“I was too young the last time I saw him.” His gaze returned to the box of his dad’s books sitting by the couch.
I didn’t think Zack would be up for idle conversation. Or for me grilling him more on our kind and I was exhausted anyway. I waited a beat, not wanting to barge in on his private moment. “I’m glad he wasn’t a bad guy.” I rose from the couch, my SWAAST book in hand. “Well, goodnight.”
He gave me a half smile.
I made my way up the stairs with the book. Part way up, I glanced back. Zack rifled through the box like he was searching for something specific. He stopped and stared at a book intently while taking it with him to the couch.
† † †
“Autumn. Wake up.”
My eyelids fought me, but I eventually triumphed and squinted at the intruder. “What?” I croaked.
“We’re going to be late for school if you don’t get up.” He vanished from the doorway and I struggled to clear the cobwebs. I’d started the book, gotten my second wind and stayed up way too late reading it.
I sprung from my bed, pinned up my hair since I didn’t have time to wash it, then jumped in the shower. When I was ready, Zack was waiting by the door.
“Don’t you have an alarm clock?” he asked.
“My dad always woke me up.”
He rolled his eyes. “Great. I’ve replaced your dad.”
“If the shoe fits.” I snorted. “You are the one who insists on being just friends.”
We arrived at the driver’s side of my car and I raised my brows. He shook his head and rounded the hood to the passenger side.
On the way to school, I thought about the book I’d started last night. “So apparently, your people and mine don’t hook up because supposedly, mating makes both of them weaker.”
Zack cocked his head. “Yeah, I remember reading that. Didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, since I didn’t know any shape shifters.”
“So if we made out, you could lose to Daniel in a fight, because I made you weaker?” I spared him a quick glance.
Zack shrugged. “I guess. But by mating they probably mean… you know. Not just making out.”
“But you’re not positive, right? It could be physical contact and kissing. Why didn’t you tell me before we fooled around?” I made a turn, wondering what else Zack had neglected to tell me.
“If that’s all it took, we’d already feel weaker. And anyway, things like that don’t occur to guys when they’re kissing a hot girl. Besides, I read it like two years ago and forgot about it, ’cause I had no reason to think it would ever be an issue.”
That was understandable. “It’s odd — mating making us weaker.” I stopped for a red light and studied Zack. “Could be just a calculated rumor to prevent forbidden love.”
“Agreed. But since you and I defy the norm, who are we to say what’s possible and what isn’t? It could be some chemical reaction that sucks away our powers.”
Maybe. Maybe not. “What if it’s not true? According to the book, there are no documented cases except from the king’s court. He doesn’t like us and uses us as slaves. That’s not very objective.” I drove the Mustang past the gate and into the school parking lot.
“Yeah, but what if it is true? I don’t think any shifter or werewolf would be crazy enough to risk it. Oh, and from what I remember, socializing at all is illegal. You’ll read about that soon in one of those books.”
That was news to me. “So we’ve already broken the law?” I cruised by rows of cars until I found a spot wide enough to hopefully prevent any car doors opening and dinging my Mustang.
“Yeah. Like I don’t already have enough problems with the scouts. If we get caught breaking the law, the scouts taking me to the king will be the least of my problems.”
I stared at him, shocked. “Zack, you could be killed.”
He opened the car door, then stopped to eye me. “Then you’d better not let anyone find out you’re not human.”
As he hopped out of the car, I realized what he was risking. His life. For me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I parked in the school lot, my mind stuck on what Zack had just said. So he and I being together as boyfriend and girlfriend wasn’t a matter of choice anymore? I couldn’t hope Zack would fall violently in love with me and take me on the run with him, because even if he did, we couldn’t do anything about it or we’d lose our strength and be easy targets. The future, the world and everything in it suddenly seemed so pointless and dismal.
I needed to move. But my limbs felt too heavy.