All Chapters of Bow Echo: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

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

As Zephyra drove home, the thick trees slowly gave way to civilization as the two-lane country road widened and nature

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.

Zephyra pulled her jacket closer as she stepped out of the city hall and into the dark parking lot. The soft orange and purple rays of the setting sun were visible just behind the small strip mall across the street, which was practically empty. The chilly, damp air clung to her and stole what little warmth she had like the hand of death itself. Zephyra shuddered at the sudden and short gust of wind. She tugged at the zipper of her jacket as if that would improve its ability to shield her from the cold.

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.

Zephyra handed the older woman her order with her polite business smile in full force. Upon seeing the next customer, she shuddered mentally. Jack Donalds, the wannabe Don Juan to all aberration women and one of the few people Zephyra tried hard to avoid. It wasn’t that Jack was a bad guy. He was polite and his rough voice had that Southern twang, which gave him a bit of rustic charm.

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.

It was almost an hour later when two men with identical uniforms and mirrored sunglasses stepped out of an olive-colored truck with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, or TWRA for short, written on the side. The men both looked like they could hold their own in a fight if need be, even though one of them looked like he was well into his fifties. His dark hair was peppered with gray, giving him a weathered, but capable air.

“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

Zephyra’s fingers tapped to the beat of the music as she watched the band playing. They weren’t half bad, but she wasn’t really in the mood for music or dance tonight. What Officer Richards had said in that interrogation yesterday wouldn’t leave her. Why did Ethan ask her for help? Also, how did this Officer Richards know so much about aberrations? They may have come out seven years ago, but aberrations still kept their secrets close.