Wyatt stood suddenly, and Bel stumbled backward a step.
“We’ll leave now, but would you please consider what we’re asking? We aren’t trying to disrupt your life. We’ll do whatever you ask. We’ll give you time to think about what we’ve discussed. We can try speaking again in a few days.”
Bel’s eyes automatically snapped to the window, where the snow had picked up while they talked. The world beyond was covered in a fresh, fluffy white coat, sending a chill through him. Even in their heavy fur, they’d be cold in the snow. The overnight temperatures were dipping down into the single digits. Even Ozzie had a heating pad in his private birdhouse outside Bel’s house.
“No,” Bel barked out. He stopped and licked his lips. “Stay. Tonight. We…we can make a trade. I’ve got questions. So many questions about werewolves. If you don’t mind providing me with some answers, I can pay you in food and a warm place to sleep for the night. That’s a fair trade, right?”
“You’re sure?” Wyatt asked, sounding hesitant. Bel hadn’t been particularly great at hiding his discomfort with the wolves.
“Yes. I’ll consider what you’ve told me about your situation, but I need more time to think. Maybe even speak with my brothers.” Bel rubbed his brow with the heel of his palm. No, speaking to his brothers would be bad. There was no doubt they’d shout at him that keeping the wolves was insane as they pushed Wyatt and River out the door. No, this was his little secret for now. Besides, it was just one night.
Wyatt nodded. “We would greatly appreciate it, if it’s not too much trouble.”
There was a loud grumbling sound, and River pressed a hand to his flat stomach while a bright blush stole across his cheeks. Bel chuckled. At least this was familiar territory.
“Let’s see about some food.”
Rafe was going to strangle him when he found out Bel had invited two werewolves to stay with him for the rest of the evening. Yes, he knew this could all be a trick. They could still be a part of the MacPherson clan trying to kill him after the Variks killed their clan leader.
But he would be able to sense their dishonesty. Even while in human form, he was receiving a steady stream of emotional impressions from both of them. Not as strong as when they were wolves. Different.
From Wyatt he could feel worry and hope. He was protective of River, but there was also a deep love.
River’s emotions were more complex and jumbled, but the greatest were fear and distrust. It was understandable. Tossed aside and threatened by other wolves and then poorly used by vampires, River had no reason to think Bel was any different.
And while he couldn’t understand it, Bel wanted to prove to both River and Wyatt that he was.
Even if it was a completely stupid idea. The Variks had enough problems on their plate. Adding two wolves hiding from their own kind was not going to help matters one tiny bit.
4
Wyatt found it difficult to tear his eyes off Beltran Varik now that he was sure River was warm and calm. The vampire was not at all what he’d expected. He was nothing like any of the vampires he’d known within the MacPherson clan.
Beltran was adorable with his too-long black hair and neat little bow tie. His hands moved constantly as if a pair of hummingbirds were attached to his wrists. They fluttered about when he was talking and twisted together when he was listening or merely thinking. His body was slender under his tailored suit and his facial features sharp, almost hawklike. Those eyes, though—bright, hypnotic blue. They saw so much. Wyatt felt as if he were under a microscope. Beltran stared at him, tearing away all his defenses to see the worries and fears he tried to keep hidden from even River.
He didn’t have to smell the anxiety wafting off him, mixing with a lingering scent of pine and dirt from the woods. And the raven. He would still catch hints of that raven he’d spotted watching their meeting from a tree branch overhead.
Everything about Beltran was strange and unexpected, but nothing about him screamed threat. He didn’t think the vampire was a threat to him or River. Wyatt couldn’t say the same about his family, but for now, alone in the vampire’s very nice house, they were safe.
With River sticking close to his side, they followed Beltran down the dimly lit hall, along shining hardwood floors to a large kitchen with brand new appliances that looked as if they’d never been used. The floor had been done in black-and-white tiles while the counters were a black marble. Like the living room and entry, everything was shiny and clean. Did Bel truly live in this house?
“Have you lived here long?” Wyatt asked as they followed.
“No, just a few months. Still trying to get settled and all that,” Beltran murmured with a little wave of his hand. Grabbing the handle on the refrigerator, he jerked it open and his expression immediately fell. “Oh, dear. That’s right.”
To Wyatt’s surprise, River moved away from him to peer around Beltran. After everything they’d been through, River was usually quite slow to warm up to strangers, preferring to stick close to Wyatt’s side. But maybe that was part of Beltran’s allure. The vampire felt safe, as insane as that thought was.
“Whoa,” River breathed. “New fridge?”
Wyatt moved around the counter to look inside to find several bags of blood and a pitcher of water. “You don’t eat food?”
Beltran shook his head and closed the door again. “No. I’ve lost the habit over the years. It takes time away from my work.”
“Lucky you,” River muttered under his breath as he pressed his hand to his stomach again.
Wyatt was feeling the same hunger pangs. They hadn’t had jobs or even money in years, thanks to Brett’s indentured servitude. Since Brett’s death, they’d been largely surviving on what they could hunt in the woods. The only problem was that the local pack’s territory ran very close to Bel’s property. He and River had survived on hunting in the narrow strip of land between the two, not wanting to risk pissing off either the vampire or the pack.
But Wyatt hated to admit he’d been looking forward to something warm and cooked. Something served on a plate. Something to be enjoyed with his human tongue.
Crushing down that disappointment, Wyatt placed a hand on River’s slumped shoulder and squeezed. “It’s okay. We can hunt up something in the woods.”
River took a deep breath and gave a little nod.
“Oh! I know!” Beltran’s entire body straightened, and he gave a little bounce of excitement. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it aloft like it was the answer to all their prayers. “Those food delivery apps. My brother and his mate Ethan swear by them. Do you think they would work here?”
To Wyatt’s surprise, Beltran unlocked the phone and handed it directly to River. The younger werewolf looked up at Wyatt for a moment, his eyes wide and questioning. Yes, the vampire was more than a little eccentric, but still, he seemed harmless.
“Umm…I haven’t had a cell phone in years, but I’m pretty good at figuring out stuff like this,” River hedged, accepting the phone. “It shouldn’t be too hard to download some to your phone and check.”
“Excellent. If you can start that, I can get some drinks.” Beltran turned to a cabinet and grabbed a pair of water glasses. He held them up toward Wyatt and smiled. “Water okay? I mean, I’ve got plenty of blood to spare. But werewolves don’t drink blood, right?”