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“Just leave it. I’ll get it before heading into my lab. You’re my guests.”
“But—”
“No, I’ve got it. Come along.” Bel held his notebook pressed to his chest with one arm and waved for them to follow him.
River shot Wyatt a questioning glance, but Wyatt could only shrug and follow their host. They went up the stairs and down a long hall, past a couple of closed doors to a dark room at the end of the hall. Bel flipped on the lights to reveal a bedroom decorated in various shades of pale gray. There was something very cool and calming about the room.
But the most inviting sight was the large bed in the center of the room covered in what looked like thick blankets and an abundance of pillows.
“Through here is the bathroom. It has supplies if you’d like a shower. My brother occasionally stays over, so I make sure I have what he prefers.”
“Thank you, Bel. Really. It’s too generous,” Wyatt said.
Bel smiled up at him for a second and then quickly looked away again. “I’ll try to find you a change of clothes, though I don’t know if I’ll have anything that will fit you.”
Wyatt started to tell him that it wasn’t necessary, but Bel hurried away, closing the door behind him. Both Wyatt and River stood frozen for a moment, listening to Bel’s retreating footsteps muffled by the thick hall carpet.
River breathed a deep sigh of relief and walked over to the bed. He stretched out his hand and ran his fingertips over the comforter as if he were afraid to touch it.
“It’s…it’s like a dream. I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and find myself in that fucking room again with the lumpy mattress and Brett standing over us, bitching that I’m not a wolf.”
Wyatt closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around River from behind. He pressed his face into his lover’s hair and closed his eyes. “It’s not a dream. Even if it’s only for one night, we will cherish it. There’s no more Brett. It’s just us.”
“I know. You’re right.” River turned in his arms and hugged him tight. “I love you so much. Thank you for taking such good care of us. Of me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Wyatt forced a smile on his face at River’s trembling words. Life with the MacPherson clan had felt like a failure on his part. Yes, he’d kept them alive, but that had been about it. He was desperately praying Beltran Varik would be a much better alternative. “It’s my intention that you’re never going to find out. We are together forever.”
“Forever,” River hummed. The sound was light and happy again, helping soothe some of his jagged nerves.
“What do you think of Varik?”
River stepped out of his arms, his lip curling. “The vampire.”
Wyatt suppressed a laugh at River’s automatic derision. He shouldn’t have to point out how chummy they’d seemed on the couch while discussing food, or exactly how many times Bel had made him laugh while they were talking. That vampire was quite good at getting River to lower his guard when he wasn’t paying attention.
“Yes, the vampire we’re begging to hand our lives to.”
River sighed and lifted one shoulder in a kind of half-hearted shrug before turning to the extremely comfortable-looking bed. “He’s okay, I guess. It’s not like we’ve got much choice.” River’s gaze slid over Wyatt, and there was a hint of a devilish smile on his lips. God, he looked so sexy when he was thinking something wicked. “He strikes me as sort of silly.”
“Don’t mistake his kindness and compassion for being a pushover. We saw how deadly he can be when he fought Brett while still controlling those cats,” Wyatt warned.
River rolled his eyes, the playfulness dissolving. “True.” He stepped into Wyatt’s arms, cuddling close as if he couldn’t get enough of his lover. Wyatt welcomed the contact. He would do anything to make sure he had more moments just like this with River. Promise whatever he had to.
“He’s a vampire,” River said against his chest. “They’re cold and confusing…and they’re the only thing protecting us from certain death.”
“But I don’t think aligning with Bel will mean selling our souls.”
“Maybe,” River whispered. “Can we…can we just not think about it for a little while? It’s been so long since we had a nice place to simply be. Can we just…not…”
Wyatt pressed a kiss to River’s neck. He understood what his lover was asking, and he didn’t blame him. They could escape the worries and stress for a little while. “Why don’t you jump in the shower? I’ll join you in a minute.”
River twisted around in his arms, heat flaring in his pale hazel eyes, threatening to consume him. Yes, they could steal this moment. It felt like it had been so long since they’d last enjoyed each other, and Wyatt was not going to pass up this opportunity.
