by Cloe Cullen
Winding his way through the many wooden homes and buildings, Jorah eventually found a spot hidden from the view of the dirt paths. Stopping, he whirled on Nyssa, clutching her shoulders. Stunned, Nyssa leaned back and stared wide-eyed. “Jorah, what’s going on?”
“Has anybody ever told you they would claim you as their mate before?” Jorah said. Beaming with vigor, he stared Nyssa down while she fumbled with his statement, her fair skin setting on fire and hot steam coming out of her ears.
“W-what are you saying?” She finally managed.
Jorah smiled. “I’m saying that there aren’t many women as attractive as you up on the Northern Mountains. In fact, there’s hardly any women who are mateless at all.”
“Are you asking…”
Shaking his head, he squeezed tighter on her shoulders. “I’m not asking you to be my mate, Nyssa. I’m telling you I’m claiming you right here and now.”
Nyssa’s jaw dropped, body freezing. “Don’t jest with me, Jorah.”
“I’m not jesting. I’m serious. You’re absolutely amazing, stunningly beautiful, brave, determined, maybe a little reckless, but that only makes me ache for you even more.”
Nyssa used her hand to fan her face. “Well, I wasn’t expecting this turn of events.”
“I’m claiming you right here and now,” Jorah repeated. “And that’s why I need to go back to the top of the Northern Mountains.”
Cocking her head, Nyssa continued to fan herself. “Okay, now I know you’re making fun of me.”
Jorah chuckled and pulled a lock of her golden hair out of her eye, tucking it gently behind her ear. “I swear I’m not! Listen, Dallan won’t simply give up on me, and the other Seers’ won’t want to let many of us live after humiliating them and disregarding their strict laws. The way I see it, because I disobeyed the laws a lot of shifters could get hurt...maybe get killed. Even you could get hurt, and I’m not about to let even a sliver of a chance of that to happen. Understand?” Nyssa stood still, simply nodding, whether in awe of his words or just speechless, he wasn’t sure. “So, I have a plan. There’s a Bear Clan tradition passed down through our history, one that allows anyone of the clan to challenge the laws of the Seers through trial by combat. Whoever wins the trial gets a permanent say in whatever law they wish. No one has used it since before our clan was kicked out of the Blackwood, but I remember Dallan teaching me about it.”
“Trial by combat?” Recognition dawned on Nyssa’s face. “But that would mean you’d have to risk your life!”
Nodding, Jorah released her shoulders. “I know. And I’m still going to do it. So, that finally brings me to the real reason I dragged you over here. Will you help me climb back up? I might feel slightly better with you at my side...it could be dangerous, but-”
A sudden jerk forward and Nyssa’s lips planted themselves on his own, cutting off his words. Jorah’s body shivered with pleasure, her lips still just as soft and luscious as the first time they kissed. Breaking away, Nyssa panted heavily. “How’s that for an answer?”
Letting his mind go blank for a moment, his body ached with the urge to take Nyssa with him into the forest. Her kiss finally destroyed any inhibitors left in his system, and so in one swift motion he scooped her up in his arms and ran deeper into the trees. Gasping at the sudden carry, Nyssa shrieked with joy as Jorah ran this way and that, searching for the perfect spot to be alone. Eventually he came upon a lowered flat part of the forest, small, secluded from the noise and prying eyes of Gray Creek shifters, and surrounded on all sides by massive trees.
Laying Nyssa down on the dirt ground, he towered over her, dropping to his knees and leaning over her body, his shadow encasing her from head to toe. Her smile and giggling ceased as the two stared at each other. Unwilling to wait for too long, Jorah rapidly threw off his own shirt, tossing it on an upraised tree root nearby. His touch must have tickled her in all the right places, because as he tried to rip off her tunic, Nyssa giggled like crazy, her voice turning his gears and making his blood burn and race headlong into lust. With her torso bare, Jorah leaned down to kiss her once again, tasting the sweet honey of her slated lips, unable to control himself any longer. Letting herself go, Nyssa’s limbs loosened up, allowing Jorah to do whatever he pleased, so he began to kiss down her neck to her chest.
“So, this is what you wanted?” Nyssa spoke through panting breaths. “I might begin to think that whole speech was simply so you could bed me.”
“Bed you?” Jorah said, stopping his ravenous kissing. “If your people call this dirt floor a bed, I think you might have a problem.”
Nyssa bellowed in laughter as Jorah continued to feel her body, ready to dive in as soon as he pulled off her trousers.
“Don’t let my brother catch us,” Nyssa said, squealing as Jorah got her completely naked.
“Oh please, if he caught us, I’d go running off into the woods like the mountain man I am.”
After pulling off his own pants, Nyssa grabbed onto him and rolled him over so she could sit atop him. Jorah hadn’t expected that, but soon he found staring up he her soft, shining skin and ocean-like blue eyes to be just as wonderful as ever. As she ran her hands over his chest, her spindly fingers tracing the lines of his pecs and abs, he felt his heart thrum with the anticipation of connecting with her as one. Nyssa was indeed a woodland nymph, an endlessly beautiful, gentle and determined woman that never ceased to fascinate Jorah.
“When did you want to sneak away to go up the mountain?” She suddenly asked.
“How about tonight?” Jorah said. “The sooner the better.”
“Then let’s make this an afternoon to remember,” Nyssa whispered, her breath brushing his tan skin, raising all the hairs on his body.
So, they continued on, hoping their moans of pleasure wouldn’t be heard by anyone. Embracing Nyssa here and now was the possibly the greatest moment of Jorah’s life so far. Never before did he think he’d actually find the woman for him, but now he was sure of it. This was his claim: Nyssa was his mate, and he’d never let any harm come to her. Not her, or her brother or friends, or even that Vampire she was fond of.
With Nyssa at his side, Jorah would climb up the mountain like a storm, moving all in his path in his quest to change the ways of his clan.
Chapter Twenty-One: Nyssa
N ight came quicker than either of them would have wanted.
After getting lost in each other’s embrace for the afternoon, they returned to the group relaxed and messy, having to find creative ways to explain, especially to Remus, what exactly they had been doing.
Remus’ grand tour had apparently ended with Remus telling them all that for the time being, until new homes were built for Finn, Keanu, and Jorah, they could stay with him and Nyssa at their home just outside of Gray Creek. Excited, the group raced away, ready to finally get to rest for good. After arriving at their house, supper was cooked, and the sun began to dip below the horizon. A few hours later, and the moon rose to take its place as ruler of the sky.
Nyssa awoke in her cot with a nudging from Jorah, his heavy hand tapping her shoulder. “Hey,” he whispered. “Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead. It’s time we get a move on.”
Snapping open her eyes, Nyssa wiped any sleep that remained on her eyelids and slowly, carefully, rose to her feet, careful not to wake any of the others. Since there were very few rooms in their house, the whole group opted to sleep in the biggest room, like one giant slumber party. Gently placing her feet as she stalked over the sleeping bodies of Finn and Keanu, as well as her own brother, she managed to get to the doorway without incident; Remus wrinkled his nose and whimpered as he rolled around in his sleep, moaning something about a female Vampire, but other than that everyone else rested peacefully, quietly.
Successfully hopping over everyone as well, Jorah winked and gave a thumbs up as a job well done, and the duo made their way to the front door, where they silently snuck out and into the night. Once outside, they quickly walked away until they were off
the main trail that led from her house, and then full on ran until Nyssa decided they were far enough away to stop and check that they were ready for the trip ahead.
“Alright,” Nyssa said as they crouched under a looming, dark tree. “I have a satchel filled with extra clothes and a few herbs and snacks. You have your own, right?”
Holding up a hideskin satchel bag, Jorah grinned. “Don’t you think it’s funny how often us shifters are naked? Why do we even wear clothes at all, if we constantly tear and destroy them when we shift?”
“Is that what you’ve been pondering while pretending to sleep?” Nyssa asked, bent on teasing him. “I’d hope you be dreaming of something other than sorrow for our garments. Maybe about me, for instance.”
“Oh, I did dream about you, about what you look like after you shred your tunic and trousers,” he retorted, earning a quiet chuckle from Nyssa. “If that’s all we needed to check, then let’s go.”
“Wait!” Grabbing his wrist, Nyssa held Jorah down. He looked back at her quizzically. “On a more serious note, why don’t we try actually speaking with your clan first when we get up there? At night they all gather in the Seers’ cave, right?”
“Don’t you remember how that went the first time?” Jorah asked. “They locked you and Lowell up, practically spat in my face...and Nyx probably decided right then and there to get back at me.”
“I know, but we can at least try again, make sure we have another option before we fully commit to risking your life in some dumb duel,” Nyssa said, tightening her grip.
“Alright, fine, we can try it again,” Jorah said.
Out of the blue, a figure popped his head out from around the side of a tree, smiling. “Sounds good to me!”
Startled, both Nyssa and Jorah jerked back, readying themselves for a fight. But upon closer inspection, they saw the figure to be none other than Finn. “Finn?” Jorah said. “What are you doing here?”
Stepping out fully into their line of vision, Finn grinned. “Well, following you guys, of course, and don’t worry - we already heard your whole plan, so there’s no point in trying to dissuade any of us.”
“Us?” Nyssa said, bewildered as multiple figures stepped out of the trees and closer towards them. Three other figures crowded around them. The huge, bulky man was clearly Keanu, his gruff exterior and lumbering gait easy to pick out of the dark treeline. He simply nodded at Nyssa and winked at Jorah.
The next figure was smaller, more around her size but half a head taller. She realized from the tawny, messy hair that it was Lowell, his arms crossed but his expression stoic and focused. “Yeah, I’m coming too. We both have experience up on the mountains, and I still want to make up for the crummy attitude I’ve had towards you and Jorah both. You can’t talk me out of it, I’m just there for a little extra protection.” Nyssa smiled at him sweetly, thanking him.
The third and final figure was none other than the lanky, tall, and ghostly pale Bronwen, her red eyes piercing the dark so unnaturally it was like a bewitching monster strode down towards her. She smiled happily as she came to a stop before Nyssa, looking down at her. “Yes, I’m here too.”
“But why?” Nyssa asked. “I can understand Lowell, and even Keanu and Finn, but you? You have no obligation to help us.”
“And I’d like to keep it that way,” Bronwen said, leaning down to cup her mouth so only Nyssa would hear. “I’m helping because, one, I want to. I like to think of you as my younger sister. Two, because this will earn me points with Remus. Three, who wouldn’t want to see a jovial Vampire like me climb up the Northern Mountains. I might very well be the first Vampire to attempt it. I’m making history just talking about it. Besides, if the Bear Clan sees a friendly Vampire unwilling to attack or hurt them, then that’ll help, right?”
Nyssa smiled weakly. “Alright, alright, come with us then...so I guess you all just left my brother back at the house?”
Everyone nodded, with Finn speaking. “No offense to your brother, but I feel like he’d be a buzzkill to the mood right now. Besides, like you’re probably thinking, he doesn’t have anything to do with this little quest of ours.”
Satisfied with that answer, Nyssa nodded, glancing at Jorah. “It’s all fine with me, if everyone is up for it. We very well could be attacked, maimed, trapped by my own people. And the Seers will certainly not be happy to see us, maybe even order everyone dead besides me upon seeing us all.” Again, everyone nodded, ready for what lay ahead. “Good!” Jorah announced. “Then let’s be off. We need to make it up the mountain while most of the Bear Clan is still congregating in the Seers’ cave. Follow me!”
With a few hoots and hollering from Finn and Jorah, giggling from Bronwen, a happy silence from Keanu and a brooding silence from Lowell, Nyssa felt a skip in her step. Maybe their self-appointed quest would turn out alright after all. Seeing bear shifters, wolf shifters, and even a Vampire coexisting together would definitely help to convince the populace on top of the Northern Mountains.
Now, as the group sprinted into the forest, with the Northern Mountains looming just ahead, and Jorah at her side, Nyssa felt like her adventure was truly beginning.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Jorah
A t first Jorah led the group through the thickets and dark treeline, navigating by his sense of smell and sight, but soon enough he was forced to admit he had no idea where he was headed, so Nyssa took the helm, the rest following close behind as she wound through the woodland, steering them ever closer to the Northern Mountains, which loomed over them all like a prickly giant.
Jorah realized from this far down anyone climbing would look like an ant crawling over the body of a great beast. Shifters who lived in the Oldwood always had to crane their necks to look up at whatever lay beyond its cloudy peaks, wondering whether the rumors of the Bear Clan were to be believed or not.
What was that like, he wondered, to be so unsure of whether an entire clan lived above another or not? Despite the Bear Clan’s isolation, at least they knew the Pack and Pride lived on in the woodlands at the base of the Northern Mountains. Nyssa didn’t even know Jorah existed until just a few days prior, instead he was nothing more than part of a myth to her, a story to tell to little pups and cubs about what happens to those who cross the Vampires.
When the group finally reached the foot of the great Northern Mountains, Jorah finally found his time to shine. Nyssa pulled back and Jorah led the way up, climbing up and over steep slopes and eventually spying a narrow trail where the wind howled through. More than once, Nyssa clung to Jorah the higher they ascended, her eyes widening at the impressive drops to the hard earth below.
“What’s the matter?” Jorah said with a sly grin. “You didn’t react like this the other two times.”
Nyssa shot him a frown. “The first time I wasn’t even conscious for the trip up, and the second we were on the run! I didn’t exactly have time to stop and take a gander.”
“Believe me,” Lowell called from the back of the group. “You don’t want to imagine what it would be like to fall from this height.” His face scrunched up. “Let’s just say it really hurts when the earth races up to meet you.”
Jorah sighed as he remembered watching Lowell slide over the edge days ago, trying to hang on for dear life, afraid of stopping to look over the edge lest he tumble himself, killing both him and the unconscious Nyssa. He still didn’t know exactly how Lowell survived the fall, maybe that sturdy, muscled body of his wasn’t just for show.
“If anyone wouldn’t need to worry about falling, it’d be Nyx,” Finn suddenly announced. Keanu nodded vigorously. “That woman is like one of those mountain goats, hopping from foot to foot, ledge to ledge, like it’s the easiest feat in the world. I remember when…” Suddenly his voice trailed off, his gaze cast down. “I remember when she was still loyal to us, to you Jorah. I remember the time before she didn’t betray us so easily to the Seers.”
Whether it was Finn’s drastic change in tone, or the endless, bone-chilling howling wind, a
n odd wave rolled over the group, save for maybe Bronwen, who remained almost emotionless as always. Jorah couldn’t quite place the feeling, maybe a guilt or sorrow for Nyx’s situation? But it rattled him to the bones and churned his stomach. Right now, Jorah wouldn’t be surprised if Dallan was scolding Nyx and the other bear shifters for failing in their attempt to capture Jorah and end the lives of those who knew about the Bear Clan.
Nyx was still so beautiful in that ghostly way of hers...she didn’t deserve what was happening to her. She didn’t deserve to have to choose between her unrequited love for Jorah and the pressure from the Seers and her people. These laws of isolation the Seers were enforcing needed to end.
“She didn’t betray us...not the way you’re imagining it,” Jorah found himself saying. “I got to speak to her myself, just after she attacked Nyssa, Bronwen and me. She was angry, mostly with me, about choosing to leave the Northern Mountains behind without her, and go with Nyssa instead.” No one said a word, so Jorah kept his mouth moving. “Try not to blame her too much. She was probably put under a lot of pressure by the Seers, right?”
Both nodding, Keanu and Finn looked to each other. “Yeah,” Keanu said. “She wasn’t happy to be hunting you. Just wanted to bring you back to us.”
“It’s still annoying, though,” Finn said, growling. “Do you think there’s a chance she’ll attack us again?”
“Not this time,” Jorah said, staring up at the mountain. “I’m sure she’ll side with us, without a doubt. Just have faith.”
Instead of wallowing in faith, Finn grumbled something while Keanu continued to march up in silence. Nyssa kept her mouth tight, unwilling to say anything that could offend either of the two about Nyx.