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

by Veronica Blade

  “Unless you’d prefer the floor.” Natasha’s mouth twitched. “As for your belongings, I’m afraid you’ll have to live out of your suitcases since we don’t have extra bureaus. While you make yourselves at home, I’ll program the computer to each of your voices and faces. Can’t have any of you unable to access or getting trapped inside.”

  “Surely you have a more comfortable and private place for us to sleep,” Dathan said, inching closer to Autumn. “Perhaps you can relocate some of your staff.”

  Natasha pursed her lips together. “You’ve had seventy-five years of comfy slumber. I’m confident that you’re well rested. But if you can’t live without your usual luxuries, your presence here isn’t required.”

  I think I love her. Not that I wanted Dathan to suffer. He hated bullies and fought for equality for all species. He’d earned his place as king of all vampires and deserved any respect gained through his accomplishments. But he could be a pain—as he’d proved by ambushing Zack and me earlier when he introduced me as his fiancée—and I couldn’t help but feel a small satisfaction that Natasha didn’t let him get away with anything.

  Zack snuck a peek at me. She’s growing on me too. If Dathan insists on having your cot next to his though, I’ll be on your other side.

  I’m depending on it. In my peripheral vision, I noticed Natasha watching me. Okay, I’d have to be more careful when flirting with my real boyfriend.

  Dathan huffed as he wandered off to explore the suite. We each claimed a cot, along with a spot in her living room for our belongings. I purposely grabbed one of the two cots in the middle to increase my chance of sleeping next to Zack. Which turned out to be unnecessary, because Renzo snagged the couch. My mom had disappeared into Natasha’s bedroom with my dad but emerged when we’d finished settling in.

  “They’re all waiting for us downstairs,” Natasha announced as she headed toward the door.

  I wondered which part of downstairs we were meeting the rest of Natasha’s people. We were on the second floor and the only thing I’d seen on the first level was the garage.

  Natasha steered us down the stairwell and out the door, but instead of guiding us toward the cars or storage area, she sidestepped and headed to a wide green steel door. A chill snaked up my spine when I remembered that somewhere in the tunnel—maybe even closer—someone was waiting to pounce.

  But he was just one person. How much damage could one intruder do against Natasha and her people?

  As soon as Natasha opened the green door, the sweet scent of grass and jasmine hit me. She stepped over the threshold.

  “We’re going outside?” I asked. That didn’t seem safe at all.

  Natasha paused, her head tilted into the doorway and back in our line of vision again. “Sort of.”

  She marched on and as I took a step to follow her, Dathan’s palm touched my lower back. You should ask your parents how they know Natasha. I think you may find their answer quite intriguing.

  The fact that you want me to ask only makes me not want to, I lied, shrugging him off. I took all the steps in one leap, quickly catching up to my mom. Though I was bursting with curiosity over any secrets my parents might have, I refused to give Dathan the satisfaction. And how annoying that somehow he had intel on my family that I didn’t have.

  “Our own private park,” Natasha said with a flourish of her wrist, indicating an area that was probably the size of an entire block.

  I glanced up and noted the soft clouds floating in the sky. Except they didn’t move at all. A cluster of trees in the distance marked the edge. Animals dotted the outskirts—a handful of wolves, a couple of tigers, a bear and several birds—along with a smattering of other shifters in their human form. They slowly drifted our way.

  Natasha led us to a raised section against the wall and we all stepped up onto a platform. When I spun around, maybe forty more people had gathered. They’d obviously been nearby all along, but hadn’t been easily noticeable in their animal forms.

  I stuck near my parents when they sidled up to Natasha. Much to my relief, Dathan stood on her other side, giving me a break from the pretense of being with him. My dad's gaze bounced between Dathan and Zack then he gave me a strange look. Must’ve been awkward for my dad to know I had a boyfriend while another guy pretended to be my fiancé.

  Are you finding Dathan as irritating right now as I am? Zack asked me.

  No, I answered. More so. I peered over to see him smiling.

  “My friends.” Natasha focused on the mass of shape-shifters and smattering of werewolves. “Some of us have been waiting a very long time for the opportunity to take a stand against prejudice, bias and slavery; to rise up against werewolves and free ourselves. I believe if you listen to what our guests have to say, you will conclude as I have that now is that time.” She took a step back and waved a hand for Dathan to proceed.

  He moved forward, pulled back his shoulders and folded his arms over his chest. “I am Dathan Lacroix, king of the vampires.” Murmurs rang through the crowd and he plowed on. “Many of you have valid reasons to hate vampires as much as the werewolves who have been oppressing your kind for centuries. I’m not here to change your mind about my kind. I want only one thing from you.” Dathan cast a glance around the park and met the gaze of every single shape-shifter in the park. “Help me kill Ulric Vasilyev.”

  “Why would you need so many of us to get rid of one werewolf?” a woman shouted over the grumbling of the crowd.

  One corner of Dathan’s mouth lifted. “Because he’s not your average werewolf. And as soon as he’s gone, I’ll return the favor and help you win your freedom from King Mortimer.”

  “But as the vampire king, you can gather your people and win any war without outside help,” another woman said.

  “I could do that.” Dathan nodded. “But I choose my battles carefully and I’m not sure my people would be on board with a full-on war against werewolves, considering we are particularly susceptible to their bite. I’m sure you can imagine their desire to let things be.”

  A muscular man pushed forward until he was at the front of the others. “How can we be sure you’re worth investing our trust? We could help you kill Ulric but we have no guarantee we won’t be killed trying to get rid of King Mortimer.”

  Dathan’s eyes trained on the shape-shifter. “Most of you probably grew up on tales of me. How many of those stories ended with me failing or not fulfilling a promise? None.” Dathan faced me, his fingertips reaching out and beckoning me closer.

  I inwardly groaned and walked toward him.

  “It so happens...” He flashed me a charming grin. “I’ve grown quite fond of a particular shifter. I’ll do everything in my power to protect her and her species.”

  I stared at Dathan and my breath caught as his plan hit me. This wasn’t just about his acceptance from my kind. He needed an army, which he probably had little chance of getting without using me. How the hell was I going to publicly break up with him now?

  Renzo stepped up and Dathan moved aside. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Renzo Soriano,” he said, addressing the man who’d spoken up before moving on. A low hum of murmurs rang through the mob. “In scanning your faces, I recognize some of you whom I’ve personally helped escape werewolves, through my work as leader of SWAAST. If you aren’t sure about Dathan, perhaps you’ll put your faith in me.”

  Natasha stepped forward again. “Either we band together now or continue the next centuries being slaves or criminals, hunted forever.” She paused a beat. “We’ve been waiting for someone to change things, but I think we know that someone is all of us. This is our time.”

  The rumble of voices increased but I couldn’t tell if they were going for the idea or skeptical.

  “What have we accomplished these past decades or centuries other than merely survive? We have superior technology, certainly, but we don’t have freedom. Months or years from now, this haven will be discovered and then we flee. Again.” She took a deep breath, th
en exhaled. “Am I the only one who’s tired of living in fear?”

  “No!” The people shouted.

  Natasha held up her palms and the roar died down. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I feel the need to remind you that we’re talking about taking down an empire. It won’t be easy and some of us may not survive.”

  A hush fell over the room and my dad touched Natasha’s shoulder before speaking up. “I’m Quentin, an old friend of Her Majesty. We have the help of a handful of werewolves and a vampire. It’s not much. Hell, maybe none of us will walk away. But we will have tried and maybe we’ll even win. I believe our dream of equality and freedom is worth fighting for. I think we have a strong chance.”

  Dathan stepped forward again. “Unfortunately, none of us can afford to wait for a better time. The more time that passes, the more powerful Ulric gets. We’re doing this. Now. You can be part of taking back your freedom or you can turn away and risk possibly centuries passing before having this kind of opportunity again.”

  “No one will be forced to stand and fight with us.” Natasha grimaced, then wiggled a clipboard in the air, then handed it to Sean. “For anyone who’d rather run and take their chances, write down your name and we’ll arrange for your departure as soon as it’s safe.”

  “Whoever is staying must prepare for war,” Dathan said.

  A deafening roar filled the park and the ground trembled beneath my feet. When the yelling and stomping died down, Sean was surrounded by several who were trying to sign the paper. My gaze landed on each of their faces and my stomach churned. A little part of me died with the knowledge that they’d decided to abandon ship and now we had less to fight beside us.

  Natasha cleared her throat and the remaining people quieted. “As you can see, our army is slightly smaller now. I still believe we can do this. As we prepare for battle, I’ll need each and every one of you to work harder, train harder. Questions?”

  “Yes, what’s the plan?” a woman asked, raising her hand. “Do we even know where Ulric is?”

  “Possibly.” Natasha paused and the room became quiet. “The tunnel has been breached but we don’t know by exactly whom. We strongly suspect Ulric.”

  “Which is why no one can leave yet,” Dathan added, the side of his mouth lifting into a smirk. “In fact, those desiring to withdraw from the fight may not have a choice.”

  “We’ll get with each of you individually regarding your part in this.” Natasha hesitated a moment to see if anyone had questions. “That is all. ” She reached down into a nearby cooler and tossed a water bottle at each of us. In my peripheral, shape-shifters disbanded, many of them leaving the park.

  Natasha slung an arm around my shoulders. “We were already doubled up which is why some of them were sleeping in the theater. But I might have a way to get a private room for you and Dathan. Can’t make any promises though.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I said, raising my voice and enunciating carefully so my words carried to Dathan. “We vowed to wait until marriage before… you know.” That should teach him to ambush me. Two could play at that game.

  Zack sputtered and set down his bottle of water. Good one.

  Natasha’s arm dropped from my shoulder as she coughed. “Right.” She pressed her lips together but since her brows were drawn, I couldn’t tell if she was trying not to laugh.

  That was classy, my future queen. Dathan’s nostrils flared before he turned away and I couldn’t see his face. While you’re so chummy with Natasha, why don’t you ask her how old she is?

  My dad stood next to my mom, his blue eyes rounder than usual. Was that really necessary?

  I was about to slink away when my mom’s silent words stopped me.

  Sweetheart, nice way to impress the shape-shifter queen. My mom shook her head. As leaders of this rebellion, and because of our close association to the queen, we must maintain some level of decorum.

  In my effort to send Dathan a zinger, I’d forgotten we were on a mission and coming across as mature was a definite plus point. And I’d embarrassed my parents. “Yeah, I’m pretty awesome,” I mumbled.

  Doesn’t it make you wonder why Natasha wasn’t originally introduced as your queen? Dathan asked me. Though I had a feeling he was about to say something extra irritating, I was grateful for the distraction. You and your parents must be pretty special that they’re not encouraged to call her Your Majesty. Admit it. You’re dying to find out why.

  Before glancing around to make sure no one around sensed my hostility, I blew out air and glared at him. No, that’s just you’re dying for me to know. And when you get tired of waiting, maybe you’ll spit it out. Until then, I’ll happily live in ignorant bliss. I sent him a smile dripping in syrup.

  Dathan stared at me, tapping his foot. Good. I hoped my resistance was as maddening to him as his prodding was to me.

  Zack’s fingers twisted around mine and I repositioned our joined hands behind us where no one could see. The shape-shifters aren’t paying attention to us, he said, his eyes sparking with mischief. Let’s sneak away for a couple minutes. Who knows when we’ll get another chance to be alone.

  As I scanned the area for a place to take Zack, my mom shot me a disapproving look. If you two get caught doing anything inappropriate, we lose credibility, she said.

  Since Zack had been touching me, he must have heard that, because he recoiled and stepped away. We’ll figure something out, he said.

  If the security in the place was worth bragging about, Natasha had to have cameras all over. I glanced toward the walls that were painted deceptively like a forest, making the park appear endless. Above the door was a small black button that looked like glass.

  Dad, you think that’s a camera above the doorframe? After meeting his gaze, my eyes flicked to the spot.

  His gaze followed mine. Most likely.

  If I didn’t want to get caught making out with Zack, I’d have to watch for those little black buttons.

  Natasha ushered us back up the stairs. I spotted cameras in the stairwell and over the door as we landed on the third floor. We turned a corner and passed a bathroom. No cameras in front of it that I could see.

  “This is the training room.” Natasha opened the door and everyone shadowed her inside.

  I hung back, scanning the hallway for cameras. A black button stared at me over the doorway. The training area—which was a large enclosed space near the atrium— was slightly bigger than Natasha’s suite with plenty of room for at least several pairs to spar.

  “We’ve been training for decades, some of us for centuries. We would be happy to impart our knowledge to you.” Natasha located Sean at the entrance and summoned him over. “Everything calm with the crew?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Sean gave her a slight bob of his head as he stepped onto the mat, then handed a sheet of paper to Natasha. “These are the new assignments I worked out.”

  I glanced at my mom who’d been awfully quiet. She stood on the outskirts, staying close to my dad. I’d noticed her getting near Natasha, but she still avoided Renzo and Zack like she might catch fleas from them or something. Even as my mom talked to Natasha, she stood as far away from Sean as she could.

  Your mother isn’t just avoiding the werewolves, is she? If you asked her why, I’m convinced you’d be riveted by her answer. Dathan smirked when I snuck a glance at him.

  Why couldn’t Dathan be upfront and say what was on his mind? And couldn’t he pick a time for this crap when we weren’t preparing for battle? As I repositioned myself to focus on the others, which took Dathan out of my line of vision, I vowed to dig until I found out what my parents obviously didn’t want to tell me—without Dathan knowing I was doing exactly what he wanted.

  “Zack.” Natasha glanced up after a moment of perusing the list Sean had handed her. “I understand you’re good with cars, so you’re on auto maintenance. Our vehicles are kept in good working order. You shouldn’t have to deal with anything more than the basics, but everything should
be checked regularly anyway. We can’t risk the food trucks breaking down and exposing us to any werewolves who might be nearby.” Natasha grunted. “Not that any of us will be going in or out of the compound anytime soon.”

  “Great.” He glanced at me, his eyes smoldering. I miss you already.

  Miss you too. And very likely I’d be missing him even more the longer we pretended we weren’t together.

  “You’ll have some other duties as well. Renzo,” Natasha said, spinning to face him. “I’d appreciate your input on strategy and we’ll need any intelligence you have on werewolves and such that might help us prepare for Ulric.”

  Renzo hung a thumb in his jeans belt loop. “Of course.”

  “And you’ll all be on training.” She regarded each one of us a moment. “You too, Dathan. You’ve been around a while, I know, and you’re extremely powerful. But while you were getting soft these past seventy-five years in slumber, we were perfecting our combat skills.”

  Dathan’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll happily check out your moves, Your Majesty.”

  An involuntary spasm made her shiver. She had to really dislike him. But my bigger concern was my “fiancé” flirting with another woman right in front of me. I could understand him forgetting about me, especially talking to someone as beautiful as Natasha—except the scam was his idea. Now that he’d made this blunder though, ending things with him later would be easier. But not yet. I slammed my palms against his back and followed it up with, “Nice, babe.”

  Dathan sighed while Zack snickered.

  Natasha rubbed my arm. “No man is worth losing your sanity over. It’s why I’m still single.”

  Dathan’s lip curled up. “Or you’re alone because you haven’t met anyone who’s man enough to handle you.”

  “And I still haven’t.” Natasha’s eyes flared with a warning. “Let’s train while we wait on Ivan and Valerie to prepare our meal.”

  I groaned at Dathan’s immaturity. “I’m hitting the restroom.” I spun and exited the training room. Halfway down the hall, inspiration struck me and I sprinted the rest of the way, pushed on the door and waited a beat as I checked the bathroom for black buttons. Zack, meet me in the bathroom. The one we just passed on our way to the training room. There aren’t any cameras around.