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seemingly unaware of the danger he was in should the claws make contact. Clay missed, his momentum causing him to stagger, and James spun and landed a kick in Clay’s side that sent him flying across the room with a sickening crunch. Clay seemed to change back to normal in seconds.
     
    James walked and stood over him. “You know the penalty for losing a fight, Clay. Especially one forbidden by Clan Law. You’re hereby exiled. Now get out of here and never let me see you again. Next time, you won’t live to walk away.” James landed another vicious kick in the man’s side, making Clay cry in pain. There was no telling how many broken ribs he had.
     
    James opened the door, and Ethan leaned down and picked up two of the thugs, lifting them as though they weighed nothing, and tossed them through the door. The two of them systematically picked up the fallen fighters and deposited them onto the street outside, before turning to the overturned furniture. “Well, this will be hard to explain,” James said.
     
    Ethan looked up and made eye contact with me. “Maybe not as hard as you think.”
     
    James followed his gaze to my bewildered stare, and sighed. “Well then.”
     
    I didn’t know what to say. The two of them were as nonchalant as if they had only asked for coffee, rather than beaten an entire gang of thugs senseless on their own. What was wrong with them? Actually, what were they? James turned one of the table and its chairs upright, and then gestured for me to come sit down. “Liz, I have some things to explain to you.”
     
    Ethan shot him a surprised look, and it was one of the few times I’d seen genuine expression cross Ethan’s face. “Are you sure about that, James?”
     
    He only nodded. “After what she’s seen, nothing but the truth will suffice.”
     
    I took my seat next to James, and Ethan sat down across from us. Now that I was close, I noticed a few scratches and bruises that both of them bore. Still, considering the state of injuries the others involved had, I’d say they got off easy. “You’re hurt!”
     
    “It’s nothing,” James said dismissively. “Now, tell me what you say.”
     
    I relayed the story back to him from my perspective, that I had seen a man seemingly transform into a…large cat. Or at least partially. James only nodded in agreement, murmuring encouragement to me as I continued to talk. When I finally finished, he said, “You aren’t far off. That man was a shifter.”
     
    “Like…a shapeshifter?” It seemed unbelievable, like something out of science fiction.
     
    “Yes,” said James. “They do exist, despite what society at large believes.”
     
    “What did he mean when you called you the alpha? And what did you mean about Pack Law?”
     
    Ethan chuckled. “She’s a lot more perceptive than even you thought, James.”
     
    James ignored his friend, continuing to explain the situation to me. “Well, it means that I’m a shifter too, for starters. They call me the alpha. I’m the leader of a pack. It’s the most desired position, similar to CEO or president, I suppose. I resolve disputes, handle feuds, etc. I’m basically king.” As he said that, James allowed just a glimmer of arrogance to shine through. Ethan scoffed and rolled his eyes. “To become the alpha,” James continued, “You must defeat the current leader in combat. That means that young upstarts are always attempting to take me on. Clay was no different, with one exception: he split off from the pack and formed a splinter group. They’ve been chasing me and Ethan ever since.”
     
    I shook my head, trying to take in all of the information. “So, assuming I take this all to be true,” I said, “Then you two are running?”
     
    Ethan laughed. “Not at all. Like we said, we’re just traveling. Those idiots are the ones who wanted to follow us.” He turned somber for a moment. “I do apologize for the mess we made to your restaurant, Liz.”
     
    I shook my head.