by Cloe Cullen
“Enough!” Nyx shouted from behind Jorah. He swirled quickly to catch Nyx in her birthday suit, pointing into the woodland beyond them. “Just run, we vastly underestimated them all! Come on! The remaining bears bolted into the forest, grunting sounds of pain and frustration. Nyx leveled one last glare at Jorah before following, causing Jorah to quickly shift to his human form and race after her.
“Nyx, wait!” He shouted.
Jorah knew he should have just let her go, but impulse drove his legs to sprint ahead at full speed, the winding smacking him as he ran. Trailing her through the trees, he caught up to her in no time, bending over and clasping her knees for air. Normally that would have been a pretty sight to Jorah, but right now all he saw was red. “Nyx, please!” He called. “Just hear me out.”
Shaking, Nyx turned quickly, her white teeth clenched and tears rolling down her eyes. “What? What did you want to say to me? Don’t you want to hurt me? I just attacked your new friends, you idiot! We weren’t expecting...I wasn’t expecting they’d send us after you and those dumb wolves.”
Stopping a dozen yards away, not daring to draw too close lest Nyx bolt away again, Jorah outstretched his arms to show his friendliness. “Why are you following their orders, Nyx? Finn ran away, Keanu helped him! So why are you seriously going after us? Weren’t we loyal to each other?”
“Once!” Nyx spat. “Back when I meant something to you...back when I wasn’t just some odd friend of yours, but the woman you loved most.” Now tears stung her darkened eyes, dirt caking her ghostly skin. If Nyssa was the sunny, forest nymph, Nyx had to be opposite, a moon nymph, the kind from Bear Clan legend. Her stark image amongst the greenery made his heart beat too fast, and waves of memories filled his mind, fluttering about and leaving a bad taste in his mouth. So that’s what this was all about? About how Nyx still felt something for him, a fire that no longer kindled inside of Jorah.
“I know it’s unfair of me, but when I saw how you reacted to that pretty, strange blonde girl...I just...didn’t know what to do,” Nyx said. “Though it doesn’t matter right now. Stay down here, in this foreign land, Jorah. You’ll never have to see me again.” With that, Nyx took off.
Calling out to her again, Jorah took a step forward, but collapsed to his knee in sharp pain. A muscle must have snapped, for his leg lit on fire and burned with such an intensity that when Jorah looked back up, Nyx was nowhere to be seen.
Swelling in fury, Jorah rose to his feet and smashed a hole in a nearby three with his bare fist, turning to limp back to the trail where Nyssa and Bronwen awaited.
Chapter Nineteen: Nyssa
F inn arrived moments after Jorah ran after Nyx, disappearing into the forest. Nyssa had ached to follow after, but both Bronwen and Finn held her back, saying to let Jorah speak to Nyx on his own.
“They have a history,” Finn explained. “Just...give them some time.”
But only a minute after Jorah had left, he re-emerged under the shade of the trees, holding his leg and limping forward, his expression downcast and head hung. As Bronwen finally released Nyssa from her clutches, she raced over to him, looking him up and down and patting him all over, looking for red spots or black and blue bruises.
“I’m fine,” Jorah said, grabbing one of her wrists and throwing her a grin.
“But Nyx attacked you! She really attacked you, attacked us. You’re limping, and you look like you saw a ghost,” Nyssa said through bated breaths.
“This was all unexpected, is all,” Jorah said, his usual jovial tone vanished from his voice. Instead, all she got was a rough, gravelly sound and a look of pure, twisted frustration. A pain she felt herself, one that jumped from him to her. Just as her head dropped, so did her heart, and its thumping made her uneasy.
In a fit of uncontrollable rage and frustration on her part, she grabbed both of his cheeks, forcing him to look at her, his lips becoming fish like because of how hard she was holding on to him. Eyes widened he stared at her. “You can tell me!” Nyssa said staring up at him. “This isn’t why you helped me come back to my home, right? So let me do you a favor, and tell me everything. Confide in me.”
With eyes wide, Jorah remained speechless, but eventually his fishlike lips curled into a strange, almost demon-like smile.
Before any more could be said, though, heavy footfalls came sprinting towards them from just down the trail. Finn and Jorah immediately grew defensive, their bodies tensing at the sounds, but as a group of wolves and cougars came into sight, Nyssa calmed them. She easily recognized the group’s leaders: Darius in his unique gray fur, her brother’s stark blonde stride, and then surprisingly Lowell. Three other shifters ran behind, with satchels, probably full of clothes, and... someone tied up and strapped to one of the wolves’ back. Nyssa couldn’t get a good look until Darius and the others shifted to their naked human forms, marching forward, dissatisfied frowns on all of their faces...well, a very mean one from Darius, one that sent shivers down Nyssa’s spine when she realized his glare was aimed partially at her.
“Keanu…” Nyssa whispered.
“What? Are you sure?” Jorah asked.
“What the hell is going on?” Darius commanded to know, catching a pair of leather pants from Remus and pulling them on quickly. “Nyssa, Bronwen...and whoever you two are…” Darius came forward, arms crossed, leveling a deadly, snarling look at Jorah. “Start talking.”
Jorah gulped behind her, grabbing her wrist, trying to stand as tall as possible, and moved in front of Nyssa. “So, you’re Darius, Alpha of the Pack, right? I’m Jorah, nice to meet you.” Extending a hand, Nyssa saw Darius make no move to do the same, so Jorah’s hand remained quivering in the air. Rooted to the ground, Darius, glanced between Nyssa and him, and then Finn and Bronwen. Finn shook from the sheer malicious look in Darius’ gaze, but Bronwen glided over in attempt to appease the Pack’s Alpha.
“Don’t look so angry, dearie,” Bronwen said with her usual smile. “There isn’t anything wrong here. We even repelled the bears that attacked us just now, so we’re all safe and sound.”
Suddenly appearing at Darius’ side, Lowell’s face twisted with concern, specifically aimed at Nyssa. She saw his bandages and wounds were mostly healed, thanks to Gray Creek’s healers, though a few bandages and bruises remained clear as day. “You guys were attacked too?” He looked to Nyssa, moving forward. “Are you hurt? How many attacked?” Then he shot a dangerous glance in Jorah’s way, clearly meaning to blame him for what happened, but instead Nyssa pulled a Jorah and stepped in front of him, blocking both Darius and Lowell from getting any closer to Jorah.
“Look, we were attacked, and you clearly were as well,” she said. “But Jorah has no blame in this.”
Darius groaned. “I don’t care about blame, what I care about is how the hell bear shifters who were extinct just an hour ago are suddenly alive and attacking my home. Do any of you have any kind of information about any of this?” He pointed with a thumb over his shoulder. “This guy we captured says they were after you lot. So…” Darius plopped on the ground. “Someone start talking.”
Remus finally came over, wearing trousers just like Darius and throwing clothes at everyone else. “Before that, clothe yourself, I’m not staring at my sister naked for this conversation.”
Once they were all dressed, Nyssa and Jorah sat down on the dirt trail, sunlight streaming from the treetops and speckling their bodies. Everyone sat in a large circle, while the other three wolves watched Keanu and circled the group, standing guard. They began at the beginning, since Darius was new to their entire tale. The story didn’t take long, as they skipped over minute details, and soon enough Darius was nodding with complete understanding.
“Alright, I think I get the gist of it all. So, this Dallan, a Seer, right? He and the other leaders decided that simply because we know you and your people exist that we could become a threat to them?” He sighed. “I don’t blame them, really, but to actually think they would attack us because of it…”
/> “Were there any injuries?” Nyssa quickly asked, looking over at the giant Keanu, who remained hogtied on the ground. “Where’s Amara?”
Darius smiled, the smile that made her fall for him all those years ago. “She’s fine, actually on her way to meet with her father in Red Rock. It was about her mother’s birthday...though I guess I might have to ruin the celebration now. You!” Darius nodded at the cougar standing guard. “Run to Red Rock, let Amara and Torian know to watch out for bear shifters. They might not believe it at first, but insist this is serious, alright?” The cougar growled its response and took off.
“But the big question is what to do now?” Darius said. He looked to Jorah. “Jorah, right? You think your people will try to attack us again?”
Jorah now gripped Nyssa’s hand instead of wrist, his tough fingers squeezing at the question. “I’m not exactly sure, though they probably will eventually. Living in isolation in those frigid conditions have definitely warped many of the Seers’ minds. I don’t see why Dallan wouldn’t come after me, or Finn, or Keanu over there.”
Darius glanced behind himself at Keanu. “So that’s his name...he wouldn’t say a word for the longest time.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t say much.” Jorah said, chuckling to himself. “If you would consider letting him go…” Jorah asked. “I know him, going back many years. Keanu wouldn’t have done what he did if it wasn’t to try and minimize the damage, and find me safe and sound. The woman who led the band of bears that charged down here is someone we all know, and I’m sure he was just trying to protect her as well.”
Darius eyed Jorah, but shrugged. “I guess I have no objections to that, so long as he understands if he tries anything, he’ll be slaughtered by our warriors.”
In the distance, Keanu nodded, wriggling on the ground, a sight that caused many in the group to laugh or chuckle. Darius nodded at one of the wolves to go untie him.
“Thank you, Darius,” Jorah said.
“No, honestly after all I’ve heard, I should be thanking you for saving our Nyssa,” Darius said, throwing Nyssa another smile. She blushed causing another chorus of laughs. “I’m serious, though. We’re trying to build something big here in the Oldwood and beyond. I don’t always have time to look after every shifter I care about, so having another by her side is a great help.” Lowell winced at Darius’ statement, but only Nyssa saw. “With that, I think we can all go on home. I’ll set up patrols to comb the northern forest for any more bear attacks. In the meantime, Nyssa and Remus, why don’t you two show our three new bear shifters around Gray Creek, their new home for the time being.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Remus said.
So with that, they all rose to their feet. Darius waving his goodbye as he and the remaining shifters left with him to head on back to Gray Creek. Remus and Lowell stayed, and Keanu lumbered over to stand next to Finn.
Helping Jorah rise to his feet, due to his limp, Nyssa was surprised to find Lowell coming towards them.
“Listen, I…” He began, scratching the back of his head. “I’m sorry about how I may have acted before. I was delirious from my wounds and just frustrated that I was such a burden on the way down the mountains. So, if you’ll forgive me…”
Both Nyssa and Jorah smiled in unison. “It’s fine,” Nyssa said. “I don’t blame you at all. It’s been a wild ride the past couple days.”
“Same here,” Jorah said. “Honestly, I’m used to people getting angry at me. So, it’s all good.”
Lowell gave Nyssa one last longing look before smiling and turning to leave. He trailed behind Remus, with Bronwen striding next to him. Keanu and Finn bantered ahead.
Hand in hand, Nyssa and Jorah followed, glad the worst was finally over.
Chapter Twenty: Jorah
G ray Creek still amazed Jorah. As Nyssa, Remus and Bronwen began to show him, Finn and Keanu around, he started to realize how massive Gray Creek truly was.
The Bear Clan was confined to a small plateau atop the Northern Mountains, ringed by sharp rocks, covered in snow and very few trees. But Gray Creek couldn’t have been more opposite even if it tried.
Every way he looked tall, thick trees filled his vision, and the wooden houses built from them littered the land everywhere they went. First, the group went back to the main hub, where Remus showed off the pond and main bustle of the Gray Creek to Finn and Keanu, who, just as Jorah had, gazed around as if in a daze.
“This place can’t be real, can it?” Finn asked at one point. “There’s so much space, so many trees and people! Am I dreaming? Someone pinch me!” So Keanu did, using his massive fingers to pinch Finn’s stick like arm, causing Finn to jerk around in pain after that. “I didn’t mean you, you giant monster!”
“I see Gray Creek will only get louder,” Bronwen observed, earning a smile from Remus and the rest.
“So, this is where every shifter, and Vampire, on this side of the Forest meets when our Alpha calls for a gathering,” Remus announced. “The reason, as you can see, is there’s a lot of space here, and our voices carry more naturally. The ground slopes up in that direction slightly too…”
Remus continued to speak, but Jorah found himself staring at the pond, watching the waters ebb and flow, and ripple violently when a cat shifter child was pushed into the pond by two wolf children. The cat shifter child rose from the water steadily, tears stinging his eyes, while the two wolf children laughed and pointed.
“Hey!” Nyssa called suddenly. “Stop that, you twerps!” The wolf children caught her frown and scurried away, dashing into the crowds. The cat shifter boy began to full on wail, with a few other shifters looking on in confusion, looking around for the parents. Jorah watched as Nyssa jogged over and waded into the water, putting both arms under the boy’s armpits and lifting him out of the water. He continued to cry, and Nyssa started to undress him, not wanting to let his damp clothes cling to this growing body. She motioned for Jorah to come over, and he did, eventually, after finding he couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from her.
It was such a simple thing to pull a crying child out of the water, and yet she did it so naturally, so gracefully. With the fringes of her sparkling blonde hair dampening at the water’s touch, and her own clothes soaked just above the waist, sticking to her slender figure. The sight of her calming the child made his heart thud like crazy, and before he even knew it he fell in line next to her, pulling off the new tunic he’d only just received from Remus and helping Nyssa to fit it over the boy’s head. Nyssa wore a gentle smile the whole time, one befitting a queen or angelic creature. Heat swarmed his cheeks when their hands touched as he helped tuck in the oversized tunic and Nyssa rubbed the wet tears from the child’s face.
“And as you can see,” Remus said behind them, sighing heavily. “Many of us clearly still have trouble living with the cat shifters who moved in from Red Rock. Don’t worry, though, I’m sure you three will fit in just fine without any complaints. If anything, you’ll all be a marvel to pretty much everyone else who thought the Bear Clan was gone for good.”
“Red Rock?” Finn asked. “Where’s that?”
“On the eastern side of the large river that doubles as our border,” Jorah heard Lowell say. “We were at war with them for a long time, but that ended two years ago and now we’re in a time of peace, though many are having trouble moving past that.”
Images of Nyx’s frustrated weeping in the Oldwood flashed through his mind. Oh, how she cried at the thought of Jorah leaving her, and the rest of the Bear Clan, forever. He could easily picture the Seers’ chewing her out at this very moment, Dallan’s anger at her failing to bring Jorah back and kill anyone else that knew about them. But now more and more Oldwood locals were becoming aware of the Bear Clan, and Dallan’s kill-list would only grow. If the Seers’ continued to attack, would a full-on war break out?
His brows must have furrowed pretty deep, because the child began to cry again, and Nyssa slapped him his arm. “Jorah, as much as I like you, try no
t to scare the kid, okay?”
Forcing his face to change to a grinning one, Jorah ran a hand through his hair. “Ah, sorry! Hey, don’t cry! Look, look at me.” Jorah stuck out his tongue and made a face, hoping the boy would laugh. Luckily for him, it worked, even getting a giggle out of Nyssa, and a dumb laugh out of Finn behind him.
Suddenly, someone burst out from the crowd, a female shifter, running forward and wrapping her arms around the child, asking if he was alright.
“Some other children pushed him into the pond,” Nyssa said, rising to her feet.
“Oh, thank you for helping him,” the female shifter said. She thanked Jorah as well, and then disappeared into the crowds. Standing, Jorah found Nyssa smiling at him, the sun shining directly on her, her blue eyes glistening. His blood quickened at the sight of her.
But while gazing upon her, he imagined the kind of war Dallan and the other Seers’ would bring to Gray Creek and beyond. He didn’t want to imagine that Nyssa could be hurt, or worse yet, killed. And that child they just pulled out of the water? Would he get hurt as well? Letting his eyes wander, he looked at all the shifters trudging about their home, unaware of the grizzly beasts that could hit them at any time. Even if the Pack could repel the bear attacks, many would still be fatally wounded, on both sides. All because Jorah chose to leave the Northern Mountains.
Throwing his head back in groaning, he realized what he needed to do now. Clutching onto Nyssa’s hand, he stared her in the eyes, his natural energy flowing back into his veins. “I need to talk to you.” Without waiting for her approval, he dragged her away.
“Wait, Jorah? Where are we going?” Nyssa said. “What about the others?”
“It’s not like they need us to be around them every second of the day,” Jorah retorted with a smile. “Besides, I want to speak with you alone. About something the others don’t need to hear about.” Hearing that, Nyssa went red and stop struggling, allowing him to take her to a secluded spot. Glancing over his shoulder, Jorah met the glaring eyes of Remus, though Nyssa’s older brother didn’t say a word.