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

by Veronica Blade

  Inside the stairwell, Zack shifted to fully face me and locked his fingers at the nape of my neck. I have my parents back who I thought were both dead, a future not with the werewolf king, and an all-powerful vampire to watch over me. He leaned in and brushed my lips with his own and I decided the stairwell was as good a place as any to make out with Zack. And you by my side. I don’t see a problem.

  Oh, we had lots of potential problems in our not-too-distant future. But as Zack said, we also had a lot to look forward to. And the best part? We didn’t have to say good-bye to each other. Yet. “Then let’s slay those bastards.”

  THE END

  THE DARK WOLF

  Shapes of Autumn, book four

  VERONICA BLADE

  SUMMARY

  Zack and Autumn still don’t know how to deal with being different species. After all, a shape-shifter falling in love with a werewolf is usually a one-way ticket to death. Their only chance for all supernaturals to live in peace is to join forces with a dream team of rebel werewolves, shape-shifters and vampires to take down the werewolf king.

  But first, they must get past his number one henchman, an ancient werewolf of almost unimaginable power who has left a trail of dead supernaturals in his wake.

  In a secret underground sanctuary they train ferociously for the upcoming battle. When members of their crew disappear or die, they don’t know who in their midst are traitors or if the enemy has breached their fortress. How can Zack and Autumn combat an enemy who’s practically a ghost, and still make it out alive?

  Chapter One

  Autumn

  The Lincoln Navigator slowed as we passed a weathered sign welcoming us to Genoa City, Nevada’s oldest settlement. I craned my neck in hopes of a better view of an old Victorian house with a split-rail fence that lined the fringes of a wide sweep of land. The rusty wheelbarrow in front of an antique weapons shop, the weathered wood of the buildings, and everything I’d seen so far of this charming little town made me want this to be the place that hid the secret shape-shifter sanctuary we were looking for.

  More than six hours had passed since we’d left Los Angeles and we’d crossed the Nevada border at least twenty minutes ago. I was more than ready for our trip to be over and couldn’t wait to be fully vertical again.

  Scooting away from Zack, I straightened my legs in an effort to get comfortable in the cramped third row seat. Okay, it wasn’t that cramped. But six people in one car—Dathan in the driver’s seat, Zack’s dad Renzo in the front passenger side, and my parents Quentin and Olivia, in the second row—made me crave a breather, no matter how roomy the luxury car might be.

  The trip seemed especially drawn out with Dathan, the reluctant vampire king who we didn’t always like. He’d saved our asses more than once back at his palace but I couldn’t completely trust him. I wanted to. But while I’d grown to care about him, his arrogance and frequent dick moves grated on my nerves.

  And he always kept us guessing.

  “How much farther?” I asked Dathan. He’d been driving the entire time and was the only one privy to our destination, which I found odd. Up until a few weeks ago he’d been in slumber for seventy-five years, hiding from his duties as vampire king. How the hell did he know the whereabouts of a secret shape-shifter base? Cedric had been standing in for Dathan and ruling on his behalf—and still was. Maybe he’d relayed the information to Dathan.

  Renzo straightened in the front passenger seat, making his dark head of hair visible. Glancing over his shoulder, he aimed a pair of gray eyes at me and shrugged. Sunshine streamed through the glass window, magnifying the fine scars on his face. “I have no clue where we’re going,” he said.

  “Dathan,” I said, making sure my voice easily carried past my parents in the middle seat and to his chestnut brown head. Vampires had superhuman hearing like other supernaturals, but that didn’t mean Dathan was paying attention. “Giving us the deets anytime soon on the shape-shifter headquarters?”

  “Almost there. I’ll try Natasha again.” Dathan’s piercing blue eyes met mine in the rearview mirror as we cruised by what appeared to be the last store on the street before driving by a farm. The stench of cow pies snuck into the cab as he veered down a dirt road, past a sign warning us of private property. “All good. They’ll be ready for us.”

  If he’d talked telepathically to Natasha the shape-shifter queen, that meant he’d already met her—before he’d gone into slumber. Which also meant Natasha had to be at least a hundred years old. The fact that she would allow him access into her top-secret shape-shifter compound also meant she trusted him. That was comforting.

  I pointed ahead to a big ranch-style house situated just beyond crops that might’ve been corn. “Is it that big house on the left?”

  Dathan scoffed and navigated the car through brush toward a mountain covered in trees and bushes. “Shape-shifters wouldn’t live out in the open that way. But we’re close.”

  “Thank God.” My mom’s head popped up and her big brown eyes peered through the windows at the landscape. She had spent most of the last several hours folded into my dad’s tall lanky frame, the top of her nearly black head of hair contrasting against his sunny blond. She was the perfect height for snuggling with him. I used to envy her slight frame, hating that I’d taken after my dad and stood taller than most guys. I didn’t have to worry about that with Zack. I could wear stilettos and he’d still have an inch or two on me.

  My parents hadn’t had much to say through the whole trip, even to me. But energy often swirled around them and I knew they were talking silently. I would’ve thought they’d be anxiously awaiting their reunion with other shape-shifters, maybe see some old friends.

  And they’d barely acknowledged Zack or Renzo’s existence since we left Los Angeles. Maybe their coldness had to do with Zack and Renzo being werewolves. But this wasn’t a joyride or pleasure trip. Zack and Renzo had come with us to go to war against werewolves, their own species, on our behalf. That should have counted for something.

  After our stint at the vampire palace where Zack and I had sought refuge from werewolves, we’d ended up in the middle of a werewolf-vampire war. When the dust settled and King Cedric and Dathan remained ruler of all vampires, Dathan had enlisted our help to take down the werewolf king’s number one henchman, Ulric Vasilyev.

  I had no clue why on earth Dathan thought a couple teenagers could help him bring down the most feared werewolf ever. Actually, he probably didn’t. Most likely, he was more interested in what my parents and Renzo could contribute.

  “I’m not sure about the safeguards they have in place.” Dathan paused as he negotiated a bend in the road. “Since I’m a vampire, the shifters will be immediately suspicious of me. Autumn, you’ll stand by my side to give me credibility. Quentin, you approach them first, so they don’t catch werewolf scent straight away. Olivia, stay with him. Renzo and Zack, you go last.”

  Sounded like a plan. I imagined if the shape-shifters had several of their own supporting a vampire—my parents and me—they might be more hospitable. And Zack would be only a few feet from me during the introductions.

  The road ahead turned to dirt lined with thick brush, and the only things visible on the other side of the windows were leaves and branches. The scent of moist earth and pine seeped into the car and made me crave a run. We hadn’t morphed since last night and I was beginning to squirm in my seat. As a shape-shifter, I didn’t need to morph half as bad as werewolves did. I bet Zack felt the urge a hell of a lot more than I did at the moment.

  Dathan eased off the accelerator and I heard the whine of a motor, then a rock facade slid up directly in front of us. We passed under the fake rock wall and the hole sealed behind us, swathing us in pitch black. Dathan brought the Lincoln to a stop and switched on the headlights. We were closed in but still had enough space in what appeared to be a lift that would accommodate a pretty big truck.

  A thump sounded above and metal clanked, causing all of us to flinch. Lights flashed a
nd we descended. Although the car elevator was noisy, its existence in the boonies was pretty sophisticated. But I’d expected no less from shape-shifters. They were weaker than werewolves and, if captured, used as slaves. But supposedly our intelligence far surpassed that of any other species. That’s how we’d survived all these centuries.

  “For being so smart, you’d think these shifters could make the entry process a little smoother,” Dathan grumbled and the car swayed and jerked.

  I swiveled to face Zack who hadn’t said a word in over two hours. He stared at the back of the seat in front of us and chewed on his thumb, and I knew something was wrong. Don’t worry, I told him silently, squeezing his other hand. Dathan might have his own agenda, but he won’t let anything happen to us, if that’s what’s bothering you. And after everyone realizes you’re not like King Mortimer and other werewolves, they’ll warm up to you and Renzo.

  The elevator motor slowed, the Lincoln bumped forward and then back again as the platform hit the bottom.

  I know. Zack leaned over and brushed his lips against my cheek, and my insides warmed. I miss my mom. I hardly spent any time with her after she came back as a vampire. If we make it through this and I go to war against my own kind, she might end up fighting with us and I don’t want to lose her again.

  The lift door ahead slid up and Dathan eased the car forward. The walls of the tunnel were so close, he couldn’t maneuver through the narrow passageway faster than a few miles per hour.

  I worried about Zack’s mom, Favianne, too. Thankfully, she was safe for now. Kayla’s training her for battle and she’s getting stronger each day. Your mom will be fine. I hoped Zack bought my wishful thinking.

  If we lost the upcoming battle, Ulric would go after supernaturals like Favianne next—a new vampire mixing species with her werewolf husband, Renzo. Ulric wouldn’t appreciate that anymore than he would tolerate Zack and me mixing. If we failed in stopping Ulric, he’d go after all of us. He already had the strength of the ancient ones, and drinking vampire blood had made him a more powerful force, probably the most dangerous werewolf in existence.

  Any non-vampire supernaturals gradually went insane from consuming vampire blood for a long period of time. Ulric had developed a god complex, becoming sloppy as he killed and then drank from every vampire in his path. He not only hunted my shape-shifter parents, but also considered it his duty to destroy every rebel supernatural in existence. Me, for instance. Or Zack, a werewolf fraternizing with a shape-shifter.

  As leader of Shape-shifter Werewolf Alliance Against Slavery and Tyranny, what we referred to as SWAAST, Zack’s dad Renzo had already been fighting to gain equality for all species. Since he’d arranged to have Zack’s mom changed into a vampire to save her life and they’d been reunited, Renzo had more reason to want Ulric neutralized and the werewolf king dethroned.

  “Natasha just informed me of the reason for the extra racket during our entrance,” Dathan hissed.

  My mom straightened in her seat just in front of me, and leaned toward him. “Care to share?”

  Dathan’s knuckles stretched white around the steering wheel. “Natasha’s security informed her that someone slipped in with us when the hatch to the tunnel opened.”

  My dad cursed, a rarity for him, and craned his neck to look around. Renzo squinted as he strained to see beyond the windows. Even with our heightened senses, we were challenged between the pitch black of the tunnel and the blind spots of the vehicle. Up ahead, the Lincoln’s high beams shone on a metal door.

  “Wait. How did they know someone snuck in with us when we didn’t even realize it?” Zack asked, abruptly twisting his body to see outside the vehicle.

  “Infrared showed seven sources of heat and there are only six of us.” Dathan slowed, edging the Navigator forward until its bumper almost rested against a huge metal door.

  “And they’re only just now telling us?” Renzo growled.

  “The heat source stayed on the roof. Naturally the security guy assumed the seventh person was inside with us. When the seventh body disappeared, he alerted Natasha right away.” Dathan mumbled something under his breath. “We might have to wait while they beef up security. They want to make sure that the intruder doesn’t slip inside the compound with us.”

  Renzo’s gaze focused beyond the car, scanning the darkness. “So they saw the heat source actually separate from our car and move through the tunnel?”

  “Yes,” Dathan replied, rapidly tapping his fingertips on the console as we waited for the wide metal door to slide open.

  “If they’re tracking him by infrared, they know the exact location of the intruder, yes?” My dad’s words should have been calming but the churning in my stomach told me we were both about to be grossly disappointed.

  “The intruder moved off the roof and within seconds all traces of heat disappeared. They lost the feed from the infrared cameras.” Dathan shifted and the leather of the seat creaked.

  Which meant that no one would see if anything happened to us. Every single muscle in my body tensed, and silence filled the cab for the next few very long seconds.

  The immense metal slabs divided and a bright light momentarily blinded us. Dathan rolled the car forward and the doors slammed shut behind us. In an instant, about ten heavily armed men all dressed in black and camouflage circled us, some of their gazes focused on the entrance as others checked under and around our car.

  As if satisfied no danger was present, the men backed up then bowed as a blond woman approached, flanked by another group of guards.

  The woman, Natasha I assumed, stopped and jabbed a finger toward an empty parking space. She wore black cargo pants with combat boots and a basic black tee. She stood tall, but slightly shorter than me, with a slender frame. The ends of her golden blond ponytail grazed the nape of her neck as she watched us with vivid blue eyes. Judging by the lack of wrinkles around her delicate features, she couldn’t be more than thirty by human standards. But her prior connection with Dathan told me she’d graduated high school decades ago, not years.

  “Zack, Renzo, don’t forget to lag behind.” Dathan parked the Navigator alongside a row of several other cars, then killed the engine and climbed out. Remembering he wanted me by his side, I tapped on my mom’s shoulder and she opened the door. “Autumn, remember to stay with me.”

  Since we suspected an intruder in the vicinity, sticking close to Dathan wouldn’t be a problem for me.

  “Natasha,” Dathan said. A secret look passed between them, then she gave him a small nod before turning to my parents who’d just exited the car. Her eyes widened and she beamed, launching toward my dad. After a brief moment, she threw an arm around my mom and squeezed them both. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  I had no idea my mom or dad had ties to any shape-shifters. Obviously they’d have to know their own queen, right? But how did the queen know them so well?

  “When Dathan mentioned teaming up with other shape-shifters, we had no idea you were involved.” My dad hugged her tighter. “We certainly wouldn’t have wanted to bring you into this mess and put you in danger.”

  “Oh, please. If someone is fighting Ulric or King Mortimer, I want in,” Natasha scoffed, then offered a cocky grin. "Besides, you can't very well bring shape-shifters into a war and not include their queen."

  “Unfortunately, you’re in whether we like it or not,” my mom grumbled, hugging Natasha for what seemed an eternity.

  Dathan shifted his weight forward. “Considering we just let someone into the tunnel and no one knows where he is, we should probably get on with the introductions and get out of the parking area.”

  “I agree, Your Majesty. I’d feel better if you were inside and not so exposed,” one of the men said. He had a German accent and his wavy shoulder-length blond hair made me think of Thor.

  Natasha gave an almost imperceptible roll of her eyes. “Trapped in that tunnel and no way to get to us, Egon. He can’t dig through the titanium shell of our structur
e.”

  “I prefer to be prepared for anything, Your Majesty,” Egon returned with a respectful bow.

  A scent wafted to me and I zeroed in on the guards. Egon smelled of werewolf. Knowing a werewolf held a position close to the shape-shifter queen eased the apprehension that had become more intense with each passing moment in the closed off mountain where we couldn’t easily get away.

  I glanced at Zack whose eyes were darting around in paranoia. Although Renzo was more subtle about being on high alert, he was turning in slow circles trying to see everything all at once.

  “We’ll catch up later.” Natasha released my parents. “You’d better get your luggage.”

  Some of the guards hovered around us, their eyes scanning the vicinity while we each grabbed our belongings. With our duffel bags slung over our shoulders, we moved toward the door in unison. Except Egon the werewolf, who hung back for one last check around the structure.

  “This level is exclusively for parking and storage.” Natasha maintained a brisk pace across the solidly packed dirt floor of the parking lot.

  Massive beams supported the high ceilings and wood cabinets covering the back wall, each with a padlock. “How would you get in and out if the lift breaks down and you can’t access the tunnel?”

  “In an emergency, we drive out.” Her head tilted toward the other end of the long expanse of space where a green exit sign lit up a panel the size of a garage door. “But we prefer to enter and exit some distance from our base, otherwise we risk revealing our location with tire marks.”

  “How is that exit reinforced?” Dathan asked, staying close to Natasha and her guards.

  “The six-inch steel door seals airtight,” she answered without breaking her stride. “If you don’t have a code, there’s an emergency lever which can only be opened from the inside. And unless it’s done properly through my security people, an alarm will sound.”