31. Jake
31
JAKE
M y body is exhausted, muscles aching, but my focus is entirely on Grace. She’s curled up beside me on the couch, completely passed out, her breathing soft and even.
Rowan sets a plate with a steak on it down in front of me, the smell of seared meat and butter mixing with the air of spent energy. I nod at him, grabbing a beer from the table.
“Thanks for cooking, man.”
He grunts, settling into the chair across from me, his own beer in hand. Ash leans forward, arms resting on his knees, eyes flicking toward Grace. His jaw is tight.
“She okay?”
“She will be.” I take a sip of my beer, running a hand over my face. The night had taken everything out of us, but Grace had given even more. She’d poured herself into us, taken us, let us claim her.
And now she’s out cold, her body demanding rest.
Ash exhales, rubbing a hand over his face. “After everything that went down with my family... what now?”
Rowan huffs a humorless laugh. “I’m still reeling. I don’t know, but we will need to figure out her living situation soon. Right now, I can’t think past her and what we just did.”
He stares at the table, fingers tapping against his beer bottle. “I thought I’d feel relief. Maybe I do. But it’s a lot.”
I get it. Hell, we all do. We’ve just changed everything, rewritten our lives around her—and there’s no going back.
A soft sound pulls my attention. Grace stirs, stretching slightly, blinking up at us with heavy-lidded eyes. “Mmm...”
Instantly, we’re all moving. Rowan crouches beside her, brushing a hand over her forehead. Ash shifts closer, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. I tuck her against me, running my fingers down her arm.
“You’re awake, sweetheart,” I murmur, tipping her chin up. “How do you feel?”
She exhales slowly, voice thick with sleep. “Sore... but happy.” Her lips curve, just a little, and something tight in my chest loosens.
Rowan presses a water bottle into her hands. “Drink.”
She takes a few sips, letting out a quiet hum of appreciation before sighing. “You guys are too good to me.”
Ash kisses the top of her head. “Not possible.”
A slow, sleepy smile spreads across her face, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my arm. Then, so softly I almost don’t catch it, she says, “I love you.”
Silence. Then Rowan’s breath hitches, and Ash lets out a low, shuddering exhale.
My chest tightens, warmth spreading through me like wildfire. I cup her cheek, tilting her face toward me. “We love you too, Grace.”
She lets out a small, overwhelmed laugh. Then her eyes shimmer, and before I know it, she’s crying.
“Shit, baby,” I murmur, wiping her tears away with my thumb. “Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know,” she sniffles, laughing wetly. “I just... this feels different.”
“The bond,” Rowan murmurs, his voice thick. “It’s affecting you.”
She nods, swallowing hard. We give her a moment, letting her process, then continue doting on her.
Ash feeds her small bites of steak, coaxing her to eat, while Rowan massages her sore muscles. I kiss her hair, murmuring soft reassurances between sips of water.
After a while, she shifts slightly, blinking down at herself. “Who bit my nipple?”
Silence. Then I scratch the back of my neck, grinning sheepishly. “Uh... that might’ve been me.”
Her eyes narrow, but she’s smirking. “Might have been?”
I hold my hands up. “Okay, okay, it was me.”
She shakes her head, amused. “I’m covered in marks. It’s gonna take me forever to recover.” Then she pauses, tilting her head. “But do you think we can do that again soon?”
Rowan groans, Ash chuckles, and I just grin.
“Soon,” Ash says, brushing his lips over her temple. “But right now, we’re giving you time to recover.”
I glance down, frowning slightly. “Part your legs, sweetheart. Let me see.”
She raises a brow but obeys, shifting just enough for me to check. I run gentle fingers over her thighs, my touch light. “Your Omega healing will kick in fast,” I reassure her. “You’ll be okay.”
She nods, trusting.
Rowan watches her with a new expression on his face. He exhales. “You’re so damn beautiful.”
Her breath catches, lips trembling. “Rowan...”
“Goddamn it,” he mutters before kissing her softly, reverently.
We keep her close, tangled between us, whispering soft words against her skin. She drifts in and out of sleep, exhausted but content.
And when she finally settles, we stay right there with her—because there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.
* * *
The clinic smells like antiseptic and the soap they use. Grace shifts in her seat, looking anywhere but at the three of us while we wait for Dr. Avery. Her fingers twist together in her lap, her nervous energy palpable.
Ash, sitting beside her, notices too. He takes her hand, rubbing slow circles against her palm with his thumb. “You okay?” he murmurs.
Grace glances at him, then at Rowan and me. Her blush is instant. “I mean… yeah, just—this is weird, right?”
Rowan smirks. “You mean introducing your doctor to your Alphas? No, it’s totally normal.”
She groans, dropping her head back against the chair. “I hate you.”
Rowan only grins. “No, you don’t.”
Before Grace can retaliate, the door swings open and Dr. Avery walks in, all business. She’s a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and an easy smile, her gray-streaked hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.
“Well, this is a first,” she says, arching a brow as she takes in the three of us surrounding Grace. “I take it these are your Alphas?”
Grace nods, cheeks still flushed. “Yeah, uh… this is Jake, Ash, and Rowan.”
Dr. Avery gives us an amused once-over and turns back to Grace. “Congratulations.” Then, with a smirk, she adds, “Though I assume you’re not here for a casual check-up.”
Rowan is the one who clears his throat, shifting in his seat. “She’s fine, but… we can’t do the one-month abstinence thing.”
Dr. Avery outright laughs. “Didn’t think so.”
Grace groans again, covering her face with her hands. “Oh my god, why are you like this?”
The doctor waves her off. “You’re not the first bonded Omega to walk in here completely ignoring my post-heat recommendations, and you won’t be the last. But before we move forward, I’ll need to do some bloodwork again.” She pauses, then adds with a teasing smile, “We need to confirm there isn’t a little pup on the way first.”
Grace freezes. So do I.
Pregnant?
The thought slams into me out of nowhere. I glance at Ash and Rowan, but my mind is already spiraling into the idea of a kid—our kid. A little girl with Grace’s eyes or a boy with her stubborn streak. I can’t help it; my lips twitch into a small smile.
Grace, meanwhile, looks like she’s about to pass out. “O-Oh. Yeah. Sure. That’s—fine. We didn’t break the rules until… yesterday. Would I test positive so soon?”
Dr. Avery nods. “You can test positive within twelve hours of conception,” she says.
“Oh… okay,” Grace says in a small voice.
Dr. Avery doesn’t make a big deal of it, just nods and sets things up. The blood draw is quick, but Grace is still blushing furiously as she pulls her sleeve back down.
After a few minutes, Dr. Avery returns with the results. “No baby. Not this time, at least.”
Grace exhales sharply, and for a second, I can’t tell if she’s relieved or… disappointed. Maybe both.
Dr. Avery moves on like it’s nothing. “Now, about your heat. Are you still struggling with any residual symptoms? Because there’s a new trial drug I could prescribe?—”
“No.” Grace shakes her head immediately. “I mean, I have it handled.”
Ash squeezes her hand, silent support. Rowan nods, clearly in agreement.
Dr. Avery studies her for a moment. “All right. Just let me know if that changes. In the meantime, I’ll prescribe a new birth control. It’ll work with your Omega biology, but it’s important you take it consistently. Got it?”
Rowan snorts. “We’ll make sure she does.”
Dr. Avery hands over the prescription, but before we can leave, Rowan’s gaze snags on a brochure on the table. He picks it up, frowning. “Westbrook?”
“Oh, that. The mayor was in here the other day. He’s been talking to local businesses about selling, trying to push some big redevelopment plan.” Dr. Avery sighs.
Grace’s brow furrows. “Are you selling?”
Dr. Avery shakes her head. “No. I love my practice. But I won’t lie—others are considering it.”
A beat of silence.
Rowan tucks the brochure under his arm. “Good to know.”
We thank Dr. Avery, then head out.
As we step out of the clinic, the crisp afternoon air hits, cooling the warmth still lingering on Grace’s flushed cheeks. She’s tucked between Ash and me, Rowan a step ahead, flipping through the Westbrook brochure like it might suddenly reveal the town’s biggest secrets.
We don’t make it far before I hear a familiar voice.
“Jake?”
I turn toward it, my brow lifting in surprise. “Fiona?”
She’s standing near a sleek black SUV, looking almost exactly the same as the last time I saw her—same wavy hair, same sharp eyes as when she was in high school.
But there’s something different. Something in the way she holds herself. And then I place it.
The scent.
She doesn’t just smell like herself anymore.
Jonah stands beside her, looking as rough as ever, arms crossed over his broad chest. And right next to him—his twin brother, Declan. My stomach tightens because the realization is instant.
She’s in a pack with them.
And it’s not just them. There’s a third scent clinging to her—one I recognize instantly, seconds before that deep voice cuts through the air.
“Parking in this town is a nightmare.”
Rhys.
The moment he strides over, everything clicks into place.
Jesus.
Fiona went and got herself a whole damn harem.
She must see the realization dawn on my face because her cheeks flush. Jonah just smirks, throwing an arm over her shoulders like he’s staking his claim.
Declan watches me carefully, his gaze assessing. Rhys, though—he grins wide.
“Jake fucking Marshall,” he says, reaching out to clasp my shoulder in that familiar, brotherly way. “Haven’t seen you since—what? Senior year?”
“Something like that,” I say, shaking my head. “Didn’t know you were back in town.”
“Didn’t know you were still here,” he throws back. “Always figured you’d get out.”
I snort. “Yeah, well. Plans change.”
His gaze flickers over my shoulder to Grace, who’s watching the exchange with open curiosity.
Rhys gestures toward her. “And this is?”
I slide an arm around her waist, tugging her closer. “This is Grace. She owns the flower shop in town. And these two,” I nod toward Rowan and Ash, “are my packmates.”
Ash gives a small wave. Rowan just nods, still holding the damn Westbrook brochure like it personally offended him.
Fiona looks between us, her eyes sharp. “Packmates, huh?”
Something knowing flickers in her gaze, but she doesn’t say it out loud.
Grace, ever polite, offers her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Fiona takes it, smiling faintly. “You too. And of course, I know about your shop. I just haven’t found the time to come in.”
“You’re welcome anytime.” My girl smiles at Fiona.
For a second, it’s almost normal. Just two old friends catching up. But there’s an unspoken undercurrent, something I can’t quite put my finger on.
“I heard you were by the store looking for timber,” Declan directs at Rowan, “but we had closed for a few days.”
“I heard,” Rowan replies.
“Um,” Fiona rubs her hands together, “you keep the lighthouse, right?”
I swear I feel Rowan stiffen beside me. He just nods in response.
“Oh! Then you must have known the woman who died there…” She must read the look on his face because she says quickly, “My grandmother told me about her. Before she died, I mean. She told me about how the lighthouse claims someone who lives there once every generation… or maybe it’s the boat…” she rambles.
“I knew her,” Rowan says, his voice chilly. He shifts uncomfortably.
“My condolences,” she says. I don’t miss the way Grace shuffles closer to him.
Jonah breaks the tension. “We were just grabbing some things in town before heading back. But it’s good seeing you again, Marshall.”
“You too,” I say. “Didn’t think you guys would settle back here.”
Declan smirks. “Didn’t think you’d stay.”
I don’t miss the way Fiona shifts slightly, like there’s something else she wants to say but won’t.
Instead, Rhys claps a hand on my shoulder again. “We’ll have to catch up properly sometime.”
“Yeah,” I say, “we will.”
And then they’re gone, climbing into their SUV and driving off.
Grace turns to me the moment they’re out of earshot. “Okay. Who was that?”
I let out a breath, rubbing the back of my neck. “Old friends. And, uh, Fiona… we used to—” I pause, glancing at Rowan and Ash. “I had a very tiny crush on her back then.”
Ash raises a brow. “She’s got quite the setup now.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “No kidding.”
“Rowan,” she nudges him.
“I’m fine,” he says. He doesn’t sound like he’s fine.
Grace watches him carefully but doesn’t push. Instead, she takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “And you, are you okay?”
I glance at her, at the woman who turned my whole damn world upside down and made me want things I never thought I’d have.
“Yeah,” I say, meaning it. “I am.”
Rowan finally folds up the brochure, tucking it under his arm. “Come on. Let’s get her home.”
Grace hums. “And maybe something to eat?”
Ash grins. “Food first, then bed.”
She snorts. “That sounds suspiciously like a bribe.”
Rowan smirks, slinging an arm around her shoulders as we start walking. “Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.”
She doesn’t believe him for a second.
But she leans into us anyway.