Page 14 of Step Brother Bear

His buzzed gaze focuses on me. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Not really.”

“I wanted to get to you.”

I tsk. “Why do you hate me so much?”

He shakes his head. “Not because I hated you. I wanted to see if you’d get jealous.”

“Why?”

“I was and am eager for any attention you’ll give me, even if it’s negative.” How did his lips get so close to mine? The empty beer bottle in my hand serves as a reminder of why the room feels so light, why I can’t seem to remember the reason for ever fighting the attraction to him. I’m ready to crash against his lips, to let his fire consume me, but then he smiles and moves back a hair, enough for me to notice the distance he’s attempting to make between us. It angers me somewhat, but it’s obviously for the best.

“Want another one?” he asks, pointing to my empty bottle.

“No, I’m already feeling it too much. If I’m not careful, I’ll start hallucinating again.”

His eyes grow wide. “What do you mean again?”

I shake my head with a smile. “It’s so stupid. Last night, I imagined you as something else. I don’t know why.”

He leans forward. “Something else?”

“It must have been the lighting, but I thought I saw you change into like an animal.” I laugh, but when I search his expression, I don’t catch any returned humor. “I’m not trying to be mean. I don’t mean you looked ugly. I thought I saw an actual animal with fangs and fur.”

He’s silent, his face devoid of expression.

“But that would be crazy, so obviously I lost oxygen to my brain or something.”

He says nothing.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I think it’s time you know.”

“Know what?”

“Come on. After all these years living under the same roof, you never noticed I was different?”

“We barely lived under the same roof, and what do you mean different?”

He tsks and leans back, his palms meeting the countertop. “Isabella, you saw my knot.”

“And am I supposed to know what that is?”

“Many mammals have it.”

“Yeah, but not humans.”

He smiles. “Exactly.”

A forced laugh escapes me. “So what are you saying, you’re not human?”

“Not entirely.”

I arch backwards. “What is this? Are you fucking with me?”

“Isabella, have you ever hallucinated before? Why are you doubting what you saw?”