Page 29 of Found by the Pack

He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead like he’s shaking something off.

And then he’s walking toward me.

I grip my basket tighter. My fingers go cold.

“Hey,” he says, voice low but sure, gravel over velvet.

“Hi.” My voice cracks. Great.

He offers a hand. His palm is massive. Scarred along the ridge beneath his thumb. The fingers are callused, thick, steady.

And I—I can’t move.

I wait too long. He pulls back, not rudely. Just… understanding. Or maybe used to it.

“I’m sorry,” I blurt, staring down at my hands. “Charcoal. Didn’t want to smudge you.”

He nods. “No worries. I’m Gabe.” His mouth lifts in something between a smile and a smirk.

I blink.You have got to be fucking kidding me.

This is the Gabe Boone was talking about?

Of course it is.

“Sadie,” I say, finally meeting his eyes. They’re dark amber with flecks of gold. Serious. Unreadable.

He nods again. Easy. Like he’s used to carrying silence.

I panic and point dumbly at the fish. “Um. Is the snapper any good?”

His brow quirks slightly, but he rolls with it. “Yeah. It’s from the mayor’s fishing crew. Ethically caught, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Really?” I pick up the wrapped fillet. “The mayor fishes?”

He shrugs. “Kind of. Rowan—he owns the lighthouse—is the one who catches ’em. Jake handles the sale and delivery. Sort of a team effort.”

I nod, not sure why I feel like I need to keep talking. “That’s… cool.”

“You here for the murals, right?” he asks, shifting his weight. “Boone mentioned you.”

Right. Boone. The one I ran into.

“I am,” I say, tucking the snapper into my basket.

A beat passes. My mouth opens before I can stop it.

“Actually, uh—I have something that belongs to Shepard. If you’re going to see him later, maybe you could give it to him?”

He lifts a brow.

“Boone mentioned that you guys were in a pack,” I say quickly. “And I have some things that I got from Shepard in the library. He was nice. Let me wait out the storm.” Why the hell am I rambling?

Gabe’s watching me too closely now, like he’s trying to read between every word.

He nods. “Yeah, he’s right. I’ll probably see Shepard tonight.”

“It’s just his power bank. And the key.” I lift the edge of my basket like I’m showing proof. “They’re in my car, but I didn’t want to forget.”