22. Xyla

22

Xyla

S ean 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 form their 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."

Elliot bared his teeth and hissed at her. "You're going to regret your choices. Shifters are not human and don't think like you and I do. He will destroy you."

"He doesn't think like you, and neither do I. You are so full of hate that you are blind to the truth. You were completely wrong about Sean. I'm sure that there are shifters out there who would kill people, but the prisons are full of full-blooded humans who have killed other humans."

Her father seemed to ignore her words. "Shifters have no morals, no values. When they are in their shifter form, they don't think or feel anything but the urge to kill."

"You're confusing were-creatures with shifters. Shifters aren't any different from other humans except that they get to enjoy their animal form. They always have the same thoughts and feelings as humans, no matter what state they are in. Were-creatures are more like rabid animals who lose their human sensibilities when they transform."

Elliot stared at her with a disgusted look on his face. His upper lip curled and he narrowed his eyes at her.

Xyla shifted from one foot to the other. "I don't know how you can still hate Sean. He saved all of our lives once and Edward's life twice. He risked his own life to save Edward. That is not something that a killer would do."

"You're stupid and you're blind." He poked his head out of the bedroom. "Edward, get your ass in here."

"I'd rather not. I don't like being around you when you get this way."

Edward sounded terrified.

Xyla stood between her father and brother. "He's going to sleep in the men's room tonight."

He turned back around and grabbed the door.

"Don't you dare slam that door another time," William called out, shaking his cane at him. "I'll be happy to throw your butt out into the snow tonight."

Elliot huffed but shut the door quietly.

Xyla's face was flushed with embarrassment She knew that everyone in the parlor had heard the fight between her and her father. They would be sympathetic toward her, but her father had degraded her in front of an audience, and not for the first time.

Sawyer put his hand on Edward's shoulder. "Come on, Little Man. Let's get some shut-eye. Howard put a cot in the room right next to mine."

Marcie patted her on the back. "Dads can be impossible sometimes, can't they?"

Ellie piped up. "Once they get their mind stuck on something, it's impossible to change it."

Xyla smiled weakly at the two women. She brushed her hair and teeth, then crawled onto her cot.

As tired as she was, she couldn't sleep. Xyla stared at the ceiling.

I've fallen in love with Sean. He has stolen my heart and soul.

Admitting it to herself shocked Xyla. When she first got to the resort, she despised him simply because her father told her to. She had been no better than him with her blind hate. Sean opened her eyes and her heart.

I love him. It felt so strange to say the words, even if it was just in her mind. Now, how do I tell him?

She closed her eyes and an image of her father and Sean squaring off popped into her mind. How could she choose between her father and Sean? Right now, she didn't think very highly of Elliot, but he normally didn't act this way. Usually, he was easy to get along with, although he had his moments. Besides, he was her father.

Xyla bit her bottom lip and thought about Ginny's story. She was afraid that if she didn't tell Sean how much she loved him she would spend her entire life wondering about what could have been.

How can I live the rest of my life without him? How could I truly live without feeling the way I do when I'm with Sean?

The questions bounced around in her brain like a ping-pong ball. Finally, she was able to close her eyes and go to sleep.

Xyla woke up early the next morning. She thought about laying in her cot a while longer. She was warm and comfortable. Finally, she decided that she'd better get up and get her day started.

She yawned widely as she walked into the dining room. Elliot passed her with a plate of food as he headed toward his room. He didn't acknowledge her.

Good. I'm not in the mood to deal with him this morning.

Edward was almost finished when she joined him at the table.

She looked around the dining room. "Where's Sawyer and Sean?"

"They wanted to get some exercise this morning and said they would be back later."

She sighed heavily. Xyla had wanted to talk to Sean this morning about how she felt. He might tell her that it was just sex and nothing more. She didn't think he would, though. He kissed her and touched her like he had feelings for her as well.

What about Dad and Edward? Dad might try to stop me from ever seeing Edward if I pursue a relationship with Sean.

Feeling overwhelmed, Xyla finished her breakfast. "I'm going to our cabin and grab one of the jigsaw puzzles I brought for us to put together. Do you want to come with me?"

"No. William let me charge my game, so I'm going to play it for a while."

"Okay. I'll be back."

She took her plate into the kitchen, pulled on her boots, and shrugged on her coat. Even though she wasn't going far, she decided to put on her gloves, hat, and scarf, too. She might just sit in her cabin for a while and think.

Xyla was almost at the cabin entrance when Darren rushed up to her. "There's a woman hurt on the other side of your cabin. She and her mate had been staying at the hunter's cabin and were snowed in and were just now able to get out. Can you help me get her back to the main building?"

"Of course. Where is she?"

"Follow me."

She rushed behind Darren as fast as she could. They get to the wood line and four bears popped out.

Her heart stopped and she couldn't catch her breath. Her eyes widened with fear. "What the hell is this?"

Darren grinned evilly at her. "Tristan and I've been watching you for a long time, but you didn't even notice we were there. You've been so focused on that red-haired bastard that you didn't see us. We know you're fucking that wolf shifter. Now, it's our turn."

"Darren, what are you doing? This isn't you." She hated the way her voice trembled.

"Oh, yes, it is me. We've just been biding our time."

She screamed and Darren pounced. He put a knife to her throat and licked her face.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The boys and I prefer the hard way. It's much more fun. I wouldn't cut you so you'd bleed out. Just enough to sever your vocal cords. Then, we'd take turns, fucking you and hurting you," he whispered in her ear.

"Let me go," she demanded, wincing as the knife nicked her neck a little.

"Not a chance. And don't worry, no one at the resort heard your pitiful scream. You can fight us, but we'll rip you apart right here, slowly and painfully. You have no idea what claws and teeth can do to a human body."

"Darren, please…"

He backhanded her so hard that she was half afraid that he broke her jaw. "Shut up. Enough talk. Now, you have a choice. You can get on Tristan's back and ride to the hunter's lodge – we don't want you all tired out before we get there – or we'll tear you apart, bit by bit right here."

She bit her bottom lip and looked back toward the resort. There was no way she could outrun the five of them. Going with them might give Sean enough time to realize she was missing and come after her.

Xyla slowly walked over to the large grizzly bear and climbed on his back. Darren quickly stripped, put his clothes in a bag, and shifted.

As they started walking deeper into the woods, Xyla remembered that Sean said shifters could communicate telepathically.

Sean, please save me. Tristan and Darren have kidnapped me and are taking me into the woods. Please help me.