QUINN #2
Dan looked around at the jumble in the living room, where they had piled all the stuff from his hotel room. “Just let me know where you want me to put things,” he told Quinn. “I can do this by myself. You need to go to work.”
Quinn shook his head. Dan was safe now, but he looked understandably shaken. If Quinn was honest with himself, he also needed the reassurance that his lover wasn’t in danger.
“I don’t take many personal days,” he replied. “I’ll tell my boss what happened, and if he doesn’t just give me the day off, then I’ll swap it. That way we can put things away together.”
Dan kissed him, eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you. I didn’t want to ask, but I’m glad you’re staying with me. I’m sort of a mess right now.”
Quinn hugged him tight. “That’s a perfectly normal reaction. To be honest, I’m feeling a little off my game, too. Let’s work things away, and then we can figure out dinner.”
They turned on an upbeat playlist and chatted as they unpacked Dan’s belongings. “When you’re to go back to Dover to take care of the rest of your stuff and the house, I’ll go with you.”
“Thanks.” Dan folded his clothing and placed it in the dresser drawers Quinn had emptied for him.
“I brought everything that was personal and essential. Most of what I left came from my grandfather and my dad’s place, but I’ll think about what I might want to keep.
If you’re with me, you can help me decide. ”
Now wasn’t the time to say it, but Quinn thought it actually worked out well that Dan’s unplanned move happened before he had completely unpacked and gotten settled, since it was clear that they were going to move in together sooner rather than later.
“Thank you again for letting me move in on short notice,” Dan told him.
Quinn stepped up behind Dan and pulled him close. “I love you. I want you to be safe. And I’m going to do everything I can to keep you that way.”
“Love you too,” Dan replied.
Quinn's phone rang. “It's Liam, I'll put it on speaker,” he said before greeting his caller. “Hey, Liam, I’ve got Dan here with me. What's up?”
“Thought you’d want to know that the podcasters, Sutton and Sullivan, were arrested based on the information I filed and complaints by others,” Liam replied.
“The court has ordered them to stop the podcasts until the charges are dealt with. Dan’s not the only one to be a target, and the others have brought some pretty serious lawsuits. ”
“Think anything will happen to them?” Quinn asked.
“From what my sources told me, it seems likely at least some of the charges and damages will stick,” Liam replied.
“How that translates into restrictions or penalties remains to be seen, but it’s a good start.
And now that they’re on the community’s radar, they’ll be monitored if they try anything again.
“I did find something else out while I was looking into Sutton,” Liam went on.
“He accepts money for sponsorships and ads. Some of the companies he’s featured are in legal trouble for being scams or at least under delivering.
If they have to pull out their support, he might not be able to afford to keep broadcasting or be forced to cut back on his reach.
Sullivan was a little cleaner, but not by much. ”
“Fingers crossed,” Dan said. “Thank you.”
“I think I mentioned that I know some private investigators who specialize in supernatural cases,” Liam replied.
“I’m feeding them information about Harrison, Sullivan, and Sutton as well.
They have some pretty extensive contacts in places I don’t, so I’m hoping we’ll get enough serious dirt on these guys to shut them down for good. It would be a community service.”
“Thanks,” Quinn echoed. “And let me know when you want me to come read nature books to the kids’ reading program. I can bring some park ranger show-and-tell stuff too.”
“Working on possible dates right now, can’t wait.” Liam paused. “I still have some leads to run down on the bounty hunter, so I’ll be back in touch. Stay safe. Talk to you soon.”
He ended the call. Dan took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“Talk to me,” Quinn said after giving Dan a few minutes to regroup.
“It’s good news that Liam’s finding solid information to help the sheriff and the lawsuits,” Dan replied. “I just hope it comes together fast enough to make sure the podcasters and Harrison stay off our tails.”
“Sutton and Sullivan sound like they’ve got a world of trouble to deal with,” Quinn said.
“I’d be surprised if they come after you again soon.
With Harrison, all bets are off. He’s in the wind, and he knows how to disappear.
I’m wondering if he’s ex-special forces or ex-intelligence. That would go along with the paranoia.”
“It seems like an awful lot of fuss just because I need to change my skin and run around in the woods every so often,” Dan observed.
“Most of the shifters in Fox Hollow just turn into house pets or regular wild animals,” Quinn agreed.
“No one thinks much of seeing a wolf or a bear or a fox. I don’t think they’ve had to deal with anything too exotic like a polar bear or a tiger.
I’m sure there are shifters somewhere like that. I wonder how they handle it?”
“If they live in the same area where their other side is native, then it’s not going to attract attention,” Dan pointed out. “Cryptids are a one-off.”
“And I’m sure it was all easier before security cameras, drone surveillance, and live feeds,” Quinn agreed. “Word of mouth might start a legend or get a posse called out, but it’s different than having actual proof.”
“Doesn’t change that we’re here and we still need to wander,” Dan said.
“I’ll put it off as long as I can, but I get twitchy if I don’t shift for too long, and after that, I get sick.
Headaches, low-grade fever, feeling crummy.
I think there’s something about my cryptid and human sides that heal each other, but I’ve never seen anything official about that. ”
“Makes sense,” Quinn replied with a shrug. “I’ve heard regular shifters say the same thing. You can’t deny your essential nature. Until we get this all sorted out, you’re welcome to shift in the house. No one else is nearby to see inside.”
“Thank you for offering. Maybe when you go to work tomorrow, I can go with you,” Dan suggested. “Stay close enough for safety and far enough to give you plausible deniability. For some reason, shifting inside, even in a big gym or warehouse, doesn’t satisfy the need.”
“I’d guess Wally is closer to the animal side of nature than regular humans are,” Quinn speculated. “It’s like how taking a walk outdoors feels different for people than going the same distance around an indoor track. We’re just farther away from our instincts.”
“I’m game for you to come with me. Madden’s squirrel army is keeping their whiskers out for Harrison. Birds, too. Until he’s in custody, there’s not going to be a truly safe solution.” Quinn didn’t like the risk, but he understood that the need to shift was innate and out of Dan’s control.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. “That’s Amy. I asked her to stop by.” Quinn stood and moved to the front door, opening it wide. “Come on in. Would you like some tea?”
“I’d love a cup.” Amy gave Quinn a hug and then paused to look Dan over from head to toe before hugging him as well.
They chatted about the weather and upcoming local events while Quinn put the kettle on, then the three of them settled around the table with fragrant, steaming cups.
“I asked Amy to stop in to do a magical check-up on you and also strengthen the wards,” Quinn told Dan. “It wouldn’t hurt to ward my truck and your car and see if your amulets need recharging.”
“I love the phrasing,” Amy replied. “It’s totally right, but not the usual witchy terms.” She paused for a sip. “Where do you want to start?”
“I figured you’d probably do the wards last,” Quinn replied. “So go ahead and start with Dan, if that’s okay.” He glanced toward his partner, who nodded.
“I’ll take all the help I can get,” Dan admitted. “I’m in over my head. Everyone here has been so wonderful. I don’t think I’d have survived without you all.”
Quinn put his hand on Dan’s shoulder. “We’re your pack. It’s what family does.”
Amy sipped her tea again and then set the cup aside. “Give me a moment to tune in. Let me see what I can pick up from your energy, from both of you.” She reached out and took their hands.
Quinn focused on his own nature spirit connection, suspecting that it interacted with his energy in a similar way to how Dan and his daemon did.
“You’re both stressed, which is to be expected,” Amy said. “Dan is under strain because he’s overdue to shift, but the worry about danger is taking a toll.”
Dan nodded in acknowledgment.
“Quinn’s worried about the danger to Dan, but he’s also concerned about the impact on the park with a crazy hunter and the Tatzelwurm on the loose.” Amy’s comments weren’t anything they didn’t already know, but it helped to hear them validated.
“There’s something else that I don’t think most people realize, even in the shifter community,” Amy said. “The Tatzelwurm is awake for the first time in a long while, and he brings a different, ancient energy. That’s throwing everything a little off, even if we don’t realize it’s affecting us.”
It hadn’t occurred to Quinn that the wurm could be affecting them even at a distance. “I guess that makes sense. When you read the old myths, those people back then seemed much more attuned to everything around them than we are.”
“Not as many distractions,” Amy agreed. “And our modern world messes with the natural electromagnetic fields, which affect us more than we think. We can’t fix everything, but we can screen out some of the noise and draw from energy that heals and strengthens us.”
She looked to Dan. “I can recharge and power up the protections I gave you the last time to make you easier to ignore.”
“I never thought of that as a good thing, but I’ll take it,” he replied with a smile.