The day after Melinoe left was bustling with activity. Therefore, at least Samuel’s mind was preoccupied. Tristan had gone on an all-out hunt for shifters. Four had been added to his dungeons, and two had died from fighting back. It did not matter that there were no more missing royals or villagers and that the howling seemed to have retreated a little. The Swordsmith king was bent on making an example of each shifter he could find.
Even some of the other kingdoms were disturbed by the king’s harshness. However, his cause had some supporters, too. Leiderman’s current King Jeremiah might not be as brutal. Still, he had made it a point that shifters were not to be tolerated in his domain.
For a time, the wolves seemed to have gathered close to Shadowcreek. People blamed King Samuel for t
