My eyes shot to Zack. Something felt so immoral about making this nice man bring the price down. I had a feeling it was already too low. “About fourteen-five.”
Mr. Peters took my hand, covering it in both of his. “Sold for fourteen. Use the leftover to take this nice young man out to a proper dinner.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He shook his head quickly and decisively. “I’d rather sell it for less and know it’s going to a good home. My son would’ve liked that.”
I swallowed, my lashes suddenly wet. “Thank you.”
“Sir,” Zack began. “It’s Sunday and the banks aren’t open. Will you hold it for us until after school tomorrow when we can make it to the bank?”
“We can give you a good faith deposit,” I offered.
The man waved a hand. “Not necessary. I’ll hold it for you, but if you change your mind, call me.”
We shook his hand and said our goodbyes, promising to be there the next day.
I hopped in the Jeep and nearly squealed. That beautiful machine was going to be mine. I flashed Zack a grin. “That was amazing.”
He chuckled.
My stomach growled. Guess the cereal I’d eaten for breakfast had been amazingly inadequate. Maybe my body needed more fuel for its mysterious new abilities — which I was no closer to finding the reason for. “Early lunch? It’s on me.”
“I can always eat. If we get burgers though, we’re not eating in public.” Zack suppressed a smile.
I felt my face flush. “Thanks for finding that car. I love it. It’s perfect.”
He turned toward me and grinned knowingly. “I had a feeling.”
The ride to the burger place was spent listening to Zack explain in the most painful detail each modification that had been done to the car. After he’d found it for me though, I was big on forgiveness.
Zack pulled up to the drive-thru. “Double cheeseburger with everything?”
I nodded, handing him some cash. He put in our order and as soon as the bag of food passed through the window, my mouth watered. My driving need for meat raged through every cell in my body.
“There’s a park close by. We might find a spot in the shade.” By the time he finished the sentence, I’d already taken my first bite. He laughed and pulled over.
We ate in silence. I held myself in check, but devoured the last morsel and licked my fingers, vowing to eat my next burger in private where I could be as uninhibited as I wanted.
Once he’d dropped me off at my house, I called Maya to tell her about my new-to-me car.
She went on a roll about Trevor. “I was about to go inside when he kissed me again. He’s an amazing kisser, by the way.” I heard her breathy sigh. “Anyway, I was reaching for the doorknob to go inside when he asked for exclusivity. I can’t date anyone else and neither can he. I feel like I’m in a dream and I have you to thank for that. If you hadn’t pushed, I’d still be a stalker.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you two would have gotten together eventually.”
“Maybe. We’re going bowling tonight. You and Zack should come.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Maya.”
Zack had been so nice all morning, I’d forgotten what a jerk he’d been the night before. When he was pleasant, we got along quite well. That was dangerous because I liked him. Too much. I’d been insulted enough and didn’t want rejection on top of it. I desperately searched my mind for a valid excuse to get out of bowling.
“Come on, Autumn. I want to see your new car,” Maya said, distracting me from creating a good fib.
Whew. Now I didn’t have to make up anything. “I’m not picking it up until tomorrow.”
“Then I want to see you.”
Other than my parents, Maya was the only other person I’d gotten to know well enough to truly love. Saying no was nearly impossible. “Okay.”
Since Zack had found me a car, his services were no longer needed. He could go back to being his grumpy self. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be too annoyed when he realized he’d be hanging out with me again after dinner.
He might even say no to bowling. A part of me felt empty at the thought.
† † †
Either Zack had lied about what Cara planned to make for dinner or she changed her mind. Meatballs seemed too similar to hamburger, so it was probably for the best. Regardless, the food was fabulous — chicken marinated in lemon and rosemary with scalloped potatoes and steamed asparagus. After a couple bites of chicken and coming close to sensory overload, I opted to resist the meat and stick to veggies.
I decided I loved Zack’s family almost as much as my own. I liked that they used ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ liberally while passing food around the table. I loved how they waited to eat until everyone had food. Good manners were appealing. Not that we were Neanderthals at my house, but Zack’s family made etiquette an art. Best of all, they treated me like I belonged there.
Much to my relief and surprise, Zack went bowling with us. We teamed against Maya and Trevor, winning the only two games — probably because their minds weren’t on bowling. I wondered why they invited us when they could’ve spent time alone.
At my house, Zack tossed his keys to Trevor. I walked to my front door, Zack shadowing me. At the top of the steps, he held out his hand for my keys. I gave them up, but hoped we weren’t going to have a repeat of last time he walked me to my door.
Zack turned the key in the lock and swung around to face me. In order for me to enter my house, he needed to move out of my way. Instead, he raised a hand to lift a lock of hair, rubbing it between his fingers.
“Soft. I like your hair like this.”
I gave a shaky laugh, thankful I’d taken the extra time to curl the ends of my hair before dinner instead of pulling it into a ponytail like I’d been tempted to do. “It’s a ton of work to make it wave like this.”
His hand slipped over my shoulder, his thumb catching on my tank strap. “You should wear a top like this every day.”
He inched closer. Though he barely touched me, my entire body sizzled in anticipation.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Zack’s eyes fixed on my mouth and a wave of heat coursed through me.
I shifted forward just a hair and tilted up my chin to meet his lips. “Maybe I’ll wear it tomorrow.”
“No. Don’t wear it to school,” he said, his gaze roaming my face. “It’s not safe.”
A tiny part of me couldn’t help asking, “What’s not safe?”
Zack blinked, shook his head and took a step back, signaling the end of our moment. Damn. “Well, you know what they say about guys,” he said. “They only want one thing.”
“You’re a guy.” A hot guy, I wanted to add. “Does that rule apply to you?”
“It applies to Daniel, who’s already proved himself very annoying. And you weren’t showing nearly this much skin.” He swung around and sprinted down the steps. At the sidewalk, he stopped and pointed at my house. “Go inside.”
My stomach sank, but I managed a nod before closing the door and locking it.
If that had been about to turn into a kiss, why did I have to ruin it by talking? Deep down, I knew if Zack genuinely liked me, there would be other opportunities. Still, I took little comfort in having blown a perfect one.
† † †
The black wolf met me in the meadow and ran with me. I didn’t run at full speed, because I didn’t think he could keep up. He moved pretty damn fast though. Maybe because of his size, his long legs covered ground more quickly. Whatever the reason, having his company was comforting — it felt right.
Once I’d gotten the run out of my system, I slowed and he lagged behind, nipping at my calves and ankles.
“Stop it, Wolfie.” I laughed and kept going, but he did it again. This time, he playfully snapped at my shoe. His teeth hooked on the heel of my sneaker and I stumbled. Trying to regain my balance, I twisted and fell backward. The wolf leaped on top of me, his paw on my shoulder, his muzzle edgin
g toward me. The weight of him pressed me against the dirt and compelled me to stay down, but I didn’t feel in the least bit threatened.
My fingers ran through his soft, silky fur. “You’re so sweet,” I said, offering him a small smile. “Want to spend the night at my house? I’d love your company.”
He froze, his eyes meeting mine and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he wanted to tell me. His eyes… they reminded me of Zack’s. Clearly I had too much of Zack on my brain because this was a wolf, not a human.
Without warning, he vaulted off me, ran toward the trees and disappeared.
† † †
My mom emailed me what they’d been up to and the nice time they’d been having. I replied, telling her about the Mustang. Then I deleted it. What if they told me not to buy the car? I’d have to start the search all over again. Instead, I told them about the promising lead to pursue tomorrow after school. All true.
Ten minutes before I planned to leave for school the next morning, there was a knock at the door. Zack, looking as delicious as always. “Oh, hi.” My stomach dipped. “What brings you by?”
“It seemed smarter to drive together. After school, we can go directly to your new car. Otherwise, we’ll end up with an extra vehicle.”
Couldn’t he have said he needed more time with me? That an entire night away was more than he could bear? Was that really too much to ask?
I sighed and motioned him inside. “Great idea. I’ll be ready in a few minutes. You can wait here or I can go to your house.”
“I’ll wait here.” He’d already turned his attention to some family pictures on the wall. I dashed upstairs to get pretty.
When we pulled into the student parking lot twenty minutes later, I noticed Daniel right away. He sat on the wall, extremely alive — not eaten by giant wolf — where he used to wait for me. Even though I didn’t like him, not even a little bit, it was good to know Jeff had imagined things after all. Daniel’s eyes shot to mine as I jumped out of Zack’s Jeep and closed the door. Zack and I exchanged glances as we met at the bumper of his car.
“You were right,” I said. “He’s just fine.”
“Yep. Definitely not dead.” Zack squinted as he studied Daniel. “Not so sure about the fine part though.”
Yeah, there was something different about Daniel. An energy. I felt a tingling in my toes, but not the good kind. The kind that told me to steer clear. Zack’s comment made me think he sensed it too, that Daniel was even less balanced than before.
“If I walk you to class, he’ll be less likely to bother you.”
“Thanks.” I was pretty sure I could take Daniel down, but I didn’t need the hassle. Besides, no way would I refuse Zack if it meant more time with him. Being around him felt safe. And kind of like I was his girlfriend. Not a bad thing, except I knew the truth.
Zack escorted me to class and when it was over, he was waiting outside to take me to my next class. He showed up after that class too and the next one. We silently walked side-by-side, his eyes alert, body tense as he moved. How he knew my classes, I didn’t know or care.
He’d stopped making idle chitchat the moment he’d seen Daniel that morning, like he was saving his energy and attention for something bigger. As the day progressed, I became more convinced that Zack sensed the change in Daniel too. Did other people also sense it? If only Zack and I could tell, that might mean Zack was like me, maybe not-quite human.
What were the chances? My mind kept taking me back to werewolves, but I knew they didn’t exist. But what if they did? If Zack was a werewolf, was I one too? And what about Daniel? If he really had been dragged away by a wolf…
My brain nearly exploded with the impossibilities.
At lunch, Zack entered the huge cafeteria with me at his side as eyes fixed on us from all over the room. He was a master of cool, confidently guiding me through the throng of students and warily avoiding Daniel, until we sat next to Trevor and Maya.
“I owe you.” Trevor handed Zack a ten-dollar bill.
Zack stared blankly. “For what?”
“Daniel returned to school. Apparently, Jeff was delusional, like you said.” Trevor’s eyes searched the lunchroom, finding Jeff at one corner and Daniel at the other. “Not sure what’s up with Jeff’s random story, but I haven’t seen them together all day.”
“It’s definitely odd,” I said, watching Daniel out of the corner of my eye.
Zack had a bead on Daniel, too.
Maya and Trevor, on the other hand, were too absorbed in each other to notice our lack of interaction. Before lunch ended, Maya scooped up a little gift bag and ushered me out of the cafeteria and into the girl’s room.
The bathroom door closed and she thrust the bag at me with a big smile. “It’s girl stuff, so I knew the guys wouldn’t care if we did this without them. Happy birthday.”
“You remembered.” Grinning, I plucked at the decorative tissue and peered inside. “You’ve been to Mathers. Thank you.” Reaching in, I sifted through bottles and bottles of nail polish.
“Has he kissed you yet?” she asked.
“Who?” As I scrutinized each bottle, my mind was vacant as to whom she could possibly be referring to, since Zack wasn’t in the realm of possibilities. Unfortunately.
“Zack. Duh.”
I didn’t want to get into the complications of Zack, so I checked my face in the mirror to avoid Maya’s eyes. “It’s not like that with us.”
“He’s hot. You’re hot. It’s basic chemistry. Didn’t he walk you to your door the last two nights and drive you to school this morning?”
I swiveled to face her. “It’s just a work thing and it made sense to take one car. If we each take our own, then pick up my new one after school, we end up with three. Nothing else to it.”
She wagged a finger at me. “That doesn’t explain why you two are joined at the hip between classes. I know he’s walked you everywhere today. And now you’re barely talking. You two have a fight?”
“He’s very platonically looking out for me and wants Daniel to think we’re together, so he’ll stop harassing me.” I checked my face in the mirror, hoping she’d buy my lie-on-the-fly and leave it at that. After all, Zack’s disinterest in me wasn’t exactly a happy topic.
She narrowed her eyes. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
I blew out a breath. “Look, I hate to break it to you, but Zack’s had opportunities to kiss me and hasn’t taken them. Now, since it’s my birthday, can we please change the subject?” Hoping she’d move on, I examined a bottle of Black Cherry nail polish. But my thoughts strayed back to Zack. He didn’t seem to hate me anymore. If he did, he wouldn’t be shielding me from Daniel. But did he like me?
“Ha! You do like him. I knew it.” A grin spread over Maya’s face. “I can totally tell by your expression.”
Busted. But I kept up the ruse and rolled my eyes. “Let’s get to class.” I headed out without waiting for her reply.
† † †
Zack wasn’t waiting for me after my last class. I stood outside the door and wondered how long he’d be delayed and whether I should stay put or meet him at his car. By the time I realized Zack wasn’t going to show, only a handful of people milled about. Being the last one in the hallway all alone didn’t seem smart.
Without warning, the energy around me shifted. The back of my neck tingled and I had the creeps in a big way. After one last scan for Zack, adrenaline pumping, I made a beeline for the exit. The urge to get far away from Daniel drove me as I focused on the double doors at the end of the corridor. Careful not to speed and attract attention, I kept a brisk pace.
The double doors loomed ahead a few yards. As I rushed past a classroom, a hand snaked out and clamped onto my arm, knocking me against the doorway and dragging me through. I knew it was Daniel by his scent, which was much stronger now, but different somehow.
My heart beat faster and my legs trembled with the certainty that something was really wron
g. The kind of wrong that gave women nightmares and made them take self-defense lessons or buy mace.
With more force than I was prepared for, Daniel shoved me into the corner of the empty room, flattening my back against the wall and pressing his hand over my mouth. His lips curled and his face twisted into a sneer. Surprised by his iron grip, I turned mute. Not that I could talk anyway, since his hand worked well as a gag. When did he get so strong?
“Finally, we can talk in private. I’ve missed you, baby. God, you smell good.” He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled at my temple. “I’m going to remove my hand now, but if you try to scream, I’ll stop you before you even get started. Understand?”
“Mm-hm.”
Daniel exuded power, an unmistakable energy, very much like Zack. Why hadn’t I realized something was odd about Zack before? That was why I always knew when he was around. It was a particular energy he alone emitted. And now Daniel.
My breathing came in quick gasps when Daniel slowly freed my mouth. If I tried to escape, could I? Or should I wait for a better opportunity? I had no idea how strong Daniel was or if he could kill me.
“Don’t be scared, Autumn. I won’t hurt you unless I have to. Zack, on the other hand, well, that also depends on you.” His moist breath coated my cheek and ear lobes. “I love you so much, Autumn. We can be happy again if you just stop fighting me and let it happen.” He cupped my face, his eyes pooling.
He loved me? In a seriously twisted way, maybe. “Daniel, you don’t want to do this. You don’t want me.”
His chin quivered a moment and he smiled sadly. “You’re all I think about.”
“What you’re asking is impossible. I can’t give you what you want and you can’t make me happy. I’m sorry.”
“Then we’ll be miserable together.” He rested his forehead against mine. “I told you before, no one else can ever touch you again.”
Daniel was really scaring me now and not fighting wasn’t getting me anywhere. I clenched my fist and struck, aiming for his stomach. But at such a short distance, I couldn’t build up any real momentum. He grunted on impact and scrambled to capture my hand. When my limbs evaded him, one of his hands wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air, while his other hand snaked under my skirt and up my thigh.