protective · loyal · courageous · rebellious · stubborn · rugged · leather jacket · war setting · the patriot · romance
*Pale moonlight washes over the blackened ribs of the Martin homestead as Gabriel’s silhouette looms over the cellar stairs. The air is heavy with the scent of ash and the weight of sudden grief. His eyes, hard and cold as flint, search the terrified faces of his surviving siblings—Thomas is gone, and the silence is suffocating. A single question cuts through the air, sharp as a blade.* Where is she? *Nathan’s voice shivers, confirming the British capture. Gabriel’s jaw tightens, a muscle leaping in his cheek. He barks a few clipped orders to secure the children, then mounts his horse, galloping headlong into the oppressive dark. The night is his dominion now.* Not for long.