Claimed by the Beast Bundle

by Dawn Michelle

  Stephanie turned her head and saw Crystal standing there, legs spread and ready to pounce or run. Stephanie clamped her mouth shut but had the presence of mind to sit up on the chair.

  Crystal hadn’t expected this. She didn’t need Jimmy freaking out and shouting. Stephanie would be cool. Well, if she knew who she was. So far Steph had only seen Ember change, as far as she knew. Crystal hadn’t thought this through as far as she should have. She sat down on her haunches, hoping that would calm things down.

  “Jimmy, go inside,” Stephanie snapped.

  “Steph! That’s a wolf! That’s a fucking wolf! The same white one they said was running around! Holy shit, it’s in our backyard!”

  “James Robert Edgerton, watch your mouth and go inside!” Stephanie growled at him. “And don’t you dare say a thing to anyone about this.”

  Jimmy turned to look at her with wide eyes. “What? Are you crazy? If I move, he’s going to eat me!”

  “That’s a girl, not a boy,” she told him and stared at Crystal for confirmation. Crystal nodded.

  “Holy shit! Did that wolf just—no way! I’ve got to get a picture of this!”

  “Jimmy, don’t even think about it!” Stephanie hissed at him. “Get your butt inside this instant or I’m going to make sure it gets spread all over school that I caught you jerking off to gay porn and that you’ve got a tiny dick!”

  He gawked and stared at his sister, forgetting Crystal for a moment. “Steph! What? That’s not true!”

  “Truth doesn’t matter, only what people believe. Now get your ass inside right now and don’t say a word to Mom or Dad.”

  “And leave you out here? No way! You’re a bitch but I can’t let you get eaten. Mom and Dad won’t—”

  “You’d be the only kid then—you could have anything you wanted. They’d feel so bad, they’d buy you everything.”

  Jimmy tilted his head as he considered her words. Crystal rolled her eyes and shook her head. She’d babysat plenty of boys and none of them had been that shallow. They were younger than Jimmy, but not as spoiled either.

  “You’d be the cool kid at school too,” Stephanie added. “Think of all the attention you’d get because your sister was chewed up by a wild animal!”

  Crystal huffed. She wasn’t a wild animal. Wild, maybe, but not an animal. She glanced down at her paws and then shifted her stance to itch her neck with a rear paw. Nope, definitely not an animal.

  “You know something, don’t you?” Jimmy asked through narrowed eyes. “What’s going on here?”

  “Please, just go inside,” Stephanie asked, resorting to pleading when her threats and bartering failed.

  “Fine, but I’m watching through the door!” he said and glanced at Crystal again. He shook his head again and grabbed his towel off a chair on his way to the French doors.

  Once they were shut, Stephanie stood up and took a few steps towards Crystal before she stopped. Crystal had never seen the bathing suit she was wearing before; it was white and so tiny it made a bikini look like a burka. “Crys? Is that you?”

  Crystal nodded and glanced at the door. She could make out Jimmy’s outline through the glass, even if she couldn’t see details. She wanted to change but couldn’t, not with him watching. It wasn’t modesty—she was way beyond that. It was about secrecy. People weren’t supposed to know about them. Tell a teenage boy, and she might as well go on a morning news show.

  Then again, his father was being hunted by a pack of werewolves. His father, a murderer and member of a secret cult. Crystal sighed.

  “Crys? What’s going on? I saw you earlier this week running out of my yard. Please! Talk to me. Oh no! You’re not trapped like that all the time now, are you? Wait, you can’t be, Rebecca said she talked to you. I don’t—”

  Fuck it. Stephanie was babbling and starting to act like she was having a breakdown. Crystal had to talk to people and she couldn’t do it as a wolf. Her plan had gone out the window as soon as they saw her. Now it was time to improvise. Crystal took a breath and let it out as she let herself shift back into the form she’d been born with.

  Crystal winced and rose up to her knees. She picked one leg up, trembling as her body finished its internal transformations. The pain faded like the taste of a bad piece of food. She met Stephanie’s wide eyes and smiled.

  Crystal turned her head when she heard the thud of something, or in this case someone, hitting the floor behind the French doors.

  Chapter 19

  Stephanie hit her fast, knocking Crystal back and risking sending her to the brick patio if she hadn’t been holding her tight. “Oh Crystal!” Stephanie gasped as she squeezed the naked young woman in a hug. “Thank God you’re okay!”

  Crystal realized Stephanie was kissing her shoulder and neck and pushed her back a step. “Steph, stop,” she mumbled. “Relax, I’m fine. I mean I wasn’t, but I am right now.”

  “You weren’t? What do you mean?” Stephanie asked. She frowned. “Oh shit! You’re naked. Holy shit, you just did what Ember did! You—you’re one of them! You’re a werewolf!”

  “And you’re going to be a witch,” Crystal snapped as Stephanie’s eyes started to lose focus. She snapped her fingers to bring Stephanie’s attention back to her. “Steph, I need you to focus. We can talk all about this later, but right now there’s some serious shit going on.”

  “Serious shit? Like what? My dad’s been taking calls and locked himself in his office. He won’t let us turn on the TV or anything.”

  “Your dad’s involved,” Crystal said.

  “He’s involved? How? He doesn’t do anything—he just goes to work and comes home to work more.”

  Crystal opened her mouth and then hesitated. How much could she tell her? How much should she tell her? This was Stephanie’s dad she was talking about. To her, he was a hardworking man who was strict and old-fashioned, but he was her dad. To Crystal, he was a misguided man capable of terrible crimes. Crimes he’d committed against her.

  “I need to talk to him,” Crystal decided.

  “What? Now? Why?” Stephanie shook her head and continued instead of waiting for an answer. “When he’s in his office, there’s nothing that can get him out.”

  “Yes, now. Is your mom here?”

  “I think so. She was going to work out, last I knew.”

  Crystal nodded and turned towards the French doors. Jimmy had picked himself up enough to sit up and stare at the door at her. She turned back to Stephanie. “Chad’s dead.”

  Stephanie nodded. “I know.”

  It was Crystal’s turn to be surprised. “You do?”

  “Hit-and-run by a car. Closed casket. I guess he was a mess. I was hoping I’d see you there.”

  “Hit-and-run?” Crystal repeated. She shook her head. “He was shot. In the head.”

  Stephanie’s hand flew to her mouth. She lowered it and shook her head. “That’s crazy! Why would they hide it?”

  “Because of who did it.”

  “Who? And how do you know?”

  “I was there,” Crystal said.

  “You were? Holy shit! You didn’t—did you—”

  “I didn’t do it,” Crystal said.

  “Then who did?”

  “I was running on the road heading home from Hank’s, and Chad found me,” she said. Stephanie’s forehead furrowed. “He was crazy, Steph. He tackled me and was going to do to me what he did to Beth.”

  “You’re stronger than Beth, and, uh, the whole werewolf thing? Couldn’t you fight back?”

  Crystal frowned. Stephanie asked great questions but she didn’t have time to answer it all. “I wasn’t ready to do that yet. Anyhow, they stopped Chad from hurting me.”

  “They? Oh! Your friends. Hank and Ember and the others?”

  “No, the men who got Chad away from us under the bridge. The men who used him to track me down. They used him, found me, and then they shot him.”

  Stephanie shook her head. “That’s—I don’t even know what that is! Crazy! I
believe you, it’s just—”

  “I know.”

  “So who shot him? Who are they?”

  Crystal stared at Stephanie for a long moment to make sure Stephanie heard her clearly when she answered, “Mr. Dixon, Chad’s dad.”

  Stephanie blinked and opened her mouth. She shook her head and finally found the words to argue, “His dad? Shot him? That’s not—”

  “That’s what I thought. Steph, I need you to trust me. Do you?”

  Stephanie nodded. “Yes.”

  As wrong as she knew it was, Crystal felt a flush of relief knowing that the spell she’d accidentally put on the cheerleader made her trust and believe her. More important, it meant that Crystal could trust her. “All right, then now I need to talk to your dad.”

  Stephanie stared and nodded. “All right. Um, let me get you a towel.”

  “A towel?” Crystal glanced down at her nude body and smirked. She’d felt weird about it last time, but now it didn’t bother her at all. Even with Jimmy staring at her and committing every bit of her to memory so he could jerk off to her later. She winced and put the thought out of her head. Stephanie turned away and confirmed that her tiny bathing suit was just as tiny in the back. She looked nude except for the white string that emerged from between her cheeks. “You’re one to talk!”

  Stephanie grabbed her beach towel off her chair and shrugged. “My parents hate this suit. They wouldn’t let me get it until I got certified as a lifeguard in case my stupid brother tried to drown himself back here. And they still won’t let me wear it anywhere but the backyard.”

  She brought the towel over to Crystal and tried to wrap it around her. Crystal smiled and took it from her instead. “Thanks, I can do it.”

  Stephanie nodded and looked away, color rushing to her cheeks. She glanced back after Crystal tucked the end of the towel in and turned towards the doors. She stopped at the door and glanced back at Crystal. “I could give you some of my clothes to wear.”

  Crystal smiled. “No time. But thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “They’d fit now,” Stephanie added. “I mean, you know, you’re not like you were before.”

  “When I was fat?” Crystal asked.

  Stephanie winced.

  “It’s okay,” Crystal said. She had more to say but this wasn’t the time or place to say it.

  Stephanie opened the door and walked in. She stopped with Crystal a step behind her and glared down at her brother. “Not a word of this, do you hear me!”

  He gawked up at them both and kept glancing at the shadows under Crystal’s towel where it rested against her upper thighs.

  “Were you really a wolf?” he breathed up at Crystal.

  “Did you hear me?” Stephanie ignored him and growled.

  “Yes! Jesus, I heard you. Besides, who’d believe me?”

  Crystal knelt down, his eyes going to her towel as it parted until it dropped below his eye level. He jerked them up to where the towel was pulling over her cleavage and then leaned back when she put her face next to his and sniffed loudly.

  “What the fu—”

  “I’ve got your scent now,” Crystal said. “In case I need to find you.”

  His eyes grew wide and he stammered a few times before he pressed his lips together and nodded his head. “I won’t say nothing! I promise.”

  Crystal nodded and stood up. She turned and saw Stephanie grinning at her. It looked like the cheerleader still had a mean streak to her. Crystal nodded to her, making the grin vanish. Stephanie ignored her brother and led her deeper in the house. They walked down a hallway and through a large family room before coming to a solid wood door set in the wall.

  Stephanie reached up and knocked on it. In a loud voice she called out, “Dad, um, there’s someone here to see you?”

  Crystal frowned as a few seconds passed. Was he even in there? She was about to ask when she heard a lock click and then the door swung open. Mr. Edgerton looked out, seeing his daughter first and then turning his gaze on Crystal. His jaw fell open and his eyes widened as he processed the girl in the pink and yellow towel. He backpedaled and fell back, stumbling and falling into his desk.

  Chapter 20

  “Stay back, beast!” Mr. Edgerton shouted once he recovered from his shock. “Stephanie! Get away from her! She’s—she’s—”

  Crystal stepped into his office and held up her hands. “You look surprised to see me,” she couldn’t stop herself from saying.

  “Stop! Wait! You can’t come in here! This room is my sanctum. It’s been blessed as sacred ground!” he babbled. He stiffened and slid along the edge of his desk until he could get around the side of it and put more distance between the two of them. “You were dead! I saw it with my own eyes. No breath. No pulse! You’ve returned from the grave more evil than before! Your soul is damned!”

  Crystal stopped and glanced around the room. “That’s funny. I don’t feel a thing. I’ve never had a problem in a church either. Maybe that means I’m not the devil worshipper you think I am?”

  He shook his head. “Impossible. You made a pact with the devil and came back from the dead!”

  “I wasn’t dead,” Crystal snapped. “Not all the way, at least.”

  “Impossible!”

  “Dad, what’s she talking about? What are you talking about?” Stephanie asked from the doorway.

  “Steph, nothing. Just go to your room. Get your brother and go!”

  “Not a chance!” Stephanie snapped.

  “Young lady, you—”

  Stephanie stepped up next to Crystal and slipped her hand into Crystal’s, silencing him. His face paled as Stephanie glared at him. “Crystal is my best friend. You’re not going to drive us apart! Now what is all this about? I deserve some answers, damn it!”

  He staggered back, his legs wobbling until he found his chair and all but collapsed in it. He shook his head and whispered, “No,” over and over.

  “After Mr. Dixon killed Chad, they drugged me and brought me back here.”

  Stephanie interrupted to ask, “Here? My house?”

  “The shed out back. I was tied down and he tortured me before—”

  Some life flared into Mr. Edgerton’s face as he hissed, “It wasn’t torture! We had to know for sure if you were cursed or not! I see your wounds have healed now.”

  “The silver knife took longer,” Crystal admitted.

  “I had a hunch that wolf was you,” Stephanie said.

  “You knew?” he gasped.

  “There’s a lot of things I know,” Stephanie said in a tight voice. “But I guess there’s a lot more you’ve been hiding.”

  “Why did you come back?” Mr. Edgerton asked. “You think you can kill me or corrupt me? I know you already got to Sheriff Whitcomb and Barnaby. I’m ready for you. My soul is saved and—”

  “Dad!” Stephanie said loud enough to stop his rant. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  He gawked at her and then clamped his lips together. His eyes narrowed before he said, “You don’t understand what you’re dealing with. This is a creature of Satan! Or wait—am I too late? We moved up here and you promised me you’d invest yourself in the Lord. Have I missed evil under my own nose?”

  Crystal saw Stephanie roll her eyes and had to fight back a smirk. To spare Stephanie as much as possible, Crystal said, “Mr. Edgerton, look at me. I—”

  “I will not gaze on the false beauty of evil!”

  “Oh my God!” Crystal hissed.

  “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain!” he growled and lunged forward to grab a letter opener off his desk. Crystal stared at it long enough to know it was silver. She wasn’t sure if she could smell it or if there was something in how the light reflected off the sharp edge and narrow point.

  “I was going to say,” Crystal began again, speaking slower in hopes he wouldn’t overreact. Again. “That I am standing inside your office. It doesn’t hurt me. I’ll dip my hands in holy water and even take communion. I was raised Methodist, n
ot Catholic, but I’ll do whatever I can to prove to you I’m not evil.”

  “Dad, she’s not,” Stephanie said. “Crystal’s the nicest person I know. She helps everyone and never has anything bad to say. I’m more evil than she is, and you see me in church every time you make me go.”

  “Make you go?” he echoed as some of his strength left his voice. “Don’t you go out of your own love for the Lord?”

  Stephanie shrugged. “I’m not like you, Dad. I don’t see why I can’t believe and be religious without having to go through all the rituals and ceremony and BS. Will God love me any less?”

  “God loves us all,” he mumbled. His voice grew stronger as he pulled his gaze up from his desk to his daughter. “We make sacrifices to remind ourselves of what is right and good.”

  Stephanie shook her head. "Dad! It's not like that. I mean, just knowing Crystal has made me a better person. I don’t think God’s going to think any less of me for who I am or the choices I make.”

  His head swiveled back to his daughter. “Choices? What choices?”

  Stephanie took in a deep breath and let it out. “Dad, I’m a witch.”

  Mr. Edgerton’s face paled and he fell back into his chair. The silver knife was still in his hand but it was almost out of accident rather than because he fought to keep a grip on it.

  “And I like girls,” Stephanie added after he landed. “Or, at least one girl.”

  His eyes flicked to Crystal.

  “Yes, Crystal. I love her.”

  “Sin,” he moaned. “So many sins. We took you away from that cabal of devil worshippers. You promised you’d never think about that stuff again!”

  Crystal frowned and turned to look at Stephanie. “When we lived in South Carolina I got wrapped up with some stupid girls who thought they were witches. We read books on witchcraft and pretended to do stuff, but we had no idea. It freaked my parents out so we picked up and we moved here. Either I had to give it up or I’d end up in a boarding school.”

  “And if you’d gone there, you’d have no doubt fallen in with the other girls there, it seems,” he said. “I’ve been a fool all along. I should have known better. That you were missing something inside. And now this temptress has seduced you.”