Howl And Growl Complete Collection

by Cloe Cullen

  It hit him as he gazed over the mangled body in front of him; Lord Silvan...was dead. It was over. A wave of relief washed over him, and all his strength seemed to sap at once as he sat down, staring up at the full moon in the sky.

  Bronwen’s enemies and his enemies were all gone now. All that was left was to rush back to Bronwen and give her the good news.

  So, Remus got up, his mind racing as he imagined the smile he’d see on Bronwen’s lips. He couldn’t wait...but then he slipped on something wet and sticky, looking down to see Silvan’s blood following him as he trotted away. No...wait, that wasn’t Lord Silvan’s blood, it was his own! Silvan’s jabs at Remus' chest suddenly began to sting white hot, as he realized the wounds were much deeper than he’d thought.

  The world spun, his mind seeming to melt as Remus collapsed on the ground, his breathing becoming ragged and his eyes closing as he slipped into unconsciousness.

  ***

  Remus awoke with the moon still above him, though it had moved significantly in the sky. Voices spoke all around him, and as he tried to lift his head, he found it already off the ground, resting on something softer. His chest burned as he looked up, spying two red eyes staring down at him, Bronwen’s cheeks shining under the moonlight.

  “Remus…” she breathed, sniffling and smiling down at him. She brushed a hand over his forehead, drops of her tears splattering on his forehead. The drops were warm, and as he glanced up, he tried to speak, his voice croaking.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “He’s alive!” Lowell said, his head popping out over his face, next to Bronwen’s. All at once a myriad of other heads appeared, all the others of his pack, all staring down at him while he struggled to sit up.

  “Easy,” Bronwen said, pushing him down. “You need to rest.”

  “And so do you,” he said, groaning. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be resting yourself?”

  She frowned down at him. “You were late. There was no way I wasn’t coming to your rescue.” One of her hands, which he saw was blood-free, drifted down to gently prod his chest wounds, three jagged lines where Silvan had punctured his skin. As she touched the wounds, they flared up, pulsing with the heat of a raging fire; but as painful as the wounds were, they didn’t feel that deep. “Vampire fights can be rough,” she said absently.

  Rolling his head to the side, he realized his head rested in her lap, over a dark gown that covered her legs. With his cheek pressing into her thigh, he glanced up. “Has anyone ever told you how soft your skin is?”

  Chuckling, Bronwen continued to pat his forehead. “No, but I’m glad someone’s finally noticing.” Her expression darkened, her gaze drifting over to somewhere next to them. Most of the group had moved back as she helped him sit up. “You really did a number on Lord Silvan,” she said sadly as Remus flicked his gaze over to the mauled body not too far from them.

  “Do you regret me killing him?” Remus quietly.

  “No,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his chest, careful not to prod his wounds. They both watched as Keanu and Magnolia inspected Silvan’s body, speaking low to each other as they seemingly tried to decide on something. Seeing Remus’ curious look, Bronwen smiled. “They’re trying to decide whether to cremate his body or bury him.”

  “What do Vampires usually do for the dead?” he asked.

  Bronwen shrugged, wincing. “There’s surprisingly no set tradition for how a dead Vampire will be dealt with. Most likely he’ll be cremated, his ashes scattered in the ocean...that’s what I’d do, anyway.”

  A light in the distance caught Remus’ eye, and as he turned to adjust his vision, he realized the light came from a great fire that stretched towards the moon. Cadogan’s manor, he thought, his eyes widening. It had gone up in flames, the twisting tendrils of fire licking the sky. He could hear the fire crack and cackle, like some evil spirit had taken control of the flames. “I suppose that was on accident?”

  “Yes,” Bronwen sighed. “But I’m glad it happened. A Lord’s manor is usually torn down when they perish anyway. This just speeds up the process. At least it won’t spread.”

  “So, it’ll happen to Lord Silvan’s as well?” Remus said, clutching at Bronwen’s arm. “Too bad we won’t be there to see his manor burn as well.”

  Bronwen remained quiet, watching the fire rage as Remus held her, resting her head on his shoulder. The manor becoming a pyre that lit the night sky.

  A moaning sound from off to their right caused them both to glance towards a shape on the ground, moving as if its limbs were too heavy, like she was moving through water. Nyx stirred under the blankets put on top of her, groaning as she gasped in pain and quickly sat up. Lowell slid down to her, touching her shoulder and startling her, her dark eyes glancing around at her new surroundings. “What’s happening? Where are we? Where’s Silvan and Bronwen? And Cadogan?”

  “It’s over,” Lowell said, pushing his forehead to hers. “Remus caught Silvan.”

  Blinking, Nyx’s eyes glanced at Remus. “Silvan? What are you talking about?”

  Remus and Bronwen both burst out in painful laughing as Nyx frowned and looked up to Lowell. “You need to tell me everything that’s happened, right now!”

  “Shouldn’t we head back home now?” Remus called. “Get in bed and finally rest? It's been a long day…”

  Bronwen nodded. “You’re right, we should.” Unhooking her arms from around Remus’ chest, she rose, wincing and helping him to his feet as well. “Come on, let’s go.”

  As Bronwen helped Remus wobble off towards her manor, they called for the rest of the group to follow. Lowell lifted Nyx up in his arms, her face flushing while he grinned. Finn and Lenna, who had been resting off to the side on their own rose to follow, Finn finally managing to walk without using Lenna as a crutch. Magnolia stayed behind as Keanu lifted Silvan’s body over his shoulder, hurrying to catch up to the rest.

  It was over, and now Remus could rest in Bronwen’s arms.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Bronwen

  One week since the incident with Lord Cadogan and Lord Silvan, and Bronwen had managed to pull off something miraculous.

  “My fellow Lords,” she sung, gazing at the other ten Vampires Lords resting in their chairs. The skylight allowed the morning sunlight to pour in, lighting up their faces, so different from the usual dull gray that permeated the Blackwood. Normally the Blackwood remained cloudy and gray, only ever seeing the sun on off days, but ever since Cadogan’s and Silvan’s deaths, the world had brightened. They were two of the most powerful Lords in the Blackwood, with Cadogan’s powers including that of an aura so dark it twisted the world around him. Once his life extinguished, so did his legendary powers. “I thank you once again for coming so early to this meeting. I know a few of you have reason to distrust me, especially with how things played out with Lord Cadogan and Lord Silvan, but I’m hoping that what we are about to discuss will sway your views of me.”

  Bronwen gazed at one Lord in particular, the one who had sided with Lord Cadogan weeks prior and stormed from the Commune in anger. The Lord frowned at Bronwen but grunted. “No one here opposes your plan anymore, Lady Bronwen. We all understand the threats Lord Cadogan and Lord Silvan posed to our new world. As much as some of us hate to see them go...they would have destroyed the peace we’ve been trying to establish here.”

  Other Lords raised their voices in agreement, each stating reasons as to why the negotiations with the Clans for both peace and trade would continue to go through.

  “We’ll also drop the charges against your shifters, Lady Bronwen,” another female Lord announced. “Clearly their actions were out of desperation, trying to save their friend. That kind of reasoning shows us that these shifters aren’t just beasts, but a people ready to put aside their differences with us.”

  “I’m glad you agree!” Bronwen exclaimed, sitting back in her chair. Her thoughts drifted to Remus, her shifter lover and life-long partner...well, maybe not life-long jus
t yet. As the other Lords continued to debate and speak at length about how they would continue the negotiations going forward, Bronwen couldn’t help but imagine Remus’ touch again. Ever since they’d both been wounded a week prior, they’d been too hurt to embrace each other in bed, instead simply resting and peering into each other’s eyes as they spoke until sleep overtook them each night.

  It had been frustrating beyond belief, waiting for her stomach to heal enough so she could sleep with Remus again. His touch sent her wild, his aggressive hunger for her almost too hot to deal with. She imagined him standing naked before her, the scars from his wounds healed over, leaving three marks upon his chest; marks from the day he fought for her.

  Thankfully the Lord’s debate was at an end, causing Bronwen to come back to reality for at least a few moments longer.

  “We’re going to begin our votes now on how we proceed forward, Lady Bronwen,” the female Lord said. “Are you ready to cast your vote?”

  Bronwen smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “I am. Let’s begin.”

  ***

  Once the meeting ended, Bronwen jumped from her chair and dashed away, bursting from the Commune and startling the guards as she ran. All she wanted was Remus now. Bronwen was healed enough and hoped he would be too.

  The trip back home only took half an hour, but in that time Bronwen had imagined a dozen fantasies involving Remus and her bedroom. She giggled to herself as she ran, prancing in the green grass that was growing and the sunlight that pushed through the clouds. The world was finally as it was meant to be, and Bronwen couldn’t wait to be a part of this new Blackwood. In time, the Blackwood could become completely green, now that Cadogan was gone. His power was the reason the Blackwood had remained trapped in time.

  But she could worry about all that later she realized as she approached her manor with a skip in her step.

  Just as she walked up to the front, she noticed Finn and Lenna sitting outside, with their backs against the wall and their heads together, whispering quietly and excitedly amongst themselves as they touched lips, giggled, and playfully poked each other. When they noticed Bronwen, they waved at her, and she waved back happily.

  This wasn’t just her happy ending, Bronwen knew. The others had found companions in each other, much as she had in Remus. Finn and Lenna were quite adorable, she thought as she walked inside.

  As she walked up one of the stairwells and turned into the hallways, a door flung open, with a laughing Nyx running out, clutching bed sheets to her naked body as she ran past Bronwen. “Hey!” she shouted as she ran. A naked Lowell ran out after her, trying to cover himself as he jerked past Bronwen, nodding to her and racing after Nyx. The two vanished down the hallway, their screams and laughter echoing loudly behind them.

  Bronwen continued her way up the stairs, thinking on how well Nyx and Lowell worked together as well. She was glad they’d found comfort in each other. Reaching her door, she wondered about Keanu. She hadn’t seen the bulky man with anyone, though she knew Magnolia had taken an interest in him. She wondered if Keanu had taken a similar interest in her friend.

  Swinging open her bedroom door on the landing, Bronwen sauntered inside, peering around to find Remus nowhere in sight. “Remus!” she called, walking further inside. “Are you here? I just got back...I figured we could play around a little, now that we’re both feeling healthier and up to it.” She got no response, even though her skin tingled as if someone was watching her. Eerily, she turned around, feeling some presence behind her. Her heart pounded, glancing at the open doors to her outside balcony. Had someone or something snuck in by chance? Some remnant of Silvan’s or Cadogan’s servants coming to take revenge?

  Her body pulsed with anxiety as thick arms appeared at her sides and pulled her into her bedroom. She yelped, struggling against her attacker, listening to his laughs as she squirmed...and then it dawned on her. Spinning in the arms that had pulled her back, Bronwen stared into the blue eyes of Remus, his grin stretching from ear to ear. Sighing, she playfully smacked him on the shoulder, causing him to wince and chuckle. “So, did I scare you?” he asked.

  Clicking her tongue, she positioned her head so it could rest on her elbow. “Not a chance.”

  “Liar!” he exclaimed, moving forward to place his lips on hers. His strong hands cupped her cheeks, lighting her heart on fire as his lips brushed hers. To see this kind of energy flow through him, to feel it surge onto her own lips, was simply breathtaking. She could simply imagine, day after day, rising in the morning to kiss him and coming to bed to continue kissing him at night. Now that most of her problems were solved, and enemies dealt with, she could kiss and enjoy her lover’s company for as long as she wanted. For the moment, there was no end in sight for her indulgence in Remus, picturing her love affair with him going on for eternity. The thought made her blood boil with desire...and then the thought of Remus’ eventually death dampened the thought.

  When they broke their kiss, Bronwen laid back, searching the oceans contained in Remus’ sky-blue eyes. She realized that he still hadn’t given her an answer concerning whether he would let her bite him or not, turn him into a Vampire just like her. She wasn’t sure how it would affect his physical abilities, like his shapeshifting into a wolf, but what she did know is that it would change his life even more dramatically than moving to the Blackwood.

  Immortality wasn’t such an easy thing to ask for. Living forever wasn’t all tulips and roses...there were consequences. For one, everyone he knew in the Oldwood would die out long before he ever would. She could picture Flora, Darius’ child, growing old and holding her own grandchildren in her arms while Remus still remained the way he is now, young, fit and blue-eyed. She remembered all the ones she left behind half a century prior, though she hadn’t had a choice back then. Remus did, and what she asked of him was possibly the hardest thing he’d ever have to decide.

  As she pondered, and Remus watched her, the door to her bedroom opened slowly, Keanu’s big, scraggly head poking in. Surprised, Bronwen sat up and motioned him forward. “Is there something you need, Keanu?” she asked.

  He grunted, nodding and pulling a chair forward to plop down in. He glanced between her and Remus, his eyes lingering on the wolf shifter. “Don’t mean to interrupt,” he rumbled. “Actually...I wanted to ask Remus’ advice.”

  Cocking his brow, Remus exchanged a curious look with Bronwen. “Oh? Aren’t you older than me, Keanu? I’m the one who should be coming to you for advice.”

  He shook his head like the gentle giant he was. “Not in this situation. I wanted to ask you...what it’s like to fall for a Vampire?”

  His question shocked them both, nearly dropping Bronwen’s jaw and growing Remus’ smile. “You wouldn’t be talking about Magnolia, would you?” Bronwen asked.

  Keanu’s cheeks turned pink, and he nodded. “I just thought Remus would have some advice on how to approach her directly. She likes to tease me, and always hangs around me, so I thought…”

  Remus held up a hand. “How about I come by later tonight? We can chat, and maybe I’ll even bring Finn along. We can talk about the new love of your life then. What do you say?”

  The bear shifter muttered something about the love of his life comment under his breath, but ultimately nodded. Rising, he walked out the door, clicking it shut.

  “Can you believe it?” Remus said, turning to her. “The big guy’s actually going after Magnolia! I’m shocked.”

  “And I’m relieved,” Bronwen said, placing a hand over her heart and letting out a happy sigh. “I was worried for him. Everyone else was pairing up, and I didn’t expect any more shifters to come down here for a long time. I’m glad he’s taken an interest in Magnolia.”

  Suddenly, Remus rolled on top of Bronwen, kissing her and locking his hands in hers, pushing them up the bed. Lust sparked in her mind, and Bronwen stared up at her mate with a wicked smile. He grinned back down. “You were right, I’m feeling much better now. I think I’m taking a new interest in this
exciting new activity...where we roll around in bed and touch each other all over. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

  Bronwen giggled, allowing Remus to gently begin undressing her. She could feel his veins pulsing, waiting to simply let go and ravage her. The thought quickened her heartbeat and set her moaning as he began to kiss down her neck. She’d waited for this moment for a week, anxiously awaiting to embrace him once again. While he worked on her, she managed to pull down her arms and slip his clothes off, freeing his body from the constraints of the fabric covering his body. Soon Remus became one with her, and Bronwen groaned, their bed rocking as Bronwen was sent to a whole new plane of pleasure.

  Their lovemaking went on for hours, and it could have continued if they hadn’t run out of energy so quickly. They had jumped right in, quick to indulge in each other, expending themselves without abandon.

  It was beautiful and intoxicating to sleep with Remus, an act that never failed to entertain her.

  As they laid side by side, panting and sweating and holding each other, Bronwen wondered how many more years she’d have of this before she was forced to watch the life drain from his eyes. Looking up at him, she gazed lovingly at him, tracing a finger along his pecs and down to his stomach. “Have you decided yet?” she asked quietly.

  Rolling over, he cocked a brow. “Decided about what?”

  “About becoming a Vampire...like me?”

  Remus was silent, his smile lessening. She wondered what he thought about it all; the more she thought, the more certain she was he’d say no. She braced herself for the answer, awaiting as he stared deep into her eyes. Instead of answering her, though, Remus asked his own question.