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

by Veronica Blade

  Although I could tell the difference too, I wasn’t nearly skilled enough to win a battle against Ulric. But I’d annoy him and make things much more difficult than he might expect. Maybe keep him busy long enough for help to arrive.

  In any case, I was done with swords for the day. “I’m tired of attacking my boyfriend. If you don’t mind, let’s do something else.”

  “Fair enough.” Dathan slanted his head toward the park exit.

  Back in the training room, my dad stopped his assault on Renzo and my mom stepped away from Natasha, sweat beading over their neck and chests. They had to be capable of doing some serious damage to Ulric. Too bad Ulric would probably have plenty of friends with him.

  “Any word from the crew?” I asked Natasha.

  “No one has checked in for well over an hour.” Natasha’s top teeth worried her bottom lip. “In theory, some of the crew should have already arrived.”

  “They’re MIA?” Renzo grated out.

  “Not sure. I tried Sean again a few minutes ago.” The muscle in her jaw flexed. “Actually, I’ve tried them all. Nothing yet.”

  Crap. This was not good news.

  Chapter SIXTEEN

  Autumn

  “When was the last time you heard from Sean?” I asked, my voice rising in pitch. I dragged in a long slow breath in an attempt to appear calmer. I didn’t want to be the cause of everyone in the compound becoming more panicked.

  “Well over an hour ago.” Natasha bowed her head a moment, then lifted her chin. “It could be anything delaying him. If a werewolf is nearby, talking telepathically will draw attention to them. I imagine he’ll answer shortly.”

  “But you could sense if anything’s happened to them, yeah?” I asked.

  “They’re alive, as near as I can tell. Connection’s weak though.” Natasha pursed her lips.

  Renzo sighed. “Telepathic connections usually get weaker with decreased consciousness.”

  The blue in Natasha’s eyes deepened as she stared at Renzo a beat, then she glanced away. “Lunch is ready.” Without another word, she strode toward the cafeteria.

  We sat in our usual spots, Natasha occasionally glancing to Sean’s empty place. Silence pervaded the room, each of us lost in our own thoughts—or worst fears. Tension oozed from each of us until it permeated the space and my stomach churned. I’d nearly forced down all my lunch when air rushed from Natasha’s lungs.

  “Oh, thank God. They’re waiting at the skylight now. Havers, they’re here. Do another check on the monitors around the skylight before letting them in.” She dropped her fork and rushed to the atrium.

  The rest of us abandoned our breakfast and scurried after her. Natasha bit her lip as she stood in the atrium and looked up. Metal slid to the side, exposing the skylight. Shadows flittered over the glass above.

  “Havers, is it safe?” Natasha muttered as her gaze remained locked above. “Go ahead and open it.”

  “Keep watch for anyone else trying to crash our party,” Dathan said. “Don’t take your eyes off the skylight until they’re all inside and we’ve closed up.”

  The glass moved and Zack stiffened at my side. My fingers curled around his while my other hand felt for the handles of the throwing knives I’d begun hiding in my waistband.

  The sound of flapping wings ripped through the room as pigeons descended. When the birds neared the floor, they shifted to human. I did a quick head count. Twelve.

  “Where are the other four?” Natasha demanded.

  “They were still too far away and I was uncomfortable leaving the rest of my men exposed out there for so long. I imagine they’ll be here any minute.” Sean sniffed the air. “Smells like breakfast. We’re starving.”

  Natasha nodded toward the cafeteria. “Let’s get you refueled.”

  The twelve shape-shifters sped into the dining area. Energy swirled and I traced it to Dathan who was staring intently at Natasha.

  She scowled and after a few moments huffed. “Fine. If it will make you happy.”

  “None of this makes me happy, angel. Of all people, you should know that.” Dathan fired off a stern look before glancing over his shoulder. “Autumn and Zack, come with me.”

  What’s going on? Zack asked, still hanging onto me as we sprinted to keep up with Dathan.

  The scouting crew, every single one of them, will need to be observed until we’re absolutely certain their minds haven’t been tampered with in any way. Dathan pushed the door open to the cafeteria and made a beeline to the buffet. Sean didn’t turn around and all I could see was the back of his short light brown hair.

  “Good to have you back safely, Sean.”

  “Hey, Dathan,” Sean said, glancing over his beefy shoulder as he heaped a generous portion of mashed potatoes onto his plate. “Need something?”

  “I have questions.” Dathan leaned against the wall, casually scrutinizing everyone in the room. “At any time, did any of your crew fall off the radar?”

  “No.” Sean moved to the next dish and grabbed tongs to poke through the steaks. “I kept in constant contact with them. If anything happened, I’d know.”

  “Natasha didn’t hear from you for nearly an hour. What happened during that time?” Dathan stepped out of the way as one of the other guys headed to the table with a full plate.

  “We hadn’t slept since we left. I wanted to make sure that when we arrived, we were alert enough to deal with anything.” Sean spooned butternut squash onto his plate. “We had a power nap not too far from here.”

  “Of course.” Dathan’s eyes narrowed. “None of you encountered Ulric anywhere during the whole mission?”

  Sean leaned away from the buffet and straightened his spine. “If I saw Ulric, I would’ve reported it. Same with the rest of the crew.”

  “Who were the other three with you?”

  Sean blinked. “Steven, Rosa and Tiffany.”

  “And where are the missing four?” Dathan fired off.

  “They’re not missing. In fact, they should be arriving any second.” Sean tipped his head toward his plate. “We haven’t had a decent meal in a while and we’re all exhausted.”

  “Eat and rest.” Dathan’s shoulders relaxed as he offered Sean a smile. “Take care of your crew. You’ve all earned it.”

  Following Dathan’s lead, Zack and I exited the cafeteria and returned to the atrium where Natasha, my parents and Renzo were waiting for the last four to arrive.

  What did you get from all that? I asked Dathan.

  Not as much as I had hoped. Yet more than I wanted. He seemed to mull over his next words. I need to speak with you and Zack. In private.

  “They’re here.” Natasha peered up at the skylights.

  The glass above slid open and four pigeons flapped their wings as they lowered, then morphed into humans inches before reaching the floor. Natasha greeted them warmly, and whisked them off to the cafeteria to refuel.

  “I’m taking the kids with me to patrol the area,” Dathan called out.

  Knowing Zack and I were “the kids,” we trailed after him as he headed for the stairwell. Before the heavy metal door, he surveyed the vicinity. Zack and I did too.

  My mom caught up to us, as if sensing Dathan was up to no good. “I’ll come with you. I need to ensure my daughter doesn’t encounter Ulric with only you to protect her.”

  “Five is better than four.” My dad appeared and draped an arm over my mom’s shoulders. “I can make sure both my girls stay alive.”

  Renzo joined the circle. “Six is better than five.”

  Dathan shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just don’t slow us down.” He slammed a palm on the big metal door to the stairwell and it burst open, then he descended the stairs. “First place I’d like to patrol is our suite.”

  Yep, something was definitely up. Natasha’s room was the safest place in the building and no cameras. If he wanted Zack and me with him there, then he wanted to talk without anyone else interfering. He probably hadn’t anticipated my parents and
Renzo tagging along.

  We were on patrol after all, so we took our time and looked for signs of anything out of the norm. Finally, we arrived at the suite, gained access and filed in. Dathan made a show of checking every nook and cranny of the room before finally commanding our attention. “And now that we’re all alone, listen up.”

  Renzo groaned. “Figured something seemed fishy. So why did you lure Zack and Autumn on your fake errand?”

  “Actually, I predicted that the rest of you would demand to come along. Which is exactly what I wanted.” Dathan’s mouth quirked on one side.

  My mom winced and then her head knocked against the wall. “Okay, Dathan, we give in. Why did you want us with you on this little adventure?”

  “Because I’m afraid your queen might be too soft when it comes to her own,” Dathan answered as he claimed a spot on the couch. “And I need all of you to back me up.”

  “Wait…” My dad hurled a warning glare at Dathan. “We’re supposed to ignore our queen in your favor?”

  “Absolutely.” Dathan crossed an ankle over his knee. “Because you want to survive this. Sean and the other fifteen vanished from our radar for over an hour. We have no idea if during that time they were all actually sleeping or Ulric glamoured them, then wiped their memories. See, Sean’s too smart to allow all his men to sleep without at least several staying awake to keep watch. Which means Her Majesty should’ve been able to reach someone during that hour. If Sean or anyone else was tampered with, we need to take precautions. Which Natasha apparently isn’t inclined to do.”

  “I think you’re underestimating her. Just because she’s slow to admit you’re right doesn’t mean she’ll ignore obvious dangers,” my dad said.

  “If Ulric had already gotten what he needed from someone else, it’s possible that Sean’s mind wasn’t altered,” Zack said hopefully.

  “Then we still have the mystery of them not answering us.” Dathan threaded his hands through his hair. “Besides, if Ulric already has all the info he needs, that’s just as bad.”

  Renzo growled. “As much as I hate to admit it, Dathan is right and any of the crew could work against us.”

  “While I believe our queen is a shrewd leader, I’m also aware that her great affection for her people could be her downfall,” my dad mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. “Knowing her, she’d readily sacrifice herself to save them.”

  A hard edge glinted in Dathan’s eyes. “Exactly. Regardless of the crew’s best intentions, any of them could betray us all simply because Ulric gave them no choice.”

  “I agree,” my mom said, arching into my dad like she was trying to comfort him. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Not yet,” Dathan said. “My first priority was to have this discussion where we wouldn’t be heard. I don’t have any other ideas at the moment except to keep an eye on the scouting crew. Might want to also watch over the other four who arrived late. We can’t have any of them unwillingly follow Ulric’s orders and make it impossible for us to win this.”

  How would Ulric affect Zack and me, since we were hybrids who’d had vampire blood? Also, my parents were ancient and Zack was part vampire. We might be safe… but what about the others? And while we were hiding in our room, we weren’t there to help our own people.

  “Anything could be happening up there.” My stomach knotted. “Shouldn’t we get back?”

  “Yes.” My mom glanced toward the door. “We need to return to the others.”

  “It’s only been a few minutes, but yes.” Dathan exhaled and he rose from the sofa when Zack and I made a beeline for the door. “Wait. I want to know where each of you are at all times. If you don’t check in often enough, I’ll come searching for you. Got it? We should do that patrol before we go back. We’ll make it quick.”

  When we reentered the training area after a brief sweep of the building, Dathan’s gaze immediately found Natasha. He grinned. “What did we miss?”

  Natasha paused from swiping her sword against an imaginary enemy. “The scouting crew finished breakfast then went straight to their chambers to catch up on rest. I imagine they’ll be there for several hours.”

  Dathan stared at his shoes, like the wheels in his head were turning. “I’m going to take a break and make some calls, check in with Cedric. Zack and Autumn can train with you guys while I’m gone.” I’ll be patrolling the building again, Dathan sent into my head. I assumed he shared that with my parents, Renzo and Zack too.

  “I’ll be in my suite catching up on work.” Natasha laid her sword on the table. “I’ve gotten so behind on everything.”

  “I thought we were all going to travel in groups,” I said.

  “Everyone except me. I’ll escort Natasha to her room. She’ll be safe there.” Dathan motioned for Natasha to follow as he headed out. After they disappeared, we resumed training.

  Hours passed and neither of them returned. Dathan checked in telepathically every now and then, usually when I least expected it—like when my mom was coming at me with a weapon. Always good to know he was still alive but his random telepathic chats distracted me.

  At five, we broke for dinner and crowded around the dining room table. Dathan took a break from patrolling and joined us. “Natasha is still busy in her suite. She’s staying in for dinner.”

  We hadn’t seen her since shortly after breakfast. I hoped she wasn’t regretting joining us against Ulric.

  “But she’s okay?” Renzo asked.

  “I talked to her before dinner,” my dad said, opening for another bite of casserole. “She’s a little spooked, thinks Ulric is right under our nose and that’s why the search party hasn’t found him. Other than that, she’s fine.”

  “She’s got this place to run,” my mom added, waving a finger to encompass the room. “A queen can only put off pressing matters for so long.”

  The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, each one of us lost in our own thoughts. Probably wondering where Ulric was hiding and when he’d strike. Geez, he was like a ghost. The monitors hadn’t picked up anything, no alarms had gone off, and no sightings from the scouting crew or his men. Not since Yvonne had shown us the picture of him.

  Where the hell was he? Yet somehow I could almost feel Ulric. Or maybe the tingling on the back of my neck was caused from paranoia and stress.

  As I swallowed the last bite of peas, I froze. Where was Ivan who was usually cleaning up the table by now? I cocked my head to listen for the usual sounds. No pans clanging in the kitchen on the other side of the wall. No voices from other floors. No footfalls as people traveled from room to room. Nothing. “Hey, guys? It’s a little too quiet, don’t you think?”

  Renzo slowly set down the glass of water he’d been about to sip from. “Has anyone checked in with Havers to make sure he’s still monitoring the perimeters?”

  “Havers,” Dathan said aloud. “What’s the current status?”

  We waited for Havers to report in. I extended my hearing to other parts of the building… Nothing. Nothing at all.

  “Where is everyone?” Zack glanced around, then cautiously ascended from his chair. After a moment, he zoomed to the doorway of our private dining area. He halted, listened for an instant, and then he was gone.

  “Damn it, Zack.” Renzo bolted out of the room after him.

  They returned seconds later, both hovering close by while not exposing their backs to the open wall. “Not a soul around. Not on this floor anyway.”

  “Ah, hell.” My dad pushed off his chair, reaching for my mom’s hand. My heart pounded.

  “Havers responded. He insists that the cameras are in good working order.” Dathan slowly pivoted in his chair, taking in the every corner of the area.

  My mom stiffened, on alert. “Considering the silence, I doubt that’s the case. There’s no way they could all vanish without someone being inside and Havers spotting something.”

  “Oh, no.” My dad’s face fell. “Natasha.”

  Dathan grasped my dad’s arm
before he could move. “Talk to her first. If she’s still in her suite, get her to stay there. That’s the safest place for her to be.”

  My mom muttered a curse. “Natasha answered. I strongly suggested she stay put.”

  “As did I.” My dad scowled. “She’ll stay. I hope.”

  “If she listens, it’s temporary.” Dathan peered out the door and surveyed the edges of the room. “Natasha is too noble and, as we already know, that’s her flaw. Not to sound repetitive, but Ulric and his men will attack soon, so it’s important we stay togeth—”

  Glass shattered from the skylight above, followed by a whirring noise. I jumped out of the way just as a headless body crashed into the table.

  Chapter SEVENTEEN

  Autumn

  Shards of glass sprayed through the air. Food and plates shattered to the floor. By the smell, the headless body used to be a shape-shifter. But without a head, I had no idea who. A quick glance above revealed that someone had previously opened the hatch, leaving glass as the only barrier for intruders.

  I backed up as a woman dropped from the broken skylight and landed on her feet. She offered us a smug look and then three more werewolves joined, dropping with a thud. Dathan vaulted and latched onto a rafter above. While he battled another werewolf trying to get through, he somehow clung to the ceiling and struck at anyone who got near the opening. You guys are on your own until I get this thing shut.

  The four werewolves sneered and stepped toward us. Obviously, they didn’t feel at a disadvantage, even being outnumbered with my parents, Renzo, Zack and me. Renzo brandished a dagger and I reached into my waistband for a throwing knife.

  My dad swung an arm, shielding me and impelling me backward. Using his free hand, he whipped out a pistol with one of the biggest barrels I’d ever seen. “It won’t kill you but it’ll do some serious damage. Who wants it first?”

  My eyes searched for Zack. Where did you go?

  Getting weapons. He reappeared a split second later holding a huge rifle. “This won’t kill you either. But I know from personal experience it’ll knock you out for an hour or so.”