“Uh-oh. I smell trouble.” Maya’s lips tightened.
I spotted Daniel at the front door scanning the room. I slunk back, hoping Maya might shield me from his line of vision. Ashley and her parents didn’t deserve the kind of scene Daniel might make. My gaze shot to Zack who was already heading my way, Trevor by his side.
“Excuse us for a moment.” Without missing a beat, Zack gently turned me around. With his fingertips at my waist, he steered me away. His musky scent curled up my nose and tingles spread over my chest.
I peered over my shoulder to see Daniel staring after us, his face twisted with loathing.
At the corner of the room, Zack pressed me against the wall, turning so he could keep Daniel in his peripheral vision. Gently, he skimmed my cheek with his knuckles and gazed into my eyes, his thigh brushing against mine.
“Let them think I had to have you to myself for a minute. Less conspicuous than having an outright war. Do you want to leave or just avoid him all night?” he asked.
I mentally kick-started my brain, which had stopped as soon as Zack touched me. “He won’t give up. Why don’t I find out what he wants?”
“Autumn, we’ve already been there. He wants you.”
“Unlike you,” Even as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Especially when I saw a strange look flit across his face. But it was gone before I could analyze it.
You can’t make a scene in front of all these people. Go away, Daniel, Zack said.
I jolted at his voice in my head. How was it possible to hear his thoughts as he sent them to Daniel?
Zack’s hand rested at my hip, his thumb at the soft spot on my waist. A blaze began in my belly. Sadly, it was all pretend, unlike the fire he ignited inside me. If I got any more worked up, I’d give up everything for him.
“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t get any ideas about sneaking off and making any deals with Daniel,” Zack said, keeping his voice low enough that Daniel couldn’t possibly hear over the music. “Do you know how I’d feel if someone negotiated with a guy like him to save my life? I can’t be responsible for that. And it won’t make me leave or stop trying to protect you.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He exhaled and rested his cheek against my temple. I heard his raspy breathing, despite the noise in the room. I repositioned my leg, so I wouldn’t feel his against mine. I could think more clearly without being that close.
“You spoke to Daniel telepathically. Did he answer you?”
“No.” He withdrew to look at me. “Why?”
“I heard what you said. You told him he couldn’t make a scene and to go away.”
“Interesting. Wonder how you could’ve heard that when I didn’t send it to you. Let’s try it again.” He visually located Daniel who’d moved to the other side of the room. You can’t win this one. You may as well leave.
Hand over Autumn. Now. Or I’ll mess up some of your pretty little friends. Daniel smiled smugly.
I don’t respond to threats. But I’m sure William does.
Daniel’s face flushed, his fists clenching, which made me wonder what William had done to punish Daniel the last time he’d disobeyed.
William’s not around. It’ll be my word against yours.
“Did you get that?” Zack asked softly near my ear.
Goose bumps skittered across my bare skin where his breath had whispered. “Yeah,” I said.
“Fascinating.” He gave me a crooked grin. “It’s like three-way calling.”
I gave a nervous laugh.
Maybe when I’m done here, I’ll stop by your house. Your mom’s dying anyway, isn’t she? Daniel’s lips curved up. I’ll tell William you were so upset when Autumn dumped you that you went on a rampage. Such a pity I couldn’t stop you.
A blaze ignited behind Zack’s eyes. When I searched for Daniel again, he was gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Adrenaline rocketed through my veins and my heart raced. I took a deep, calming breath and sensed Daniel’s energy. He hadn’t left the party and gone after Zack’s family. Yet.
Should we call the police? I asked.
They can’t help us. If he’s that crazy, he’ll tear the cops apart.
Zack inhaled, but I could feel his muscles tense and alert as he draped an arm over my shoulder, then guided me back to Trevor and Maya. When he released me, she grabbed my hand.
“When did Daniel get so creepy?” Maya gave a mock shiver.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Zack and Daniel across the room glaring at each other. Were they talking silently? If so, I couldn’t hear anything.
“I think he’s always been like that,” I said. “He’s just not trying to hide it anymore.”
The boys separated and Daniel left the room. Zack reached into his pocket for his cell, dialed and held it to his ear. I couldn’t hear him over the roar of the music and I wished I could read lips.
He shoved the phone back in his pocket and squeezed through the crowd toward me. I don’t know what he’ll do next, but staying here puts everyone else at risk. We need to go.
But by leaving, we would be the ones in danger. What are we going to do?
Do you trust me?
I nodded and he took my hand.
We said our goodbyes to Ashley, Trevor, Maya and a few of the other guests, then headed for the car. Outside, my eyes raked up and down Ashley’s street for any sign of Daniel. I didn’t sense him or any other werewolf. “What if he’s on his way to your house?”
“He’s not. Let’s just go,” Zack said, opening the passenger side for me.
I stopped at my car and faced him. Even as the fear built in me, I knew how important it was to keep my cool and my voice level, for Zack’s sake as much as my own. He had much more to lose than I did. “Daniel threatened to kill your family. How are we going to keep them safe?”
“I told him I was going to call Charles and tell him about our conversation. Which I did. If Daniel does anything, Charles will be all over William, then Daniel will be dead meat.”
“Good thinking.” Still, Daniel was more unstable than ever. He wasn’t used to a girl rejecting him and couldn’t seem to accept it. Especially now that it looked like I preferred Zack to him. “How do we know he’s not going to follow us home?”
“No point in worrying about that, since he already knows where you live.” Zack scanned the vicinity briefly, then motioned me into the car.
“True. But he could be waiting for us when we get there.” I climbed inside, strapped on my seat belt and leaned against the headrest. Dealing with Daniel had sucked the life right out of me.
“There’s nothing we can do about that.” He shot me a glance. “Unless we sleep in a motel tonight.”
I tried not to conjure up images of us in a motel room together. But the pictures snuck in anyway and warmed my cheeks.
“He’ll find a way to get to us, no matter where we go,” Zack said, starting the car. He sounded way too calm.
“So that’s it?” Panic crept into my voice. “We just sit around and wait for him to ambush us?”
“I doubt it’ll be tonight, because he knows we’re expecting him. He’ll want the advantage of surprise.” He pulled away from the curb. “We’ll have to deal with it when it happens. In the meantime, let’s stay alert and not dwell on it.”
My fists unfolded and I released a breath, knowing I needed to chill. Worrying about it wasn’t going to change the outcome. “So when I walked away, did you guys talk?”
Zack’s lips tightened. “Yeah.”
“I couldn’t hear either of you.”
He signaled to turn. “I wonder why.”
As we passed houses and street lights, I reconstructed the last few days in my head. “The first time we saw Charles, I heard him ask you about me. I thought it was just me, losing my mind.”
Thinking back to the exchange at the dealership, I remembered that Zack had been holding my wrist and moved in front of me. At the party, he’d been wrapp
ed around me.
I gasped. “Zack. Each time that happened, you were touching me. When you let go and I was standing with Maya, I couldn’t hear anymore.”
“Fascinating. It might come in handy up the road.” He white-knuckled the steering wheel.
I shook my head, my hopes plummeting. “Except the scouts will already know about any new abilities we discover.”
“Right.” He blew out a noisy breath. “Daniel’s so new, he might not. He’s the problem right now.”
“What did you guys talk about?”
“Nothing important.” Zack lifted a hand off the steering wheel and waved it off. “Just how much he’ll enjoy killing me.”
“No, Zack. Not because of me. You should stay away.” The pitch of my voice had risen and I made a conscious effort to keep from sounding hysterical. “If he gets William to help him, we’re dead meat.”
“As far as William knows, you’re human. He has to obey werewolf law and he knows Charles is keeping an eye on things. I doubt killing me is worth the risk. And I’m Daniel’s vendetta, not William’s. We’ll stay in tonight.”
“Can you do that?” My eyes cut to his. “I thought it was too hard not to morph.”
Zack drove the car into the driveway of my house, jumped out and got to my side before I’d even opened the door. “Difficult, yes, but not impossible.”
“We should go out. You need to.”
“No. I won’t put you at risk. We’ll figure out another way.”
I wondered what that other way could be. I wouldn’t let Zack suffer to keep me safe. I couldn’t. I unlocked the front door while Zack kept guard. Inside, we checked for Daniel’s scent, but he definitely hadn’t been in the house.
Usually by now, we were already back from the woods. A run was overdue and I itched to get out. It must’ve been harder for Zack.
Dropping the keys on the kitchen table, he paced.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked, taking off my sweater.
“You’ll have to watch over me, make sure I don’t shift.”
“But… so what if you do?” I dashed around making sure there were no places the curtains didn’t cover, then did the same upstairs. When I returned, a black wolf awaited me, restlessly trotting through the living room.
Go to sleep. I’ll be fine. When I hesitated, he added, If you’re worried about me taking off, it’s not like I can open a door with my paws.
I giggled. “True, but you might suddenly feel desperate to run. If you turned human, you could open the door. I’ll stay.”
Suit yourself. He took off and sprinted down the hallway.
I prayed he didn’t damage anything. To save my cuticles from my worrying teeth, I switched on the TV. It had been forever since I’d relaxed and did something mindless. Normal. While keeping an ear out for Zack, I flipped through the channels until I came across a comedy.
About a half hour into the movie, Zack plopped onto the other end of the sofa, back in his human form and dressed. “What’s on?”
“Who cares? It’s got Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.” I shot him a smile, but he didn’t return it. “Was that not enough? Do you still need to go out?”
He shook his head. “I’m fine, for now.”
Why was he staring at me? “Then what’s wrong?”
“You’re in my bed and I’m tired. Although that’s not what I was thinking.” He grabbed a decorative pillow and leaned against the end of the sofa. “I’m not comfortable with you so far away. It would take Daniel two seconds to break through your window and snag you. I wouldn’t be able to get there in time. Now that he’s upped his threats, we can’t afford to sleep at opposite ends of the house anymore.”
“I could sleep in my dad’s chair.” I eyed the recliner uncertainly.
“You take your bed. I’ll sleep on the floor in your room.”
I shook my head. “No way. That chair will be more comfortable for me than the floor. It’s hardly fair to let you be uncomfortable when you’re only here for my safety.”
“Okay. It’s late. Let’s get ready for bed.”
Get ready for bed. That sounded good. I turned and went upstairs to clean up. Out of the shower, I blow dried my hair then contemplated which PJs to wear, settling on a set that covered nearly every inch of me. I wanted to avoid tempting him, which would then torture me.
Delaying my reunion with Zack a few more minutes, I rifled through my closet in search of what I would wear tomorrow, running my hand along the skirt section, then the jeans and tops. Stopping at the dresses, I picked up the hem of a gown covered in paper. Where the protective wrap ended, gold and cream fabric peeked out. I fingered the delicate lace.
“Hey.”
I jumped, my eyes darting to Zack who stood in the doorway, bare-chested and hair wet. My stomach did a little flip.
“It got too quiet and I got worried that…”
With great effort, I smiled and tried to keep my eyes on his when I really wanted to ogle his six-pack. “I’m fine.”
“What’s that?” he nodded toward the hem of the dress in my hand.
“Daniel planned on taking me to prom, so I got this. Now, the thought of going anywhere with him makes me want to vomit.” I glanced down at the gown again. “Waste of a perfectly good dress.”
“Why not go anyway?”
Was that his way of asking me to go with him? Since we were pretend boyfriend-girlfriend, why not pretend go to the prom together? I waited for him to ask.
“People go stag all the time,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder.
“Hell, no.” I gave him a dirty look. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
He backed away and disappeared, his footfalls getting fainter the farther he got. “Come down soon. Having you so far away makes me nervous,” he shouted from below.
If only he meant that comment the way I would’ve meant it.
When I joined Zack downstairs moments later, he’d already become one with the couch, his blanket tucked around him. I turned off the lights and curled up in the big chair, reclining it all the way back. The plush cushions enveloped me and I should’ve instantly relaxed. Instead, I lay there wired. Snuggling deeper into my comforter, I hoped I’d be able to take my mind off Zack. Eventually. It had been easier up in my room where he was farther away.
I didn’t get Zack at all. He had to like me. Otherwise, why did he take every opportunity to kiss me? Could it really be that simple, like he’d said so many times — I was hot and he was still a guy? No connection other than having the right equipment?
Feeling the energy radiating from Zack, I knew he wasn’t asleep. What I was about to do was scary and risky. Bad things could happen by putting myself out there and opening myself up. But I just had to. “Zack. If two people like each other, why is being together such a crime? I don’t mean mating and risking our chances of winning a battle. I’m talking about enjoying the moment with someone you care about.”
“With that reasoning, I could hook up with Maya or Ashley, because they’re attractive and I like them too.” He exhaled loudly. “Earlier today, you asked me not to kiss you again, because it meant something to you. Did you change your mind?”
He’d just lumped me in with every other girl, basically saying I wasn’t special to him, even a tiny bit. It felt like a massive weight pushed into my chest, the pressure crushing my heart and lungs. I wondered if I might stop breathing. How long could I live without oxygen?
“I’m sorry, Autumn. You know I care about you or I wouldn’t be here. But what you’re asking for isn’t something I can give you. You have to let this go.”
I forced my lungs to take in air. Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale.
“I never meant to hurt you,” he said.
But he had hurt me.
Maybe it was a good thing. Maybe I could finally get him out of my head. The truth shall set you free, isn’t that what they say? Yet, I didn’t feel free and the truth didn’t make the rejection go down any easier.
But at least now, once and for all with absolute certainty, I knew where we stood.
“Don’t sweat it,” I said. “You did me a favor. Now I can move on.”
He’d warned me all along. How could I be mad at him? It would’ve been helpful if he’d exercised more control, but who was I to talk? I held as much blame for our make-out sessions as he did.
It had been exactly two weeks ago today since I’d first seen him and most of that time, we’d been at odds. I couldn’t be in love with him. Someday, I’d fall in love for real, with someone who could love me back.
Zack’s breathing stayed uneven, telling me he was still awake. Mentally, I wanted to cut my ties to him, but even in the wee hours of the night, he was still all I could think about.
† † †
Saturday morning, we slept in and awkwardly went about our morning business, me pretending I didn’t care. He’d said good morning to me, but those were his only words until I invited him to breakfast. I’d put coffee on, then whipped up omelets and made toast.
Zack looked like hell. He was pale, his hair exploded in every direction and he moved slower than usual.
“You didn’t sleep well?” I saw him eyeing the salt and passed it to him.
“I’ve had better nights.” He sprinkled the shaker over his eggs.
“If feeling sorry for me disturbed your sleep, it shouldn’t have,” I said, forcing a smile. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, since his face was void of expression. “You warned me that first day car shopping. I should’ve listened. In any case, I’m fine,” I choked out when I really wanted to yell at him and play the blame game. But that would make us both miserable. The responsibility was on me anyway.
“So, what are your plans today?” I asked in an effort to change the subject.
“We have to take your car in.” He spread jelly on his toast and took a bite. “The last thing we want is for it to break down when we need it most.”
I took another bite of my eggs. “Can we take it in later? I wanted to do laundry and some cleaning. We also need to get groceries and maybe spend some time with your mom while she’s up for it.”