Page 28 of Beast Bear

Pushing himself upright, he pressed his back against the damp cave wall. A shiver coursed through him. He was alone. No comforting voice, no warm blanket, only the echo of his own ragged breathing in the dim light.

He shut his eyes, and in that moment, he saw Serena’s tear-filled gaze. He remembered how she had looked at him with terror when he grabbed her. The realization made his stomach twist. He had lost control, and she had responded to his rage with fear.

A fleeting image of his father’s reassuring presence drifted through his head, along with his mother’s smiling face. But the thought of explaining how he had become a monster in the forest, how everyone at the academy believed he was sabotaging them, sent a burst of shame racing through his veins. He couldn’t bring himself to face them. He felt he had let them down in every possible way.

He remembered the triumphant look in Kai’s eyes when the missing kits were discovered. He relived Poppy’s disappointment, the way she seemed convinced of his guilt. The more he thought about it, the more betrayal weighed on him. None of them believed him. They had all turned away, leaving him adrift with nowhere to turn. Part of him wanted to prove his innocence, but a deeper part whispered that no one would listen. He felt unmoored, stuck between fury and despair.

He drew in a shaky breath and considered the logical choice: get his car. He’d use the spare key he had under the frame. Put on his clothes, beg his parents for help, maybe hide out in the guest room until he figured out who was framing him.

Yet he knew that meant answering for the missing gear and for the savage part of him that had destroyed any chance of trust. He squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the thought away. Guilt knotted in his chest, and anger simmered beneath it. He could not bear to see his family’s disappointment.

Before he could reach any decision, a deep shudder wracked his frame. Something black and sorrowful tensed inside him, awakening the beast that lurked under his skin. His chest felt tight as his breathing went ragged. Every instinct urged him to flee, to destroy, to silence the pounding in his mind. His bear, traumatized and raging, clawed at his consciousness. He hadonly seconds to sense the coming shift, to feel a flicker of panic for what was about to happen.

He let out a strangled cry as his arms convulsed. Fur sprouted in a dense wave, and his bones contorted with a sickening crack. His vision hazed with red. One instant he was human, crouched in shame against the cave wall, and the next, he was a snarling beast. The cool clarity of his human mind slipped away, leaving only raw impulse.

He rose on all fours, shaking his massive head. A guttural growl echoed against the cave walls. He might have willed himself to reach out for help, now he felt only the dizzying pull of the forest. He launched out of the cave, claws scraping the rock with each powerful stride. The daylight seemed too bright, stabbing his eyes, fueling his confusion.

Branches whipped at his thick fur as he plunged deeper into the woods. His growls became a single chorus of pain and anger. He no longer spared a thought for his parents, for Serena, or for his own innocence. All that remained was the pounding of his heart and the need to escape every shred of memory.

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Serena spentthe next few days moving between a cramped funeral home and Grace’s new apartment. Paperwork seemed never-ending. She felt an odd mix of duty and relief as she arranged for a simple service.

When the day arrived, clouds drifted over the Sacramento skyline, casting the small funeral home in soft, muted light. Bouquets lined the walls, but not very many people came. Most people who had known her father had drifted away over the years, repelled by his reputation or intimidated by his temper. There were a few who seemed there purely for his money and legacy as a dragon. Serena knew she needed to protect her mom from them.

Serena sat beside her mother at the front during the service. She felt grief for the life he could have led, the father he could have been. Once the service ended, they left the chapel. The quiet ceremony had marked the close of a dark chapter in both their lives.

Later that afternoon, they returned to the old family house. Serena paused in the foyer, taking in the faded wallpaper anddusty furniture. It was the same house where she had grown up, but it felt so foreign.

“We can decide what to keep and what to throw away.”

They spent a few hours sorting through photographs and personal effects. Serena found a crayon drawing she’d made of her family, back when she was too young to recognize how broken they were. She set the drawing aside, uncertain how she felt about preserving it.

They uncovered a worn journal of her father’s from his adolescence, pages filled with angry scribbles and cryptic references to nightmares. Her mother frowned, running her fingers over the battered cover.

“He was never truly free of what happened to him,” she murmured. “I thought I owed him something for what he had been through. I never wanted to drag you down into all of this.”

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, highlighting dust motes that swirled in the air. Serena lifted her gaze. “I won’t carry his darkness anymore,” she said. “It ends here.”

Her mother reached for her hand. “Let’s get out of here for today,” her mother said. “Thank you for helping me, Serena. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

Serena stood and wrapped her mother in a hug. “I’m just glad we have a chance to move forward.”

As Grace locked the door, Serena felt a flicker of conviction burning deep in her chest. She’d survived her father’s legacy of anger. Now, she was free to choose her own path.

Chapter

Thirty-Three

Serena layon the couch in her mother’s cramped new apartment, staring up at the shadows dancing across the ceiling. The night felt unbearably still. Her mother, exhausted by the funeral and going through the old house, had gone to bed an hour ago. Now Serena felt both worn down and oddly awake, as if her mind refused to let her rest.

She thought of the large house where she had grown up, and how different this little apartment was. She felt safer here than she ever had in her old home, but her father’s funeral had left her emotions tangled.

A sudden buzz shattered the silence. She jumped, fumbling to grab her phone from the armrest. Alicia’s name flashed on the screen, and Serena’s heart gave a small leap. She settled back onto the couch cushions and answered.

“Hey,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

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