Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set (90 page)

Daniel’s hands balled into fists. “No, it’s too strong. She’s close by.”

“You think I’d bring a human on a run and let her see me morph? Whoever turned you should’ve clued you in on the rules by now. Look around if you want though. Keep in mind that I’m staying at her house these days and she’s
incredibly
hot.” Zack grinned. “Can you think of
any
reason why her scent would be all over me?”

Daniel stiffened, took a step closer and hissed, “I warned you that I wasn’t finished with Autumn.”

“She’s
mine
now. Stay away from her.”

I knew Zack was only trying to get Daniel to give up on me, but Zack’s words
she’s mine now
sent a thrill through my bones anyway.

Daniel growled.

“Careful.” Zack angled his body to better dodge an attack. “I’ve been a werewolf my entire life. Which means I’ve had eighteen more years than you to build up strength.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Daniel backed up ever so slightly, like he was about to spring.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“I’m disappointed in you, Daniel.”

From the cover of the tree, I scanned the vicinity for the body belonging to the vaguely familiar voice. The next moment, he appeared beside Daniel — the man we’d seen at the dealership dressed in black. But today, he wore faded jeans and a T-shirt. Zack had said he was a scout and had probably been the one to bite Daniel. By his presence now, I guessed Zack was right.

“There’s a time and place for everything but
I
say when and where.” The scout held perfectly still just before his hand struck out. The force of the blow lifted Daniel off the ground, sending him crashing into a tree trunk. “I could end you as easily as I made you. Do not force me to remind you again.” He motioned for Daniel to come, then turned on his heel and strode away.

Daniel rose and followed, his eyes shooting daggers at Zack over his shoulder. When I was sure they were long gone, I dropped to the ground.

“
It’s getting crowded around here
,” Zack told me silently. “
We need to find a new place to run,
” Zack said as we headed back to my house.

“
So you’ve been morphing since you were born
?” I asked, pretty sure I’d heard Zack tell me a different story.

“
No, just the last couple years
.” He moved a branch out of the way for me.

I hurried past him, avoiding the end of the branch. “
That’s not the impression you gave Daniel
.”

“
I told him the truth. He can take it however he wants. I learned that from you.
” Zack flashed me a grin. “
But I’d probably still be stronger, because I’ve got two years on him
.”

“
You think that makes a difference
?” I sidestepped to avoid an overgrown tree root.

He shrugged. “
I would think so
.”

We arrived at the field and took off running to my house. Once home, I wasn’t sure I had the energy for anything but a quick shower and maybe a few pages of reading. Zack retrieved his blanket and pillow from the closet while I disappeared upstairs.

Energized after my shower, I changed into a tiny pair of flannel shorts and a spaghetti strap tank, then headed downstairs for water. The scents of soap and shampoo wafted from the bathroom and tickled my nose. Zack was lying on the couch, his hair wet and disheveled. Yum.

Propping his top half up on his elbows, he eyed me as I hit the landing.

“Everything okay?” I asked, wondering what the chances were of making out with him again.

“Yeah, sure. Just winding down.” Zack looked around the room, anywhere but at me. “I was about to call it a night.”

“Is the couch okay? Need anything?” I passed through the living room toward the kitchen doorway.

“I’m fine, thanks.” Avoiding my gaze, he reached to the floor and picked up a book.

I was about to step into the kitchen when I caught him staring at my legs, so I paused.

His eye twitched. “Do me a favor and put on some real pajamas, okay?”

Biting my lip, I pretended to mull it over, then scrunched up my nose. “I have to cover up and you get to run around with that six-pack exposed?”

“I get hot at night.”

I couldn’t have agreed more, which made me want to throw myself at him. Jolting back to reality, I trudged to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. Not wanting to appear desperate, I did my best to keep my eyes off him.

Who was I kidding? He looked too good not to get my fill. I wanted to drink him up. Glass in hand, I stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room and observed him while I sipped the cool liquid. He studied me, leaning against a pillow with his hands behind his head. From where I stood, I could hear his breathing change, his heart speed up.

My veins hummed just looking at Zack. Instinct told me that if I pressed, he wouldn’t resist. But I didn’t want him that way. I wanted him to want me without reservations. Most of all, I didn’t want to be rejected again.

“Well, sweet dreams.” Gulping the rest of the water, I set the cup on the counter and sprinted up the stairs.

† † †

Zack dropped me off at his house the next day after school and went to work. Once I finished my homework, I asked Cara and Favianne if they needed help with anything. They didn’t. Bored, I rifled through Zack’s backpack in search of notes that would tell me his assignments. I found them and did all his homework, fairly sure he’d get an A on everything. I checked in with Cara again and she asked me to set the table. As I placed the last plate, I heard Zack arrive in the Mustang.

“Honey, I’m home,” he called out as he came through the door.

I chuckled. “Supper’s about ready, dear.”

When dinner was over, we spent some time with his mom, then gathered our things and went to my house.

“Why don’t I morph?” I asked, leaning against a wall in the living room. Zack had the couch. I could’ve taken my dad’s recliner, but even that was too close. Too comfortable. The temptation to flirt with Zack was too much.

“Everyone’s different. I started noticing changes when I was sixteen. This was right after my mom quit working, because she kept getting sick. It was stressful having a job, doing the grocery shopping and everything else while worrying about my mom. From what I’ve learned so far, stress can bring on the first morph. It was another two weeks before I turned into a wolf though.”

I recalled the first day I’d noticed changes. I’d just learned we’d be moving again and then I’d gotten grounded. The next day, I had the run-in with Zack, then Gina got pissed off at me and later Daniel douched it up at my expense.

“You must’ve completely freaked the first time you morphed,” I said.

“It was strange,” Zack agreed. “But I had so much energy and this wild urge to… I don’t know. One time I took off running and in my mind I was a wolf. I
needed
to be a wolf. And an instant later, I really was. It felt natural. Instinct, I guess.”

I didn’t feel any of those things, except the extra energy and the running part. “I haven’t had the urge to morph.”

“You probably won’t. Shape-shifters are different. Relax. It’ll come.”

I shook my head. The sooner I learned to change into a bear or some other dangerous animal, the sooner I could protect myself. “I’d like to try
now
.”

“Go for it.” Zack pointed to his temple. “It’s all in here.”

“What if I can’t change back? I’m afraid I might get stuck.”

He chuckled. “Not gonna happen. If you can change once, you can change again. Once you morph, you’ll see.”

“Okay, here goes nothing.” Focusing everything I had into being a wolf, my body heated up and a tingle that felt like it might turn into a headache traveled up the base of my neck.

“You’re trying too hard,” he said after a moment. “Think soothing thoughts and picture a specific animal. Visualize it.
Be
it. You have to
know
you can do it.”

I imagined myself as a wolf.
I am a wolf… a wolf… a wolf.
I opened my eyes and held out my arms. They were blurry, almost translucent. It felt… like I was
meant
to morph. Peaceful.

“Yes,” Zack whispered. “That’s it.”

My arms steadied and became normal again.

“Sorry. I guess I distracted you. Try again. This time I’ll be quiet. Go on,” Zack coaxed.

I focused again, the exact same way. The vibrations started, only this time, more controlled. Then, my body became lighter, almost weightless. Suddenly, I stood on all fours and the world appeared a lot different. Black and white, mostly. Ugh. I wanted to run now, but couldn’t in the living room. I felt trapped and claustrophobic.

I thought about being human again, and the next moment, I was.

I felt the chill across my naked flesh and screamed. Zack gaped as I hunched over to cover myself. “The least you could do is look away,” I hissed.

He turned around.

“You could’ve warned me.” Snatching my clothes, I disappeared behind the recliner and threw on my shirt. My pants weren’t on yet, but Zack couldn’t see beyond the furniture. “You can look now.”

“Kind of like when I was barking for you to turn around and ended up having to dress in the bushes. Twice.” Zack raised a brow.

“Okay, Zack. Now we’re even,” I said, zipping up my jeans and sitting next to him on the couch. I was so irritated that I knew nothing could possibly happen between us now. Which made the close proximity to him totally safe.

“I wasn’t trying to get even for the times I morphed and you forgot to turn around. I wouldn’t do that on purpose.” His eyes were riveted to mine. “Besides, there are less sneaky ways of getting you naked.”

Why was I thinking the couch would be safe? This yo-yo business was getting painful. Standing up, I struggled to concentrate as I leaned against the recliner. “So it’s always like that? You shift back buck naked? Kind of inconvenient, isn’t it?”

“I never worried about it, because I’ve always been alone when I morphed.” He shrugged. “If you wore one hundred percent cotton or linen — something from nature, or close — it would shift with you. When you’re human again, you’re fully dressed.”

“Seriously?” That was great news. “I see a shopping spree in my future.”

My first morph. I’d done it. I inched forward to sit on the arm of the recliner that was nearest to Zack. “What else should I know about us?”

“There’s not much more.” He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. “Except that werewolves aren’t very nice. According to one of my books that documented various crimes throughout history, all the really violent periods, werewolves were responsible. Like the Spanish Inquisition and Hitler, Charles Manson — they were all werewolves. The very worst of mankind weren’t really men at all. They were monsters.”

“But there are good ones, too.” Zack was proof of that. “Like you.”

“Sometimes I’m not good.” He looked at me, his eyes intense. Hungry.

I swallowed hard, staring at him.

He let his head fall back against the couch and closed his eyes. When he focused on me again, his eyes were clear.

“Of course you’re good. You always try to do right by me.”

“Which isn’t easy,” Zack said. “You’re like fast food.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms. “How’s that?”

“You know it’s not a good idea, but you keep coming back for more anyway.”

I wanted to get mad at Zack, be offended. But if he was compelled to spend time with me and even wanted to kiss me, how could that be a bad thing?

“I see why Daniel won’t go away.”

Now he’d gone and ruined my good mood by bringing
him
up.

Zack groaned. “Totally off the subject, but I just remembered I still have homework to do.”

“I did it while you were at work.”

Zack beamed. “You did my homework for me?”

Nodding, I returned his smile.

“Wow,” he said. “Thanks.”

Zack was openly staring and the longer he did, the more I wanted to kiss him. I pretended there were bars between us that were impossible to squeeze through. I would not invite him in, because if I did, surely we’d make out and I’d get my heart crushed all over again.

He rose from the couch, but when I sidestepped off the arm of the recliner to avoid him, he paused and seemed to shake it off. “Let’s go for a run,” he said. “I’m thinking of a spot more private, but we need a car. Mind if I drive?”

“Sure.” I dashed upstairs to change, wondering where he’d pick. And wishing I wasn’t so excited to be going into the woods with him.

† † †

We drove with the top down, so I gathered my hair in a ponytail and enjoyed the night air infused with the scent of pine.