Page 175 of Secret Shifters Next Door

Before I could retort with a smart-aleck remark, my phone started ringing. I pulled it out and saw who was calling. “Oh, shit.”

April frowned. “What is it? Who is that?”

“Um,” I chuckled humorlessly, “it’s my brother. I’m going to walk around to the front yard and take this.”

“Your brother?” she asked, shocked.

“Yeah. I’ll be back.” I got up and walked to the front yard. I took a deep breath and answered the call, “Hey, Sean.”

“Hey, brother. Do you have time to talk?”

“I’m at a party, but I have a few minutes. If it’s necessary.”

Sean sighed and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I get it. I’ll try to be quick. I wanted to thank you for the info on the hunters. Your friend Miles sent a ton of info to my Alpha. It helped us get a handle on the disappearances. I took your advice, and we made sure no one went anywhere alone. Groups of three or more.”

I looked back at the party. I wanted this call to be over. I had no desire to be on the phone with Sean any longer than I needed to be. “Cool. Everyone safe?”

“Yeah, all good. The news about that Ryland guy seems to have slowed the attacks down. There hasn’t been a single disappearance in our pack or any of the shifter clans near us since.”

“Good. I’ve seen firsthand what those guys can do. I wouldn’t want that to happen to my old pack. Even after what they did to me.”

There was a long pause on the other end before Sean spoke again. “Steff, I owe you an apology. A long overdue apology. I’m so sorry for what happened when we were kids. You don’t know this, but for years, I’d call you but hang up after one or two rings. I was always scared about what you’d say to me. Plus, I didn’t know what to say. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ never seemed like it wouldbe enough. I can’t fix things or make them like they were, but I do want you to know that you’re welcome home any time.”

The words hit me. It was like slamming into a wall. “Home? Sean, I appreciate that, but I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t be too keen on me walking through the door. They made it clear they never wanted to see me again when they sent me away when I was still a fucking child.”

“Fuck, man. That’s… shit. I told them the truth years ago. About what happened in the woods that day. Told the Alpha, too.”

I sank down to one knee, suddenly dizzy. “You told them? They know I didn’t kill that kid?”

“They know it was me. That it was an accident from when we were picking on you. They know it all. The pack punished me, but I was a minor and it happened so long ago. It was nothing like what you went through. It honestly made the guilt even worse.”

I took several deep breaths, unsure how to proceed. In the backyard, Miles ran down a thrown frisbee and saw me in distress. He took several steps toward me, a look of concern on his face. I waved him off and gave him a thumbs-up. He hesitated, but nodded and went back to the party.

I moved the phone to my other ear. “What did they say? Why didn’t they call me?”

When Sean spoke next, I could hear the tears in his voice. “They were fucking heartbroken, man. They were so angry with me. It took a couple of years for me to get back on decent terms with them. They were too ashamed of what they did to you. Mom was… Jesus Christ… I was pretty scared she was gonna kill herself for a couple of weeks. I’ve never seen them so messed up. They were ashamed of themselves and thought you’d never be able to forgive them, so they let you live your life. Bro, they’ve been miserable since I told them the truth. It’s been years, andthey still haven’t recovered. I had to let you know they still love you. You still have parents who love you and miss you.”

My parents still cared about me? They still loved me? So much time had gone by, I’d almost forgotten what their faces looked like. Tears burned in my eyes. There was no way to go back in time, but I could still move forward. Things could be different.

“Okay, Sean. Um… thank you. I mean that. Thanks. I… I accept the apology. Forgiveness is something family should be able to give. Maybe if you get the time, you could come visit here. Take a trip to Lilly Valley.”

Sean’s voice filled with excitement. “Yeah. I’ll make the time. I can’t wait.”

THIRTY-SEVEN

APRIL

It had been weeks since Steff claimed me. The change hadn’t been like what Harley had described to me. From the instant his teeth pierced my flesh, I’d felt it. My entire being had changed. The bond and connection to Steff had been almost like a physical rope connecting us. It had still taken time before I’d been sure I could actually shift. The feeling,the needwas there, but I simply didn’t think I was brave enough to go through with it yet.

That afternoon, we went over to Kris and Chelsea’s for dinner with the rest of my family. My parents had gone back home once things settled down, but Aiden and Kellan joined us. They both seemed to be bouncing back well. Aiden was pretty much back to his old self, and Kellan was becoming less withdrawn by the day. It seemed like they really would be okay. There would be mental scars, but Steff and I both thought they’d be fine.

Chelsea had texted me the day before, letting me know she was ready to tell Kris about the baby. I never got another message about it, but they also didn’t call us all to cancel the dinner. I took that as a good sign. After parking in the driveway, Steff, Kellan, Aiden, and I walked up the walkway to the house. I almost screamed when the front door burst open.

Kris stepped out, arms held triumphantly in the air. “I’m gonna be a daddy,” he yelled, his eyes glistening and his face stretched in the biggest smile I’d ever seen on him.

I let out a relieved sigh and grinned at Chelsea as she came out of the door behind him. She was crying and laughing. Kellan and Aiden ran up the stairs and hugged them both. Aiden seemed beyond excited at the prospect of having a cousin. The whole night was one massive celebration. Kris even video-called our parents so they could join the festivities. The warmth and feeling of family was exactly what I needed. As I stared across the table and watched Steff laughing with my brothers, I knew tonight was the night. It was time for my first shift.

That night after we got home, I told Steff I was finally ready to really go through with it. He’d almost jumped out of his chair with excitement. He’d taken my hand and led me to the woods behind our house. We strolled through the forest until we came to the same clearing where he’d first shown me his bear.

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