Project: Nighthall

6

DPOV

I knocked on the familiar door, knowing that someone had to awake by now. The sun was starting to rise over the water, casting the lake house in a pink and gold glow. I could hear footsteps coming down the hall, but they were so light I knew who it was before he opened the door.

"Hi, Gabriel," I said with a smile.

"Good morning, Guardian Belikov," he joked as he stepped aside for me to come in. I stepped inside and waited for him to shut the door. Gabriel gestured for me to follow him and he led me upstairs. I expected to stay in the boat house, but there was a guest room on the other side of Gabriel's.

"We didn't think that you should have to rough it out in the boat house like an outsider," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, that is much appreciated," I retorted in jest as I set my bag on the dresser, "Is anyone else awake?"

"No, this one is sleeping like it's her job. I think Mikey might be up now. He wasn't in his room when I walked by earlier," Gabriel explained jerking his thumb towards Rose's room. I nodded and followed him down the hall. He stepped into his room and closed the window that he had opened. His room was very clean and organized, nothing out of place. There wasn't much decoration-wise, but there was a photo on his nightstand.

Gabriel noticed my gaze and smiled softly and icked it up, holding it out to me.

"My Ma," he said softly. I took the frame and looked at the photo, a small smile coming to my lips. It was him and a woman. He was younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. Definitely before the lycanthropy genes became active. His hair was long, falling into his green eyes while the woman stood behind him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

She looked so much like her. They had the same smile and eyes. Her eyes were blue though, the same kind of blue that I saw when his wolf vision was in use.

"She's beautiful," I said softly as I handed it back to him.

"She really was," Gabriel said softly as he looked down at the photo, "She was the greatest."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking? Rose said that she passed very suddenly."

Gabriel nodded and set the frame back down on the nightstand.

"We were mugged. She stepped between me and a bullet. I don't know if it was stress or coincidence, but I started my partial phases that night," he said as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, "We didn't have a lot. They wanted my dad's watch that she wore."

"I'm sorry," I offered earnestly, "How old were you?"

"Fifteen," he said with a shake of his head, "I've never had the heart to ask Rose if she stuck around. A part of me wants to know, and a part of me doesn't."

"What was her name?"

A smile grew on his lips again.

"Savannah-May," he said, "She was born in Alabama and met my dad in Chicago. He died when I was little, not sure how, but Ma never liked to talk about it."

I nodded and canted my head to the side. Gabriel cleared his throat and lead me down the stairs and into the kitchen. He went to the coffee pot and pulled two mugs out from the cupboard above.

"How is Michael doing?" I asked and accepted a coffee from Gabriel once we were at the island.

"He's doing better. Still a little freaked out at night, but he's been better," he explained, cutting himself short as Michael walked into the kitchen.