Finn and Keanu waved happily as they began their long climb back up the cliff face trail. “Don’t let the Vampires snatch you away, okay?” Finn called. Nyx shot Jorah a pleading look as she joined the other two, but ultimately sighed and focused on the trail up.

  Jorah waited a little while before descending, watching the trio climb higher and higher until they were out of sight. Once he was sure they were gone, he hopped on the trail and proceeded to stroll down it. Honestly, at this point Jorah didn’t care how Dallan or the other Seers would react to him venturing so far off the Northern Mountains...not that they would even find out if he could help it. His heart pounded at the thought of what he could possibly end up seeing or touching or smelling once he got close enough to the forest floor.

  What other kinds of animals grazed in the forest? What types of plants grew down here that couldn’t in the snow? Were Vampires in the forest? And what about the people of the forest, the Pack and Pride? Jorah wondered if he might meet some members, and whether they would lean towards hostility or pleasant introductions.

  As he got closer to the foot of the mountain, his descent naturally became excited and energetic. He found himself going from a stroll to a hurried jog to a full-on sprint, kicking up dirt and blades of grass. To circumvent the trail and make his trip go faster, he slid down steep faces, the ground smooth thanks to the growing amount of grass. The ground rose to meet him, and soon enough Jorah found himself at the edge. Standing tall on a ridge just above the treeline, Jorah smiled from ear to ear, gazing around and forcing himself to stop and take it easy. He was here at the base of the Northern Mountains. No other bear shifter would have ever come down here. A rush of smells, sounds and sights came to greet him, enveloping his body and tickling his senses. Even the air warmed him from the frosted ground of the mountains. An itch urged him to press forward, to let himself loose and explore, but reason held him back. Even if he did venture out, he’d likely get lost without a guide, unable to make his way back; he’d never hear the end of that tale from Nyx, so he decided to simply skirt the forest and walk along the edge.

  But soon enough painful shrieks cut his journey short. Freezing on the spot, Jorah went wide-eyed and perked up his ears to listen carefully. Howls and loud thuds breached the air, maybe a couple hundred feet away from him. Gulping, Jorah found himself walking towards the sounds, his feet moving on their own. The closer he came to the sounds, the louder and wilder they became, with whimpers and lashing sounds, multiple different kinds. The sounds of a fight! Jorah realized.

  Jorah came upon a big open clearing not too far from where he had arrived at the base of the mountains. In it, about a dozen black-furred creatures fought what Jorah could only assume was a blonde wolf and a dark tawny wolf. Never had wolves crossed his eyes before, but based on Dallan’s descriptions and stories of the past, these were them. Crouching behind a bush that overlooked the scene, Jorah had a perfect view of the battle unfolding. The darker-furred wolves...and cougars, he supposed...could have only been Changelings.

  Jorah fought hard not to gasp at the realization. Changelings? Here in the Oldwood? He’d thought the creepy stories Dallan had shared about the Vampires turning shifters into mad beasts were tall tales meant to keep him from wanting to venture down the mountain. So, his adoptive father didn’t lie after all.

  The Changelings separated the two wolves, encircling and swiping at them. The two wolves were both bloody and bruised, but still fought wildly, eagerly. They were fighting for their lives, Jorah thought next. This wasn’t a battle, this was more of an execution.

  Each hit clapping the wolves sent shudders up his body, guilt racking his mind from his safe spot behind the bush. Since the other Changelings hadn’t noticed him yet, he must have been far enough away for his scent to still be insignificant.

  At first, Jorah was simply so enthralled by the struggle that he couldn’t make up his mind on whether to intervene or simply watch. Save the two wolves or let them die. But then the blonde wolf began to lose its footing, stumbling and succumbing to the battering of the dark-furred beasts all around it. The tawny wolf was managing to hold its own, but upon seeing the blonde wolf fall, it went wild, thrashing and roaring and letting itself get injured just to place a foot in the blonde wolf’s direction. Clearly the blonde wolf meant something to the other.

  Then the blonde wolf shifted back to its human form...no, not
its, hers. The blonde wolf changed to a naked female, her blonde hair curling from her scalp, black and blue bruises littering her body. His body trembled at the sight of her. Curvy, fair skin shivered as she struggled to move, but ultimately found no strength remaining in her limbs. Even from this distance Jorah could see her eyes were a beautiful blue, deeper than the blue of the sky. The Changelings cackled as her head spun and fell to the ground, her bare chest heaving and her mouth agape.

  The female shifter was like nothing he’d ever seen, and from that moment forward Jorah steeled himself for a battle, letting his mind focus and his body morph. Within moments, he grew into the shape of a gigantic brown bear, his feet carrying him forward just as the Changelings made their move to go in for the kill, the ground rumbling beneath him. Roaring a war cry, the Changelings snapped their heads up to see him just before he rammed into them and sent them all crashing into the ground. A few that managed to evade his initial attack lunged at him; anticipating the attack, Jorah spun with a massive paw, connecting with one cougar’s jaw and a wolf’s ribs, bones cracking under the power of his hits.

  Puffing out air, Jorah stood protectively over the female shifter, watching the tawny wolf and other Changelings stare on in awe. Sensing Jorah was a friend, the tawny wolf used the advantage to sink his teeth into the neck of another Changeling, while three others set upon him. Jorah wanted to help, but the Changelings he’d thrown away now stalked back out to him, circling just as they had done to the blonde wolf.

  He couldn't stay here. There was no way Jorah could protect the woman and fight this many at the same time; besides, his fighting skills were rusty. It wasn’t like there was anything to fight up on the Northern Mountains, save for small game and a goat or two.

  So Jorah made the decision to focus on saving the female shifter. He roared a sorry to the wolf, hoping he’d understand, and scooped up the female shifter in his paws and threw her on his back. She must have been semi-conscious, because she latched onto his back hair, grabbing huge tufts with both hands. Good, Jorah thought. The woman was light and slender, easy to carry while on the run.