by Cloe Cullen
Chapter Two: Darius
The trek back to Gray Creek was a short one, but it felt like ages.
After Remus so casually informed Darius and Nyssa about the Changeling rumors, the trio found themselves continually watching their backs and reacting to the smallest of noises. Nyssa practically jumped into Darius' arms when a nearby deer accidentally stepped on a tree branch and snapped it in half. Darius' promptly threw Nyssa off him.
The Oldwood thinned out as they approached Gray Creek, the trees spacing out and becoming skinnier. The mist began to dissipate as well, the landscape dipping downwards. Gray became the prominent color as they walked, taking over the vibrant greens and browns of the Oldwood. Such was the way of Gray Creek, to lose all its color the closer one got to the center.
Eventually, the group stumbled upon the namesake of their home, stopping to stare across the water as they bent down and cupped their hands into the stream, bringing the fresh water to their mouths and drinking freely.
Remus gripped at his chest, sighing. "Thank goodness we're finally home. No Changeling would dare enter Gray Creek."
Nyssa shivered at the thought, but Darius ignored his friend, instead splashing water all over his face and neck, the refreshing droplets trickling down his back.
Nothing about Gray Creek could be considered grand or opulent, and unlike the Pride, Gray creek blended into the Oldwood like a giant chameleon, the many wolf shifters who lived there finding refuge in caves or in wooden homes built under the trees. There were many more that lived beyond the scope of Gray Creek, but most didn't take the risk.
The trio entered the main hub of Gray Creek minutes later, crossing under a rickety archway that served as the landmark for the entrance. Remus led the way, followed by Nyssa and then Darius.
A small pond filled out the middle of the Gray Creek, with a series of homes encircling the water. Wolf shifters littered the place left and right, going about their normal day - mingling, laughing, working. Many noticed as the trio walked in and greeted Remus and Nyssa, not many even glanced Darius' way. Darius stood tall anyway, ignoring the people actively avoiding him. He followed his friends around to the largest wooden structure on the pond.
Two warriors stood outside the front door, and as they came to a stop before the house, the two warriors nodded at Remus and Nyssa but frowned at Darius. They didn't say anything, but Darius understood their meaning.
Before Remus could reach for the door, it swung open and out stepped the Alpha, tall and dark haired. His lit up in joy at the sight of Remus and Nyssa. "My pups! It is wonderful that you are finally back. The other two arrived just an hour before you did and informed me of your successful hunt." His voice was gravelly and bold and made Darius' ear itch. "I heard that you bagged five rabbits today. Those critters are hard to catch, well done!"
Nyssa crossed her arms, and Remus scratched his head. "Well, you can thank Darius for that. He caught most of them. I only caught one."
Ulrick cocked his head, his expression blank. "Oh?" He wouldn't even look Darius' way. "Well, I congratulate you two anyway. Remus, you'll pass me by and become Alpha in no time."
"Are you not even going to acknowledge Darius, father?" Nyssa said, surprising everyone. "I thought the Alpha was supposed to take an interest in every shifter in his pack."
Ulrick's expression soured, and he glared daggers at both his daughter and then at Darius. The hate in the Alpha's glare was palpable, but Darius stared him down. Without hesitation, Ulrick spoke. "He doesn't deserve it." Then he spoke directly to Darius. "Leave my sight pup, and scamper back to your father. I'm sure he'll be glad to know his abomination is still alive."
Remus and Nyssa seethed at the comment, but Darius shook his head at them, telling them it was alright. "He's right, I need to get back home. I'll see you guys later, okay?"
Remus tried to protest. "But-"
"But nothing, enjoy celebrating your successful hunt."
Darius turned, keeping himself steeled until he was well away from the Alpha's home. He glanced back over his shoulder to spy the Alpha and Remus heading inside their home, but Nyssa stayed behind watching Darius leave. She didn't go back inside until Darius passed back under the archway.
***
Darius' home was the farthest away from Gray Creek, practically out in the most remote part of the wolf shifter's den. It took half an hour to arrive, but when he did, Darius immediately felt relief. It was no secret that Darius wasn't liked by most wolf shifters. Most acted like he was some disease to be avoided or ignored, so whenever he was home, he could relax a bit and forget about all his worries.
Or so he thought, until he spotted his father sitting under the massive tree that covered most of their home. Gray-haired and short, his father was looking out at the Oldwood, watching a pair of canaries dart through the air.
When Darius got close enough, his father leaped up from his seat and jogged over. "Darius!"
"Gavriel."
"Where have you been?"
Darius kept on walking. "On a hunt."
"By yourself? You know what I've told you about your whole lone wolf thing. If Ulrick ever found out-"
"I wasn't alone...for long. Remus invited me along with Nyssa and two others. We caught five rabbits. I caught an extra one myself beforehand."
Gavriel stepped in front of Darius, barring his way. "Only six? I'd have expected more than that."
"Yeah, well, the others might have held me back…besides, we probably would have stayed longer out there, but Remus mentioned rumors of Changelings."
"Changelings, did you say?" Gavriel stroked his beard. "I've heard those same rumors. If there really are changelings roaming the Oldwood, then it was best that you all came home when you did."
Darius frowned. "We could have handled Changelings."
"That's what everyone thinks, but never forget that the Changelings have masters that are never far behind."
"You mean the Vampires."
"Aye, my son."
Darius clicked his tongue. "Well, there weren't any Vampire sightings, so I think we're good on that front. Besides, I'm strong enough to handle whatever the Oldwood throws my way."
His father bellowed in approval and clapped his shoulder. "Now that's my boy! You have your father's ability and pride I see, and your mother's…"
Gavriel stopped his praise short, catching them both off guard. Darius stared at his father incredulously. "And my mother's what?"
Gavriel let out a breath. "She would be proud of you, you know. I know things aren't that great for you right now, but if you just keep going, life will get better."
Darius smacked Gavriel's hand off his shoulder angrily. "Avoiding talking about her again...typical." He pushed past Gavriel and headed towards the house, noticing his father sulk behind him. Darius sighed and stopped, looking back. "Are you ever going to tell me about her?"
Gavriel gave Darius a sorrowful look, but he stayed silent. Rage filled his mind, and Darius stalked back towards his father. "For all my life, you've been the only parent I've known, and people have treated me like dirt for that. It started with Ulrick, and now there isn't a day that goes by without someone glaring at me or straight out ignoring me. Why? Don't you think I deserve to know?"
Gavriel stayed silent, and wouldn't look at Darius.
Darius wanted to force his father to talk to him, but he held himself back, clenching his fists at his sides and staring down his father. "Is she dead, is that why you won't tell me?"
Gavriel looked sadly at Darius. "No, son. At least, I don't think she's dead."
Darius was shocked. "You don't...think she's dead? You don't know what happened to her?"
"I know enough," Gavriel said, his tone growing harsher. "I can only hope that she's doing alright now."
Darius stared at Gavriel, not knowing what to make of him. Gavriel broke eye contact first, turning away. "Did Ulrick say anything to you? You've never been this persistent before."
"Ulrick knows?"
Gavriel sighed once more. "He does, though you'll never get him to talk about your mother. He'd rather rip your head off."
"So I've noticed." Suddenly, Darius was tired of trying to pry information out of his father. Gavriel was always a secretive man, and more days than not the mystery of his mother strained his mind and vexed him. Not a day has gone by that Darius hasn't thought about who and where his mother was, it was the one thing in life he wanted to know, more than anything, but it seemed forever out of his reach. "Fine, I'm heading inside."
"Wait, Darius."
"What?"
"Your mother really would be proud of you. She can't see you right now, and maybe she won't be able to for a long time, but I know she desperately wants to. Believe that, if you believe anything I say."
Darius considered his father's words, but grunted and ducked inside his home, leaving his father outside. For all he cared, the Oldwood could take Gavriel and his secrets.
"What kind of mother abandons their child, but still loves them?" He whispered to himself.
Chapter Three: Amara
The Pride was known for their namesake; a clan of arrogant cat shifters. Well, at least that's how the Pack thought of them. Amara was sure the cat shifters of the Pride didn't think so lowly of their actions, which only made it more inherently frustrating when Amara was forced to attend her clan's festivities.
Parties were great and all, but when every male shifter this side of the border tried to force themselves on her merely because she was one of the most attractive women in the Pride, Amara found it easy to lose her temper.
It's the very situation she found herself in now.
"I'm telling you, you're gorgeous! Top-tier! Irreplaceable and irresistible."
"And clearly much too sane to be dealing with your crap," Amara said, hands on her hips. "Now, if you're finished, I think I'll be going."
Amara turned to leave, but the guy grabbed her arm. "Wait, hold on. You need a man, sweetcheeks. Someone to help you de-stress during these stressful times…"
"What stressful times are you talking about? Because I'm pretty damn stressed right now."
The guy waved his arm around at the rest of the festival. Cat shifters danced by an open bonfire; couples eloped behind rocks and the vibrant green foliage of the Oldwood; older cat shifters played dice games in small segmented groups; cubs raced and played all over; and above all, drinking and bellowing in laughter, was Amara's father and mother, and a number of other Pride leaders.
"If I'm not mistaken," the guy began, stepping back to steady himself as he swayed with an empty cup. "You're the daughter of our great Alpha, aren't you?" He squinted his eyes and peered closer, so close that Amara was forced to lean back and wrinkle her nose at the stench of his breath. "You are...right?"
"Yes, I am," Amara growled, placing a hand on the guy's chest and pushing him back. "And you are bothering me. Now leave."
The guy completely ignored her, dropping his cup on the gravel ground and stepping closer. "Come on, babe. How about we go back to my place? I'm sure you'll grow to like me…"
He grabbed her wrist again, pulling her to him, and Amara finally lost it. In one swift motion, Amara kicked the guy in the stomach, forcing him to crumple to his knees and gasp for air, and promptly kneed him in the head, knocking the guy unconscious, his limp body collapsing to the ground.
Amara spat on him, but then noticed the sudden quiet around her. Looking up, countless faces were turned towards her, wide-eyed and concern written all over their faces. Amara turned in a wide circle and pointed at the guy crumpled at her feet. "Anyone else want to try to forcefully sleep with me tonight? Anyone?" Most of the shifters in the crowd smiled at the thought but shook their heads. Some even whistled at her remarks, which only swelled her frustration.
So, Amara turned on her heel and marched off, pushing through crowds to head towards a quieter place to gather her thoughts and blow off some steam.
Red Rock was arid and hot and stuffy, and sweat dripped down Amara's forehead as she scaled the rock formations that made up her home. The sweat also made her thin-skin tunic stick to her skin, and she constantly pulled at the clothes.
Below, the feast raged on, with most of the guests now dancing in large circles, ale passing around in raucous joy.
Amara didn't blame them for celebrating. What wasn't there to celebrate about? For years now, the Pride had been at peace with their western neighbors, the wolf shifters of the Pack, despite the hate that still filled each side. As long as no member from either side crossed the border, everything would be great. Not only that, but harvests were bountiful and hunting in the Oldwood never failed to bring in food. Everything was on the up and up now.
The only thing that wasn't was Amara's place in the Pride.
Daughter of the Alpha and next in line to lead the Pride, her people should be giving her the same respect as her father. So why didn't they? If that guy from earlier was any indication, people only thought of her as a cub that simply played games. Amara was strong and capable, and yet the older she got, the more others treated her like a young, naive little girl.
Amara finally found her quiet place, a small little cave that overlooked the festival below and simultaneously allowed for a charming view of the bright moon that hung in the night sky. Sitting down on the cold rock surface, close to the edge, Amara pulled her legs to her chest and peered out at Oldwood beyond her home.
What could she do to get people to look at her differently? That question weighed heavy on her, her shoulders slumping and mind wandering the more she brooded.
She was so caught in her thoughts that Amara almost didn't notice the massive mountain lion creeping up to her from below. Spotting it, Amara watched it climb, its big eyes staring back as leaped from rock to rock. Eventually, the hulking feline made it to Amara's little cave, and it stood with some clothes in its mouth, watching her, the moonlight casting strange shadows over the floor.
Any normal shifter would flee in terror at the sight of the mountain lion before her, but Amara simply frowned. "What are you doing up here?"
The mountain lion purred as it rounded on Amara, and transformed into the lean and ripped Alpha of the Pride. Amara stared ahead while her father clothed himself behind her, only speaking when he came and sat down beside her. "I could ask you the same thing, cub. I saw what you did to that man-"
Amara shot her father a devastating look, and so her father threw up two hands to show his innocence. "Hold on, I don't blame you. If you hadn't done what you did, I'd have torn into the guy. No shifter treats my daughter like a...well, you know, under my watch."
Amara rolled her eyes. "Please, father. I can handle myself."
"I know you can, so why did you run away?"
Run away? That last question visibly irked her, and she shivered when a breeze swept by. "I didn't…"
"You did, cub. I was actually surprised."
"I didn't run away! I just wanted to be alone for a little bit, get away from all the laughing and drunk idiots. And..."
Her father smiled at her, a handsome smile. It was the kind of smile that always made Amara feel safe and comforted in her father's presence, and she was no stranger to those feelings now. "Amara, you're a woman grown. Drunk male idiots are going to be a part of your daily life now."
Amara accidentally let a smile appear on her face, making her father chuckle when she swiped it from her lips.
"You can try and look strong around me, cub, but I know you, know what you're like."
"Stop calling me cub." Amara snapped. Her father chuckled once more. Amara eyed him. "What do you think I'm really like? How do you see me?"
Her father observed her for a few moments. "On the outside, you're strong, fierce, agile. You are my daughter, so that's to be expected."
"And yet I don't command the same kind of respect you do."
"That's because you haven't done anything to earn that respect."
Amara jerked her head up. "Then what kind of action e
arns respect?"
Her father chuckled, his mane of tawny hair whipping over his shoulder. "Strength and ability are plentiful around here. Every single shifter in our clan is both a hunter and warrior. Hunters earn respect by providing food from good hunts in the Oldwood. Warriors earn respect by keeping our home safe. Red Rock needs both providers and saviors."
"So you want me to simply catch deer in the Oldwood, and then magically people will see me in a different light?"
Her father placed a hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm, almost casually so. In that one grip, Amara understood precisely how her father felt. "I want you to protect our people, Amara. To do the impossible when the impossible is required. That's what it means to be a leader of the Pride."
Amara stayed quiet, thinking about her father's words. Finally, she looked back up at her father. "But what do I protect our clan from?"
Her father groaned, and he looked off into the distance. "There's always the Pack, but they're too cowardly to ever try and cross the border. Besides that, there are the Vampires down south, in the Blackwood, but after they conquered the Bear Clan and claimed the Blackwood for their own, they've never gone further north. At the moment, there's nothing to be wary of, but you still need to be vigilant."
Wolves? Vampires? They both seemed like tall tales to Amara; not once in her life did she ever meet someone from either species. Were they really that dangerous? Amara frowned. No, they couldn't be. Wolves were cowards and weak, and Vampires...well, they just weren't interested in anything other than the Blackwood.
"There is one thing that you should focus on right now, Amara. Something that could make or break your eventual rule as Alpha."
Amara cocked her head up in surprise. "Care to explain?"
Her father grinned in that fun, jesting way he always wore. "I'm talking about finding you a mate, of course."
Amara's cheeks flushed at the sudden realization of what her father was suggesting, and Amara choked while her father laughed. "Father!"
"I told you, didn't I? You're a woman grown, and soon to be the Alpha of the Pride. I'm growing old, and feeble."
