Wolves at the Door

  “More water,” I said. “Please.”

  She beamed. “That’s a good sign. I’ll be right back.”

  “Charles is dead.” Renzo patted my hand comfortingly. “For real this time.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Positive. This time, you killed him properly.” A corner of his mouth curled up. “Unlike last time.”

  I nodded, but even that motion hurt. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why haven’t you turned us in?”

  “I’ve known Charles a couple hundred years. He’s a lowlife. You’re both young and I don’t think it would be fair to cut your lives short when his life was worth so little.”

  “That’s nice of you.” I didn’t totally believe him, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to give up any more information. “So why are you here?”

  Alura returned with a cup and straw. I was so grateful, I could have kissed her. She gently propped my head up and I took a sip of glorious, cool water.

  “We weren’t sure if you’d make it,” Alura said. “It was a clean cut except for a small section holding you together. If you’d fallen differently…” She shook her head, her expression grave. “But you’re very strong and you healed well.”

  So I’d been that close to death. I shuddered at the thought.

  “Autumn!” Zack raced through the doorway, setting a tray of food on my nightstand. Alura got out of the way as Zack shoved past Renzo. He leaned over, his arms wrapping tightly around me, his face against my cheek. “I didn’t think you’d wake so soon or I never would’ve left. I’ve been so worried about you,” he rasped into my ear.

  “I’m okay.” I brought my arm up to touch him, then let it drop to my chest. That was when I noticed that my arm was covered in white cotton — not what I’d worn that day. “Who dressed me?”

  Alura raised a hand. “Me. You needed a bath too. You were a bloody mess. Literally.”

  “Thank you,” I said, wishing she wasn’t so likable. Could she and Renzo be trusted? I turned to Renzo who’d stepped aside so Zack could claim his spot on the chair beside me. Zack gently squeezed my hand. I raised my brows, first at Renzo, then Alura. “How did you two end up here?”

  “The longer Charles was missing, the more suspicious we became that something was off.” Renzo gave Zack and me a scolding look. “We decided to keep tabs on you. When we realized Autumn was a shape-shifter and there was a chance that the two of you overpowered him—”

  “Wait.” Zack held out his palm to stop Renzo. “You knew about Autumn?”

  I prayed that neither of them would let on that I’d been fully aware that they both knew I was a shape-shifter. I’d confess to Zack later, when I had more strength to deal his anger.

  “Yes. That’s when I suspected that Charles had figured it out too and you both had probably felt threatened and defended yourself. But, being rookies, you didn’t know how to kill him.”

  “So you were stalking Zack and me to protect us?” I asked, shooting him a look full of suspicion.

  “Just keeping an eye on you both, in case Charles showed.” Renzo glanced at Alura, then continued. “We were here last night and followed you when you left. We think he slipped inside as soon as we were all gone. We figured that might happen, but we assumed you’d be smart enough not to return.”

  “Apparently not.” I sighed.

  “Since you live here, that’s not a surprise,” Alura said in a soothing voice. “Maybe it’s for the best that you returned so soon. He would’ve been even stronger tomorrow.”

  “You’ve been keeping an eye on us, but for what purpose?” I tilted my head, trying to figure Renzo out. “To protect us? Epic fail. Because I’d already ripped his head off by the time you arrived.”

  Renzo leaned back in his chair and eyed me. “Very impressive how you two handled yourselves.”

  “Thanks.” I eyed Renzo, wondering why he never answered my questions. What was he up to? “So what took you so long to get here?”

  He shrugged. “We were down the block where you wouldn’t sense us. Too far away for us to hear, but when you didn’t come back out, we figured something was wrong and went inside.”

  “You should rest your throat.” Zack squeezed my hand, then turned to Renzo. “You said you weren’t going to turn us in and Charles is dead. So what’s next?”

  “You finish school,” Renzo said, his tone firm. “And we’ll take it from there. Your mom is unwell, correct?”

  “Yeah, she’s doing better at the moment, but with her condition we never really know from week to week what to expect.”

  “You’ll stay after graduation and spend as much time with her as you need.”

  “Are you my supervisor now?” Zack asked.

  “No. I told you I’m not a scout,” Renzo answered. “I’ll be around for a while though. I trust you’ll let me know if any other werewolves make an appearance.”

  “Yes,” Zack and I said in unison.

  “The blood is cleaned up and a contractor will be here tomorrow after school to look at the wall,” Renzo said. “You’ll want that fixed before your parents come home. It’d be difficult explaining to a human how a werewolf took out a wall.”

  Since I still didn’t trust Renzo completely, I let him continue to believe my parents were human. “He took out the whole thing,” I said. “Both sides of the wall at once. I guess he healed pretty quickly to have that kind of strength.”

  “He probably removed the other side of the wall ahead of time, leaving just enough to appear normal from the hallway,” Renzo explained. “Then he only had one side of the wall to go through to get to you.”

  “Don’t worry,” Alura said, “we’ll make sure it gets fixed quickly so you don’t get in trouble.”

  My parents would understand, but Alura and Renzo didn’t need to know they weren’t human. “Thank you so much for arranging it.”

  Alura straightened. “I think it’s time for us to give you some privacy. We’re glad you’re awake and healing. Make sure you have a good meal, then get some rest. You should be in pretty good shape by morning.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled weakly, half hoping they’d stay. I didn’t know much about them, but they obviously cared enough to help us. Zack would probably say I was too trusting. Maybe he was right. Maybe not. “You guys should stay here. It’s probably more comfortable than your hotel room.”

  “That’s a kind offer.” Renzo narrowed his eyes. “But we’ll stick to room service.”

  Alura leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “Be well. And try to stay out of trouble.”

  Zack walked them to the door and returned moments later. He crawled in bed with me, slipping an arm under the cover and splaying his hand over my stomach.

  “Hungry?” He nodded toward the plate of pasta on the nightstand.

  “Starving.” In only a matter of minutes, the swelling in my throat had decreased. “I’m feeling better by the second. I could probably even feed myself.”

  “I’ll do it.” He leaned over for the plate. “Save your energy for healing.”

  I opened for a forkful of what looked like cheese tortellini smothered in a wine cream sauce. I chewed and swallowed. “Lord, that’s good. Cara made this?”

  “Yes.”

  “God, I love her.” I opened for more. Energy surged through me and I scooted up on my pillow.

  “Look at you,” he said, his mouth curving up. “You’re moving much better.”

  “I can feed myself, not that I’m not enjoying this.” I grinned.

  “Now that you’re eating, you’ll heal even faster. You might even be up for school tomorrow. You’ll probably still have a scar on your neck though. That might take longer to heal,” he said, offering up another forkful. “And it’ll be hard to explain.”

  “Then I’ll wear a cute scarf and everyone will assume I’m covering up hickies. Since we just got back together, it’s almost expected.” I opened for the next bite.

  ?
??I want to give you a hicky.” Zack’s gaze went to the blanket covering my stomach. His index finger touched just above my belly button, then he leaned over and pressed his lips to the same spot on the blanket. “Right here.”

  Damn it. As good as Cara’s cooking was, I’d just lost interest in it. I was far hungrier for Zack than the pasta.

  “Sorry. I distracted you.” He moved to the end of the bed. “You need to eat. I’m staying over here until you finish.”

  I wanted to wolf it down so I’d have Zack sooner, but my body needed all the nutrients the food had to offer, so I took my time chewing.

  “I hope Maya and Trevor weren’t too disappointed that we flaked on them today,” I said between forkfuls. “What excuse did you give them?”

  “I said you weren’t feeling well. Cramps. It was all I could think of that wouldn’t make them worry you were coming down with something.”

  “Good thinking.”

  When I’d scarfed the last bite, Zack took the bowl and set it on the nightstand. “How are you feeling?”

  “Pretty damn good. My throat doesn’t hurt anymore and I’m tingling all over. It’s like my nerve endings and everything are coming to life.” But I had a feeling the tingling might be because of the way he was looking at me.

  “Well, you should get some rest.” Zack moved off the bed.

  “What? I thought you were going to give me a hicky.” Wow, did I really just say that?

  Zack chuckled softly. “I said I wanted to, not that I would. You can’t spend your energy on me when you need to heal. And I don’t want to accidentally hurt you.”

  A part of me knew he was right. “I’ll probably be almost like new in a few minutes.”

  “It might seem that way to you. Renzo said the major stuff heals quickly, but sometimes the smaller things, like tiny blood vessels, take longer so you shouldn’t do anything strenuous and risk re-injuring yourself.”

  “Speaking of Renzo, he knows I’m a shape-shifter now and that we’re dating. Since we’re both still alive and he didn’t report us to the king, he couldn’t be all that bad,” I said.

  “Charles got William and Daniel out of the way for us and he was more dangerous than them. For some reason, Renzo is protecting us and I’m grateful for that. But he still has secrets and until he opens up, I can’t trust him completely.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” But I wanted Zack to be wrong. “You’re staying the night, right?”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ll tempt me into doing something I shouldn’t, and you’ll end up straining yourself.”

  “I promise to be a perfect angel.” I grinned.

  Instead of coming to bed, Zack came around to my side and gently lifted my covers. He moved my shirt and lowered his mouth to my exposed stomach, his lips landing just above my belly button.

  One Mississippi… two Mississippi… three Mississippi…

  “Mmm.” I touched the nape of his neck with my fingertips, prickles of heat spreading toward my toes. One thing was certain — Zack was good for my circulation.

  He abandoned my stomach and gave me a searing kiss. I wound my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer.

  He straightened suddenly. “This couldn’t be conducive to healing. I’ll be over there.” He pointed to a chair. “You go to sleep.”

  Despite the disappointment weighing in my gut, my eyelids drooped. He tucked the comforter under my chin and an instant later, I succumbed to the will of my lids.

  † † †

  “Good morning.” Zack rested on his side, his free hand removing a wayward tress from my forehead.

  “Morning,” I returned.

  “Stay here and I’ll get breakfast ready.”

  Zack cooking breakfast? I grimaced.

  “Relax.” He grinned. “We can do cereal.”

  “I’m fine to cook.” I tested my legs by swinging them off the bed and onto the floor, then rose to my full height. “I feel…”

  He rushed to my side, his hands shooting to my hips to steady me. “Are you okay?”

  “I feel… exactly like a normal shape-shifter. Good as new.”

  “Okay, you feel that way but it doesn’t mean you are. I want you to take it easy today.”

  I touched his face. “Thank you for worrying about me, but I don’t think making an omelet will be too strenuous.”

  He helped me cook breakfast, even though I didn’t need it. I’d never liked my parents’ hovering, but from Zack, it was nice.

  † † †

  Zack parked and walked around the car to my side, but instead of walking me to class, he hesitated. “Autumn.”

  “Yes?” My fingers automatically reached for my scarf to make sure it lay securely around my neck to conceal my scar.

  “It’s been stressful, worrying about Charles and Renzo. Between them and dealing with the fake breakup and guys trying to hook up with you, I’ve been going crazy. But that’s over now and the urge to pulverize Cameron has passed.” He took a deep breath. “My head is clear again. I’m ready to talk about it.”

  “Right here? Now?”

  “Yeah. We’re a little early.” He glanced around the school lot before focusing on me again. “The reason I got so upset was because we were supposed to be broken up. See, in the eyes of everyone else, you were no longer my girlfriend. So that left you open to creeps like Greg and also decent guys like Cameron. A guy who’d be better for you than a werewolf.”

  “Cameron is not better for me. How can you say that?” I cupped his face and waited for him to meet my gaze. “I don’t feel the same way about him. It’s you I want.”

  “But that’s not what I was thinking at the time. The only thing going through my head was that you were on the market and a big free-for-all for every guy looking for action. I’d watch these guys leer like you had a big bull’s-eye painted on you. And the whole time, I wanted to tell them you belonged to me. Me. Instead, I had to watch them slobber over you. And when you told me Cameron kissed you, I almost lost my mind. Because there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.”

  “I’m sorry.” I brushed my lips against his, secretly taking pleasure in knowing that he’d been just as miserable as me during our pretend break-up.

  “After you told me that he’d kissed you, I kept wondering if you liked it. I obsessed on it.”

  Uh-oh. Zack wasn’t actually asking me to respond, but I could tell he expected me to. I didn’t want to tell him that it wasn’t awful. But I needed to tell the truth. I didn’t want any more lies mucking up my life. I licked my lips, nervous at the myriad of possible reactions Zack might have. “Well, kissing Cameron…could never compare to kissing you.”

  Zack’s scowl softened.

  “How was it making out with Gina?” I asked.

  He grimaced. “Weird. The whole time, all I could think about was you. I didn’t throw her out, because I didn’t want to let you down and I’d gone too far to give up. It never occurred to me you’d be upset since you knew it was fake. Autumn, you need to believe me that I didn’t want to be with her — for the same reason I stopped seeing her before you and I ever double-dated with Trevor and Maya.”

  “And what reason was that?”

  “I didn’t feel right about being with one girl when I was thinking of another,” Zack said.

  I assumed that I was the girl now, but who was it before he really knew me? “Thinking of who?”

  He gave me a lopsided smile, a dimple appearing on his left cheek. “Since that first day you bumped into me, you’re the only girl spending time in my head.”

  I felt my eyebrows scrunch together. “But you couldn’t stand me.”

  “True. So imagine how frustrating that was for me when you were the only thing on my mind.”

  I blinked. What a confession.

  He frowned. “Should I not have shared that?”

  In answer, I flung my arms around his neck, pushing him against the car. He bounced off the fender laughing.

&nbs
p; “I wish I’d known all that,” I said. “It would have saved me so much angst. And I’m sorry about letting Cameron kiss me. I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve expected it. Yet when it happened I was so completely stunned, I couldn’t react properly during or after.”

  “Which is why from now on, you’ll never speak to another guy ever again.” A corner of his mouth twitched. He grabbed me by my hips and lifted me to the hood of the car.

  “Just like you’ll never speak to any other girl ever again.” I raised one brow.

  “None that count anyway.” He grinned, tucked my calves behind his thighs and brought his palms down so they lay against the hood on either side of me. “I have to make sure you can’t get away.”

  “Hmm. This from the guy who can’t even say out loud how he feels about me.”

  “Actions speak louder than words.” He dropped a kiss on my shoulder. “Besides, saying that would be like lying.”

  “What?” I tried to squirm away.

  “If I put my feelings for you into words.” His lips curved up as he held my hips, which kept my butt firmly planted on the hood. “It’s just… it’d be an understatement.”

  I stopped struggling. “Because you more than like me?”

  “Maybe.” Zack’s mouth curved up on one side.

  Oh, why wouldn’t he just say it? But did it really matter? I knew how he felt. And he knew I knew. Verbalizing it was just a formality.

  Finally, we were free to be together, at least for now, and I wanted to enjoy it — out in the open, for all the world to see.

  “Shut up and kiss me,” I said.

  “I can do that.” Gripping my hips, he scooted me closer and wedged himself between my thighs. His lips touched mine and heat pooled in my belly. Then he whispered against my lips, “This is where I want to be. Right here. With you.”

  He closed the distance again and kissed me long and slow, as though I belonged to him.

  And I did.

  The End

  ~~~

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