Howl And Growl: Wolf And Cat Shifter Paranormal Romance (Howl And Growl Series Book 1)

by Cloe Cullen

  Torian gazed at his daughter grimly. "Alright, speak. We don't have all day."

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Darius

  “Sarai…"

  Darius couldn't stop saying his mother's name. It was such an easy name to speak, one that rolled off the tongue. Memories of the red-headed cat shifter from Red Rock hadn't stopped infiltrating his mind over the past day.

  He hadn't gotten to speak to her while he had been in Red Rock, and couldn't remember if he heard her name spoken or not, but like Amara had said, there was only one red-headed cat in all of the Pride. Once this was all over, Darius would find a way to speak to her. It was what he longed for his entire life; he was sure his mother felt the same way by how she acted when Amara's father announced Darius' execution. But Darius had other worries to focus on right now.

  It had been half a day since Amara had ventured off to Red Rock, and now the midday sun was beginning to reach its highest peak. Darius waited with Gavriel and Nyssa at his side, and a few wolf shifter guards to watch their backs. He stared back across the river like he had been the day before. It was fitting that Darius would be waiting by the river to meet the Alpha of the Pride. This river was where everything started for Darius. How many times had he and Amara crossed the border? Too many times to keep track amidst the stress of their journey, he supposed.

  A rustling in the Oldwood behind Darius got him to look back to see his guards freaking out. Remus appeared before them, gripping a chain link...and Bronwen the Vampire stood behind him.

  Her tall, lanky figure stood about a half a head taller than Remus, and her unnatural pale skin and red eyes made her stand out from the Oldwood. Despite the apparent hostility from Darius' guards, Bronwen appeared more focused on Remus himself, smiling at him and making his cheeks turn red.

  "Let them through!" Darius called. His guards looked at him incredulously but parted enough for Remus to lead Bronwen forward, her brown hair swishing behind her. Bronwen wore Pack clothes, making her image slightly jarring. Remus came before Darius and waited for Darius to stand before speaking.

  "I thought it would help if we showed the Pride that we captured a Vampire. They might trust us a little more."

  "Or they might decide we're working with the Vampires and kill us quicker," a guard said in the background. Remus growled at the guard.

  Darius smiled. "I trust your decision, Remus." He turned to Bronwen. "I'm betting you won't make trouble, will you?"

  Bronwen shook her head playfully. "Not as long as Remus is here." She turned to Remus, but he wouldn't look at her. "You're so adorable when you pout. I'll get you to open up to me eventually. Just you wait."

  Remus rolled his eyes, but his face remained a bit pink.

  Nyssa giggled. "I can't believe out of anyone, you got a Vampire to fall you for, Remus. You really are popular with the ladies."

  Remus' brow twitched. "Shut up, Nyssa."

  "Quiet, all of you," Gavriel growled. "Listen."

  They all complied and listened, their ears perking up. Bronwen looked at them all, a curious look on her face. "I don't hear anything."

  Darius did though, he heard what sounded like a whole army marching towards them. The footfalls were faint, but they were getting close. Alarm bells went off in Darius' head, but he forced himself to remain calm. The others in his group were beginning to fidget and glanced nervously at each other. "Everyone, remain calm," Darius ordered. If Orpheus' army was approaching, why would they be going so slow? Changelings would be rushing in, not marching.

  Then Darius saw them approach...but whoever was marching towards them across the river wasn't Changelings. Instead, an array of cougars and panthers made their way from the dense trees to the river bank, all stopping just shy of the rushing water. Darius remained alert, but recognition quickly grabbed hold of him.

  Amara succeeded; these were members of the Pride. The Alpha, a massive mountain lion, padded forward, chuffing and purring to his shifters and stopping just short of the river as well. Darius gulped as the mountain lion shifted forms to his human form, a man with a tawny mane that handsomely spread out behind him. He eyed Darius suspiciously.

  Three others joined him, two tawny colored cougars and the third auburn colored. The two cougars shifted forms, Amara and her mother standing tall next to her father. Amara smiled at him, and Darius fought every impulse to run to the other side and embrace her. The red-haired cougar shifted forms as well, revealing herself to be Sarai. Darius' gaze lingered on his mother, her own gaze never straying from him either. But then Sarai's gaze pushed past Darius and to Gavriel. Darius didn't need to glance back to know what his father was focusing on.

  "You are the same wolf shifter that I sentenced to die, aren't you?" The Alpha spoke, his voice booming over the rushing water. Darius snapped his attention back to the Alpha. Tension filled the air as Darius' guards and friends broke into stances. The Alpha grunted. "I would proclaim how funny it is that you have become the Alpha of your clan if the situation weren't so grave."

  Darius grinned. "It's good to see you again, too. It seems we can finally finish our original conversation."

  Amara's father glanced at his daughter and then nodded as Amara gave him a fierce look. "Yes, it seems we can."

  He motioned behind him, and Darius' people again tensed up, but Darius told them to calm down. Two cat shifters from the other side brought forth a body, dumping it on the bank; it wasn't just any body, it was the body of a Changeling, a cat with a jet-black coat. Surprised, Darius leaned forward to get a better look. "Changelings have been attacking us ever since my daughter left with you. She's told me the whole story, so far...and informed me that you have a solution."

  The Pride's Alpha plopped down on the riverbank, sitting cross legged. "So, let's talk."

  Darius did the same. "Let's."

  Hours passed as they spoke at length about Darius' plans. Midday quickly turned to evening, and for many the tension of the meeting dwindled with the sun. The longer Darius and Torian spoke, the more both sides were getting used to each other. Many of the cat shifters on the other side laid down on the grass and took naps or rested, though none shifted back to their human forms. Darius' few guards remained alert, though they became more relaxed, just like the cat shifters.

  Gavriel firmly stared across at Sarai, who, due to the pressure of other cat shifter gazes, tried her best not to look back too much. Darius did the same; if word got out about Darius' heritage, this whole meeting could become fruitless.

  Nyssa and Remus sat behind Darius, with Bronwen curiously watching the cat shifters. Most cat shifters, including Torian, eyed Bronwen with suspicion, but none offered to ask who she was or why she was in chains, which Darius found odd.

  "So, let me get this straight so that we're all well aware of our positions here," Torian said. "We come together, as one, so that Orpheus' army can't overpower either of us."

  "Yes. It's a simple request, really," Darius said.

  "And where did you get this kind of information from?" Torian finally asked. Darius was anticipating this moment. "You've yet to explain that part."

  Darius pointed behind him at Bronwen. "From her. Her name is Bronwen, a Vampire who was working under Orpheus himself."

  Immediately, tension filled the air again and reanimated any who were finally beginning to relax. Cat shifters rose and growled in the numbers, while Darius' guards and friends once again readied themselves for an attack. Torian frowned at Darius, while Amara's mother came up behind and hissed at Darius. "You're working with a Vampire? You have just forfeited this alliance you wanted to create."

  "Zora, enough," Torian said.

  "But, Torian-"

  "I said, enough!" Torian's voice rattled everyone in the vicinity, even getting to Darius a little bit. Zora looked with wide eyes at her husband but backed off. Torian eyed all of his clansmen and waited for them all to settle down before addressing Darius again. "Why is there a Vampire in your midst?"

  Darius grinned, hoping to show Tori
an he wasn't afraid of Bronwen. "She attacked Gray Creek, our home, within a slew of Changelings and another Vampire named Ambrosia. Remus captured her during the fight and chained her down. Unexpectedly, she was willing to talk to us and informed us about Orpheus' plans. Apparently, she doesn't like her master too much, isn't that right, Bronwen?"

  Darius turned back to the Vampire, and she grinned along with him. "The Pack leader is right. Orpheus is a psychopath. Not all Vampires are like him, in fact, most find him annoying, but since he's one of the thirteen lords of the Blackwood, he's tolerated. When my sister Vampire and I came here, I saw an opportunity to escape his clutches, and so here I am."

  "And we're just supposed to trust your word?" Torian asked.

  Bronwen cocked her head. "Yes, since you have no other source of information. But I suppose you could remain ignorant fools if you choose to ignore my advice. When Orpheus' army of Changelings come walking up to your front door, and you're unprepared? Well, I guess that would mean the wolves were smarter than the cats."

  An uproar from the cat shifter side of the river was quieted quickly by Torian, who ran a hand down his face in frustration. "So, we have no choice but to trust the word of a Vampire, the very same Vampire that works for our biggest threat at the moment? What else is next? Will a rabbit army come out from holes in the ground and declare war on us?"

  "I know it's difficult to accept, but I believe her," Darius said. "Either way, coming together should be the next step for both of our clans. I don't know about you, Torian, but I'm tired of the hostilities between our clans. If anything, this potential war is an excuse to bring about a new era in our history in the Oldwood."

  "I agree with him, father," Amara said, speaking up. I've been residing in Gray Creek for the better part of a week now, and even though I had my ups and downs, I see the potential in bringing our two clans together."

  Torian appeared to recognize the earnestness in Amara's voice. He grunted and looked back at Darius. "So, who would be in charge? Surely it would be suicide for either of us to try and control both clans."

  Darius nodded. "It would, that's why neither of us would rule both clans, but simply guide our peoples."

  Torian nodded. "Fine. But that comes after we deal with Orpheus. Do you have a plan right now to deal with him, or are we just waiting for him to come to knock on our doorsteps?"

  Darius straightened his back, trying to look confident. "I've thought about that too. Hear me out on this. Instead of waiting for him to come to come to us, we go to him. We send a team to the Blackwood, to his castle, and have them take him out before he can move against us."

  "And who exactly would be on this team of yours?"

  "Of ours…" Darius looked back at Remus. "I haven't asked anyone yet, but I was hoping my friend Remus would go with, along with Bronwen to guide the group, as well as one more wolf shifter. Then two other cat shifters would go as well."

  "A joint venture...and dangerous," Torian said. "Alright, I will pick out two from my side."

  Amara rose to her feet. "I'll lead the team."

  Both Darius and Torian reacted in tandem to her announcement. "What?" They both said.

  "No, you will not go, Amara," Torian quickly said. "It is too dangerous."

  "I've fought Orpheus before," Amara countered. "I would be valuable to the team. Besides, this all started with Darius and me, and so it's fitting that I should be the one to end it."

  Darius clenched his fists, imagining Amara leaving him once more, but this time not returning. "Amara, are you sure about this?"

  She gazed at him with a conviction so firm, he didn't need to hear her answer. "Of course, I am."

  Torian hung his head. "Fine, but...just be careful, alright? Our future rests squarely on you, daughter."

  Amara sat back down, giving Darius an apologetic look.

  Darius sighed. "Then I guess our talk is over for now. Amara, your group will leave tomorrow morning, before dawn. Let's have everyone meet here to see them off, okay?"

  Torian nodded in agreement, and so his people began to back into the forest, disappearing from sight altogether. "We'll see you tomorrow morning, then."

  Darius exchanged looks with Amara before she turned her back and followed her father. He sighed, rising to his own feet. He began his march back towards Gray Creek, worrying about the days ahead.

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Amara

  Amara arrived with her father and another cat shifter at the border river just when Darius, Remus, Bronwen, and another wolf-shifter showed up.

  Spending the night in Red Rock without Darius had been excruciating for Amara, especially with the possibility of Orpheus' army arriving at any time. And now she was going to leave him to go even farther away. It stung her a bit to leave the Oldwood in its entirety, but she only had herself to blame. Amara still wanted to prove herself to some degree, to prove herself to her father, and she knew the best way would be to volunteer to head into the Blackwood.

  She said her goodbyes to her father and Darius, hugging them both and placing a kiss on Darius' cheek, burning Darius' image into her mind. Once she ripped herself from Darius' grasp and caught her father's intense glare, she turned to the other four and nodded at them. The group, with Amara at the helm, beginning their descent into the Blackwood.

  "Is this the right direction?" Amara asked Bronwen, who was now freed from her chains. The others, besides Remus, were visibly uneasy at Bronwen's sudden freedom, with both shifters giving Bronwen uncomfortable glances every now and then, and startling any time she moved spastically. Bronwen giggled at the two as they traveled. Remus tried to ignore her, but of course, Bronwen wouldn't leave him alone. So, it fell to Amara to speak with the enemy-turned-friend.

  Bronwen blinked at Amara. "Well, we're going south, so yes."

  Flexing her fists, Amara growled at Bronwen. "Thank you for the obvious. I'm talking about whether we're specifically heading towards Orpheus' castle or not. Or are we off course? I'd rather not accidentally make my way into another Vampire lord's home."

  Bronwen chuckled. "When you put it that way...yes, as far as I know, we are heading in the right direction. But honestly, it doesn't really matter. Orpheus' domain is the closest to the edge of the Blackwood, so no matter what we'll be crossing into his lands and no one else's."

  "And what is his castle like?" Amara continued. "Is it giant? Wide?"

  Bronwen brought a finger to her chin, plastering a thinking expression on her face. "Well, I wouldn't really call it a castle...it's more like a big manor, I suppose."

  "A manor?"

  "Like a big house. Only the most important of the Vampire lords get castles in the Blackwood. But Orpheus' manor is much bigger than any structure your people have probably built. It's white on all sides, contrasting the desolation of the Blackwood, and three stories tall. Orpheus' main chambers are on the third floor. That's where we're likely to find him."

  The further on they traveled, the more and more the Oldwood began to dissipate. Amara had only heard tales of the Blackwood and had never seen it herself, much like her experience with Gray Creek. The stories her father and mother used to tell her about the Blackwood were often sad and depressing.

  As if reading her mind, one of the other two shifters found the courage to speak to Bronwen. "What's the Blackwood like? I've only heard that it's dark and destroyed and that it's nothing like it used to be when the Bear Clan still inhabited the place."

  Bronwen smiled. "You'll see soon enough. But whatever sorrowful stories you've heard are probably true. We Vampires tend to lose our interest in nature over time, and ever since the Blackwood was destroyed, it hasn't recovered. I didn't partake in the battles with the Bear Clan, but I can say that other Vampires speak about the invasion like it was some great calamity. The first Vampire lord might be to blame…"

  "How so?" Amara asked.

  Bronwen looked at her gravely. "He has a unique power...well it's more like a curse than a power, but whatever he touches stays frozen i
n time, so to speak. I can't say if it's really true or not, but since we Vampires deal with the arcane, it's not that far-fetched." Bronwen's grin widened. "But that's a story for another time. Look."

  As they neared the end of the Oldwood, Amara stopped the group at the edge of a cliff. The density of the Oldwood was greatly diminished this far south, and so it was easy to peer out over the cliff and look out at the landscape stretching before them. Amara followed Bronwen's pointing, bony finger to spy a dark, charred terrain in the distance. It was faint but still barely visible.

  "That, my friends, is the start of the Blackwood," Bronwen announced. "And the start of Orpheus' lands. His manor isn't too far from the edge."

  Amara held her breath at the view, stunned by the sudden contrast of the green, lush end of the Oldwood, and the clashing black of the Blackwood in the distance. Even from here, the very sight of the Blackwood sent a foreboding and somber shiver through her body.

  Remus whistled. "This would be a wonderful time to stop and ponder life, if we weren't on a mission to slay your lord, Bronwen."

  Bronwen frowned. "Like I said before, he is my lord no longer. I would appreciate it if you remembered that from now on."

  Amara shook her head. "This is an awe-inspiring sight, but come on, we can't dawdle like children. We have a job to do." The others nodded, and Amara led them down a path into the country below.

  Haunted was the right word to describe the Blackwood. Haunted, desolated, dark, frightening.

  As Amara led her group to the edge of the Blackwood, they made sure to stay unseen, yet it felt to Amara as if she were always being watched. It was like there were pairs of eyes everywhere, watching, observing her and her companions. Remus gave her a look that said he noticed the same eerie feeling. The other two shifters trembled under the pressure, but eventually, they calmed down.

  The world quickly went from tall trees and overgrown bushes and energetic animals to one devoid of life, noise, and greenery. Gingerly placing one foot on the ground, Amara realized that the dirt of the Blackwood was covered in ashes. Broken wood pieces were scattered everywhere, with charred objects littering the landscape. Old tree stumps marked their path forward, along with the fallen trees themselves, laying like corpses in the wake of a storm. Leaves from the branches of each tree were singed and dark and crumpled to dust when touched. Despite the apparent leavings of a massive forest fire, no smoke lingered in the air, and no scent could be discerned from anything. In fact, the sky was devoid of any and all wind and gusts.