Free Claimed by the Beast Bundle by Dawn Michelle Page A

crying, at least. Do you want to come to my place?”
    “ Everybody’s already there,” Hank said.
    “ What? My mom—oh, she’s working a double. Wait! How’d they get in my house?”
    “ They’re not in your house,” Ember said. “Camped outside. Probably on the back deck.”
    “ Oh, okay. So the neighbors will see them. Great.”
    “ If you’d prefer, we could leave you to face this on your own?” Ember asked.
    Crystal clamped her lips shut and glanced at the ground. “You’re right,” she mumbled before looking back up. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
    “ Crys,” Beth said. “Can I stay with you, please?”
    Crystal looked at Ember and Hank and saw both of them shake their heads. She sighed.
    “It’s not safe,” Hank said. “This is dangerous and if we have to protect you too, it will spread us too thin.”
    “ How can anything be dangerous with you around?” Crystal asked him.
    Hank chuckled while Ember made a gagging noise.
    Beth pouted as they got to her car. “All right, let’s go. But you call me if anything happens and you’d better respond to my texts!”
    Crystal looked at Hank and said, “I will, unless, I’m, uh, busy.”
    Ember slammed the back door of the car as she climbed in, jarring Crystal out of her pleasant thoughts. She glanced at Beth and saw her friend roll her eyes. She climbed into her car and left her standing on the passenger side with Hank beside her.
    “Sorry about the boyfriend thing,” Crystal mumbled into his leather-covered chest.
    He chuckled. “Anything that helps you find the strength to fight through this. I don’t mind.”
    Crystal smiled and glanced away from him so his blue eyes wouldn ’t pierce through her heart again. She saw Stephanie standing near the school with a crowd of her friends. They were gossiping, probably about her, but Stephanie was staring straight at Crystal.
    “ Oh damn, why won’t she leave me alone?” Crystal groaned.
    “ Trust me,” Hank whispered before he spun her around and pressed his lips to hers.
    Crystal ’s mind exploded. She felt the sensation of his lips, firm but soft, crushing hers. The whiskers on his face scraped at her skin but it felt so raw and powerful. She could smell the leather mixing with the odor that was pure Hank. It filled her and made her moan into his mouth. Without realizing it, she parted her lips and felt his tongue against hers. He invaded her, filling her with his essence.
    “ That should take care of her,” he whispered.
    Crystal blinked and blindly reached out to grab the car door. Her knees were weak and she wanted nothing more than to rip Hank ’s clothes off and throw herself on him. “Oh. My. God,” she breathed.
    Hank grinned and winked at her, and then turned and walked to his bike.
    “ You’re such a slut. Get in,” Beth chided her.
    Crystal hesitated as she stared after her dream man. Her mom was gone until six a .m. tomorrow. “Go ahead. I’m going to catch a ride with Hank.”
    “ Oh hell no,” Beth groaned.
    Ember threw her door open and stepped out. “Crissy, what are you doing?”
    Crystal grinned. “I’m just catching a ride home.”
    “ Did you hear me, Crissy?”
    Crystal turned slowly and blinked. She called her Crissy. Twice. She smiled at her assigned protector and said, “Yes, I heard you.”
    Ember sniffed and leaned to look past her. “Hank!”
    The large man stopped and turned around. He had a grin on his face. “What’s up, Red?”
    Ember scowled. “He won’t come until it gets dark. Go ahead and give Princess a ride home. Follow us and don’t stop anywhere, got it?”
    “ Why would I stop?” he asked, feigning innocence.
    “ You know damn well why,” she growled. “Keep it in your pants, Tiny.”
    Beth groaned from inside the car.
    Crystal blushed and looked away. “I’ll see you there.” She hurried after Hank and then turned to glance back when Beth chirped the tires on her car and raced out of her parking spot. Crystal grinned