Chapter 36

Chapter 36
SHANNON.

TEN YEARS AGO.

The school bell went off, and I couldn't wait to return home.

Kenai had said he had a surprise for me, and the thought of it had been buzzing in my head all day. The last time he’d said that, he’d come home with my favorite video game, and we’d played until our stomachs hurt from hunger and laughing, completely forgetting about dinner.

I smiled to myself as I walked to my locker.

'What could today’s surprise be?'

I shut the locker door and nearly jumped out of my skin when I found myself face to face with Blake.

Senior. Blond hair that always looked effortlessly perfect.

Eyes every girl in school gossiped about.

And that stupidly charming smile that made girls melt where they stood.

“Hey, pretty,” he said easily.

My cheeks warmed despite myself. “Hey.”

“Wanna grab your favorite popcorn before you head home?” he asked, leaning casually against the lockers.

We've been friends for about two weeks now. Kenai didn’t know about him. He couldn’t. If he did, he’d lose his mind.

Kenai hated me being around other boys. He always said they were all the same — that they only wanted one thing from girls like me.

I didn’t believe that.

Blake was a nice guy, and he was cool to be around. And some girls already looked at me differently because he chose me. The attention made my chest flutter with something dangerously close to hope.

Who knew?

He might end up being my boyfriend.

The thought sent a thrill through me.

"Uh..." I bit my bottom lip.

“Valerie already left with James,” he added quickly. “I figured I could walk you home after we grab the popcorn.”

I sighed under my breath. Valerie always did that — disappearing with boys and leaving me behind, only to apologize later.

I shrugged. “Okay.”

Kenai’s school was in the opposite direction. There was no way he’d see Blake and me together. Besides, he was probably already home, setting up whatever surprise he had planned.

Blake laced his fingers through mine.

The contact sent a jolt straight through me. My heart skipped, my face heating so fast I was sure I was turning red. I’d never held hands with a boy like this before.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye and smiled — that confident, knowing smile. “What are your plans this weekend? We could catch a movie.”

Oh... Kenai had already made plans. He’d told me about a cave he’d found deep in the woods — said it could be ours like our little hideout whenever we needed to escape the troubles of home.

I was eager to see this cave he spoke about. But I was also thrilled to go on a date with Blake.

“Nothing,” I said softly. “I’ll be free.”

“Good.” He squeezed my fingers gently as we stepped through the school gate. “I’ll call you.”

The moment our feet hit the pavement outside, my body went cold.

I stopped so suddenly Blake nearly bumped into me.

My gaze locked onto the figure standing across the street.

Kenai.

"Jesus," I murmured.

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

He stood still with his bike beside him, his posture totally relaxed. And his eyes were on me.

His gaze flicked down to our joined hands, and something in his expression shifted immediately. The warmth I knew so well drained away, replaced by something terrifying and unreadable. His jaw tightened just slightly, like he was clenching down on a thought.

My pulse began to race.

Blake followed my gaze. “That your brother?”

Kenai smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Yes,” I whispered. My throat felt tight. “And you need to leave. Now.”

Blake looked confused but didn't hesitate. One look at the way my hands were shaking, and the sheer panic I could not hide, and he seemed to understand that something was very wrong.

He thought I was in trouble. But in the real sense, he was the one in trouble.

I stood there, trembling like a leaf, as Kenai watched Blake walk away. His gaze never left him. Not even once. He followed every step Blake took, his head tilted slightly, as if committing the shape of him to memory.

Only when Blake was far enough away did Kenai straighten.

He adjusted his jacket leisurely, as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. Then he walked toward me.

"Blake. Right?" He pointed in the direction where he'd gone. "Logan's younger brother."

If one had heard Kenai, they'd think he was making a friendly inquiry about an old friend's little brother. But I knew better.

“Kenai. Please.” The words stumbled out of me. “He… we...”

He looked at me like I was acting strange.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

He placed one hand on my shoulder, and the touch was gentle. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

I swallowed hard. “He… I do not even know him. We just talked today. That is all,” I rushed to explain desperately, my voice cracking under the weight of my fear.

Kenai studied me for a long second before nodding slowly.

"Of course. That's what school mates do, isn't it?" He grinned and walked me towards the bike. "Eager to see the surprise I talked about?"



By the time we got home, I was almost starting to believe Kenai was not angry about what he had seen earlier.

He acted normal.

He even helped me bathe, like he used to, dressed me up, and led me into his room.

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips the moment we stepped in.

His room looked nothing like it usually did.

The lights were dimmed low, casting a warm, amber glow that softened the edges of everything. A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air; thick blankets were layered neatly across the bed, a small setup had been placed near the edge of the mattress—my favorite popcorn, already made, my favorite drink sweating slightly against the glass, and an assortment of snacks I never got to have all at once.

Jeez... This was...

My heart thudded harder in my chest.

Kenai watched my reaction closely, grinning with satisfaction. “I told you...” he said quietly before nodding toward the bed.

There was a box sitting there.

“Go on,” he urged. “Open it.”

My hands trembled as I moved closer. I hesitated for only a second before lifting the lid, and inside were movies.

Romance movies.

I froze, staring down at them like they might disappear if I blinked.

Those were movies I couldn't purchase because I wasn't eighteen yet, but I craved watching them.

I looked up at him slowly, my chest aching in a way I didn’t have words for.

“You...” My voice broke. I cleared my throat and tried again. “You got these… for me?”

He smiled, "Of course, sweetheart."

I dropped the movies back in the box and stepped right into him, wrapping my arms around his neck in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” I breathed. “I swear—thank you.”

His arms closed around me, pressing a little too hard before kissing my hair. “Anything you want,” he murmured near my ear. “You just have to come home to me.”

We watched three of the movies in one sitting, and it was the best feeling ever. I was curled into his side, my head tucked against his chest, my legs drawn up, while I blindly reached for snacks, and he kept refilling my bowl without me asking.

There were some really awkward scenes that made my face heat up.

Like where a couple was having sex that felt like real life, and where the other couple kissed for what felt like an eternity, and then… the one that made me want to scream.

A woman stripped naked and climbed into bed with her stepbrother. And they… they had sex.

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. He was her brother!

“That’s gross,” I muttered, burying my face against him. “He is her brother!”

Kenai hummed softly and kissed my hair, like it was nothing worth reacting to. "They are step-siblings," He corrected, but it didn't change how wrong it was.

Kenai didn't make it feel as awkward as it seemed watching such scenes with him. He was calm, parting and kissing my hair every now and then.

Eventually, exhaustion crept up on me, and my eyes became too heavy.

Just before sleep took me, I felt him gently shift beneath me. I cracked my eyes open enough to see him standing, pulling on his black hoodie and quietly stepping out the door.

“Kenai?” I mumbled.

He paused, glanced back at me, and smiled softly. “Go to sleep, sweetheart. I have something to take care of.”

I wondered where he was headed and what he was taking care of. 

But I didn't get to wonder for too long because, when I arrived at school the next morning, very disturbing news had circulated around the school.

Blake Damien was nowhere to be found.

And something deep in my gut told me immediately that only one person knew where Blake was.

Kenai.