Shapes of Autumn (Boxed set, books 1 - 5)

by Veronica Blade

  “It’s not that bad. Yet. If the antibiotics don’t kick in soon, tomorrow could be a different story. But that’s tomorrow. Get a good night’s rest. You can call us in the morning and we’ll give you an update.”

  Zack frowned. “No, thanks. I’ll stay.”

  I ran my hand lightly over his arm. “If she’s really okay for tonight, you should get some sleep. What if she needs you tomorrow and you’re too wasted to be any use to her?”

  “Um… Yeah, I guess you’re right.” His brows lowered, like he was still struggling with the idea.

  I laced my fingers with his. “You’re not abandoning her. You’re just taking care of yourself, so you can do the same for her.”

  He nodded and we rose together. Favianne didn’t stir as we crept into her room, but we said our good-byes to her anyway and took off. On the way home, Zack gazed silently out the passenger window while I drove.

  “Since everyone knows I’m sleeping at your house, I don’t have to sneak in later, right?” I asked, stopping alongside the curb in front of his house. He nodded and reached for the door handle. “After my shower, I’ll come back, okay? Unless… unless you’d prefer to be alone.”

  “No.” He swept a thumb across my cheek and his gaze fell on my mouth. “I want you with me.”

  Well, if you ask like that…

  Twenty minutes later, I returned wearing a soft, faded gray T-shirt and pink flannel lounge pants. Zack was camped out on the front steps. From the curb, vestiges of Aunt Cara’s earlier dinner tickled my nose. Lasagna probably. I was sorry to have missed it.

  I lowered to sit next to him. My ears picked up on sounds inside the house — machine guns blaring from a video game as Mac and Trevor playfully threatened to kill each other, and Cara warning her younger boys it was bedtime. My body told me it was much later, like the kids should’ve been in bed hours ago. For all the energy I lacked, I may as well have been a slug.

  “I slipped out to the woods while you were gone, so that’s done,” he said, bumping shoulders with me.

  Right. Werewolves needed to run and morph every night. Since I didn’t have the same compulsion, it was easy to forget. I would’ve loved to go for a run and morph, whether I needed to or not, but I didn’t love the idea of losing out on time with Zack. I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

  The silence soothed me and the summer breeze warmed my skin. Angling my head to the right, I saw the full moon casting light through the dim streets. A couple blocks down, a dark figure slowly made its way toward us. By the gait and cowboy hat, I knew the man was Charles — the last person I wanted to intrude on my blissful moment with Zack. I silently warned him and he nodded, wrapping his hand around mine.

  We waited as the werewolf strolled along the concrete in his own time.

  “Howdy, neighbor,” he said, pausing in front of the steps.

  “Hello,” Zack replied.

  I smiled, but only enough not to appear rude.

  “I was passing by earlier when you were carrying someone into the car. Your mother?”

  “Yes, she had an appointment with her doctor.”

  Charles nodded and glanced toward the street as he continued silently. Is she going to be all right?

  Zack ran a hand through his hair. To be honest, I have no clue. Depends on how she responds to treatment, but she’s been sick for a long time, so…

  “I see.” Charles nodded once. “I hope she feels better soon.”

  “Thank you. Me too,” Zack said.

  “Well…” Charles tipped his hat, smiled again and continued walking. “Good night.”

  Zack sat rigid next to me and I couldn’t blame him. Charles reminded me of a vulture waiting for death so he could descend upon his prey. How would Favianne do during the night? It was too soon for her to go. Much too soon.

  Chapter Eight

  My eyes fluttered open as the morning sunlight strayed between the curtain panels. My head was on Zack’s chest, my arm slung over his ribs, and our legs were entwined. I snuggled closer against Zack.

  If only I could stay this way forever. Alas, we had school. Ugh. I preferred the mall to studying any day. But on this particular Friday, clothes shopping and classes were the last things on my mind. I wondered how Favianne had fared through the night and what the doctor would tell us.

  “Oh, good, you’re awake.” Zack rolled on top of me, pinning my arms over my head and nibbling on my neck. “Mmm. This has to last me through the rest of the day.”

  “Why?” Wouldn’t we be together the next few hours?

  “You’re dropping me off at the hospital before you go to school, right?” His tongue flicked my earlobe, sending a tremor through me. “I won’t see you until after your last class.”

  Tingles spread all the way to my toes as he trailed kisses down my neck and to my shoulder. “You’re not going to school? I thought maybe Cara would spend the day with your mom and you’d see her after.”

  “Autumn, my mom’s in the hospital.” His head popped up and he raised his brows as if waiting for it to sink in. He didn’t have to wait long.

  “Right.” I blinked, trying to get with the program.

  “Aunt Cara’s been really worried, so she won’t be able to stay away. But since she’ll have other things to do, like pick up the boys, I want to make sure my mom is never alone.”

  With Zack on top of me, concentrating on anything but the feel of his hand at my waist was a herculean task. “Did you call and check on her already?”

  “Yeah. They think the antibiotics are working.” He rested his chin on my shoulder, his breath sending goose bumps over my skin.

  “That’s great news, Zack.” I closed my eyes, wanting to stretch the minutes and keep him with me longer. “I wish I could miss school without them calling my parents.”

  “If they’re shape-shifters, they’re probably on the run. The last thing they need is for you to throw them off track by getting into trouble at school.”

  “So now you believe they’re shape-shifters?” Just great. Because stressing over whether Favianne lived another day wasn’t enough. Now I could worry if my parents would get captured by werewolves.

  “I said if. I still think they’re human, but I can’t ignore how you barely smell like a shifter.” His mouth slanted over mine and my lips parted for him. Just as our tongues brushed, he abruptly withdrew. “Maybe they’re shifters and practically scentless like you. I have no idea. But if they are shape-shifters and school calls them, they’ll ask why you weren’t in school. You’ll have to lie or you can tell them you were with me. If they already know I’m a werewolf, hanging out with me isn’t going to sit well with them.”

  “And they’d worry even more.” As the lies piled on, everything got more complicated. “All right. I’ll drop you off before going to school.” I arched my neck to give his lips better access. “Um… you don’t seem in a huge hurry to get there.”

  “We have a couple minutes.”

  “Good.” I freed my hands and rolled on top of him.

  † † †

  In theory, surviving a future without Zack in my life was totally possible — if you call plunging into a deep, dark depression surviving. Eventually, I might pull myself out of it and only skirt the edges of darkness now and again. Perhaps one day, I might find something that resembled happiness. Maybe even love another.

  Yeah, right.

  Being at peace without Zack would be a very long time from now and it disturbed me to realize how attached to him I’d become. How intensely I’d fallen for him. I had no intention of ever finding out what life would be like without him or seeing how devastated I’d be. Not going to happen. Ever.

  That said, I had to get through this one day without him. Between worrying about Favianne and my own parents, school was the very last place I wanted to be. At least Zack had texted with two updates about Favianne. Both were encouraging. That was something.

  Sixth period was Social Science. Not my favorite class sin
ce Natalie and Jeff were there. She’d been best friends with Gina before I came along and she’d never liked me. After Gina locked lips with my ex, I dumped her as a friend and Natalie no longer needed to disguise her loathing for me.

  Except there were no glares today, no scowls. Instead, she looked smug. I knew something was up, but my mind was too wrapped up with Favianne to bother trying to figure out Natalie.

  Mr. Collins handed out a quiz. I fidgeted through most of it, since it was almost too easy. Part of me wished it had been more challenging and maybe I wouldn’t have been so anxious for the bell to ring. As soon as Mr. Collins dismissed us, I rushed out of the classroom like my ass was on fire, then sped to the hospital.

  I slipped my car into the first parking space I saw and scrambled out. Taking a deep, calming breath, I walked at a human pace through the brightly lit corridors and waited like a good girl for the elevator. At last, I reached the correct floor. As soon as the doors opened, I bolted.

  Cara and Mac came into view as I neared the waiting area and I pounced. “How is she?”

  She smiled. “The antibiotics are working beautifully. Dr. Preston wants to keep her one more night though. If she continues to improve, she can come home tomorrow.”

  “Oh, thank God!” I hugged Cara. “Can I see her?”

  “Zack’s in there now. I don’t think he’d mind if you cut in,” Mac said, patting me on the back.

  “Since you’re here now, you can stay with Zack and we’ll go home.” Cara swept a soothing hand down my arm. “Favianne doesn’t need every last one of us hovering over her.”

  “See you tonight.” Mac nodded and steered his wife to the exit.

  “’Bye,” I called after them and made my way to Favianne’s room. The door was ajar, but I tapped lightly to warn them of my arrival.

  “Hey.” Zack met me in the middle of the room and hugged me. “Mom was just asking about you.”

  “Yes, I was.” Favianne smiled. The light had returned to her eyes, along with the color in her cheeks.

  Releasing Zack, I moved to stand at her bedside. “I hear they might release you tomorrow?”

  “That’s what we’re hoping,” she answered. “In fact, it’s not necessary for you two to stay.”

  “But Cara and Mac just left. We can’t leave you alone.” I wasn’t anywhere near ready to be dismissed. “Besides, I just got here.”

  She raised a brow. “I will not allow you to waste a Friday night with me. I’ll still be here tomorrow morning. You can visit me then — spend your whole day with me if you’d like. But tonight, you’re going to enjoy being young and healthy.”

  “But—” Zack began.

  “No buts. Spend the next couple hours with me, then go home and have dinner. Then get on with your evening.” Her tone hardened. “Don’t argue with me.”

  Zack blew out a breath. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Tomorrow I’ll come home and you two will go to prom as planned. I will not have your big day ruined by me. Understand?” She glanced from Zack to me.

  “Yes, ma’am,” we answered in unison.

  “Good. Now, how was your day at school?” she asked me, her eyes lighting up as she flashed me a smile.

  “It was okay. But I was worried about you.”

  She patted my hand. “Everything’s going to be okay. Just as I promised. Do you play Rummy?”

  “A little bit,” I answered.

  “Watch out for my mom.” Zack rolled a stool my way, then claimed another one and scooted it closer to her bed. “She’s a shark.”

  Favianne picked up a deck of cards from a nearby end table and began shuffling, one side of her mouth curving up.

  Three games of Rummy later, two cups of coffee and a game of War, she kicked us out and sent us home. Although I didn’t want to leave her, I didn’t mind having Zack all to myself for a few minutes before we met up with Maya and Trevor.

  “Do you need to go home first?” he asked as he braked for a stoplight.

  “Only if you’re coming with me,” I replied.

  “If your parents are shape-shifters, they’ll catch my scent. Not a good idea for me to be in your house.”

  “But they’re not home.”

  “True… but they have a habit of showing up without warning.”

  I wondered why my parents hadn’t noticed Zack’s scent when they’d come home before, so I rolled back the clock in my head. After school last week, I came home to compile my grocery list and had cleaned up a bit before I’d left for the market, especially on the couch where he’d slept the night before. If my parents were shifters, no way could they have detected werewolf with all the chemicals I’d used. Zack had barely been to my house since then, so when my mom came back a couple days ago, there hadn’t been anything for her to sense.

  “You sound like you’re more and more convinced they’re not human.”

  He shook his head. “No, I haven’t changed my mind. But in case I’m wrong, we’d better not risk it.”

  We stopped at my house so I could change, but he waited for me in the car. Then we were off to Zack’s for dinner, which was spectacular as usual — wine sauce over Italian sausage and angel hair pasta. I still skipped the meat though. Maybe with practice I’d learn to contain myself while eating that stuff, but with everything going on, I didn’t think I could do it just yet. And acting like a cave woman in front of Zack or his family was at the very bottom of my To Do list.

  While Zack and I cleaned up the kitchen, Trevor went to Maya’s house and brought her back. We drove to Hollywood and Highland and saw a movie Maya chose. It seemed like a chick flick to me, but the guys liked it too.

  Late that night, we went out for our run. We drove, because Zack wanted to explore an unfamiliar area on the outskirts of Angeles National Forest.

  “Why don’t we go to our usual place?” I asked when he parked in a spot partially obscured by trees.

  “The more time we spend in one area, the stronger our scent becomes there. We should change it up.” Zack’s back went rigid. This was a mistake.

  Before my mind absorbed his last word, I knew what Zack meant. From the passenger side, I glanced around in search of the werewolf.

  Whoever’s out there would’ve heard us drive up. He already knows we’re here, he told me silently.

  Shouldn’t we leave? I asked.

  Why bother? A werewolf can run faster than a car. Let’s get out and act normal.

  Normal? I wasn’t sure what that was anymore. With wooden movements, I opened the car door and climbed out. Zack came around to my side, twirled me around and shoved me against the side of the car.

  Act like you like me. One side of his mouth curled up. We’re just a couple of teenagers who came here for some privacy.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and tilted my chin up. Pasting on a pleasant expression was difficult knowing someone was watching, waiting.

  “It’s kind of late for you kids to be out, don’t you think? And alone in the woods. Isn’t there a curfew you’re violating?” Charles asked, slowly emerging from between the trees.

  Zack turned around, still holding onto me. “We’re over eighteen. And it’s a great place to be alone.” He grinned as if Charles, being a man, knew exactly what he meant.

  I struggled through the fog, trying to remember how a human girl would act if she were caught making out with a boy and knew nothing of werewolf scouts or shape-shifters. “And what’s your excuse for being here?”

  Charles shrugged. “Just going for a drive. Decided to get out and take a look around. How’s your mom doing?” he asked Zack.

  “Much better. They’ll probably let us take her home tomorrow.”

  “That’s good news,” Charles replied. Since I was still touching Zack, I was able to listen in when Charles switched to silent communication. When I saw you last night, I’d already been to the hospital to check on her condition myself. I didn’t think she’d make it, which is what I reported to my superior. Since I’ve already bee
n here too long, they insisted I bring you in right away. They’re expecting you right after graduation, whether your mom is alive or not.

  But you said I could spend extra time with her, Zack told him, his hands gripping my waist a little too tightly. Tell them you messed up.

  Cold rage replaced Charles’s amiable smile. I will do no such thing. What’s done is done. You’ll work it out. He turned to leave.

  “You can’t take him early!” I shouted. “It’s not fair. You made the mistake. You fix it!”

  Slowly, Charles pivoted, eyes spearing mine. “And how is it possible for a human to hear our conversation?”

  My stomach knotted as terror gripped me. I’d just given myself away to a werewolf. Worse, we’d been making out and breaking a law that carried the death penalty.

  Dead girl walking. And since Zack was consorting with a shape-shifter, he wouldn’t fare any better.

  Zack squeezed my hand. “She’s human, but she reads minds.”

  “A witch?” The scout tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. “Or she’s something else… like a shape-shifter. Maybe you were really coming here to morph.” He took a step toward me, but I couldn’t back up since I was already against the car.

  Zack moved in front of me. “She’s human.”

  Charles smiled. “If that’s the case, allow me to confirm it.”

  “Suit yourself.” Zack moved aside and waved a hand toward me. He appeared unruffled, but I sensed an undercurrent. I could also hear his heart pounding wildly. I’d bet anything that Charles could hear it too. He’d know Zack was scared… and lying.

  “Thank you. I will.” Charles reached out and brushed my hair away, exposing my neck. He leaned in and inched toward me. As he inhaled deeply, the amusement faded from his eyes and they darkened.

  Busted.

  Zack doesn’t know, I told Charles silently, hoping if he thought I was to blame, it would keep Zack safe and give him time to run. Two fledglings could never take down a mature werewolf who was possibly hundreds of years older. He hasn’t learned about shape-shifters or their scent. He thinks I’m human which is perfectly legal. Punish me, not him.