Page 8 of The Wolf I Sworn To Hate

Sean was about to reply when he saw Edward approaching their table. He stiffened, ready to hear a vile speech about shifters.

Edward looked at Sawyer and Sean and then tilted his head to one side. “My sister and dad say that you two are wolf shifters.”

Sean looked around and noticed no one was paying attention to their conversation. “We are.”

“What’s that like?”

Surprised, Sean studied Edward for a second before answering. “It’s like being free. As a wolf, I can easily run around the mountain and be a part of it. My senses are sharper, too. I can hear better, see better, and smell better. I’m more aware of my surroundings.”

“That must be very nice.”

“I think so. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Edward started to say something else, but Xyla marched over to them and grabbed her brother’s arm.

“We don’t talk to them. They’re filthy animals.”

The boy jerked his arm away from his sister. “Humans in general are filthy animals. They leave their trash everywhere and destroy the world they live in. Sean and Sawyer seem to be very nice people.”

Xyla glared at Edward and then at Sean and Sawyer. “Stay away from my brother and our cabin.”

Sawyer looked at her, raised his eyebrows, and grinned. Sean didn’t bother hiding his smirk.

“I know it was you near our cabin this morning. I saw the paw prints.”

Sean shrugged his shoulders. “I know not of which you are speaking.” He looked at Sawyer. “I won’t let an entitled, prissy, bigoted person wreck my fun.”

She huffed and stalked away, pulling Edward with her. The boy turned around and waved at Sean and Sawyer. The two men waved back at him.

Sean sniffed the air. A combination of vanilla and orange, as well as something else he couldn’t put a finger on. He groaned. It was her scent. It was nauseating, and he wondered how to get rid of it.

“That was a lot of fun,” Sawyer said.

“I know, right. I love it when I can get a rise out of people.”

“What are you, twelve?”

Sean put his hands in the air as if to say, “I don’t know.”

Sawyer chuckled. “I don’t know about you.”

“I like to keep people guessing.”

Sean tossed money onto the table for their meal and a tip, and the two of them headed back to their cabin for their gear.

“Which one are we doing today? The bunny slope?” Sean asked.

Sawyer laughed. “You’d be bored out of your mind. Besides, the best way to work the soreness out of your muscles is to use them. I was thinking we’d do the red slope this morning and hit the black diamond this afternoon.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They grabbed their skis and headed for the lift. Edward, Xyla, and Elliot were already at the top of the red slope getting ready to head down.

Edward looked over at them, smiled widely, and waved at them. Sawyer and Sean waved back.

Sean grinned at Sawyer. “You know, that kid might turn out alright despite his family.”

4

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