Howl And Roar: Wolf and Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Howl And Growl Series Book 2)

by Cloe Cullen

  Successfully hopping over everyone as well, Jorah winked and gave a thumbs up as a job well done, and the duo made their way to the front door, where they silently snuck out and into the night. Once outside, they quickly walked away until they were off the main trail that led from her house, and then full on ran until Nyssa decided they were far enough away to stop and check that they were ready for the trip ahead.

  “Alright,” Nyssa said as they crouched under a looming, dark tree. “I have a satchel filled with extra clothes and a few herbs and snacks. You have your own, right?”

  Holding up a hideskin satchel bag, Jorah grinned. “Don’t you think it’s funny how often us shifters are naked? Why do we even wear clothes at all, if we constantly tear and destroy them when we shift?”

  “Is that what you’ve been pondering while pretending to sleep?” Nyssa asked, bent on teasing him. “I’d hope you be dreaming of something other than sorrow for our garments. Maybe about me, for instance.”

  “Oh, I did dream about you, about what you look like after you shred your tunic and trousers,” he retorted, earning a quiet chuckle from Nyssa. “If that’s all we needed to check, then let’s go.”

  “Wait!” Grabbing his wrist, Nyssa held Jorah down. He looked back at her quizzically. “On a more serious note, why don’t we try actually speaking with your clan first when we get up there? At night they all gather in the Seers’ cave, right?”

  “Don’t you remember how that went the first time?” Jorah asked. “They locked you and Lowell up, practically spat in my face...and Nyx probably decided right then and there to get back at me.”

  “I know, but we can at least try again, make sure we have another option before we fully commit to risking your life in some dumb duel,” Nyssa said, tightening her grip.

  “Alright, fine, we can try it again,” Jorah said.

  Out of the blue, a figure popped his head out from around the side of a tree, smiling. “Sounds good to me!”

  Startled, both Nyssa and Jorah jerked back, readying themselves for a fight. But upon closer inspection, they saw the figure to be none other than Finn. “Finn?” Jorah said. “What are you doing here?”

  Stepping out fully into their line of vision, Finn grinned. “Well, following you guys, of course, and don’t worry - we already heard your whole plan, so there’s no point in trying to dissuade any of us.”

  “Us?” Nyssa said, bewildered as multiple figures stepped out of the trees and closer towards them. Three other figures crowded around them. The huge, bulky man was clearly Keanu, his gruff exterior and lumbering gait easy to pick out of the dark treeline. He simply nodded at Nyssa and winked at Jorah.

  The next figure was smaller, more around her size but half a head taller. She realized from the tawny, messy hair that it was Lowell, his arms crossed but his expression stoic and focused. “Yeah, I’m coming too. We both have experience up on the mountains, and I still want to make up for the crummy attitude I’ve had towards you and Jorah both. You can’t talk me out of it, I’m just there for a little extra protection.” Nyssa smiled at him sweetly, thanking him.

  The third and final figure was none other than the lanky, tall, and ghostly pale Bronwen, her red eyes piercing the dark so unnaturally it was like a bewitching monster strode down towards her. She smiled happily as she came to a stop before Nyssa, looking down at her. “Yes, I’m here too.”

  “But why?” Nyssa asked. “I can understand Lowell, and even Keanu and Finn, but you? You have no obligation to help us.”

  “And I’d like to keep it that way,” Bronwen said, leaning down to cup her mouth so only Nyssa would hear. “I’m helping because, one, I want to. I like to think of you as my younger sister. Two, because this will earn me points with Remus. Three, who wouldn’t want to see a jovial Vampire like me climb up the Northern Mountains. I might very well be the first Vampire to attempt it. I’m making history just talking about it. Besides, if the Bear Clan sees a friendly Vampire unwilling to attack or hurt them, then that’ll help, right?”

  Nyssa smiled weakly. “Alright, alright, come with us then...so I guess you all just left my brother back at the house?”

  Everyone nodded, with Finn speaking. “No offense to your brother, but I feel like he’d be a buzzkill to the mood right now. Besides, like you’re probably thinking, he doesn’t have anything to do with this little quest of ours.”

  Satisfied with that answer, Nyssa nodded, glancing at Jorah. “It’s all fine with me, if everyone is up for it. We very well could be attacked, maimed, trapped by my own people. And the Seers will certainly not be happy to see us, maybe even order everyone dead besides me upon seeing us all.” Again, everyone nodded, ready for what lay ahead. “Good!” Jorah announced. “Then let’s be off. We need to make it up the mountain while most of the Bear Clan is still congregating in the Seers’ cave. Follow me!”

  With a few hoots and hollering from Finn and Jorah, giggling from Bronwen, a happy silence from Keanu and a brooding silence from Lowell, Nyssa felt a skip in her step. Maybe their self-appointed quest would turn out alright after all. Seeing bear shifters, wolf shifters, and even a Vampire coexisting together would definitely help to convince the populace on top of the Northern Mountains.

  Now, as the group sprinted into the forest, with the Northern Mountains looming just ahead, and Jorah at her side, Nyssa felt like her adventure was truly beginning.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Jorah

  A t first Jorah led the group through the thickets and dark treeline, navigating by his sense of smell and sight, but soon enough he was forced to admit he had no idea where he was headed, so Nyssa took the helm, the rest following close behind as she wound through the woodland, steering them ever closer to the Northern Mountains, which loomed over them all like a prickly giant.

  Jorah realized from this far down anyone climbing would look like an ant crawling over the body of a great beast. Shifters who lived in the Oldwood always had to crane their necks to look up at whatever lay beyond its cloudy peaks, wondering whether the rumors of the Bear Clan were to be believed or not.

  What was that like, he wondered, to be so unsure of whether an entire clan lived above another or not? Despite the Bear Clan’s isolation, at least they knew the Pack and Pride lived on in the woodlands at the base of the Northern Mountains. Nyssa didn’t even know Jorah existed until just a few days prior, instead he was nothing more than part of a myth to her, a story to tell to little pups and cubs about what happens to those who cross the Vampires.

  When the group finally reached the foot of the great Northern Mountains, Jorah finally found his time to shine. Nyssa pulled back and Jorah led the way up, climbing up and over steep slopes and eventually spying a narrow trail where the wind howled through. More than once, Nyssa clung to Jorah the higher they ascended, her eyes widening at the impressive drops to the hard earth below.

  “What’s the matter?” Jorah said with a sly grin. “You didn’t react like this the other two times.”

  Nyssa shot him a frown. “The first time I wasn’t even conscious for the trip up, and the second we were on the run! I didn’t exactly have time to stop and take a gander.”

  “Believe me,” Lowell called from the back of the group. “You don’t want to imagine what it would be like to fall from this height.” His face scrunched up. “Let’s just say it really hurts when the earth races up to meet you.”

  Jorah sighed as he remembered watching Lowell slide over the edge days ago, trying to hang on for dear life, afraid of stopping to look over the edge lest he tumble himself, killing both him and the unconscious Nyssa. He still didn’t know exactly how Lowell survived the fall, maybe that sturdy, muscled body of his wasn’t just for show.

  “If anyone wouldn’t need to worry about falling, it’d be Nyx,” Finn suddenly announced. Keanu nodded vigorously. “That woman is like one of those mountain goats, hopping from foot to foot, ledge to ledge, like it’s the easiest feat in the world. I remember when…” Suddenly his voice trailed o
ff, his gaze cast down. “I remember when she was still loyal to us, to you Jorah. I remember the time before she didn’t betray us so easily to the Seers.”

  Whether it was Finn’s drastic change in tone, or the endless, bone-chilling howling wind, an odd wave rolled over the group, save for maybe Bronwen, who remained almost emotionless as always. Jorah couldn’t quite place the feeling, maybe a guilt or sorrow for Nyx’s situation? But it rattled him to the bones and churned his stomach. Right now, Jorah wouldn’t be surprised if Dallan was scolding Nyx and the other bear shifters for failing in their attempt to capture Jorah and end the lives of those who knew about the Bear Clan.

  Nyx was still so beautiful in that ghostly way of hers...she didn’t deserve what was happening to her. She didn’t deserve to have to choose between her unrequited love for Jorah and the pressure from the Seers and her people. These laws of isolation the Seers were enforcing needed to end.

  “She didn’t betray us...not the way you’re imagining it,” Jorah found himself saying. “I got to speak to her myself, just after she attacked Nyssa, Bronwen and me. She was angry, mostly with me, about choosing to leave the Northern Mountains behind without her, and go with Nyssa instead.” No one said a word, so Jorah kept his mouth moving. “Try not to blame her too much. She was probably put under a lot of pressure by the Seers, right?”

  Both nodding, Keanu and Finn looked to each other. “Yeah,” Keanu said. “She wasn’t happy to be hunting you. Just wanted to bring you back to us.”

  “It’s still annoying, though,” Finn said, growling. “Do you think there’s a chance she’ll attack us again?”

  “Not this time,” Jorah said, staring up at the mountain. “I’m sure she’ll side with us, without a doubt. Just have faith.”

  Instead of wallowing in faith, Finn grumbled something while Keanu continued to march up in silence. Nyssa kept her mouth tight, unwilling to say anything that could offend either of the two about Nyx.

  It was Bronwen who lightened the mood. She moved to the middle of the pack, strolling up just as easily as Jorah suspected she would, using her long legs to match their pace. “You know I have a story about a man who went insane trying to decide between a love and his duty.”

  “How long is it?” Nyssa asked.

  Bronwen’s blood red eyes sparkled. “Long enough to keep us occupied on this boring climb. It begins with a man, someone I knew from across the sea, before I came to travel to this continent. He once loved a woman, so much he’d visit her every nightfall with bouquets and treats from the local baker.”

  “Bouquet?” Finn asked, licking his lips. “Is that some sort of food?”

  “Flowers wrapped together,” Bronwen said.

  “And baker? What’s a baker?” Lowell called from the back.

  “Someone who makes sweet food, often so soft and warm the bread would melt on one’s tongue. But anyway, moving on with the story. So, this man was a soldier...before you all ask, a soldier is like one of your warriors, ready to fight at any moment. A soldier was never supposed to leave his post for anything, even love, yet he did so anyway. One night, this man was on his way to visit the woman, bringing more sweets than he’d ever brought before; one of his superiors had expressly ordered him not to leave his post that night, for fear of a monster said to be prowling the streets. Instead of simply waiting until morning, the man lost his patience and went anyway, but soon he found himself face to face with the monster. The woman, seeing the man to be late, went to look for him, only to find his mauled body on the cobbled street. Then she came face to face with the monster herself.”

  Bronwen’s face darkened at this point in her story, her normal, happy expression vanishing into the wind. “The monster was pale, with red eyes, and a strength that no other man could best. The woman expected the monster to simply kill her outright, like it had done with her companion, but unfortunately for her, the monster had other plans. He bit her, changed her to be like him, and she became a monster forever more.” Suddenly her smile returned, her eyes brightening, and she gazed around. “The end!”

  Unsurprisingly, everyone gaped at her, with Jorah still trying to wrap his mind around the simple story.

  “What the hell was that?” Finn asked. “Are all Vampire tales so strange and dark? I expected a happy ending from you.”

  “Sorry, but there was only ever one ending to that story,” Bronwen replied happily.

  “Was that supposed to make us feel better?” Finn prodded.

  “Merely to entertain. Vampires love tragedies,” Bronwen said.

  “We aren’t Vampires,” Finn said back.

  “Clearly,” Bronwen retorted.

  Finn burst out laughing moments later, unable to contain himself. “Now this is rich! Never, ever in my life did I expect to be told a story from a Vampire...this goes way beyond simply being at peace with one another. Hey, maybe you want to try telling that tale to the Seers? I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of it.”

  Bronwen merely giggled and closed her eyes to the cold.

  Watching and listening to Bronwen this whole time made Jorah think of the other blonde Vampire at Gray Creek, the one that had caught him so off guard at first. “Does that other Vampire at Gray Creek tell similar tales?” Jorah asked. “What was her name, Magnolia?”

  Bronwen caught his gaze. “Ah, her, well she knows a few, but she may not be as good at relaying them to a crowd. She’s never been one to do the entertaining, rather one to listen and observe, to make reports to her master.”

  “Wait…” Finn said. “There was another Vampire down there? I don’t remember seeing another one.”

  “That’s because she was hiding away in the Pack Alpha’s home. She’s been speaking at length with Darius, making up plans for peace in place of her master. Either that or she’s already gone back home to the Blackwood. Not that I care, one way or the other, it’s not like I’m good friends with her or anything of the sort.”

  “Hey, Bronwen,” Finn continued. “Do Vampires truly want peace with the clans of the Oldwood and beyond? Do you and the others really not feel the need to fight us?”

  “Yes, we do,” Bronwen said curtly. “Most Vampires do in fact want peace, and many want more than that. Trade, visitation, to mingle and speak with you all. Obviously, there are a few that think of the clans as nothing more than game to hunt, but I assure you they are the minority. We Vampires didn’t come to this land simply to play violent games with others. There were reasons, needs, if you will, and we needed a place to stay. The Blackwood was the first place we all landed, so a few of the Thirteen Lords started a war to claim the land for themselves.”

  Her word must have been good enough for Finn, because he didn’t say any more.

  For Jorah, he didn’t know whether to take Bronwen at her word or not, but he got the feeling she was telling the truth, and not just because Nyssa smiled and nodded at Bronwen.

  Maybe, just maybe, he’d bring the Bear Clan around to see that day, when the past remained in the past and every group on the continent could come together and live amongst each other. But first they needed to end his clan’s isolation.

  One way or another, Jorah would find a way, with Nyssa at his side.

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Nyssa

  N yssa could only hope that Jorah was right about Nyx. Her would be killer had fled the Oldwood earlier that day after being overwhelmed by Jorah, Bronwen and herself, and Finn when he finally managed to catch up. But from the small experience she’d had with the female bear shifter, she could tell that Nyx wasn’t one to give up easily.

  If she still pined for Jorah after years, then she was at least as stubborn or stupid as Nyssa had been with Darius, brooding over a love that would never blossom, or in Nyx’s case, a love that would only bloom once and never again. That had to be worse, in her opinion, getting a taste of what it’s like to receive someone’s full attention and yearning and then to have that person suddenly forget those feelings. Bitterness permeated Nyx. It was clear, even f
rom the few moments that Nyssa had spent with her.

  Sighing, she marched on behind Jorah, her legs wobbling from the long hike. “Is it me, or is this trip taking longer than usual?” Nyssa asked, gazing around at the dark, steep cliffs. Under the moonlight, the ground shone and glistened, especially the snow, which they were beginning to see everywhere now that they were getting closer to the top.

  “That’s because we’ve gone a different way, a longer trail, to make sure no one spots us as we go up,” Jorah said. “Trust me, we’re getting very close. I know these trails like the back of my hand though there is one other...hopefully.”

  Shaking her head at his last utterance, Nyssa stared at the burly bear shifter. “Hopefully? What do you mean hopefully?”

  Jorah glanced back, wearing a nervous smile. “Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve had to use this trail, a few years actually, so there might be a few details I’ve forgotten, especially since I’ve never taken this trail straight from the foot of the mountain before.”

  Finn laughed from behind them both. “Jorah’s doing a fine job working us up the mountain! Neither Keanu or I would be able to navigate like he does. Have faith, Nyssa!”

  “Yeah, have faith!” Jorah said, flashing his pearly whites. Nyssa rolled her eyes, but nodded, and they continued up the trail.

  Soon enough the group was coming upon the large sharp rocks that pointed to the moonlit sky, signaling the border of the Bear Clan. Cautiously crouching low, the group snuck further up, with Jorah and Finn going first to slither through the gaps in the rocks and peer into the snow filled plateau the bear shifters called home. Nyssa recognized the landscape, though they were looking down on it from a vastly different angle. The grove of trees that Nyssa had spotted on her first trip up were now smack in front of them, blocking part of their view. When Jorah and Finn decided it was safe enough to venture out, they waved Nyssa and the others forward, and the whole group silently and rapidly filed up over the ledge.