Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Anabelle
Chapter 2: Alexander
Chapter 3: Anabelle
Chapter 4: Gill
Chapter 5: Anabelle
Chapter 6: Boone
Chapter 7: Anabelle
Chapter 8: Gill
Chapter 9: Anabelle
Chapter 10: Randall
Chapter 11: Anabelle
Chapter 12: Braden
Chapter 13: Shane
Chapter 14: Anabelle
Chapter 15: Alexander
Chapter 16: Anabelle
Chapter 17: King Arthur
Chapter 18: Anabelle
Chapter 19: Alexander
Chapter 20: Anabelle
Chapter 21: Alexander
Chapter 22: Anabelle
Seven Beasts: Reverse Harem Romance
Kelli Callahan
Published by Kelli Callahan Books, 2017.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
SEVEN BEASTS: REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE
First edition. November 11, 2017.
Copyright © 2017 Kelli Callahan.
Written by Kelli Callahan.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter 1: Anabelle
Chapter 2: Alexander
Chapter 3: Anabelle
Chapter 4: Gill | 1926
Chapter 5: Anabelle
Chapter 6: Boone
Chapter 7: Anabelle
Chapter 8: Gill
Chapter 9: Anabelle
Chapter 10: Randall
Chapter 11: Anabelle
Chapter 12: Braden
Chapter 13: Shane
Chapter 14: Anabelle
Chapter 15: Alexander
Chapter 16: Anabelle
Chapter 17: King Arthur
Chapter 18: Anabelle
Chapter 19: Alexander
Chapter 20: Anabelle
Chapter 21: Alexander
Chapter 22: Anabelle
Epilogue: Anabelle
The End
Bonus Content – Small Town Seven
Bonus Content – Seven is my Lucky Number
Bonus Content: Mr. Mountain Sample
Bonus Content: Mr. Mistake Sample
Chapter 1: Anabelle
“It’s probably your fault!” My sister Cassandra stomped into the living room.
“Yeah, it’s her fault—she’s the one that didn’t have sense enough to ask for a reasonable present.” My sister Bethany followed Cassandra through the doorway.
“All I asked for was a rose!” I stood up and put my hands on my hips. “It was a joke anyway. I’m always happy with anything he brings us.”
“A rose in the middle of winter? You’re a delusional child.” Cassandra let out a long sigh. “Where the cute detective that was working his case anyway? He hasn’t been around in a couple of days.”
“He’ll be stopping by later today.” I kept my hands on my hips. “But all you two do is flirt with him, so I’d like to actually try to get some information this time.”
Our father had been missing for over a week and tensions were high in the Lewis household. I was worried about him, but my sisters seemed more worried about placing blame than trying to figure out what happened. The detective working the case had promised to stop by at the end of his shift and my stomach was in knots. Our father wasn’t the type of man to just abandon his family. He had been our rock after we lost our mother, and the thought of not seeing him again was torture that burned into my soul. My sisters had spent their teen years in rebellion, but I was already twenty-two and I had never even felt the need to disrespect him. I needed him.
There was no way I could spend the rest of my life dealing with my sisters without him to keep them in line. They tormented me to no end and it seemed like all they cared about was having him back so they could get the gifts they had asked for. I didn’t need a rose. I just needed my father back.
They eventually lost interest in laying their blame-fueled tirade on me and returned to their rooms. I waited around for what felt like an eternity until I heard a knock at the door. I looked towards the stairs to see if they would appear to hear the latest on our father, but when they didn’t come down, I opened the door.
“Hello, Ms. Lewis.” The older man standing at the doorway tilted his head and nodded.
“Please come in, Detective Crane.” I took a step back and held the door open. “Would you like a drink?”
“I wouldn’t mind some coffee, if you have some. It’s been a long day.” He let out a sigh when he stepped into the house.
“Right away! Please have a seat.” I turned towards the kitchen and motioned towards the living room.
As anxious as I was to hear the news about my father, I had been taught to be polite, so I walked into the kitchen and started making some coffee. My heart was beating in my throat so fast that I didn’t need any caffeine at that point. I hoped he had something positive to tell me. I didn’t think he would delay something that was negative, but I wasn’t prepared for another round of neutral news that didn’t have a hint of certainty in it. I tried to relax when the coffee was made and poured two cups before putting some various items on the tray like sugar and cream.
My sisters were still upstairs, so it didn’t seem like they were going to bother coming down. That was probably a good thing, since they seemed to care more about flirting with him instead of hearing his updates when they found out the news wasn’t that our father was coming home with his pockets stuffed with gifts for them. I walked the tray out to the living room and sat it down in front of him. He dumped some sugar in his coffee before lifting it to his lips.
“So, what have you found out?” My anxiety was demanding more than he was offering with the delay so he could sip his coffee.
“I wish I had better news.” He let out a sigh. “We found your father’s car, but it was abandoned.”
“Oh no.” Terrible thoughts started to cloud my previously optimistic view. “Where was it?”
“Near Lake Vaughn, about ten miles east of where he should have been traveling. Electronics don’t work very well out there, so our best guess is that his GPS wasn’t working and he got lost.” Detective Crane sipped his coffee again. “We’ll have boots on the ground tomorrow—if he is out there, we’ll find him.”
“It has to be colder out that way...” My words trailed off as dread started to course through my veins.
“Yeah, there is snow on the ground. We couldn’t find any tracks, but it was late so we couldn’t do much. I promise we’ll have every available person out there tomorrow. Even the local sheriff has offered some resources.” He put his coffee cup on the tray. “I don’t want to get your hopes up because this is a very serious situation.”
“He needs his medicine...” My mind started to wander.
“We’re doing everything we can—I really wish we could do more.” He stared at his coffee cup. “I wanted to give you an update, but I need to get back to the station.”
“Thank you for everything.” I nodded as he stood to take his leave.
After Detective Crane was gone, I gave my sisters an update. They were busy looking through catalogs and planning a future shopping trip, seemingly more focused on that than our father’s fate. There were times when I wished I could exist in that state of obliviousness. It was easy for them to just blame me and pretend our father was detained than face the reality of him possibly being in real danger. I cleaned everything up downstairs and retired to my room after my dinner which was little more than a snack.
I felt
worry creeping up on me as I thought about Detective Crane’s words. I had no idea why my father would be so far from his route. He was only supposed to be in the city for a couple of days, but it was clear that had turned into something that he didn’t expect. The thought of him lost in the woods somewhere without his medicine terrified me. I didn’t know much about Lake Vaughn, but I knew the area was popular with campers. There had been a few reports I had seen that mentioned wolves and bears in the area. The bears would likely be hibernating, but the wolves would definitely be around.
Please let him be safe.
“ARE YOU MAKING BREAKFAST?” Cassandra came down the stairs with a yawn stretched across her face.
“I made coffee...” I nodded towards the pot that was still steaming.
“You’re supposed to make breakfast!” Cassandra huffed as she walked over to the pot of coffee.
“Sorry...” I muttered. “I’m worried about our father.”
“He’ll be fine.” Cassandra shrugged. “I’m sure he’s just out trying to find the perfect gift for us.”
“Are you really that dense?” I exhaled angrily. “They found his car abandoned. He would be out of medication by now. This is a serious situation.”
“Come on, Anabelle. He’s fine.” My sister waved me off.
It seemed like there was no getting through to her, and she was supposed to be the smart one. I walked upstairs and locked my door, shaking my head in anger as I sat down on my bed.
I spent the day in my room and that evening Detective Crane came calling again. The search had been a bust. They couldn’t find a trace of him, and although they planned to continue searching when morning came, they weren’t very optimistic. They decided to leave his car where they found it on the off-chance he was able to use it as a landmark, but I didn’t like the vibe I got from Detective Crane. I could see the hope fading from his eyes and drifting out of his voice when he spoke. He was trying to hold back for my sake, but I could read between the lines. He didn’t think my father was still alive and the search was only continuing out of obligation.
I went back to my room and locked the door. For the first time since my father had been lost, I felt hope fading as well. Tears filled my eyes and I started to cry. My sobs got louder as the minutes passed and I pushed my face into the pillow, soaking it with my grief.
I’m not ready to lose my father—I just can’t.
MY NIGHT DIDN’T OFFER much in the way of viable sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw snow swirling in my vision and I could hear my father crying out for me. He never asked for my sisters. It was always me. Anabelle, Anabelle, Anabelle! His voice echoed in my ears even when I woke up with the daylight peeking through my windows. I spent another day with tears adorning my swollen eyes and grief stuck in my burning throat. The salt from my tears had left my skin raw and my esophagus was shredded from my sobs.
I knew what Detective Crane was going to say even before the words left his lips. The search was being called off. There was no way he was still alive in those temperatures without his blood pressure medication to regulate a life of stress and worry. They would wait a few more days, but he would be presumed dead when they finally filed the official report.
I managed to get my sisters to join me at the dining room table and they had a stare of gloom etched on their faces as well. They were finally beginning to understand that the situation wasn’t favorable. As much as they tried to ignore it and pretend things were just going to work out in the end, the reality was finally starting to come crashing down.
“We have to start thinking about what we’re going to do from here. The company is already in turmoil without him there.” I picked up my cup, which was filled with whiskey instead of coffee.
“We should sell it.” Bethany shrugged and tilted her head. “It isn’t like any of us can run it.”
“Yeah.” Cassandra nodded as well. “Without our father here to run the company, it won’t survive for long. There have been a few offers.”
“How do you know that?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Have you been in contact with someone?”
“I’ve taken a few calls.” She shrugged. “I’m the oldest, so they naturally called me first.”
“You would really sell his company?” I looked from Bethany to Cassandra, feeling anger rising up in my sternum. “It is his life’s work!”
“Which obviously he’s not here to handle anymore.” Cassandra turned to me with a look of anger. “You sure can’t run it.”
“I would try!” I slammed my hand on the table. “I don’t know why I’m even talking to the two of you. All you care about is how much money you can get right now. Daddy’s company is supposed to take care of us for the rest of our lives!”
“You told us we should be thinking about where we go from here. I suggest we sell it.” She shrugged again. “It is better than watching it get run into the ground.”
I couldn’t believe my sisters were so callous when it came to our father’s legacy. He had worked his whole life to build a company that could support his family. We had a good life—my sisters had certainly been spoiled rotten by the wonderful life our wealth provided. They might have been right about our inability to do the things he did to keep the business going, but I wasn’t about to just give up. If they didn’t care enough to do anything else, I would do it myself.
I waited until they were asleep and started packing a bag. I didn’t need much, but if I found him, I wanted to be prepared. I packed some survival gear, his medication, and some warm clothes for him. I was going to drive straight to Lake Vaughn and start searching on my own. I knew it was the whim of a foolish young woman, but if I didn’t go, the lingering thoughts would always haunt my mind. If I failed, at least I would know I tried. I drove most of the night, and when I got to Lake Vaughn, I drove around for nearly two hours until I saw his truck parked on the side of the road. I was thankful the police had left it there, because it gave me a starting point. I sat in my car until the sun was coming up, and then stepped out into the snow.
If you’re out there, Daddy—I will find you.
Chapter 2: Alexander
1817
“You need to run for president.” Congressman Campbell put another large tankard of stout in front of me.
“President?” I whistled through my teeth and shook my head. “I’m not a Founding Father. Nobody is going to vote for me.”
“You’re a young man. They won’t be around forever. At some point, this new country is going to have to consider electing someone that didn’t have a starring role in the Revolutionary War.” He lifted his tankard and sipped it.
“Maybe, but politics is a dangerous game and I’m not sure I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life.” I shook my head and reached for my tankard.
“Well at least get a wife, settle down, maybe have a few children.” He let out a sigh. “If she doesn’t do it for you after a few years, you can get some slaves like Jefferson.”
“I’ll never own another human being.” I shook my head angrily.
“Human? They’re no more human than the witches in Salem.” He chuckled and shrugged.
“Speaking of that...” I was anxious to change the conversation away from slavery. “What have you heard about the two women that live on Melody Lane? A child went missing last night and some of the locals are saying they’re witches.”
“They did move here from Massachusetts.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Do you really think we could have witches in Washington?”
“I don’t know. It is a bit suspicious...” I lifted my tankard again.
The congressman had more important people to attend to as the party picked up and I walked outside to indulge one of my favorite new pastimes—smoking sweet tobacco from some of the southern plantations. The smoke filled my lungs and made my head spin when it mixed with the alcohol in my blood. As the night wore on, the group was getting fairly intoxicated and the conversation shifted to the supposed witches.
<
br /> Congressman Campbell was really laying on thick with his slurred speech, hyping up the terrible things he was convinced they were doing behind closed doors. When he brought up the missing child, he got a fairly big rise from the crowd. They were growing rowdier as the conversation got more intense. I could tell that a lot of the people in the room were really buying into the theory about witchcraft. I wasn’t entirely convinced, but my opinion wasn’t going to carry much weight in a room full of politicians. I picked up another tankard of stout and leaned against the counter as I listened to them. The alcohol was definitely sending me over the edge and I felt a version of myself surfacing that I had never felt before.
“We should burn their house down.” My words passed across my lips before they even registered in my mind.
“What?” One of the men looked at me with a bewildered stare. “Are you serious?”
“Why not? They burned them at the stake in Salem. If we burn down their house, they’ll have to leave, right?” I looked around the room.
“I like it.” Congressman Campbell smiled. “Let’s do it!”
Watching the room immediately buy into my idea made my stomach twist into a knot, but after the words had been said, there was no taking them back. I finished my stout and the group started to pour into the street. It was the worst version of a bad idea that I had ever uttered. There was no way to box the depravity of the crowd. They were screaming obscenities and gathering weapons for the trip to Melody Lane. I felt a torch being put in my hand and saw Congressman Campbell with a grin spread from ear to ear.
After everyone was prepared, we started marching across town with the night sky providing very little light for our journey. I held the torch above my head as we approached the house on Melody Lane. I really didn’t want to burn the house down, but I had incited a riot with my words. I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice. I hoped there were no casualties. If we could just set fire to the house and send them on their way, it would be the best outcome.
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