Howl And Growl Complete Collection

by Cloe Cullen

  It was Bronwen who lightened the mood. She moved to the middle of the pack, strolling up just as easily as Jorah suspected she would, using her long legs to match their pace. “You know I have a story about a man who went insane trying to decide between a love and his duty.”

  “How long is it?” Nyssa asked.

  Bronwen’s blood red eyes sparkled. “Long enough to keep us occupied on this boring climb. It begins with a man, someone I knew from across the sea, before I came to travel to this continent. He once loved a woman, so much he’d visit her every nightfall with bouquets and treats from the local baker.”

  “Bouquet?” Finn asked, licking his lips. “Is that some sort of food?”

  “Flowers wrapped together,” Bronwen said.

  “And baker? What’s a baker?” Lowell called from the back.

  “Someone who makes sweet food, often so soft and warm the bread would melt on one’s tongue. But anyway, moving on with the story. So, this man was a soldier...before you all ask, a soldier is like one of your warriors, ready to fight at any moment. A soldier was never supposed to leave his post for anything, even love, yet he did so anyway. One night, this man was on his way to visit the woman, bringing more sweets than he’d ever brought before; one of his superiors had expressly ordered him not to leave his post that night, for fear of a monster said to be prowling the streets. Instead of simply waiting until morning, the man lost his patience and went anyway, but soon he found himself face to face with the monster. The woman, seeing the man to be late, went to look for him, only to find his mauled body on the cobbled street. Then she came face to face with the monster herself.”

  Bronwen’s face darkened at this point in her story, her normal, happy expression vanishing into the wind. “The monster was pale, with red eyes, and a strength that no other man could best. The woman expected the monster to simply kill her outright, like it had done with her companion, but unfortunately for her, the monster had other plans. He bit her, changed her to be like him, and she became a monster forever more.” Suddenly her smile returned, her eyes brightening, and she gazed around. “The end!”

  Unsurprisingly, everyone gaped at her, with Jorah still trying to wrap his mind around the simple story.

  “What the hell was that?” Finn asked. “Are all Vampire tales so strange and dark? I expected a happy ending from you.”

  “Sorry, but there was only ever one ending to that story,” Bronwen replied happily.

  “Was that supposed to make us feel better?” Finn prodded.

  “Merely to entertain. Vampires love tragedies,” Bronwen said.

  “We aren’t Vampires,” Finn said back.

  “Clearly,” Bronwen retorted.

  Finn burst out laughing moments later, unable to contain himself. “Now this is rich! Never, ever in my life did I expect to be told a story from a Vampire...this goes way beyond simply being at peace with one another. Hey, maybe you want to try telling that tale to the Seers? I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of it.”

  Bronwen merely giggled and closed her eyes to the cold.

  Watching and listening to Bronwen this whole time made Jorah think of the other blonde Vampire at Gray Creek, the one that had caught him so off guard at first. “Does that other Vampire at Gray Creek tell similar tales?” Jorah asked. “What was her name, Magnolia?”

  Bronwen caught his gaze. “Ah, her, well she knows a few, but she may not be as good at relaying them to a crowd. She’s never been one to do the entertaining, rather one to listen and observe, to make reports to her master.”

  “Wait…” Finn said. “There was another Vampire down there? I don’t remember seeing another one.”

  “That’s because she was hiding away in the Pack Alpha’s home. She’s been speaking at length with Darius, making up plans for peace in place of her master. Either that or she’s already gone back home to the Blackwood. Not that I care, one way or the other, it’s not like I’m good friends with her or anything of the sort.”

  “Hey, Bronwen,” Finn continued. “Do Vampires truly want peace with the clans of the Oldwood and beyond? Do you and the others really not feel the need to fight us?”

  “Yes, we do,” Bronwen said curtly. “Most Vampires do in fact want peace, and many want more than that. Trade, visitation, to mingle and speak with you all. Obviously, there are a few that think of the clans as nothing more than game to hunt, but I assure you they are the minority. We Vampires didn’t come to this land simply to play violent games with others. There were reasons, needs, if you will, and we needed a place to stay. The Blackwood was the first place we all landed, so a few of the Thirteen Lords started a war to claim the land for themselves.”

  Her word must have been good enough for Finn, because he didn’t say any more.

  For Jorah, he didn’t know whether to take Bronwen at her word or not, but he got the feeling she was telling the truth, and not just because Nyssa smiled and nodded at Bronwen.

  Maybe, just maybe, he’d bring the Bear Clan around to see that day, when the past remained in the past and every group on the continent could come together and live amongst each other. But first they needed to end his clan’s isolation.

  One way or another, Jorah would find a way, with Nyssa at his side.

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Nyssa

  N yssa could only hope that Jorah was right about Nyx. Her would be killer had fled the Oldwood earlier that day after being overwhelmed by Jorah, Bronwen and herself, and Finn when he finally managed to catch up. But from the small experience she’d had with the female bear shifter, she could tell that Nyx wasn’t one to give up easily.

  If she still pined for Jorah after years, then she was at least as stubborn or stupid as Nyssa had been with Darius, brooding over a love that would never blossom, or in Nyx’s case, a love that would only bloom once and never again. That had to be worse, in her opinion, getting a taste of what it’s like to receive someone’s full attention and yearning and then to have that person suddenly forget those feelings. Bitterness permeated Nyx. It was clear, even from the few moments that Nyssa had spent with her.

  Sighing, she marched on behind Jorah, her legs wobbling from the long hike. “Is it me, or is this trip taking longer than usual?” Nyssa asked, gazing around at the dark, steep cliffs. Under the moonlight, the ground shone and glistened, especially the snow, which they were beginning to see everywhere now that they were getting closer to the top.

  “That’s because we’ve gone a different way, a longer trail, to make sure no one spots us as we go up,” Jorah said. “Trust me, we’re getting very close. I know these trails like the back of my hand though there is one other...hopefully.”

  Shaking her head at his last utterance, Nyssa stared at the burly bear shifter. “Hopefully? What do you mean hopefully?”

  Jorah glanced back, wearing a nervous smile. “Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve had to use this trail, a few years actually, so there might be a few details I’ve forgotten, especially since I’ve never taken this trail straight from the foot of the mountain before.”

  Finn laughed from behind them both. “Jorah’s doing a fine job working us up the mountain! Neither Keanu or I would be able to navigate like he does. Have faith, Nyssa!”

  “Yeah, have faith!” Jorah said, flashing his pearly whites. Nyssa rolled her eyes, but nodded, and they continued up the trail.

  Soon enough the group was coming upon the large sharp rocks that pointed to the moonlit sky, signaling the border of the Bear Clan. Cautiously crouching low, the group snuck further up, with Jorah and Finn going first to slither through the gaps in the rocks and peer into the snow filled plateau the bear shifters called home. Nyssa recognized the landscape, though they were looking down on it from a vastly different angle. The grove of trees that Nyssa had spotted on her first trip up were now smack in front of them, blocking part of their view. When Jorah and Finn decided it was safe enough to venture out, they waved Nyssa and the others forward, and the whole group silently and rapidly file
d up over the ledge.

  Both Nyssa and Lowell were shaking from the cold, their bodies still adapting to the harsh world above the Oldwood. Nyssa wondered how Jorah could survive up here and his flesh still be so piping hot whenever she touched it.

  Once through the rocks, Jorah led them down to the grove, where they stopped and peered at the vast landscape around them. There weren’t any living creatures in sight, but as soon as they all gathered around for one final discussion of their plan a blizzard stormed in, obscuring their visibility.

  “Damn,” Jorah said, clicking his tongue. “This might actually be good for us. Looks like luck is on our side tonight.”

  “So then, shouldn’t we take advantage of this opportunity before the storm slips away?” Nyssa asked, thinking about how eerie the top of mountain felt now, with the howling blizzard and lack of life. “We could easily slip through right now, provided you don’t get us lost, Jorah.”

  “Please, I can handle something as simple as navigating a blizzard on this plateau…” Nyssa eyed him. “Most likely. It’s not like it’ll be hard. The Seers’ cave is a straight shot across the frozen lake from this grove of trees. As long as we stay true to our path, we’ll get there in no time.”

  “But isn’t it strange not to see any guards at the rocks, or roaming shifters on the plateau?” Finn asked, glancing between Jorah and Keanu. “I mean wouldn’t they be on guard for more shifters like us coming up from the forest below, especially now that there’s a whole slew of shifters who know about us all? Even if we weren’t a problem for them, normally there’d at least be somebody watching the edges of our clan’s territory, and yet there’s no one.”

  Nodding his head in approval of Finn’s observations, Keanu leaned. “It is strange,” he simply said.

  “Everyone would be meeting in the Seers’ cave tonight most likely, as is the case most nights,” Jorah said, though he glanced over his back more than once to check nothing came behind them. “We should be fine until we come upon their cave. I’m sure that’s where we’ll come upon our first sign of trouble.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Bronwen asked, almost as an afterthought.

  “Yes, I’m sure, why?”

  “Because I’m pretty sure that’s a bear coming towards us, right?” Bronwen mused.

  Pointing one of her bony fingers towards the blizzard hurling across the frozen lake, something big and fast bounded towards them. With stumpy legs and an oversized, grizzly belly, the beast roared into the air, its gruff voice loud enough for them all to easily pick out of the wind. Soon similar dark shapes appeared in the blizzard, maybe a dozen or more, all hurtling towards the grove of trees.

  “You have got to kidding me!” Finn yelped as he jumped to his feet. Nyssa and the others followed suit, rising and hiding loosely behind some of the thin trees, peering out as the bears approached. “Looks like they found us. Jorah, Nyssa, any ideas?”

  Glancing between each other, they both frowned, the gears in their minds turning quick. But neither had the time to truly come up with anything concrete, because a familiar figure appeared at Jorah’s back, a woman with ashen-brown hair and dark eyes glaring holes in his back. A wave of cold fear rushed up her spine, raising the hairs on Nyssa neck; Jorah must have felt something similar, or seen Nyx’s reflection in Nyssa’s shining blue eyes, because he whirled to meet Nyx’s fiery eyes.

  “Hello, Jorah,” she said. “And Finn and Keanu, I didn’t expect you all to come back so soon.” With hands on her hips, her glare froze the rest of the group, save for Bronwen, in place as the myriad of bears walked up into the treeline, roaring and grunting and shaking the ground in a stampede. Within a matter of seconds, they were all around, panting and pointing their muzzles at each individual.

  “Nyssa, what do we do?” Lowell called, backing up closer to Nyssa, hissing and ready to shift on her command.

  Sweat broke out on her face, and Nyssa tensed at the sudden entrapment. Two bears pushed her back, causing Lowell to step in front of her and snarl at them. Bronwen backed up to Nyssa’s other side, smiling down at her, which gave Nyssa a shot of courage in the face of dozens of bears closing in on them.

  “Nyx!” Jorah shouted. “We didn’t come here to fight or to hurt anyone. We just want to speak to the Seers, and that’s all! Please, don’t do this.”

  Nyx eyed him, and then gazed around at the others. “Then you shouldn’t have come back up...though it does save me the trouble of coming back down to find you all.”

  Gritting her teeth, Nyssa was forced to turn her focus back to the bears that prodded them, swiping casually at their feet, causing them to dance backwards. “You can’t just come kill everyone that knows about the Bear Clan,” Jorah went on, his voice ringing through the forest and making Nyssa’s heart thump. “The news is already spreading between the Pack and Pride, the two clans inhabiting the Oldwood. If you follow the Seers’ orders, then it could spell a war between our peoples. There’s no way we’d win that, and we’d be shedding blood for nothing more than the fact the Seers shake in their boots whenever they think about venturing out beyond their hiding holes up here.”

  Jorah’s words must have gotten through to Nyx, because her face twisted and she remained silent...that is, until one of the bears in the crowd shifted to his human form, pointing at Bronwen. “That...that’s a Vampire! Nyx, they brought a Vampire up the mountains!”

  “What?” She shouted, the spite in her voice clear for all to hear.

  Bronwen turned and curtsied at Nyx, smiling as friendly as she could. “Sorry for the intrusion, I merely wanted to speak with your Seers, maybe convince them me and mine aren’t much of a threat anymore. Would that be okay?”

  “Kill it!” The other bear shifter shouted, still pointing. “Kill it now!”

  To their stunned surprise, a few bears actually listened, stumbling forward towards Bronwen, roaring and stomping. Bronwen’s smile faded slightly but remained small as she turned to face the other bears. Nyssa stood beside Bronwen, bracing herself to shift, and Lowell followed suit. Finn and Keanu stood with their backs to the trio, snarling and clenching their fists, ready to shift at a moment’s notice.

  “Wait!” Nyx said, pushing past Jorah and marching over to stand in front of Bronwen. She gazed at Bronwen, scrutinizing her as Nyx looked the tall woman up and down, and then flinched when Bronwen slightly moved her arm. “We will not attack them yet, but we’ll bring them to the prison caves to await the Seers’ trials.”

  “But-”, the other bear shifter began.

  “No buts!” Nyx shouted. “That’s my final order, do you understand? The Seers put me in charge, not you. Besides, Dallan wants to speak to Jorah anyway.” Glancing back first at Bronwen, and then at Nyssa with a deepened frown, and then finally at Jorah, Nyx regained her composure. “Are you willing to submit, then?”

  “If it means no bloodshed,” Jorah said, throwing a curious look at Nyssa. Not wishing to battle a few dozen bears, Nyssa nodded, her blood trembling at the thought of what would have happened if Nyx hadn’t stopped the bears just now from advancing on them. “Then yeah, we’ll come with you peacefully.”

  Sighing, Nyx motioned at the other bears around her. “Alright! Let’s go, we’re leading them to the prison caves. Anyone who objects can take it up with the Seers later.” Growling and stamping their feet, many of the bears grunted in response but ultimately began to walk out of the grove. Nyx motioned for Nyssa and the others to follow. “Stick close. Any of you walk out of line, and my bears will attack without question, understand?” Nyx made a point to glare right at Nyssa, who nodded her agreement.

  “Yes, we understand,” Nyssa said.

  And so Nyx twirled on the balls of her feet and led the group out of the grove of trees and across the frozen lake. It was only a matter of time, Nyssa knew, until the pressure would really be put on them. Their journey was nearing its end.

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Jorah

  J orah had never sat in one of the prison caves hi
mself, awaiting a trial by his adoptive father Dallan and the other supposedly wise Seers. The cave Nyx placed them all in was cold from the frigid winds that flowed in from the slits and tiny cracks in the large boulder that was rolled over the entrance, blocking the moonlight from entering entirely. And the walls were damp from the melted snow that accumulated inside.

  To keep their clothes from dampening then hardening as icicles, the group moved further back into the dark cave, keeping the two torches Nyx had lit for them. The tiny, mobile fires warmed them considerably, but also allowed their shadows to dance and stretch on the cave walls. When the group finally settled down, they had nothing to do besides simply sitting in silence, wondering when they would be called upon for their trials by the Seers. Jorah was sure beyond a doubt they would call him first, and maybe Nyssa as well, mainly to chastise him and to order him contained in his home cave with Dallan until Jorah proved himself willing to stay atop the mountain.

  Though one way or another, that wouldn’t be the outcome, he knew. Jorah would never agree to the Seers isolation laws. It simply wasn’t in his blood to sit in one place forever. Especially now that he had Nyssa, the seemingly fragile, otherworldly beauty that now rested her head on his shoulder.

  He and Nyssa had scooted a bit away from the others while they waited in the cave, placing one of the torches on the ground in front of them, to brighten up their immediate surroundings. The other four sat in a circle closer to the mouth of the cave, playing word games to keep their hammering hearts from exploding in anticipation of the trials. He watched as Finn and Bronwen excitedly spoke in turn, with Keanu blinking and smiling under that beard of his. Lowell, though, remained quiet, his gaze cast down at his feet, leaning forward and every so often looking Jorah and Nyssa’s way.

  Soon enough, Jorah found Nyssa asleep on his arm and shoulder, her chest rising and falling gently, her quiet breath escaping the tiny slit between her pink lips, and her eyelids fluttering. A few times she moaned, pushing further into his body until her leg lifted over his own and her hand placed itself on his chest. He tried not to move for fear of waking her from her slumber, but the sound of his hammering heart and the buzzing of the butterflies in his stomach betrayed that stillness.