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“I wish I had your confidence,” Dillon said. “Some just aren’t as strong as others. Plus, if the hunters capture a family and threaten to torture the children or loved ones, someone is going to talk.”
“You make it sound like total devastation is inevitable,” Ethan said.
“Sometimes I fear that,” Dillon said.
“Let’s hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Ethan replied.
“That is what I’ve been trying to do,” Dillon said. “That’s all that we really can do.”
Daniel came into the store several hours later. He looked around to make sure that there was no one present.
“How are things going, Daniel?” Ethan said.
“Ethan. It’s been forever since I’ve seen you. What brings you to our world?”
“The dragon king sent me as kind of an ambassador,” Ethan said.
“Gotcha,” Daniel said. “How is that going?”
“Everyone is scared but resolved that they won’t be pushed out of their homes,” Ethan said.
“I can understand that,” Daniel said. “I’ll die fighting before they force me to leave.”
“That is the general consensus.”
“What’s up?” Dillon asked.
“Bernie, some of the others, and I have been doing some patrols on the mountain,” Daniel said. “We noticed that there is a major increase in the number of hunters, especially in certain areas. Crystal and the mercenary were out nosing around one of the more popular areas for people to shift.”
“I wonder how they found out about that,” Dillon said. “Did they just happen to come across the area and see someone shifting or did Andy tell them about the place while they were torturing him?”
“I don’t know,” Daniel said. “But Bernie scratched marks in the trees all around the area as a warning.”
The bear claw marks in the trees would warn shifters that the area was dangerous for them and that they should stay away from it.
“Hopefully, none are shifting in the woods here, anyway,” Ethan said. “We’ve warned everyone that the hunters are out and about, watching everyone closely.”
“Most people understand the dangers,” Daniel said. “But I’m afraid for those who think that they can outsmart the hunters and not get caught. They are going to be the first ones who get caught.”
“Just make sure that you guys are very careful when you shift to go on patrols,” Dillon said.
“We are. But I’m not just speaking for myself when I say that if the hunters do happen to catch me, I’ll die fighting on that mountain. They won’t have a chance to take me anywhere for their torture sessions. Hopefully, I take one or two of them with me,” Daniel said.
“Let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that,” Dillon said.
17
Clara
“This is the third night in a row that you and Ethan have gone out,” Clara said. “I take it that things are going well between you two.”
Charlie took a deep breath and sighed.
“I think that I messed up and that I’m in trouble,” Charlie said.
Immediately concerned, Clara said, “Why, what’s the matter?”
“I know that Ethan isn’t ready for a serious relationship, but I’m falling for him, anyway,” Charlie said. “I can’t tell him how I feel because I already know that he isn’t ready for a serious relationship.”
