#reaper76

My first ever Reaper76 fic, and the first time I was in the R76 Secret Santa. Vague mentions of sex and violence, nothing explicitly shown on screen besides some of the violence aftermath.

Over time, these two men have become one of my favorite ships to write in this fandom.

~~~~~

Air swirled around the bottom of the room, stirring the dust around the two men’s feet. Things had been a bit tense over the past week; Jack had noticed that Gabriel was a bit more paranoid as time went on. Looking up the two inches into Gabriel’s face, Jack saw the lines and expressions that were there when they first met. Wariness, the eyes darting around the room as though looking for enemies. Jack thought back to when he had first met Gabriel.

Three years earlier.

They had met during a horse sale; the Morrison family had some of the best horses in the area, and were therefore seen as one of the more wealthy rancher families. They were able to afford a steady roster of at least five ranch hands, with seasonal help hired as needed. They had a few different lines of horses, from the fleet footed racehorses of the couriers and jockeys to the larger horses for both farming and for knight families, like the Reinhardts. Gabriel had boldly taken a spot against the fence next to Jack, leaning against the post. He had made educated statements about the horses-and cutting yet humorous jabs at the buyers.

He asked, with a jut of his chin, “Who’s the big bear of a man over there?” Jack had glanced over and had done a double take; he was definitely interested at first glance.

“That’s Günter Reinhardt, and his son Wilhelm,” he replied, then stuck out his hand. “Name’s Jack Morrison. We supply them with their large horses.” They traded handshakes, and Reyes responded, “I’m Señor Reyes, Gabriel Reyes.” Both leaned back against the fencing.

“It’s been a long partnership; my grandfather and Günter’s found each other through business partners in the late 1790’s and have been working together ever since,” Jack continued, as they watched Wilhelm examine two of the horses. “The one on the left is a Shire, you can tell by the feathered hooves,” Jack said, pointing out the hooves as Reyes made a noise of interest. “The other is an Andalusian. We’ve had the Shires for quite some time, as they are also popular for farming. Andalusians are relatively new, but are still good for those who aren’t as bulky as Günter or Wilhelm. Without their armor, the men are easily two hundred pounds or more; with armor, they are more like two hundred and seventy. Not every horse has the stamina, training, or build to take that kind of weight and be a battle partner.”

Reyes let out a noise that was something between a bark of startled laughter and surprise. “Good eye, Señor Morrison,” Reyes said, his deeper voice sending a shiver down Jack’s spine.

Jack glanced again at the man next to him. While Jack was not a small man, Señor Reyes was just slightly taller than Jack, even without the heeled black working boots he had on. Jack’s gaze had slowly gone up, from the boots, to the black pants that almost seemed painted on thick thighs, noting the stylized owl belt buckle and belt with the wing motif etched into it; sliding up the torso encased in a vest in the deepest blue just before nightfall and an ivory tunic that framed a tanned throat and jaw that was covered with a goatee and the slightest amount of stubble along the rest of his jaw.

It was all covered with a similarly colored jacket to the vest and a necklace that was just about a choker. The necklace wound around the tunic collar, holding it to Gabriel’s neck; it was several loops of silver or silvered chain, with several charms hanging from it. Jack had recognized a black barn owl, another owl that he recognized as Mexican themed, from a Dia de Los Muertos research episode he had gone on once, hearing about it from a passing vaquero they had hired one season. Finally, hanging from the center was a flower that was a tiled masterpiece.

Done in golds and oranges, and edged in light rose gold, it was a marigold in full bloom and was about the size of a half dollar coin. There were also silver studs in each of his earlobes, a jeweled second piercing in the right lobe, and a silver cuff in the left upper ear.

Jack had been wearing the usual outfit for the Morrison family during sales; the brown riding boots with their second best pair of jeans tucked into them (the best pair reserved for things like church services and weddings); deep brown leather belt with the horse belt buckle that was stylized in the Scot/Celtic roots from where they had come, a mere 100 years before; blue collared shirt with a bolo tie and a leather overcoat. Jack had on the ornamental clasp he had gotten when he was 18, signifying his official partnership with his father; it was burnished bronze, the outer circle looking like a rope and a horse head in the middle.

Their conversation continued, each finding the other easy to talk to, despite just having met. When the sale ended, Jack held out his hand again for a handshake goodbye. As they did, Jack found - upon second shake and thought - that the hand that shook his own was just as callous as his was. There had seemed to be an intense electrical spark as their hands met, and Jack’s eyes widened a bit with surprise. The look in Reyes’ face was also a study in surprise, astonishment, and what could almost be called slight panic; as though he had both hoped and dreaded for that feeling when their hands had met.

“Good to meet you, Señor Morrison,” Reyes said, a knowing smile coming across his face. “I’ll be in the area for the next few days, so we might see each other again.”

After that meeting, they kept in touch. Over the following months when they weren’t together, they exchanged long letters when Reyes left on what he called business. Jack suspected he was foraying into the darker side of the world, as Gabriel held a bit of an otherworldly charm and aura about him that had some of the local grannies shaking their heads and muttering about charms and the local “healing ladies” that they had known. Each time he left, it seemed as though Gabriel’s steps slowly took him away; it also seemed as though he couldn’t help coming back to Jack, appearing without warning yet always when the work day was done for Jack and his family.

“Mi sol,” Gabriel would murmur into Jack’s hair, or into his shoulder, as they stood watching the sun set.

“You fill me with light, mi querido,” Gabriel whispered as they curled together on the bed in Jack’s room, a year and half after they had met. The next time Gabriel had shown up after that, after a year of almost no contact or appearances, his face and neck had borne scars Jack knew were not caused by any knife or weapon made by man. During that year, Jack had realized that he had been gaining feelings for the man. What had helped Jack through this was also the fact that the Morrisons had hired on a new hand; his name was Cole Cassidy, and he was a fresh faced 19 year old who looked almost to be a younger version of Gabriel.

Cassidy had mentioned that his mother was Mexican, and had taught him all she knew of horses, cooking, and Spanish. He also, in confidence prompted by a night filled with whiskey after the death of Jack’s father (his mother had died years before), mentioned that he was attracted to men. The look on Jack’s face prompted some laughter out of Cassidy; it was a look of epiphany mixed with surprise.

After that, the two had forged a bond that was a mix between brothers and a father/son relationship; Jack had about 12-15 years on Cassidy. Gabriel had taken a while to get back into seeing people again, as he had put it; he had been a bit startled to see Cassidy, and it was revealed a few days after he arrived that the two knew each other.

They apparently had done some jobs together that needed more than one man and more firepower. During the following months over the winter, Jack began to hear about “the other side” of things, as it were. Things that he had been brought up to believe were just...stories. Or even things that were just real in the Old World. Witches, monsters, fairies, and all kinds of creatures big and small.

Cassidy showed the saint medals he wore, done in blessed silver, that were worn next to a skull (again, a la Dia de Los Muertos) done in silver and crimson. When Jack had, at first, almost scoffed at some of the things the two men were telling him, Gabriel and Cassidy only looked at each other and shook their heads. Cassidy had then stripped off his shirt, leaving his upper half naked and showing the one set of scars running across his chest and abdomen that were the remnants of an attack from something he wouldn’t name.

“Only thing is, patrón, I don’ wanna bring any of those things here,” Cassidy had whispered, his eyes darting around. “The only thing I’ll tell ya is that if’n you hear your name being called at night, combined with whistles, when no one should be outside callin’ your name….don’t listen to ‘em, patrón. They’re hungrier than the Devil ‘imself, and will do anything to lure you out.” Jack had glanced over at Gabriel, as if for confirmation or denial; all he saw was a grimness in the man’s dark face, and had received a nod as a firm confirmation that it was all real.

Soon after that, Gabriel let it slip that he was a warlock; Jack had walked in on him murmuring a spell, and the accompanying witch lights had startled him. That conversation had been a bit tense, but it was a part of the man that Jack had slowly been falling in love with. Gabriel had also mentioned that he was older than he looked; he looked like he was in his late thirties to Jack’s early thirties. However, he was actually closer to his seventies, in terms of how many years he had been alive. Jack had taken more steps after that; he had discreetly asked questions of Cassidy, and had used the winter months Indiana saw to make protective knots that wouldn’t be out of place on a saddle or saddlebags.

He had done up a set in the deep brown leather that his saddle and saddlebags were made out of, as well as the dyed black leather that Gabriel used. He also got some orange and red tapestry threads to weave in among the black leather knots. When Gabriel saw them, he ran his fingers over the knots, his face softening a bit at the gesture. He then looked up and raised a hand to cup Jack’s face, a small smile appearing on both of their faces. Gabriel took a step closer and slowly nuzzled Jack’s nose with his, Jack’s hands coming to rest on Gabriel’s hip and waist.

They stood like that for some time, breathing in each other’s scent; horse, tack oil, hay, and sunshine for Jack, and marigolds, incense, and the sea breeze for Gabriel. Later that night, they finally, finally learned every single line of the other’s body; how much Jack’s hair shone in the moonlight as he threw his head back, gasping in pleasure; how much Gabriel’s voice turned into a rumbling purr of desire and want. The next morning, all it took for Cassidy to guess what happened was one look at the eased body language between them, and he let out a whistle, his face split by a wide grin. It earned him a dirty yet pleased look from Gabriel and a laugh from Jack.

Present day.

Jack sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. His voice came out quiet, and with a bit of hurt concern as he asked, “What is going on, Gabe? I haven’t seen you like this in...at least a year. If not longer. You know that you can trust me.” Gabriel’s gaze locked onto Jack’s, his eyes the only thing showing the slightest bit of softness in his body.

“Yet do you really know if you can trust me?” asked Gabriel, his eyes continuing to dart around. Jack then noticed that Gabriel’s eyes seemed bloodshot, almost to the point of the sclera being entirely red. Jack crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the man in front of him.

“I think that I know you pretty well by now,” he retorted, “especially after all the letters we have exchanged and the time we’ve spent together. What is it?” He glanced down and noticed that Gabriel’s hands were shaking. He started when Gabriel grabbed his shoulders.

“I’m so sorry, mi querido,” Gabriel said, his voice full of sadness and regret. “I haven’t told you the full truth of why I was first sent to be in this area. See…” Gabriel’s deep voice trailed off. He continued, voice turning stony.

“As you might know, doing well in this world can make one gather….vultures. Enemies. Those who want what you have...but aren’t willing to work for it.” What felt like a ton of bricks settled into Jack’s stomach as he listened. “I was contacted to do some scouting work for one of these groups, to look into you and your family,” Gabriel continued, wincing at the stricken look on Jack’s face. “However, as I grew to know you and your family, it became harder for me to justify sending on information to this group. Over the past few decades….your family has been one of the more upstanding ones I have met.”

Jack took several steps back, removing himself from Gabriel's grip as his face turned white. “Gabe,” he whispered. “Why are you telling me this now?” Jack asked a bit wildly. “Why now??” He watched as Gabriel began to pace the room, occasionally glancing out the windows.

Gabriel sighed, and said, “I’ve been getting hints at the lines this group has crossed; lines even those of us who work with both dark and light magic will not cross.” His fists clenched as he looked at Jack.

“I have reason to believe that they are going to come for me here if I don’t come up with something. I need to leave, Jackie...and most likely never come back.” At this, Jack sat heavily in the chair by the head of the kitchen table.

“Gabe…” he said, his voice trailing off. There was hurt and shock spread like a streak of whitewash across his face, hearing that the man he had come to trust - to love - had been possibly sending information to those who wished his family and workers ill.

Gabriel took a step towards Jack, his determination wavering for just a moment. He knew that he had to leave; break it off for Jack’s own good, to protect him and keep him safe. The group he was referencing - Talon - used all weapons at their disposal, and he had been hearing hints of their activities coming this far into the state. It had been vague rumors of the werewolves that had eventually hardened his resolve to break ties with Jack-for as long as it took to get them off of his back. The only way he could think to do it was to try to break the man’s heart and hope to all the powers that be that he would be able to apologize later. He knew what praying could and couldn’t do...and didn’t have the spirit or heart to try.

Gabriel shook his head, trying to clear his mind. “I have to go, Jackie,” he said quietly. “I don’t know if-” his voice was cut off as Jack’s body hit him, embracing him in a tight hug. Gabriel’s arms slowly wrapped around Jack’s torso, knowing it might be the last time he held Jack like this.

“Mi sol,” he whispered hoarsely. Both sets of arms tightened imperceptibly, then let each other go. Tears shone, unshed, in Jack’s eyes as he nodded. Those tears were the main sign of his cracking heart.

“Do what you need to do, papi,” he said, tracing a finger over one of Gabriel’s eyebrows. “Just...try to be safe.” Within ten minutes, Gabriel was riding off on his mare, leaving behind one of the best parts and times of his life.

A few weeks later, Cassidy rode up the long driveway to his employer’s ranch. He had been given some time off, along with the other hands, to visit their families; his family had relocated to New Orleans, so it wasn’t as much of a trek as it had been to Santa Fe. As the house came into view, his heart dropped into his shoes, where his stomach had been residing. His gut feeling of wrongness had been confirmed when he saw the kicked in door and broken windows of the main house. He pulled out Peacekeeper and slid off of Pumpkin into a crouch. He glanced around at the ground, looking for signs of what happened as he walked towards the house.

He saw signs of quite the posse; at least ten men, if not more like fifteen. What made his innards freeze were the prints left of huge canine paws; their deep quality and the aura left behind even now made him race towards the house and pause just outside the door.

“Patrón?” Cassidy called, hoping beyond hope that he would get an answer. His quick gaze took in the destruction of the inside of the house - broken furniture, smashed crockery, and what smelled like rotting food mixed with the smell of spilled alcohol. He eased into the house, looking around for any signs of Morrison.

“Patrón!” he called, a bit louder. That was rewarded with a faint moan, from the direction of the cellar door which was also busted open. Cassidy slid over to the doorway and off to the side. “You down there, Morrison?” The louder moan in response had him quickly holstering Peacekeeper and grabbing a lantern to light his way down the stairs. At the sight before him, Cassidy turned a paler shade; Jack was laying on his back, partially slumped against the far wall. Blood trailed from where Cassidy stood to Jack’s body; claw and teeth marks marred the man’s body, and his left arm lay trapped beneath one of the supporting beams of the cellar ceiling.

Cassidy rushed over, seeing that Jack was still living; for how long, he wasn’t sure. Within the hour, he had Jack stabilized and in the rancher house; thankfully, it was still the off season and he could take advantage of the fact that no other ranch hands were there. The next week was touch and go; Cassidy knew that the scarring on Jack’s torso and face would remain there as a permanent reminder of what had happened.

Another change was the mix of pure white hair that was liberally interspersed with the bright blond hairs on Jack’s head. When the white didn’t go away, Cassidy knew he would have to have a tough conversation when the man woke; it was a sign that the lycanthropy had taken hold in him and wasn’t going to go away. When Cassidy checked the most up to date Farmer’s Almanac, he sighed in relief when it confirmed that they were still early in the month and had time before the next full moon.

Jack felt himself swimming slowly back into consciousness, blinking his eyes slowly against the lantern light. No matter how much he blinked, though, the room didn’t come into full clarity. He squinted, trying to clear some of the blurriness. Movement from the doorway caught his attention, and he recognized the Southern drawl, even though he couldn’t see the man clearly.

“Hey there, patrón,” Cassidy said, coming closer and sitting on a stool next to the bed. “You’re in the rancher house. You remember what year it is?” Jack rubbed his head, realizing that he ached all over and his left arm and shoulder were bound, his left arm bound to his chest to stabilize it.

“Last time I checked, it was 1880,” he replied, and he saw more relief fill Cassidy’s face.

“Good, good, patrón,” he said, checking over the bandages. “I was worried that the hits you took to your head would have, well...left you worse than that.” Cassidy looked down at Jack, and they both shared a hand clasp.

“When I got back, Morrison, they...they had left you for dead,” Cassidy said, a tremble in his voice. “What happened? And where was Jefe Gabriel?” Jack sighed and closed his eyes.

“Gabriel...left three weeks ago,” he replied, his voice full of sadness and at the edge of tears. Over the next hour, Cassidy slowly drew the story of their last encounter, as well as what the posse had done, out of Jack between sips of water and soup. After adjusting Jack against the headboard, Cassidy got him a glass with two fingers of whiskey in it.

“You’re going to need it for what I’m about to tell you, Jack,” he said, the use of his employer’s first name getting Jack’s attention as the glass was pushed into his hand. “That posse that came after you….they didn’t have dogs. Those were controlled werewolves,” Cassidy said. “Their aura was still lingering when I got here. And...well…” his voice trailed off as Jack blanched.

“Does that mean...I’m also one of them?” Jack asked, his voice trembling. Cassidy glanced down at his hands, clasped in his lap, and nodded.

“You can’t see it yet, hoss, but you’ve got white in your hair...and your eyes are a brighter, almost glowing steel blue. I got a bit of a scare the first time you opened them in your sleep and I saw ‘em - they glow a bit with reflected light, a bit like a dog’s or cat’s.” Over the next few days, the two of them came up with a story to tell the permanent ranch hands about what had happened. How Jack had gone for a ride, and had fallen off to slide down a cliff. Luckily, they got the main house mostly fixed up before the first hand got back, with just a few panes of glass missing. The horses, thankfully, had been left by Talon; it seemed that they didn’t want to have to deal with the horseflesh, especially with the werewolves in the group.

Between the house, healing, and the first couple of transformations, the time flew by very quickly. After six months, Jack had regained his strength, though he still had problems seeing. Though seeing clearly wasn’t a problem when he was in wolf form, his human eyes had issues seeing things clearly unless he held it a few inches from his eyes. Cassidy had made himself unobtrusively helpful, making sure the other hands didn’t think they had anything special going on. Eventually, though, Cassidy climbed the “ladder” enough that he was given the promotion to head hand. It allowed him further access to Jack, via meetings to keep the “big boss man” up to date on his horse herds. During that time, Cassidy tried to keep his spirits up at the loss of his normal humanity, and the loss of what was clear to him to be the other half of Jack.

One year later.

Gabriel had gone on what he ironically called a witch hunt. Once he had heard, through the witch grapevine, of the attack on the Morrison ranch, he started his systematic hunt. The rage that had filled him when he first heard the news still remained in him, fueling his determination. The thoroughness of the report also contained the injuries done to Jack; the loss of blood and the timing of the whole affair made sure that Jack would not survive. In spite of the very small hope that Jack had not died, Gabriel knew that no one human, as Jack was, could have survived those injuries. He drew upon his knowledge of the darker arts to wield against all the Talon members he could find, darkening his eyes permanently.

Gabriel continued to do his works of good, ensuring that he worked off the negative karma he was incurring by his violent and dark actions against Talon. After the past year, the group had fallen into obscurity, death, or imprisonment, and Gabriel slowly tapered off of the hunt. A few months later, he found himself on the road back to Indiana; about two days in, he found himself at the top of a hill, looking down at a horse drive where the horses looked extremely familiar.

One of the hands he saw paused, though he was immediately recognizable by his signature dark brown cowboy hat with the pinched front. Cassidy held up his left hand; Gabriel felt a shock go through him at the metallic glint of the prosthetic hand and forearm. He murmured to Reaper, his mare, and they made their way down the hill to come up to Cassidy’s side. After the horses greeted each other, they rode in somewhat stilted silence for about five miles before Cassidy spoke up.

“So, Jefe Gabriel...what brings you back to these parts? Missing Patrón Morrison? I know he’s been missing you; practically pining, if you ask me.” Gabriel’s head whipped to the side, shock filling his entire being.

He finally forced his voice to work, asking, “Jack’s...alive? How?” Cassidy let him stew for a couple of minutes before replying in a low voice.

“While you were starting your...little hunt there, jefe, he was recoupin’. Patrón was lucky I was the first one back; otherwise, the other ranch hands would’a shot him. No question about it.” Dread filled Gabriel with those words; there were few things that would warrant that, and none of them were filling him with much hope that he would recognize Jack when he saw him again. He nodded, numbly, when Cassidy told him that he had to help with the horse herd.

Gabriel kept out of the way, only helping when asked, his thoughts too much of a jumble to do much talking after that. He could tell when they were on the Morrison ranch property; his wards, along with Cassidy’s, were still active, and he could feel the tingle along his skin as he crossed over them.

“At least I’m not considered an enemy,” he thought to himself as he helped the hands at the back move the herd into the early summer corrals. Somehow, Gabriel made his way through stabling Reaper in the barn with the other horses that the hands had; they all bantered back and forth, putting up saddles and bags, making sure the horses were comfortable before they themselves were. Each of them knew how much they relied on their mounts. At a look from Cassidy, Gabriel hung back with his horse, giving her a bit more love as the other hands went to their boarding house.

When they were alone, Cassidy leaned on the support next to him. “Let me go up to the house first, jefe,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. When Gabriel looked at him, he had a look of understanding on his face. “We have all done things we regret, jefe, and made mistakes as well,” he said, holding up his prosthetic.

“I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground, and heard what you were doing. Figure if you were doing that, well...you must’a regretted what brought you here in the first place something fierce. Plus, I remember the looks you and Morrison gave each other. Both of you are over the moon for each other. Patrón and I had a few talks, and while it hurt...he’s still willing to talk. But,” he said as he held up a finger. “I want to warn him that you’re here. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be back to let you know if he is able to see you tonight.” Gabriel nodded, his voice unable to come out from the fear mixed with grief.

Cassidy left the barn, and Gabriel spent the next ten minutes filled with tension. A slight noise alerted him to the vaquero’s presence, and he looked up with hesitation. Cassidy nodded, with a slight tilt of his head toward the main house, and Gabriel felt his heart jump. He felt a squeeze on his shoulder as he passed Cassidy, and in a bit of a haze he made his way to the house. Soon, Gabriel was on the porch, staring at the door and a bit frozen. Just before his knuckles hit the door in a knock, the door opened. A gasp ripped out of his throat involuntarily at the scars across Jack’s face.

“Jack…” he said, voice filled with all of the sorrow, pain, and anguish he had felt over the past year. A small smile came over Jack’s face, and he held his arms open. Gabriel felt himself stumbling forward into Jack’s embrace, inhaling deeply of his familiar smell, punctuated by something a bit different.

Jack had been equally as startled by Gabriel’s current look. The bloodshot look of the eyes was still there, though it looked as though it was behind a glamor of sorts to protect him from those who wouldn’t understand why his eyes were red with deep brown/black irises. His skin also had a bit of a dark grey tinge to it due to the steps he had taken to dismantle Talon. The sound of his voice and the pain in it went straight through Jack’s heart, and he couldn’t help the smile that had come across his face. Despite the repercussions of Gabriel’s original actions, Jack was still so happy to see him. As Gabriel stumbled into his arms, Jack felt like a missing piece of his life slid back into his chest, clicking into place.

“Come in, papi,” he said, feeling another jerk from Gabriel at the sound of his voice. Now gravelly and a bit lower by at least a half an octave, his voice was the big indicator that he was no longer human to those who knew what to look and listen for. They both took steps into the house, managing to stay in their embrace, and Jack freed a hand to close the door behind Gabriel.

“Cassidy will bring up your bags later,” Jack murmured, rubbing his nose into Gabriel’s shoulder in a show of affection. He continued, saying, “I’m sure that you have some questions, my love. As you can see, I am in relatively one piece, thanks to Cassidy. I still have some aches when the weather changes, but that’s manageable.”

Somehow, they migrated to the nearby sofa while keeping a hold on one another and Gabriel taking off his jacket and boots. Another thing that Gabriel noticed was the way Jack’s body heat was absolutely radiating off of him, feeling so good to him and soaking into the coldness that had seemed to have taken hold in his body. Jack chuckled as Gabriel nudged him into stretching out, head and shoulders propped up on a pillow and the armrest.

Gabriel then wormed his way into stretching out on top of Jack, head on Jack’s chest and arms wrapped around his torso, both men’s legs tangled up at the other side of the sofa. Enough time passed for some of the tension of their last meeting to permeate the air, and both tensed as they sensed it. Gabriel eventually broke it; he knew that he owed Jack that much, to be the one to apologize profusely. He tilted his head up, so he would be heard.

“I’m so sorry, mi querido,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry for...everything. After a certain point, I should have been completely honest with you, and wasn’t.” He felt Jack shift a bit as he tightened his arms around Gabriel. He felt a light kiss on top of his head as Jack began talking.

“Yes, you should have been, Gabe. That hurt me the most. Even after all this time, and from what Cassidy said, your own manhunt…” He sighed, and continued. “I am better than I was then. However, I’m willing to work with you to build our lives together going forward.” Jack felt the slight nod of Gabriel’s head against his chest, as the man accepted what he said with a hum. Gabriel shifted again, and made a slight noise of inquiry. Jack seemed to pick up on it, and started to rub a hand up and down Gabriel’s back.

“If you are wondering...yes I am a werewolf. The...transformations were tough at first. However, I have been working on them and always do so away from the horses. Only fair for them,” he said, with a tentativeness to his voice that told Gabriel he was hesitant due to what Gabriel’s reaction might be. He slowly brought himself up, resting his face against Jack’s neck before speaking.

“Even after you found out I was a magic worker, you didn’t turn on me. I don’t care that you are a werewolf; I don’t care what you look like now,” Gabriel whispered, his lips against Jack’s neck. He slowly pressed a kiss into Jack’s neck and continued speaking, slipping into Spanish.

“Sigues siendo mi todo; mi amor, mi sol y mi luna.” He felt more than heard Jack’s pleased laughter, and brought his head up to look at Jack. “You understood me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Jack squirmed a bit and nodded, a faint blush across his cheeks and the tops of his ears.

“Cassidy has been teaching me Spanish,” Jack said, tracing his fingers down Gabriel’s jawline. “It was something to help...pass the time while all this healed.” He waved his other hand around his face and upper chest as he said that. A grin split Gabriel’s face, and he snuggled back into Jack’s embrace. Their forgiveness swirled around each other, helping to forge the bond that had begun years before.

The next several days did have some hiccups as they got used to each other once more. Cassidy took it in stride as well, telling both of them that he had explained things to the ranch hands’ satisfaction. It seemed that all of them were happy that each of them had each other again.

One thing about Gabriel’s timing, though, was that it was the week before the next full moon. It was something that made both of them slightly nervous; Gabriel because he knew how painful it could be, and with Jack because it would be the first time he shifted in front of Gabriel. They both were understandably nervous, yet determined to get through it together.

The day before, they and Cassidy rode the half day’s journey to a specific section of woods near Lake Michigan in companionable silence, broken by some conversation. They finally set up camp at the edge of the woods, still with the same fluid teamwork. As night fell, they made and ate dinner, Jack getting a bit of a bigger portion. Eventually, Jack and Gabriel walked into the woods, Gabriel carrying a satchel to keep Jack’s clothes in until he needed them again.

They came across a clearing, and Jack took off his clothing and boots so as to not rip them. He began to stretch out as Gabriel put everything in the satchel. Gabriel walked over to Jack and gave him a final kiss before giving him space. As the moon came into view through the clouds, the transformation started. Gabriel watched as Jack huffed and groaned his way through the transformation. Within fifteen minutes, an awestruck Gabriel was looking up at a white-silver wolf with glowing steel blue eyes. Jack’s tail was slowly waving back and forth as Gabriel stepped forward and reached up with both hands to bury his hands in the fur around Jack’s face.