BK - Chapter 14 - I'm A Werebear
Alex stared at Lisa, ready to tear into her. How could she embarrass him like that? He had just met Kiersten, and she was probably ready to run away because of the way his sister was acting. Before he could say anything, the sweetest sound he'd ever heard filled his ears. Kiersten started laughing, and her whole face was lit up.
"Oh my goodness, I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. I can just imagine you two as children." Kiersten pictured their faces and could almost see Alex glaring at Lisa.
"Ignore my sister; she doesn't know how to be civilized." Alex walked over and pulled Lisa to her feet so he could sit in her place. She crossed her arms and smirked as he took Kiersten's hand.
"I think I'm more civilized than this overgrown teddy bear. So have you had the talk yet?" Lisa asked, knowing full well she was putting her brother in the hot seat. She swore his eyes would get stuck in a glare if he continued looking at her the way he was.
"What talk?" Kiersten asked, turning to where she heard Lisa's voice.
"That's enough, you two. Let's eat this pizza before it gets cold." Breanne was used to diffusing arguments between the siblings. Alex smiled at her thankfully as he helped Kiersten to the table.
"Is there anything you don't like on your pizza?" Alex asked, keeping his eye on Lisa, who was unusually quiet as she stood to the side. Was she up to something?
"I'm not picky. I can't tell you the last time I had pizza. It smells delicious." Kiersten said softly. She couldn't see Alex beaming down at her while the others watched. They were fascinated by how connected the couple already seemed and how Alex was caring for her.
"We eat pizza a lot. At home, I've seen Alex eat a whole pizza by himself in one sitting." Lisa said as she sat on Jayce's lap. There were only four chairs around the table, and she figured his lap was better anyway.
"Where do you live?" Kiersten asked as she took a bite of the pizza. It was so good she wanted to moan out loud but didn't want to embarrass herself.
"In San Diego. We're all in school at San Diego State University," Lisa said, looking at her brother, who was turning red.
"You're all in school? I'm so jealous. What are you all studying?" Kiersten asked, trying to ignore the pain in her chest from the thought of Alex leaving to go back to San Diego.
"Jayce, Breanne, and I are in law school. Alex is getting his degree in art." Lisa answered. She wondered if they would have an extra roommate when they returned in a couple months. She couldn't imagine Alex leaving Kiersten behind if she accepted him when he told her about being a werebear.
"That's incredible. You all must be really smart. I was lucky to finish high school." Kiersten felt her eyes burning. She felt out of place with everyone there. Why would they like someone like her? Alex was probably only being nice out of pity. As though he could read her mind, she felt him find her hand under the table. Just that simple touch chased away the spiraling thoughts she was having.
"Have you thought about going to school? We could help you if you want. We would be glad to have you go with us when we leave in a couple months." Lisa replied, winking at her brother, who was no longer glaring at her as the smile spread across his face. She had seen the sadness on Kiersten's face and wanted to bring back her beautiful smile.
"Do you really think that's possible? I honestly never thought about it. It was hard enough just to survive when I got here. College was the last thing on my mind." Kiersten felt an excitement flood her body that she had never felt. Was it possible for her to go to school and do something other than float from one hotel to another?
"Of course, it's possible. Later today, we'll sit down and see what classes you want to take. I have connections in the office, so I'll see if we can add you as a late enrollee. You don't mind relocating temporarily to San Diego, do you?" Lisa asked as she finished her pizza. Alex held his breath, waiting for her response. What if she said she wanted to stay where she was comfortable?
"I don't care where I am. It's better than being by myself." Kiersten answered before taking a drink of her soda.
"Good. Then we'll see what we can get you into. Are you guys ready to start going through the file?" Lisa asked, looking at everyone. She had been itching to get her fingers on it since Alex left.
"I don't want to impose. Would you like me to go?" Kiersten asked, preparing to leave even though she had no clue where she was.
"No, please stay. Maybe you can have some insight too. We have no idea what's in here, so we would like everyone's thoughts." Lisa replied. Kiersten felt her heart swell even more. Where had these people been all her life? No one ever included her in anything. They weren't treating her differently because she was blind, and that meant more to her than they knew.
Breanne quickly cleaned up the pizza boxes and threw the trash away. Lisa gingerly opened the file, and the first thing she saw was news articles. There were dozens of them that talked about sightings of larger-than-life animals. Some were hunters stating they had killed these massive creatures. She passed them around for everyone else.
"We're looking at news articles about large animals being killed," Alex explained to Kiersten.
"This is disturbing. They talk about them like they don't matter." Jayce said quietly. He was trying to be careful what he said in front of Kiersten, but the images were sickening. Some showed people who were half human and half animal being slaughtered.
Kiersten wondered why anyone would kill animals, no matter what their size. She appreciated everyone describing what they were looking at for her benefit. It made her feel included.
"There are some court documents here wanting to lock these large animals up permanently or kill them. One says *In order for the human race to live peacefully, every one of these beings should be put down*. They have a lot of support from all over the world that talks about sightings of wolves terrorizing the towns. This is ridiculous." Alex said as Lisa handed him more documents. If werewolves or any other shifters were running rampant anywhere in the world, everyone would know about it. They were able to stay hidden for so long because most knew how to blend in.
"Can I ask something?" Kiersten questioned, not sure if it was her place.
"Of course," Alex answered, taking her hand again. He assumed she didn't mind because she didn't pull away.
"What exactly did your grandfather want you to do? I know you're in law school, but does it concern animal rights?" Kiersten asked, feeling her face flush, knowing everyone's eyes were on her.
"Something like that, actually. He was concerned that some may be getting unfair treatment because they're different." Lisa tried to pick her words carefully. She wanted Alex to be able to tell her about them being shifters, but she also didn't want to lie to Kiersten.
"I see. Do you think any of these animals they're describing are more than just animals?" Kiersten asked. Being blind had made her hearing and other senses better than the average person's. On more than one occasion, she had felt like there were people who were growling or purring. It didn't make sense, but there were no large animals where she was at the time. She wondered if the others were going to laugh, thinking she was crazy, but she was wrong.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked anxiously. If she already knew about shifters, then their talk would be a lot easier as long as she was willing to become one herself.
"I don't want you to think I've fallen off my rocker, but I swear I have heard humans make sounds like animals. Not the fake sounds you make to a child but deeper, more profound, like it was coming from inside them. You want me to leave now, don't you? This sounds insane even to me." Kiersten bit her lip nervously, waiting.
"When you heard those people that sounded like that, did it scare you?" Alex asked.
"No, actually, I thought it was fantastic. Could you imagine being part human and part animal? Do you think that's what your grandfather was talking about?" Lisa and Alex exchanged a look. She nodded at him encouraging him to tell Kiersten the truth. He didn't want to do it in front of everyone else, so he stood up.
"Would you come outside with me for a minute? There's something I want to tell you," Alex asked, helping Kiersten stand. She wondered if she said something she shouldn't have. Was he going to make her leave?
"Sure," She answered with a shaky voice. Kiersten knew she should have kept her mouth shut. For the first time in forever, she was finally relaxed enough to enjoy time with people her age, and she had to mess it up. When they got outside, Alex had her sit on a porch swing before sitting beside her. He was still holding her hand, and Kiersten was afraid he would let go if she moved too much.
"I'm sorry if I screwed up in there. I shouldn't have said anything." She said with regret. Alex smiled and squeezed her hand.
"Don't apologize. I'm glad you said what you said because it makes what I'm going to tell you a lot easier." Alex took a deep breath. Could he do this? Remy was in his head, cheering him on. It was time to tell their mate what they were.
"What do you need to tell me?" Kiersten asked breathlessly. Why did she feel excited about what he was going to say?
"I'm a werebear."
