3. Dan #4
Dan’s eyes widened. “Yes. I’m the Dover Demon. Daemon, really, not infernal.”
Jeffries chuckled. “I understand. Since you’re here, I’m guessing you’ve heard about Fox Hollow and the Fox Sisters, how we became a sanctuary for ‘special’ people.”
“A little. I wanted to make sure I’d be safe here…and welcome. Liam said I needed to talk to you.” Dan felt relieved to get the words out. “I’m not going to look like anyone else, but I swear I don’t hurt people and I won’t harm the other shifters.”
Jeffries paused as if he was listening to someone only he could hear, and Dan guessed that was a real possibility.
“No, I don’t believe you would hurt anyone.
Even our shifters who are more dangerous creatures—wolves, coyotes, bears and the like—follow a simple, essential rule. Thou shalt not eat thy neighbor.”
Dan smiled. “I can agree to that. Is it okay to hunt the occasional non-shifter rabbit? Sorry, I’m just kidding. I’m pretty sure my daemon is an herbivore.”
Jeffries chuckled. “While we don’t sanction sport hunting, we understand the nature of our carnivore shifters. They don’t have to resort to chicken unless they want to. No rules on roots and berries. Who have you met in town so far?”
“Quinn, the park ranger,” Dan replied. “Liam at the library, and my leasing agent, Lisa.”
“Good first picks,” Jeffries validated. “Quinn is relatively new in the area, but he’s been here long enough to know his way around, and he can be a big help to you.
” He paused again, as if listening to that same silent voice.
“Yes, I think you two will do well together,” he added, and the twinkle in his eye made it clear he understood.
“Most of our folks come here from somewhere else and find where they belong,” Jeffries went on. “Liam has been here longer than most. He and his partner, Russ Lowe, are also good to help you get settled.”
That’s encouraging. Maybe Fox Hollow is accepting in more than one way.
“You think people here would accept me, even though I’m not the regular kind of shifter?” Dan knew his nervousness showed.
“I think that if you prove yourself to be a good neighbor, no one will care whether or how you shift,” Jeffries told him.
Dan let out a deep breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding. “Okay. Good. That’s…good. Because I just don’t think I can stay in Dover any longer.”
“I hope you realize that when it comes to being a ‘monster,’ it’s what you do, not what you are,” Jeffries said. “There are plenty of people who fit that description, and very few cryptids.”
Something Dan had learned through being part of the Monster Network was that there were others like him who didn’t deserve the fear and threats that came with being different.
The network certainly didn’t include all sentient cryptids, but it had enough members to represent a variety of creatures, including some who had become legends.
“I also have better-than-average foresight about the weather,” Dan ventured. “Quinn said that the institute might have ways I could learn how to use it better and develop what I can do.”
Jeffries smiled. “We certainly do, and once you get settled, I can connect you with people who can teach you how to make the most of your abilities. Once you don’t feel like you have to hide, it’s very freeing to embrace your gifts.”
Gifts, Dan thought. Not curse or dangerous freaky stuff. My weather sense and Wally are gifts.
Of course I am, Wally commented. It’s about time you noticed.
Dan left Jeffries’s office with a promise to keep in touch and reach out once he had moved. He left the Fox Institute with a lighter heart.
New town, new house and maybe a new love. This could work, Dan mused.
He checked his watch and realized it was nearly time to meet Quinn for dinner. Dan walked down by the lake and paused to sit on a bench, staring out at the water.
It would be great to finally feel safe somewhere, to feel at home, for Wally and me. And if Quinn turns out to be my forever person, true mate, that would be more than I ever hoped could happen. He couldn’t help but think back to Jeffries’s comment and hoped he wasn’t interpreting it wrong.
I’ll go back to Dover tomorrow and pack up. Anything that won’t fit in the car, I’ll worry about later. I just want to be done and gone from there for good.
When it was time to meet Quinn for dinner, Dan was in higher spirits than he had felt for a long time. His mood soared when Quinn greeted him with a quick kiss before picking him up to drive to the restaurant.
“We’ve got something to celebrate,” Quinn told him. “We’re headed for the best steakhouse in these parts, if that’s okay with you.”
Dan grinned. “Sounds like a great plan to me.”
Riker’s Steak House looked like it had been a fixture in the area for decades. Dan’s stomach rumbled when he smelled grilling meat in the air. The parking lot was already full.
“I’m not the only one who thinks their food is good,” Quinn said as he parked. “Don’t worry, I made a reservation.”
Dan’s heart skipped a beat as Quinn casually took his hand when they entered, like the gesture was no big deal. Dan froze, glancing around to see if anyone was going to make a nasty comment, but no one seemed to care.
“Okay?” Quinn gave him a questioning look.
“Better than okay.” Dan forced himself to relax and keep their hands linked.
The interior was as unpretentious as the outside, clean but clearly showing signs of use over many years.
“Everything is good,” Quinn said when the server brought menus. “This is my treat. Order what looks the most tempting.”
Dan ordered the filet mignon while Quinn went for a sirloin. A salad, sautéed mushrooms, and a huge baked potato went with each meal. To Dan’s delight, everything was as good as Quinn promised. For a while, they focused on eating more than conversation.
“How was your day?” Dan enjoyed the strange sensation of feeling comfortable enough with a companion to not have first-date jitters.
“Pretty normal,” Quinn replied. “I worked on a presentation for the library on raccoons and another one on possums, part of my series trying to get people to recognize how important the underappreciated animals are, even if they aren’t sexy. It’s kind of like being an interspecies ambassador.”
“That’s pretty cool,” Dan said. “Are there any strange creatures that live in the Adirondacks?”
“How strange?” Quinn smirked.
“Some people might call them monsters…” Dan hated to apply that word to other cryptids.
“There’ve been plenty of Bigfoot sightings, if that’s the kind of thing you mean,” Quinn said.
“People say that Champ is a sea monster who lives in Lake Champlain. New York and Vermont even gave Champ protected status.” Quinn paused to take a bite of his cherry pie.
“There’s something called a ‘Numley’ in this area that doesn’t have any hair and takes things from campsites, and ‘stick men’ who throw rocks at hikers.
Those are the ones I’ve heard of. Not to mention ghosts. ”
“Do you believe in them?” Dan realized he was holding his breath waiting for an answer.
“The ghosts? Definitely,” Quinn replied.
“I spend a lot of time in the woods by myself. There are places with a very creepy vibe that I avoid near dark. Sometimes there’s a story to go with it, most of the time there isn’t, but I know how it feels.
” He sipped his coffee. “About Bigfoot and the others? It’s a really large, old forest, and tourists only access a small portion.
Plenty of room for things to stay out of sight. ”
“Do they scare you? The cryptids,” Dan clarified.
Quinn shook his head. “Why should they? If they were a danger, we’d know by now. I’ve found predator kills in the woods, but nothing we couldn’t explain with native wildlife. I imagine any unusual creatures would be like the human hermits that move here. They just want to be left alone.”
Dan felt dizzy with relief. “I like that approach. Makes sense to me.”
“Why? Please don’t say you’re one of those monster hunters,” Quinn said. “Park rangers hate those guys.”
“Not at all,” Dan quickly replied. “I’m a live-and-let-live kind of guy. But I like hearing stories about things that are unusual and maybe a little supernatural.”
“Fox Hollow has plenty of both,” Quinn assured him.
They fell quiet before Dan abruptly changed the subject. “Oh, I didn’t show you the house I rented.” Dan realized and got his phone, quickly accessing the photos he had taken. “Recently updated, lots of elbow room inside, and very quiet outside without being too far away.”
Quinn looked at the pictures and nodded. “I like it. Looks comfortable and private. I’ll be glad to help you hold a housewarming when you’re ready.”
Dan could think of several ways to heat things up, but they weren’t quite to that point yet.
Maybe soon. Once I get my act together. Fingers crossed.
“When are you going to go back for your stuff?” Quinn asked. “I can put in for time off to help if you need me to.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate that.” Dan was touched by Quinn’s concern.
“But the new place is furnished, so I just need to grab my clothes and computer equipment. The stuff I want to keep I can have put in storage once the house sells. I was thinking of driving back tomorrow and being here the next day. I can’t get into the new place until Lisa gets it prepped. ”
“It’ll be nice to have you here for good,” Quinn told him. “I still haven’t had you out to my place. I’m not a half-bad cook.”
“I’d like that,” Dan said. “Very much.”
They chatted about streaming shows and the weather on the drive back. Quinn pulled up in front of the hotel, and Dan felt sad that the evening was over.
Quinn leaned in and allowed Dan to close the distance, likely to ensure Dan was on board with the kiss. This time, they lingered, growing more heated. Quinn’s hand ran along Dan’s thigh, and Dan leaned into him, making it clear that he was open to the touch.
They broke apart, breathless, a few minutes later.