Beast, Blood, & Soul

500K Bonus Story Part 2

Ceren POV

Brendan swung me around the dancefloor as we had our first dance. I could hear the happy comments from my parents and friends. It felt like a glow of contentment surrounded just him and me. I was still so amazed by this man who asked me to spend the rest of my life with him, who still chose me when our world turned upside down.

Y/N explained that the witch had threatened us to ensure they did what that monster wanted. So, we planned to make ourselves scarce, just in case.

Things did not work out that way.

We were driving away from the Center when something slammed into Brendan's truck. We skidded sideways and crashed into a tree. Brendan groaned from hitting the steering wheel, and I checked my head, which was bleeding from the force of hitting it against the window. Glass shards were everywhere.

The door wrenched open, and to my shock, another Brendan pulled him out, and they started to fight. I struggled to get out of the seatbelt when I looked up and froze. Standing in front of the truck is another me with an evil grin on her face. I don't know what happened next because something hit me, and I blacked out.

When I next came to, my head was pounding, and my arms were restrained in leather cuffs against a wall. Trying to make sense of my surroundings, I see a blurry Brendan struggling against his restraints. I blink a few times, trying to get my vision to clear, but my head just hurt too much. Everything was double, and I felt nauseous.

"Where are we?" I asked, my blurry vision making it hard to see where I was.

"We're in the cave," Brendan mumbles. His voice sounded strange, and I concentrated so I could see clearly. He was sporting a black eye and a badly split lip, and his cheek was swollen. He didn't win the fight.

"You look a mess. Are you okay? Did I see you fight with yourself, or was I seeing double?" The Details were confusing, and I wasn't sure what I had seen.

"Yeah, I suspect the witch transformed someone into me," He growled. That didn't sound good.

"Finally, our guests are awake." I look over, and my eyes bug out at the version of myself I watch swagger over to us. She wore a skimpy leather halter top and leather pants with cutouts along the side. She wore heels, which wouldn't be easy to move on the rocky ground of the cave. The crystal necklace she wore seemed to have a purple glow.

"Yes, Ceren, you are seeing yourself." The imposter held up a couple of small flasks. My vision started to clear slightly as she moved around us, and I focused on her. "I collected these during your checkup after the wolf attack. I need a few extra drops from you to make the magic work."

She approached me and pulled out a knife, "You're the witch, right? Are you Mindy?" She smiled and transformed right in front of me. Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick. Mindy stood where my evil twin had stood, but now the outfit didn't fit her well.

"Smart girl," She smirked as she refreshed the wound on my head and collected the blood that oozed out.

"Are you going to kill us?" I had to know.

"Not yet. You were always fair with me, Ceren, so I'm making you part of the spell. I'll only kill you if I have to."

"Small comfort," I mutter. This made Mindy smirk as she returned to the dais where the other Brendan was sitting.

"I know you know why you are here," She began.

"Insurance," growled Brendan angrily. The witch watched him with satisfaction as we struggled against our bonds. She moved over to a table and started pouring our blood into a flask. "You had to know they were going to show up. Y/N has no intention of missing today's meeting," he argued.