Howl And Growl Complete Collection

by Cloe Cullen

  He needed the moment, a rest to reflect on everything that had happened, and was still happening.

  Remus had finally agreed to travel with Bronwen to the Blackwood. His decision had come after two years of hesitation, of trying to make excuses to remain in the home he’d grown up in. Looking after Nyssa had been his main excuse, a purpose that only Remus could lay claim to...until Jorah came along, anyway. And now he struggled to come up with any other reason to stay away from the Blackwood.

  But, did he even really care anymore, about whether he stayed within the confines of the Oldwood or left to walk side by side with Bronwen down south? It was true that Bronwen had grown on him, more so than any other shifter had in recent memory; not only had she proved her loyalty to him and the shifters of the Oldwood, but Bronwen took the time to listen to him, to smile and chuckle at his odd jokes, to always be by his side whenever the stress of his evolving life began to take its toll. With his father gone, his sister in good, strong hands, and his best friend busy with leading the Pack, Remus had no more reason to deny the curious part of his heart that wondered what it would be like to live amongst a clan of Vampires.

  Squinting his eyes at the sunlight now reaching up to blind him, Remus’ breath fogged in the chilly air, his body shaking slightly despite the heavy furred jerkin Nyssa had fitted him with as a parting gift. As much as he had appreciated the thought, and as warm as the fur was on his rough skin, the jerkin created an itch on his back he couldn’t quite reach.

  Groaning as his back ached for a scratching, Remus reached around to satiate his skin, when his nose wrinkled at a familiar smell, the scent of an old friend...and something new.

  Minutes later, the crunching of thickly layered snow came towards him, and Remus glanced over his shoulder to spy none other than Darius himself.

  With his short gray hair, steely dark eyes, and white tanned hide skin garments, Darius appeared like a spirit wandering the frosted paths of the mountains. In his wrapped arms he carried a small bundle of what Remus thought might have been tanned skins, or maybe firewood covered in a blanket so it wouldn’t get wet from snow, but as Darius stopped on the ledge and carefully sat down without relying on his arms, Remus’ eyes went wide at the gurgling creature in the cloths.

  “We’re calling her Flora,” Darius said as he gently shook the bubbling, rosy-cheeked child wrapped in his arms, his handsome smile reflecting in his daughter’s bug-eyed gaze.

  “Don’t tell me!” Remus began, leaning over his friend’s shoulder to stare down at the pure innocence radiating from Darius’ child. Flora’s sparkling eyes reminded Remus of Amara, green and speckled. “This is the daughter you’ve been keeping a secret?”

  Chuckling, his voice nearly getting lost in a swift gust, Darius eyed his friend. “Spot on. Amara’s been pregnant for a while now...though we haven’t been very vocal about it. A lot’s been going on.”

  Remus blinked, picturing the few times he’d actually seen Amara in the past half year. He’d noticed the bulge in her stomach, but he never imagined it was because she was with Darius’ child...and he hadn’t seen her at all recently. Suddenly Remus felt as if an entire lifetime’s worth of experiences had created a gap between him and Darius, despite that they sat close enough that little Flora accidentally spit saliva onto the bridge of his nose.

  The warm slick fluid flung onto his nose caused Remus to gag and jerk away, Darius unable to control his laughter. “Yuck!”

  Flora giggled at her dad’s reaction, her toothless smile catching some falling flakes of snow. “What type of shifter will she be?” Remus asked, his gaze lingering on Flora.

  “Cat,” Darius said, smiling. “She’ll be like her mother. Beautiful and graceful like a cougar.”

  “Man, I still remember when Nyssa was head over heels for you,” Remus said. “Before you ever met Amara, before you stupidly suggested you would cross the border river. Agh, it’s been so long since then.”

  “Two whole years,” Darius agreed, rocking Flora as she continued to smile and unwrap herself to reach for the falling flakes, her tiny breaths fogging and mingling with her father’s. “Back when I was still so frustrated with Gavriel and my mother. And now I’m so happy I can barely contain my excitement.”

  “When was she born?” Remus asked, cautiously leaning back over and watching Flora for any more silent spittle strikes.

  “A few days before we came up to see Jorah fight…” Darius said, gazing out at the Oldwood below them. “Amara was feeling well enough to come up. I can’t say she was ready for the bear shifters, though. Don’t tell Nyssa I said this, but...they’re a rowdy bunch. I don’t know where those bears get their energy.”

  Remus chuckled. “I know, right? I felt like Nyssa was bringing home all of her secret friends when I first met them all. And all that romantic drama between them all...all that unrequited love. I felt like an old man. Lowell fell for Nyssa back during Orpheus’ attack, and never gave up trying to win her affections, though she ended up falling for Jorah.”

  “Which makes sense” Darius continued, “because Jorah also had Nyx’s unrequited love as well, since they had been lovers years before, right?”

  Nodding, Remus began to count off on his fingers, a habit he’d picked up from Bronwen. “And then there was Finn and Keanu, who were both in love with Nyx, despite her loving Jorah, so there was a triple dose of unrequited love.”

  Rubbing his forehead, Darius sighed. “You’re right, that is a lot. I feel so much older now.” The two men grinned, and then bellowed out, their laughter echoing in the trees below their hanging feet. “At least neither of us have to worry about dealing with any of that. I think we’re both settled now, aren’t we?”

  “What?” Remus asked, his friend’s words seeming to bring up flashes of Bronwen’s deep, wicked smile.

  “I mean that I have Amara, and now Flora, and you have Bronwen. We both got our mates two years back, didn’t we?”

  Remus frowned, turning his gaze from Darius and Flora back out to the Oldwood, his eyes darting to follow a couple of elk as they raced and played in a small open grove. Is that how it seemed to Darius? That Bronwen was already his mate? He’d never made it official, and he hadn’t so much as even kissed her...though he couldn’t say he hadn’t dreamed about it more than once. Bronwen had made it clear two years prior than Remus had caught her eye, and at first, it had unnerved him beyond reason, but now that feeling was gone. Instead, whenever Bronwen hung around Remus, he found himself staring, looking her up and down, lingering on her lips and hips. She may have been a Vampire, but she was easily the most the most attractive creature Remus had ever laid eyes on. And the best part? Bronwen hadn’t tried to rush anything with him. Vampire patience really was something to marvel at.

  “Remus?” Darius said, holding out Flora. “Want to hold her? At least once before you head out to the Blackwood?”

  Remus gawked. “Uh, are you sure? I mean, if it’s alright with you...she won’t spit on me again, will she?”

  Darius smiled and pushed Flora into his arms, Remus’ heart pounding as Flora’s small bundled shape was placed in the cradle he made with his arms. His mind whirled as Flora glanced up at him, Darius slowly giving Remus instructions on how to rock her. Finally getting into a groove, Remus smiled down at Flora, making her giggle with the silly faces he displayed.

  “This is your Uncle Remus, Flora,” Darius said to his daughter, her green eyes flicking to him as she chewed on her stub of a finger. She glanced back at Remus, and he winked, though she just stared at him afterward. For a moment no one made a sound, but then Flora’s tiny brows scrunched up and tears stung her face, and her mouth opened to wail in Remus’ face. Unsure of what to do, Remus handed her back to her father, who cooed her back to a simple sniffling and sighed. “It might be best if I get her back to Amara. Flora doesn’t do too well after so long away from her mother.”

  Smiling weakly, Remus patted his friend’s back. “It’s alright, Dare. Go on back. I think I�
�m going to sit here a little while longer.”

  “Are you taking a liking to the snow now?” Darius asked as he stood up.

  “No, it’s the view,” Remus said, nodding to the world below them. “I just thought I’d watch this a little more before I go south.”

  Smiling along with Remus, Darius turned. “Well, we’ll probably see each other again before you leave with Bronwen. But I won’t miss the chance to say goodbye, just in case. Hopefully, the Blackwood won’t be as bad.”

  “Hopefully…”

  “Alright, Remus. Until next time.”

  Remus watched as Darius slowly sauntered away, making sure Flora was tightly bundled in his arms. Her wails of sudden fear had all but died away now, making Remus smile sadly. Once he began his journey south, Remus wasn’t sure when he’d be back to see Darius and the rest. How old would Flora be when Remus made his eventual return? That is, if the Vampires didn’t eat him up first.

  Sucking in the cold air and exhaling heavily, Remus leaned back and closed his eyes, listening as the wind carried his thoughts back to the Blackwood, and Bronwen.

  Chapter One: Remus

  This was the first feast at Gray Creek that Remus had found almost deafening.

  As he ripped off a chunk of charred meat, his ears vibrated with the roll of a cheer surging through the crowd. Shifters everywhere joined in on the shout, some little pups even jumping for joy. Chewing in confusion, Remus turned to the front of the crowd where Darius stood waving at the crowd.

  Man, life’s really changed for him hasn’t it? Remus thought.

  As Alpha, Darius was now respected and revered by some, and constantly watched as every Alpha was. Remus remembered what it felt like, having every pair of eyes on him; it had only been a couple years since his father had been alive, and back then people would look at Ulrick, and his children, like that. Now, people still looked Remus’ way, though more to quietly whisper about how he’d either fallen from his rightful place as Alpha or about his freaky new girlfriend. Both annoyed him over the years, though most of those whispers had all but vanished.

  Next to Darius was Amara, the beautiful fair-haired mate of Darius. Slender and smiling like a goddess, Amara carried a tiny wrapped bundle in her arms. Everyone caught their breaths as she turned on her heels to show Flora’s bubbling face, her tiny arms waving in front of her. Darius put an arm around her, his own smile matching the elegant color of his gray hair. “We have an announcement to make!” Darius called, receiving a chorus of excited voices asking a myriad of questions.

  Remus slurped up the string of meat hanging from his teeth, turning from Darius and shuffling through the crowd. Most shifters were so focused on Darius and Amara talking about their baby that a rare few recognized Remus as he stalked to the back. The looks he received from the ones who did recognize him for walking away were...less than pleasant. Certainly, the popular opinion was that Remus and Darius had fallen out, which wasn’t true in the slightest, but of course, gossip traveled just as quickly as the wind at its fastest.

  As he finally broke from the crowd, shoving his way to the opening at the back, he stalked towards a single tree overlooking the great pond that marked the middle of Gray Creek. There, he leaned against the wood, rubbing up and down slightly to scratch an itch on his back with the bark. As he watched his best friend excitedly speak about his family, their future, and the future of the Pack and Pride, as well as the Bear Clan, a familiar hand gripped his shoulder. Remus didn’t even need to turn his head to know who it was.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Bronwen said, her voice smooth and thick like a sweet ale. One more step brought her round the tree to stand in the corner of Remus’ eye, so he rolled his head slightly to take her in completely.

  Tall and lanky, Bronwen stood about half a head taller than Remus, her pale skin appearing lighter under the patchy sunlight coming through the treetops. Her unwavering smile was matched by the blood red eyes adorning her eye sockets, her eyes darting to him and sending chills up his spine. “Babies are always a good reason to smile, right?”

  With one hand he brushed hers from his shoulder, feeling the cold in her skin. “That’s not too shabby of an observation.”

  “So, why aren’t you, Remus?”

  “Why aren’t I what?”

  Bronwen batted her long eyelashes, a trait no shifter could ever lay claim to having. “Smiling, of course.”

  Remus scowled at her notion, glancing away from her and back up to Darius and Amara. His friend’s voice still boomed over the crowd, the crowd clinging to every word he spoke, while Amara backed away and into her father’s arms. Torian, with his mane of tawny hair, beamed with joy as he helped Amara shuffle back inside her house. “I was smiling...earlier.”

  “Oh?” Bronwen cooed, leaning forward and placing her hands behind her back. Wrinkling his nose at the closing gap between them, Remus glanced back at her, his cheeks warming and her silky, lilac scent swirling around him. “Do tell. When was the last time you smiled?”

  Remus’ scowled deepened. What was this, the interrogation of a child? Crossing his arms, he stared her jovial expression down. He took a deep breath and pushed up to a straighter posture. “That’s personal.”

  “Talking about when you smiled last is personal?”

  “Very.”

  Bronwen’s smile only grew, her chest beginning to contort as the first of her laughing broke her lips apart and she doubled over. Remus stared at her wide-eyed, watching small tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she laughed. There were a few shifters from the crowd that stared back at them both with menacing looks, as her laughs were loud enough to clash with Darius’ voice. Even Darius caught wind of her voice and looked their way, his smile turning to a knowing grin. Feeling his cheeks burn like crazy, Remus grabbed hold of Bronwen’s wrist and tugged her away.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Remus growled as they walked farther from the crowd and disappeared into the forest. “Laughing like that in front everyone. Are you trying to make more shifters hate you?”

  “Aw, come on, Remus,” Bronwen said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s all in good fun. I had to do something...how long are you going to hold my hand?”

  Suddenly Remus glanced down, seeing his hand had slipped into hers while they walked. A pang shot through Remus’ chest as he quickly let go, causing Bronwen to sigh. “I didn’t mean for you to let go. I rather liked it.”

  “And I would rather not be stared at while my best friend is introducing his baby simply because you can’t help yourself from laughing at me.”

  Using one of her hands, Bronwen waved away Remus’ objection. “I had to do something. You looked like a sour puss, unable to take any pleasure in your best friend’s reveal.”

  “Alright, look,” Remus began. “I’ve already known about Flora. I was just thinking about something else, is all.”

  Bronwen’s gaze softened a bit, her posture still leaning in his direction. “Ah, you’re talking about the Blackwood trip, aren’t you? Are you...having second thoughts?”

  Remus remained silent, staring off into the forest, trying to decide how to respond to that. Second thoughts were worming their way into his mind, though he knew he wouldn’t act on them. There was no more reason to remain in Gray Creek, and all the more reason to travel with Bronwen. He’d already agreed, as jittery as that decision had made him. “No…”

  Now it was Bronwen’s turn to keep her lips sealed. She regarded him with a strange expression on her face. What emotions were mixed into her high cheekbones and thin lips and dark red eyes? Even after two years, Remus still struggled to fully comprehend the complexity of Bronwen’s thoughts. He saw...annoyance...a stoic sadness...relief and sorrow at the same time. Luckily for Remus, though, someone broke the awkward silence between them just in time.

  Darius appeared from around a thick pine just as Remus opened his mouth to speak, stopping when he caught a sniff of his friend’s heavy scent. Remus snapped his eyes over to
his friend as he came to a stop before them, while Bronwen’s gaze lingered on Remus.

  “If I’m interrupting something, I can come back,” Darius said, pointing over his shoulder.

  “No!” Remus said glancing back at Bronwen. “We were just talking about the trip down south. We leave tomorrow after all.”

  “Yes, we’re fine. You’ve come to speak with Remus, right?” Bronwen said, clasping her hands behind her back and stepping away. “We’re done for the time being. I’ll get more time to spend with him down the line. I’ll be at the house, Remus.” With that, Bronwen smiled and whirled on her feet deftly as she began to stride away. Remus saw the clenched fist hiding behind her back as she drifted into the forest.

  Whistling, Darius stepped forward. “Oh dear, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her angry before.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re not around her all the time,” Remus retorted, tapping his fingers along his arm. “She’s complicated.”

  “I’ll bet,” Darius said, grinning and coming over to his friend. “Look, whatever’s going on between you and Bronwen will be fixed. You’ll have the time. But I wanted one last opportunity to brawl with you before you left. For old time’s sake. Win and I’ll let you become Alpha.”

  At Darius’ words, Remus froze, a tingle beginning to itch at his back again. “Really? What kind of fool have you become?”

  “The same one you know and love. So, are you willing to give me one last fight?”

  Cracking his neck, Remus already felt his mind declutter and open, the fidgety stress of the journey south melting away. He stepped back, gripping at his clothes and beginning to strip. “Remember, you asked for this, Dare.”

  Darius did the same, backing up and pulling off his shirt and pants. “Oh, I’ll remember, though I won’t be holding back.”