Page 28 of Falling for the Werewolf
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.
“Amandaispregnant,” 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.
