Claimed by the Beast Bundle (44 page)

Chapter 9

Crystal woke up feeling like she was in an oven. The blankets had been pushed off the foot of the bed but that didn’t matter. It was the press of bodies around her that was keeping her warm. Bodies as bare as hers was.

She blinked the sleep out of her eyes as the situation settled in. She’d faded fast as they started talking about what was going to happen next. Crystal wasn’t sure what the decision was; exhaustion had sucked her under. Ember had been with her enough times now that she found her presence comforting beside her. She’d snuggled into Hank but didn’t let go of the fear that Mr. Edgerton was going to burst through the door at any moment until Ember curled up behind her and molded her lithe body to hers.

Crystal smiled and turned her head to saw Ember still sleeping beside her. Crystal’s smile twisted as she thought how impossible it would have been for her to even imagine something like this a month ago. Her mom would have freaked out! Crystal would have freaked out, for that matter. And Beth? Phew! She didn’t even want to think about how Beth would take it.

Then there was Stephanie. Stephanie would flip out. She’d be jealous, to say the least, and then probably hopeful. Hopeful that she could sleep next to her too. She shuddered at the thought of how Stephanie wouldn’t be able to keep her hands to herself.

“What’s wrong?” Ember whispered.

Crystal jerked in surprise and twisted. Hank grunted as she woke him up. He twisted and then slid off the edge of the small bed and hit both the floor and the legs of the table. The table bounced back into the wall and the alarm clock fell off and landed on him.

“Oh my God! Hank!” Crystal rolled after him and leaned over the bed to stare at him. “Are you okay?”

Hank peered out from behind his arm that he held over his head. “We need a bigger bed,” he grumbled.

Crystal grinned and leaned down to kiss him. Ember nudged her, forcing her to yelp as she lost her balance and fell on top of Hank. Hank grunted as he softened her landing and then relaxed when she leaned in to kiss him.

“Really?” Ember said from above them. “Fine, but don’t take too long. We have things to do.”

Crystal pulled her head back after Ember crawled off the bed and slapped her butt on her way out the door. She pulled the door shut behind her and, a moment later, the outer door opened and shut. “Holy crap, she didn’t even get dressed!”

Hank chuckled. “That’s Red for you.”

Crystal shook her head. She had a long ways to go before she could be as confident and sexy as Ember was. Or as much of an exhibitionist. “So, um, what are we going to do?”

Hank grinned and pulled her down to kiss him again. Crystal returned the kiss and then wrinkled her nose. “Morning breath,” she said.

Hank frowned, forcing Crystal to burst out laughing. She kissed him again and captured his face in her hands when he tried to turn his head away. He frowned. “I thought—”

“I’m screwing with you,” she said.

Hank’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “Screwing with me? I’ll show you screwing!”

Crystal’s giggle turned into a yelp and he rolled her over and into the wall. He got to his knees and picked her up, not that she squirmed to escape. She ended up tossed on the bed. Hank stood over her, his interest visible both in his eyes and below his eyes. A few feet below.

“Is that for me?”

Hank glanced down and grinned. “If you want it.”

“Oh yeah,” Crystal breathed. She licked her lips. “I want it!”

“You’re not, um, worried?” he asked.

Crystal grinned. He was too sweet. “No, baby, I’m not. I won’t do that to you again, I promise.”

His lips split apart in a grin that was accompanied by a fresh surge down below. Crystal raised a finger and beckoned him to come closer but Hank had something else in mind. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and grabbed her legs.

“Hey! What—” Crystal started to protest until her strong man lifted her legs and spread them before he pulled her closer to the edge of the bed.

“Oh my God! Hank, don’t—Oh! Shit!” Crystal grabbed a fistful of sheet in each hand as Hank pressed his mouth to her flesh. She stared down at him, horrified at first but unable to say anything. She hadn’t showered in, like, forever! And even still, that was not something she wanted. It was dirty and—and—and what the hell was he doing?

Crystal gasped and let her head fall back on the bed. Was that his tongue? She mewed when his teeth raked across her sensitive flesh. Hard enough to leave her panting but not hard enough to hurt. He kept going, licking and tickling and sucking on her in ways she’d never imagined were possible. The image from her dream of Hank between Stephanie’s legs flashed through her mind. She shuddered and squeezed her thighs against his head. No way, no how, was she ever going to let him do this to anyone but her!

She cried out again as he found some new way to send an electric jolt of pure heaven through her body and decided that maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. She relaxed onto the bed and then suffered a minor seizure when his tongue flattened and licked in a long swath.

Crystal groaned and reached down to run her fingers through Hank’s hair. He growled, sending tremors through her body. Hank picked up on it and did it again. It worked as well the second time.

Days and nights may have passed as far as Crystal cared. When Hank finally picked his head up and crawled up her body, she lay spent and weak on the bed. She gasped for breath and didn’t know how she could possibly take any more. Hank paused to sniff her belly and then worship her breasts with his mouth.

She groaned as fresh tingles swept through her and connected in her belly. Why weren’t his lips and tongue exhausted? He bit down on her nipple, drawing a gasp from her that arched her back and pressed her aching flesh into his mouth. Hank sucked and soothed it, slowly lowering her back to the bed.

She picked her head up to tell him no more but he sensed her movement and moved up to press his lips to hers. It didn’t occur to her until well after their tongues met where his mouth had been. It didn’t matter. She loved him and needed him. Besides, she couldn’t tell any difference.

Hank pulled her up on the bed and slipped between her legs. She felt him rubbing against her, coating himself before he poked at her entrance. Crystal moaned into his mouth and twisted her legs so she could open herself more and put her heels against his muscular butt. She tried to drive him in with her feet, encouraging him to take her.

He obliged and slid himself farther than either of his first attempts had been. Crystal gasped, sucking in his breath and then she capturing his tongue between her lips so she could suck on it. She slid her arms down his sweat-soaked back and used both her hands and feet to tug him farther into her. Hank got the message and rocked his hips back and forth, inching farther and farther until their flesh pressed against each other.

Crystal moaned and slid her arms up to his back. She held him tight and moved her face into his neck. He was so deep inside her, she felt his hardness in her belly. She wanted more. She needed more.

“Take me,” she whispered into his ear.

Hank grunted and tried to pull his head back to look in her eyes. She clung to him. “No, just make love to me,” she whispered before pressing her lips to his neck. When she released them, she added, “Make me yours.”

“We already did that,” Hank responded. He shifted his hips and twisted his pelvis to grind his pubic bone against hers.

Crystal shuddered and bit down on his shoulder hard enough to draw blood. He stiffened on top and inside her while she lapped it up. “I was a stupid kid before,” Crystal whispered. “Now I know what I want. Give it to me. I claimed you, baby. Now make me the happiest girl in the world and make me yours.”

Hank drew himself out, pulling almost completely free of her. Crystal gasped, confused and feeling empty. His arms were under hers and his hand clutched her shoulders, holding her tight. He thrust back in, driving the air from her even as she felt his teeth break the skin of her shoulder. It was too much. The teasing orgasms when he’d gone down on her couldn’t prepare her for this. Her entire body went rigid beneath him but it didn’t stop him from grinding himself into her time and time again.

She eventually collapsed but Hank never let up. She panted and moaned while he ravaged her, and then mewed and growled when he found ways to tease her. Through it all, she kept riding a wave of pleasure that she didn’t know existed. It crested higher and higher until he lifted his head up and she saw a loving look on his face that was turning to one of concern. “Crys, I—”

“Do it,” she panted. She forced her muscles to obey and lurched up to capture his mouth with hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she clung to him, hanging free save for her lower back on the bed.

Hank growled into her mouth and bottomed out, striking something inside her hard enough to make her see stars. She felt him tremble and swell and then crush her against him with each spasm that seized him. She kissed him and held on to him, her heart filled to the point of bursting.

Chapter 10

Hank rolled onto his side and then collapsed on his back with a grunt. Crystal followed, curling into him and pressing her lips to his heaving chest. She rested on him, taking in his warmth and reveling in how wonderful everything was.

He’d taken her to a new place. Every time together was better for them. Well, maybe last time didn’t count but it had started out great. Her hips ached a little and she felt warm and numb where he’d stretched her open. It was a good feeling. She was happy she could do that for him. Give him what he wanted.

Her eyes widened as she remembered how their lovemaking had started. She gasped. “Oh my God! How could you, um, do that? With your mouth, I mean.”

Hank chuckled. “Easy. You taste delicious.”

She grimaced. “Eww! I haven’t had a shower in, like, forever!”

He shook her with his laughter. “Crys, Ember and Gwen cleaned you up after you shifted back and passed out.”

“Oh!” Crystal clamped her lips together. How did she feel about that? It only took a moment for her to shrug it off. It should have felt weird or wrong, but Gwen and Ember were family now, as far as she was concerned. “So, um, do you want me to do that to you?”

Hank lifted his head. “Right now?”

“Oh my God, no!” Crystal blushed. “I meant, um, sometime. I’ve never done it before, but I will. For you. If you want.

Hank chuckled and hugged her to him with one arm. She kept her mouth shut and focused on enjoying the moment instead. Cuddle time was worth every second she could squeeze in.

The door to the trailer opened, jerking Crystal out of her happy stupor. She picked her head up from Hank’s shoulder as the bedroom door opened and Ember stuck her head in. The redhead sniffed, her nose wrinkling, and her eyes took in their sweat-glazed naked bodies. “Glad you had fun,” she said. “Now get up. We’ve got company.”

“Company?” Crystal mumbled and picked her head up.

Hank slipped up into a sitting position. “Who’s here?” he grunted.

“Someone looking for Crystal.”

Hank jumped and grabbed a pair of jeans out of a drawer. He tugged them on while Crystal stared at Ember and frowned. “Um, I don’t have any clothes.”

Ember grinned and pulled her arm out from behind her back. She tossed a couple of black garments onto the bed. Crystal grabbed them and held them up, and then looked at her pack-sister. “You’re kidding me!”

Ember shrugged. “Hurry up,” she snapped before turning and heading back out.

Hank glanced at the clothes in Crystal’s hands and smirked. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Crystal gawked and then narrowed her eyes. “You, sir, are a pervert!”

He grinned and nodded, earning a second open-mouthed gasp from her.

“Oh my God, you are!”

“My girl’s beautiful. Of course I want to show her off.”

Crystal frowned. “Um, wait a minute. Show me off?”

“Not share you,” Hank assured her as he stepped up to her and gave her a hard kiss. “Show you off. You’re mine.”

Crystal felt her cheeks warm and it spread into her chest to match the butterflies in her stomach. “Damn right I am,” she whispered back before kissing him again.

He slapped her naked butt and stepped back. “Get dressed, gorgeous.”

Crystal snorted and walked out of the bedroom, swinging her hips and earning a wolf whistle from him. She made her way to the bathroom to clean up and wrapped the miniskirt around her hips. She adjusted it several times, trying to decide if she wanted to risk showing off the bottom or the top of her butt. She ended up wearing it as low on her hips as she could and pulled the spaghetti string halter top on. It left her midriff bare and was pulled tight across her chest. It was black but she was pretty sure that didn’t do anything to hide her nipples denting the shirt.

“I’m going to get her for this,” Crystal muttered before walking out of the bathroom and joining Hank in the main room of the trailer.

“Fuck me,” Hank blurted when he saw her.

Crystal blushed but managed to retort, “Just did. It was awesome and I plan to do it again later. Should I wear this then?”

He clamped his jaw shut and nodded. Crystal rolled her eyes and burst out laughing. “Come on, perv!”

“No underwear?” he wondered as he stepped behind her.

“Don’t have any, why?”

He growled softly behind her. Crystal couldn’t resist the urge to push her hips back and rub her butt against his crotch. She felt the telltale bulge that proved he meant what he was saying and bit her lip to keep from smiling. She wanted to turn and throw herself on him. He was amazing! He really felt the same about her that she felt about him. It was crazy but she knew it was real.

“Go,” he said in a husky voice. “Before I have to spend time in the bathroom again.”

Crystal laughed and reached forward to open the door. She walked out with Hank behind her. Ember saw her and grinned, and then winked at her. Crystal sent her a part smile, part snarl back and turned to see a teal-colored Mazda sitting at the end of the drive. She tilted her head; the car belonged to Rebecca, the girl leaning against it. She was another friend of Stephanie’s. Or a former friend: the two had a falling-out earlier in the year and Crystal hadn’t seen the two of them together ever since.

“Rebecca?” she asked.

Rebecca pushed herself away from her car and walked up to her, looking her up and down as she approached. “That’s a new look for you,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain.

“It’s been a hard week on my wardrobe,” Crystal said without taking too much offense. Or at least trying not to.

Her eyes flicked to Hank walking behind her and then returned to Crystal. “You’re limping. Are you okay?”

Crystal’s eyes widened. Limping wasn’t exactly the way to describe how it felt trying to walk after what she and Hank had done. She pressed her lips together. “I’m fine. What’s up?”

Rebecca took a deep breath, her sneer fading as she did so. “Look, I told Steph I’d do this, but that’s it. I’m done, okay?”

“What?” Crystal shook her head. “Do what? What are you talking about?”

“Steph and I go way back,” she explained. She opened her mouth and then shut it with a wave of her hand. “That’s not important. Well, it is, but it’s none of your business.”

“Oh my God!” Crystal muttered. “I don’t care what your deal is. I never had a problem with you, so I don’t know what the problem is now. If you’ve got issues, I’m sorry. Just do what you came to do and we can move on.”

Rebecca’s cheek twitched and she sighed. “This is ridiculous. Look, Steph wanted me to tell you that she needs you, but she can’t get away. I don’t know what kind of sick thing you’ve done to her, but you need to stop, okay?”

Crystal jerked her head back and saw Ember out of the corner of her eye. The redhead leaned forward from where she was sitting on the steps of her trailer. Crystal focused her attention back on Rebecca and said, “Um, okay. Why can’t she come see me?”

“Her parents won’t let her leave. They won’t tell her why, but she said they warned her you were in a lot of trouble.”

“Is that right?” Crystal mused.

Rebecca stared at her a long moment. She turned and glanced around at the trailers and looked back. “So this is it? This is what’s so much better than going to school and hanging out with people who like you?”

Crystal opened and shut her mouth. She didn’t need to turn and look to see the others were nearby and paying close attention. Her new family. Her pack. Hank was the closest, standing at arm’s length. “You don’t know what’s happened. I didn’t skip because I wanted to.”

“You don’t look like a prisoner.”

“No, I’m not,” she said and glanced at Hank. His lips twitched and she smiled at him before looking back. “It’s complicated. I’ll get with her.”

“Don’t text her.”

“What? How am I supposed to get with her then?”

Rebecca shrugged. “She said to let you know and that you’d figure something out. Her folks are freaking out about that wolf that was spotted running through her neighborhood and won’t let her or her brother out without being with one of them.”

Crystal stiffened. “Wolf?”

“Maybe you should spend time away from the commune,” Rebecca said. “There’s some albino wolf running around town. Old Man Brown claimed he shot it a couple times but some guy on a motorcycle rescued it.”

“What?”

Rebecca glanced at all the motorcycles. “Crazy, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Crystal lied. She forced out a laugh. “How could somebody rescue a wolf on a bike?”

“It’s Old Man Brown—everybody knows he’s crazy. Still thinks Nazis are going to pay him back for storming one of those beaches seventy years ago.”

Crystal blinked and laughed at her joke. “Will you tell her something for me?”

Rebecca scowled. “One thing. That’s it. Then I’m done with this shit. I spent too long getting over her.”

“Getting over…oh my God! She messed with you too?”

Rebecca glared at her. “What do you want me to tell her?”

Crystal bit her lip and nodded. “Okay, um, crap. I don’t know.”

Rebecca sighed. “This is stupid.”

Crystal turned and met Hank’s gaze. He shook his head slowly to show he had nothing to suggest. She turned back. “All right, tell her, um, tell her we can go look for a four-leaf clover sometime soon.”

“What the fuck does that mean? Some kind of lesbian lingo?”

Hank snorted behind her and Crystal blushed. “I’m not a lesbian!”

“Everybody knows about that kiss.”

“Oh my God! That was such a huge mistake. It was to prove a point, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” she said. “Whatever. Fine, I’ll tell her that. Whatever it means.”

Crystal nodded. “Thank you.”

Rebecca opened her mouth and then shut it. She turned and walked back to her car. She glanced at Crystal again and then sat down in her car and started it up. Crystal watched her back up and turn around, and then kick up some dirt as she gave it too much gas and nearly ran off the road into a tree before she got it under control.

Hank snorted behind her again and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Crystal sagged into him and sighed. “Why can’t people let me be happy?”

“That’s my job in life,” Hank said. “To make you happy.”

“So far, you’re doing a good job. Keep it up,” Crystal said and turned to burrow into him. She glanced at his t-shirt and then pulled her head back. “Oh my God! That’s why she looked at you—your shirt’s on backwards!”

Hank glanced down and grinned. He shrugged but didn’t have a chance to say anything as the others walked up to officially join them.

“Welcome back,” Adrian said with a smirk.

“Gee, thanks,” Crystal mumbled. She sighed and turned away from Hank. It was back to business, as much as she wanted to run away with her dark knight. “So what the hell are we going to do? I want to run and hide but Stephanie will go crazy if she doesn’t go to Clover and get help.”

“We don’t run,” Guntar said.

Crystal let out a frustrated squeal and said, “Then what?”

Ember and Adrian looked at each other and then turned to Guntar as the alpha declared, “We hunt them down and kill them.”