Work Text
Mark Bennett knew the feeling of sorrow very well.
He’d felt it for the first time when his pack had been attacked by the hunters and so many of them had died.
He’d felt it the day Thomas decided that they had to leave Green Creek and go to Maine. He could still picture the exact moment his brother had announced that they needed to leave Gordo behind.
After that, he’d felt it time and time again when he came to visit Gordo for a few days. Sometimes, there were months between those visits. He’d hate the hurt in Gordo’s eyes. The desperation. The burning anger.
The moment he stood outside a familiar house, holding a small box in his hands and the smell of some stranger still in his nose, he didn’t feel just sorrow, though. That was the moment he knew how it felt when a heart was breaking.
Then there was pain. He felt it when he met Gordo for the first time after the family moved back to Green Creek. When Gordo looked at him like he was someone whom he despised. Which was probably the truth. When he also found out that Ox was Gordo’s tether now, not him anymore. It hurt, considering that Gordo was still Mark’s tether and would always be.He felt uneasiness when Gordo walked onto the clearing with Ox during the full moon Joe first shifted. It was strange to see him there, knowing that he wasn’t pack anymore. He couldn’t feel Gordo anymore, not like it was supposed to be. The witch was still there in some small part of his mind, but even that bond felt fragile and broken. He still smelled like dirt and leaves and rain, though, and it took Mark all his self-control not to go to him. Gordo surely wouldn’t want this. He’d tried everything to keep Ox away from them, a clear sign that he still felt betrayed by them. That he didn’t trust them. That’s when Mark’s uneasiness turned to sorrow again. The family was too focused on Joe, so they didn’t notice the sudden shift in his mood, but there was a short moment during which Thomas looked at him and he knew it, then. He knew that it was nearly unbearable for Mark, being so close to Gordo and so far away at the same time.They didn’t meet often during those first months that they were back in Green Creek. Mark knew that it was both because Gordo was avoiding him and since he tried to get out of his way, too. Gordo lived in town now, not close to the Bennett house. It made things both easier and more difficult.Sometimes, Ox would tell a story from the shop during their Sunday dinner and Gordo’s name came up. Ox didn’t notice it, but there was a change in the family then. It was like they all held their breaths, carefully waiting for Mark’s reaction. With time, though, it faded and no one paid attention anymore when Gordo’s name was mentioned. Except for Mark. He’d always notice and even if it hurt, he always took in everything eagerly.
Time passed and before he knew it, they were back for years. Peaceful years during which the family finally got some time to relax. To be themselves again. Maine and the events of Joe’s capture had changed them all and not necessarily for the better.
The first time Mark felt fear again after coming back to Green Creek was when a group of Omegas arrived. One of them came into town before the others and she targeted Ox. Gordo was there and swore that he could have fought her off, which was probably true. He was a powerful witch, after all, and bound to the territory. That didn’t stop Mark from worrying, though. He was glad when Gordo stayed at the Bennett house together with Ox and his mom until the danger was over. Fighting beside him turned out to be both a thrilling and terrifying feeling. Thrilling because they hadn’t been together like this in years. Terrifying because Gordo could get hurt and he wasn’t pack anymore. A witch was always stronger with a pack.
All in all, Mark Bennett felt a lot of things when it came to Gordo Livingstone. He still loved him, but he was also angry at him. Because no matter how hard he tried, Gordo always found ways to avoid him. To end conversations as swiftly as possible. He hated that Gordo still couldn’t trust them. Thomas had kept his promise. He’d said they would be back one day. And they came back. Too late, a quiet voice inside Mark’s head whispered over and over, but he ignored it.
However, all the love and anger and frustration was nothing compared to the moment Mark first heard of Gordo being with someone else. Because this time, it didn’t just feel like his heart was breaking, but like he was on fire.
Ox didn’t intentionally tell them about Gordo’s new relationship. It had been a Sunday dinner almost five years after they’d come back to Green Creek. By now, Joe was fifteen years old. Mark was still surprised by how fast time passed. He still remembered the first time Joe spoke again after more than a year. The day he met Ox for the first time. His mate. He hoped that everything would work out for them. That they’d make it somehow.
“How are things going at the shop?” Elizabeth asked while they all sat around the table, her eyes gleaming. She knew that Mark would never ask about it, no matter how much he wanted to. Gordo still kept his distance, even after all those years.
“Everything’s fine.” Ox said, busy watching as Joe tried to pick up a pea with his fork. It kept moving around the plate, with him being too impatient to just take things slow. “The guys went to a club yesterday. They asked me to come, but I had to help Gordo first and later I was too tired. There was this Ford that kept us busy most of the day.”
“What did you need to help Gordo with?” Carter asked, his eyes flickering to Mark. Sometimes, he hated how his family could always read him like an open book. That they all knew how he was feeling about the witch.
Ox shrugged. “He couldn’t decide what to wear. It was a little scary, to be honest. I’ve never seen Gordo in a shirt and dress pants before. But he’s also never dated anyone before, so…”
It looked like he wanted to say more, but Ox was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. There was a sharp pain in his hand and juice flooded the table as Mark’s glass burst into pieces. He barely felt it, though, just like he didn’t notice the chaos that broke out around him. Ox flinched, Joe stopped playing with the pea to stare at him. Elizabeth was on her feet in an instant, saying she’d get a towel to clean up the mess. Thomas took Mark’s hand to see if there were any shards left that could stop the wounds from closing. He didn’t even realize that he was bleeding.“The glass must have been cracked before.” Elizabeth said to Maggie, though they all knew that it was a lie. Even Ox looked at Mark apologetically, knowing that his words had caused the sudden outburst.
For a moment, everything was silent. It was Carter who broke it, mostly because he was an asshole. He turned to Ox and smiled widely. “So whom is he dating? I’m sure Gordo has a very particular taste in men, so tell us about him.”
Ox then began to stammer that he’d never actually seen the guy and Gordo didn’t tell him much. In fact, he’d never mentioned him before at the shop, surely not keen on the comments of the others. Tanner, Chris and Rico were making fun of his love life all the time, so he didn’t want to give them more to talk about.
Mark didn’t stay to listen. He left the table, not able to stand it any longer. No one called him out for that. Sunday dinner was tradition, but even that had its limits. Mark wouldn’t listen to stories about the love of his life searching for someone else.
His name was Andrew, he found out a week later. Not because he was actually searching for information on the guy, but because his nephews were little pieces of shit and couldn’t stop telling him about it, once Ox got them the information from Gordo.
It seemed like Gordo didn’t actually have a type, because Andrew was as different from Mark as the sun from the moon. A year younger than Gordo, about his height and with curly black hair. Green eyes, not blue. No beard, because apparently he couldn’t stand facial hair. It was said that his grandparents had come from Mexico and he still had relatives there, though he never saw them. Actually, he’d been traveling across the country to have some time for himself after his parents had suddenly passed. He’d arrived in Green Creek a few weeks previously since he had problems with his car. He was sent to Gordo’s and that’s how they met.
After that, Andrew never left to continue his roadtrip.
He lived in a small flat above the gift shop in town now.He found a job at a bank in a small town only a few miles from Green Creek.
Rico, Tanner and Chris liked him very much because he was funny and didn’t let Gordo get through with his bad moods.
Ox said he was caring and that it was hard not to like him.
Even Joe, Kelly and Carter made their way to the shop one day to get to know him.
Mark didn’t.
He had never hated anyone this much in his entire life.
For some time, he thought that he could simply ignore it. He’d known all along that Gordo had other men during his absence. Hell, Mark also had meaningless one-night stands over the years. But it had never lasted. It couldn’t, not with his heart being already taken. Only now did he realize that he’d believed it would be the same for Gordo. That against all odds, he’d wait for Mark to come back.
That he’d found someone years after the Bennett’s return didn’t make things easier.
So Mark tried to ignore it. After the initial surprise, the family didn’t talk about Andrew anymore. When Ox told stories from the shop, it was always about the others. Tanner, Chris, Rico and Gordo. But he rarely mentioned Andrew.
The pain was still there in Mark’s chest, but he believed that he could ignore it.
Until, one day, another Omega found his way to Green Creek.
It was late in the afternoon and most of the Bennett pack was sitting in the living room of the house, doing different things. Thomas was reading a newspaper and Elizabeth made some sketches for her new painting. Kelly and Carter were watching something on TV, the voices a faint background noise that was easy to ignore. Mark himself was trying to read a book. Joe, Ox and Maggie were missing, having a movie night together at the other house.
Mark knew something was wrong the moment Thomas stiffened on the couch and something bright flared through their pack bonds, like a warning.
“Whoa, what was that?” Carter asked, jumping to his feet and looking around hectically.Through the bonds, Mark could feel a faint questioning sensation, probably from Joe. He must have felt the shift as well.
“The wards.” Thomas said as everyone got to their feet. “Someone passed them.”
Mark frowned at this. “I’ve never felt this before. Back when the Omegas came, we didn’t get a warning.”
“Gordo made some adjustments.” Was all their Alpha said, already heading towards the door. There was light in the other house and moments later, Joe stormed outside, followed by Ox and his mother. Ox held the crowbar in his hands.
“When did you speak to Gordo?” Mark asked his brother, still remembering how he’d insisted that he only talked to Gordo when absolutely necessary. After all, he’d insisted that he wasn’t their witch anymore. He didn’t want to be pack.
“After the attack.” Thomas said simply, shrugging out of his jacket and throwing it onto a chair close to the door. Outside, it was cold. Winter was slowly approaching.
“But that was nearly a year ago –“ His protests remained unheard because in that moment, Thomas shifted and began to howl. A loud and terrifying sound. A warning to everyone who came to their territory to cause any harm.
The others also shifted and Mark knew that he wouldn’t get any answers. So he did the only thing possible in this moment. He followed his pack.
Everything was silent on the clearing when they arrived. Almost too silent. But then Mark felt it, someone approaching them fast. Ox stood between him and Joe, holding the crowbar so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It wasn’t the first attack he’d witnessed, but he knew how terrifying it could be when you weren’t used to it yet. Mark still remembered that feeling far too well.
Then he sensed someone getting closer. It took him less than a heartbeat to know who it was. He pressed himself against Ox, hoping that it would have a calming effect on him. Ignoring Joe’s warning snarl, Mark waited, his eyes trained on the same spot as Thomas’. Of course their Alpha also knew who was coming.
Then someone stepped onto the clearing and all Mark could think was PackLoveMate and it smelled like dirt and leaves and rain. But there was something else there, too. A new scent. A wrong scent. It smelled like another man. He didn’t try to hold back his angry snarl.Thomas suddenly shifted back to human. Mark couldn’t help himself and did the same almost immediately. He felt the cold air against his skin and for a short moment, Gordo’s eyes were on him.
Gordo, who was dressed in dark pants and a white shirt, a matching jacket slung over his shoulder. It wasn’t hard to guess what he’d been doing when the wards had been disturbed. “Three of them.” He said to Thomas, throwing the jacket in the dirt and rolling up his sleeves, revealing inches of inked skin. “Omegas. They came from the south and should be here soon.”
All around, the wolves growled angrily. “Why are they here?” Ox asked, glancing at his mother. Gordo did the same, his expression turning into a concerned frown.
“Seems like that’s for us to find out.” Mark muttered, but he couldn’t help raising his eyebrows at his brother. Thomas gave a curt shake of his head, letting them know that he also didn’t know why they could be here.
“You should shift back.” Gordo’s voice was hard when he turned to Mark. “They’re nearly here.”
He considered arguing, but Thomas shot him a warning look and his eyes flashed red. In the distance, they could hear footsteps and ragged breathing.
Mark shifted back only moments before the Omegas burst onto the clearing.
It was over very fast. With the Omegas being outnumbered, they didn’t stand a chance. While Thomas and Carter tried to get some information out of the last one, Mark watched as Ox went over to Gordo.
“There’s blood on your shirt.” Gordo, who’d been staring into the distance with an absent-minded look on his face, looked at Ox in surprise.
“What do you –“ He looked down at himself then and turned a little, enabling Mark to get a look at him as well. His white shirt was dark on his side. Before he could stop himself, Mark had taken a step towards them. After all, this was his mate. This was his mate and he was hurt.
But then Gordo chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Most of it isn’t mine, Ox.” He didn’t glance at Mark, though he must have noticed him getting closer. They all did. Gordo might not be pack anymore, but the fact that he was hurt flared through the pack bonds, making them all uneasy. “Just a scratch, nothing else. Are you all right, kid?”
The irony of that statement wasn’t lost on Mark. By now, Ox was much taller than Gordo and he hadn’t been a kid in a long time. “Fine.” Ox looked to where Thomas and Carter had disappeared behind some trees. “You changed something about the wards.”
“I don’t like surprises.” Gordo muttered darkly, crossing his arms. The raven stretched its wings and some of the roses glowed in a soft light. “But I must work on the alarm signals. We were out for dinner and I nearly choked on my food when I felt it. Had to tell Andrew that I was sick. I climbed out of the window in the restroom. Hopefully, no one noticed my sudden disappearance. That place was crowded, so the odds aren’t that bad.”
Ox chuckled at this and Joe hummed in amusement, but Mark couldn’t help himself and let out a growl. Andrew. He’d known that Gordo had been on a date, but hearing him say the name he hated so much made him furious once more. That and Gordo had been hurt. It wasn’t just a scratch. Mark could smell it. Gordo’s blood. The one soaking the white shirt at the moment.
The look Gordo threw at him as hard. “Oh shut up, Mark. That’s none of your business.” Any other time, he would have enjoyed that the witch could read him this well, even in his wolf form. But right now, it only fueled his anger even more.
Gordo’s tattoos glowed. A warning. “I should get going.” He turned to where Elizabeth was watching their exchange silently. “Let me know if he says anything of importance.”
Without waiting for a reaction, he grabbed the jacket that was still lying on the ground and began to walk away.
“Gordo.” Maggie’s voice made him freeze and he looked over his shoulder. “Let someone have a look at that cut. It won’t stop bleeding.” The look in her eyes was hard and Mark would have liked to kiss her in this moment.
“Yeah, whatever.” Gordo gave a short nod and disappeared into the night.
They couldn’t get any information from the Omegas and once more, Mark didn’t see Gordo for a few weeks. Until he was in town one day, having promised Elizabeth to help her get new painting supplies. There was only one shop where they could go. It was close to the grocery story and Mark was sure that he wouldn’t meet anyone he knew that day. After all, it was a Wednesday and the others were either at school or at the shop.
He was wrong. They were just about to cross the road when Elizabeth started to wave at someone. Mark followed her gaze and froze. As did the other person. When Mark realized that Gordo wasn’t alone and he recognized the man standing next to him, he wondered if running away was an option. That, or tearing open Andrew’s skin with his claws.
“Gordo, what a surprise to see you here.” Elizabeth said warmly because of course she had to go to them. “Don’t you have to work today?”
The smile on Gordo’s lips looked forced. In contrast to Andrew. He seemed to be completely relaxed and smiled at them brightly. Mark wondered how they fit together, considering that Gordo wasn’t one to smile often and long. “I took a day off. It’s Andrew’s birthday.”
“It’s so good to finally meet you.” Elizabeth shook Andrew’s hand with a smile. “Happy birthday, Andrew.”Andrew looked delighted. “You must be Mrs. Bennett. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your sons stop by at Gordo’s from time to time, they won’t stop praising you.”
“Is that so?” Elizabeth was clearly amused. “I was just saying to Mark over here that it was a shame we’d never met Gordo’s boyfriend, despite you two being together for months now.” Oh, how she was enjoying this situation. “Gordo is like family to us. But he’s always so busy that he rarely has time to stop by.”
“The shop is indeed keeping him busy all the time.” Andrew agreed with a fond smile, taking Gordo’s hand. He looked over at Mark. His eyes weren’t completely green, but rather a mixture of green and grey. “So you’re Mark Bennett. Joe’s, Kelly’s and Carter’s uncle. They talk about you a lot.” From the way Andrew said it, Mark suspected that they hadn’t told him that he was also Gordo’s ex.
Mark raised his eyebrows, hoping that it looked surprised instead of murderous. “They talk about me? I doubt there’s much to say.”
“Were you on your way to the shop?” Gordo interrupted him before he could say more. “Elizabeth paints a lot.”“We were.” She confirmed with a nod, the amusement still obvious in her eyes. “So what are your plans for this special day? A nice dinner at home? Or are you going out?”
Mark could nearly feel Gordo’s unhappiness with this conversation. Next to him, however, Andrew seemed to be completely oblivious to his boyfriend’s annoyance. Or the fact that his life could end any moment now, depending on what he was going to say and do. “We’re going to the cinema this evening.” He explained happily. “Together with the boys. You know, Tanner, Chris and Rico. Gordo introduced them to me at the shop and now we’re all friends. Well, not Gordo and me, of course. We’re more than that. But the others. I invited them since they also wanted to see the new movie in town.”
Elizabeth kept smiling. “That sounds lovely. Then I wish you a wonderful day. Both of you. We should keep going now. Maybe we’ll see each other again soon.”
“I would like that.” Andrew said with a nod. “Pleasure to meet you both.”
He didn’t protest when Gordo nearly pulled him away from them after forcing out a goodbye.
“What a nice young man.” Elizabeth said as they watched them leave.
Mark glared at her. “You did that on purpose.”
She continued to walk towards the store. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Elizabeth.” He said seriously and didn’t follow her.
When she turned around again, her expression was serious. “You can’t run away from each other forever, Mark.”
“What do you expect from me? Watching as you invite Gordo and his boyfriend to our Sunday dinner? It’s not that easy! I can’t just have them close.” This short meeting had already cost him nearly all his self-control. Mark wasn’t sure what he’d do to Andrew if he had to be in his company for much longer. If he had to watch him smile at Gordo and touch him.
“But you also can’t just ignore Gordo’s existence. He is, after all, your tether.” She said it so casually that it made his heart ache.
“Of course he is.” He would always be his tether. “But that doesn’t change that he chose him over me.” He couldn’t even blame him after everything that happened. Not completely.
“If you asked Gordo, I’m sure he would also say that you chose your family over him.” It was difficult to be angry at Elizabeth when she said the words so kindly. “I don’t think it ever stopped to hurt him that we left. Which is why it’s difficult for him to trust us.” Mark knew what else she didn’t voice. Which is why he isn’t our witch anymore.
He sighed. “I never wanted any of this.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure everything will fall into place one day.”
Back then, they both didn’t know that it would take years until things finally fell into place.
Years filled with more sorrow and heartbreak. With loss and desperation.
And loneliness.
So much loneliness.
By the time Richard Collins came to Green Creek and Osmond betrayed them, Gordo had been with Andrew for over two years. Two years during which Mark’s heart broke over and over again.
It was all nothing compared to how he felt when his brother’s body burned.
When Joe became an Alpha far too soon.
When he saw Gordo after the fight, covered in blood and bruises, but still alive.
Or the moment when Joe announced that they were going to leave and hunt Richard Collins. To make him pay for everything he’d done to them.
Joe would leave with Carter, Kelly and Gordo.
Mark, Elizabeth and Ox would stay behind at Green Creek.
Ox’s heart broke the moment Joe announced that he would stay behind. It pained Mark to see because he knew exactly how it felt. He’d been in a similar situation years ago. The look on Gordo’s face in that moment told him that he remembered the same. Mark knew what it meant to leave. Gordo how it was to be left behind. This time, their roles were reversed. During that conversation, Gordo wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“I broke up with him.” He said later, as they were standing on the porch, both staring out into the night. “Andrew. It wouldn’t be fair to him. To leave and keep him hanging like this. He deserves better.”
Mark didn’t look at him. “You’re cutting all the ties.”
“Not all of them.” Gordo argued immediately. “It’s not what you think.”
He turned then, to find a pair of familiar brown eyes stare at him. “Isn’t it? You’re leaving. Again. It seems like all you can do, Gordo.”
This made him angry. The look on his face hardened. “You left me first.”
“And I came back as often as I could.”
The reply came in an instant. “It wasn’t enough.” It looked like Gordo wanted to say more, but he didn’t. Instead he just crossed his arms and stared into the distance.
Mark took him in, wondering if this was the last time he’d ever see him. If he were to see any of them ever again. “Take care of yourself, okay?” Without waiting for a reply, he made his way back inside. Looking at Gordo hurt too much. Being this close to him was too dangerous. There were a thousand things on the tip of Mark’s tongue he longed to say.
He couldn’t, so he left instead.
He only heard Gordo’s next words because of his enhanced hearing abilities as a wolf. “It was different with him. I loved him, but not in the way it mattered. Not the way I loved you. It all wasn’t fair to him.”
Even if it was the hardest thing he’d ever done, Mark kept walking.
Andrew showed up at the house three days after the others had left. There was still so much sorrow and everything felt just blue. So when he suddenly stood there, Mark didn’t have the energy to be angry at him. Ox was at the shop and Elizabeth somewhere in the woods. She hadn’t shifted back yet and wouldn’t for a long time.
“What are you doing here?” Mark asked, staring at the man in front of him.
“I’m leaving Green Creek.” Andrew explained with a shrug. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes. Mark wondered if he’d been crying when Gordo broke up with him. “Now that he’s gone, there’s nothing left for me here.”
Mark knew that he was a stupid man. Which was why he asked the question that was on his mind and bothered him more than anything. “Aren’t you going to wait for him? I’m sure he told you that they’ll be back.”
Andrew sighed deeply. “There are things he hasn’t told me. Things I’m sure you know about. All of you. Sometimes, he’d disappear in the middle of the night. Or during the day. He’d never tell me where he went. Once, I even found a shirt soaked in blood in one of the drawers. He has far more scars than a mechanic should have. His tattoos seemed to be changing, even if he insisted time and time again that it’s just my imagination. And he had nightmares. Lots of them.” He hesitated then, only for a brief moment. “Sometimes, he woke up screaming. He called lots of names, but most of the time, it was yours.”
Mark’s heart skipped a beat at hearing that. “Look, I don’t know for sure what happened between the two of you. Gordo never mentioned you and the others never talked about it. But I know there’s something. You were a thing once. Until something happened and you broke his heart. Or you broke each other’s hearts, I’m not sure. But it doesn’t matter anyway. The time with Gordo was wonderful, but I think deep down, I always knew that it wouldn’t last. That one day, we were going separate ways. That time has come now.”
He watched as Andrew bit his lip. “He still loves you, you know? He won’t even admit it to himself, but I know it’s the truth.” He hesitated then. “And you love him.” It wasn’t a question. “I’ll go south, maybe to Mexico. See the family I have left there. Or California. The ocean is calling out to me.”
“I never liked you.” The words were out before Mark could stop them. “But I think you made him happy for those past years.”
Andrew smiled. “I hope so.” He pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “I’ll be gone next week. Since I’m sure that we won’t see each other again, this is goodbye. Take care of him when he comes back, will you?”
“Of course I will.” Mark knew that the words sounded more like a growl, but if it intimidated Andrew, he didn’t let it show.
Andrew didn’t reply. Instead, he just looked at Mark silently for a few moments before he nodded. Then he got in the car and drove away.
Mark never saw him again.
“Andrew left today.” Ox said six days after he’d stopped by at the house. “He said he’s never coming back.”
“Doesn’t surprise me.” Mark muttered, looking out of the window. “He just stayed because of Gordo. Now nothing keeps him here anymore.” He wondered what he’d have done if Gordo had decided to leave Green Creek during their absence. If they’d come back, just to find the territory abandoned. Would Mark have chosen him instead of the pack then? Would he have followed Gordo wherever he went? Would there even have been a choice to make?“But they’ll come back.” Ox didn’t even try to hide the desperation in his voice.
Mark pulled him closer for a hug. “Of course they will.”
It took them over three years to find their way back home. Three hard years during which much happened.
They were a new pack then. With a new Alpha. A human Alpha. And more human members. Also a new wolf, Robbie. He’d come to spy on them, but somehow Ox had made him one of them instead.
The hardest thing of those years was that for most of the time, the others had cut their ties to Green Creek. There was no way to contact them at all.The night before the contact broke, Mark received a text from Gordo. Just three words that made him want to scream. Or cry. Maybe both.
I’m sorry.
When they came back, everything had changed. But not just them, they had changed as well. Mark knew it the moment they stepped out of the trees, looking harder than ever before. It was in the way they moved. In the way they held themselves. In their eyes.
He’d seen Gordo in various states over the years, but never like this. There was a storm in his eyes, but it was nearly impossible for Mark to read it. Until now, he’d always been able to understand the other man. Now, it was more difficult than ever before.
“You can go to them.” Ox said and both Mark and Elizabeth rushed forward. But instead of going to the person he wanted most, he followed her to Carter and Kelly, greeting his nephews first.
The pull was strong and sooner than planned, Mark found himself standing in front of Gordo, taking him in again. He’d lost weight, his cheekbones were more pronounced and there were wrinkles in his face that certainly didn’t come from smiling. The look in his eyes was hard, but Mark thought that it softened somehow the longer they looked at each other. Or at least that’s what he wanted to believe.
He still smelled like dirt and leaves and rain. But there was a new scent on him too. One that connected him to Joe, Kelly and Carter. It screamed pack in ways that made Mark dizzy. Because he wasn’t Mark’s pack. They were two now.
“He’s gone.” He didn’t picture his first words to Gordo like this, but now they were out and couldn’t take them back.
Gordo didn’t look surprised. “I told him to leave. It was better this way.” He wondered how often he’d repeated Gordo’s last words from before their departure in his head. Most probably, millions of times. I loved him, but not in the way it mattered. Not the way I loved you.
There was a lump in his throat when he forced a smile to his lips. “I’m glad you’re back, Gordo.”
If he hadn’t watched the other man so closely, he might have missed it. The slight twitch of Gordo’s lips. “Me too.”
Mark could feel many eyes on them. Ox and Joe had already left, but the others were still there. All eyes of the humans were on Gordo, though no one made an attempt to go to him. Gordo, in return, only kept his eyes on Mark. He’d still buried his hands in his pockets and looked like he was feeling somewhat out of place. A feeling Carter and Kelly didn’t see to share, considering the way they interacted with their mother and started to interrogate Robbie.
He wasn’t sure whether he should feel sorry for Gordo or not. During all those years, Rico, Tanner and Chris had always stood by him. Now they looked at Gordo as if he was a stranger.
When it became obvious that neither of them was going to say more, Gordo gave a short nod and began to walk away.
No one called after him.
Mark wanted to, but he didn’t find the words. He wasn’t even sure if Gordo wanted him to follow.
It took Ox and the others three days to forgive Gordo for leaving. Apparently, he’d shown up at the shop, met Ox there and they talked. In the end, Rico, Chris and Tanner joined them, not able to stay mad at Gordo much longer. Even if he’d kept the truth about witches and werewolves from them for most of his life.
Mark wished that things were as easy for him. He saw Gordo from time to time, now that he was in a pack with Joe, Carter and Kelly. They exchanged glances at times. But they never talked.
Until the night of the full moon, when the packs ran together and it nearly ended in disaster.
It felt good to run with Gordo again. To watch his tattoos glow in the dark, surrounded by his pack and feeling the pull of the full moon. Mark could almost feel it, the distant memory from similar nights many years ago. Everything inside him screamed mate and love and gordo, but at the same time, he couldn’t feel him. Not properly.
Gordo didn’t stay in the middle of the group, like the other humans. Instead, he always hung back, watching the events from a distance. As if he wasn’t ready to face all of them yet.
Or as if he’d expected things to escalate, Mark realized when Robbie threw himself at Joe. The tension in the air was nearly palpable, but somehow, it didn’t come to a fight. Thanks to Joe, who remained calm despite Robbie’s behaviour. And because of Ox, their human Alpha.
Later that night, before the packs separated, Gordo stopped to look at Mark. He didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t have to. Mark followed his instincts and did the only thing possible. He pressed himself against his mate for a moment. Then he ran back towards the Bennett house with the others.
“So did you talk? You and Gordo?” Carter asked one day. “We’ve been back for some time now.”
“Two weeks.” Mark corrected his nephew with a stern glance. “You’ve been back for fourteen days, not more. And we’re preparing for a fight, remember?”
“Which makes it even more important that you talk.” Kelly appeared next to his brother, looking annoyed. “You’re always staring at each other when he’s at the house. It’s kind of scary.”
Carter nodded. “Is this because of the boyfriend? Andy, or what was his name?”
“He didn’t miss him at all.” Kelly continued. “We never even spoke of him.”
“And they broke up. Ox said he left a week later.” Somehow, Carter looked happy about that. Not that Mark could blame him.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re annoying?” Mark asked, hoping that they’d just leave him alone.
“But you love us.” Carter said simply. “Really, Mark. How long will you two pine after each other and not do anything about it?”
“We’re not pining –“
“Oh but you are!”
“We’re not. Grown men don’t do that.”
“He missed you.” Kelly interrupted their argument, voice soft. “Very much. We all missed home, everything about it. But Gordo missed you more than anything. He whispered your name in his sleep sometimes, when he had bad dreams.”
“Kelly!” Carter hissed at his brother, eyes narrowing. “We agreed to never tell anyone about that!”
“I don’t care if that’s supposed to be Gordo’s secret.” Kelly crossed his arms. “They’re both miserable. Even Ox and Joe made up.”
“But they haven’t been in a complicated relationship for years –“
Not able to stand it any longer, Mark cleared his throat. “You know that I can still hear you, right?” He hoped that it sounded scolding, but his thoughts were racing. He whispered your name in his sleep sometimes, when he had bad dreams. He also heard another voice in his head, one he’d loathed. A man who’d left Green Creek a few days later, never to come back. Sometimes, he woke up screaming. He called lots of names, but most of the time, it was yours.Mark couldn’t sleep. The others had been back for nearly three weeks and he kept lying awake for hours every night, thinking of everything that had happened. He’d fall asleep eventually, but it always took him time.
That night, however, sleep wouldn’t come.
In the end, he got dressed and let his feet carry him outside. There was something in the air that made the hairs on his arms stand up and he fought the urge to shift right away. It felt like a storm was coming, though he could see the stars in the sky. There was no wind. Nothing.
He walked for a long time, not really caring where his feet were taking him. He just knew that he had to keep moving. It was a faint feeling of urgency at the back of his mind.
Mark knew that this could only mean one thing.
He met Gordo after an hour of walking around. By now, he was nearly at the edge of their territory, where the wards surrounded the town.
If it hadn’t been for his sharp ears as a wolf, he wouldn’t have heard the other man approaching. He stopped when the sound of footsteps got closer and moments later, Gordo came in sight. His tattoos were glowing in the dark and there was a distant look on his face.
He didn’t look surprised to see Mark leaning against a tree, waiting for him.
“You’re strengthening the wards.” Mark said quietly, breaking the silence between them.
Gordo nodded slowly. “It might not help us against what’s to come, but I can try.”
“You should be resting and not waste your energy on this.” He hated that he couldn’t keep the concern from his voice.
“It’s not wasted.” Gordo argued with a shake of his head. “Not if it might keep them out and the town safe.” He closed his eyes again and the raven on his arm stretched its wings. Again, the strange sensation washed over Mark. This time, however, he knew what it was.
“You look tired.” Gordo said as they kept walking next to each other.
He looked at him meaningfully. “So do you.”It made Gordo chuckle. “Fair point. I can’t sleep. Being back still feels like a dream.”“Me neither.” Mark knew that he should be wary. That telling Gordo everything would only result in getting his heart broken again. But by now, he was tired of it all. The lies. The evasions. For once, he wanted to have a honest conversation with the man he still loved. “It feels like you’re going to vanish again once I close my eyes.”He heard Gordo swallow. “We’re not leaving again. At least not until Ox decides to chase us out of Green Creek.”
“He’d never do that. Not now that he’s made up with Joe.” Ox wouldn’t have done it either if they kept ignoring each other forever. They both knew that.
“I know.” Gordo muttered. “I’m not sure if we deserve his forgiveness. We never intended to leave for such a long time.”
“No one ever thinks that coming back can be so difficult.” Mark replied softly. “We left for much longer than three years.”
The reply came almost immediately, as if the subject pained Gordo. “That’s not the same. You didn’t have a choice.”
“Neither did you. And don’t tell me it was different this time.”
“I didn’t want to leave.” Gordo said quietly. “I knew that I needed to accompany them, but I didn’t enjoy it.”
“Do you regret it, then? Going with them?” He hesitated. “Leaving Andrew?”
Until now, they’d walked next to each other, both keeping their eyes on the path ahead. But at that question, Gordo stopped and Mark turned to him. “I regret many things.” Gordo said. “But not leaving Andrew. As I said, it wasn’t fair to him.”
Mark knew that he was being unfair. That he was hurting them both with his questions. But he had to know. “What wasn’t fair?”
“Everything.” Gordo kept his eyes on Mark. “Wasting years of his life. Telling him we might have a future together, even if that was never an option. Using him to try to get over you. To lessen the pain I’ve felt for years at that point. I should have never let him that close to me in the first place.”
Gordo’s heartbeat had been steady the whole time. He wasn’t lying.
He took a step towards him. “I was glad when you told me that you’d left him. He came to the house a few days later, telling me that he was going to leave Green Creek and never come back. It was for the better. I don’t know what I would have done to him otherwise.”
“You were always far too nice to hurt someone simply because you don’t like them.” Gordo muttered, his lips twitching.
But Mark shook his head. “That’s not true. Not when it comes to you. When I first heard of you being with someone else, I wanted to hurt him. To kill him, simply for being with you. The thought of him touching you…” He shook his head and clenched his fists. “And then there was his scent on you. It made me feel sick.”
Gordo looked at him silently for a few moments. Then he slowly crossed the last distance between them to take Mark’s hands that were still clenched to fists. “As I said, a future with him was never an option. I think deep inside, I knew that it wouldn’t last. But he made me forget about you, at least for a little while. He made me laugh. But it wasn’t the same. Nothing compares to this. To us.”
“I missed you, Gordo.” He muttered, slowly unclenching his fists and letting Gordo entwine their fingers. Even after all those years, they still fit together perfectly. Maybe even better than ever before. “If felt like you’d taken my heart with you when you left. You did take it with you.”
“Like you took mine with you, all those years ago.” Gordo muttered, looking at their hands. “I wish I could take it back. Everything I said that day. All that I did.”
He sighed. “Me too. I should have chosen you.”
“And risked everything?” Gordo shook his head. “It was selfish of me, I get that now.”
“No, it wasn’t. We left you behind, Gordo. We left you. Thomas should have known that it wouldn’t end well.”
Gordo looked up at him slowly. “I should have trusted you to come back at some point.”
“We both made mistakes.” Mark said quietly. He didn’t dare to move, not when he had Gordo this close for the first time in years. “Far too many of those.”
“Maybe it’s time that we get something right, then.” Gordo muttered, leaning closer to him. He still smelled like dirt and leaves and rain, mixed with tobacco and something Mark identified with his pack. Their pack, if they could truly work together as Ox and Joe believed.
“It’s definitely time for that.” Mark whispered and tightened his grip on Gordo’s hands.
He remembered their first kiss all those years ago.
The moment he gave Gordo his stone wolf.
The day it was returned to him and his heart broke for the first time.
The many times his heart broke after that.
But it all didn’t matter the moment their lips met.
For the first time in years, Mark felt like everything would be all right again.
Like he was finally complete.
Like he came home.
Of course it wouldn’t be easy. They still had too much to deal with. Richard Collins was on his way to Green Creek and he had Omegas in tow. Lots of them, if the stories were true. And who knew what other troubles would meet them in the future.
But as they walked back towards Gordo’s house, holding hands, Mark felt like they could get through everything. Because finally, they were together.
Next to him, Gordo smiled. For the first time since their return, he looked completely relaxed.
“Will you stay?” He asked when they’d reached his place, suddenly looking unsure.
Mark pressed a soft kiss against his lips and nodded. “Always.”
He knew that once this business with Richard was finished, he would give his wolf back to Gordo. He would ask him to be his again, this time forever. And then, if Gordo would allow it, he’d bite him, tying them together properly.
But for now, being with him was enough. There was a storm coming and they would face it together.
Just as it was supposed to be.