Xander was silent as he gathered his thoughts, then with a breath he explained his world.

“Alright so everything you know about Werewolves, Vampires, the Dragons, mermaids etc. Is real. Most people call our world Umbra un Mundo or World of Shadow. There's a countless amount of Supernatural beings make up our world.”

I nodded eager to hear more. I felt like I was at school learning something new. I stupidly raised my hand making him laugh.

“So why here though? Why is your family here? Are other magical creatures here or is it just your family and-”

“Lumir wait so I can get a word in.” I frowned but went quiet. “First we prefer the term Supernatural to Magical Creatures or even mythical creatures. Secondly my family founded this town, so I've lived here most of my life.”

More questions flooded my mind. Why did his family make this place and why was it only most of his life?

Xander saw me about to ask but he gave me a look. “Third yes, other Supernaturals live here. In fact most of the population are, Naturals.” He said proudly.

Huh, so they called themselves Naturals instead of the longer Supernaturals.

“Really? Then why haven't I heard about it?”

“I… don't know. You'd have to ask your parents. Since everyone in town already knows.”

Weird Ellie and I have lived here our whole life and yet we didn't. “Okay but why gather here?”

“It's a sort of safe haven for us.”

“A haven?”

He looked out the window for a moment then back to me. “Or a Strong Hold as that’s what it’s called.”

“From what?”

“Hunters.” He answered.

Hearing him say the word sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't know what a Hunter was in the terms of Naturals, but the power and fear was present when he spoke.

“Before you ask I don't think I can tell you what they are without crossing lines.”

“Oh okay then do I know anyone else that's Supernatural?”

He smiled. “I can't say anything on that either since it's not my secret to share.”

I nodded looking around to see if something would spark a new question when my gaze landed on our still joined hands. I don't know if he was aware or not but his thumb was stroking over my knuckles with a soft caress.

“A-am I allowed to tell anyone?”

He worried his lip before shaking his head. “I’m not sure, you’d have to ask your parents.”

I gripped his hand tight causing him to look at me, eyes still glowing red.

“Xander why did you risk outing yourself to help me? Not that I'm not grateful or anything, but this is your whole world and you threw it away for me?”

His head tilted. “Lumir you need to stop thinking so little of yourself. I don't care about some secret when it comes to you.”

“But why? We're just friends. You outed your whole society for me!” I ran my free hand over my face fogging up my glasses. “I-I bet there are rules against this and you just broke like every single one of them. I mean you used some power on me.”

“Let me worry about that.”

So he did break some rule! “But why do you have to?”

“Because I'd rather break every law than lose a lifetime that I could have had with you, if I hadn't!” He half yelled.

The blush returned to my cheeks and to my surprise his too.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to yell.”

“No I didn’t mean to make you question your choice.”

“I’m not questioning it, I would always save you.”

And if I told you, we stared deeply into each others eyes sharing a fond moment… I'd be a liar.

The mood shifted as my phone went off.

We jumped apart as I frantically tried to fish it out of my back pocket.

“H-hello?”

Mom's voice screamed over the line. “Sweetling! Where are you! Why aren't you home? Are you alright? Is Xander still with you?”

“Mom, Mom stop, calm down. I'm still with Xander… we were talking…”

Xander held out his hand as my Mom launched into another bout of questions.

Confused I handed the phone over.

“Mrs. Mark we need to talk. About everything.”

When we pulled up in front of the shop, my family and friends flooded out and trapped me in a back breaking death hug. Mom and Ellie's were crying loudly in my ears, Kamila and Jamie squeezed me just as tightly.

From the corner of my eye I saw Dad pull Xander aside, he asked something making Xander nod which had Dad sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. What was that about?

Dad smiled as he came over to our hug group adding himself to it.

With a frown he pulled away- along with everyone else- as he looked me over, hands gently combing through my hair to check the back of my head.

I flinched out of his touch.

He huffed angrily. “Need to keep an eye on you for the next couple days.…” Dad cleared his throat drawing everyone's attention. “Amare, it's time we told them.”

Mom looked at me and Ellie with wide fearful eyes but slowly nodded.

At her nod Jamie and Kamila backed away and Xander stood next to me but at a fair distance.

“Ellie, Lumir take a seat… your mother and I have something to tell you.”

We did as told Ellie gripping my hand.

Dad kneeled in front of us. “I don't know how to say this but we- your mother and I are not human and that means your not either. At least not fully.”

“What?” We gasped.

I turned to peek over at Xander when he made an ah sound, like this confirmed something.

“I’ll explain.” Dad continued turning to me with grief filled eyes. “But first I'm sorry about what happened at school. There were supposed to be safety precautions in place if anything like that happened. Cases like these are so far and in between I'm not even sure how this started. Still I'm sorry you found out this way.” He placed his hand to my knee.

Wait, they didn't know how this happened? Xander didn't tell my parents that my bully had done this?

“How much did Xander tell you?” He went on.

I looked back to Xander then back to my Dad. “He um...”

Xander gave a small smile. “It's alright, Lumir. These were those lines I mentioned. Your father knows.”

“O-okay. Then Xander only said what this world was called, what he was and that this town- was some kind of Strong Hold full of both humans and uh…” I looked around at everyone seeing them staring at me. “Naturals, t-that's more or less it.”

Dad nodded. “You trust his word?”

“Yes.”

“Good, he was telling the truth. Crimson Springs is a protected Supernatural Strong Hold- a place for Naturals and Humans to coexist where other places don’t.”

“Why won’t other places coexist?” Ellie asked.

“Not all races share the same views as others that call the Earth home, one of the reasons being that Humans live here.”

“Humans live here so does that mean the Naturals here are okay with them?”

“Yes that and the Human’s here and other Holds share a connection to the Supernatural worlds unlike normal Humans that are unaware.”

“So Strong Holds let Humans live with Natural's safely?”

“And allows families to raise their children in unbiased environments, that the Strong Hold are supposed to have.” Dad answered with a glance at me.

“Alright so a Strong Hold is for overall protection, why are we here?” Ellie asked.

Our parents shared another one of their looks.

“We had to.” Dad answered.

“Is it because of what one of your are?” I asked.

At that Mom stepped in. “Yes.”

There was a chill up my spine at how easily she admitted that.

“Then what are you two?”

Dad went to speak but Mom interrupted him.

“Let me go first.”

He stepped away giving her room.

Mom sighed and slowly bit by bit her skin faded to show interwoven vines with crystal clear water flowing underneath making up her whole body where her clothes didn’t cover, her hair changed from her long black locks to giant Teak leaves that traveled all the way down to her mid back.

But the thing that had me and Ellie staring were Mom's eyes, they were a swirling with greens- blues with hints of so many other colors that vanished too quickly to name. As her change came to an end all the house plants we had in the living room started to lean towards her.

As weird as it was to see the face of the person who raised me become something else, wasn’t as off putting as I thought. She was still my mom.

Ellie stood and took a tentative step forward but she was curious nonetheless. “Mom?”

Mom nodded with a cautious smile slowly holding out her hands to both of us and we took them. A buzz traveled up my arm and the throb of pain on the back of my head vanished to a more tolerable level.

“What are you?” Xander asked clearly not expecting this. “I've never seen a Natural like you.”

Mom turned to him. “I'm a hybrid of a Dryad and an Undine. A Drynissa.”

She ducked her head her leaf like hair hiding her face, Dad stood up and hugged her from behind.

“How is this even possible? Does anyone else have anything to share?” Ellie asked looking at our friends.

Our friends looked to our parents who gave a nod.

With that Jamie stepped up a bounce in his step as he simply shifted forms. Two small rounded black ears appeared on his curly head in front of his headband, a tail wiggled itself free from his pants. He looked at us to show he was covered in a fine brownish fur, with darker fur around his eyes.

He gave a bow. “I'm a Tanuki or as you may know it better a Raccoon dog.”

Ellie reached patting his new ears. “There so soft!”

Jamie puffed out his chest. “They should be, I pride myself on that.” He looked pleased at the attention.

Ellie laughed. “Kam?”

Kamila stood and shook out her hair and began stretching like she was about to go for a run.

“Sorry it's been a bit since I changed, give me a moment. Sorry in advance Lumi.”

After stretching out each leg, she bowed at the waist then the silence was broken by the sound of glass. Ellie and I flinched back, watching as her legs elongated with multiple impossible bends with more legs growing.

I gave an low whimper watching her. No- No- No!

She was a Fudge cake-n spider. Just like her hair her lower half had the same auburn coloration, she towered over everyone in the living room by at least two or three feet. Her eyes opened and so did three more, she smiled and on either side of her cheeks were mandibles that flexed making my stomach drop like a stone. Her four new legs stretched out as her transformation ended.

I took a couple unconscious steps back. My arachnophobia flaring up big time.

Shaking my head I tore my gaze from her spider half to her familiar-ish face ignoring her spider parts and focused on the one I knew since ninth grade.

The smile she normally wore vanished to an uncomfortable frown with the way Ellie and I were looking at her, she fiddled with her hair, each of her legs drawing in under her as she lowered herself to a better height.

“I-I can change back if- this makes you uncomfortable” She stuttered.

She never stuttered- ever. That was my thing. And now it was because of us making her uncomfortable! No matter what she was, she was still my friend.

“No it's fine. This will just take some getting used to.” I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Kamila smiled brightly gripping my hand just as tight.

Xander came to stand next to our little group.

Ellie frowned. “And what are you? A Dragon?”

He smiled flashing long delicate fangs. “A Vampire, just like my siblings.”

Ellie groaned tossing her hands up. “Of course. Dad, Mom you guys have some serious explaining to do.”

“We know, let’s start with me then” Dad took a deep breath and began. “I'm charged with keeping the town safe. My job is to keep those that would cause harm out.”

“So your job as an officer?”

“I'm still an officer but my job goes deeper then that.”

“But why you?” I asked.

“Because I'm a… I'm from a group of people called Hunters.”

I gasped and turned to my friends, worry filling me.

“But Xander said this place was to hide from Hunters. Aren't you guys in danger?”

Dad laughed. “I'm touched that your concerned for your friends. But I left that life behind me when I met your mother.”

“Wait, wait, wait a second.” Ellie jumped in. “Am I understanding this correctly? These Hunters hunt Supernaturals, so you being with Mom seems like a big no no.” She pointed out.

“Is that why you came here?”

“Yes, it was the only place that why could turn to.”

Made sense to me. With him being a Hunter and Mom being a Natural. “Then how did you two meet? The truth this time.” I said. Because this wasn’t a ‘We were High school sweethearts and had been together ever since.’ Kind of meeting

“Your right it is time to explain.”

Ellie bumped my shoulder. “Sounds like a story to me.” She chimed.