“Even if they weren’t your mates, we would be honored to have them in our clan. They’ve proved to everyone that they will protect you and each other. I believe they would protect all the members of our clan. They are good, honorable men.”
“Yes! Yes, that would be wonderful.”
Aiden’s expression turned serious. “Talk to them. Give them some time to think it over. Being a member of a vampire clan is not like being part of a werewolf pack. I don’t want them to feel uncomfortable or obligated if it is not something they want. They will always be welcome among the Variks, even if they don’t decide to join the clan.”
Bel nodded. As happy as it would make him, it was a difficult decision for Wyatt and River to make. Could they still be harboring hopes of joining a werewolf pack? What if their plan for Wyatt to challenge Albert worked? Wyatt and River could join that pack. Live with their own kind and be happy. They wouldn’t need the Variks then.
But if they joined the werewolf pack, where would that leave Bel? He couldn’t imagine they would still want to remain with him. They’d want to live with the rest of their pack, and it wasn’t as if Bel could live with them. A lone vampire living in the middle of a werewolf pack. They would constantly feel ill at ease. He would be the unwanted outsider, jeopardizing the fragile happiness Wyatt and River were trying to find.
No, if Wyatt and River stayed with the werewolf pack, Bel would be left behind. It was the right thing to do, even if just the idea felt like he was being stabbed through the heart. It would allow the pack to find a sense of order and normalcy they needed. It would preserve the truce that kept the balance between their two worlds.
“I’ll talk to them. Make sure they understand that the decision is completely up to them,” Bel said softly. He never wanted to lose his wolves, but he would do anything for their happiness.
Aiden managed a small smile. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out together.”
Bel nodded and shoved his worries to the back of his mind. There were other things that were more pressing for all of them. “Ethan said that you and Marcus met with the leader of the Montgomery clan. How did it go? Did you mention Wyatt and River?”
Aiden’s smile turned into something a little strange and enigmatic. Bel wasn’t quite sure how to read it. “Yes, Sofia Montgomery was…interesting.”
“What’s that mean?”
Aiden seemed lost in a memory for a second, then shook his head as if to clear it. “It means that she was hard to read. After all my years, I’m happy to say that I’m quite good at reading vampires. But she was…cagey. Didn’t give much away. I think the only thing we both clearly agreed on is that the Ministry is a mess and we want nothing to do with it.”
“And the wolves?”
“I did tell her about them. She didn’t express any kind of surprise that wolves existed.”
“But?” Bel prompted, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet trying to pull words out of his father.
“But nothing. She didn’t express anything. Not joy, surprise, horror, or even censure. She just accepted the information, and we moved on.”
“What’s next?”
Aiden released a sigh as he pushed to his feet. He wrapped an arm around Bel’s shoulders and ushered him back toward the house. The sun had been steadily creeping toward the horizon, and Bel’s eyes were starting to burn. “We wait. The ball is in her court, as they say.”
“And what do you think?”
“She’ll call. And I think she’ll call soon.”
Bel grunted. He didn’t understand all the ins and outs of this political nonsense. He was happy to leave it to Marcus and Aiden, trusted in them to make sense out of all of it. His only concern was the threat from Albert. After that, he could worry about what would happen with him and his wolves.
“Get some rest, Bel. We’ve got some long nights ahead of us.”
Yes, Bel was going to treasure the time he had left with his wolves, whether it was only a couple of nights or a couple of centuries more.
23
When Bel reached the bedroom that had been assigned to him, Wyatt, and River, he could hear soft voices through the door. He hesitated outside the room, wondering if he should give Wyatt and River some privacy to talk among themselves. But he decided against it.
The last time he left them on their own, they attempted to leave him in an effort to protect him from the actions of Albert and the rest of the neighboring pack. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them so much as he wanted to make sure they weren’t getting any more crazy ideas in the name of keeping him safe.
He slowly pushed open the door and poked his head through first to find Wyatt sitting up with his back to the headboard, the blanket thrown over his waist. His beautiful bare chest was exposed, instantly creating a funny skip of Bel’s heart. River was lying on his side, facing Wyatt, his head propped up on one hand. Smiles grew on their faces as he appeared, and he couldn’t think of any better greeting than that.
“You just made the deadline,” River teased.
“The deadline?” Bel said as he closed the door behind him.
“Mmhmm…you had another minute, and Wyatt was going to track you down, toss you over his shoulder, and bring you to bed,” River said. The seriousness in his voice was at odds with the wide grin on his face.
“I haven’t checked on your brother’s security. I wasn’t sure how well you were protected from the sun,” Wyatt added.
Warmth spread through Bel’s chest at his lover’s concern. “When it comes to protection from the sun, Marcus’s house is similar to what was in mine, though his seems easier to override from the inside.” He tapped his index finger on his lower lip for a second as he thought about it and then tucked it away. “Something to keep in mind when I rebuild, I guess.”
He walked to the dresser and toed off his shoes while undoing his bow tie. In the mirror over the dresser, he could see River push into a sitting position near the center of the bed, watching as Bel slowly pulled off his clothes. It was an intoxicating thrill to have two sets of eyes following his every move, hints of hunger playing in their depths, but there was also worry there. And maybe some curiosity.
“Are you planning to rebuild your house in the same spot? The exact same house?” River asked.
“I would like to. I guess the location partially depends on the outcome of our fight with Albert. Even if we get rid of him, the local pack might not care to have me living so close to their land.” Bel paused as he pulled off his shirt and neatly folded it up before placing it on the dresser. It wasn’t overly dirty, and he’d have to make it stretch until replacements arrived. “As for the house, I did like it a lot. I’d spent the better part of a decade designing it and really didn’t get to live in it long enough to enjoy all its features.” He smirked at River. “Though the escape route out of the lab was getting a significant workout.”
River threw up his hands and Wyatt chuckled. “Wyatt was telling me about that ladder into the abyss. Apparently, I passed out on the way down, and I really don’t remember it.”
“Did you have any other secret escape hatches or hidden panels?” Wyatt asked.