Monday morning Jack crept through Black Bird. He kept looking around the streets for a head of blonde hair. After spending an uneventful weekend in his wolf form walking the border, Jack had things that needed to be done in town.
And it might be habit to keep his eye out for Grace but he was especially anxious about seeing her after what happened behind the diner. He made sure her car wasn't parked outside the grocery store or the post office before going in.
Jack braced himself for the vultures to descend. In his experience, the citizens of Black Bird never missed a chance to try and weasel gossip out of him. Janet at the grocery store, a woman who had never shut her mouth, barely said anything while she rang him up. And Bob gave Jack his mail but only asked if he had a good weekend. It was unnerving.
The entire town had made Jack’s business their business for fifteen months. It drove him crazy. Suddenly finding himself out of the spotlight should have relieved him but he felt like the other shoe was about to drop.
“I got that stain you ordered, Jack” Robert Martin called from behind the counter. “Let me grab it from the back.”
“Sounds good.”
Robert Martin was one of the people Jack saw every week. Being a carpenter, Jack was on a first name basis with everyone who worked at the hardware store and the lumberyard. He knew them better than the other residents. And Jack knew that Robert was almost as bad as the old ladies in town when it came to gossip. Jack kept his mouth shut because the man sold him materials at wholesale but it was never easy.
“Interesting turn of events with Miss Copeland if you ask me.” Robert said as he came back.
Jack’s wolf immediately came to attention as Jack bit back a groan. Robert’s eyes were glued to the can of wood stain but Jack could see him practically vibrating with excitement.
“You don’t say,” he kept his tone bored.
“Yeah, up and moving to her parents’ old cabin in the middle of the night. That’s a bit drastic if you ask me what with the state that thing is in. I can’t see how...”
“Wait,” Jack interrupted. “Grace moved out of town?”
Robert looked up. “Well, yeah, a few days ago. She packed up and left.” Robert’s face scrunched up in confusion. “I figured you would have heard about it.”
He probably would have if he hadn’t been hiding in the woods all weekend. Although, how everyone in town had managed to keep their mouths shut all day was a miracle.
Jack’s brain did a hard stop only just processing the other thing Robert had said. “She moved to that rotted out shack on the border of South Creek?”
The building had to be a hundred years old. He passed by it on patrol sometimes. Robert was stretching it by calling that dilapidated death trap a cabin. There was no way it was livable. It definitely wasn’t structurally sound.
Worse than that, it was miles away from town. The house was great for hunting- thirty years ago when there weren't Packs of rogues roaming around. A lone woman out in the woods would be easy pickings.
“There's no way Ben allowed the move,” Jack said to himself.
“He and the Robbins boys moved all her furniture the next day. And he sent Dave out there to install a new security system. Although, I told him to just wait on that.” Robert shook his head turning back to the register. “There's no point installing security now when it'll have to be reinstalled after Grady fixes the roof.”
Jack threw up his hands. This just kept getting better and better. “Why in the hell would Grady Thompson be fixing Grace’s roof? The man isn't qualified to fix a sandwich, let alone a roof.”
Robert winced at the description. It was harsh but it was the truth. Grady Thompson was the laziest, most incompetent wolf in the Pack. How he earned a living amazed Jack.
“She came in asking if I knew of anyone who would be up for the job and, well, it's just bad timing. That big windstorm had everyone with the least amount of handyman skills busy. Grady’s the only one who has the time to help Grace right now.”
“Because no one in their right mind would hire him. Recommending him to Grace is irresponsible. Why on earth didn't you tell her that I was free?” Jack knew damn well why Robert wouldn't have suggested Grace give him a call.
“Well,” Robert scratched his neck, “I did tell Miss Copeland that you were free but she wasn't having any of it. Can't say I don't blame her.” The last sentence was whispered under Robert’s breath.
Being a wolf, Robert knew Jack heard every word. The man couldn't seem to help himself. He just had to stir shit up.
Jack paid for the stain and thanked Robert.
He didn't care if Grace didn't like it, she could pitch a fit for all he cared, Jack was going to rebuild the whole cabin if he had to. It would be the only way he could ensure that the job was done right. And maybe that would give him enough time to convince her to move back to town.
Tossing the can into the bed of his truck Jack drove out of town towards Grace’s cabin.
He could not believe that Ben had allowed Grace to move to the outskirts of their territory. No one had sensed any rogues yet but that didn't mean there weren't any. It wasn't just the fact that it was Grace. Jack would have been concerned about any of the Pack being so isolated.
Jack’s wolf couldn't make that distinction. It was agitated, clawing up Jack’s thoughts. The wolf wanted to take over and drag Grace back to their den. He wouldn't be satisfied until their mate was safe under their protection.
Not that Grace was their mate.
Jack didn't ease up on the gas when he hit the dirt road. A growl rumbled in his chest when the cabin came into sight. Somehow, Jack had remembered the little house being in better shape that it was.
The thing was a disaster.
Blackberry bushes were creeping in from the surrounding woods threatening to overtake the sagging porch. Jack would not be surprised if there were a dozen rat nests hidden in the thorny mess.
Robert had been right. It was pointless to put in a security system right now. Jack was almost positive he could punch a hole through the front door. It looked like it might have trouble keeping moths out.
Jack inhaled deeply as he stepped out of the truck. He grimaced at the smell of raccoons. They might not be currently living in the cabin but it smelled like they had made the building their home for a few seasons.
Grace stepped out the front door. She was in cut off shorts and a loose shirt. Her hair was escaping from the ponytail she had put it in. Her arms were full of trash bags.
Jack froze. For an instant, he hoped she didn’t see him so he could just take her in.
The second that thought entered his head he was striding forward to help her. He couldn’t help himself. His body was drawn to her.
She screamed dropping everything as Jack reached over to take the trash bags. When she saw who it was, she sagged against the door frame, a hand to her chest. Jack’s eyes drifted to where Grace’s hand rested between her breasts. Deep gasping breaths strained the material of her shirt distracting him.
“Jack Taylor,” Grace snarled, “you scared me to death. What the hell are you doing here?”
Forcing his eyes up, Jack’s brows furrowed remembering why he was here. “I heard you hired Grady to fix up the cabin.” He held his hand up stopping Grace when she opened her mouth to argue. “I get why you don’t want to hire me but dammit Grace, don’t be stubborn. Grady will end up blowing this heap of garbage to kingdom come.”
A muscle at Grace’s jaw twitched and her hand went to her hip. Jack smelled anger in the air. He braced for a tantrum.
“Thank you so much for you unsolicited advice, Mr. Taylor,” she bit. “I’ve known Grady Thompson since I was born. I’m not stupid enough to hire him to paint a wall, let alone rebuild a house.” Grace folded her arms over her chest drawing Jack’s eyes there briefly. When he looked up again he saw yellow flash in her eyes. “Which is why I hired someone from South Creek.”
Grace picked up the trash bags and shoulder past Jack. Electricity shot through his body where she touched him.
“You hired someone from South Creek?” Jack asked dumbly as Grace brushed past him on her way back into the house.
Grace rolled her eyes. “It’s not like there were any options left in Black Bird.” Her tone suggested that she thought Jack was the dumbest person on earth.
“You can’t have random South Creek wolves coming into the territory.” Jack followed her inside.
It was obvious that Grace had been working hard to make the cabin livable. The rustic furniture was pushed against the walls. Windows were open allowing the cool breeze in. Rags, a bucket, and a mop sat next to the front door. Jack couldn’t smell the musk of disuse.
“Hey,” Grace yelled, “don’t track mud all over my clean floors.”
Looking down Jack saw a perfect dirt print of his work boots on the wood. Chagrined, Jack took a step back. Grace sighed, exasperated.
“For your information, there is not ban in place limiting travel between territories. If a wolf wants to come to Black Bird then they are welcome to and before you pull this card I already let Ben know that someone would be working here.”
Jack watched Grace from the front door. This was not the Grace that Jack was used to dealing with. For the last year, anytime Jack ran into Grace her whole face lit up. She was always eager to speak to him. It was what made hiding from her so hard. Jack didn’t have a lot of experience to go on but he knew instinctively that this was not normal behavior for Grace. His wolf quietly observed this new Grace unsure how to act.
“What’s going on with you?” He finally asked.
“I’m taking charge of my life. I’m tired of waiting for things to happen. It is way past time I started living.” Grace’s voice was filled with yearning. Jack felt his stomach clench at the raw emotion. It made him uncomfortable.
Jack looked at the cracked paint and decided this wasn’t his definition of living. “I still don’t think you should hire someone from South Creek. Who knows if this guy is legitimate or not. He could be a con artist.” Or if he was a creep. No one would be here to stop a stranger from knocking Grace unconscious and dragging her into the woods.
“Jack,” Grace sighed, “I don’t really care what you think. And to be honest, I’m confused why you care.” Grace stared deeply into his eyes. Her bright blue eyes turned down at the corners. The fighting and aggression from earlier was gone. Now, she looked tired. “This can’t happen, Jack.” Her voice was quiet. “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t deny the mate bond and then suddenly become interested in my life. That’s not fair.”
“That’s not what this is,” Jack denied. The ache in his gut got stronger. He was mad that Grace was stuck on the mate bond. He wasn’t here because of the mate bond. “Now is not the time to be venturing out on your own, Grace. The world is not a safe place. If you’re looking to rebel, live dangerously because of what I did, don’t. And don’t go inviting trouble by having strangers hanging around your house. Even you,” Jack jabbed a finger in her direction, “have got to recognize that this is a stupid idea.” Jack shouted the last words losing his temper. The room became unnaturally silent. He felt claws digging into his palms. There was a growl rumbling in his chest as he attempted to catch his breath.
Grace’s nostrils flared taking in the depth of Jack’s anger. He saw her rage rise to match his.
“Get out,” she pointed out the door.
“I’m not done,” the words were inhumanly deep.
“Well, I am.” Turning her back on him, Grace picked up a rag and went further into the cabin leaving Jack alone.
“Pout all you want, Grace, but you know I’m right.” Jack slammed the door behind him half expecting it to fall off of the hinges.
Jack stormed back to his truck. Throwing it into drive, he kicked up gravel as he rode hell for leather away from Grace and her dilapidated cabin.
Jack was furious. No, furious was nowhere near what he was feeling. He was beyond that. His wolf was riding him, hard. For the first time in months he was on the same page as the wolf. It had taken all of his willpower not to throw that infuriating woman over his shoulder and spank her ass.
Was she trying to make Jack crazy? Because the sudden change in personality was making Jack crazy. He was angrier leaving Grace’s cabin than he had been driving up.
He hadn’t meant to lose his temper. He had planned to be stern but calm. There was a list of reasons he was going to go through. But the instant she started throwing sass, it all went out the window.
He would give them both the chance to cool down and he would try talking to her again tomorrow.
Jack Taylor was the most infuriating, chauvinistic ass Grace had ever met. The man had quite literally washed his hands clean of her only to waltz back into her life and start making demands. The man was a first rate jerk.
Grace stopped scrubbing the hell out of her old stained bathtub. Jack’s sudden appearance may have riled Grace up but her wolf saw it as their mate stepping in to protect them. She wondered if there would ever be a time when her wolf didn’t crave Jack’s attention. Grace hoped so. The division between her two halves was becoming exhausting.
In the distance, she heard a vehicle coming up the driveway. Grace groaned thinking it was Jack looking to start round two.
A dust covered black truck broke through the tree line. Grace almost dropped to the ground when she saw that it wasn’t Jack’s pickup. As the truck got closer, she saw the “South Creek Construction” sign on the side.
It was her contractor, Dane Jennings. He was the first one to call her back. Grace had been so desperate she probably would have hired anyone, sight unseen, but the man had insisted on checking out her cabin and meeting her first. Grace hadn’t expected him dropping by for at least another day.
The truck parked and a Greek god stepped down. Thick black hair shone under the noon sun. His skin was brown from working outside. He wore dark jeans and a worn button up shirt. His heavy work boots hit the dirt with satisfying weight. Grace felt her heart rate rise as he got closer.
Even at a distance she could smell him. He smelled new, like motor oil, sweat and male. He was hot. Unbelievably hot. Grace knew she was staring but couldn’t seem to stop.
Standing at the foot of her crooked stairs, he smiled. It made him look honest and Grace smiled back.
“I really hope you’re Grace Copeland. I don’t think I could find where I’m supposed to be if you’re not.” His voice was deep and playful.
When his eyebrows furrowed, Grace realized that she was standing there like an idiot. “Yeah, sorry, I’m Grace and you must be Dane Jennings.” Grace stepped down to shake his hand.
Dane took a step forward. His hand engulfed Grace’s. She could feel the calluses along his palm. Heat rose from where their skin was touching. Grace saw Dane’s nostril flare. His bright, open smile melted into a sly, appreciative grin.
“Nice to meet you, Grace.”
They stared at each other, caught up in the moment. Finally, Grace cleared her throat pulling her hand free. Dane brushed his palm on his jeans.
“You said you wanted your roof redone?” Dane looked at the concave section hanging over the porch. “You sure you don’t just want to salvage what you can?”
“I’m sure. With a little love this place will be good as new.”
Dane looked dubious but said, “Alright, let me grab my tools and I will take a look around.”
For the next hour, Grace cleaned the bathroom while Dane did his thing. She heard him as he grabbed a ladder and looked at the roof. He came inside and walked through each room. She noticed that he had a clipboard with him.
“Grace,” Dane called.
Throwing her cleaning rag into the sink, Grace made her way to the front room. Dane was making notes on his clipboard.
“Tell me the damage.”
Dane smiled at her joking tone. “Are you sure you don’t want to buy a prefab house and tear this thing down?” Grace laughed at his hopeful look. Dane sighed. “That’s what I figured. It will probably cost as much to make this place rainproof but I can do it.”
Dane ripped off the top page of his clipboard. Grace grabbed it and winced. This was not going to be a cheap life change. She had expected it to cost a pretty penny though.
“Honestly, this is cheaper than some of the other quotes I’ve gotten.” Grace looked up at Dane and flashed him a bright grin. “When can you start?”
Dane smiled back, revealing straight, white teeth. Grace felt her blood warm. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. How about we decide what you want done exactly. I can take some measurements, and we can get started in the morning?”
“That sounds perfect.”
Grace sat on her porch wrapped in a quilt later that night. The days might be cooling up but it wasn’t too cold to sit outside yet. Winding rushed through the pines as Grace thought back to the weekends she had spent here with her parents.
She loved coming out here. Her parents made sure that they spent a few days a month in the cabin. Now that she was older, Grace recognized that the cabin was a chance for her mom and dad to escape when Black Bird got to be too much. They would pack an overnight bag and drive the family up for a sleepover. Grace didn’t remember the musty smell or the chipping paint. She remembered all night board games and cooking s’mores in the fireplace.
She had to admit that having the building torn down and replaced with a new structure was tempting. There was so much to do that Grace doubted it would ever get done but when she imagined driving up through the forest and seeing a different house in the clearing. It felt wrong.
This was going to be her base of operations. The internet people were coming in the morning, meaning that Grace could get back to finishing her degree. The girls were taking her out for drinks tomorrow. And at the end of the day she could come home to the cabin that she was rebuilding. It felt good to think about having something to show for.
A dark shape moved in the shadows of the trees. Grace stopped breathing. Her heart squeezed in her chest. Something was watching her from the tree line.
After that first night, Grace had been cautious, keeping aware of her surroundings at all times. But for the past two nights nothing had happened. She never felt a threatening presence. She never saw evidence that anyone had come around either and she started to relax.
She couldn’t see it through all of the brambles and the wind was blowing from behind. She could just barely make out the general shape. It was large. Not as big as a bear. It could be a cougar. Or it could be a wolf.
Please be a cougar. Please be a cougar. Grace chanted over and over again waiting for whatever it was to move.
Ben had said to call if anything happened. She hadn’t after the door incident, convinced that she had imagined the whole thing. Staring into the night waiting for something terrible to happen she wished she had her phone in hand.
Terrified, Grace stood up slowly. The thing in the woods stayed where it was. Grace could feel its eyes on her. Not turning around, she slowly crept to the door. Her fingers touched the cool handle. She paused. She couldn’t hear anything but the wind. She couldn’t tell if the thing had moved.
Holding her breath, Grace burst through the door slamming it shut. She threw the pitiful lock that Dave had put in that morning. Grace ran to the hope chest and dragged it in front of the door. She didn’t feel safe in the front room with all of the windows. Running through the cabin, she grabbed a knife off the butcher block, pillows, and blankets before jumping into the bathroom.
If something, or someone, wanted to get to Grace they would have to break open a window or knock down the door. She would hear them before they got to her. That would give her enough time to defend herself.
For a second night, Grace listened for an intruder lying in the bathtub. She asked herself if this was a bad decision. It felt like a bad decision. Grace didn’t want to be scared all of the time in her own home.
The house settled into the foundation creaking as the night wore on. Eventually, Grace fell asleep