thoughts were shattered as somebody pounded on the bathroom door. “Hurry up.” Ember’s voice drifted through. “We’ve got a lot of talking to do.”
Crystal scowled and reached for the shampoo. As wonderful as the shower was, Ember was right. The Beast had poisoned her and she had to figure out what she had to do in order to survive. Especially now that he was dead. She smiled as another thought came to her. If nothing else, she had to at least find a way to get Hank alone before it was too late.
Chapter 2
Wearing yoga pants and a loose t-shirt, Crystal led the way back downstairs to the living room. The furniture was taken up by the bikers, forcing Crystal to stand in the entryway and earn a squawk from Beth as she bumped into her back.
Gwen was sprawled on the couch and lying in Guntar’s lap. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was heavy enough it almost sounded like she was snoring. Adrian sat at the other end of the couch and looked at her with his intense gaze. He seemed oblivious of Gwen’s foot that was resting on his thigh.
Ember was curled up in one of the two chairs in the room, with her legs tucked up beneath her and one arm propping her head up. Her eyes looked heavy, as though she were fighting sleep. The last chair in the room was occupied by Hank. He was big enough to make the recliner seem like a tea party chair even with how he was sprawled out in it. Crystal had to fight the urge to laugh at the tight-fitting pink sweatpants he’d borrowed.
Hank looked at her and smiled. He jerked and climbed to his feet. “Crystal! Please, sit.”
Crystal felt her cheeks heat up and mumbled a thanks as she made her way over to the chair. She sunk in it and saw Beth staring wide-eyed from the open archway to the kitchen. Ember blinked as she glanced at Beth and then looked away. Hank stretched, his fingers almost brushing the eight-foot ceiling, and moved to the front door to peer out the window.
“So, uh, what do you want to talk about?” Crystal ventured after several awkward seconds of enduring Adrian’s stare.
“You must have questions,” Guntar said.
“Uh, yeah!”
He nodded. But Adrian was the first to speak. “The girl must go.”
Crystal’s breath froze in her throat and then she realized he was talking about Beth, not her. She turned and saw Beth staring at the direct man with her lips parted.
“She’s my friend. She already knows what’s going on.” Crystal came to her defense.
Adrian’s lip twisted in a sneer. “I doubt it. We’re not even sure what’s going on.”
Crystal stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s not one of us,” he said. “She doesn’t have the blood. She can’t know our secrets.”
“Adrian, she wouldn’t be the first norm,” Guntar said.
Adrian clamped his lips shut for a moment and then tried again. “She’s too young. She’ll talk. What is she, sixteen?”
“Hey!” Beth protested. “I’m seventeen, almost eighteen.”
He shrugged. “Too young.”
“I’m only eighteen,” Crystal pointed out. “What makes me different?”
“You were chosen by the Beast.”
Crystal clamped her mouth shut and glanced at Ember and Hank. Hank offered her a smile and a shrug. Ember looked to be almost asleep in the chair.
“She stays,” Guntar decided.
Adrian’s scowl remained but he nodded acceptance. “Very well.”
Guntar turned his attention on Crystal. “Nobody knows where we came from,” he said. “How the first of us learned to change from man to wolf.”
“I thought when you bit somebody, they turned into a werewolf?” Crystal asked. “I mean, that’s how it works in the movies, right?”
Adrian made a choking noise and turned away. Hank chuckled and even Ember smiled from her position of repose. Guntar shook his head. “It’s not so simple,” he said. “The blood holds the secret.”
“But I’ve been different since the Beast bit me. I mean, I’ve been hurt and the next day
Crystal scowled and reached for the shampoo. As wonderful as the shower was, Ember was right. The Beast had poisoned her and she had to figure out what she had to do in order to survive. Especially now that he was dead. She smiled as another thought came to her. If nothing else, she had to at least find a way to get Hank alone before it was too late.
Chapter 2
Wearing yoga pants and a loose t-shirt, Crystal led the way back downstairs to the living room. The furniture was taken up by the bikers, forcing Crystal to stand in the entryway and earn a squawk from Beth as she bumped into her back.
Gwen was sprawled on the couch and lying in Guntar’s lap. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was heavy enough it almost sounded like she was snoring. Adrian sat at the other end of the couch and looked at her with his intense gaze. He seemed oblivious of Gwen’s foot that was resting on his thigh.
Ember was curled up in one of the two chairs in the room, with her legs tucked up beneath her and one arm propping her head up. Her eyes looked heavy, as though she were fighting sleep. The last chair in the room was occupied by Hank. He was big enough to make the recliner seem like a tea party chair even with how he was sprawled out in it. Crystal had to fight the urge to laugh at the tight-fitting pink sweatpants he’d borrowed.
Hank looked at her and smiled. He jerked and climbed to his feet. “Crystal! Please, sit.”
Crystal felt her cheeks heat up and mumbled a thanks as she made her way over to the chair. She sunk in it and saw Beth staring wide-eyed from the open archway to the kitchen. Ember blinked as she glanced at Beth and then looked away. Hank stretched, his fingers almost brushing the eight-foot ceiling, and moved to the front door to peer out the window.
“So, uh, what do you want to talk about?” Crystal ventured after several awkward seconds of enduring Adrian’s stare.
“You must have questions,” Guntar said.
“Uh, yeah!”
He nodded. But Adrian was the first to speak. “The girl must go.”
Crystal’s breath froze in her throat and then she realized he was talking about Beth, not her. She turned and saw Beth staring at the direct man with her lips parted.
“She’s my friend. She already knows what’s going on.” Crystal came to her defense.
Adrian’s lip twisted in a sneer. “I doubt it. We’re not even sure what’s going on.”
Crystal stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s not one of us,” he said. “She doesn’t have the blood. She can’t know our secrets.”
“Adrian, she wouldn’t be the first norm,” Guntar said.
Adrian clamped his lips shut for a moment and then tried again. “She’s too young. She’ll talk. What is she, sixteen?”
“Hey!” Beth protested. “I’m seventeen, almost eighteen.”
He shrugged. “Too young.”
“I’m only eighteen,” Crystal pointed out. “What makes me different?”
“You were chosen by the Beast.”
Crystal clamped her mouth shut and glanced at Ember and Hank. Hank offered her a smile and a shrug. Ember looked to be almost asleep in the chair.
“She stays,” Guntar decided.
Adrian’s scowl remained but he nodded acceptance. “Very well.”
Guntar turned his attention on Crystal. “Nobody knows where we came from,” he said. “How the first of us learned to change from man to wolf.”
“I thought when you bit somebody, they turned into a werewolf?” Crystal asked. “I mean, that’s how it works in the movies, right?”
Adrian made a choking noise and turned away. Hank chuckled and even Ember smiled from her position of repose. Guntar shook his head. “It’s not so simple,” he said. “The blood holds the secret.”
“But I’ve been different since the Beast bit me. I mean, I’ve been hurt and the next day
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