Page 77 of Facade

“If your mate is here, whose truck is that?” Roger asked.

“Her first mate is Jace, the monitor for the shifter dorm,” Heath answered. “The truck is his.”

“Oh, Jace is a good guy,” Brady commented. “Is it just the two of you, then?”

“She has at least one more mate whom she hasn’t met yet,” Heath replied. “Jace and I are getting along well, so I’m not worried on that end.”

“Wolverine shifters are extremely loyal and devoted,” Nadine said. “I agree that Jace will be a good bond brother. I’m so happy for you, Heath. Can we go inside now? The suspense is killing me.”

“Ok, but I should warn you that this will be a shock,” Heath said. “Try to be patient, and listen before reacting.”

“Fine, now open the damn door, and let me meet her already,” Nadine insisted.

Jace

When the door closed behind Heath, Jace hadn’t hesitated to pull Clarke into his arms. Every second he could touch her freely and didn’t were foolishly squandered. She seemed to agree, nestling into him, and nuzzling his neck.

He and Clarke spent most of the time Heath was gone reclining on the couch, reveling in their connection. Jace now knew the taste of Clarke’s lips, the sound of her breathy sighs, and the joy of lying pressed together from neck to toes. Waiting so long to experience that made it infinitely more precious.

Neither of them tried to take things further than kissing and petting, though the desire was there on both sides. The fragrance of Clarke’s arousal was addictive.

Jace refused to be rushed, though, and Clarke seemed to feel the same. He could wait until they had time to explore each other leisurely.

Her hands roved under his shirt, mapping his muscles, and his did the same with her curves. Neither tried to touch below the waist, and their clothes stayed on.

The feel of her satiny skin beneath his fingers, and inhaling her scent was everything he could have hoped for. Jace would be content with this closeness.

Clarke and Jace did talk about Heath, and how much they valued him giving them time alone together. It was a selfless, thoughtful thing to do. Jace would have to thank Heath for this.

He did try to express his gratitude when Heath returned from his errands. They didn’t have much time to talk, however, with Nadine and her husbands arriving early, and putting Clarke in a dither.

Jace made efforts to soothe her nerves while Heath spoke to his sister and her mates outside. They had just sat down in the living room when Nadine hustled in, saying how happy she was for all of them. One look at Clarke in men’s clothing without the charm bracelet had her face going slack with shock.

Heath’s sister and her husbands were smart enough to figure out the basics at a glance. Then the explanations began, with Clarke and Jace doing most of the talking.

Nadine was a bit bristly when she realized that Clarke had impersonated a man to get the job at Mars, and had an agenda for being here. But her resentment faded when she understood Clarke’s reasons for doing so.

Jace had worried that Nadine might feel betrayed and bamboozled by someone she considered a friend, who wasn’t who she appeared to be. He relaxed when Nadine’s expression changed from guarded to sympathetic. Clarke deserved to be embraced with love by all her in-laws, not just his parents.

“I would have done the same in your shoes, Clarke,” Nadine said fiercely. “Nothing could have prevented me from searching for my parents personally.”

“I’m relieved that you feel that way,” Clarke said. “Deceiving people isn’t easy for me, especially those that I like and respect. I knew this would be difficult without having a genuine concept of what that would entail. Bonding Jace and Heath was a shock, but also a huge blessing.”

Nadine nodded slowly. “It’s a wonderful thing, but threw a wrench in your plans, and made everything more complicated.”

Brady was frowning. “We must be very careful not to act any differently at football games, or any time we see Clarke in public. I agree that the clue is most likely to be a person. He might be willing to go to extreme lengths to guard his own secrets. Clarke could be in danger if this person discovers who she is, and why she’s here.”

Jace nodded at Brady in approval. He agreed completely. He’d been worried about exactly that from the moment he had realized that Clarke was coming to Mars, and why.

“Everything has two sides, positive and negative,” Roger commented seriously. “Clarke has more support, and help searching for her dad. However, the risk of exposure is also greater.”

“I hadn’t planned on revealing myself to anyone, but the odds against me felt overwhelming at times, and the stress might have broke me,” Clarke said. “Having more brains to help investigate, and a support network is worth the risk. We all need to be careful, and not just to conceal my identity. All of you could become targets by hunting for leads. Dad and Dr. Prentis could be in more danger if the person involved realizes that we are sniffing around.”

“And the students, if everything is connected,” Heath added.

“If they are connected, this is big, and dangerous,” Nadine commented with a concerned frown.

“Clarke, have you tried to call a vision asking for clues about the missing students?” Brady asked.