Page 35 of Taken By the Pack

Grace rolls her eyes. “The plan is to eat dinner and hope the entire town sees us together so they start talking.”

“And you think that’ll be enough to keep the assholes away?” Jake asks, arching a brow.

“It’s a start,” she says. “And if it’s not, we’ll figure out something else.”

Jake nods, his smirk fading into something more serious. “All right. But just so you know, I’m not letting anything happen to you.”

The way he says it—low and sharp—makes my shoulders tense. I glance at him, and he meets my gaze, his jaw tight. There’s no question about it: he’d die for her.

And yeah, I get it. She’s worth it. But it still makes my chest ache in a way I can’t explain.

“Neither am I,” I say, my voice steady.

Grace looks between us, her lips parting like she wants to say something but doesn’t know where to start.

The waitress shows up before she can figure it out, and we order—the lobster for Jake, steak for me, and Grace gets some kind of pasta that smells incredible when it arrives.

The conversation’s lighter after that. Jake talks about work, Grace shares a story about some old lady who came into the shop and bought a cactus, and I mostly listen, nodding along and trying not to stare at her too much.

When the food’s gone and the plates are cleared, Jake leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “So, what’s next?”

Grace sighs, running a hand through her hair. “We wait. See if this works. People are staring already.”

“But if it doesn’t?” Jake presses.

“Then we’ll try something else,” she says, her voice firmer now. “But for now, let’s just… take it one step at a time.”

Jake nods, satisfied, and stands. “I’ll head out first, since you two arrived together. It’ll make more of an impression than us leaving together, like always,” he says, his eyes locked on Grace. “You good?”

“We’re good,” Grace says, smiling up at him. “Thanks, Jake.”

He nods, claps me on the shoulder, and leaves. The second he’s gone, the air shifts again, like at her store. It’s quieter now, more intimate. Grace looks at me, her hazel eyes soft but guarded.

“Thanks for… all of this,” she says, her fingers playing with the edge of her napkin. She glances around the restaurant and blushes when she sees that people are still looking at us.

“Don’t mention it,” I say. “Seriously.”

She smiles, and it’s small but real. And for the second time tonight, I feel like maybe—just maybe—I didn’t completely fuck this up.

10

JAKE

The drive back home feels easier than it should. I don’t even turn on the radio. I just let the quiet of the truck settle over me like a blanket.

My head’s buzzing, though, full of her—Grace, with her sharp tongue and soft eyes. She’s… something else.

I park, kill the engine, and just sit there for a second, staring out at the dark. I should be exhausted.

The day’s been long as hell, and Rhys’s place was loud enough to fry anyone’s nerves, but I’m not tired. Not even close.

There’s this weird charge running through me, like I’ve just had a shot of adrenaline straight to the veins.

For the first time in… hell, maybe forever, something feelsgood.Not just fine. Not just manageable. Good. And that scares the shit out of me.

I get inside, kick off my boots by the door, and toss my keys on the counter. The house is quiet, the kind of quiet that usually feels heavy after a long day.

But tonight, it doesn’t bother me. Tonight, my brain’s too busy replaying everything that happened over dinner.

---