by Cloe Cullen
Amara clutched her wrists nervously as she watched the standoff. Remus glanced between the two groups, until he finally cursed and shifted forms into a blonde wolf, padding over to stand beside Darius. All three glared and growled at the Alpha. The Alpha eyed each one and then glanced at Amara. He growled low, and yapped in frustration, even turning in circles and barking at the three, but no one else moved. The Alpha growled once more before letting out a huff of breath. He transformed back into his human form a second later, standing before them all in his naked glory and sitting down on the ground cross-legged, with his arms crossing his chest. He waited for the other three to change back before speaking.
"I want an explanation, now!" The Alpha bellowed. Darius, Remus, and the third man Amara didn't know all looked between each other, but Darius was the one who stepped forward.
"Allow me to explain."
Chapter Fifteen: Darius
Darius couldn't keep track of how many times he had to explain his journey to other shifters in the last few days. The first was to Amara if he recalled, and then he had to explain to her father. Next was Remus, and then his father. He was beginning to notice a pattern in his choice of shifters to trust.
Either way, that didn't stop him from giving Ulrick every detail of his journey so far, of his first contact with the Changelings and Orpheus, of how he was nearly killed by Torian, Alpha of the Pride (Ulrick grinned at this part), and how he and Amara came back to Gray Creek to petition Ulrick with the truth of their situation.
Ulrick scoffed. "That's what you came all this way to tell me? You truly are a brainless mutt, Darius."
"Ulrick!" Gavriel growled. "Hold your tongue. We've learned valuable information from my son this day." Gavriel glanced to Darius and nodded, a smile forming on his father's lips.
It still felt unreal to see Gavriel after the few days Darius was gone. Strangely, it had almost felt like Darius would never see his father again, but now that he sat just a foot away from the shifter who raised him, Darius understood the gravity of being able to talk with him again. It wouldn't be a stretch to see his father still doing okay.
"We already know about the Changelings," Ulrick said. "And we all know that the Vampires control them. None of this is new."
"But now we know exactly which Vampire is responsible for this mess," Gavriel retorted. He turned to Darius. "What did you say his name was again?"
"Orpheus. Like I said, after Amara and I beat him back, he swore revenge on both our peoples."
"So, this is all your fault, then," Ulrick growled. "If you hadn't attacked that damn Vampire, he wouldn't be trying to slaughter us all."
"He would have murdered two little cubs." Darius glared at Ulrick. "I wasn't ready to let innocents die because of my actions."
"Let them die!" Ulrick bellowed. "The lives of cubs shouldn't matter to wolves."
Behind Darius, Amara stepped forward. "Are you kidding me? What is wrong with you?"
Ulrick growled at Amara boring his gaze into her. "Shut your mouth, cat shifter. You are nothing but a nuisance here."
"She is here trying to help us," Darius countered. "It's not her fault you're too stubborn to accept the help she's offering."
Ulrick's visage changed from tame to full on rage once more, and so Remus had to grab his father's arm and force him to calm down, though it didn't really work. Ulrick threw off his son's attempt, his voice booming without concern. "We do not need help from our enemy!" Ulrick hissed the last word out as if it were poison on his tongue. "This girl should be slaughtered where she stands."
In a move that infuriated Ulrick further, Gavriel looked to Amara, his gaze warm and friendly. His natural reaction to Amara seemed odd to Darius. "What was the state of Red Rock when you left? Were there any Changeling attacks outside of when you met Orpheus?"
Shocked by his good nature, Amara shook her head. "When we left it was peaceful. I broke Darius out of jail, and I'm sure that once news of our departure spread my father ordered our people to search the land for us both. We didn't see any other Changelings until we crossed the border once more."
Gavriel scratched his chin. "That doesn't mean there aren't any attacks going on right now."
Amara looked down, in what Darius could only assume was worry. Darius wanted to hold her, to reassure her that her people, and her family, would be safe.
"Why does it matter how well they are doing, Gavriel? Have you grown soft again? They are our enemies! We should be wishing for their downfall."
Gavriel leveled a look at Ulrick. "Both clans will perish if we do not start thinking of a solution. If you remember what happened to the Bear Clan, then you are a fool to think it is wise to wish for the downfall of our only potential at surviving Orpheus' onslaught."
Ulrick looked at Gavriel as if the world had split in two. "Are you mad, Gavriel? You cannot be insinuating what I think you are."
"Then you are dumb and deaf as well," Gavriel countered. "Because I'm not insinuating anything. I'm saying we need to work together, both clans. Right now, we are holding our own, but clearly, Orpheus will not be satisfied with a few dead shifters. That is not revenge. Revenge would be to wipe us all out and take the Oldwood like they took the Blackwood."
The two older shifters steeled themselves and growled at each other while Darius, Remus, and Amara blinked, trying to make sense of what Gavriel just suggested.
Remus shook his head first, gazing in wonder at Gavriel. "I'm sorry, what did you just say? I don't think I heard that quite right."
Turning his attention to Remus, Gavriel explained. "Based on how Darius described Orpheus, I can wager that he won't be satisfied as things are. He'll want to crush us all, and we can't guarantee he's acting alone either. Years ago, the Bear Clan inhabited the Blackwood, and they were numerous and strong, but when the Vampires arrived from across the sea, the Bear Clan could barely put up a fight. And only thirteen Vampires invaded the Blackwood. If all thirteen attempt to take over the Oldwood, like they did the Blackwood, do you think we'd survive splintered?"
Remus frowned. "No, I suppose not."
"We can try," Ulrick interjected. "And if we cannot prevail, then it is not our destiny to survive. But it is a grave sin to even suggest we make an alliance with the Pride. Gavriel, you are out of your mind."
"I support the plan," Darius broke in. "Amara's father recognized the truth in our voices, despite his decision in the end...if we come to him, and talk the situation through, then maybe he'll listen."
Amara nodded. "It'll help if it comes from me. He can't refuse his own daughter after all this."
Ulrick pounded the ground with his fist. "Traitors! All of you!" He turned his attention to Gavriel. "Was it not enough that you had to betray me the first time, Gavriel, but now you further salt my wounds? Have you no shame?"
Darius cocked his head at Ulrick's words. The first time? What did his father do to betray Ulrick exactly?
Gavriel held his ground. "I will not apologize for my actions in the past, nor for the decisions I am making now, Ulrick. Back then, I never betrayed anyone, I simply fell in love…" Darius eyed Gavriel suspiciously, earning a flickering gaze from his father. "And I will not apologize now, either, since I'm thinking of all of our well beings here. Neither clan deserves to die simply because you are too stubborn to accept this truth. Orpheus will slowly but surely mow us down, one by one if he has to, but his army will never stop coming until we finish off Orpheus for good, and to do that, we need the Pride on our side. But we need you to set up the meeting, as I'm sure the Pride's Alpha will not accept an invitation from anyone else."
Ulrick spat in the dirt. "Then your plan is doomed to fail. I will never call on the Pride like a beggar. You'd have to kill me first."
For a split second, Darius saw a glint in Gavriel's eyes, something he'd never seen before, and Ulrick saw it too because both men tensed up.
The tense mood suddenly lifted when screams and shouts permeated the air. Remus leaped to his feet, stomping away and
staring into the Oldwood. Everyone looked with him, listening. More screams and yells and howls filled the air, and to top it off a wolf shifter female came running towards them. She howled desperately for help, and Remus caught her in his arms as she tripped forward.
"What's wrong?" He asked, frantic. The woman sobbed in his arms, but she looked up. "Gray Creek is under attack...it's like nothing I've ever seen... there are hundreds of Changelings...and...and…"
"And what?" Remus asked.
"There are two Vampires…" the shifter said. The gravity of this revelation sent Darius, Gavriel, and Ulrick to their feet, and Amara stepped up next to Darius. "They're tearing the place apart, all in the name of another Vampire named Orpheus."
Remus cursed, and the female shifter latched onto his shoulder. "Please! My son is back there. I'm not a warrior...I'm just a hunter. You need to save him!"
Remus took a deep breath and smiled, trying to calm the woman down. It worked, the woman was mesmerized. "We'll go find your son, and stop those Vampires while we're at it. Everything will be fine now, okay?" The woman nodded, wiping tears from her cheek. "Good, now I know a lot is happening right now, but you need to listen to me carefully. You see that girl over there?" He pointed at Amara, surprising everyone. "She's a cat shifter. I don't have time to explain what she's doing here, but she's on our side. She'll keep you safe for right now, okay?"
Darius stepped forward. "Remus…"
"Trust me, Dare."
Darius exchanged a worried look with Amara, but Amara stepped forward anyway. At first, the female wolf shifter recoiled, but gradually she was able to get out of Remus' arms and stand face to face with Amara.
Remus glanced at Darius and Gavriel. "We'll go on ahead, let’s not keep Gray Creek waiting, guys."
Remus shifted forms, bounding off towards Gray Creek, his blonde fur vanishing instantly. Ulrick's frown only deepened, but he remained quiet as he followed in his son's footsteps.
Darius watched as Amara held out her hand for the female wolf shifter to take. "My name's Amara, and yes, I'm a cat shifter. Like Remus said, I'm on your side. My people were attacked as well. Two little cubs, in fact. But Darius came to the cub's rescue, so I'm returning the favor now."
The female cat shifter quietly watched Amara, but eventually, she reached her hand forward and gripped hers in Amara's. Amara smiled sweetly, making Darius think of how kind she would be to their eventual offspring. Darius wasn't the least bit surprised his mind wandered that far into the future.
"Are you alright, letting me protect you?" Amara asked.
The female shifter nodded quickly.
"Good." She turned to Darius. "Go on ahead, we'll catch up."
Darius reluctantly nodded, wary of leaving Amara alone in Gray Creek. Gavriel placed a hand on his son's shoulder for reassurance. "Don't worry, they'll both be alright. If I know anything about cat shifters, they are relentless when it comes to survival."
"How do you know? You sound as if you've interacted with cat shifters outside of slaughtering them."
Gavriel faltered but looked ta Amara. "It's complicated, but before we head off, I want to ask you something."
Darius turned but readied himself to answer whatever Gavriel threw his way.
"Was there a red-headed cat shifter among the shifters in Red Rock? Anyone that stood out?"
Darius, confused, nodded. "A red-headed woman. She seemed familiar to me, though I couldn't quite place why. She reacted strangely to me too. Why?"
A look of relief escaped Gavriel, but he didn't give Darius the answer he wanted. "I will tell you later. Come, we must make our way to Gray Creek."
Annoyed with his father's answer, Darius did as he was bid, shifting into his wolf form. He exchanged one last look with Amara before heading off into the Oldwood and then forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. One way or another, Gray Creek's fate laid in his hands now.
Chapter Sixteen: Amara
It was an odd feeling to look after a grown wolf shifter. The woman placed in Amara's care was wary of Amara, which made perfect sense, So Amara tried to give her space when needed. After Darius and the others ran off towards Gray Creek, Amara stood trying to coax the woman to come with Amara to Gray Creek.
"You want to go back for your son, don't you?" Amara asked the woman. "How old is he?"
The woman looked at Amara blankly, as if trying to hide her emotions. "Only a few years. His father was off hunting when the Changelings attacked, and I couldn't find my son in the chaos that followed...so I came out here looking for the Alpha. I saw him run off just before the attack."
"Well, everything will be alright now."
"Will it?" She asked. Her gaze boring into Amara. "How is everything going to be okay? I can't even fathom what's happening. Changelings just started attacking a few days ago, and now they're mounting full-on assaults with two Vampires? And to top it all off, a cat shifter is in our territory, something that shouldn't be allowed."
Amara saw the concern in the woman's eyes, and she looked away. "I'm here to try and broker peace between our two clans. I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable…"
The woman held herself, watching Amara with a curiosity.
"Can you lead me to Gray Creek?" Amara asked. When the woman didn't respond, Amara pleaded once again. "Please, I only want to help."
The woman eyed her again but nodded. "Okay, if it means you'll help find my son."
"Of course!"
Amara followed as the woman lead her through the Oldwood and to Gray Creek. Howls and barking resonated through the misty air as they came closer, the sounds heightening until they finally came to an archway that the woman described as the front of the village. In the distance, Amara spied black furred wolves clashing with others, blood spraying and bones crunching. Wolves tackled and wrestled with other wolves all over, crashing into wooden houses and a pond that sat in the middle of the area. She stopped and hid them both behind a bush, trying to keep them from being seen.
The woman suddenly became excited, pointing at something. "There! That's my son!"
Among the fighting, Amara spotted a little pup shaking under a wooden home. A group of Changelings and wolf shifter warriors battled nearby. One Changeling was thrown into the side of the structure, scaring the pup. The Changeling, struggling to its feet, sniffed the air and spied the pup underneath the home, and immediately tried to get at the pup, crouching down and swiping underneath.
The woman next to Amara cried out, and without hesitation Amara burst from their hiding spot, quickly shifting into her cougar form and rushing forward, roaring at the Changeling. The Changeling noticed Amara but was too late to react in time as Amara leaped and bit her fangs into the beast's neck, killing it instantly.
Standing up, she noticed her presence had an immediate effect on the area around her. Most wolf shifters within her immediate vicinity stared at her in shock, but none got the chance to react, as the Changelings charged them and took away their attention from Amara.
While chaos ensued around them, the woman from before ran up to Amara's side, calling and coaxing the pup out of his hiding spot. He crawled out once he saw his mother, and clung to her. Amara stood watch while the two caught up, and the woman turned back to Amara. "Thank you so much!"
Amara shifted back to her naked human form, her mind racing as she tried to take in sounds and scents from every direction. "There's no time to thank me! Come on, go find somewhere else to hide!"
The woman nodded, clutching her pup in her arms and racing away. Amara followed to make sure nothing attacked them on the way. A group of wolf shifters was forming a group deep within the trees, hiding out from the battle happening in front of their eyes. Amara saw elderly, men, women, children, and a group of warriors surrounding and protecting a perimeter around them. The woman pointed, and Amara nodded, both racing towards the group.
Once there, a warrior came over to help. "Come here and be quick about it! You'll be safe here as long as-" He sniffed the air, a
nd stared at Amara. A cold sweat formed on Amara's back. "You...who are you? What are you doing in our land?"
The warrior poised himself to attack, but the woman stepped in front of him. "Stop! She helped my son and me. She's a friend."
He eyed them both, glancing nervously between the woman and Amara, but eventually, he gave in. "Fine! But if you try anything funny, stranger, then we'll take your life."
"Sound reasonable," Amara said. "Where's the main fighting?"
Wary, the shifter pointed ahead of them. "That direction. That's where the biggest concentration of the Changelings are, and where the two Vampires are. Right now, the Alpha and some others are fighting them."
Amara took off quickly, shifting forms and leaving the warrior and shifters behind her stunned. If the Alpha were fighting the Vampires, then that’s where Darius would be. Amara needed to be by his side, and she couldn't stand not knowing if he was alright or not.
Arriving at her destination, Amara saw that her instincts were right. Out of the misty air and endless amount of wolf shifters and Changelings, she spotted Darius' gray form materialize across the village. Fighting by his side were two blonde wolves, which Amara could only assume was Remus and someone else. Another gray wolf fought a pair of Changelings nearby; that had to be Gavriel. And the Alpha of the Pack struggled in the center of the area, lunging and swiping at two pale and lanky beings.
Vampires…
The very sight of them reminded her of Orpheus, cold in nature and smiling at other's pain, and now there were two of them. Both female, one raven-haired and dressed in all black, and the other brown-haired and slightly smaller. Their red eyes searched the battlefield as they fought, easily dodging and dancing through each and every attack. Amara was mesmerized. Their battle dance was almost beautiful if she weren't witnessing a slaughter in the making.
