Morning crept in slowly through the tall windows of the London hotel suite, the pale gray light diffused through gauzy curtains like a soft apology for the night before. The city buzzed beyond the glass \u2014 honking taxis, distant bells, a street cleaner humming by \u2014 but inside, it was the sacred hush of morning-after survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel stirred first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was sprawled half-off a velvet chaise in the main room, fur mussed in all directions, one leg on the floor, the other tangled in a throw blanket. His leather jacket lay draped over a lampshade. The empty glass in his hand clinked gently as he shifted, groaning like the ancient beast he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThane\u2026\u201d he mumbled into the void. \u201cI think I swallowed a dart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No reply. Just the sound of a distant shower, a muffled cough from another room, and the comforting clink of dishes being wheeled down the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel sat up slowly, clutching his head. \u201cOw. My brain is trying to chew its way out.\u201d He glanced toward the kitchenette. \u201cCoffee. Save me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But when he dragged himself toward the smell of something warm and caffeinated, he found Mark already sitting there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The older gray-furred werewolf sat at the edge of the room\u2019s little balcony, coffee mug in hand, staring out at the skyline in contemplative silence. His thick fur was still damp from a quick rinse, the darker natural tones more visible in the soft morning light. He didn\u2019t look hungover. He looked… still. Like a monument that hadn\u2019t moved in hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel hovered near the doorframe, coffee in both hands. \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark gave a small grunt that translated loosely to \u2018Mornin.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel took it as permission to sit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a while, they didn\u2019t speak. They just sipped, watching the slow waking of London \u2014 delivery vans navigating tight streets, pedestrians in long coats clutching paper cups, a couple of fans with Eclipse signs already staking out the sidewalk below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark finally spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou ever think we\u2019d get here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel blinked. \u201cHere as in\u2026 Europe? Or here as in ‘massive rock band with screaming fans and nightly chaos’?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEither. Both. All of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel let the question settle between them. He took another sip of coffee, savoring the warmth as it chased away the ache behind his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI used to,\u201d he said softly. \u201cNot \u2018cause I thought we would,<\/em> but because I had<\/em> to. Dreaming was kind of my escape plan. I didn\u2019t grow up with a lot of\u2026 belief, y\u2019know? I told myself all kinds of stories just to make the days feel worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark nodded, slow and steady. \u201cSame.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel glanced over. \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The old wolf gave a tired chuckle. \u201cKid, you think I got this gray from a good retirement? I been clawing through life a long time. Lost more than I\u2019ve won. Thought I\u2019d end up alone. But then\u2026 soundboards, lighting rigs, tour buses. You lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s expression softened. \u201cYou\u2019ve always been the anchor, y\u2019know? For all of us. Especially Thane.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark looked at him. \u201cAnd you\u2019re the chaos he holds onto. Don\u2019t think he\u2019d survive this without you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That hit hard. Gabriel blinked rapidly, then looked down at his cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love him,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cLike… it\u2019s not fireworks or poetry or whatever people write songs about. It\u2019s just \u2014 he\u2019s home.<\/em> He gets me. Even when I\u2019m being an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark\u2019s brow lifted slightly. \u201cEspecially then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel huffed a laugh. \u201cYeah. That.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The silence returned, but this time it was thick with warmth instead of awkwardness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark looked back out over the city. \u201cIt\u2019s not about being perfect. Or having the biggest shows, or the loudest fans. It\u2019s about… having people who show up. Who stay. Who don\u2019t let you fall apart, even when you\u2019re trying damn hard to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel\u2019s voice was barely a whisper. \u201cThat what happiness looks like to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark nodded once. \u201cClose enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair, the sunrise catching in his fur and lighting his icy blue eyes just enough to make him look like something out of a storybook. Not a cursed creature. Not a monster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just a soul finally at peace \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They sat that way for a while longer. Quiet. Grounded. Still part of the chaos, but no longer lost in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And down in the lobby, the hotel staff were arguing about whether to deliver another five dozen croissants \u201cjust in case the wolves were still hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Morning crept in slowly through the tall windows of the London hotel suite, the pale gray light diffused through gauzy curtains like a soft apology for the night before. 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