"You said you found out where I was from Jack?" The road rumbled under the car tires as Gabriel navigated each turn with cautious precision. The relentless rain had finally ceased and a cool, early spring sun fought to shine through the thick layer of clouds. I sat curled sideways with my back against the passenger door so that I could watch him drive. Being back at his side now, it was apparent just how much I'd missed him. I let my eyes roam over every inch, memorizing him. Drinking him in. It was soothing, like rereading a favorite book.

After our conversation in Dmitri's office, he'd led me straight to the car as though he was afraid I'd change my mind. Even now as we drove, he stole frequent glances at me to make sure I was still there. Occasionally, he even lifted a hand from the wheel to brush over my knee to make sure I was real. Each time, electricity arced between us.

Gabriel grumbled an unintelligible response and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He could protest all he wanted; I had him as a captive audience for hours yet, and I wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away no matter how badly I wanted to recline my seat and close my eyes.

"I didn't give him your number," I promised. I knew he was sensitive about his phone.

"He didn't call." A muscle in his jaw ticked.

"He didn't just show up, did he?" I demanded. When Gabriel huffed a sharp breath through his nose, I nearly laughed. "You're kidding."

"Wish I was."

I leaned forward in the seat, angling closer to him so I could rest my elbows on the center console. "What happened?"

"He thought I let Dmitri send you," Gabriel said shortly. This was clearly a sore subject that he didn't want to get into. Too bad.

There was more to it that he wasn't telling me, so I pushed him. "Then?"

"He hit me. Then I told him you'd gone off and done it on your own, and he hit me again." A low growl was building in his chest and he took a beat to settle it before speaking again. "Said you never would have left if I hadn't given you a reason."

"I mean, he's not exactly wrong," I said, only half-teasing. I tried to imagine Jack—my sweet, non-violent Jack—cocking his fist back and punching Gabriel in the mouth. Not once, but twice. I wasn't sure the man had ever been in a fight in his life. I couldn't hide the amused smile that spread across my face. "You didn't hurt him, did you?"

Gabriel shot me a dark look. "Believe me, I would have liked nothing more. And I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"I'm not worried about you."

"Because I'm bigger than he is?" He sat up a bit straighter, flexed the muscles in his arms in a way he thought might be subtle. He was looking at me out of the corner of his eye to make sure I noticed.

I rolled my eyes, exasperated. I couldn't tell whether he was joking, or if he actually needed my reassurance. "Yes, Gabriel, because you're bigger than he is."

Satisfied, he relaxed, and a small smile played around the edges of his lips.

It was odd pulling up to his house late that evening. I hovered near the car, unsure of where I should do with myself. I'd given back the key to the guest house. All my things were at Aubrey's. I felt out of place. But one look from Gabriel, and that feeling vanished. He doubled back when he noticed I wasn't beside him and held out a hand to me.

"Will you come inside?" He asked. I nodded and when I took his hand, he laced his fingers with mine and I relaxed into the sense of security it gave me. The roughness of his palm was grounding.

Gabriel led me through the house to his office, where he got a fire burning on the hearth.

"I've turned the heat off since you've been gone," he admitted sheepishly.

I hadn't even realized he'd been keeping it on—such a small gesture, but so meaningful. He was putting my comfort above his own, even under his own roof. "You don't have to turn it on for me. It's your house, I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

He stepped in front of me and held my shoulders in his hands, staring at me for a moment before leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of my head then directing me to a chair to sit. He tugged the ottoman over so that he could sit in front of me, knees touching mine.

"I want to tell you everything," he whispered, repeating the words he'd said to me earlier.

"Go ahead then," I told him. When he started bouncing his knee, I put a steadying hand over it.

"Kiera, this avoidance cycle..." Gabriel dropped his head to avoid my gaze. "It's killing me. When I'm with you, I'm fighting the binding magic. It makes me sick. Weak. I can't heal properly, I can't think straight or sleep. It gets worse the longer I'm near you."

I rubbed my thumb back and forth across his knee.

"But when I try to stay away, I'm fighting my wolf and my instincts. The migraines...I don't know which is worse. I tried to temper it by going back and forth. I should have told you sooner so at least you could have understood why."

Describing how his wolf reacts to our separation was as close as he'd ever come to calling me his mate, and even just that modest acknowledgement made my heart swell. I fought the urge to throw my arms around him right there, and said instead, "Aubrey and I figured that out a while ago. At least, we guessed that was the case."

Gabriel looked up at me, a bit embarrassed that we'd caught on. "Then why did you ask what you did that night?"

"Because I wanted to hear you say it." I still did.

"I want to say it, Kiera. I do. I tried, once, when I was alone. It was..." He grimaced at the memory, then sighed. "Unpleasant."

It made my insides ache to think that he'd hurt himself trying to say the words. "Did you know when we met in the clinic?"

"Not exactly. I didn't think that's what I was feeling because I didn't think I could feel those things at all. I didn't think it was possible; I'd never questioned the strength of the magic before then. I didn't realize until I saw you pull up to my house," he explained.

"Did Dmitri tell you he'd chosen me?"

Gabriel shook his head.

"Must have been an awful surprise." The joke didn't land.

"You have to understand," he cupped my face in his hands urgently. "I never hated you. I was never angry at you. I know it came off that way. Dmitri and Constance and Ephraim have all lectured me extensively about it. I was angry with myself, with my choices. Angry that I didn't know how to handle it, and angry at the thought that I'd end up hurting you in the process."

I put my hands over his. "I understand."

"I thought courting Odette would be best for everyone. She seemed happy; it would help the alliance. I thought it would help distract my wolf while I distanced myself from you." He closed his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face. "I've made too many mistakes."

I turned my head to kiss one of his palms then pulled his hands into my lap.

"I'm tired of fighting," he said softly. "The magic, my wolf. I've not been at peace for a long time."

I knew he hadn't meant for his confession to make me feel guilty, but it did. I squeezed his hands tightly but stayed silent. There was so much inside of him that he seemed to want to put on the table now, I didn't want to interrupt with my own apology.

"While you were gone I tracked down the shaman who performed the ritual on me."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"I'm done fighting. I want it gone." His eyes glowed with defiance now and the growl of his wolf sounded excited. He didn't want to be bound anymore, either.

"Can that be done?" Don't get your hopes up yet.

"The best he could say was maybe." Gabriel sighed. "It's dangerous. But I'm willing to try if you want me to."

"This isn't about what I want." I drew back in the chair and shook my head. "I won't ask you to do something dangerous for me."

"I want you to ask me to," he said simply.

I took a shaky breath. I couldn't stand the thought of him putting himself at risk for me. For us. But I wanted him to—of course I wanted him to. "Will you?"

For the first time since I'd returned, he smiled. A wide, warm, genuine smile. "For you? Anything."

Fuck that felt good to hear. Gabriel had an incredible talent for saying so much with very few words. He pulled me to stand then and brushed my hair behind my ear.

"You don't have to stay here," he offered. It sounded disingenuous; I knew he didn't mean it. "I have your keys. I can go down to the guesthouse and get a fire started for you."

I shook my head. "I don't want to be away from you anymore."

I cringed at how childish, how clingy that made me sound, but Gabriel didn't seem to mind. In fact, he almost melted at the words. He took me into his arms and lifted me, one hand supporting me from underneath and the other pressed between my shoulder blades. I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face into his neck and inhaled deeply, as deep as I could, until I thought my lungs might burst.