Aiden was standing on a balcony at the rear of the house, seeming to stare at the sky as it turned from deep purples to lighter grays with hints of orange while a slight breeze ruffled his blond hair, pushing it back from his face. The vampire had been a part of his life for almost as long as he could remember. The one constant outside of his brothers and mother. He was safety and love. He was the voice of reason and calm in the middle of a storm. This morning, he seemed older and possibly even tired to Bel. As if all those years were catching up with him a bit.
Bel felt like he knew Aiden, but he had been keeping some damn big secrets. Did he truly know Aiden? Had he just wanted to feel like he knew Aiden, made the man into a rock that he could lean on when he wasn’t?
“How old are you, really?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
A ghost of a smile passed across Aiden’s lips, and he partially turned to look at Bel as he came to stand next to him at the stone railing lining the balcony. “Old. Older than even I can remember any longer. Or maybe I just don’t want to remember. None of it seems as important as you and your brothers. This family.” Aiden paused and his smile was back, stronger and brighter. “I like to think that maybe all those years were just preparing me to meet Julianna and her sons.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
Aiden shrugged. “It didn’t seem important. All those years seemed as important to me as picking out a bow tie each evening would be for you.”
Bel lifted his chin a little and couldn’t help touching the plain blue bow tie currently around his neck. It was the only one he’d left at Marcus’s, and he was sorely missing his extensive collection. “I think you underestimate how important my bow ties are to me.”
Aiden laughed, and Bel enjoyed the light sound. Aiden really did laugh much easier now, and so much more frequently than since they’d all been made into vampires.
“That is probably true.”
“Is your age the reason other clans have given us a wide berth over the years?”
His smile slipped a little. “Yes, very likely. I think some are aware that I’m older than the bloody sun, but most don’t. There are silly old whispers about me. Tales that are more fairy tale than fact at this point. I never cared, if it meant you and your brothers were protected.”
Bel narrowed his eyes on Aiden, and his surrogate father lifted one eyebrow in question. “You do remind me a bit of a cursed prince. A little dark and brooding, charged to forever guard a bunch of miscreants.”
Aiden’s bark of laughter echoed across the open field to hammer against the woods and bounce back at them. He threw one arm around Bel’s shoulders and pulled him in tight. “Cursed prince, my ass,” he muttered under his breath. “I am blessed. Even with Rafe’s antics and Marcus’s bellowing and your endless experiments, I am blessed.”
“And Winter?”
Aiden’s sighed and his hand tightened on Bel’s shoulder. “Especially Winter.”
“Did you know about his gift?”
“Yes. Probably more than you and your brothers. Don’t worry about Winter. I think he’s got a better handle on it than even he gives himself credit for. But reach out to him every once in a while. I think he’s fascinated with your wolves, and the distraction would do him some good.”
Bel nodded. He’d noticed the fast friendship that seemed to be forming between Winter and River. Of course, River had an irrepressible playfulness about him that seemed to call to a younger, more carefree Winter. If it meant Winter was happy, he would schedule freaking playdates for them both.
Aiden released Bel and turned to rest his hip on the low wall. His smile was now gone, and there was a return of the old seriousness that dug deep lines in Aiden’s face. “Bel, about that first night you brought Wyatt and River—”
“No,” Bel said, already shaking his head. “You don’t have to say anything. I understand.”
“No, you don’t.” He grabbed Bel’s shoulder and squeezed, stopping anything Bel was going to say. “You were right. You were right to call me out. You were right to point out that we needed to help them. You saw that they were being hurt and treated horribly. They needed you. Needed us.”
“You have the entire clan to consider. It’s not just what I want. You have to keep in mind the safety of everyone. You have to do what is best for everyone.”
Aiden was the one shaking his head. “A clan isn’t just about keeping everyone safe. The Variks stand for honor and loyalty. We stand for what we believe is right. You reminded us all of that. If it was just a matter of safety, then we’d never bring in new members to our clan. We’d never stand up for what is right. We’d just hunker down in our home and ignore the rest of the world.”
A lump formed in Bel’s throat, making it so that he could only nod at Aiden’s words. He hadn’t thought of it that way when he was standing in front of his family, begging them to help protect Wyatt and River at the risk of their own lives. He’d only been thinking about how his wolves had been hurt, how they deserved a chance at happiness like everyone else.
Aiden cupped the side of Bel’s face and smiled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Your mother would be so proud of you. I am so proud of you. You make me feel so very honored to be counted as a part of this family. To have you trust me with your lives and your family name.”
Bel closed the last step between them and wrapped his arms tight around Aiden, dropping his head to Aiden’s shoulder. “Love you, Father,” he whispered a bit brokenly. “You have always been a Varik.”
“I love you too, son.”
They stood like that for several seconds, and Bel smiled as old aches and grief seemed to ease a little. He missed his mother, but he knew there would always be a part of him that missed the Julianna of his youth. But she would be happy now to know that her sons were so well loved and protected by this amazing man. If she could have known how her life would ultimately end and what would happen to her children, she could not have picked a better guide and protector for them.
Bel huffed a soft laugh as he released Aiden and stepped back. “I think the only thing we’re missing is a few sarcastic comments from Rafe right now.”
Aiden smirked. “Maybe, but your twin and I have had a few serious conversations as well. You know he was completely lost when it came to Philippe. And now he’s trying to wrap his brain around his twin having two…boyfriends…”
Bel groaned and laughed at the same time. “Jealous. He didn’t think I had it in me to find a mate, let alone two.”
“I hate to admit it, but I don’t think any of us thought you would find a mate, let alone two.”
Okay, Bel couldn’t keep this up any longer. It was ridiculous. If he’d gone looking for a mate, he would have been utterly lost. “Wyatt and River are a gift. A beautiful, wonderful gift and I cannot begin to describe how lucky I am to have been given such a gift.”
“They are a gift. That’s why I would like them to consider becoming official members of the Varik clan.”
Bel’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he could even formulate words. “Seriously? You would welcome them?”