The musty smell of damp earth tickled Zephyra Callahan’s nose, and she had to resist the urge to rub

The room broke out in whispers again. “A female alpha? Is that really possible?” The speaker sounded as stunned as Zephyra felt. She looked at the three men, curious to see their reactions, and again was surprised. They appeared to accept the woman’s claim as alpha. Furthermore, they looked proud and ready to challenge anyone who would say otherwise.

It was only a few minutes’ drive to Angie’s, and the only conversation until they pulled into the parking lot consisted of giving directions. The brick diner sat at one of the town’s most busy intersections. Its neighbors were a pharmacy, a gas station, and a car factory. This made it the go-to spot. It also helped that Angie was willing to hire and serve anyone as long as they knew how to behave. She didn’t care if you were an aberration or a norm.

Looking at the animals, Zephyra knew there at least were some deer, possum, coyote, and even skunks. Some even looked young, born a month or two ago at most. Bile rose in her throat, and her stomach flipped, landing with a sickening flop. Zephyra covered her nose and mouth again, wondering what could have done this. She took a few steps back from the pile of carcasses when she heard a sound coming from her right. Acting on pure instinct, Zephyra grabbed an arrow from her quiver, notched it, and drew it, ready to fire.

“Disgusting, vile creatures,” Mom spat, almost slamming her mug down onto the table. “I knew it! I knew those shifters were going to be trouble!”Zephyra sighed and then frowned. Perhaps telling her mother about the animals was a bad idea. Zephyra looked at her mother as she continued to fu