They went skiing for fun most of the morning until they were almost halfway to their destination. They put up their skis, and then Andre led them into the woods on a path that provided a shortcut to the market.

For the three months that Sonia lived out here, she had never gotten around by walking, but she'd known several of the teenagers her age were doing the same thing. They walked or rode their bikes to the local market instead of driving cars all the way to Aspen Valley to go to the malls and eateries. But then again, Sonia was always suspicious about whether or not the majority of people who lived out here were human or wolf shifters. These days, the population of shifters and humans in Aspen Valley and surrounding areas was almost split fifty-fifty, and that number was only as accurate as the data used to make that conclusion. Many shifters chose not to identify.

Sonia spotted a set of tracks while they were on the trail. She pointed to the ground and said, "We're not the only one's having fun in the snow."

Andre stopped and directed his gaze to the tracks, following it a few feet. Strangely, the tracks were just of the trail as if it were going in the same general direction as they were.

"Natural wolves?" Sonia asked.

"No. Shifters," he answered.

"How do you know?"

Andre paused for a moment, contemplating his reply long and hard. She noted the change in his demeanor and his facial expression as he grappled with something that only he knew.

Finally, he lifted his gaze and met mine. "Takes one to know one."

"Is that a confession?" she asked, quietly.

"I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to know how you'd react."

"If you're asking if I'd think less of you because you're not entirely human, the answer is no. In a sense, I already knew," she said.

His gaze narrowed. "My mom told you."

She shook her head. "Of course not. Your mom loves you. She'd never betray her son by revealing something that she promised not to reveal."

"How did you know then?"

She shrugged. "I want to say it was just a hunch, but then that would imply that you're a stranger. You're not a stranger to me. You're anything but that. I like to think we're more than just two people whose parents were once married happily. We're good friends who understand each other."

"Well then…" he breathed.

She saw his chest rise and fall. He sighed like a great burden had lifted from his shoulders.

"I…uh…I had hoped that I wouldn't scare you away by telling you."

"Scare me?" she chuckled. "I'm not afraid of no wolf. Just know that if you bite me, I'm gonna bite you back."

He laughed and then said, "Fair enough. We're almost there. Just a little more before we get over the hills," Andre said. "Wanna stop here and eat lunch?"

She nodded. "Yes."

They sat on a fallen tree and pulled their lunch sacks out of their bags.

"You know the area really well."

"As you probably know by now, I don't get to work by car or anything like that. I love to explore and get lost sometimes. I love it out here. Better than Aspen Valley that's for sure. It's peaceful and people leave you alone. Wish I could move here permanently."

"I don't see why you can't, you know. I know my dad and your mom are trying to decide who gets the cabin, but I think they'd lay aside their differences and talk about transferring ownership to you."

"Maybe. I was saving up to have something built out here. Could take me another six months before I have the bulk of my down payment, but I'm in it for the long haul. I could always rent too if I wanted to." He shrugged. "But there's a whole lot of land, but not a lot of houses. Not sure why. This part of Tellevue County is so popular because of the land, resources, and seclusion that nothing is really for sale at the moment. Just rental cabins. And the rental business is pretty much dominated by a few families out here. The Lombardis…the Landers…they're probably making a fortune."

"Lombardi? That's the guy my father rents the cabin out to every now and then," she noted.

"Yeah, my mom introduced Luke to your dad. I guess they figured since they had just bought the house before deciding to move, they might as well earn some money back from it."

"It's a small world out here," she said.

"Yes, but somehow, I can't stand the thought of leaving it behind," he said.

"It's funny you say that. I left. But sure enough, I came right back. I really hope the snow melts soon so I can get on with that interview. I really want that job. Not that I need an excuse to come back here or anything…I just don't want to leave again."

"I don't want you to leave either."