Gabriel's mouth found mine before I could speak. His kisses fell like rain—my lips, my throat, my temples, every inch of skin he could reach.
"The war's over." Kiss. "We won." Another. "The alliance held." His hands framed my face. "Justice, Katherine. Finally."
"How many did we lose?"
"Too many. But we survived." He pulled back, eyes searching mine. "I'm sorry you had to wait. Sorry you had to wonder if—"
"You're here." I grabbed his shirt, pulling him back down. "Nothing else matters."
Tears came then—relief, joy, exhaustion, all of it flooding out at once. Gabriel held me through it, his own body shaking with suppressed emotion.
"I kept thinking you were dead," I sobbed into his chest. "The bond went silent and I thought—"
"Never." His arms tightened. "I’ll always come back to you."
I exhaled, letting belief settle where fear had lived. We fell asleep tangled together, his heartbeat steady beneath my palm. Dawn pried us apart; duty did the rest.
By noon, the house buzzed with preparation.
Derek packed weapons. Mother gathered our few belongings. Gabriel stood in the doorway, authority radiating from every line of his body.
"Time to go home," he announced.
The absence hit me as we loaded the cars. Gabriel had come alone. No Beta shadowing his steps. No gray eyes avoiding mine.
The question burned my tongue, but I swallowed it.
Gabriel's hand found mine the moment we were in the car. His thumb traced circles on my palm as the city dissolved behind us. Pack territory approached with each mile, but the space where Nate should have been grew larger.
The Alpha residence stood intact—a miracle among the destruction visible elsewhere. Gabriel led me inside, his hand never leaving the small of my back.
"Where is everyone?" I finally asked.
"Rebuilding. Healing. Moving forward."
By evening, I couldn't stand it anymore.
"Is Nate alive?"
Gabriel laughed—short, sharp. "With his skills? He'll outlive us all."
"That's not an answer."
"He's alive. Healthy. Handling pack business on the eastern border." Gabriel poured himself whiskey, not offering me any. "Why?"
"He's your Beta. Your best friend. I just—"
"Worried about him?" The question carried edges.
"Worried about you both. What happened between you two… Did you resolve it?"
Gabriel set down his glass with deliberate precision. "I'm not my father, Katherine. I don't exile wolves for challenging me."
"So Nate—"
"Remains Beta. Remains pack. But with conditions." His eyes locked on mine. "No contact with you without supervision. No training sessions. No private conversations."
"Gabriel—"
"I need to know." He crossed to me, standing close enough that I had to tilt my head back. "Do you have feelings for him?"
The question hung between us like a blade.
"No." The word came firm, decisive. "I spent every moment this week thinking of you. Only you. The thought of losing you nearly destroyed me."
"And Nate?"
"Is your Beta. Nothing more."
Gabriel studied my face, searching for deception. Whatever he found satisfied him. He pulled me against him, mouth finding mine with desperate hunger.
"I love you," he breathed against my lips. "Only you. Always you."
"I love you too." The words came easily—they were true, even if they weren't the complete truth. I pulled back slightly. "I feel guilty."
"About?"
"Your friendship with Nate. I damaged it. Maybe even destroyed it."
"That's not on you."
"Isn't it? If I hadn't—"
"We're adults, Katherine. We'll work through it." Gabriel's jaw tightened. "He crossed lines. There are consequences. But we'll find our way back."
"I want him to be happy. To find his mate."
"So do I." Gabriel's voice carried something dark. "The sooner the better."
"You sound—"
"Honest? I am. When Nate finds his mate, this... tension disappears. We can be brothers again instead of—" He stopped.
"Instead of what?"
"Instead of two wolves wanting the same woman."
The admission landed heavy. Gabriel never acknowledged competition, never admitted another wolf might want what was his.
"But I'm yours," I said quickly.
"Yes." His hand tangled in my hair, pulling my head back. "You are."
The kiss that followed left no room for doubt. But even as Gabriel claimed my mouth, marked my skin, reminded me exactly who I belonged to, my thoughts drifted east.
Somewhere on the border, Nate worked alone. Exiled in all but name. Forbidden from the one thing that had given him purpose—protecting me, even if he couldn't have me.
‘Stop,’ I commanded myself. ‘He's alive. That's enough.’
My wolf whined—not from want, but from sympathy. Pack was everything to wolves, and Nate was essentially severed from his. Gabriel must have felt my distraction through the bond because his grip tightened.
"You're mine," he repeated.
"Yes," I agreed, meaning it completely. "Always."
I loved Gabriel with everything in me—the mate bond sang with that truth. But loving him didn't stop me from grieving what this war had cost us all.
Especially what it had cost the Beta who'd only wanted to see me free.