Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set

by Amy Miles

  Zack’s hands shot below his hips to cover his junk, but it was too late. I’d seen it all.

  I sat up and grinned. “Now we’re even.”

  “Where are my clothes?” He morphed back into a wolf and disappeared into the trees.

  I turned into a cheetah, quickly catching up to him.

  I saw more of you than you saw of me, Zack bragged silently.

  You keep telling yourself that. I laughed which ended up sounding like a cross between a meow and a hiss.

  After a few minutes of racing through the forest, Zack suggested we head home. He didn’t want to risk running into Daniel, just in case he decided to switch forests, too. And there were at least two other werewolves around to be wary of.

  “You’re improving.” The engine purred to life and Zack put it in drive. “And you morphed twice. Not as tired tonight?”

  “I’m good,” I said, enjoying the open window and the breeze on my face.

  He glanced over at me. “Um, Autumn…”

  Usually confidence oozed from Zack, but now he seemed a little uncertain. Would he apologize? Perhaps say he’d changed his mind, because he can’t stop thinking about kissing me again? That he wants to be with me despite the danger. Forever.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  “Did you do my homework or do I still need to do it tonight?”

  I’d worked myself up into impossible fantasies and the only thing on his mind was homework? I sighed and turned toward the window, the air drying the would-be tears from my eyes. “I did it earlier. How did you ever manage without me, Zack?”

  He snorted. “The extra time I spend with you now, answering your questions and helping you morph? I would’ve done my homework.”

  “Right,” I muttered, staring at the passing trees.

  At home, Zack tossed the keys on the dining room table and located the blanket and pillow. “It’s late. We should get to bed, but first I’d like to test your strength.” He returned to the dining room table and propped an arm up on his elbow, his hand ready to grip mine.

  “It’s kind of pointless, don’t you think? As a shape-shifter, I’m not going to be as strong as you.” I held my arm up opposite his on the table.

  “It’ll still be challenging. Plus, if we practice, you’ll build strength and maybe next time, you won’t lose as quickly. We’ll have something to compare it with, so we can tell how fast you’re changing.”

  “On three?” I asked and he nodded. “One, two, three.”

  Slowly, my arm descended in the wrong direction. I fought it as hard as I could and Zack’s arm slowed. He put more power behind his push and I strained against him. Another thrust and the back of my hand lay flat against the table. I lost. Not exactly a big surprise.

  He stared at me. “You’re unusually strong.”

  “Not that strong. You beat me, remember?”

  “But not as easily as I expected.” He studied me another moment. “You’re going to get stronger. I may not always be able to take you down.”

  “What? Aren’t shape-shifters weaker than werewolves?

  “Yeah. I don’t get why you’re different though.” He tapped a finger on the table, studying a knot in the wood grain of the table. “We’ll have to wait and see how tough you get.”

  “When will I max out?”

  “Never. We just keep getting more powerful as we get older. But at first, there’s a surge. From the moment I first noticed my body changing, my strength rapidly increased for a couple months before I leveled out. But that’s me. I don’t know what it will be like for you, since we’re different species.”

  With his constant reminders, how could I forget? “So how else are you and I different?” I asked masochistically.

  Zack toyed with the keys on the table. “Werewolves tend to be grumpier and shape-shifters tend to be more easygoing.” He glanced at me. “Although, apparently, that isn’t always the case.”

  I pouted. “I’m not grumpy.”

  “Whatever.” He snorted, twirling the keys around on the table.

  I put my hand over Zack’s to stop the weird key frenzy.

  Rising from the kitchen chair, he paced between my dad’s recliner and the dining area. “So what else did you want to know?”

  “Hm.” I glanced at the box of his dad’s stuff. “Any idea why the king is so opposed to shape-shifters?”

  “That’s in the book I’m reading now — the legend of Hannah and Eli.” Zack returned to lean a hip on the dining room table. “Even before them, you guys were slaves. When Hannah and Eli betrayed the king, more laws were made and penalties became harsher.”

  “Who are Hannah and Eli?” Maybe it wasn’t important, but I couldn’t know what might help me and what wouldn’t. “They must’ve royally pissed off the king.”

  “Oh, yeah. Hannah was a born werewolf betrothed to the king in the fourteenth century. Eli was a shape-shifter slave and the king’s top blacksmith. They fell in love and escaped. It’s believed though that they’re dead. They became so weak as mates, they ended up dying of old age as mere humans.”

  The more I learned, the more impossible a relationship with Zack became. We had zero chance. Utterly depressing. “But no one knows for sure? For all we know, Hannah and Eli survived.”

  “With the entire werewolf kingdom hunting them? Can you imagine the king’s rage when he discovered a slave stole his future wife?” Zack shook his head. “Besides, it’s too easy to detect a werewolf or shape-shifter. I can’t see them still alive after all this time.”

  “Wait. To detect a shape-shifter?” I squinted, trying to think with that. It didn’t mesh with what had been happening to me. “If that’s the case, why don’t the scouts or Daniel already know about me?”

  Zack stopped pacing and gazed at the floor. “Maybe because you’re still maturing and your scent is light. That’ll change.”

  This was not good news. “How long do I have?”

  “Weeks maybe? I’m guessing your scent will increase with your abilities.”

  I didn’t have much time before I became a fugitive. If I stayed with my mom and dad, assuming they were humans, how much danger would they be in as a result? Werewolves had rules about not hurting humans, but rules were sometimes broken. And anything could happen with scouts around like the one who turned Daniel.

  Hanging out with Zack wasn’t an option either, since socializing with a shifter would hurt his chance of survival. I’d have to run. Alone. The frustration burned through my throat like fire.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  I glared at Zack. “And you didn’t think that having only a few weeks to be safe was a detail I needed to know?”

  His eyes widened. “It didn’t occur to me. We’ve had a lot going on.”

  Although I wanted to be mad at him, I couldn’t be. Suddenly, my energy level dipped and fatigue settled in my muscles. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.” I rose from the kitchen chair without looking at him and practically sleepwalked to the stairs.

  “Goodnight,” he said.

  I was too emotionally paralyzed to reply.

  † † †

  When I awoke some time later, light from the moon peeked through the slit between the curtain panels. My first thought was of Zack. I wanted to tiptoe to the couch, sneak under his blanket and snuggle up with him. He’d be warm and sleepy and, very likely, would give me what I needed. But it probably wasn’t worth the agony I’d feel when he walked away saying, “I warned you I was leaving.”

  In a few weeks, he would be on the run and so would I. Not to mention the other ramifications of my situation — I’d have to leave my parents, my friends, my home. What would I do all alone with no one to turn to? Even if by some miracle Zack wanted company on the road, I couldn’t continue with him if he didn’t love me.

  But I couldn’t stay away from him either.

  To say I was screwed would’ve been like calling my situation unusual or saying Zack was cute. Both were gross understatements.


  Huddled in my blanket, my eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling. I should get up, maybe make breakfast. As I lay in bed, it grew lighter outside, the walls of the room visible without super-vision.

  A shape formed in the doorway to my room. I turned my head to see Zack.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I guess so,” I answered quietly. Hadn’t I closed the bedroom door before I’d crawled into bed last night? I knew Zack hadn’t opened it just now. He must have done it during the night. “Were you in my room earlier?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  Why was it such a difficult question to answer? Either he was or he wasn’t. “My door is open.”

  “I checked on you a while ago to make sure you were okay.” He averted his gaze.

  “Why? Did you hear something? Was someone trying to get in?” I couldn’t imagine not waking up if an intruder had tried to break in.

  I rolled over and propped myself up on my elbow.

  “No. Last night, you seemed upset, so I was checking on you.” Zack took a step over the threshold, his fingertips wiggling against his thigh.

  Just when I thought he didn’t care, he did something nice to make me think I wasn’t just any girl. The longer I watched him, the more his fingers twitched and his eyes roamed the room.

  I wanted to pursue it further, but intuition told me it was a bad idea. We’d be kissing shortly or he’d withdraw further, just like before. I couldn’t allow myself to think that his compassion didn’t extend equally to all people. He had no special feelings for me. And if I remembered that without fail, my disillusionment wouldn’t flatten me later.

  “Thanks for checking on me.” I flopped down against my pillow and stared at the ceiling. Zack disappeared as quietly as he’d appeared.

  Knowing I needed to stop wallowing in misery, I bolted from the bed and headed downstairs. Still in my PJs, I fixed eggs. When we’d finished eating, without a word through our entire meal, I escaped upstairs into my sanctuary. It was getting uncomfortable with Zack. He must have sensed it too.

  In my bathroom, I got out all my tools. If I was going to be down in the dumps, no point in feeling unattractive, too. I ironed my hair until it was straight as a pin before hitting the ends with the curling iron. After brushing it out, I flipped it over to make it a little bit messy. I threw on jeans and the same tank top Zack had previously told me not to wear due to it being unsafe. At the last minute, I switched bras, putting on a pushup. After donning a pair of sandals, I surveyed my reflection in the mirror. Not bad. Back to the bathroom, I started my makeup.

  “Autumn.” Zack tapped on the hallway doorjamb leading into my bedroom.

  “I’m in here,” I called out.

  “Are you about ready?” he asked from right outside the bathroom, peering in.

  I checked my cell. “You want to leave now?”

  He nodded.

  “We still have a half hour before we need to go. Either we wait here or we wait at the school. What’s the diff?”

  “I’m bored.” He scratched at something on the wall. “At my house, there are always things to do. All my stuff is there.”

  “If you’re going to be staying here longer, maybe we should use our extra time to get more of your things.”

  “Good idea.” He passed through the doorway, getting a closer look as I applied mascara. “Why are you bothering with that stuff anyway?”

  Did he mean that it didn’t do any good on me? I feared getting permanent marks between my brows from frowning at Zack so often.

  His palm flashed up as a shield. “I mean, you’re just as pretty without it.”

  Calmer, I eyed my hand, realizing I’d been holding my mascara brush like a weapon.

  A moment later, he was gone, but my spirits were lifted. At least I was likable enough that he still found me attractive. That was something.

  Zack did the driving to school. I’d have plenty of time alone with my car soon enough. Besides, I enjoyed watching him be master at the wheel. He was as confident with that as everything else.

  But it was less painful when I wasn’t looking at him. I sighed and shifted until I was gazing out the side window. “You never answered me about Ashley’s party. It’s tonight.”

  “I think we should go.”

  My eyes snapped to his. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I’m not sure how smart it is to have us cooped up in your house so much.”

  I knew why I thought it wasn’t a good idea — Zack was too much of a temptation for me. But I was curious why he thought so. “Why?”

  He fidgeted, his gaze elsewhere. At a stop sign, he focused on me. “Didn’t I already tell you how pretty you are?” He smiled, the dimple in his left cheek peeking out.

  For the first time in what seemed an eternity, I felt good. I warmed all over.

  Despite our extra stop at his house, we were still a little early for school. Once he parked the Mustang, I got out of the car. Zack was already a few feet ahead of me.

  “Daniel’s waiting for you.”

  I caught up to him. “Maybe he’s standing there for some other reason.”

  “No. He’s waiting for you.”

  “How do you know?”

  Zack stopped and faced me. “I’m a guy, Autumn. I know how the minds of guys work. Plus, we know Daniel.” He held me by my shoulders. “Promise me you won’t make any deals with him.”

  Since I’d almost agreed the last time Daniel approached me, I couldn’t blame Zack. But his urgency alarmed me. “Okay.”

  He released my shoulders and resumed walking, giving me a lopsided smile. “People aren’t talking about us enough. We’re going to have to do something about that.”

  In that moment, I forgot all about different species, shape-shifter slaves and even Daniel. It was just Zack and me. We looked at each other with goofy grins until we touched the curb.

  “Autumn,” Daniel said. “Can I have a word with you?” It was a question, but the way he spoke, it sounded more like a command.

  I put a hand on my hip. “Is that an order?”

  “Yeah, is it?” Zack took a step toward Daniel.

  Daniel’s eyes darkened, his shoulders straightening. The corners of his mouth lifted, but the energy around us crackled with tension. “Of course not. May I please have a minute of your time, Autumn?”

  Zack stepped back, but stayed close. I stood two feet from Daniel, my brows raised.

  “I’ve made my position clear and you’ve had several chances to make this right.” He shifted toward me.

  I backed up. “Do you have a point? Because those are the same tired things you’ve already said.”

  His eyes narrowed a moment. “This is your last chance.”

  “Going, going, gone. You can leave me alone now.”

  His eyes darkened. “When I kill Zack, you’ll get to watch him die. But I’ll keep you alive.” His voice lowered. “For a while anyway.”

  “Way to make a girl love you, Daniel.” My stomach knotted. “How about I call the police and file a report? Anything happens to us and you’ll be the first person they come for.”

  “Do I look like I’m afraid of the police?” Daniel laughed. “All that matters is that in the end, we’ll be together.”

  His complete disregard for his own life made him even more dangerous. “You think you could murder Zack or me and suddenly I’ll want to be your soul mate? If you really believe that, you’re even crazier than I thought.”

  At that, I made my way to Zack as casually as I could on trembling knees. All I wanted was to get lost in him. I wanted him to hold me, kiss me and make me forget how dirty Daniel made me feel. I struggled to keep him in my line of vision as the shapes around me spun. I’d stood my ground, but I may have made the biggest mistake of my life by putting Zack in danger.

  He met me halfway, snaked an arm around my waist and pressed me against him. With his other hand, he brushed some strands of hair off my forehead. He dropped a kiss on my cheek and pulled away. I
gazed into his eyes. Zack… so beautiful and yet impossible to have. My chest ached.

  His mouth lowered and I lifted my chin as if Zack’s kisses were the most natural thing in the world. His hand moved to my nape, holding me in place, then his mouth covered mine and our tongues danced. I felt pangs of desire for him in places I could never tell my parents. My hand slid up his muscular bicep to wind around his neck and I got lost, forgetting Daniel or anyone else was there.

  Slowly he released me, his eyes locked on mine. It was the only thing I could think of that would distract you. You didn’t look so good, he said soundlessly.

  He’ll try to kill you, I said.

  He won’t succeed. Are you okay?

  “I guess so,” I said quietly. “If the kiss was to distract me, what was the second kiss for?”

  “That time I was distracted.” He grinned. “We better go or we’ll be late.”

  I was so engrossed in the memory of the kisses, I didn’t notice whether Daniel was still lurking or how many people saw the show. Daniel had kissed me at school before, but it had never been like that. I felt my cheeks flush.

  Zack opened one side of the double doors for me to pass. Sorry again, but we accomplished a lot with that kiss.

  Yeah? How’s that? It was all I could manage to say. My mind was like apple sauce, incapable of holding much shape.

  For one thing, everyone’s staring. Zack chuckled as he dropped me off at class.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Later at home, I hid in my room. Sitting cross-legged with my computer balanced on my thighs, I logged into my email. I could’ve taken my laptop downstairs and sat on the couch with Zack, each on our own computer. But that would’ve been unhealthy for me. I didn’t want to be tempted into bringing up the last kiss again. Further, talking to him at all was a bad idea, unless absolutely necessary.

  We would go to Ashley’s party later, have fun, come home, go for a run, then go to bed. Our own beds. That’s it. I would not stay up late at night unable to sleep for thinking of his full, perfect lips. I would not remember his musky scent, nor would I sneak downstairs to watch him sleep, hoping he would wake up and, in a sleepy haze, forget all his reasons to stay away.