Falling for the Werewolf: A Wolf Shifter Romance

by Abbie Zanders

  “What now?” Jace asked as Amos listened, his face getting angrier with each passing second.

  “Forget Amanda right now. Swing by Bess’s place first.”

  “What the hell happened, Amos?”

  Amos’s face was grim. “Amanda paid Dani a visit today and told her she’s carrying your kid. Dani went out for a walk, and Bess hasn’t seen her since.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Jace pushed down on the accelerator as they sped back toward town.

  * * *

  Dani had no idea how long she had been walking. One foot just fell in front of the other while her mind churned, trying to wrap itself around the events of the last twenty-four hours. Was it only this morning that she had naively thought how perfect her life was?

  She had been hurt when she found out about her ex and her best friend, but hadn’t she also felt some measure of relief? The kind that comes with the knowledge that you narrowly avoided something tragic?

  Marrying Todd would have been tragic. He was nice, handsome, and he had a good job. He treated her well—well, except for the sleeping with her friend part. They would have been content together, but never happy. Dani hadn’t known what true happiness was until she met Jace.

  She knew it was crazy to feel so strongly about someone in such a short amount of time, but there it was. People could scoff at the concept of love at first sight; she might have joined in if she hadn’t experienced it for herself. Yet, here she was.

  Losing Todd had opened new doors for her heart. Losing Jace would lock her heart in a dungeon for the rest of her life.

  Believe in him. Fight for him, a tiny voice inside her heart told her.

  Another voice, the much-stronger voice of self-doubt, whispered in her head, What if Amanda is right? She is his kind; you’re not. Oh, and let’s not forget that she says she’s pregnant ... with Jace’s baby.

  Even if Jace had tried to end things with Amanda, he was still a member of the Kenner’s Mills pack. While Dani didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of pack hierarchy, she knew enough to know that the Alpha was at the top of it and had the power to make life difficult for Jace.

  Unless Jace decided to pack up and leave, Amanda, and their child, would always be a part of his life. Could she deal with that?

  Dani put her hand on her own belly. What if Jace had gotten her pregnant? They hadn’t used any protection. Even now, she couldn’t regret it. What would be the worst that could happen? That Jace would leave her with a part of him?

  As devastating as Amanda’s bombshell was, Dani couldn’t really be angry with Jace. It wasn’t like he had willingly betrayed her, as Todd had. Jace hadn’t even known her until a few weeks ago. What did she expect? That a gorgeous, sexy man like him would have been waiting chastely on the sidelines for her to come along? The very idea was ridiculous. But it still hurt.

  Dani found herself at the fairgrounds, now strangely empty except for the occasional piece of trash, but even most of that had been cleaned up. Twenty-four hours ago, this place had been filled with stands, people, lights, rides, games. Twenty-four hours ago, she had walked this same path, hand in hand with Jace, feeling on top of the world. Now her heart felt as empty and worn as the trodden grass all around her.

  Dani looked out over the lake. In the twilight, she could see the floating platform where they had launched the fireworks bobbing in the light swells. She tried to remember the angle from which they had viewed them with the lights of the fair in the background and cast her gaze along the mountainside.

  There! If she looked really hard, she could see the tiniest indication of a clearing about halfway up, barely visible from where she now stood. It would have been impossible to see had she not known what she was looking for.

  Dani turned and headed in that direction. Her legs were tired, but she still had a lot of thinking to do. Maybe things would appear clearer from there.

  * * *

  “Try her cell again,” Jace said as he paced back and forth in Bess’s kitchen.

  Bess patiently hit the redial, disconnecting when it went immediately to voicemail. She shook her head in answer to Jace’s hopeful gaze.

  He and Amos had filled Bess in on everything they had found out, and Bess had shared some information of her own.

  “Amanda is pregnant,” she had told them, refusing to say exactly how she knew that. If Bess said something was true, it was. She had lived there her entire life and knew everyone in town. If she needed information, there was no shortage of people willing to provide it.

  As each hour passed, Jace became increasingly convinced that Amanda had set up this whole elaborate plan with the intent of forcing him into marriage. The question was: why?

  Amanda’s family was practically royalty in Kenner’s Mills and the surrounding community. Descended from those who had settled the area centuries earlier, they were wealthy and influential. What could she hope to gain by setting her sights on him?

  Not for one minute did he believe she was in love with him. Beyond physical attraction, there was nothing there, other than possibly bragging rights and a chance to rebel against her powerful father. That, and the fact she didn’t like to be told “no.” Jace couldn’t help wondering if anyone had ever actually denied the spoiled princess anything.

  Was that enough motivation to go through all this? She couldn’t possibly believe they would have a happy future together. Did she think telling everyone she was carrying his baby was going to change that?

  If anything, it made him realize just how unappealing she was. The fact that she had gone out of her way to tell Dani before him further suggested that Amanda’s primary goal was not to win his heart, but to hurt him and/or Dani. In that respect, Amanda had succeeded.

  With each hour they didn’t hear from Dani, Jace grew increasingly worried. He was going to confront Amanda and put an end to this shit, but not until he knew Dani was safe.

  “I can’t lose her, Amos,” Jace said.

  “Did you check the senior center? The diner?” Amos asked again for the dozenth time.

  “Yes,” Bess said wearily. “I don’t know where else she could have gone. Last night was the first time she had gone out since she’s been here.”

  Something sparked in Jace’s brain. “Amos, I have an idea. Stay here with Bess and call me immediately if you hear from her.”

  Before either Amos or Bess could respond, Jace was out the door, climbing into the truck and racing away down the street.

  Amos put his arm around Bess. “Never seen a boy so in love.”

  Bess leaned into him. “You should have seen Dani. I swear I heard her heart break all the way out in the backyard. We have to help them, Amos.”

  Amos nodded and pulled her closer. “We will, Bess. She’s his mate. He’s not going to let her go.”

  * * *

  Jace parked the truck at the base of the mountain. As soon as he was out of sight, he undressed, stuffed his clothes into the small bag he had brought with him, and shifted into his wolf form. After slipping the pack around his neck, he put his nose to the ground, immediately picking up her scent. He scaled the path they had taken the night before, moving faster on four feet than he could have on two.

  The light was fading fast, especially among the tall evergreens that surrounded the tiny clearing. When he saw Dani sitting on the rock looking out over the lake, he nearly howled with relief. Not wanting to scare her since he had yet to show her his wolf, he shifted back into his human form and dressed before revealing himself.

  “Dani.”

  She didn’t turn around, didn’t give any indication that she had heard him, but he caught the shadowy movement of her wiping her face with the back of her hand.

  He covered the distance between them in a few long strides. Even in the shadows, he could see the shine of tears on her cheeks.

  “I am so sorry,” he said, knowing how woefully inadequate it was.

  “Did you ask her to marry you?” she asked quietly, her voice thick from crying.
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br />   “No,” he answered honestly.

  “Is Amanda pregnant?”

  “Yes.” He heard the slight hitch in her breath.

  “Is it your baby?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  A choked sob came from her throat. “You don’t think so?” Dani subconsciously put her hand on her belly protectively. The movement was not lost on Jace. He knew what she was thinking, and it was ripping him apart inside.

  “It’s ... complicated.”

  Dani simply nodded wearily. “That’s what Todd said, too.”

  “Don’t compare me to him,” Jace growled. “It’s not the same thing.”

  “I know,” she agreed softly. “But I need time to process this, and I’d rather do it alone. I can’t think with you this close, Jace. Please.”

  When he remained exactly where he was, she said, “Did you hear me? I asked you to go.”

  “I heard you, but I’m not leaving you up here alone. It’ll be dark soon.”

  “Why not? Are you afraid someone will come along and take advantage of me?”

  Her words sliced through him like sharp blades. He felt the pain seconds after her actual strike. He clenched his teeth, willing his beast to stay back.

  “Is that what you think? That I took advantage of you? Because I remember things differently. You were right there with me, Dani. You wanted it every bit as much as I did.”

  * * *

  Dani wanted to be angry with him, but the truth was, he was right. She had been right there with him. She had wanted it as much as he had. She still did.

  It wasn’t fair, she knew, but dammit, she was hurting and angry, not even at him, really, but at the whole situation. What did the universe have against her, anyway?

  She stood up, looking down at the lake below. It looked so beautiful, so peaceful, dark and cool in the last rays of the sunshine. Jace had told her how he and his brothers used to dive from this very rock whenever they came out to visit their uncle.

  How wonderful would it feel to just throw herself into the water? To simply leap into the air, become free and weightless, then slice through the cool, spring fed waters? To leave everything behind—all the pain, the ache, Jace—if only for a few brief moments?

  “Don’t even think about it,” Jace warned. She heard the uncertainty, the warning in his voice. Did he know what she was thinking? Was he so attuned to her that he could sense it?

  “Go home, Jace.”

  “We both know that’s not going to happen. Look, I get that you don’t want to talk to me right now, even though that’s exactly what we should be doing. But I’m willing to give you some time ... on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Let me take you back to Bess’s, where I know you’ll be safe. Then I’ll leave until you’re ready to talk to me.”

  The skies rumbled overhead with the promise of an approaching storm. While it matched her mood, the thought of making the long walk back to her aunt’s in the rain wasn’t a pleasant one.

  She nodded. “All right.”

  * * *

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Jace walked Dani down the path and to his truck. By the time they pulled into Bess’s driveway, the wind had picked up and the first fat drops had already begun to fall.

  He walked her to the door, jamming his hands into his pockets to keep from pulling her into his arms. Instead, Bess put her arm around Dani’s shoulders and the two of them walked up the steps. Dani didn’t spare him a backward glance.

  “It’ll all work out, son,” Amos said, clamping a hand down on Jace’s shoulder. “Give her some time. Neither one of you are up for this right now. I promise you, she’s in good hands.”

  Jace knew Amos was right, but he didn’t want to leave. At least he knew where she was now, that she was safe, and that Bess would take care of her until he could do so himself. Until then, he was going to straighten this mess out.

  Chapter 10 – Just When You Thought Things Couldn’t Get Any Worse

  After a day and a half of moping, Dani really didn’t feel like heading to the senior center for her afternoon class. She had barely slept a wink all night, her tortured thoughts refusing to give her any peace.

  The storm had raged throughout the night, each strike of lightning searing her heart, the howling horizontal winds a stark reminder of just how quickly a beautiful day could turn into a nightmare.

  Bess kept coming in to check on her and see if she wanted to talk. Dani appreciated the effort, but she had grown up without a mom and had learned early on how to internalize her emotions and deal them on her own. Her father and her brother loved her without a doubt, but they were typical guys. Discussing feelings and matters of the heart was not their forte, and early attempts to do so in her adolescent years had just made things uncomfortable for everyone.

  Dani heard Bess on the phone once or twice with Amos, sure that she was giving him updates. She was touched that they cared so much, but this was something she had to work through herself. They couldn’t tell her the things she really needed to know, like whether or not she had been a naive fool for allowing herself to fall so hard and fast for Jace, or whether or not this sudden and brilliant passion between them could stand the test of time. And, assuming it could, could she see herself standing by Jace’s side with Amanda and their child on the other?

  Around noon, she forced herself out of bed, showered, and dressed. As she reached the bottom of the steps, Bess was just hanging up the phone.

  “Class has been cancelled,” Bess said, her lips curving down into a frown.

  “Cancelled?”

  Bess nodded. “That was the director at the senior center. She said they’ve decided not to continue with your classes.”

  “Oh.” Dani didn’t know what else to say, so she turned around and walked back up the steps.

  In her room, she slipped out of her clothes and crawled back into bed, staring at the wall until an exhausted, dreamless sleep finally took her.

  A few days later, the official rejection notice from the local school district arrived, informing Dani that they would not be calling her in for a follow-up interview, after all. It was the first of several delivered by the postman that week.

  One week turned into two. Then three. She missed Jace terribly.

  He had kept his word; he hadn’t tried to contact her once while she tried to sort things out. Was he suffering as much as she was?

  Things had happened so quickly with Jace. It was hard to believe she could feel so much so quickly, and after what happened with Todd, she wanted to be sure.

  Dani slipped down to the kitchen one afternoon for a bottle of water and overheard Bess and Amos on the deck.

  “I know that little witch is behind it,” Bess was telling Amos angrily. “Her father is on the school board and he’s a member of the board at the senior center. I bet he’s the one who put a stop to Dani’s classes.”

  Amos grunted in agreement. “That’s not all of it. Jace has received three more job offers this week, all promising two to three times their original salary offer.”

  “How is he doing?”

  “Not good,” Amos said truthfully. “He confronted Amanda. She insists the baby is his. Says if he doesn’t marry her, she’s considering terminating the pregnancy, because it would bring shame to the pack.”

  “Oh, Amos,” Bess cried. “How could she even think of such a thing?”

  “It’s got Jace beside himself. Doesn’t give a lick for Amanda, but can’t bear the thought of what she’s talking about, especially if it is his child.”

  “So, it might actually be his?”

  “Jace doesn’t think so, but he’s not willing to take that chance, and I can’t blame him. How’s Dani?”

  “The same,” Bess admitted with a sigh. “She’s making herself sick. I heard her throwing up in the bathroom this morning. And yesterday, she asked me to mail a stack of resumes for her, but the addresses weren’t close by. I’m worried, Amos.”

 
; Amos blew out a breath. “I’ve offered Jace a full partnership in the business.”

  “That’s wonderful! He’s accepted, of course.”

  “No, he hasn’t,” Amos said worriedly. “He’s actually considering one of those jobs in the city. Said it’ll be easier if he has to support a child.”

  “Amanda’s family has more than enough money for that.”

  “It’s more than the money, Bess. It’s about pride and taking care of your own. No shifter worth his salt would allow anything less.”

  Bess looked ashamed. “I’m sorry, Amos. I know that. And so does Amanda, which is no doubt why she’s doing it. Oh, Amos,” she said, leaning into him. “What are we going to do?”

  Dani turned and walked silently back to her room. Minutes later, she stared unseeingly out the window as she tore the thin cardboard box into tiny pieces until it was impossible to tell what it had been. The little white stick was snapped, wrapped in toilet paper, and stuffed inside a paper cup.

  There was no more guessing, no more waiting. Dani was pregnant.

  “Mr. Stevens?”

  Amos and Bess both started as Dani called to him from the stairs. Amos had his hand on the door, ready to leave.

  “Dani!” Bess exclaimed, rushing to her side. “Are you feeling better, sweetheart? Can I get you anything?”

  “I’m fine, Aunt Bess,” she said with a weak smile. “I really need to talk to Jace. Can you give me a ride, Mr. Stevens?”

  “Of course.”

  Dani fidgeted during the short ride over, trying to work out exactly what she was going to say. By the time they arrived, she still hadn’t quite figured it out. She decided to just tell him and take it from there.

  Her heart pounding, she knocked on the door to Jace’s apartment over the garage. It nearly stopped completely when he answered the door, looking every bit as miserable as she was.

  Scruff covered his strong jaw, and his handsome features were haggard and weary, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well, either.

  “May I come in?” she asked quietly.

  Jace wasted no time. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as if he had never expected to do so again.