Page 3 of The Wolf I Sworn To Hate

“Actually, there was someone special in Yemen. Her name was Dr. Diana Collins. She was the girl-next-door kind of beautiful and smart and amazing. We were hot and heavy for a while, and I fell in love with her.”

“What happened?”

“I asked her to marry me. She said that she wasn’t interested in getting married, settling down, and having kids. Diana said that working for Doctors Without Borders had been a lifelong dream and a family would only get in the way. She transferredto a different location a week later, and I never heard from her again.”

“Ouch.”

“It hurt for a while, but looking back, I realized she wasn’t my fated mate. She didn’t have a scent that called me to her or anything like that. Just some really great sex and a passion for helping other people.” Sawyer sighed. “Let’s talk about something else. How about the Avalanche?”

“You want to talk about Colorado’s hockey team?” Sean laughed.

“Sure. I love hockey.”

After a five-hour drive, they checked in. Sawyer had reserved a two-bedroom cabin for the two of them.

A tall, thin man with white hair greeted them. “I’m William Butler and I own this resort with my wife, Sara. You let us know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay even more amazing than it already will be.”

Sean smiled at the man he figured was in his seventies. The old man had a firm grip. “Thanks. I’m sure everything will be perfect.”

Sawyer shook his hand.

“You boys have fun but be safe out there.” Sara shook their hands. “We have plenty of coffee and hot chocolate when you’re done, and dinner is served from six to eight.”

“Thank you,” Sean and Sawyer said at the same time.

They unpacked the truck quickly.

Sawyer looked at Sean and grinned. “Do you want to start off with the double black diamond?”

Sean shook his head. “It’s been a while. Let’s start with the red slope. I think a couple runs on a more intermediate slope to get warmed up would be best.”

“Coward.”

“Smart.”

Laughing they hopped a ride on the ski lift and headed up the mountain. The white-covered mountain dotted with the green needles of the evergreens was a beautiful sight. He spotted an elk in the distance. The tension he had been holding inside forever slowly melted away.

They hopped off the ski lift and walked to the top of the red slope. Sean looked over at the people preparing to start their descent and groaned.

“What’s the matter?” Sawyer asked, following Sean’s gaze.

“Do you see that woman with dark brown hair and a blue ski jacket? She’s standing with a boy and an older man wearing a black parka?”

Sawyer nodded. “Old friends of yours?”

“No. Quite the opposite. That is Xyla Hanson and her father, Elliot. They hate shifters and there are a few rumors that suggest that Elliot might have been involved with a couple of hunters. The last time Xyla ever spoke to me she called me a dirty humanoid who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air that she did.”

“How sweet of her.” Sarcasm dripped from Sawyer’s mouth. “Don’t worry, though. This resort is big. I’m sure we won’t run into them too much.”

“Here’s hoping.”

2

Xyla

“Please, Xyla, say that you’ll go with us. Dad will only take me if you say you’ll go, too.”

Xyla sighed when she heard her little brother’s voice begging her over the phone. He knew she couldn’t resist anything he wanted. This was especially true because she knew that life with their father wasn’t easy. She had always felt a little guilty for leaving as soon as she was eighteen to go to college, leaving him behind.

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