Shapes of Autumn (Boxed set, books 1 - 5)

by Veronica Blade

  After setting Maya’s hair in hot rollers and finger brushing it out — which was a laborious task considering all that thick, blond hair — I gathered a section from her crown and temple, then pinned it up. Soft, wavy locks cascaded strategically over her shoulders and down her back.

  I grabbed the makeup box and chose a smoky blue eye shadow for her eyes, going a little heavier on her lids than I normally would. Some mascara, just a little bronzer, then a soft pink lipstick that matched her dress.

  She grinned at her reflection. “Wow.”

  “I’m going to dump Zack and go to the prom with you,” I said.

  “No offense, but I prefer Trevor for that sort of thing. Okay, your turn. Sit.” Maya spent a moment running her fingers through my hair as she studied it. “Definitely an updo… maybe let it go a little messy. If it’s up and out of Zack’s way, he has easy access to all that incredible skin. What’s up with it anyway? You have this glow about you.”

  I shrugged.

  Her eyes popped. “Are you… oh, my God, are you pregnant?”

  Heat crept into my cheeks and my mouth fell open. The most embarrassing assumption ever, twice in one day. I hated having to convince everyone that Zack and I did little more than cuddle. And that when we slept together, we really were sleeping. “No, I’m absolutely positive that I’m not. I swear.”

  “Pregnancy tests aren’t one hundred percent accurate, you know.” She gave me a doubtful look.

  Sure, I was about to waste my breath, but I couldn’t tell her that as a shape-shifter my body always strived for its optimum state and the glow stemmed from being so healthy. “Maya, Zack and I haven’t gone that far.”

  She gathered my hair and studied my reflection in the mirror. “Maybe it’s from being in love.”

  Zack and I were in love? Yeah, right. And that’s why we were about to have a fight later tonight at prom. This was a perfect opportunity to plant the seed, so they would buy our breakup later. My stomach tightened at the thought. I knew it wasn’t real, but still…

  “Too bad he doesn’t return my feelings.”

  “You’re blind. That boy is crazy for you.” She scoffed and let my hair drop. “Maybe most of your hair should be down with just enough held back to show off your shoulders and all that glorious skin in between. The bangs should be straight and parted at the side and the long sections in the back wavy.”

  She got busy creating her masterpiece. When she finished nearly forty-five minutes later, I looked in the mirror. “I don’t know what to say, Maya. You really outdid yourself.”

  “I know.” She beamed. “Zack can thank me later. And now for your makeup. We want soft yet sophisticated.” She tapped her chin, then plucked a charcoal shadow with a hint of silver from the box, highlighted my brow bones with a lighter shade and defined my brows. “Just a smidge of bronzer then lip gloss. No color on those lips.”

  I nodded.

  She rolled it on then handed it to me. “Put this in your purse. I have a feeling it’s not going to last long once Zack sees you.” Maya chuckled. “I can’t wait to see his reaction. Don’t forget, we have to stop at my house so my mom can take pictures.”

  A cloud of loneliness for my parents wafted over me and I wondered if my mom felt like she was missing out on this big day. My parents had chilled a lot these past weeks but not seeing me off to prom? I was sure they would be here if they had a choice — which only made me more certain that something was definitely up. Tomorrow, I would begin the search for clues into their past.

  “Geez, what planet did you fly off to?” Maya asked, jolting me.

  “Just missing my mom,” I answered with a sad smile.

  She rested a hand on my arm. “We’ll take lots of pictures for her. C’mon, let’s get into our dresses. The guys will be here soon.”

  We helped each other into our gowns and, right on time, the doorbell rang. I slipped on my gloves and we grabbed our purses. Maya and I answered the door together, not knowing which date would be there at the door.

  Both. And they stood locked in place with their mouths open.

  “Maya, will you marry me?” Trevor blurted out.

  She laughed. “Let’s see if you feel the same later when I’m no longer wearing this dress.”

  “If I got you out of that dress, I’d be even more positive that I want to marry you.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Maya giggled, thumping his chest playfully.

  I watched Zack and waited for a response, wondering if he had any other reaction than catching flies. I reached out and applied a gentle pressure under his chin, coaxing him to close his mouth.

  “Let them go.” Zack’s eyes smoldered. “You and I can stay here all night.”

  “In my house? Alone?” Obviously, he wasn’t in his right head.

  Zack stepped up onto the threshold, put his hands at my hips, and steered me away from the front door. “Good-bye Maya, Trevor.” Without taking his eyes off me, his foot shot out and kicked the door. Just before it closed on Maya’s face, she jumped back with wide eyes.

  “Zack, what’s going on?”

  “I just want to be alone with you.” He growled low in his throat. “Let’s find out if it’s true or just a myth.”

  I took a step back, my brows flying up. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop. What about staying strong to survive?”

  “Don’t care anymore,” he rasped, stalking toward me.

  “We can’t risk losing our powers.”

  His eyes devoured the length of me as he reached for my waist and dragged me against his chest.

  Oh, my God, he hadn’t heard a word I’d said. Or he really didn’t care. As our mouths fused together and heat shot through my veins, I wasn’t sure I cared either.

  No wonder Hannah and Eli were willing to die as humans.

  According to werewolf legend, Hannah was a werewolf betrothed to the king. She’d fallen in love with Eli, a shape-shifter, and ran away with him. Despite being the most hunted werewolf and shape-shifter in history, they were never found or heard from again. The entire werewolf community believed they’d grown so weak from mixing species that they eventually became human and died of old age.

  It sounded tempting to grow old with Zack. But first we had to worry about the next few weeks.

  I pushed against his chest and when I’d gained a few inches, I raised my voice. “Zack, we can’t.”

  He blinked and a moment later, grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the door. “We have to get out of here.”

  “Exactly.” I breathed a huge sigh of relief. As much as I wanted him, now was not the time.

  Thankfully, Trevor and Maya hadn’t left yet and we climbed into the limo with them.

  I don’t know what I was thinking, he told me silently. Then he said aloud, “You can’t blame me for losing it. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  It wasn’t as good as saying he loved me, but his words made me quiver inside. I leaned toward Zack and kissed him on the cheek. “Then we’re perfect for each other, aren’t we?”

  † † †

  Getting pictures taken at Maya’s turned out to be a pretty big production. Her mother flitted around her daughter with watery eyes, cooing phrases like, “My baby’s all grown up,” and “I can’t believe how beautiful you look!”

  By the time we made it to the front door, I couldn’t handle another second of her gushing. It reminded me how much my own parents used to hover over me. But as we made our way to Trevor’s for another round of pictures, I wished my own parents were around to gush. My chest tightened every time I thought of them.

  At Zack’s, Aunt Cara and Mac double-teamed us — one camera getting shots for Zack’s mom and the other camera for them. Favianne had ventured out of her room for the occasion, resting on the living room sofa and choreographing our poses.

  “Make sure to get some pictures of only Autumn,” Favianne told her sister.

  Zack left my side to stand beside Cara. Befo
re tonight, I’d only seen him in casual clothes and I’d been so sure it couldn’t get any better.

  I’d been dead wrong.

  As my gaze lingered on Zack in his classic black tux and bow tie, he grinned and my heart fluttered. It wasn’t his movie star looks or his musky scent that made me quiver. It was the way he looked at me, like I was the only one in the room.

  At that moment, I knew with utter certainty that I’d never love anyone else the way I loved him. If he could return even a fraction of my feelings for him… well, it would be epic. My heart soared at the thought. An instant later, it plummeted to a crash landing when I remembered he wasn’t mine to keep. Soon, Zack would be gone forever.

  Chapter Twelve

  Not everyone gawked at us as we passed through the doorway of the school gymnasium — a few of the guests had their backs to us. Since Zack and I had a squabble planned, an attentive audience was convenient. But a ball of dread formed in the pit of my stomach just thinking of what we were about to do.

  The gym was decorated in an Egyptian theme. Giant palm trees lined the entryway and gold lamé strips of fabric draped the tops of the walls along the ceiling. Busts of Pharaohs stood in the corners interspersed with mummies and fake sarcophaguses. A sphinx sat by a table covered in linens decorated with hieroglyphics.

  The center of the huge room was packed with people thumping and gyrating to the beats of a rap song. It boomed through the speakers and vibrated into my toes. So much for anyone overhearing our fight. We claimed a table in the corner where we could watch the action. Just as I settled into my seat, the DJ switched to a slow song.

  Zack offered me his hand. “Will you dance with me?”

  I slipped my hand into his. “Absolutely.”

  Leaving Maya and Trevor to hold our place, I let him lead me to the dance floor. Thinking he’d go slow like everyone else, I slid my arms around his neck. With one hand flattened against my lower back, he held out his other hand for mine. I frowned, wondering what he was doing. Before I knew it, we’d slid effortlessly across the room. With his thumb at my waist, he coaxed me away and raised his arm, compelling me to twirl. Then suddenly, I was pressed against him.

  I laughed. “You’ve got some good moves, Zack De Luca.”

  “My mom made me take lessons with her,” he explained, gliding us past other couples. “I hated it at the time, but now I’m grateful.”

  “I’ll have to thank her for that later.” I wasn’t sure if my heart was beating faster from the exertion or from dancing with the guy I loved. His breath tickled my temple and I became aware of his hand resting dangerously low on my back, his thigh brushing mine. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on his shoulder as emotion flooded me.

  “Mmm…”

  “What?” I squeaked and cleared my throat.

  “You smell really great,” he whispered.

  “Oh.” A million butterflies in my stomach flapped their wings in unison. I was in way too deep with Zack and couldn’t imagine not being with him. What if they came for us tomorrow and this was our last moment together?

  “You’re trembling.”

  I grimaced, not wanting to spoil our night with a dose of reality. But if I avoided the question, he’d just be more persistent in finding out what was bothering me. “Just wondering if we’ll make it to graduation before more werewolves show up.”

  “Shh. Don’t think about any of that. Let’s just enjoy ourselves tonight and forget they exist.” He lightly stroked my spine. “You look beautiful, as always.”

  “Thanks.” Zack was right. Worrying wouldn’t change anything. Except maybe suck the fun out of my time with him. I smiled, determined to stop stressing. “You clean up well.”

  Something vaguely familiar in my peripheral vision drew my gaze to the gymnasium door — the black girl we’d seen when we’d taken Zack’s mom to the doctor. I went rigid in Zack’s arms. “That’s the girl from the hospital.”

  The she-wolf was just as lovely as when I’d first seen her. She wore a slinky black floor-length dress that clung to her slim curves — but not too much. Her tight black curls had been straightened and fell past her shoulders. She turned to face the guy next to her, giving us a view of the back of her dress — or lack thereof — revealing her back and shoulders.

  “What’s she doing here? She doesn’t go to our school,” he mumbled as he twirled me again.

  I snuck another quick glance at her. Greg, our senior class quarterback, slung a beefy arm around the she-wolf’s shoulders. “I wonder what she sees in that scum.”

  My very first day at Verdugo Hills Academy, I’d had to return to my car after the bell rang. The parking lot was deserted except for Greg who’d been standing by an old faded sedan. He gingerly untied a plastic bag and dumped the contents through the open window into the back seat. I only got a glimpse of the brown blob, but that was enough to know I didn’t want my nose anywhere near that car after the sun had baked it into the upholstery. From that day on, I always kept my car windows shut tight.

  “What are the chances that her being here at our prom is just a coincidence?” I couldn’t see her anymore without craning my neck and I didn’t want to be obvious. But I could see Zack and he was still staring.

  “Slim, I’d say,” he answered, eyes narrowed.

  When the song ended and the tempo picked up, Zack escorted me back to our table. Maya and Trevor huddled together, lost in their own little world. I scanned the room for the werewolf girl, wanting to keep tabs on her.

  Instead, my eyes found Gina. Her auburn hair had been pulled tight against her scalp and knotted at the nape of her neck. Long beads of clear crystal hung from her ears with a matching necklace and bracelet. Her hooker-red gown was open at her waist with thin strips of fabric connecting the rest of the dress parts and revealing an awful lot of skin. With each step, her legs peeked through a slit that ran all the way to the top of her thigh.

  Scanning the faces of the other students, I saw a lot of guys ogling her. “Gina looks pretty,” I said to Zack.

  He squeezed my hand. “You’re worth a hundred of her,” he whispered in my ear. “And it isn’t just how you look, but… just everything about you.”

  I flashed him a smile, but concentrating was difficult with a strange werewolf nearby.

  “Let’s get something to snack on. You two want anything?” he asked Trevor and Maya.

  They shook their heads. “We’ll get something later,” Trevor said.

  A dozen people stood in line for food, so I wanted to be sure it was worth the wait. I took a moment to check out the spread — even though my stomach was probably too nervous to do anything with it.

  “Hi.”

  I turned around, startled to see Greg’s wolf-date.

  “I saw you two in the hospital waiting room a couple days ago, didn’t I?” she asked with a friendly smile.

  I nodded, afraid she’d keep talking. As nice as she seemed, she was still a werewolf. Zack didn’t say anything either.

  “I’m Alura. Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand, her smile widening when I took it. Then she shook hands with Zack.

  “How’d you hook up with that douche bag?” He nodded toward Greg as he released her hand.

  A giggle escaped her. “Barely know him. I saw him a couple times at a coffee place near our hotel. He mentioned going to prom and I told him I’d never been to one so he invited me.”

  “Probably best if you kept it that way. You know, the barely knowing him part,” I said, melting into a little imaginary circle with her. I found myself liking her despite my reluctance. She was so warm and open and hard to resist.

  “I believe you,” she grinned. “Especially since he’s already hinted twice about a hotel reservation and he only picked me up a half hour ago. As if I’d go there with him.” She made a gagging noise and her eyes darted to Zack — as they frequently had the last couple minutes. I sensed something. I hoped it was just an innocent camaraderie, a recognition of their mutual werewolfnes
s.

  Zack’s fingertips made contact with my arm as though he wanted me to hear what she said silently.

  My uncle said he met a young werewolf and three of his human friends at a coffee shop the other day. Was that you? Alura moved ahead in line, leaning over and taking a paper plate as though she weren’t carrying on a telepathic conversation with another werewolf.

  That would make Renzo your uncle, Zack replied, breaking contact with me, mimicking her actions and handing me a plate. I took it and reconnected with him again by resting my other hand on his arm.

  Who’s your supervisor?

  Charles.

  I didn’t sense any other werewolves at the hospital or near here. Did he go out of town or something? Alura loaded her plate with crackers and cheese.

  Great, that’s all we needed — someone asking questions about someone I’d killed.

  Not that I know of. He’s around somewhere. Zack set two cookies on his plate then one on mine. What brings you here? Haven’t you been assigned?

  Yes, but since we haven’t married yet, I’ve been granted special permission to accompany my uncle on vacation.

  That’s cool. Zack poured some punch into a plastic cup, briefly glancing my way. He handed me the cup and fixed another. How long is your vacation?

  A few weeks, I think, depending on when I’m needed back.

  “These desserts look great.” She plopped a chocolate number on her plate, then stepped away from the table. “Well, I’d better get back to the douche. Maybe I’ll see you guys around. I’m at the coffee shop a lot. If you see me, say hello.”

  “We will,” I said. “Nice meeting you.”

  She waved and swished gracefully away.

  Zack surreptitiously watched her leave. “She’s absolutely perfect,” he whispered for my ears only.

  “What do you mean?” Perfect for what? Although I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  “To break us up.”

  I stared at him, rooted to the floor. “I hope you’re kidding.”

  He headed toward our table. When he noticed a moment later I wasn’t behind him, he doubled back. Up close, he lowered his voice. “Not for real. You can pretend to be jealous. You know, accuse me of cheating on you.”