Howl And Growl Complete Collection

by Cloe Cullen

  “They look good,” he said, nodding to the group below. “Though I’m sure they won’t be able to stop fidgeting with the clothes for a while.”

  Bronwen sighed, “They’ll come around eventually. Everything can be overcome with time and patience.”

  “It doesn’t help that their instincts are probably screaming to tear those clothes off.” He glanced towards Bronwen, “They are restrictive. Maybe we can sew new ones soon? Some that aren’t so stiff, but still look nice?”

  Bronwen threw Remus a look, and then shuffled down the stairs, Remus hot on her heels.

  “Alright, time to go!” Bronwen said with a raised voice as they stepped down into the entrance hall a minute later. “Everyone gather around. I need you all on your best behavior for today. No jokes, no quips, no unnecessary talking. Don’t speak unless spoken to, and do not try to intimidate any of the Lords. We’re not here to make enemies, but friends. Everyone understand?”

  A round of nods ensued, and Bronwen strode to the front door. “Then let’s go.”

  Chapter Thirteen: Bronwen

  Children...the thought had never occurred to Bronwen before. She hadn’t thought of having children since she learned about Vampire infertility in the first week after Lord Silvan had bitten her. Having a brood of younglings around had become a foreign concept over the years, a thing so out of reach that she’d all but forgotten her desires to have children. Motherhood excited her once, and now, hearing Remus voice his desires had sparked her interest once again.

  But was it even a real possibility? Remus had mentioned taking young orphans under their wings, creating a bond to a creature that wouldn’t come from her own womb. She supposed it was the only way becoming a mother would work.

  Flashes of Darius and Amara introducing Flora to the whole of Gray Creek hounded her thoughts. That day her gaze had been caught on Remus, like it always was, and she’d seen the eagerness in his eyes as he watched them. If he was still so keen on the two of them becoming parents once every current matter was settled, then Bronwen supposed she wouldn’t be able to say no. Having children as a Lord might alienate her even more from the rest of the Lords, as it wasn’t every day a child found its way into the cold hands of a Vampire. But what mattered to Bronwen was whether or not Remus would be happier. Maybe a child would give them both something new to look forward too.

  But of course, Bronwen was ignoring the consequences of adopting a lonely child at the moment. Not only was the Blackwood less than ideal to raise any creature, but Bronwen would have to watch her child, or children, grow up and grow old...she would live long past her child. And so would Remus, if he chose to let her bite him. But then there was the choice of turning her child as well...and that was something that she didn’t want to think about just yet. What would turning not only Remus but another child of the Clans do to the taut peace between the Blackwood and Oldwood? She was sure that if she began to create more Vampires out of wolf, bear and cat shifters, there could very well be an uproar from the Clans, and from the Vampires alike; the careful peace she was fighting so hard to create would go up in flames.

  The whole potential ordeal made Bronwen’s head pound with frustration, so instead of letting her mind spiral down into the endless possibilities she sighed and tried to focus on the task ahead of her and her shifters. It wouldn’t do to have the newest Lord distracted so easily when they finally reached the Commune.

  “Only one shifter from each clan will speak,” Bronwen said aloud as they approached the massive, rounded building known as the Commune. “To make sure you don’t talk over yourselves, or accidentally repeat requests or phrases. Some Lords are easily annoyed.” Lord Cadogan entered her mind. Bronwen would need to keep an eye on him for these talks.

  “Ugh, why is everything so damn complicated with you vampires?” Finn exclaimed from behind, still fidgeting in his clothes. “Do Vampires really get offended so easily?”

  “Some do,” Magnolia responded. “Just ask Remus over there. I’m sure he can tell you all about it.”

  Remus grunted. “They already know about Lord Cadogan, but most of the others were pretty quiet when we were there last. Only two really spoke…”

  “So, I won’t be speaking for your clans,” Bronwen said, frowning. “Nyx or Keanu? Which one of you would like to speak for the Bear Clan?”

  Keanu simply grunted as Magnolia turned her red eyes and gorgeous smile on him. “I’m not one to speak a lot…” he said quietly. Magnolia inched closer to him, causing him to grow red in the cheeks.

  “He’s right,” Nyx interjected. “Keanu is more the type to make sounds rather than long sentences. I’ll do the talking...I’m the best here.”

  Bronwen smiled at Nyx’s enthusiasm, catching the deadly serious flicker in the female bear shifter’s eyes. “Alright, that works for me. Keanu and Finn, just stick to Nyx’s side. As for the Pack…” She gazed between Remus and Lowell. Remus would be the obvious choice, but based on how he reacted the first time she brought him to the Commune, maybe Remus would be better off standing by her side instead of speaking. Letting her gaze linger on Lowell, the shifter wiggled under her gaze, but a nudge from Nyx must have hardened his resolve because he stepped closer.

  “I’ll speak for the Pack,” Lowell muttered, his eyes lingering on the smiling Nyx. “It can’t be that tough, right?”

  “As long as you don’t mutter,” Bronwen said.

  The group arrived at the entrance to the Commune moments later, the two Vampire guards standing at attention eyeing them as the group approached. “These shifters from the Oldwood are here to speak to myself and the rest of the Lords, let us through.”

  At first, the guards simply stared at Bronwen, before exchanging glances and stepping aside to let her and the others pass. From experience, Bronwen knew that most guards would move out of the way of Lords minutes before the Lords would even arrive. The fact that the guards hesitated irritated Bronwen to the point of deepening her frown as she walked past. She’d need to wipe that dark expression off her face quickly.

  “Lenna, you’ll speak for the Pride, as not only are you the only cat shifter here, but you served under Torian directly,” Bronwen called as she moved down the dark corridor.

  Lenna’s voice agreed from all the way in the back, though Bronwen lost the words as her mind whirled as she exited the corridor out into the main circle. She could feel Remus and the others hot on their heels as they passed an endless amount of Vampire servants. The air grew tense quickly as Bronwen stepped up to the circle, motioning for the rest to remain by the raised dais.

  Before stepping up to her seat, Bronwen gazed around at the few occupied seats in the circle. Her eyes met those of Lord Silvan, who tipped a wine glass to her in greeting. Three other Lords sat in their chairs around him, their attention taken by books and other wooden toys that served as games to pass the time. Finally, she locked eyes with Lord Cadogan, who sat only half a dozen feet from her in the chair next to hers. He watched her, madness in his dark red eyes. She swore he growled at her while she lowered herself into her raised chair, though no one else reacted to it.

  “Lady Bronwen!” Silvan said, his voice booming in the chamber. He waved his hands in the air, the daylight pouring in from the overhead skylight creating long shadows on the ground. “Welcome back, and officially as a Lord of our grand dominion. How fare you since yesterday?”

  “Well,” Bronwen said, forcing herself to smile. As much as she loved Lord Silvan, her somewhat adoptive father, even his voice couldn’t wave away the butterflies beginning to fill her stomach. “I do apologize for not bringing the crown back today, though. It slipped my mind as we left.”

  Lord Cadogan clicked his tongue, resting his chin in his palm. Another Lord eyed her suspiciously.

  “It’s perfectly fine!” Lord Silvan’s white hair sliding to one side as he cocked his head. “If you don’t hold onto it, someone else will. I’m sure it's just as safe in your hands as it would be in mine or Lord Cadogan’s.�
� To her surprise, Lord Cadogan refused to comment, though he glared at Silvan as if he’d only just noticed Silvan talking. “Now, do introduce your guests to us, Lady Bronwen.” Lord Silvan motioned to the group of shifters next to the dais, most flinching at his sudden change in topic. His red eyes darted to Remus in particular, his eyelids twitching. “I’m sure they have much to say to us all.”

  “Of course,” Bronwen said, waving her own gesture towards the group. “You’ve already met Remus and the rest, Lord Silvan, but for the sake of the other Lords, I introduce to you shifters from the Pack, Pride, and Bear Clan. They’ve all come to negotiate peace treaties with us, as well as to begin trade between our peoples.”

  “The Bear Clan?” The Lord who eyed Bronwen exclaimed. “I thought we killed them off half a century ago.”

  “You almost did,” Nyx suddenly interjected, her voice quieting the Commune. The other two Lords finally looked up from their entertainment, raising a brow at the sudden outburst. Bronwen’s stomach tightened into knots as the third Lord leveled a look at Nyx, his powerful gaze enough to burn holes through her skull. Bravely, Nyx stepped onto the dais after Bronwen waved her up. “A few remnants survived and fled north,” she said coolly, her dark eyes meeting the Lord’s gaze. “Now we reside on the Northern Mountains, content with our new lives. A rare few live from so long ago that even remember the atrocities that occurred.”

  The third Lord almost frothed at the mouth. “Disgusting! Why do you bring this filth before us?”

  “I have the same question,” Lord Cadogan mused beside Bronwen.

  Bronwen had expected Nyx to shudder at the Lord’s cold tone, but instead she remained rigid on the dais, glancing at Bronwen only once. Lowell began to pace behind her, his eyes on Nyx and the Lords, though no one noticed his agitation besides Bronwen.

  “Now, now, let’s play nice here,” Lord Silvan cooed happily. “This shifter is clearly brave and dedicated to her cause. We can at least hear her out. Come child, speak more before us.”

  Nodding, Nyx continued. “Despite what occurred fifty years ago, we’re willing to move past that and create a new peace with you all. We don’t want to fight anymore, instead, we’d rather share a friendship with you. Establish trade, maybe even arrange for some Vampires to come live in the Oldwood and mingle with our people. But of course, we can take this slowly, make it natural for everyone. As long as you’re willing, we’re ready to start taking strides towards a better future for us all.”

  Bronwen had to admit Nyx’s ability to speak. She did much better than Bronwen had imagined the girl would. In response to her stoic speech, Lord Silvan began to clap, his claps echoing in the chamber. The other two Lords also nodded, glancing at one another.

  “Despicable,” Lord Cadogan said aloud, rising from his seat. “If the rest of you wish to continue this farce, then so be it, but I will not humiliate myself by negotiating with something so inferior.”

  The third Lord nodded, following Cadogan’s lead as they both stepped down from their chairs and strode away. Bronwen didn’t hide the contemptuous look she threw Cadogan as he and the other Lord marched away. She couldn’t get over the idea of having to share the title of Lord with a prick like him, though she never thought this would be easy.

  Lord Silvan waited patiently for Lord Cadogan and the other Lord to vanish from the Commune before whistling. “Well, majority wins! Come, let us begin these negotiations already. Speak, and we shall finally get underway.”

  An audible sigh was collectively released from the shifters as Nyx relaxed on the dais. She smiled up at Lord Silvan, causing Bronwen to smile for a moment as well. Bronwen could only hope leaving in anger would be the farthest Lord Cadogan would go to stop them.

  Chapter Fourteen: Bronwen

  Lord Silvan threw his head back in ecstasy as he threw up his arms, wine glass in hand, closing his eyes while she spoke. “Ah! Drinks don’t get better than this,” he exclaimed, filling his large bedchamber with his energetic voice. Looking down his nose, his head still tipped up in the air, Silvan eyed Bronwen. “Don’t you agree, dear?”

  Bronwen sat with her legs crossed, rolling the wine in her glass while she met Silvan’s glittering red eyes. It still amazed her how vibrant his gaze was, after centuries of looking the exact same. Even fifty years ago, Lord Silvan’s eyes were what stopped her cold in the streets of her hometown, those dazzling red orbs piercing through the veil of night. It unnerved her then, and still unnerved her to this very day, despite that he had raised her as a Vampire, teaching her all she needed or wanted to know about her new life.

  Now those orbs pierced right through to her very soul, searching her own gaze for the answers he sought.

  “Yes, it’s marvelous,” Bronwen agreed, bringing the fruity liquor to her lips once again. It wasn’t often that Vampires got to taste the numbing effects of wine since their supply of drink was limited. Only so much alcohol could fit on a ship, and they had yet to find any kind of grapes on their new homeland. She remembered spying some the first day they landed on the coasts of the Blackwood, hidden amongst bushes, but now, in the Blackwood’s present state, she didn’t see them returning to the land anytime soon. No crops ever flourished here.

  “Come now, Bronwen. Must you brood while in my company?” Silvan cooed, cocking his head and swishing his own cup from side to side. “We rarely get to taste such fine wine. Besides, everything has been going smoothly with your shifters, hasn’t it? Their talks with us, about the peace treaty and trade treaty, have finally begun to get some real traction, after a few weeks.” He raised his glass out in front of him. “I daresay you have something to celebrate about.”

  Bronwen ripped her eyes from Silvan, looking around at his bedchamber. She hadn’t been inside Lord Silvan’s estate for months, and yet it appeared exactly the same as it had the last time she’d been here. Bookshelves on top of bookshelves lined the walls, with countless novels and manuscripts filling the shelves. Papers stuck out everywhere, even piling on top of various tables and desks. Lord Silvan’s modest bed, canopied like her own, hid quietly in the corner of the room. Candles were lit everywhere, despite the many floor-to-ceiling windows built into the walls, allowing the afternoon light to flood the room. A single paper fell from a high shelf, slowly drifting down in the air; Bronwen’s eyes tracked the paper diligently as she spoke next.

  “Typically, one celebrates when something is actually accomplished, no treaty for trade or peace has been officially signed yet as the details are still being worked out,” she said, placing her wine cup down on a short table beside her chair. The thin glass clinked against the metal frame of the table. “The only thing I could remotely celebrate is the fact that Lord Cadogan hasn’t done much more than send his Changelings to prowl the grounds around my manor.”

  Lord Silvan’s eyes narrowed as he regarded her; Bronwen could practically see the gears turning in his head. Silvan had always been a strategist, rather than a fighter. It was how she’d learned to become a Vampire, learning to think about her actions before brazenly shouting as a child would. Like Lord Cadogan had. Though in Lord Cadogan’s defense, he had the ability to act childish, due to his immense power.

  “That seems like a foolish thing to do, even for Lord Cadogan,” Lord Silvan said. “Why not just have them attack you and yours? Sometimes I question that fool’s sanity…” He shook his head in disbelief, taking another swig of his wine. “Whoever turned Cadogan must have been short a brain.”

  Bronwen let a dry laugh out, her thoughts drifting from Cadogan to Remus. For weeks now, she and the shifter had been comforting each other late at night, just before drifting off to sleep. They talked at length about their future, touched each other lovingly, made sure each had a reason to wake up in the morning stress-free. Every day her thoughts were consumed more and more by the image of Remus’ wide shoulders and hard body, his wild, animalistic nature driving her wild with pleasure. Right now wasn’t any different. Remus stood just outside the door to Lord Silv
an’s bedchambers as they spoke, awaiting Bronwen to leave Silvan’s company, though from experience she knew this meeting would take much longer than she wanted.

  As if reading her mind, Lord Silvan’s smile faded to a thin grin and he stared into his wine. “You’re thinking about Remus, aren’t you?” There was an edge to his voice, as if just speaking Remus’ name would curse him.

  Bronwen snapped her attention back to Silvan, his sudden change in tone frightening her. She imagined Remus standing outside the door, pacing or sitting, possibly even listening in. “I am. He and I share a deep bond...one that keeps me on edge every day.” She tapped her foot against the floor slowly, keeping herself in rhythm. “Remus has helped make everything we’ve just spoken about possible. If it weren’t for him, I might have given up a long time ago.”

  Slowly, Silvan set his wine glass down. “You’ve changed, Bronwen. You aren’t the frightened girl I turned so long ago. You’ve grown...but - I worry for you.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” Bronwen retorted. “Life hasn’t been better for me then it is at the moment.”

  “On the contrary, it has. As much as I agree with your plan to help create a friendship between the Clans and us Vampires, I can’t help but think that, because of Orpheus, you were thrown into a world you never should have interacted with,” Silvan said.

  Bronwen furrowed her brows, not wanting to believe where Silvan was taking their conversation. “What do you mean, Silvan?”

  “I mean that Orpheus’ madness may have corrupted you.” Silvan spoke carefully, pronouncing his words as if Bronwen were but a child. Outstretching his arms, Silvan looked as if he were about to embrace her. “His dangerous quest to enslave the Clans on his own, with you and Ambrosia working under him...his constant urge for bloodshed may have sent Ambrosia mad, but it may have had the opposite effect on you, creating a strange love for those creatures.”