4. Xyla

4

Xyla

X yla's heart stopped when she walked into the dining room and saw Edward talking to Sean and Sawyer. She and Elliot had told Edward they were wolf shifters and he needed to stay away from them. Now, here he was, standing at their table having a conversation with them.

She heard Sean's remark about her as she and Edward walked away from Sean and Sawyer. She shook her head. They're just murderous shifters. I don't care what they think about me.

After she pulled Edward away from them, she frowned at her brother. "Dad and I told you this morning that those two were wolf shifters. You saw the paw prints outside of our cabin. You have to stay away from them."

"Why? They seem nice."

"You know that shifters killed our mother. Shifters are wild animals and will kill real humans any chance they get."

Edward shook his head. "Sean and Sawyer aren't like that. They are nice. If they really were killers, everyone staying at the resort would already be dead."

"Don't be an idiot. They aren't going to go crazy in a crowd of people. They wait until they find them alone in the woods and kill them there."

Xyla groaned with frustration. No matter what she said to Edward, he wouldn't listen. He was convinced that just because the two of them had been nice to him right now, didn't mean that they wouldn't kill him the second they got him alone. She wanted to remind him of all the serial killers who had fooled people.

That actually would just prove his point that humans are just as bad as shifters.

She ran her fingers through her hair before pulling it back into a braid to keep it out of her face. Deep down inside, Xyla knew that she was really frustrated because she wasn't a hundred percent convinced that Sean could ever kill anyone.

Xyla couldn't help but remember how sweet he was to her and how he made her heart beat faster every time he came near. He was always nice to everyone, as far as she could tell, and shifters, as well as humans, liked him and his easy-going nature.

A lot of women thought Ted Bundy was a nice, charming, man, too. Look where that got them.

She took a huge breath. "I'm here for Edward, not for him."

"Are you coming, Dad?" Xyla asked.

"No, you guys go ahead. I'm going to hang out, be lazy, and watch some television. That's my idea of a real vacation. I'll think about going with you this afternoon."

Xyla laughed and kissed her father on the forehead. "Party pooper."

Edward ran as fast as he could toward the lift. "Let's go down the black diamond."

"Mmm, I think we need just a bit more practice first. Let's go down the red slope this morning, and if you do as great as I know you will, we'll tackle the black diamond this afternoon."

"Promise?" Edward looked at her suspiciously.

"Yes. I promise."

She sensed Sean's presence at the top of the slope. It was almost if there was some kind of invisible connection linking the two of them that made every nerve in her body tingle as soon as he was near. Xyla purposely ignored him, focusing on Edward.

Closing her eyes, she groaned inwardly when Edward waved to Sean and Sawyer. She knew that Sean would ignore her warning and would wave back, encouraging her little brother.

Knowing that saying something to Edward would go in one ear and out the other, she pressed her lips together and swallowed her words.

Thoughts of Sean and Sawyer were banished for the rest of the morning, and she and Edward sailed down the red slope several times until it was lunchtime. Edward was ready to skip lunch and start on the black diamond slopes right away.

"Sorry, Kiddo. I need lunch. I need a breather."

"Fine, but you can't back out of your promise."

"I promise, I won't. We'll do the black diamond after we eat."

Her eyes scanned the dining room as soon as they stepped into the room. She was relieved when there were no signs of Sean and Sawyer. Just knowing that they were on the same mountain as they were was enough to grate on her nerves.

Edward ate like he was in prison and there were five other guys after his chow. "Slow down. No one is going to take your food. If you eat that fast, you're going to get indigestion and throw up."

"Not me. I've got a strong stomach. Besides, this is how we eat at school. We've got twenty minutes to eat and go outside. I don't like wasting time eating when I can be playing."

"You know you're supposed to wait an hour after eating before doing any strenuous activities, don't you? That way your body has time to digest the food."

Edward shook his head. "Nice try. Everyone knows that is a myth. Besides, it takes six to eight hours to digest a meal. That's how the medical examiners can tell when a person died, by figuring out when they last ate and how much the food is digested."

"What are you watching?" Xyla asked.

"True crime shows. That's how you learn to be a real criminal and get away with stuff."

Xyla did a face plant. "Edward."

"I'm just kidding. I like the science in it. Who knows, maybe someday I'll be a forensic tech."

"I thought you were going to be a train engineer."

Edward shrugged as he swallowed the last bite on his plate. "I'm entitled to change my mind."

As soon as she finished her food, Edward practically dragged her to the lift. "I'm going to get in as many runs as I possibly can while I'm here. Maybe I can break a world record for the number of runs done in a week."

"Probably not. I'm slowing you down."

"I'm a big boy and it's only the people staying at the resort who are using the slopes right now. You don't have to come with me."

"The whole purpose of me coming was to hang out with you."

"I just said that so Dad would let me come." Edward smirked at her and dodged the playful smack she aimed in his direction.

"You could do more runs if you stuck with the red slope."

"I want to do the black diamond. You promised." He grinned. "But I understand if you're chicken and you are too afraid to go. I can go by myself and you can wait for me at the bottom."

"Yeah, right. I ain't afraid of nuttin'," she said in an exaggerated tone.

He laughed and hopped off the lift, racing to the slope.

Her stomach tied itself into a knot when she noticed that Sean and Sawyer were already at the black diamond slope.

Edward waved cheerfully at them, and Xyla resisted the urge to slap his arm down. She gritted her teeth when she saw that they waved back at him.

They are always around, like those nasty no-seeums that constantly hover around, annoying me in the summertime.

"What did you say?" she asked.

Edward frowned at her. "I said that if I can get down the slope each time without falling, I get a piece of chocolate cake for dessert tonight with some ice cream. Don't worry, you already nodded and said that I could."

"Did I now?" She laughed. "It's your upset tummy."

"Don't worry. Dad brought Pepto. It fixes everything."

Xyla groaned. She glanced over at Sean and Sawyer as they waited for her and Edward to launch themselves down the side of the mountain and shook her head. They are not going to spoil my fun or my time with Edward.

Having made up her mind, she focused her attention back on Edward. They started down the slope. Xyla loved the feel of the cold air on her face as she rushed down the mountain. Her heart warmed as she heard Edward's laughter bouncing off the trees.

They were almost at the bottom when her skis hit something. Her stomach lurched and she couldn't breathe as her feet went out from under her. She launched into the air and then landed hard. Instantly, a sharp pain radiated from her ankle up her leg.

"Xyla, are you okay?" Edward screeched to a stop beside her and bent over her worriedly.

"I think so. Help me up."

Edward grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. She tried to put pressure on her right leg and winced as another sharp pain exploded in her ankle.

"What's wrong?"

"I twisted it. I don't think it's broken."

Sawyer and Sean had skied by as Edward helped steady her.

"Are you alright? I'm a doctor, you know," Sawyer said.

She looked over at Sawyer who had a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine. I don't need help from people like you," she spat.

Instead of being upset, Sawyer laughed. "Suit yourself."

The two men looked at each other and continued down the rest of the mountain, leaving poor Edward to help her get down the rest of the slope and over to their cabin.

"You don't have to be such a bitch."

"Edward. You don't use language like that."

"I do when the shoe fits. Even after the way you treated them, they were willing to help you. Instead, you were rude and nasty. It was embarrassing."

Xyla huffed and bit her tongue. She wanted to make a comment about Edward being too young and immature to understand the facts, but she swallowed her words. Besides, the niggle in the back of her brain told her that he was right.

It took a long time for them to get back to the cabin, and both she and Edward were tired when they finally got inside.

She gingerly took off her shoes and socks to let her father inspect her ankle.

"It is swollen and looks bruised. Are you sure it's not broken?" Elliot asked.

"I'm sure. See, I can move it. It just hurts to stand on it. I'll be fine."

"Maybe we should leave."

"No," Edward and Xyla said in unison.

"I'm not going to ruin Edward's birthday. It'll be fine tomorrow. I'll just put some ice on it tonight and keep it elevated."

Elliot looked doubtful. "We'll see how it looks tomorrow."

"I'm hungry." Edward pointed to his belly. "It's on empty. Refill required."

"I don't really feel like going to the dining room. You guys go and bring back a doggie bag."

Edward peered into his sister's face. "You don't look like a dog. More like a cat." He jumped back, laughing, as she swatted at him.

Elliot grinned at them. "I'll go get us some to-go boxes from the dining room. I'll be back. Come help me."

"Xyla promised me a piece of chocolate cake and some ice cream for dessert because I didn't fall any of the times we went down the black diamond."

"We only went down once," Xyla said wryly.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "That is irrelevant. I didn't fall."

"Come on, chow hound. Let's go get everyone some dinner."

"Thanks, Dad. I want a cheeseburger and fries tonight."

Elliot nodded as he and Edward left.

Xyla sat back on the couch and stared into the fire. She didn't miss the references to canines in their conversation. "Doggie bag and hound – huh. I can't escape reminders of Sean."

In the back of her mind, Xyla wondered if her ankle really hurt too much to walk to the resort or if she was trying to avoid Sean.