Page 57 of The Wolf I Sworn To Hate

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Xyla

Sean squeezed Xyla’s hand. “Sawyer is going to get Edward situated. Do you want to take a walk before bed?”

“Sure, that sounds nice.”

The moon was bright and the stars danced in the sky. It was so incredibly peaceful on the mountain.

She breathed in the fresh air and smiled. “You know, if we weren’t snowed in with a bunch of people who clearly don’t know how to use their five minutes of shower time, this would be a perfect paradise.”

“Yes, it would.”

He stopped and sniffed the air.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Sawyer and I’ve seen bear tracks around the resort like they’re circling the place.”

“Aren’t bears hibernating this time of year?” She paused for a second. “Oh, shifters.”

“Yeah, and they could be rogue shifters. They can be dangerous because, while some rogue shifters never had a clan or pack or simply wanted to leave, others were exiled. They formtheir own groups and bad things can happen.” He peered into the darkness. “My and Sawyer’s guts tell us that these guys are up to no good.”

“Why?”

“Like I said, they have been circling the resort, getting closer to it. It makes us think that they are casing the place. A building full of sitting ducks would be easy prey for rogue shifters.”

“Oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

“No, it doesn’t. That’s why we warned everyone to be careful.”

She crossed her chest. “I promise.”

Sean stopped and gently touched her face. He was just about to kiss her when Edward came outside.

“Xyla. Where are you?” His voice was anxious and it sounded like he’d been crying.

“Here, Edward. What’s wrong?”

Edward sniffled. “Dad is throwing a fit. He wants to know where you are.”

She really wanted to tell Edward to go back inside and tell her father that he couldn’t find her, but that would just make things a lot worse for Edward.

As if he sensed her hesitation, Edward pleaded, “You have to come back inside. Please.”

“I’m surprised William hasn’t smacked him over the head with his cane,” Xyla muttered. “Alright, I’m coming.”

She brushed a kiss across Sean’s lips and smiled apologetically at him. “I’d better go.”

He nodded and Xyla reluctantly followed her brother back inside the house.

Elliot grabbed her by the arm and yanked her inside the bedroom.

She jerked her arm out of his grip. “Let me go. You’re hurting me.”

“Were you out there with that damned wolf shifter?”

“Yes, I was. I care about Sean a lot. I enjoy spending time with him.”

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