“Oh.” I felt bad for bringing it up. “But if you have no experience with shape-shifters, how do you know so much?”
“Books.” He perked up, a smile forming. “My dad left me a box of things and made my mom promise to keep them forever. It was a whole box of stuff — old yellowing pages with drawings of werewolves, stories of legends and werewolf law. I think my dad knew there was a chance he wouldn’t be around and wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. I loved those books. Not because they represented a world I could escape into, but because my dad left them for me.”
I followed him as he weaved through the trees. “And when strange things started happening to your body, you realized everything you’d read in the books was real, that your dad left them to guide you.”
Zack glanced over his shoulder, smiling. “Yeah. There’s info on shape-shifters too, but I didn’t study that as hard, since it didn’t apply. Tomorrow, after school, I’ll drop you off at my house and you can read them while you wait for me to come home from work.”
I giggled. He made me sound like his wife. “Yes, honey.”
“Let’s run.” He leaped, turning into a wolf in midair and leaving his clothes behind. I chased after him.
† † †
“Next time I bark twice, that means turn around,” Zack enunciated slowly. “I’m tired of dressing in the bushes.”
“Sorry.” I dropped the house key on the kitchen table. “I thought you were trying to tell me something.”
He blew out his breath. “I was!”
I suppressed a giggle. “Sorry. I’ll remember next time.”
He turned the deadbolt on the front door. “Stay here and I’ll check the house.”
Zack moved so fast, my eyes barely kept up. He made a blur as he zoomed upstairs, stayed there for several seconds, then downstairs again to zip from window to window.
“All clear.” He stopped in front of me. “It’s late. We should get to bed.”
Bed. Zack. Bed. “Okay.” I stared at him.
“Maybe you should show me where I’ll be sleeping?” He looked at me expectantly.
“Right. My dad’s office has a futon that might give you more room than the couch.”
He mulled that over. “Where’s your dad’s office?”
“Across from my room.” Maybe Zack would be tempted in the middle of the night…
“I’ll take the sofa,” he said quickly. “Got a blanket?”
No stranger to disappointment where Zack was concerned, I found a sheet, a couple pillows and a soft, clean blanket in the hallway cabinet. I brought them to him and pointed in the opposite direction. “You can use the bathroom down there.”
“I remember where it is.” His eyes fixed on mine.
I shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I guess it’s goodnight then.” I paused a moment and turned to go.
“Autumn.”
I stopped and turned back, my chest swelling with hope. “Yes?”
“Don’t lock your door. Don’t even close it.” Our eyes met and the seconds passed. “If anyone comes for you, I need to be able to hear. Goodnight.”
Fear nipped at me. How would I be able to sleep thinking Daniel might come after me? I nodded and headed up the stairs.
In my bed, I stared at the ceiling and prayed sleep would come. Anytime I heard a noise, my head flipped toward my window to make sure nobody was trying to break in. Plus, I kept expecting Zack to sneak into my room. Actually, I wasn’t expecting it to happen. I knew him too well to think he was that easy.
But I hoped.
† † †
The smell of unwashed wolf closed in on me, fur tickling my skin and fetid breath in my face. I trembled, hot tears burning my eyes. The wolf snarled and I scrambled back as he leapt toward me.
“Autumn. Autumn, wake up.” Zack pulled me off the pillow by my shoulders.
I lifted my head and rubbed my eyes, trying to wipe away the mental fuzz. But I was aware enough to notice my comforter wasn’t anywhere near us, certainly not separating me from him. I must have kicked it off during my nightmare.
“Are you okay?” Zack was sitting directly in front of me, his thighs straddling mine, heat from his bare skin radiating through me.
I nodded.
He exhaled in relief and leaned back to sit on his heels. “Heard you scream and I ran up here. Been calling your name over and over, but you wouldn’t wake up. Scared me for a minute there.”
I’d been having that same dream where I was being chased. “I was running from wolves.”
He brushed a finger down my cheek. “It was just a dream.”