15. Sean

15

Sean

S ean and Sawyer went for another run after breakfast. This time they headed down toward the road. The sun was shining and the snow glistened like diamonds.

Sean growled at the road that was still impassible.

"Did that help?" Sawyer sounded amused.

"It made me feel better. I think I might end up losing my ever-loving mind if we don't get off this damned mountain soon. I don't know if they'll ever get this road cleared."

"Well, you could always run down the mountain in wolf form, carrying a pack with your clothes in it. Then, you rent a car and go home."

Sean tilted his head to one side and flicked his ear. "That might be the best idea you've had."

"I'll just tell Elliot that you went out for a walk and slid off the mountain."

"Why would you want to make him so happy? That's better than any Christmas present you could ever give him." Sean blinked against the bright sunlight. "I have no idea how he survives with such hate eating a hole inside of him."

"Some people live off of hate. Eventually, though, it will destroy him." Sawyer turned around. "Come on, let's get back. I'm hungry."

Lunch was delicious as usual. Sean was amazed that Franny was able to keep producing one delicious meal after another with a huge building full of people.

Sawyer looked out the window. "Do you want to go snowshoeing?"

"No, I'm going to take a nap. There is a sleeping bag in that room that has my name on it and I'm on my way."

"You're starting to sound like an old man. Old men take naps," Sawyer teased.

Sean laughed. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

The room was cold but Sean was warm in the sleeping bag. He was pretty sure he could sleep for a week and still never feel rested again.

He was in a deep sleep when he felt someone shaking his arm. "Sean. Sean, please wake up."

Sean opened one eye and saw Xyla's worried face standing over him. "What's wrong?"

"Edward is missing. I've looked everywhere in the resort and even went to our cabin. I can't find him. No one has seen him since right after lunch." The panic in Xyla's voice was obvious.

He jumped out of the sleeping bag. "Okay. Don't panic. I'm sure that we'll find him."

In spite of his reassurances to Xyla, his stomach twisted in a knot and his heart thundered in his chest. Edward was a good kid and wouldn't just disappear without telling someone where he was.

Sawyer saw him putting on his coat and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Edward is missing. I'm going to help Xyla find him."

Sawyer glanced at Xyla who had pulled on her coat, hat, gloves, scarf, and boots and was shifting anxiously from one foot to the other.

"Do you want me to come?"

"No. I'm sure that he wouldn't have wandered away too far. The snow is deep and it's pretty cold outside. I'm sure we'll find him soon."

Sawyer nodded. Sean looked over and saw Elliot standing in the doorway of the bedroom glaring at Sean and Xyla. Sean wondered whether he even knew that his son was missing. He wasn't going to be the one to tell him. Elliot could figure it out on his own.

"Good luck and be careful. Let me know."

Sean nodded. He could communicate long distances with Sawyer when needed.

They stopped at Sawyer's truck and he grabbed his backpack that he carried for emergencies.

Luckily, the wind hadn't blown a lot, so Edward's prints were pretty easy to follow. They could see where he fell through some drifts a couple of times. Sean could smell the boy's fear. He must have gotten confused and lost.

Xyla screamed out Edward's name. The sound echoed against the mountain, and Sean hoped that she didn't start another avalanche.

"We'll find him."

I just don't know what condition we'll find him in. The thought made Sean walk even faster, following Edward's scent when his prints became obscured.

They had walked at least four miles when Sean stopped dead in his tracks. Edward was in the middle of a pond. He had fallen through the center and his head was barely above the ice.

Xyla started to run toward him, but Sean stopped her. "You'll just fall through, too. I'll get him."

She looked at him, her eyes wide with terror, and slowly nodded.

Sean started to undress. "You have to trust me," he said, and then shifted into his wolf form.

Padding carefully and slowly toward the center of the lake, Sean winced internally every time he heard the ice crack. As cold as the temperatures had been, the lake should have been frozen solid. Apparently, just the top of the lake had frozen.

Finally, he got to Edward. "You're going to be okay," he said telepathically.

Edward looked at him without speaking. His eyes were glazed over and his lips were blue.

Sean laid down flat on the ice and shifted. He sucked in a huge breath as his body was instantly frozen by the ice. Sean grabbed Edward's arms and slowly pulled him out of the hole.

"Don't move," Sean said.

Edward didn't respond. He just laid on the ice. Sean shifted back into his wolf form and grabbed ahold of Edward's coat, slowly, carefully, walking back toward the shore.

Xyla reached out for her brother, pulling him onto the bank. Sean shook the moisture off, shifted, and quickly dressed.

"Xyla. Sean." Edward's voice trembled and was very weak. He shook uncontrollably and his teeth chattered.

The sun had set and the temperature had dropped drastically. "We'll never make it back to the resort tonight." Edward wouldn't survive the trip tonight. He surveyed the area and found a small cave on the side of the mountain.

He picked Edward up and started walking. When they reached the small opening, Sean carefully put Edward down and said, "Wait here."

Sean went into the cave, scanning it, making sure it wasn't already occupied by four-legged creatures that might object to their presence or consider the three humans as dinner delivery. Satisfied that it was empty, he went back and carried Edward in.

Rummaging through the pack he brought, he found an emergency blanket. "Put that on him. I'll be back."

Sean found enough wood to start a fire and keep it going for a while and then returned to the cave. Xyla was sitting against the wall, holding her brother close to her. Both of them were shivering.

He put some smaller twigs on the ground and made a sort of teepee with the larger branches. "I do know how to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, but I much prefer this method." Sean pulled a sandwich baggie out of his bag full of cotton balls that had been soaked in alcohol and put them on top of the twigs. Then, he fished a box of waterproof matches out of his bag, lit one, and dropped it onto the twigs. The fire started immediately.

Xyla scooted closer to the fire, holding her brother.

Sean pulled off Edward's shoes and socks. "Help me undress him. His clothes are wet and freezing."

As soon as the boy was undressed, Sean took off his coat and wrapped it around Edward and then wrapped the emergency blanket around him. Sean found some parachute cord in his bag and tied it to a couple stalactites that grew down from the cave ceiling. He hung Edward's clothes on them.

"Thank you," Edward whispered and touched his sister's face. "I knew you would find me."

"It was Sean who found you and pulled your tail from the pond. We will have a long conversation about this later, young man."

Edward nodded and then closed his eyes.

"Edward, wake up. Please, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open.

"You have to stay awake for us, okay, Buddy? I'm going to shift because my fur and body heat will help warm you, so don't be scared."

"I-I'm n-n-ot s-scared. You s-s-saved m-me."

Sean nodded. "After I shift, wrap the both of us up in the blanket. It would help if you and I sandwiched him between us, so we can share our body heat. Keep him talking. He needs to stay awake until he's warmed."

Xyla nodded. Sean undressed and shifted. She lifted the blanket and Sean lay next to Edward. Xyla pulled off her coat and snuggled on Edward's other side. She pulled the blanket around them with her coat on top.

Sean concentrated on Sawyer. "We found Edward. He had fallen through some ice and was barely hanging on. We are staying overnight in a cave, trying to warm him."

"Do you need me to bring anything to you?"

"No. I packed some energy bars and emergency supplies that will last the night. I'll let you know in the morning if we need you. Be ready for a patient when we arrive."

"I will. Take care."

The fire heated the small cave and between that and Sean's and Xyla's body heat, Edward stopped shivering after about three hours.

"Thank heavens," Xyla said. "I didn't think that he would ever warm up."

"He's likely suffering from severe hypothermia. We'll keep him warm tonight and get him back. Sawyer will take care of him when we get back. He'll be fine."

Sean checked Edward's clothes. They were dry, so Edward got dressed. Sean was glad to see that he was able to dress himself and didn't seem to be suffering from a lack of coordination.

He pulled some energy bars out of his bag, unwrapped one, and handed it to Edward.

"Eat it slow. You don't want to get sick."

Sean tossed a couple to Xyla and ate a couple himself.

"I'll be back. Stay put."

After fishing a small metal pot out of his pack, he went outside and filled it with snow for water. He put the pot on the fire, melting the snow for water.

"What are you, some kind of wilderness survival guy?" Xyla asked, trying to sound humorous.

"No, I do a lot of searches and rescues on the mountain. I never know what I'm going to encounter so I try to prepare for most possible situations."

Sean held the pot for Edward. "Drink slowly."

When Edward had taken several sips, Sean handed the pot to Xyla. "Drink the rest. There's enough snow out there for us all to drink our fill."

"I'm so tired. Can I go to sleep now?" Edward asked.

"Yes. Xyla, why don't you get some sleep? I'll stay away and keep the fire going."

"Are you sure?"

Sean nodded. Xyla and Edward snuggled together under the blanket, as well as Xyla's and Sean's coats.

Edward fell asleep quickly, but Xyla was full of questions.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but does it hurt to shift?"

"No. You'd think it would since your bones and organs move around, but it doesn't hurt at all. It kind of feels like I'm stretching all my muscles when I get out of bed in the morning."

"Do you like being a shifter?"

"Yes, absolutely. I can't imagine life any other way. When I'm a wolf, I'm free. I can run around the forest and see things that a human never could. My senses are stronger and I'm stronger." He grinned. "Shifters also have a couple of other really handy talents. First, they heal a lot faster than humans. They also can communicate telepathically. Sometimes, shifters can communicate telepathically with humans, especially if they are emotionally connected."

"Those are some pretty useful talents." Xyla rubbed her eyes tiredly. "What is the difference between a wolf shifter and a werewolf?"

Sean smiled. "People get shifters and were-creatures confused all the time. Shifters are born, although I have heard of a few cases where mundane humans can turn into shifters, either through magic or a special bite from a shifter. They are humans who can change into their animal form at will. They always retain their human values and qualities. Were-creatures are formed from a virus and become infected when they are bitten by another were-creature. For example, a human becomes a werewolf or werebear when they are bitten by a werewolf or werebear. They have no control over when they shift. They also don't shift into a pure bear or wolf form – they often walk upright on two legs and look like a grotesquely mutated human. They do not keep their human thoughts, values, or other qualities. Instead, they are like rabid animals whose only goal is to attack and destroy."

"Are there a lot of were creatures running around?"

Sean shrugged. "I've never encountered one but that doesn't mean they aren't around. I usually don't hang out in the woods at night when were-creatures are active. It would account for random animal attacks on campers and hikers that happen on the mountain, though."

Xyla yawned. "Thank you for explaining everything to me."

"You're welcome. Go to sleep. I'll watch over you."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly, holding her brother close to her.

He leaned against the cave wall, dozing lightly, making sure that the fire stayed burning all night long.

They woke with the first light of dawn. After they ate the rest of the energy bars, Sean put out the fire and let Sawyer know they were heading back. Sean carried Edward back even though the boy protested that he could walk on his own.

Sawyer was watching for them and opened the door when the three of them stepped on the porch.

Franny, Sara, and Ginny all rushed toward them. "Thank heavens. Is he okay?" Sara asked.

"I think so, but it just so happens that we have a doctor in the house," Sean said.

He carried Edward into his bedroom and laid him on the bed, with Xyla, Elliot, and Sawyer right behind him.

Sawyer checked him over closely. "He should be okay. Luckily, hypothermia saved his life. It lowered Edward's metabolism, which meant that his organs required less oxygen. His heart rate slowed, which redirects oxygen to key organs like the brain. Lowered body temperature means that it is likely his organs have been protected from irreversible damage."

Xyla leaned over the bed and touched her brother's cheek with hers, her tears falling on Edward's face.

"Don't cry. I'm fine. You and Sean saved me," Edward said.

"How long were you in the pond?" Sawyer asked.

"I don't know. It seems like I was in there for a long time. I was walking across the pond and then I just fell through. I held on. I knew Xyla would find me. I started to get dizzy and I was sleepy."

Sawyer looked at Sean and Xyla. "It sounds like you got to him just in time. Another two minutes and he would have gone under."

Elliot looked at Sean. "Thank you for saving my son and daughter."

Sean thought that the gratitude sounded forced, but he accepted it, anyway. "You're welcome."

Franny came in with some soup and shooed everyone out while she watched him eat.

Sean and Xyla went into the library.

"Thank you for saving my brother. It would have killed me if something happened to him."

"I'm rather fond of him. Besides, it's what I do. I find lost people."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes. Xyla pressed her lips to his, pushing her tongue into his mouth. She seemed to pour all of her fears, gratitude, and other emotions into the powerful kiss.

Electricity exploded inside of Sean. Fires coursed through him and his heart raced.

She pulled back, touched his face gently, and smiled. "I'm going to check on Edward."

Xyla's scent lingered, haunting him. He didn't hate it like he did before. As a matter of fact, he found it intoxicating.