Page 61 of The Wolf I Sworn To Hate

“They weren’t showering. Their human stink masked the scent.”

The wolves tracked the bear tracks straight to a hunting shack that was about three miles away. None of the shifters tried to hide their prints.

The bear tracks turned into human prints at the door. Sawyer and Sean looked in the window. Five men were in the shack, two of whom were Tristan and Darren. Xyla sat in a chair in the middle of the room. Darren caressed Xyla’s face.

Rage filled Sean.

“Take it easy. You’ll get her and us killed if you let your anger take over,” Sawyer cautioned.

“We can’t bust in there. They’ll shift and kill her.”

“Let’s lure them out and take care of them one at a time.”

Sean ducked beside the porch. Sawyer pounded on the door and ran to the other side.

“Who the hell is that? Greg, take care of whoever it is,” Darren commanded.

One of the bear shifters stepped onto the porch and looked around. He had a large knife in his hand. Shutting the door behind him, he stepped off the porch and started around the shack toward Sawyer.

Sawyer leaped on him and ripped out the shifter’s throat before he could register Sawyer’s presence.

After several minutes, Tristan’s voice came through the windows. “Where’s Greg? Why isn’t he back yet?”

“Ted, go find out what’s going on. Take the shotgun,” Darren ordered.

Sean and Sawyer tensed. A short, stocky man stepped onto the porch and looked around.

“Shut the door.”

Ted obeyed, lumbered off the porch, and turned toward Sean. The wolf was ready and leaped.

“What the hell?” Ted yelled.

He tried to hoist the shotgun, but before he could chamber a shell, Sean knocked him over. The shotgun flew through the air. Ted managed to partially shift and swiped at Sean’s face with a massive bear paw. The claws tore through Sean’s face. He was so enraged that he never felt the pain. Sean rolled him just as he was about to complete the shift and finished Ted off.

Sawyer joined him. “Think you could have made any more noise? What took you so long?”

Sean growled at him.

“Touchy, aren’t we?” Sawyer nudged Sean. “That leaves three in there. I’ll knock on the door. When one comes out, I’ll take care of him, and you go in and take care of the other two.”

Nodding his shaggy head, Sean flattened himself against the wall near the door. Sawyer banged on the door.

“Damn it,” Darren growled. “Where are Ted and Greg? Mark, check it out.” There was a brief pause. “Don’t think that anyone is coming to save you. We’re still going to party.”

“I’ll kill you myself,” Xyla spat.

That’s my girl.

Mark’s heavy steps walked toward the door. He stepped onto the porch. Before he could react or shut the door, Sawyer jumped him. Sean dashed inside the shack.

Tristan and Darren gaped at the large wolf streaking toward them. Xyla was tied to a chair although her legs were free. She stood up and twirled the chair around, taking Darren by surprise. The legs of the chair connected with Darren’s knees. The bear shifter went down hard. Xyla slammed the chair down, setting one of the legs on his throat. She sat on the chair, putting all her weight on it.

Tristan shifted into a bear. He roared loudly and swiped at Sean’s face with a massive paw. He missed. Sean ducked under the bear and ripped a mouthful out of Tristan’s stomach.

Whipping around, Tristan ripped four gashes in Sean’s side. The wolf rolled and came up under Tristan’s throat and latched on. Tristan shook his head, trying to dislodge the large canine, but Sean refused to let go and managed to take the shifter down.

Sawyer rushed in and quickly surveyed the scene. Noting that all of the bear shifters were out of commission, he shifted and raced over to Xyla, untying her. Sean shifted.

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