Page 24 of Falling for the Werewolf
Chapter 8 – The Storm
Jace was still feeling pretty damn good a couple of hours later ... until he answered the door and came face to face with his uncle.
Amos had a look on his face that Jace had never seen before, at least not directed at him. A cross between anger and disappointment. Jace couldn’t fathom what was behind it. His day thus far had consisted of a lazy morning spent with Dani in his arms, snuggling and catching a few more hours of sleep. Amos couldn’t be pissed at that, not when Jace had confirmed that Dani was his mate.
“Is Dani home safe?” Amos asked gruffly, his words unnaturally clipped.
Jace nodded. “I took her home a little over an hour ago. Why? What’s going on?”
Amos’s jaw clenched. “Seen Amanda lately?”
Jace’s sense of Zen evaporated rapidly. “Not intentionally. I spotted her at the fair last night, but avoided her. Why?”
“Well, she saw you, Jace. You and Dani.”
“So?” he asked, a sense of dread pooling in his stomach. When Amanda’s name entered a conversation, it usually wasn’t a good thing.
“She came by earlier ... when Dani was still here.”
Jace’s face paled. “Amanda washere?”
Amos nodded. “I intercepted her before she made it all the way around back. Told her that you weren’t here; that I sent you up to Rockford to pick up some custom panels.”
“Thanks, Amos. Does she know who Dani is?” Making his life miserable was one thing, but he wouldn’t stand for Amanda targeting Dani or her aunt.
“Didn’t seem to. She was asking me a lot of questions about the woman you were with. I didn’t tell her anything, but it won’t take her long to find out. This town’s not that big, and Amanda is a woman on a mission.”
“I’ll go talk to her after I grab a quick shower. Iwilltake care of this, Amos.”
“Ain’t gonna be that easy, son. Amanda’s saying she’s carrying your baby.”
“She’swhat!”
Amos sighed a sad, weary sigh, suddenly looking ten years older. “She says you got her pregnant. Any chance that’s true?”
Jace shook his head in denial. They had only been together a few times, and he had used a condom each time. Except ... Except for the night three months ago when he had told her they were through. She had caused such a scene that he ended up going out and getting drunk, only to wake up naked in the back of his truck. He didn’t remember any of it, but she had told him they’d had epic breakup sex ...
Jace felt like he was going to be sick. He dropped into the nearest chair and held his head in his hands. “This can’t be happening.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Ah, fuck, Amos. I was drunk. She said we did, but I can’t remember ...”
Amos was so quiet that Jace thought he might have left. It startled him when the older man spoke, slowly and clearly. “So, she could be lying?”
Jace looked at him, stunned. Would she really stoop that low?
The answer was a sinking feeling in his gut. Yes, she would.
Amos sat down across from him. “Why don’t you tell me what you do remember from that night and maybe we can make some sense out of it together?”
His uncle’s words offered hope. In addition to being a hell of a good man, Amos was a cunning and clever wolf. There was no one Jace would rather have on his side if Amanda was orchestrating some elaborate deception, which unfortunately, was exactly something Amanda would do if she thought it would get her what she wanted.
Jace began by telling Amos how he had taken Amanda out to a quiet, out-of-the-way restaurant to end things between them. How she had gotten so upset she started causing a scene right there at the restaurant until they had been asked to leave.
“Did you take her home?”
“No, we drove separately. I got in the truck and took off the minute I saw she was safely inside her car. I drove up the mountain, went for a run, then ended up at Tommy’s.”
