Before packing up his life into the back of his truck—and after accepting the Council's offer—Dimitri did a quick search of Bull Creek on the Internet. A man named Hopkins had originally purchased the land and built a small railroad to move timber to his sawmill in Melbourne to the east. For about a decade, he heavily logged the area, mostly for the land's cypress. Today, Bull Creek makes up about 23,000 acres, having suffered from corrupt politicians until the Paranormal Council made them a deal they couldn't refuse. Mostly a sanctuary and agricultural area, the waters of the area feed the Saint Johns River. The environment was perfect for shifters and a little rugged for those without an edge to them. The humans who lived out there had to be ready to do without a lot of life's amenities and to stock up on the necessities. The closest grocer was over thirty minutes away. The only thing convenient about the area was the protection the isolation offered from the rest of the world, the s

Neal wandered the gravel roads of Bull Creek, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he shuffled down one street to the next, soaking in the various cabins and how everyone decorated them, soaked in the massive oaks, cypress, and towering pines that dappled the skyline as he walked. He never realized how much he missed before, ignoring what surrounded him because of what Tina shoved in his face. He had lost sight of the people he was there to lead and protect, the real people and not the illusion she whispered in his ear. Shame filled him at how lost he had allowed himself to become.The morning sun filtered through the overhead branches, offering a scattering of shade as the Florida heat began to rise. June, and it was hot as hell. However, August would be worse, and not even December would bring a cool spell to balance the heat. The heat was something he wouldn't miss when he left. Sweating before eight in the morning should never be the norm.He sighed as he turned down Journigan Road,

"Alanna!" Wes yelled. His voice brought the redhead up short, her arm still high in the air, a murderous look on her face. "Not on my floor," he said, pointing a finger at her.Dimitri turned to Wes, his eyes wide with shock. Not on his floor? He glanced over at Josh, a puzzled look on his face, but his friend just shrugged. Wes stormed around the bar, making his way to where the woman had the man pinned down. The sandy-haired woman behind her still remained pressed against the wall, her eyes wide, body shaking, as she stared at the man on the ground. Dimitri didn't need to know what happened to know it wasn't good."Isn't that one of the men we saw in that clearing earlier?" Josh asked, setting his beer bottle back on the bar, glancing over at Dimitri.Dimitri stared harder at the man through narrowed eyes. "I think you're right. C'mon. This may be more than a man getting his hand slapped."They both slid off their stools and followed the bartender to where the redhead still ground t

"Just couldn't wait until I got down there before you stirred some shit up, could you?" Lainie said through the phone. "There's only two of you down there, remember? What happens if this coyote pack tries something?""I think I know a redhead who's pretty good in a fight," Dimitri said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.He sighed as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips and took a sip, the dark liquid burning his lips and throat as he listened to his sister rant into the phone. Nothing like that first sip in the morning. Of course, he would have enjoyed it more if Lainie wasn't chewing him out for not waiting on her before confronting the coyotes. He had filled her in on what Josh and he stumbled upon in the forest while scoping out the area, as well as his run in with Augur last night at Everglades. Josh and he sat at the bar after that, a couple of the others joining them, asking questions before shaking their heads, saying they needed to see it to believe it, and wandering

Josh pulled the rake across the leaf-strewn ground, mumbling the entire time about the stupidity of having a bonfire in the middle of summer and raking the woods. He stood, staring at the ground. I'm actually raking the forest floor. This is nuts. Yet, he kept raking the leaves into a pile off to the side, making sure there was a cleared area where Dimitri could have his silly fire. Even in the heat, it beat the thick sulfur smell of the pulp mill he had to endure every day back in Draven Falls.After a while, he heard shuffling off to the side behind a small set of birch trees. He had been so focused on his grumbling, he almost missed it. He stood straight, holding the rake with both hands as he wondered about the sanity of being alone in an area filled with coyotes who wanted him gone. He took a sniff of the air, trying to detect…a wolf? He only knew of one wolf in the area so far. Alanna. His panther purred within, and Josh felt a stirring in his groin.With a deep breath, Josh rela