Curse of the Beast Read online

  Curse of the Beast

  A Novel by

  Ashley Lavering

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE ABOUT THE DESCRIPTION OF CODY, WYOMING:

  While I strived to keep true to the wonderful city of Cody, there were times when I changed small aspects for the needs of my book. I sincerely hope the residents of Cody will excuse the fictional liberties I took in adding more foliage to City Park and around Cody High, and changing Cody High’s football stadium. Plus, all street names, and restaurant names mentioned in the book are purely from my imagination.

  Curse of the Beast

  Copyright © 2012 Ashley Lavering

  Published by Silvermist Publishing LLC at Smashwords

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Contact Silvermist Publishing LLC with questions regarding this policy at [email protected]

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Edited by Mystic Manuscripts LLC

  Cover Design and Art Work by Kathey Amaral (Design by Katt)

  Dedication

  For my wonderfully supportive family, friends, and fans.

  And to Matt for all the adventures we had in Cody.

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1—Deceptions

  CHAPTER 2—Silver Eyes

  CHAPTER 3—Outcast

  CHAPTER 4—Crushed Petals

  CHAPTER 5—Cookies and Broken Rules

  CHAPTER 6—This is Crazy

  CHAPTER 7—First Date

  CHAPTER 8—Movie Surprise

  CHAPTER 9—Haunted

  CHAPTER 10—Tardy

  CHAPTER 11—Lights, Camera, Kyle

  CHAPTER 12—Lurking Shadow

  CHAPTER 13—I’m Dead

  CHAPTER 14—A Chuckling Werewolf

  CHAPTER 15—Hungry and Ticked

  CHAPTER 16—Spies and Rumors

  CHAPTER 17—Claws on Steel

  CHAPTER 18—First Aid or a Shirt

  CHAPTER 19—Shredded Styrofoam and Bloody Plastic

  CHAPTER 20— Confused and Bound

  CHAPTER 21—A Wet Picnic

  CHAPTER 22—Lily’s Torment

  CHAPTER 23—Lies

  CHAPTER 24—Truths

  CHAPTER 25—Playing Chicken

  CHAPTER 26—Horrors of Frozen Meat

  CHAPTER 27—Unexpected Chef

  CHAPTER 28—Apologies

  CHAPTER 29—Full Moon and a Mud Bath

  CHAPTER 30—Deadly Secrets

  CHAPTER 31—Naked Arms

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  A PREVIEW OF STAR CURSED

  PROLOGUE

  The icy mountain air stung Star’s aged face. Crouching, her numb fingers raked the dead leaves of the forest floor, looking for tracks that weren’t there. She had failed again. Death was close, and she didn’t have room for any more error. But she’d lost the wolves’ trail when the sun dipped below the horizon, surrendering the land to the silvery light of the full moon.

  Star hung her head in defeat. Her wavy tresses veiled her sorrowful face. Maybe the next full moon would be the night she would right her wrongs. The silent forest suddenly rang with distant snarls of fighting wolves. Her head snapped up as her sapphire eyes filled with hope. The sound rang slightly to the east and farther up the mountain. Determination propelled her aged body into a quick amble. Every twig and branch snagged her ragged dress, slowing her progress. Her chest heaved as the terrain steepened, and her vision blurred from the pounding in her head. Her aged body trembled from the demanding chase, but she would finish her mission this time, even if it killed her.

  Braced against a ponderosa, Star reached her wrinkled arms skyward, begging for air to fill her lungs. The thrashing of the underbrush and the howling of the pack was close enough now that gooseflesh pricked her arms.

  A human scream pierced the trees, but died with a sickening gurgle.

  “No…” Horror washed through Star, and she forced her burning legs to run toward the sounds. Breaking through the tree line, she cautiously stepped into the still glen.

  Stained pieces of a wool blanket littered the ground around a corpse. A small fire smoldered next to him in its makeshift stone pit, a forgotten kettle boiling in the coals. The wolves were nowhere in sight, but the bloody remains of a man were heaped at the clearing’s edge. His throat was mangled and limbs ripped from his torso, as if the wolves played tug-of-war with his lifeless body.

  Star crumpled next to the fire pit and retched her sorrow and despair into the grass until her stomach was silent. How many times would she witness her cursed husband’s monstrous acts? How many times would he slip through her fingers just to kill again?

  Star’s head jerked up as a twig snapped nearby. Standing, Star glanced back the way she had come. Her fingers clutched the Celestial Rock deep in her pocket. Her nerves zinged with determination, readying herself to kill the man she’d once loved.

  Two tall figures emerged, and Star relaxed her grip.

  “Daughters.” Star staggered toward them.

  “Mother,” the twins said in unison.

  “Help me to that log, please.” Star trembled with fatigue, and her daughters hurriedly intertwined their arms around her waist. After lowering their mother to the decaying log, they sat flanking her.

  Sira’s brown eyes dulled with sadness, and her dark hair melded into the night. “Father will never let you catch him,” her solemn voice cut through the frosty air.

  “He won’t even let us near him anymore,” Tierina spoke, as if to finish her sister’s thought. Her blond tresses tied back with golden threads, and her cerulean eyes glimmered in the darkness.

  Star let out a sad breath. “Then there is only one thing left to do.”

  Star pulled out the Celestial Rock that now glowed like dirty eggshells. The twins’ eyes flicked from the rock to their mother’s downcast face.

  “No, Mother!” they cried.

  Star gathered them to her breast. “I love you, my daughters.”

  The twins’ eyes glistened with tears as they held their mother tight, conveying what their voices couldn’t.

  Ending the embrace, Star drew a hunting knife from its sheath strapped to her waist, moonlight glinting off the sharp blade.

  “I’m old. My time is near.” Star’s gaze fell to the ground. “You two will need each other for what will come.” Before she could change her mind, she pressed the steel point into her fleshy palm, and scarlet drops oozed over the stone.

  “Sisters. Brothers,” Star called to the night with an unearthly sound. Her voice echoed through the trees, faint as it traveled to the heavens.

  Several moments passed in ethereal silence.

  “Sister, we hear you,” voices chimed in the small meadow.

  “A sacrifice I make of myself. A sacrifice of blood to right the wrongs I have committed,” Star said.

  “Mother, please don’t do this,” Sira begged, tears st
aining her cheeks.

  “There is still time.” Tierina’s hand gripped her mother’s bloody fist, determination hardening her blue eyes. “We will trap him next full moon.”

  Star trembled involuntarily, her head bowed in sorrow. This was not her first choice, but now there was no other way. Her daughters were wrong. They’d never trap him, and she was too old to try anymore. But, oh the sorrow her posterity would have to endure! So much life would be lost, because he still lived. How could she bear watching the consequences of her failure played out on Earth? Yet, she had to. It was the only way her descendants could one day break the curse.

  “Sister, is this truly your desire?” the heavenly voices questioned.

  “Yes,” she choked. Moisture ran down her cheeks as the warmth of her daughters surrounded her for the last time.

  “No,” the twins screamed.

  The rock glowed brightly, despite their protests, and illuminated the clearing. The twins shielded their eyes from the hot intensity, knowing their mother’s plight was now their own.

  Star’s voice was weighed down with grief. “Forgive me, my children.”

  The light faded into the heavens, and so did their mother.

  CHAPTER 1—Deceptions

  Saturday, November 5

  In the tiny tourist town of Cody, Wyoming, men wore tight Wranglers with saucer-sized belt buckles, and the biggest excitement was the rodeo. Surely, adding a high school football game to that mundane mix wouldn’t alter my life so completely, but I was wrong.

  The sun hovered over the western mountains, casting muted light over the football field. The chilly November air numbed the tip of my nose and chapped my lips, while the icy sting from the frozen metal bleacher penetrated my jeans. Why anyone found slowly turning into an ice cube fun was beyond me. I was more of a summer sport girl, like baseball. But I couldn’t say no when the hottest guy in school reserved me special seating—especially when that guy was Kyle Harrington, the quarterback.

  The aroma of freshly upturned grass and sweaty players was overpowering from where I sat on the first row. The football game continued into the fourth quarter. I was grateful for all the hometown fans around me who understood the sport, and I gladly took my cues from them. When they booed, I did. When they cheered, I gave a whoop of excitement, spilling some of my stale popcorn in the process. So far, no one noticed I was clueless. Well, except for my best friend, Chel, who grinned mischievously next to me.

  “And you say you can’t act!” Chel’s bony elbow found my side. “Tay, you have to try out for the spring play with me. It would be totally wicked!”

  A theater geek at heart, Chel relentlessly tried to recruit me into the fine arts since I’d moved here three weeks ago. As an ex-homeschooler, I wasn’t used to having so many teenagers around me. Well, except the last year and a half. But I hardly counted my shadow-like status at my previous school, Charleston High, as socially adept.

  I was thankful for Chel. She was confident and flirty, even in the spotlight, something I couldn’t do even with my hoodie up.

  “No way.” I shook my head. Chel played the despondent friend well when she dropped her blue eyes to the ground and jutted out her plump lip in a perfect pout. If I let her continue, she would sprout tears. “Who needs me when they have you?” I teased, knocking shoulders with her.

  Golden locks escaped her winter parka’s hood as she jerked up her head, but thunderous cheers pulled our attention back to the game.

  The announcer’s voice crackled through the speakers. “Intercepted by Cody Broncs’ number 9—Matt Wilder—at the fifty yard line and finally brought down at the fifteen. This could be the game, folks.”

  Kyle shot off the player’s bench with a whoop of excitement. Only a few yards above him, I could clearly see the excitement shining in his hazel eyes as he clapped for his teammates coming off the field. Kyle’s regal-looking mother handed him his white and blue helmet. Her chestnut hair was cut in an a-line style that accentuated her sharp features and high cheekbones. Only her baby-blue eyes were soft and inviting, but I had a feeling even that was deceiving. At halftime, she’d snarled at Coach Brine for his choice of plays. But there was no denying she was beautiful, even if she did remind me of a hungry snow leopard.

  From over her shoulder, Kyle locked his eyes with mine, giving me a quick wink and roguish smile before returning his attention to the field. Warmth trickled back into my cheeks.

  “Told you he like likes you.”

  My stomach flopped. It was easy for Chel to say that. She flirted with every guy as effortlessly as breathing. But for me, it was a totally alien experience, like skydiving without a parachute. I didn’t know Kyle very well and knew even less about flirting. It’d only been a week since he first invited Chel and me to sit with him at lunch. I still couldn’t believe he’d waved us over. Kyle wasn’t stout, like his other teammates, but slim, with hard muscles that knotted when he lifted his lunch tray. That day was like a dream—a good one, where you pinched your eyes shut, praying the dream would return after the sun burned it away.

  But he didn’t drift away on one of those ethereal breezes. He would appear on my way to PE and wink at me. Or I’d find him waiting at my locker after school. The sight of him always sent frenzied wings fluttering through my stomach. I looked forward to those moments. Not that I would ever admit it to Chel.

  Snapping back to reality, I watched Kyle smash his helmet over his bleach-streaked mocha hair and jog out to the field with the rest of the offensive line. I was surprised how fiercely I wanted him to win.

  Both teams lined up in formation. From the comments uttered around me, it seemed all they needed was one good throw and they’d have a touchdown. A clash of shoulder pads commenced the play, and Kyle caught the hiked ball. The Wheatland Bulldogs fought hard to keep the Broncs from the touchdown. It looked like a stalemate with Kyle ready to hurl the ball into the hands of the first open receiver.

  “Come on. Throw it!” I pulled at the tattered sleeve of my favorite hoodie, winding and unwinding a loose thread around my finger. A Wheatland player broke the line. I held my breath, suspended in the moment. The huge linebacker charged Kyle, but before the collision, Kyle swiveled out of the way and zoomed the ball into the hands of a Cody receiver.

  “Touchdown,” the announcer bellowed. “Cody Broncs win the game!”

  I sprang from my seat, adding my cheer to the roar around me. I wasn’t usually the cheerleading type, but the infectious energy was hard to ignore. Chel grabbed my forearms, and we jumped with excited squeals.

  Kyle’s teammates tackled him with hollers laced with adrenaline. I giggled. The excitement was contagious. I could see how people got addicted to this rush. In that moment, I was truly happy. I marveled at the carefree feeling. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Something I wasn’t sure I deserved to feel, but for now I couldn’t stop smiling.

  Chel and I maneuvered through the mass exodus flowing under the small stadium tunnel. I spotted a few girls already waiting by the locker room door. Inhaling a shaky breath, I entered the small alcove, feeling nauseous. What would I say to him? Nice throw? Good game? They both sounded cheesy to me.

  I sent Chel a pleading look, begging her to stay. But her response was to squeeze my hand and say, “You’ve got this.”

  Without a backwards glance, Chel scampered off to chat with one of her many friends. I was alone. I should be used to that feeling, but this time it was different. I was waiting for the most coveted guy in school. My nerves tingled. Would Kyle finally ask me out? My first date? With Aunt Lily on the mend, I finally had time for myself, and dating was definitely on my to-do list.

  I shrugged out of my ebony hoodie that sported a golden lightning bolt striking a sizzling sun: the emblem of my favorite baseball team. I kicked myself for choosing the tattered old hoodie over my flattering down feather coat. It didn’t compliment the lilac blouse underneath, but it was my favorite. Chel had called the blouse flirty, with its v-neck and lacy
ties around the chest and waist. I hoped Kyle thought so, too. He hadn’t seen me in anything other than my usual t-shirts, but tonight I was feeling brave, though my churning stomach suggested otherwise. I tucked wisps of brunette hair behind my ears and straightened my shirt.

  A few people milled past the mouth of the hallway as I discreetly rubbed my arms for warmth. I draped the hoodie over my forearms. It helped a little, but it was definitely too cold for short sleeves. I stood by the whitewashed concrete walls of the shallow hallway and watched Kyle’s teammates trickle out of the locker room—one by one—to snatch up their giggling girlfriends before disappearing with a grin into the stadium corridor.

  Minutes passed, and feelings of not belonging settled over me. What was I doing here? I wasn’t Kyle’s girlfriend, even if I wanted to be. What if he came out wondering why I was waiting for him?

  No. He’d offered to give me a ride to the victors’ party. I needed to show him I was girlfriend material—the supportive type. As if cementing the decision to stay, I threw my hoodie against the far wall and crossed my goosefleshed arms.

  Seconds passed slowly as I watched the crowded stadium corridor dwindle to a trickle. I only recognized a face here and there, but my stomach soured when a shrill laugh reached my ears—Natalie Trademan.

  Her hair was easy to spot—pixie-cut and fire red—as she advanced down the now claustrophobic alcove flanked by four of her girlfriends. My confidence slipped away the moment her royal-blue eyes seared into mine. She was a junior like me and a self-proclaimed nemesis since the day Kyle’s eyes lingered in my direction. My muscles tightened, ready for whatever Natalie flung at me.

  She stopped so close her floral perfume saturated the air between us. I wanted to gag. It was like she’d bathed in the whole bottle before coming to the game. Her clique fanned out around her like a peacock’s plumes, blocking my exit.