Page 49 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

Folks nod in frustrated agreement.

I wince. They’re not exactly wrong, or at least, that’s what it sort of sounds like from what Astraea said. Mate bonds are probably more complex than that, but in a nutshell…

“What happens to all of us in the meantime?” someone else yells from the audience.

Astraea’s lips purse. “Unfortunately, we’re likely to experience an increase in odd or unusual phenomena until this is sorted. However, I’m certain that the magic, no matter how unstable, won’t do anything to harm any of you. It’s very old magic designed by dragons and the fae working in collaboration, and its primary purpose has always been to protect. I’m confident there’s nothing that can change that, no matter what.”

“But you don’t know for sure,” another voice calls out.

“Has this ever happened before?” someone else in the audience chimes in.

Astraea winces again. “No, it hasn’t. So you’re right, I can’t say for certain.”

The mood shifts, and the fear in the room starts to increase. I can tell how worried everyone is.

“Should we leave?” someone cries out. “What if the magic stops guarding the town? We all could be in danger from outside threats!”

More terrified voices clamor throughout the auditorium.

Just when it seems like things could devolve into panicked chaos, Hal slowly gets to his feet and turns to face the restless crowd.

“Friends.” His rich voice echoes through the hall, and everyone pauses to look up at his towering figure. “We cannot give in to fear. Mystic Hollow is our home, and we will fight to keep it that way. I understand why you’re scared and why some of you might want to leave, but running away doesn’t fix anything. After all, some of us spent years running before we came here. Do we really want to go back to that?”

Everyone’s eyes are fixed on Hal, who stands tall and resolute, the passion in his voice compelling. He’s truly larger than life right now, and I can’t look away.

“I believe in the magic Astraea created to keep us safe, and I trust that it would never harm any of us. While many things remain uncertain, one thing I do know is that I intend to stay here and help my friends and neighbors get through this challenging time. If we band together as a community, I truly believe we can weather any storm and come out stronger on the other side.” Hal presses his hands to his chest, clasping them over his heart and the Mystic Hollow is for Monster Lovers apron that he wore just for this meeting. “I hope many of you will stay in the place you call home and stand with me. Together, we can keep everyone and everything we love in Mystic Hollow safe. Thank you.”

Not gonna lie, I’ve got fucking chills. Hal’s simply incredible.

There’s a stunned beat of silence and then most of the audience starts clapping and cheering.

“Hal’s right!”

“Yeah! Mystic Hollow is our home, and we’re not going to let anything change that!”

“We can do this!”

A sense of renewed camaraderie surges among the crowd and it’s all thanks to Hal. He’s legendary, and I’m so fucking proud to call him mine.

Baxter returns to the microphone. “I wish I had more concrete answers for you all, but my policy has always been to be open, honest, and transparent with everyone. I called this meeting so you can make your own decisions about how you want to proceed. As far as I’m concerned, I stand with Hal. Mystic Hollow is my home too, and as the chief of police, it’s my job to safeguard it and our residents—and I don’t intend to stop doing that.”

Folks start clapping again, and the mood in the room is lighter.

Baxter adds, “The Town Council has met and decided that we’re going to keep things business as usual unless or until something happens to make that no longer possible.”

“What about the Harvest Festival?” several among the crowd ask all at once.

“We still intend for the festival to begin next Friday. Because of recent events, we’ve made some minor changes to the schedule of activities at the apple orchard, but otherwise, everything is moving forward as planned. All I ask is, if you’re deciding to leave town temporarily or permanently, please notify me before you do so. My office door is always open, so feel free to drop by if you have questions or concerns. Thank you all for joining us tonight and have a good evening.”

As the meeting wraps up, everyone starts to file out of the room, many talking quietly among themselves. But I’m relieved to see the fear has faded and most of the residents sound committed to staying.

And I’m one hundred percent fucking certain it’s all because of my boyfriend, Hal.

I look up at him as he watches everyone leave. “You were phenomenal tonight.”

He blinks in surprise and peers down at me. “What do you mean?”

I gesture toward the departing crowd. “That impassioned speech you gave on the fly. It really turned the tide in terms of the mood, and I think you gave everyone a renewed sense of commitment.”