Werewolf. Damn.
Anxious to accidentally run into Zack, I’d forgotten that Renzo and Alura came here, too.
“Hey, Autumn.” Alura beamed up at me. “Are you alone?”
“Yes.” I returned her smile and waved to Renzo.
“Come join us.” She glanced at him and he shrugged.
“Sure.” After making her feel bad for breaking up Zack and me, I couldn’t refuse. But sitting next to her uncle was the last thing I wanted to do. On the other hand, avoiding eye contact with him seemed like a pretty good idea. I grabbed the nearest chair to his and plopped down. I leaned back in my seat, though, which put distance between us. I didn’t want him to catch my scent and figure out I was a shape-shifter.
“Did you and Zack make up yet? I feel terrible about what happened.”
“None of that was your fault. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “And anyway, now that Zack and I are back to being friends, we get along great.”
“How long have you known him?” Renzo asked.
Instinct told me he was fishing for information. I’d have to be careful. I didn’t think I could handle any more stressful situations today. “Just a few weeks and we weren’t dating all that time. It was never that serious.”
“Zack!” Alura’s pretty face broke into a huge smile.
Crap. If they invited him to join us, things could get even more awkward.
“When you get your coffee, come back and sit with us,” she said.
I glanced over my shoulder and smiled at Zack. That’s what a friend might do, right? “Yeah, Zack, you should sit with us.” Oh, hell. He disappeared inside the café and I spun to face Alura. “So have you guys done anything touristy since you’ve been here? Disneyland?”
“Not as much as I’d like.” She wrinkled her nose. “Uncle Renzo claims to be on vacation, but he spends most of the day taking work calls. I spend mine at the mall.”
“The perfect vacation.” I grinned.
“Yep.” Alura giggled, her gaze moving behind me.
But I had already sensed Zack.
“Autumn, what are you doing here?” He sat between Alura and me, sipping from his cup.
“I got bored home alone. You?”
“Same.” He lifted the paper cup to his mouth again.
My eyes darted to Renzo who discreetly watched Zack at every possible opportunity. Just then, his gaze captured mine and I squirmed in my seat. “So what do you do?”
“I run a few businesses,” Renzo replied.
“My uncle is modest. He owns them and it’s more than a few.”
My extreme discomfort at sitting with two werewolves pretty much killed any interest I had in his business affairs. I tried to look impressed anyway, maintaining eye contact with him. Once again, I was struck with how familiar Renzo seemed. He didn’t look like anyone I knew but there was something about him… what was it?
Seen Charles yet? he asked Zack, glancing toward the parking lot as though he wasn’t carrying on a silent conversation.
I hadn’t realized Zack’s knee was touching mine under the table.
Not since Friday, Zack answered.
“Alura, where are you guys from?” I asked.
She smiled. “San Diego.”
“I’ve passed through there. Beautiful,” I said.
“Um, I didn’t plan on staying.” Zack stood. “Was just stopping for coffee on my way home. Nice seeing you again, Renzo. Alura. See you tomorrow in English Lit, Autumn.”
“See you later.” Alura waved to Zack, then turned to me. “Do you have to go, too?”
That would look suspicious, wouldn’t it? My only regret was that Zack had thought to leave before I had. He was free and I wasn’t. “I have a few more minutes.”
And that’s all the time I could afford. My gut told me that any more would only give Renzo more opportunity to figure out what Zack and I were hiding.
~~~
Chapter Seventeen
In truth, I had nothing pressing going on, nothing I needed to get home to. Homework was done and I’d answered my mom’s e-mail from my phone earlier. I could stay at Bill’s Bean and Brew a couple more hours and still make curfew.
But the longer I hung with Renzo and Alura, the riskier it became. I needed to go. Now. Which meant I needed to make up some excuse to get the hell out of there. In my head, though, nothing sounded right or natural.
Faking it with my parents and everyone else had become second nature, but with Renzo, I was just too nervous and the lies twisted up on my tongue.
When Alura asked me questions about my parents and what they did for a living, my plans for college and where I hoped to be in five years, I stuck to the truth. That I could handle. Lies, not so much.
I told her how graphic design and websites intrigued me, but that I thought I might have to wait until next year, maybe go to trade school. More than likely, none of that would ever happen. I’d probably be on the run for the rest of my life — I kept that part to myself.
When the conversation lulled, I opened my mouth to tell them I had to get back home. I paused when Renzo dropped a straw wrapper and leaned over to pick it up before the breeze carried it away. His knee brushed against me and I strained to keep from flinching.
She’s lying, Alura. Zack’s scent is all over her. You don’t get that much werewolf on you if you’re just friends. Any idea why they’re hiding it?
At least he didn’t sniff me out. That was something. Still, my heart slammed against my ribs, my adrenaline spiking.
My hair caught a light breeze and he abruptly sat upright again, his eyes trained on me.
Oh, crap, had he smelled me? I shot them each a casual smile. “I really should get going. Still have homework to do.” I moved to stand, laying my palm on the table.
Renzo pressed his hand over mine. “No. You don’t have to go,” he said in a low voice only Alura and I would hear.
“I don’t?” I said, slowly returning to the chair.
“No.” He watched me, eyes narrowed. “Does Zack know about you?”
“What do you mean?” I forced a small laugh.
“You know exactly what I mean,” he growled, his eyes darkening.
My gaze darted to Alura.
Autumn knows she’s been caught. His hand still covered mine, so I could hear him. His words were obviously directed at Alura, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. She can hear me and she knows I know.
“Uncle Renzo, you’re scaring her. Autumn, he’s not going to hurt you.” She scowled at him.
“Are you?” I asked him.
“I’m on vacation.” Renzo enunciated the last word slowly, leaning closer. “You didn’t answer my question. Does Zack know you’re a shape-shifter?”
Alura gasped. Clearly, she hadn’t figured it out yet.
That’s it. I was going to die. There was no point in denying I was a shape-shifter, but that didn’t mean Zack had to go down with me. “N-No one knows, not even my parents. H-How did you know?”
“When I spoke telepathically to Alura, your expression changed. Your eyes shifted, your heart rate accelerated, then you immediately tried to bolt.”
“Are you going to kill me?” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as my eyes darted from her to him and back again. “For socializing with a werewolf?”
Renzo reached over and gently grasped my wrist. “Listen to me carefully. We’re on va-ca-tion.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Vacation?”
A smile teased his mouth. “Yes. Vacation.”
“Autumn,” Alura said. “It’s okay. You’re safe with us.”
My breathing became easier and my pulse slowed. “And Zack? What about him?”
Alura shook her head. “We’re not watchers or scouts.”
“Where’s Charles?” Renzo asked, his eyes turning to slits again.
This unfortunate turn of events with Renzo and Alura was just one more in a string of awful incidents today. My e
yes stung and, to my horror, my bottom lip trembled. “I don’t know. Can I go home now?”
Alura reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “Of course. We’ll drive you home.”
I mentally wrestled with the idea of getting into a car with one of them. Alura and Renzo had each insisted they meant no harm, but were they telling the truth or setting me up? “I have my car.”
“I know,” Alura said softly. “But seeing how distraught you are, I’d feel better if I saw you arrive safely.”
If I refused the escort and they meant to kill me, wouldn’t they be waiting for me at my house anyway? A weak and solitary fledgling shape-shifter stood zero chance against two older werewolves and I had no intention of involving Zack. Even with his help, we’d be dead meat. If I were doomed, maybe I could buy myself some time by playing along.
“Okay, sure. A ride would be appreciated.” I started to get up again, but halted at Renzo’s voice.
“Did you and Zack kill Charles?” His eyes bored into me.
“No! And I told you, Zack doesn’t know about me.” I shook my head, terror gripping me. “He’s going to be so pissed at me for not telling him.”
“Let’s go.” He rose, taking my elbow. “Alura will drive your car and I’ll meet her there.”
“Please don’t say anything to Zack,” I pleaded as he guided me off the patio toward the parking lot. “I put him in danger and I’m sorry. Don’t know what I was thinking.”
Renzo gave me a small nod in acknowledgement. “I’ll keep it to myself, for now. Meanwhile, keep your relationship under wraps. Mixing species will get you killed faster than just about anything and you never know when you’ll meet up with a werewolf who isn’t on vacation.”
Or when Renzo would decide his vacation was over. Would that be two hours from now or two days?
My heart pounded in my throat.
Just as we hit the asphalt, he yanked my arm to a stop. “Why’d you tell everyone you broke up when you hadn’t?”
“Th-there’s this girl at school harassing me.” It’s what we’d told Zack’s mom and all I could think of. “We thought we’d lie low and see if she lets up.”
I felt a driving need to get away from Renzo before I tripped myself up in my lies. I moved just a hair and he clamped a hand around my wrist. “Why is your scent so light?”
“I haven’t finished maturing, I guess. I don’t know.” I prayed they wouldn’t ask who mentored me during my change into shape-shifter and my first morph.
“I still should’ve been able to sense you right away,” Renzo said. “Why couldn’t I?”
My pulse quickened. “I told you. I don’t know.”
Alura rested a hand on his shoulder, a low hiss emitting from her throat. “Uncle Renzo, can we take a break and resume the Spanish Inquisition another time?”
He sighed and loosened his grip on my wrist. “Fine.”
“I’ll see you there,” she told him, cutting across his arm and forcing him to release me the rest of the way.
I got in the passenger side of my car and she started it up and pulled onto the road.
“I live off Foothill Blvd. Make a right about three lights down.”
Alura looked directly at me, her eyes steady. “I know where you live.”
She did? What else did they know? A tingle raced up my spine.
Minutes later, she pulled into my driveway. “Are you okay to go inside by yourself? You want me to come in with you? I can have my uncle wait in the car. I’m annoyed with him right now anyway.” A mischievous smile curved her lips.
Alura seemed so sweet and I wanted to take her up on her offer. But could she really be that nice or were they setting me up? What did they want? “Thank you, but I’m fine.”
“You should run a hot bath. Relax.”
“I might.” I eyed the ignition. “Can I have my keys back?”
“Sorry.” She climbed out and handed me my keys as the midnight-blue Jaguar glided to the curb behind us.
After mumbling a good-bye, I hurried inside, locked the door behind me and collapsed on the sofa.
Worst day ever.
Since it wasn’t quite ten o’clock, I took Alura’s advice and dragged myself upstairs. I could turn myself into a teabag and steep in a hot bath for twenty minutes and still be at Zack’s around eleven.
Oh, God. He needed to be told that Renzo knew about me and the fake breakup.
Except Zack would probably do something stupid like break up with me for real, just to keep me safe. Or he’d leave town. I’d probably never see him again and he’d lose precious time with his mom.
Or worse, he might play hero and get us both killed. And I couldn’t take the chance that Zack might accidentally give himself away and Renzo would realize Zack had known all along what I was. Renzo may be on “vacation” and probably not a threat right this second, but I doubted even he would let Zack get away with knowingly being involved with a shifter and breaking the law.
No, Zack couldn’t know about this latest development — for his own safety.
~~~
Chapter Eighteen
The clock on Zack’s nightstand told me it was just past four in the ungodly morning. There was no point in going back to sleep when I’d need to wake up again in less than an hour. At which time, I’d have to go through the painful eye-opening process all over again.
Zack was still sleeping. I lay there a long minute, cuddling with him and trying to commit everything to memory — his musky scent, his long deep breaths, the feel of his arm around me. Perfect.
I scooted closer to reach his lips, knowing this one, quick moment would have to last me the rest of the day. Abruptly, Zack rolled over and trapped me beneath him, his warm musky scent ravaging my senses.
I could think of worse ways to kill time.
“Hope you weren’t planning on leaving so soon,” he whispered into my hair.
Trapping his hair in my fists, I dragged his lips to mine. Would I always want him with the same fervor and intensity? Part of me hoped not. It drove me crazy, the madness of wanting. I craved that release, the satisfaction.
But was it worth dying for?
My pajama top had ridden up and I could feel his warm skin against mine. His thumb found that sensitive spot on my lower stomach near my hip.
Yes, definitely worth dying for.
I imagined us succumbing to our desires. I didn’t think it would be difficult eliciting Zack’s cooperation — he didn’t need seducing. But how much would my friends and family be hurt if anything happened to us? Plus, dying would give me less time with Zack.
Sighing, I closed my eyes, nudging his chest and disengaging his lips from the hollow of my throat. Lord, stopping him was the last thing I wanted to do. I should go.
He rolled off me and ran his fingers through his hair. Yeah.
Remember when we decided to collect some of your things at my house for a quick getaway? I can wear some of your clothes to my house right now.
Good idea. Zack left the bed to rummage through his drawers for a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and handed them to me.
They were huge. I threw them on over my pajamas.
He gave me a quick kiss, then stepped away. I’ll see you at school.
I waved just before morphing into a cat and jumped out the window.
† † †
I had plenty of time before I had to be at school, so I checked my e-mails. Two from my mom. She raved about how beautiful I looked and gushed on and on about my dress. Then she asked the dreaded question: Who took me to prom and could she see the pictures of us? I told her the truth — a cousin of Maya’s boyfriend escorted me. I didn’t even consider sending them, because anyone could tell by looking at the photos that Zack and I weren’t just friends. That would only give her more to worry about.
A few weeks ago, she’d dropped me off at school and Zack had been standing in front of the entrance. My mom had asked if I knew him, then she’d rushed off. If my mom was a shape-shifte
r, she would’ve known he wasn’t human and she and my dad would do everything in their power to stop be from dating him. No, I definitely couldn’t tell them about Zack.
Totally avoiding her request for pictures of my date, I threw in some questions about Dad and how they liked Montana. Then I clicked the send button.
Since they’d left, my mom texted me twice but that was weeks ago and she’d only contacted me because she wanted me to check my e-mail. They’d never once called to actually speak to me. For two people who’d been so protective of me all my life, it seemed odd they’d let me go so easily and be satisfied with e-mails.
Normal parents would call once in a while. Why the complete one-eighty?
Maybe once they were gone, they enjoyed the vacation I’d blackmailed them into. Maybe they had an epiphany and realized my life wouldn’t fall apart if they weren’t around every second of every day. Possible.
Or they’d been spotted and were being chased by werewolves. Maybe they couldn’t use their cell phones. Maybe they were so busy running that they could only manage an e-mail now and then. Was that why they showed up without warning and left so quickly? The idea of them being hunted was terrifying.
Zack was right — I needed to find out who my parents really were.
With a little time before school, I ventured into their bedroom and poked around. I checked all their drawers, taking them out and looking inside the dresser itself. Nothing. I slid my hands between the mattress and box spring, peered under the bed and even checked the pockets of their clothing hanging in the closet. Still nothing.
Empty handed, I vacated their room and made a beeline for my dad’s office. Beyond the open door, papers cluttered his desk and file cabinets guarded either side. The kind of thing I needed would never be left out in the open and I’d done their filing for years. I needed to look where I’d never been. But that would have to wait since I was out of time.
Sighing in defeat, I turned away from his office and got ready for school.
† † †
My deadline to figure out how Gina had framed me was fast approaching. The only way that I could think of getting information out of her was to make friends with her. Ick. I hoped she wouldn’t make me grovel.