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“If it makes you feel any better, I swear on my life and River’s that we will not harm you. We will give our lives to protect you.”
Bel closed his eyes, but he could feel Wyatt’s hand wrapped around his. Feel the heat of his body. And more, he could feel the steel determination and truth of his words through that same mental pathway he shared with animals and in some strange way, his twin.
“I believe you,” he whispered. “My brothers would say I am being naïve. That you’re part of a MacPherson revenge plot to kill me.”
“Trust must start somewhere.”
“I know.” Bel nodded and looked up at Wyatt. He had to first trust his own instincts, which said Wyatt and River didn’t mean him harm. “Go back to bed. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
“It’s no trouble. I’m glad we spoke.”
“I usually don’t wake until late afternoon. There are lots of leftovers in the fridge if you and River are hungry. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“Sweet dreams, Bel,” Wyatt murmured. He gave his hand one last squeeze and released him, taking all his wonderful warmth with him as he walked out of the kitchen.
Bel stared down at his hand, Wyatt’s heat slowly fading away. Had he just been manipulated? Played by a man smarter and more cunning? Winter would likely believe so.
But something in Bel’s gut said it wasn’t true. He could see it in how Wyatt and River behaved around each other, feel it in the emotions they couldn’t hide from him. They needed him alive, not dead, if they were to have any hope of living. They were trapped by a horrible system, but maybe he could help them find some happiness, some semblance of a normal life.
Wyatt slipped under the covers and snuggled close to River’s relaxed body. He was like a small furnace, but the touch of his smooth skin against his own was heaven. It usually helped to settle his emotions, give him a sense of calm when he struggled to find it on his own, but this time his mind refused to settle. It was too occupied with thoughts of Bel.
He doubted the vampire understood how close Wyatt had come to hugging him, but his indignant rant and subtle claim when he’d spoken of cages had thrilled the werewolf in ways he hadn’t thought possible.
But when sweet, soft-hearted Bel tipped his head up and fire flared in those blue eyes, all Wyatt could think about was protecting him.
River shifted against him, stretching. “Where’d you go?” he asked on a yawn.
“I was speaking with Bel. The sun is rising soon.”
River seemed to come fully awake. “What? Does he want us to leave?” He tried to push upright, but Wyatt used his bigger body to keep River pinned to the mattress. The wolf growled low in the back of his throat for only a moment; then he relented, his entire body going loose.
“We spoke, and while he’s not entirely comfortable with us here, we may stay during the daylight hours.”
River didn’t move. Didn’t even speak. If Wyatt wasn’t so familiar with River’s breathing, he would have thought the man had fallen asleep again. But he was still wide awake and turning over the implications of what Wyatt had said.
Lowering his face, Wyatt nuzzled the side River’s head. “I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I trust him. He has no intention of harming us.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean he will protect us from the local pack, let alone his own kind.”
“I believe he’ll do exactly that.”
River said nothing, so Wyatt pressed a soft kiss to the edge of his jaw. “I also think…I think he needs us.”
That earned a scornful noise. “Vampires don’t need anyone. Especially this one. I heard plenty of whispers about the Variks. I think they were actually blood relatives when they were humans. Family.”
“Maybe.” Wyatt pressed another kiss, this one at the corner of River’s mouth. “Try talking to him tomorrow. He might surprise you. At the very least, you need to remember that he’s not Brett. Not the MacPherson clan.”
No, Bel was a Varik.
And Wyatt was beginning to think that made a great deal of difference in their world.
6
Wyatt’s words from their early morning conversation were still ringing in River’s ears when he wandered cautiously into Bel’s lab the next evening. He and Wyatt had spent a quiet day in the house while Bel slept. They’d crushed the last of the leftovers and watched some TV. They tried not to invade Bel’s house too much without him around, but they found his library where Wyatt nearly wept to see all the books. Most of them were scientific tomes that held little interest for River but left Wyatt salivating.
Part of the afternoon had been spent stretched on the couch, reading. Wyatt held some boring science book in his hand, while River placed his head in Wyatt’s lap as he read one of the few mystery novels Bel possessed. The arrangement allowed Wyatt to rub his hair while they both read. For a while, it had been like a luxurious vacation.
