Claimed by the Beast Bundle (29 page)

“I, uh, I don’t know,” Stephanie said. “I mean, this doesn’t seem so bad. I feel better already by being nice to Crystal instead of trying to mess with her. And she spends time with me now, which is cool.”

Clover chuckled. “My offer remains. You will take it or you will go insane and do something foolish. When you’re ready to accept, return to me.”

“Wait. What? Just like that? Go away until I’m ready to turn my back on God and my family and become a witch?”

Clover went deathly still for several seconds. The noise of the swamp—buzzing insects and chirping birds—went silent. Stephanie swallowed loudly and glanced around. Crystal’s heart went out to her. She could tell how scared she was and whatever Clover was doing wasn’t helping.

“What I am has nothing to do with your beliefs. Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open to the truths all around you, not those written in the agendas of others.”

“Um, okay. Sorry,” Stephanie mumbled. “Can I think about it?”

Clover nodded. “Don’t think too long, though. You might find yourself driven to great regrets.”

Crystal slapped her thigh and drew the attention of both women. “Sorry,” she mumbled, “I just remembered something. What I did to Steph? I kind of did it to somebody else too.”

Chapter 11

Clover’s eyes narrowed. “When did this happen?”

Crystal felt the hair stand up on her neck. “Last week,” she said. “In his car. I didn’t kiss him—I didn’t even touch him.”

“Then how?”

“My blood. I, um, had a nosebleed and got blood on his seat and in his car. I left and he cleaned it up.”

Clover lifted her head to stare into the green moss hanging from the trees around them. “Before this weekend?” she asked again.

Crystal nodded but didn’t speak. Clover’s tone was soft and introspective. The witch nodded and looked at her. “You know what’s happening to him?”

“Oh my God,” Crystal moaned. “Not again! Why won’t he die!”

Clover’s eyes darted to the door of her cottage and then back to them. “Life finds a way, and the essence of that blood curse is life in its most primal state.”

“Excuse me,” Stephanie interrupted. “But what the hell are y’all talking about?”

Crystal looked at Stephanie, distracted by her choice of words. “Y’all?” she repeated.

Stephanie huffed and rolled her eyes. “My family’s from South Carolina—sometimes I slip up.”

Crystal smirked until she remembered what it was that Clover had said about Chad and the Beast. She ignored Stephanie’s question and turned back to Clover. “He can’t be saved? Like I was?”

“Depends on what’s in him. How long has he been acting like this?”

Crystal looked at Stephanie for help. “Um, Steph? You said he’s been crazy about me, right? I know when I saw him this morning he said he couldn’t stop thinking about me. He wanted me. And, um, other stuff.”

“What other stuff?” Clover demanded.

“He said he’d been masturbating a lot but that didn’t help.” Crystal’s face flushed as she forced herself to spit out the words.

Stephanie chuckled behind her hand.

“He can’t be saved,” Clover said.

“But—”

“He is tainted by the older blood.”

Crystal bit her lip and nodded. “Crap,” she muttered.

“Kill him soon, before he changes. Once he matures, he will be much stronger.”

“I know,” Crystal muttered as she remembered the fights with the original Beast that had started her down a path of nightmares.

“You know?” Stephanie asked. “What’s going on? What haven’t you told me? You said you weren’t a witch!”

“I’m not.”

“Then what—oh Jesus, what are you?”

Crystal gaped at her for a moment and glanced at Clover. Clover shrugged and turned away. “You should leave before the sun sets,” the witch said.

“What about it not being safe? Things coming out to hunt and all that?”

Clover raised an eyebrow and then smiled at them. “The creatures of the swamp won’t hurt you while you have my favor, but I can’t protect you from falling or drowning.”

Stephanie turned to look at Crystal and dropped her eyes to study her from head to toe and back. “We need to have a serious talk.”

Crystal sighed. Norms weren’t supposed to know anything about them. But norms weren’t invited to become witches, either. She nodded. “Okay, later. First let’s get out of here.”

Stephanie turned and stared at the water. She sighed and then stepped to the edge of the deck and sat down so she could stretch her long and lean legs into the water. She slipped off the edge and bounced in the water. She shivered and turned to grab her clothes and lift them high above the water.

Crystal waited until she stepped away from the edge and then joined her. They turned to face each other and Crystal felt her face heat up again in spite of the water cooling her down.

“What?” Stephanie demanded.

Crystal shook her head. “Nothing.”

Stephanie glared at her. “Bullshit.”

“Fine.” Crystal sighed. “I just want you to be careful, okay?”

“Aw, that’s sweet. Thank you.”

Crystal nodded. “I don’t need you putting my eye out with those things.”

Stephanie gasped and looked down at herself. Her face tightened and she looked up at Crystal. “You bitch,” she muttered and then shifted her clothes to one hand and splashed the dirty swamp water at Crystal with the other.

Crystal let out a yelp as the water hit her.

“I can’t help it,” Stephanie said. “The water’s cold and I’ve always had big nipples.”

Crystal shook her head. “TMI! I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“You’ve got some high beams yourself,” Stephanie pointed out. “You’ve had them pretty much the entire time since you got naked.”

Crystal gasped and fought the urge to check herself out. She could feel the stiff buds on her breasts grow stiffer with the attention. “I’ve been extra sensitive lately,” she said. “What’s your excuse?”

“I told you, the water,” Stephanie said. “Well, that and somebody cast a spell on me to turn me into her lesbian love slave.”

“Oh my God!”

Stephanie splashed her again. “Come on, Mistress, let’s get out of here.”

Crystal shook her head and sighed. She pushed through the water and waded ahead of her friend to lead the way back through the swamp. They made it back to the shore and were nearing the parking lot before Stephanie grabbed Crystal’s hand to stop her.

Crystal glanced down at Stephanie’s hand and then looked up at her. “What?”

“Much farther and people can see us,” Stephanie said. “We should get dressed.”

Crystal glanced down at herself and blushed. “Good idea,” she said. Stephanie let go of Crystal’s forearm and turned to sort her clothes out and hang some over a vine before she picked up a muddy foot and carefully slipped her panties over it.

Crystal picked through her own clothes and sighed. She’d gotten used to being naked. More than used to it—she liked not having anything against her skin. She thought of Gwen and Ember and stifled a chuckle. She understood them now. It wasn’t just the convenience of shifting without restriction; it felt right. Good. Natural.

She sighed again and slipped her dress over her shoulders. She clutched her underwear back into a ball and held it in her hands before turning back to see Stephanie buttoning her pants up. Stephanie looked up at her and smiled. “I should have worn a dre—you slut! You’re not wearing a bra!”

Crystal looked down at herself and shrugged. Her dress rubbed against her nipples and sent tingles through them. “Saves time,” she muttered.

“Yeah, well, I don’t have that luxury,” Stephanie said while staring at Crystal’s chest.

“Why not?” Crystal wondered out loud. She didn’t mention that Stephanie didn’t look like she needed one.

“I know, small boobs, but I’ve always had big nips.”

Crystal bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t want to know!”

“You asked!” Stephanie protested. “I swear, they’re as big as raspberries.”

Crystal groaned and held up her hand. “Stop! Please.”

Stephanie shrugged. “You made me want to tell you everything. Since it’s your fault, this is the price you pay.”

“So you’re accepting it, finally?”

Stephanie shrugged. “I might as well. I mean, I came to terms a few days ago with being obsessed with you.”

“You said you didn’t love me?”

“I said that because I didn’t want to believe it. But you’re being so cool about it and after getting to know you—the real you, I mean—I know you’re going to be cool with it.”

“The real me?” Crystal asked with a sharp laugh.

“Yes. And that reminds me, what is your story?”

Crystal sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated? Good, tell me all about it. I want to know everything about you.”

“You really are wrapped up in me!”

Stephanie blushed and said, “Guilty. But it’s your fault, remember?”

Crystal sighed. “I’m so sorry. I screwed up your life big time. You have no idea.”

Stephanie stared at her and shook her head. “Maybe you did, but don’t worry about it. I mean it. This is how I feel and I’m okay with it. I like it, even. Knowing that you’re being cool to me about it helps.”

“Still, it’s not fair,” Crystal said and started walking towards the car. Stephanie fell in beside her and walked with her until they made it to the car. Crystal was trying to figure out how much to explain and how exactly to do it. So far she hadn’t come up with anything.

Stephanie waited patiently while they climbed back into the car. Crystal shoved her underwear into her purse and saw some unanswered messages on her phone. She dug it out and was about to swipe it open when it rang in her hands and made her almost drop it. Beth was calling her.

“It’s Beth,” Crystal explained before answering it. She saw a flash of irritation cross Stephanie’s face before the blond turned away and looked behind her. She started the car and put it in gear.

“Hey, what’s up?” Crystal asked.

“Stop it! What’s up with you? Are you okay? You didn’t answer my texts!”

“Whoa, chill!” Crystal said. “I’m with Steph.”

“What!”

Crystal rolled her eyes at the jealousy she heard. “It’s cool. I needed a ride and it turns out Steph needed help too.”

Beth was quiet for several seconds before she seethed, “What are you talking about?”

“Remember when I kissed her? I put a spell on her. I took her to see Clover to try to get help with it.”

“She knows Clover?” Stephanie hissed.

Crystal glanced at her and frowned. She held a finger to her lips while Beth snapped, “Fine. What about Chad?”

“Chad…it’s not good. Somehow he got my blood in him.”

“Jesus Christ! What’s that mean? Is it like what happened to you?”

“No,” Crystal said. She hesitated and then admitted, “He’s turning into the Beast.”

“Fuck!” Beth hissed. She was quiet for a moment and then asked, “The Beast or a beast?”

Crystal frowned. “Does it matter? Is there a difference?”

Beth’s lack of immediate response proved she had no better idea than Crystal did. “What are you doing now?” Beth finally asked.

“Stephanie’s giving me a ride. Aren’t you at work?”

“Yes, but I can leave if you need me.”

“No, I’m okay. We’re okay, I mean. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah, right.”

Crystal smiled. Beth would always worry about her. She turned and glanced at Stephanie and saw how tight the blond’s face was. She could see that Stephanie was fighting the urge to say or do something.

“Be careful,” Beth said. “And get help. Call your friends.”

“I will,” Crystal promised. She nodded. If Chad was becoming a beast, she’d need them.

“Love you,” Beth said.

Responding out of habit, Crystal said, “Love you too,” and hung up her phone.

“So you two really are a couple,” Stephanie stated rather than asked.

“What? No!” Crystal blurted. “Oh my God! We’re friends. Best friends. That’s all.”

“Whatever.” Stephanie huffed. “Now what?”

“Now you find out about me,” Crystal said. “I need you to take me to my pack.”

Stephanie ignored the road for a moment and stared at her. “Your what?”

“My pack,” Crystal said. She smiled and concentrated on thinking hard about her left hand. She closed her eyes after a moment of nothing happening and shifted her focus to needing to run and gouge something with her hand. She let out a snarl of frustration when nothing happened. She opened her eyes and confirmed that her hand looked the same as it always had.

Stephanie followed Crystal’s gaze to her hand and her brow furrowed. She looked back up at Crystal, an obvious question on her face.

Crystal shrugged and announced, “I’m having a hard time proving it right now, but believe it or not, I’m a werewolf.”