Page 30 of Step Brother Bear

I pull down my sunglasses from the crown of my head to hide my gaze, leaning back onto my elbows. Derek swims through the water, rotating from floating on his back to diving underneath the surface, coming up with a mouthful of wiggly fish. His brown hair catches in the sunlight, revealing a reddish hue. His ears twitch with every snap of a twig or squirrel jumping from tree limb to limb. He’s so…cute, even with fish guts coating his muzzle as he rips through scales with claws and fangs.

On the way here, he joked about how he could get rid of me easily, but seeing him like this, actually taking him in instead of just during the brief moments of his climax, makes me realize just how true that statement rings. No, my stepbrother never hated me. If he did, I’d be dead. It must have been hard growing up with such a secret. Maybe he’s not the villain of my childhood story; perhaps it's me.

Derek pulls himself out of the water, slowly turning back into his human form, growing smaller, less hairy, his features returning to normal. His wound is without its dressing.

“You’re healing nicely,” I call out.

He looks down as he grabs his jeans and holds them over his crotch. “Oh yeah. I usually heal pretty quickly. When I’m not making it worse.”

“Because you’re a bear?”

He laughs. “I suppose.”

He walks toward me, falling to the ground. “Well, what do you think?” he asks, a little breathlessly.

“About what?”

“My spot?” He shakes his hair, getting me wet a little.

I tsk and wipe off the moisture. “I’m pretty pissed.”

“Why?” He lies on his side, facing me, propping himself up with his hand. The sun refracts the droplets of water over his muscles, and my insides heat.

“You never told me about this place.”

He grabs a small leaf stuck to my leg, resting his hand on my skin as he picks it apart. “I never told you a lot of things.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. Not really.”

I don’t know what he’s implying, but I press on. “Why did you keep your bear self a secret from me?”

“Darrell.”

“Darrell?”

“He didn’t want anyone knowing. That’s why he sent me away.”

It makes sense. I always thought he was embarrassed of his son's temper, but it turns out his temper was only a result of a father who was embarrassed by him.

“Was your mom…”

“A bear-shifter?”

“Yeah.”

He shrugs. “Yep. She died in childbirth. Darrell never told me much about her.” He looks away from me, but not soon enough for me to catch the sadness hiding in his eyes.

He really never calls him Dad. I wonder if he ever did.

“Does anyone else know?”

His eyes dart nervously. “Yeah, I’m part of a group.”

“A group?” Oh no, could what Chrishell mentioned be true? Is he part of a gang?

“Other shifters like me.”