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disappointment that the water was not helping her pain at all. If anything, since
she was just sitting there instead of her mind racing with what her next move
would be, she now noticed the pain even more.
    After she carefully washed the dirt and blood off of
her she got out of the tub. She was really beginning to feel ill now on top of
the pain. When she stood up a wave of dizziness, far worse than before, hit
her. She leaned over the toilet and emptied her stomach once again. Her whole
body ached even more, and she felt feverish. When she looked out of the
bathroom door her vision wavered and blurred. “Great. Just
fucking great. On top of this pain I am getting the damn flu.” She began
to wonder if she should have gone to be checked out. It had not been long
enough for infection or rabies to set in. It had to be a virus of some kind.
    ****
    Michael waited until Myra was able to get away from
the motel she and Warren ran together before he started the meeting. Several of
the shifters eyed him worriedly as they waited.   He hated that he was causing them anxiety. Meetings called without
notice were usually bad news, but fortunately this time there was not a feral
shifter on a killing spree, wraiths, or hunters that thought they could catch
some creature. The shifters in his territory were a tightly knit clan that
wanted to live in peace. They had all heard the stories out of Alaska and
Cascade mountain ranges of human hunters hearing stories of shape shifting
animals and hunting for a prize. They had not had much trouble here, but they
were all very careful to take care of any accidental human exposure. Tampering
with the human’s memory was exhausting for Michael, but it kept his people
safe.
    Myra walked in and eyed him warily. Her normal
cheerful demeanor was replaced by a fearful one. “Myra, lock the door please,” Michael
asked her.   They met in the veterans’
lodge since that was the best indoor place to hold everyone, and they could
secure the doors so none of the human residents could accidently stumble on a
shifter meeting.
    Myra hung the sign outside that read “Closed for a
private party” and locked the door.
    “Do we have hunters?” Blair, the little fox who owned
the coffee and pastry shop, asked as she glanced at Myra. Myra lost her brother
and mate in one night to hunters. Blair had lost the love of her life, Cole, as
well. Not to the Goddess, but because the idiot man allowed fear to drive him
from her. It all happened that horrible night Brian and Nathan were gunned down
by hunters.
    Myra sat next to Blair and Warren. Blair gasped. “I am
so sorry, Myra. I know you do not need that memory brought up again.”
    Myra waved at Blair to dismiss her worry. “Don’t worry
about it.” Myra took Warren’s hand. Michael had always felt that Cole
witnessing Brian’s death, along with Myra’s emotional collapse afterwards, was the
cause of him leaving Blair. Michael needed to think of a way to get those two
to talk. He had no reason to force her to spend time with Cole. She was careful
to never do anything that would earn her judgment or punishment. He would think
more on it later, but for now they had more urgent matters.
    “I heard there was trouble out by the lake. Did a
feral shifter start killing campers?” the old mountain lion, Tom called out.
    “Are we in danger?” Gayle, the librarian, asked
fearfully.
    Michael held up his hand for silence. The shifters in
the room all calmed and turned their attention to him. Some were grim and
looked ready to fight, if needed, while others looked ready to run like
frightened rabbits. “There was an incident up by the lake. Two women were attacked
by Lucas.”
    Several women gasped and started chattering. They
quieted when the sheriff cleared his throat, which was his way of telling them
to be quiet and pay attention.
    “One was killed, and the other is injured. It is the
injured one that brings us to this meeting. She ran away before Cole or any