Claimed by the Beast Bundle (33 page)

Chapter 2

“I just thought of something,” Stephanie said.

“What, you want to wipe me after I go to the bathroom too?”

“What the fuck? That’s nasty!” Stephanie said. “What’s wrong with you?”

The social outcast in her cringed. “Sorry,” she muttered. She deserved it, she supposed. That was downright nasty. Then again, what Stephanie mentioned didn't sound much better.

“We’re all disease-free, right? So it’s not a big deal. It’s sterile and all. Not what you learn in Sunday school though, which makes it kind of hot.”

“Stop!” Crystal said. She shook her head. “Is that what you thought of?”

“No,” Stephanie admitted. “I thought of Chad’s family. His dad and mine are friends. Have been for a long time. They’re in the same church groups and everything. Some pretty crazy stuff, but I don’t say that.”

“Steph, we have to help Beth.”

“I know,” Stephanie said. “I was just thinking that I’d heard there were some crazy people in Chad’s family. Not now, in the past. He had a great-uncle who ended up in an asylum and I think someone else who was some kind of serial killer or something until someone killed him.”

“Oh my God!”

“I know. I figured maybe they’d think this was just some genetic thing with him. Another embarrassment they’d try to hide away.”

“An embarrassment? You’re kidding me! These are real people, not mistakes!”

Stephanie shrugged. “What, you don’t have any black sheep in your family?”

Crystal gawked at her. “You’re kidding me. You’ve got some?”

“Yeah, a couple. My great-grandpa and a second cousin are the closest. Total screwups who were written out of the family history pretty much.”

Crystal stared at her as a chill crept down her spine. “What if they weren’t screwups?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if they were like Chad? People who were infected.”

“Infected, like it’s a disease?”

Crystal opened her mouth but didn’t say anything. Was it a disease? The Beast had spoken to her. In her mind, sure, but it was intelligent. Intelligent without a body. She shivered. “Not an infection, more like a—a spirit, I guess. Something that can take over a person. It can change them, not just their brain, but their body too.”

“How is that even possible?”

“Remember Ember?”

Stephanie’s eyes widened. “Okay, that was amazing. I don’t understand how, though.”

“There’s no understanding it; it just is,” Crystal said. “At least that’s what I’ve been told. I haven’t been able to shift yet.”

“How do you know you’re one of them then?”

Crystal considered the question but couldn’t come up with a good explanation. “I just am. I know it. I’ve been hurt a lot lately and I got better.”

“Everybody heals.”

Crystal smirked. “That scar on my belly? That happened Friday night. I ripped my stomach open and reached inside to tear out a giant clot of blood. It was the Beast, the same thing that’s taking over Chad.”

Stephanie’s eyes dropped to Crystal’s stomach. The dressed covered her belly and the scar, but the way her eyes glanced back and forth told Crystal that she was thinking about it. After several seconds, she found the words to ask. “You cut your own belly open?”

“With my fingernails. Claws, I guess—I wasn’t really with it. I’d shifted some.”

“You said you haven’t done that yet?”

“I haven’t been able to do it on purpose. I can’t control it.”

“Holy shit! So you could wolf out and start biting people at any time?”

Crystal shook her head. “No, we’re not like that. If we were, norms would know about us.”

“Norms?”

“People like y—people like we used to be. Before all this happened. I guess you sort of are still, but you’ve been touched by it.”

Stephanie offered a sad smile. “Not the kind of touching I want, though.”

Crystal rolled her eyes and turned to her door. “Come on, we’re wasting time. Beth needs us.”

Stephanie stiffened and smiled. “Thank you.”

Crystal hesitated. “For what?”

“You said Beth needs us, not you or your, um, pack. You included me. You always do things like that. I can’t believe it took a magic spell to make me realize just how cool you are.”

Crystal groaned and pushed her door open. Stephanie followed on her side of the car and had to hurry to catch up. Crystal had already stepped up to Hank and slipped her hand into his. Ember smiled at both of them from where she leaned against the seat of her parked bike. She stepped away and led the way to where Guntar and Gwen were standing and talking to Adrian next to Guntar’s motorcycle.

“How are we going to do this?” Crystal asked as they joined everyone at their alpha’s bike.

“She might not be in danger,” Adrian conceded. “And we have to maintain secrecy of who we are and what is happening to this kid.”

“Chad,” Stephanie said.

Adrian gave her a cold look and then looked at Crystal. “This is your mess—you get to knock on the door.”

“Yeah, it won’t look suspicious at all if I’ve got a bunch of people behind me, most of them wearing leather,” Crystal said.

“I’ll go with you,” Stephanie offered. When everyone turned to stare at her, she took in a deep breath. “They know me. My dad and Chad’s dad are friends. Our families have hung out together. It makes sense.”

“Nothing special about you,” Adrian said. “He’ll tear you apart.”

“He wants me,” Crystal said. “Remember? If things go bad, I’ll draw him to me.”

“No,” Hank said. “I won’t risk you.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Adrian snapped.

Guntar growled and nodded. “She’s your pack-sister; she is your equal.”

Hank’s chest swelled. “She hasn’t even shifted yet! She doesn’t know—”

“None of us know,” Guntar snapped him down. “She’s special, remember?”

Crystal gulped and put her hand on Hank’s arm. “I am. I don’t know how or why, but I know the Beast did things to me. He changed me before we beat him.”

“We?” Ember asked. “You did it; we just watched.”

“No, not the pack. ‘We.’ I meant me and the wolf in me. That ‘we.’”

Ember cocked her head to the side. “Oh.”

“We’re wasting time,” Crystal said. “I’m going. If you love me, don’t try to stop me. Help me.”

Hank huffed, telling her he wasn’t happy but he accepted her decision. She squeezed his arm and turned to Stephanie. “Come on, Princess. Time to put your prom smile on.”

Stephanie gasped. “It’s not like that!”

Crystal grabbed her arm and tugged her forward with her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the others gathering and doing a terrible job of not looking conspicuous on the side of the road. In an affluent neighborhood with an average household salary probably close to two hundred thousand dollars, a group of leather-wearing bikers stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Do you have a plan?” Stephanie asked.

Crystal swallowed. “Not really. I figured I’d just make it up as I go.”

Stephanie shook her head. “Let me do the talking.”

Chapter 3

Crystal cast a last glance over her shoulder at her pack. The muffled sound of the doorbell ringing in the house jerked her attention back to the door. Stephanie had reached out before she was ready. Apparently when she mentioned taking the lead she’d meant it!

Enough time passed that both girls looked at each other. “Should we ring again?” Crystal wondered aloud. Stephanie reached out and pressed the button again. This time she’d barely pulled her arm back when the door opened.

“Stephanie.” A woman wearing a long, flowing dark green dress answered the door. “Hello, um, I’m sorry, I was busy.”

Crystal’s attention was drawn to the dark undertones and blond highlights in her hair. She could smell the chemicals used to color it. Chad’s mom—Crystal could see the resemblance in her eyes and nose—had fresh makeup on her face. Crystal could smell the chemicals in the makeup, too. The cover-up didn’t hide the puffy circles under her eyes.

“Hi, Mrs. Dixon. Is Chad home?”

Mrs. Dixon’s eyes flicked past the girls to Chad’s green Mustang in the driveway. Her lips parted and she hesitated, and then glanced at Crystal. “I’m sorry, how rude of me. I’m Charlene, Chad’s mother.”

“Crystal,” Crystal said. “Davis. I’m, uh—”

Her eyes widened. “You’re Crystal? Chad’s been talking about you a lot lately.”

“He is?” Crystal asked.

Stephanie glanced at Crystal, an odd look on her face. It disappeared a second later as she turned back to Mrs. Dixon. “So, uh, can we see him?”

“Oh, um, I’m afraid he hasn’t been feeling well. I just checked and he was resting. Some nasty spring bug bit him.”

“Oh,” Stephanie said. “So he’s here then, just resting.”

The creases at the corners of Charlene’s eyes deepened for a moment. “That’s right. It’s late; he’s down for the night. Probably won’t make it to school tomorrow either. But, I’ll let him know you girls stopped by.”

Crystal sucked in a breath through her nose. “Oh, um, that’s okay. We’ll just catch up with him later.”

Charlene studied Crystal, her eyes dropping to take in her entire outfit. “Crystal, you’re obviously a confident and very pretty young woman. If you’re trying to win my son’s heart, you’re going to need more than a pretty smile and a roll in the back of his car. Some modesty and self-respect would be a good start.”

Crystal gasped and stared at Chad’s mother like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car. She dropped her eyes reflexively from the domineering woman’s assault. She noticed the dress fell all the way to her ankles, showing the flat sandals that glimmered with rhinestones and emeralds. She assumed they were lab-created, otherwise her sandals alone were probably worth more than Crystal could even guess at. The only part of her sandals that didn’t sparkle with the lights in the house was on the side of one of the straps. The bejeweled strap had been splashed with something.

“Oh, no, Crystal’s with me,” Stephanie said after a couple of awkward seconds passed. “Just some senior stuff we wanted to check with him on. She’s helping me plan an event at school.”

Charlene looked down her nose at Crystal and smiled. “I see. Well, do remember what I said, dear. You’re bound to find the wrong kind of boys running around dressed—or not dressed—like that.”

Charlene stepped back and shut the door on them. Crystal turned to Stephanie, her mouth still hanging open. Stephanie bit her lip and then couldn’t contain the laugh building up inside of her. She grabbed Crystal’s arm and pulled her back towards the road, giggling at first and then bursting into real laughter.

“Oh my God! What a bitch!” Crystal managed after the heat in her cheeks began to fade.

“She’s got no clue.” Stephanie laughed. “All prim and proper and worried about what the ladies at church will think. They’ve only got one child. I bet she’s only had sex once too!”

Crystal shook her head and walked around Chad’s car. She glanced at the passenger door and saw the scratches and dents near the door handle. He’d accused her of doing that. At the time, she’d insisted it was impossible. Now she wondered. She’d shifted partially a few times now, but never intentionally. That was probably another example of that.

“For the record, I think you look smoking hot,” Stephanie added.

Crystal rolled her eyes and kept walking. They met up with the others near their bikes. Crystal answered the unspoken question with a shake of her head.

“He’s not there?” Guntar asked.

Crystal shook her head again. “She said he’s been sick and he’s resting.”

“Any chance your friend is visiting someone else?” Adrian asked.

“I don’t think so,” Crystal said.

Stephanie added to Crystal’s statement, “No, there’s nobody else who lives on this street Beth would know.”

Crystal turned and stared at Chad’s house. “I think she’s lying,” she said.

Gwen glanced at the house and back at her. “Why?”

“I don’t know. It just didn’t feel like there was anyone else home.”

“What did you smell?” Adrian asked.

“Smell?” Stephanie echoed.

Crystal ignored her. “Fresh makeup and hair dye. A lot of chemicals.”

“She’s old,” Stephanie said and then gasped. “Wait a minute, you smelled her makeup?”

Crystal nodded and thought about the encounter again. “She’d been crying, I think. Her eyes looked puffy. And there was bleach and some lemon and pine scents. Cleaning?”

Stephanie snorted. “She’s too good to get her hands dirty. Kind of late for their maid, though.”

“Her hands,” Crystal whispered. “She didn’t offer to shake my hand.”

“She can’t gain anything from being a friend to you,” Stephanie said. “Trust me, that old bag wrote the book on social politics.”

“Social politics?” Hank rumbled.

“Yes, she’s Chad’s stepmother. Mr. Dixon is her third husband; she knows how to climb the ladder to high society.”

Crystal frowned. “She is? But she and Chad have the same nose.”

“Yeah, my mom and I always thought it was weird how they look alike,” Stephanie said. She shrugged. “Charlene and Mr. Dixon met through the church.”

“Did you smell Beth?” Adrian asked.

“Beth? No.” Crystal frowned. Shouldn’t she have smelled her friend?

“The bleach would cover her scent,” Ember commented. “Especially if it was used to get rid of any evidence.”

“Evidence? Oh my God! They wouldn’t—” Crystal stopped and began putting things together. Everyone watched her, waiting for her to stop dropping the puzzle pieces together. What she came up with wasn’t possible. A conspiracy theory that bordered on a paranoid delusion. But then again, she was a werewolf and her archenemy turned girl-crush might be learning to be a witch.

“Stephanie said there are people in Chad’s family they don’t talk about. People who did terrible things. Insane things. They either got locked away or were killed. Maybe those people were like Chad. Maybe they were changing into something like the Beast?”

“Holy shit!” Stephanie gasped. “You mean they know what to do in situations like this? As in, how to clean up the mess?”

“It’s crazy, I know, but everything’s crazy lately.”

Guntar cleared his throat in a growl that got their attention. “You’re not crazy,” he said. “There are secret orders of people that hunt us. They consider us aberrations and unholy. They hunt anything not strictly and purely normal. They have no powers, but they have knowledge, training, and a dedication that borders on fanatical.”

“Holy shit,” Stephanie breathed again.

“They’re almost always extreme members of churches. Catholic, Pentecostal, and Southern Baptist have been the three most common to host these secret sects,” Adrian added.

Crystal turned and saw how pale Stephanie’s cheeks were. She opened her mouth to ask her what was wrong when something Stephanie said clicked in her head. “Clean up the mess,” she breathed. “Oh my God! There was something on her shoe. Something that splashed on the strap.”

“What?” Adrian asked.

Crystal pressed her lips together and frowned. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see it very well with only the lights from inside behind her. It was dark. Probably not mud but maybe?”

“That’s not what you think it is,” Gwen probed.

“No, it’s not,” Crystal agreed. “I just don’t want to believe it could be blood.”

“This is too much,” Stephanie mumbled.

“What is wrong with you?” Crystal snapped at her. “Beth’s life is in danger! Maybe it’s too late! Would you stop thinking about yourself!”

Stephanie’s chin quivered and she shook her head. “No, that’s not it,” she mumbled. “Chad’s dad and my dad—they’re in all the same church groups. The same clubs. The same, uh, interests.”

Crystal stiffened. “Oh. Crap.”

“Crap is right,” Guntar said.

Crystal turned back to the house and started towards it. Hank grabbed her arm and stopped her. She pulled but couldn’t escape his firm grip. “Hank, let me go. I have to—”

“She’s not in there,” he reminded her. “You said so yourself.”

“But she’s got to be somewhere!”

“Ember, go,” Guntar said. “Gwen, stay with her.”

“Go where?” Crystal asked.

Ember was already walking and broke into a jog. Gwen went after her without a word, catching up and following the redhead until they made their way up Chad’s lawn and along the side of their house. The shrubs and trees offered cover to add to the darkness, but Crystal found she could see well enough that it was obvious when the two women shifted and dashed into the backyard.

Crystal jerked her head up. “Oh my God!”

“What?” Hank asked her.

“I know where he took her!” Crystal said. She looked at Hank and then turned to the others. “His backyard, on the other side through somebody else’s yard, is a road. From there it’s not far to the bridge where you guys found me.”

Adrian cursed and Guntar grunted out a bitter chuckle. “There’s something to that bridge,” Adrian muttered. “Something special.”

“Let’s go!” Crystal urged.

“We can’t leave Gwen and Ember,” Guntar said.

“Won’t they track him there?”

Adrian nodded. “She’s right. Come on, we have to go.”

Guntar frowned and then nodded. He pointed at Stephanie and shook his head. “Not you.”

“Fuck you!” Stephanie snapped at him. “I’m in this! These are my friends too. And Crystal’s my, um, better friend.”

“Better friend?” Crystal asked.

“Shut up,” Stephanie mumbled. “You know what I mean.”

“You’ll stay in the car?”

Stephanie hesitated and nodded.

Guntar scowled and then gave a short nod. He turned towards his bike before saying over his shoulder, “Lead the way.”