Claimed by the Beast - Part One by Dawn Michelle Read Free Book Online Page B

care of some things. Since it’s a
new town and school, I wondered if she could stay with us?”
    Brandy frowned. “I didn’t know you had a new
friend.”
    “Mom, it’s not like we see each other all
that much!”
    Brandy nodded. “I know, and I’m sorry. We’re
short-handed at the hospital and I figured the more shifts I can
pick up, the easier it will be to help you pay for college.”
    “I said I’d figure—”
    Ember pushed past Crystal, interrupting her.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Brandy. I promise you won’t even know I’m
here.”
    Crystal had to fight to keep herself from
scowling. “Yeah, she’ll even sleep on the rug in my room if she
needs to.”
    She saw Ember’s shoulders stiffen and knew
she’d struck home. Her mother sighed and nodded. “No, no, that’s
fine. She’s not a dog! If I’m working, you can sleep in my bed and
Ember can have yours.”
    Crystal fought back a laugh and asked, “What
if you’re not?”
    Brandy winked at her and nodded towards the
couch. “Then you can be a good hostess and take the couch.”
    Ember turned to look at Crystal and smirked.
“I think I’m going to like it here,” she said.
    Crystal forced a smile on her face. “Come
on, Amber , let’s go.”
    She led the way upstairs to her bedroom and
heard Ember following behind. Ember looked around and smirked.
“Pink?”
    “What’s wrong with pink?”
    “Nothing,” Ember said. “It’s the same color
as a deer after I’ve torn out their throat and they’ve bled
out.”
    “Jesus!” Crystal gasped. “That’s sick!”
    Ember shut the door behind her. “Call me
Amber again and I’ll tear your face off. Then you can match your
walls.”
    Crystal backed up a step and felt her bed
against her leg. She sat on it and pulled her phone out of her
purse so she could plug it in. It was nothing more than an excuse
to not look at the woman who scared the hell out of her.
    “Don’t worry,” Ember said. “It won’t take
long.”
    Crystal jerked her head up. “What won’t take
long?”
    Ember smiled. “He’ll come soon. He’s
probably already healed.”
    “You’re supposed to protect me, I thought?”
Crystal asked. “So far you’ve threatened to rip my face off and
reminded me there’s some creepy monster after me.”
    “The real world isn’t princesses and
slippers,” Ember said.
    Crystal clamped her lips shut and fumbled
with her phone, finally plugging it in. “I know that,” she mumbled.
“My life hasn’t been easy, you know.”
    Ember laughed. “I bet you’ve been through
hell.”
    Crystal spun to face her and stood up. By
the time she was standing, Ember was right in front of her. Crystal
hesitated and then remembered how Ember was taunting her. “Before
or after I was almost run off the road by a biker gang so I could
be bitten by something from a bad horror movie?”
    “You don’t know anything,” Ember snarled.
“You’re a baby. Your fate was sealed when you walked down that
road. We prolonged your life, that’s all.”
    “I’m a baby?” Crystal scoffed. “You’re what,
six months older than me?”
    The redhead snorted. “Six months and a dozen
years.”
    Crystal’s jaw dropped again. When she
gathered her thoughts, she said, “No way! You’re not—”
    Ember sighed and said, “Sit down.”
    “No.”
    Crystal grunted when her back and head
bounced off the wall behind her. She rocked forward and caught
herself with her arms on her bed. She straightened and sat on her
comforter. “You hit me!”
    “I don’t like you,” Ember spat. “But I have
to keep your worthless ass alive, so you do what I tell you, when I
tell you.”
    Crystal opened her mouth but Ember thrust a
finger at her. A finger with a nail that looked a little longer and
a little more curved and pointed than it should have.
    “You don’t ask questions. You act and then
later, if you’re still alive, you can try to figure out what’s
going on,” Ember explained. “Now, why I’m older