Chapter 20
In a certain gathering somewhere in the woods, were the most powerful and influential figures in the shifter community. They represented a diverse array of species—lions, bears, leopards, panthers, tigers, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, snakes, crocodiles, hawks, eagles, and falcons. Each leader carried the weight of their kind, representing them in the meeting.
Luca Wilder, the leader of the tiger shifters and the de facto head of the shifter council, stood at the center of the clearing, his expression serious as he addressed them.
"As some of you have noticed," Luca continued, his voice calm but firm, "a third of our hunting grounds are now under the control of the continent's army. This has disrupted our traditional hunting schedules, and we need to adjust accordingly. I've drafted a new plan—"
He was interrupted by a sudden commotion at the edge of the clearing. All eyes turned to see Greg Glider stumbling into the gathering, his clothes disheveled and his hair a wild mess. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed of bush and dirt.
The leaders stared at him, their expressions a mix of confusion and disdain. Greg, however, seemed completely unfazed. His eyes darted around the clearing until they landed on his brother, Shane Glider, the leader of the bear shifters.
"Ah, there you are," Greg said, grinning as he made his way toward Shane.
Luca's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
Greg waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mind me. I won't be long."
Shane's face turned red with embarrassment. "Greg, now is not the time. We'll talk later."
Greg chuckled, his tone light but laced with sarcasm. "Oh, sure. Later. Like you've been saying for the past week. You've been avoiding me, Shane. Locking me out of your mansion, telling your guards not to let me in. That's so brotherly of you."
Shane's jaw tightened. "Greg, this is a formal meeting. If you have something to say or ask from me, wait till we are done here."
Greg crossed his arms, his grin widening. "Don't worry, I'm not here to ask for handouts. I'll save that for later. No, I'm here because I need to know if you've seen or heard from your son."
Shane blinked, caught off guard. "Michael? What about him?"
Greg's expression turned serious. "He's been unconscious for a week now. There was an attack."
"What are you talking about?" Shane Glider asked
"We were attacked, by a giant." Greg responded.
The clearing fell silent, the leaders exchanging confused glances. Then, one of the hyena shifters burst out laughing, his cackle echoing through the trees.
"Attacked by a giant?" the hyena shifter asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
Greg turned to the hyena shifter, his eyes narrowing. "Yes. A giant."
The laughter spread, the leaders shaking their heads in disbelief. Only Luca and Shane remained silent, their expressions unreadable.
"A giant?" one of the leaders, a hawk shifter, asked. He was a short, bald man with hairy skin and sharp, piercing eyes. "You expect us to believe that?"
Greg shrugged. "Believe what you want. I'm not here to convince you shit. I'm just here to inform my brother that his son was attacked by a giant and is unconscious…has been for a week"
Shane sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Greg, this isn't the time for your craziness. If you don't leave now, I'll have you removed."
Greg's grin receded, but there was a hardness in his eyes. "Oh, I'll leave. But know it's not fair the way you have treated him. You have actually never paid attention to him ever since you learned he can't shift. You even went as far as allowing Steve to impregnate his ex-fiancé…that's fucked up. You've always hated Michael because he's human. You've treated him like he's nothing, like he's a stain on the Glider name. But you forget he's your son, Shane. And right now, he needs you."
Shane's face flushed with anger, but before he could respond, the hawk shifter spoke up again.
"Where exactly did this attack happen?"
Greg turned to him. "By the forest on the coastline."
The hawk shifter raised an eyebrow. "We patrol that area daily. If a giant had crossed from the sea into the forest, we would have seen it."
Greg shrugged. "Well, it crossed. And it was in the forest."
The hawk shifter leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Did you kill it?"
Greg hesitated, glancing at Shane before answering. "It didn't escape, if that's what you're asking."
"So, it's dead?"
Greg nodded. "It exploded. Died on the spot."
The laughter erupted again, the leaders shaking their heads in disbelief. Even Shane looked like he was about to lose his patience.
"Greg," Shane said, his voice tight, "I'll send a doctor to check on Michael. Now, please leave."
Greg's expression turned serious. "That's not enough, Shane. You need to see him yourself, bring him back to your home. This is important."
Shane opened his mouth to respond, but the hawk shifter interrupted again.
"If this giant exploded, as you claim, where's the evidence? Where's the body?"
Greg sighed clearly agitated, running a hand through his messy hair. "What, did you want to prey on it? And how's there supposed to be a body when it exploded? Do you have one functional brain cell?"
Completely ignoring the hawk shifter, Greg turned to Shane, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sadness.
"You'll regret the way you've treated him, Shane. Mark my words."
With that, Greg turned and walked away, leaving the clearing in stunned silence. The leaders exchanged confused glances.
Luca Wilder watched Greg until he disappeared into the trees, his eyes filled with contemplation. He didn't laugh or dismiss Greg's claims. Instead, he seemed to be weighing the possibility that there was some truth to the story.