by Cloe Cullen
Is that what Jorah wanted? For a female shifter from another clan to suddenly take an interest in him now that he’d saved her? He chuckled at himself. As if she’d fall in love with him instantly, though there was no denying his immediate attraction to her.
The woman suddenly inhaled sharply and twitched in his arms, so Jorah loosened his grip just enough for her to squirm. Her delicate brows furrowed, and her mouth clamped shut despite the groans arising from her throat.
“Easy now,” he whispered to her, unsure of whether she was awake or just rustling subconsciously due to some dream.
When Jorah was confident enough to say the woman was warm enough to survive without clutching onto his body, he carefully untangled himself from her and slid out from under the covers, checking her all over to make sure he hadn’t accidentally missed any bleeding wounds. Luckily, she wasn’t torn to pieces, just smacked around. Leaving her to rest by the fire, Jorah went to the pile of clothes, picking out a few garments for himself. Once he finished putting on his thick woolen jerkin, he rummaged in the pile for garments that might fit his guest. Considering none of the clothes were really meant for a thin female, he guessed at the sizes and created a tiny pile near the foot of her cot.
With nothing else to do, Jorah grabbed a hideskin jug of ale and sat down cross legged across from the cot, his back against the cold, smooth cave interior. It might have been creepy to anyone else, but he just watched her while he drank his fill of the ale, unable to rip his gaze away. That is, until the crunching of snow and voices from the outside reached his ears.
Rapidly, Jorah leapt to his feet, his body tensing at the sounds, and steeling himself for whoever, or whatever, pushed aside his makeshift door. Exhausted from the previous battle, he wasn’t exactly physically or mentally ready to handle back-to-back fights, but maybe he’d get lucky.
And he did, because the three voices that trudged closer were all too familiar.
Keanu moved Jorah’s makeshift door aside first before ducking to walk inside. Frowning at the fire, Keanu’s gaze immediately widened at the sight of Jorah. “You’re here…” he simply said.
“What, who’s here?” Finn’s ecstatic voice said from behind the big guy. Instead of Finn, Nyx wiggled past Keanu a moment later, her frigid frown breaking just like Keanu’s as her eyes locked onto him. “Come on, move it Keanu!” Finn shouted.
“Where the hell have you been?” Nyx promptly asked, a hint of anger and frustration edging her voice. She jerked forward, running up to him and embracing him. “We thought maybe you’d left for good...normally it doesn’t take you this long to come back up.”
Jorah returned the embrace, catching Keanu’s longing look at Nyx’s back and quickly releasing her. “Look, I can explain everything, but I’m going to need you guys to keep it down.”
“Some of the Seers saw us come back up,” Nyx said rapidly, her voice loud and echoing in the cave. As she spoke, Finn finally managed to wiggle into the cave behind her. “They brought us to Dallan for punishment, and when he asked what happened, we explained we just went down a little bit, to look out over the world. We tried to pretend like you weren’t involved, but of course this is Dallan we’re talking about. He ordered us to come find you and bring you back for punishment.”
Jorah clicked his tongue. It was a sure bet Dallan wouldn’t go so easy on him this time, especially with who he’d brought along from the Oldwood. “That’s great, Nyx, but please calm down and lower your voice, okay?”
The female shifter in the cot rolled over to her side, moaning something, catching everyone’s attention.
“What the hell is that?” Finn said, pointing at the woman in the cot. Everyone looked to Jorah with curious looks. “I know I’ve never seen her before.”
Nyx finally lowered her voice, her expression drooping. “Were we...interrupting something.”
Oh geez, this wouldn’t turn out well if Jorah didn’t pick his next words carefully. He could picture the immediate future, Nyx exploding at him about his journey to the foot of the mountain. So, he gulped, and cleared his throat. “Okay, look, this isn’t what it seems like, but you’re all going to need to sit down to hear this tale. You might not even believe it.”
“This ought to be good,” Finn commented.
The trio proceeded to plop down on the ground, each eyeing him suspiciously, Nyx frowning the hardest of them all, and Jorah told them all about the events that had just taken place.
Chapter Nine: Nyssa
I t was dark, much too dark for anyone to see. Even cat shifters would have a hard time gazing in this pitch blackness.
Nyssa floated in the darkness, every once in while being thrown about, shoved this way or that way, her eyes catching glimpses of a dark, snowy scene around her. The glimpses only happened every once in a while, when the darkness shook like crazy. But when the shaking finally stopped, and a warm sensation rolled through her, she finally managed to get a good look at a figure in the dark.
At first the figure was gray-haired, with steely eyes and a rough, but muscular exterior. Darius! He stood just next to her, her body suddenly clinging to his, her hands running over his chest. This was unbelievable, why was Darius here in the darkness with her? No, it had to be a dream. A dream was the only thing it could be.
As soon as she decided Darius’ image was a dream, it morphed into something stranger, into something bigger and harder. Another man, with dark brown hair so long it was tied back, and narrow, brooding eyes that watched her quietly, his skin much tanner than Darius’ ever was. The man held her, warmed her; a hallucination for certain, but why did Nyssa dream of such a man? His arms, big and strong, wrapped around her body. She felt cozy in them, like they would keep her safe from any monster or big baddies that came her way. Like the Changelings...like the Changelings? Wait, where were the Changelings?
As soon as the dark shapes entered her mind, the man vanished into a mist that dissipated, until finally Nyssa opened eyes.
Her dream had felt like only minutes, but her body ached considerably, like one after a long battle, indicating to her that considerable time had passed since then. She moaned, rolling over onto what felt like her side. With her vision blurred from rest, she had to rely on touch to figure out what was happening, and where she was. Voices came to her ears, but for the time being she focused on simply waking and opening her eyes completely.
“That’s a terrible story, Jorah. You should have come up with a better one for us,”
“I’m not lying, Nyx! I swear, everything is just as I said.”
Rolling back over, a bright light caused her to shut her eyes quickly, stinging tears leaking from her irises. The rolling caused pain like needles penetrating her body to spring up, her gasps vibrating her body.
“Uh oh, looks like someone’s awake,” a male said.
“She’s in pain! Back up, Finn, don’t make it worse for her,” a second male voice commanded.
“Oh please, I bet she’s just dreaming after you two slept together,” a female voice said.
“That isn’t what happened, Nyx. Just let it go for now.”
Suddenly Nyssa became aware of something covering her, something long and thick...some sort of hideskin blanket. Combined with the light, which, as she gradually opened her eyes to see it was a fire, her body remained heated and snug. Panting because of a pounding headache, Nyssa’s vision cleared, her brows remaining furrowed as she spied moving figures above her. One of the dark figures leaned down, helping her to sit up, his familiar burly arms keeping the blanket to her chest as she swayed up, her arms clutching her head.
“Are you alright?” The man said.
Just like in her dream, the man keeping her stable in her upright position was tanned and muscular, a trait evident even through the jerkin that covered his torso. Dark, chiseled brows and jaw created a brooding look, made complete with hazel eyes and dark brown hair tied back, and a closely trimmed beard. Nyssa got caught up in his intense gaze as he watched her, as if he
were spying into her soul. A small smile made her heart leap out of its socket in her chest, and she made every effort to try not to slur her speech in front of the handsome man.
“I, uh...where am I?”
“In a cave, surrounded by friends,” the man said. His words were warm and gentle, and she found that she wanted to hear him speak more, already she couldn’t get enough. “My name’s Jorah...do you remember what happened?”
As Nyssa struggled to retain her memories, her headache roared with a vengeance, causing her mind to sizzle and pound. She clutched at her head tightly, but with every ache the recent past came back to her. Heading into the Oldwood with Remus, Bronwen and Lowell, splitting up and chasing a Changeling, winding up in a trap, and then blacking out. There was nothing after that…
“I can’t believe this...” A frowning woman said from behind Jorah. “Did you really save her?”
“I did, for the last time,” Jorah said. He gripped the blanket covering Nyssa, throwing her a look. “Sorry for this.” Uncovering the blanket from her body, causing Nyssa to wince a bit, he revealed her naked body, at first all she saw were the bruises and small cuts and wounds that were in the process of closing, but slowly, surely, it hit her that she wasn’t wearing any type of clothing. Before she could complain, though, garments that appeared too big for someone of her size were thrown at her, which she rapidly grabbed and began to put on without question.
It was then that Nyssa noticed two other men in the room, both simply staring at her. Scowling at them, the giant one just turned around and other clasped his hands behind his head, glanced away and began to whistle. The one named Jorah turned around as she stood to clothe herself, her wobbling legs making it difficult. The woman simply watched her, still frowning. When she was done, she backed up to the wall, which was smooth and rounded to the touch. The inside of a cave, she thought. Where in Gray Creek did people reside in caves?
“Where am I?” Nyssa blurted out. “Who are you people...I’ve never seen any of you around Gray Creek before.”
Each of the four surrounding her, flicked confused gazes between each other, the handsome one placing his hands on his hips, his gaze locking onto hers.
“Gray Creek? What is that?” The skinny man said.
“The Seers mentioned it as the home of the Pack,” the woman shared, still eyeing Nyssa dubiously.
Seers? Home of the Pack? What shifters wouldn't know about Gray Creek?
“You’re up in the Northern Mountains,” Jorah said, stepping towards her. As handsome as he was, she still didn’t know him, so she stepped away warily. Jorah hesitated, then remained rooted to the ground before her, extending a hand towards her. “I saw you down at the foot of the mountain, fighting those...Changelings, I think they’re called. You and your friend.”
“She has a friend?” The skinny, darker toned man said, a wicked grin forming on his face. “Oh geez, please tell me she’s just as beautiful as this one.”
“It’s a he, I think,” Jorah said, throwing the other a menacing look. “I saved you after you were knocked out, ran up the mountain to this cave to warm you up and make sure you stayed alive. I know it’s confusing, but…”
“Up...the Northern Mountains? You’re kidding me,” Nyssa said, refusing his hand. It wasn’t possible. What shifters lived on top of the Northern Mountains. Suddenly the rumors Lowell mentioned about the Bear Clan resurfaced in her mind, though she refused to believe them. These four had to be wolves...or cougars.
Sighing, Jorah retracted his arm, crossing them. “Wish I was. What’s your name?”
“Nyssa…you mentioned another one. My friend. You saw him too? What happened to him?”
Jorah shifted uncomfortably, with the others remaining quiet. “The Changelings chased us up the slopes...and he fell off them.”
“He fell off,” Nyssa repeated, unable to comprehend.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean he died...there’s a chance he survived.”
Tears stung her eyes once again, and she found herself crying for real this time. Lowell had protected them both, and now there was a chance he could have gotten killed for her sake? No, this all had to be a cruel joke. As she cried, she spied the cave mouth and darkness outside, her thoughts drifting from a potential dead Lowell to escape. Nyssa needed to find Remus and Bronwen, tell them what happened, but based on the stances of each of the shifters in the cave none of them were about to just let her leave.
Jorah stepped closer to her. “Look, I know this must be hard for you, but your welcome to stay here as long as you need. We can go look for your friend too.”
“We need to see the Seers first,” the woman said. “They want to speak to you, and they’ll want to know about this wolf shifter you picked up. You realize they’ll never let her leave, right?”
At that comment, Nyssa’s eyes went wide, and she bolted from the room. None of the four had expected it, the skinny man flailing as she ran past. Bursting outside, the four shouting from behind her, her bare feet landed in a thick layer of snow, freezing her toes and skin instantly. She cried out from the sudden cold, but pushed on, a raging wind of snow swirling around her. It was difficult to see, but she kept trudging forward ignoring the pleas of the four behind her. Soon instead of human voices, grunts and heavy pants reached her ears, and she glanced behind to view three massive bears rushing towards her. So, the rumors were true, there were bear shifters, living atop the Northern Mountains. Lowell had been right in his speculations.
Frightened and trembling, Nyssa knew she wouldn’t outrun the bears, so she forced herself to turn and shift into her wolf form, tearing the clothes she’d just received in favor of her larger, blonde wolf skin. The bruises caused her transformation to hurt terribly, but she stood firm and roared at the approaching bears to ward them off. The bears slowed, but still approached cautiously. Jorah raced over, still in his human form, yelling at the bears to stand down. Once the bears came to a stop, Jorah marched forward, arms outstretched.
“Wait, please! You can’t travel in your condition. Just hear me out!” He shouted. His voice sounded genuine, genuine enough to make her hesitate. It was true she shouldn’t have been moving around, not with her headache making her dizzy and her wounds and bruises stinging with heat. Maybe she should just talk to them. “Please, just come back.”
After a minute of thinking it over, Nyssa shifted back to her naked human form, staring Jorah down but allowing him to come forward and wrap another blanket around her to help keep the chilly wind at bay.
“Alright, fine…” Nyssa said. “Lead the way back.”
Chapter Ten: Jorah
J orah had to admit, today was officially the strangest day he’d ever lived through.
Now, as Jorah brought Nyssa under his wing and led her back to his secret cave with the other three still in their bear forms, the dark began to set in, dusk unwilling to wait for the five of them to make it safely back. Though, the dark had been the least of Jorah’s worries. First he traveled down to the foot of the mountain and stepped into the Oldwood for the first time ever, only to find monsters of Seer legend attacking two wolf shifters, one he saved and the other sacrificed to see Jorah and Nyssa safely up the mountain, and now that this Nyssa girl was safe, healed and awake, they’d be able to talk to her...about anything.
He’d be able to speak to a real member of the Pack! Actually make contact...though this was never how he imagined a first meeting would go, holding the naked shifter in his arms as they walked back to the cave. This was the second time in the past hour that he’d pulled her naked body to his, and this time he found it hard not to stare. But, of course, Jorah liked to think he was a better man than that, so he somehow managed to keep his eyes relatively on the path ahead.
Reaching the cave mouth, Jorah let Nyssa walk in first, her body shivering, frosty from the never-ending wind chill. Following quickly, he left the other three to shift back and stumble inside on their own. It suddenly hit him he’d be the only clothed shifter in t
he cave at first, sighing when he further realized all his spare clothes will most likely be gone by night’s end. Jorah had spent a full week making the clothes he wore to hide in this cave.
Because of Nyssa’s unease, she stood off to the side as Jorah rummaged through his pile of clothes for something of her size. Not finding anything small enough, he chose the smallest garments he could find and threw them at Nyssa. Despite her teeth chattering, her reflexes were on point, and she caught the clothes no problem. “There’s nothing else here your size,” Jorah said. “Maybe next time think before you shift and tear your clothes apart.”
“What the hell else was I supposed to do with three bears running me down?” She retorted, her voice both stinging and calmer than he’d ever heard it. This girl...was she used to surprises like this to be able to adapt so quickly? Whatever the case, Jorah found himself staring again, which earned him a deep frown from Nyssa, so he averted his gaze to the cave entrance where the trio of misfits were stumbling back in. At first the trio were arguing and bantering, but upon seeing Nyssa in her human form again, they simply shut their mouths and watched her. As they watched, Jorah threw them three separate bundles of clothes, though he was missing a shirt.
“Sorry, Keanu,” Jorah said. “Don’t have anything that’ll fit you right now.”
Keanu nodded, but the shifter’s gaze never met his, instead still plastered to Nyssa, who was just finishing pulling on the oversized jerkin and trousers.
The garments hung loosely on her limbs, showing the big difference in her slender figure compared to Jorah’s broad physique. She looked over herself, tugging at the parts that hung loose, even accidentally popping her shoulder out of the hole for her neck. The fair skin that glistened in the tiny fire that still raged made his heart pulse and his throat parched, but the sensation quickly dimmed the moment Nyssa fit her shoulder backside the shirt.
