Al Norris

Cy's mother being the Beta of a tribe, had me perplexed. Until I remembered that in a Lion pride, the majority of fighters, etc. are the females! My problem solved...

I went back to reread Vincent's dance. Then reread Cyrus's dance... While Vinny's Mage Dance was flashy and much longer, it didn't show the exquisite mastery of an affinity that Cy's Dance showed. I don't know if that was your intent @astone2292, but that was what I saw in my mind's eye. Simply Awesome!

Let's see, there's what I'm calling his hidden affinity (super learning ability), being touched by 2 of the 7 Gods... That gun likely had silver bullets. Great way to of dispense shadow mages, though! From about 2000 until 2013, I was a member and moderator of The Firing Line. A decidedly gun-friendly board. I moderated the Political, Law & Civil Rights section of that board.

Stuerm is just the type to start something because he didn't get what he wanted. I'm still wondering about that fourth unknown spectator. I'm getting a distinct impression that Stuerm has been involved with Stefan for a while.

That fourth guy is worrisome. I kinda think he is the "secret" enforcer/executioner that Stuerm employs.

Just because it bugged me, I finally had to make note of the name (I'm an amateur etymologist). Stuerm (Americanized version) Störm (original Scandinavian name - to pronounce, form your mouth as if you were going to say "O", instead say "U" - that's how you pronounce an umlaut O (O with Diaeresis)... just saying) Storm (Anglicized version) As a surname, it denotes the primary attitudes of the Individual (or clan): Volatile, quick to change, flighty, intolerant, angry. The name seems to fit the character very well in this story.

I liked the Beta and Enforcer duo. They are a power couple that would help to deter that bigot, next door! The Seven... Not sure what Yakob has in mind. I know it's more than simple curiosity. Is he trying to figure out Vinny's hidden affinity?

"Sorry Councilman Bylus, I must decline. I have been a shifter for less than a month. I am not qualified to be dog catcher, let alone a Pack Alpha. Further, I am destiny mated to Alpha Wilson. You have no authority to divide our union." In plain English terms, Take a flying leap! It was unclaimed land before, it is still unclaimed land now.

YES!!! (pumps fist while jumping up and down) and watching a 72 year-old guy doing that must be hysterical in itself! I knew the only way to save Dave was for Vincent to show up...

And some people just get a perverse thrill out of terrorizing others. I've seen people like that. So I don't buy into the "It's not their fault" crud. As it has been mentioned, a quick text to Vincent and he can be there in a second or two. Seconds, @drpaladin, seconds.

Vincent to Wagner: "You're not my enemy, but neither are you my friend." Well said. Oh! I did like the way Vinny improvised and made a cast for his wrist. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. <- Warriors creed.

To be honest, I don't think there is a mole. But on the chance that there is one... Oh, there are other, um, more interesting names for that Alpha in the city... I'm trying to avoid the censor!

Stacy is not the mole. I'm still looking at Shaw. But I am worrying about the date to the City... And the Biatch that is living there.

Yeah, I know. NEVER EVER try to be nice to a GOD. Um... Marine Corps. Artillery for the first part of Vietnam.

Not knowing your pantheon of the seven gods... You have a joker among them? Wagner: I agree. A stern take-down is in order. I know he has had to have heard about dynamite coming in small packages, but has he no clue about nitro-glycerin? I suppose he will find out. I'm still waiting (with baited breath) to read about Dave's upcoming date!

And that right there tells me my guess was correct. That rogue Alpha and Dave are going to meet. The only question is if he is arrogant enough to expose the human (Stacy) to the supernatural world. If he does, then Stacy will have to die. Unless somehow Dave can get her away from the Biatch, without getting himself shredded.

It only surprises me a little that Yakob caught on that Vincent had been "visited." I'm going to assume he actually meant possessed. Considering what else has been said and implied, I feel good in my guess that Vincent's learning ability was a gift from the Gods. I taking an educated guess here, but I'm betting it's that "big city" that they've visited before. Mace has already said it was not claimed by any pack. So that makes the entire thing a real shit-storm in the making. Great chapter!

I get the anger that everyone has responded to. You may add my own to those reactions. But my reaction goes a bit deeper. The very idea that an entire pack would wait for Cy's Turn Day, so as to allow the silver to be used, is beyond the pale. But lest we all forget, Cy is an Alpha! To brand an Alpha, on his Turn Day, because of any difference (and I believe we all really know what that difference is) is just unthinkable. It would be bad enough to do this to an ordinary wolf-shifter. How much more so if that shifter is an Alpha!!! His pack had to know and they did it anyway. This, in the world of shifters, is worse than anything else they could have done. Kill him? Yes. But mark him and banish him? This is beyond mere hatred. This is true evil.

Good chapter! But one huge (but forgivable) mistake. The highest point in the Appalachia Mountains is Mt. Mitchel, NC at 6684 feet. Mt. Washington (6148 ft.) in New Hampshire is the next highest peak in that mountain range. Most are below 4000 ft. At sea level, oxygen content is 20.9% (See chart below). Breathing isn't really that bad at 4k ft. The reduction of about 4% (Denver/Boulder) is enough to cause mild symptoms of oxygen deprivation during strenuous exercises. Just walking around a moderately flat surface won't be felt by a reasonably healthy individual. Altitude (feet) Altitude (meters) Oxygen Levels (%) Altitude Category Example 0 ft 0 m 20.9 % Low Altitude Sea Level 1000 ft 305 m 20.1 % Low Altitude 2000 ft 610 m 19.4 % Low Altitude 3000 ft 914 m 18.6 % Moderate Altitude 4000 ft 1219 m 17.9 % Moderate Altitude 5000 ft 1524 m 17.3 % Moderate Altitude Boulder, CO (5328 ft) 6000 ft 1829 m 16.6 % Moderate Altitude Mt. Washington (6288 ft) 7000 ft 2134 m 16.0 % Moderate Altitude

A good start to the second book. I really liked how Mason was true to form... Not telling everyone he needs to ell about those small details. You know, like Yakob. Small details! LOL.

@astone2292 first came to my attention because of my reading @kbois shifter stories. So after reading those stories, I sought out Aaron as an author. Yup! Found him and looked over his stories. Found (obviously) Love in the Shadows and that it was his first story. Yay! Another shifter story! Of course, I had to start reading. It was wonderful to watch as his craft grew. It was also wonderful to see how he designed his shifter universe. For those of you that like a good love story as well as a good action yarn, you will be delighted. If you like a good fantasy that includes not only shifters, mages, and also a few gods that are constrained (by their own rules?) from directly interacting with the human/shifter world, then you have hit the jackpot.

Earlier, what I thought to be an unknown extra affinity (the learning ability) holds true, right up to this chapter. On reflection however, this whole thing may not be a natural affinity. It is a gifted affinity. Gifted by the god Bol. This makes much more sense.

LOL!!! One of my favorite hunting spots is amongst the Craters of the Moon (just 50 miles north of me).

I'm willing to bet much more than the average pup. You've already shown us how quickly Vincent learned as he grew up. And that was with only book learning. We've saw that within a couple of hours, Vincent learned more from Elaine than other students did in days. Knowing that this story has been completed for a while, I'm still going to hazard a guess that Vincent has a hidden affinity - his ability to absorb and learn. Oh! Loved the falling stars show! Gonna be a great dance.

Ha! There are no corners in the high desert plains... Unless you count ancient lava flows!