Since his family didn’t know I’d arrived, they wouldn’t miss me if I snuck out. I sprinted to my house, stopping in front of the Taurus. Zack had my new car, which meant I’d have to drive the old nasty one. So wrong.
Inside my house, Zack’s scent rushed me. It was strong enough to make me wonder for a split second if he was there. If my parents came home, and if they were shape-shifters, they’d smell Zack all over the place. Not only would they ground me the rest of my life for having a boy overnight, but they’d forbid me to hang out with a werewolf. I shouldn’t take any chances.
I gave the place a quick scrub, wiping down the sofa where he’d probably been sweating, as well as the kitchen countertops and table. Then I made my shopping list, thankful I hadn’t spent all the money my parents had wired.
An hour later, car loaded with groceries, I neared my house. As the lawn came into view, I noticed an unfamiliar car sitting in our driveway. I parked and cautiously approached the front porch. A shadow appeared beyond the screen door just before it opened.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Dad!” I leaped into his arms and he swung me around, laughing. When my feet touched ground again, I hugged my mom fiercely. “I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve missed you guys.” I hadn’t realized how much.
My mom released me, but kept my hand. “We missed you, too.”
Dad scanned the immediate area, his eyes landing on the Taurus. “Where’s that new car you emailed us about?”
Uh-oh. I couldn’t tell them that Zack had my car or about the whole Daniel situation. Why make them worry? Zack and I were officially going nowhere and, besides, I had everything under control.
“The mechanic has it.” Which was the truth. “You’ll see it tomorrow. I thought you were staying in Arizona a few more days. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”
“It’s all good,” my mom said, squeezing my hand. “Your father heard from one of the other jobs. They’re in a bigger hurry than we thought and the pay is substantial enough to make us speed things up. It’s a small job in Montana, so we thought we’d go there and come back in a couple weeks.”
“You’re both going?” Without being blackmailed into it?
“Is something wrong? You sounded happy in the emails, so we thought you’d like a little more alone time.” She studied my face and pressed a warm palm to my cheek.
I smiled. “I really missed you guys.”
“Everything going okay?” my dad asked.
“School is still tolerable and I have a new car. Couldn’t be better.” And it was all the truth. So long as I had Zack in my life, I knew everything would be fine.
“You think you can do without us for a couple more weeks?” he asked. “It might end up being a little longer, but not by much. If it’s a problem, your mother can stay.”
I missed my mom and her cooking, but Zack’s aunt’s cooking kicked ass too. Plus, I still needed to learn to morph and if they were human, I couldn’t have them around while I practiced. If they were shifters… Since they weren’t grilling me at the moment, they probably had no clue a werewolf had been in their house.
If only I could ask them what they were.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured them. “I’m glad you guys will be together. When you’re not working, you can sightsee in Montana together. Like an extended vacation.”
Mom pulled me close. “That’s what we thought. But did you want to come?”
As much as I’d love to be with them, no way was I leaving. “Prom is coming soon. Last year I missed it, because Dad got a job and we moved.”
Now that I thought about it, why was prom so important when I didn’t have a date? I couldn’t imagine Zack taking me. Even for pretend. It would be far too personal for him — and too much like a real date. But what if his feelings changed up the road and he asked me?
“You can stay.” Dad ruffled my hair. I loved his playfulness, but not that particular gesture.
“How soon are you leaving?” I asked.
Mom checked her watch. “In about forty-five minutes.”
“Seriously?” My mouth dropped open. “You’re not even spending the night?”
Dad shook his head. “They’d like me on the job tomorrow.”
I glanced from one to the other, unable to squeak out a response.
Mom slung an arm around my shoulder. “Look at it this way. The sooner we leave, the sooner we come back. And since we already have a rental,” she nodded toward the car in the driveway, “you don’t have to drive us to the airport. Let’s go inside.”
“Wait. I have to put away the groceries.”
“Which reminds me, we made another deposit into your account for food or whatever else comes up,” she said.
“But I still have money left over from the car.”
Dad held the door open for me. “We trust you to manage it wisely. I’ll get the bags out of the car.”
“Okay.” Who were these people? Why such generosity now when before I had to pay back every penny or stay grounded? Why weren’t they worrying and fussing over me? Why weren’t they interrogating me on my friends and whether I’d seen any weirdoes lurking in the bushes? They’d done a complete one-eighty. Not that I minded. It was just very, very strange.
My dad lightened the Taurus’ load, then my mom began putting the food away.
“I can do that,” I told her.
She waved me away. “I want to see if you’re still eating healthy.”
Good. They hadn’t been taken over by the pod people after all. No way would I mention the hamburgers.
My mom quickly went through the bags, eyeing the contents with approval. I folded each one as she emptied it. “You bought a ton of stuff. Feeding an army?”
Only Zack, one meal a day, which made up for the meal I had at his house. “I don’t want to go shopping again anytime soon, so I got enough to last a while.”
“That’s my girl.” Mom smiled, her eyes twinkling as she closed the fridge door.
They brought out a couple more suitcases from the attic and filled them up, then collected last-minute items. I glanced at the time on my cell, knowing Zack would be home soon. When he discovered I wasn’t there, he’d come looking for me.
If my mom and dad were shape-shifters, a werewolf’s presence would stress them out. If they were merely human, an unknown guy coming to the house while they were supposed to be away might put them on alert. They might even cancel their trip.
I went inside to text Zack, telling him about my parents and not to come over. Dashing back outside, I sat on the front porch as they loaded up. Dad tossed a bag in the trunk before scanning the vicinity. My mom mimicked the move. It was strange the way they kept tabs on everything around them. It reminded me of how Zack always looked around to make sure danger wasn’t lurking.
I approached them at the curb. “Is something wrong?”
“Why would you ask that?” She smiled in that way that told me I was her everything.
Suddenly, it all seemed right again. “I don’t know. Just checking.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll have a productive trip and be back soon,” my dad assured me.
They finished loading and closed the trunk while I hovered. We did a three-way hug and they drove away. I waved until I couldn’t see their car anymore.
Alone again.
Finding my phone, I texted Zack and gave him the all clear. He replied right away telling me to stay put, make sure the doors were locked and he’d be there in a few minutes. But I was fine. It was still light outside. Daniel wouldn’t make an appearance knowing I had protection. Would he?
While I waited for Zack, I checked my email, then scribbled out a check for the bill Timothy had emailed for Zack’s time.
True to his word, Zack drove up moments later and honked. I ran outside and he flicked a thumb toward the passenger side. “Get in,” he said. “We’re going to my house for dinner.”
“And we can’t walk one block?” I raised one brow.
“While we’re there, I can pick up more of my things. Easier to drive my stuff back than carry it.”
I hopped in. “Fine, but on the way back, I get to drive. Tomorrow too.”
“Sure, it’s your car. What’s the deal with your parents?”
“Just stopping by between jobs. Dad thinks it’ll take two weeks, then they’ll be back. I don’t know whether to be relieved or concerned. It’s so unlike them not to drag me along.”
“From what you say, they’ve never had any real time alone together. Maybe they realize it’s not such a bad thing.”
“You’re probably right,” I said.
At Zack’s house, the smell of garlic and basil and other spices greeted me. I wondered what surprises waited for me in that casserole I’d peeked at earlier. “What’s for dinner?”
“Smells like baked ziti. You’re in for a treat. God, I love my Aunt Cara.” He grinned.
Zack was right. It was delicious. After we ate and I helped him clean up, we did our homework. When we’d finished, we visited his mom. A few minutes later, he left me alone with her while he gathered more of his things.
“How are you and Zack getting along?” she asked.
“Fine. But—” I held her hand between mine, about to tell her that we didn’t want to start something we weren’t going to finish. But I couldn’t do it. “We’re taking things slow.”
“You’re such a nice girl. I’m glad he found you.” She smiled sweetly and I ached for Zack, because this beautiful, wonderful woman would be leaving him soon. I barely knew her and my heart felt heavy as I contemplated her fate. Zack’s fate too. He had to feel a hundred times worse than me and would miss her a thousand times more.
He came in, kissed her on the cheek and tucked the blanket around her. “Goodnight, Mom.”
When I got into the driver’s side of the Mustang, I saw a duffle bag and a box filled with tattered books and yellowed papers. “What’s that stuff?”
He threw a quick glance into the back seat. “The books my dad left for me. You need to read them. They’ll explain things a lot better than I could.”
Good. It would occupy my mind. Then maybe I wouldn’t notice I was alone in a house with a gorgeous guy who’d already demonstrated his attraction for me, in the yummiest possible way. Was there anything in the world more tempting than that? I didn’t think so.
Back home, I curled up on the sofa with a blanket wrapped around me to ward off the frigid temperature of the living room. I’d turned down the air conditioner earlier, so Zack wouldn’t sweat on the furniture. I didn’t want any more of his scent permeating the house in case my parents returned unexpectedly, as they were prone to do.
But it might be a good idea to turn it back up before I went to bed or my room might be too cold for me to sleep. The last thing I needed was to be up all night, with nothing to think about but the scantily dressed boy on my sofa.
Zack sat in the recliner rereading one of his dad’s books. I’d snagged an old, crinkled letter that his dad had written to him years ago. I unfolded the yellowing papers and turned toward the light of the lamp.
Lucio Gavino De Luca told how he’d grown up human, his lack of propriety and complete disregard for others, how he’d been turned into a werewolf and eventually worked for the king as a scout. But the indulgence and decadence had grown old. The abundance of willing women became meaningless and he wanted more from life.
He fell in love with Favianne and had planned to turn her so they could always be together, but then she’d become ill. He resigned himself to having her only a few more years when he learned she was pregnant.
I finished the letter, then read the ending once more.
This, Zack, and the other books your mother gave you, is all you have left of me. Use the knowledge wisely. More importantly, stay free. Value your right to create your own path and not be a part of a pack. Don’t make the same choices I made. Don’t join the king and don’t become a scout. Run, if you must. And above all else, never trust a werewolf. No matter how nice they seem, how convincing they are or what they promise you — it’s a lie. Never trust another werewolf.
Know that I am there with you in spirit and remember I loved you more than I could say.
Lucio Gavino De Luca
“Wow. I’m sorry.” Tears pricked my eyes. I didn’t know what else to say and couldn’t decide whether Zack’s father should be vilified or praised. Perhaps a little of both. “Your mom must’ve read this and thought it was pretty weird.”
Zack abandoned the book in his hand and moved over to sit with me on the sofa. “She thought he was quite creative for making up such wild stories for me.”
“He had a tragic life, trapped for centuries on a path he shouldn’t have chosen.” I snuggled closer in the blanket, thinking if I should adjust the thermostat now. Before I froze to death. “No wonder you’ve decided to run.”
“Which I think is why he told the story the way he did. He wanted me to know the ugly truth, so I wouldn’t make the same choices. My mom describes him very differently. The way she tells it, he was an honorable man who loved life and was always happy to spend every waking moment home with us. She was madly in love with him. Still is.” He smiled, a faraway look in his eyes.
“I remember worshipping him,” Zack continued, “and being so excited when he’d come home after a long business trip, although at the time I had no idea he was a werewolf or a scout. He spent a lot of time with me when he was home. He’d carry me on his shoulders everywhere we went. Sometimes, we’d work on the car together or we’d go fishing.”
“Sounds like maybe he was a good guy, or trying to be.”
Zack stared at the old letter still in my hands. “Or not. He was a scout, doing the king’s dirty work. Even a bad person can love his wife and son. People can get good at hiding their true selves. And my mom... Love can be blind, so her version isn’t all that reliable. Besides, he told me not to trust werewolves. He didn’t exclude himself, because he knew werewolves aren’t good.”
I dropped the papers in my lap and turned to face Zack at the other end of the sofa. “You’ll never convince me you’re not good, Zack.”
“If I was, then why did I bully Daniel the first time I caught him harassing you? He didn’t physically provoke me, but he ended up shoved up against the locker anyway.”
“You’re not bad,” I repeated.
“I’ve done bad things.” He shook his head. “I was a total ass to you when we first met and you didn’t deserve it.”
“We’ve all made mistakes or made wrong decisions, whether human or werewolf. That doesn’t make you evil. Real evil people don’t feel bad about what they’ve done and they don’t try to change.” I didn’t want Zack living with guilt when he already has so much to deal with, but I didn’t want to get on a soapbox either.
My hand had slowly curled around his, but since he hadn’t flinched and removed his hand, I left it there. “How did your dad die?”
With his other hand, he played with my pinky ring. “I’m not sure. My mom won’t talk about it. All I knew was that one day he never came home.” His gaze dropped to my mouth.
Butterflies danced in my belly and I refocused. “I can’t imagine what that must be like, to lose a parent that way.”
“Hopefully, you’ll never know.”
“I wish things were different for you, that your dad was still around and you didn’t have to run alone.”
He stopped twirling my ring and covered my hand with his. “I still miss him.”
“I’m so sorry, Zack,” I said softly.
My blanket had fallen to my waist and I shivered. His free hand skimmed my shoulder and traveled down my arm to my elbow, the warmth of his skin sending another shiver through my body.
Breaking contact, he took the papers from me and set them on the coffee table. Then he nudged the blanket aside and captured my hips, pulling me down so I lay flat. He hovered over me as if suspended in midair. My gaze locked onto his. I hel
d my breath, waiting as he gradually eased his weight over me. Our lips a breath away, he closed his eyes and slowly inhaled, then opened them again and met my gaze.
Was Zack waiting for me to meet him half way? He’d already rejected me and told me he couldn’t get involved. Knowing that, if I encouraged him, wouldn’t I deserve the heartache that would surely come?
But I couldn’t look away.
“Autumn,” he said, so quietly I assumed if it was my imagination. “You’re not helping.”
“You want help?”
“Yes,” he pleaded.
To me, that was as good as his blessing to do as I wanted. As he wanted. I rose to meet him and nibbled his bottom lip. He moaned, which was all the encouragement I needed. My hands snaked under his loose T-shirt, my thumbs exploring the center line that separated his stomach muscles and led to his chest. He chucked off his shirt and returned to me.
I let my fingernails skate lightly over his shoulder blades and down his spine. He swooped and our tongues entwined, igniting a fire in my belly. I ached, wanting so much more, but then he eased off me just enough to separate our mouths.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said in a hoarse voice. “You’re supposed to have better control than me. You’re a girl.”
It wasn’t just that he’d ruined our moment. Again. He’d compounded his crime by saying something stupid. Regardless what came out of his mouth, it still equaled another rejection.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shoved him away. “Didn’t you learn anything from last night?”
His brows furrowed.
“Did I try to stop you up in my room when we were half naked? No, I didn’t. Here’s a clue for you: Girls like it too.” I gave his shoulder a jab, then rose from the couch and stomped toward the stairs to the thermostat. Even though I was too hot now.
“I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s go for a run and work off some of our, uh, energy.”
† † †
“This time, I won’t forget. When you bark twice, I’ll turn around,” I assured Zack as we distanced ourselves from my house and went deeper into the forest.