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“Are you sure?” Wyatt asked. “If—”
“Oh, yes. I was just remembering that it’s been a couple of weeks since I last hunted. I need to go out and grab a bite,” he said and sent a playful wink at River. He was trying to lighten the mood, but there was something stiff and pained in his tone.
“You know my offer still stands. You don’t have to leave,” Wyatt said gently, and Bel immediately flushed and dropped his eyes to the table.
“No, that’s fine. I don’t mind. I thought I would stop by and see Rafe for a bit. He’s still angry that I missed the last family dinner. A visit will soften him up again.” As he spoke, Bel quickly tidied his work area, lining things up just so. “I will probably be gone for several hours, but I’ll tell my brothers that I’m with Rafe. No one should stop by here and disturb you.”
And then Bel hurried out of his lab, his footsteps a whisper of sound on the stairs to his bedroom.
River turned in Wyatt’s arms, lines of worry cutting across his forehead. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, not at all.”
“So why did he run off?”
Wyatt leaned forward and brushed his lips across River’s bristly chin. “He knows memories of our family are tough. This is his way of giving us some space and privacy.”
River’s concern turned to a disgruntled frown. “Why not stay here and snuggle with us?”
“Because he doesn’t think it’s his place.”
River made a disgruntled sound. “I don’t think he wants us. If he wanted us, he’d stay.”
Wyatt could only smile and press another kiss to River. “I don’t think that’s the problem. I think maybe he wants us too much, but he’s afraid.”
Another snort came from River, and Wyatt smiled at the sound. His River could be incredibly stubborn when he set his mind to something, and right now Bel was his entire focus.
“I’m thinking we need to inform him of a special werewolf holiday that’s coming up,” River announced.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“National No Clothes Day.”
“That’s mean.”
“And he has to participate. You know, out of respect for our culture.”
Wyatt pressed a kiss to River’s temple, but he couldn’t bring himself to argue. They both wanted the vampire. Wyatt also wanted to keep the peace in the house. Everything was going too perfectly. If they pushed too hard too fast, would they lose Bel forever?
Bel stood in Blush, the loud music assaulting his ears. His brother’s nightclub was the one place in the world he felt utterly out of place but completely welcome. Of course, that might have had to do with the fact that he knew his brother would always welcome him with open arms.
Maybe.
Would he still welcome Bel when he discovered that the same wolves who’d attacked him were now living with his brother?
Shoving that thought aside, Bel stood on the edge of the crowd, his eyes scanning over the faces for that one familiar face. He didn’t normally hunt at the nightclub. He preferred to wander through shadowy parks where late-night walkers didn’t pay him any attention. Hunting for blood was the one part of being a vampire that he truly didn’t care for. He didn’t like assaulting strangers and stealing from them, even if he did leave a hundred-dollar bill in their pocket.
Wyatt had no idea how tempting his offer was. The promise of being able to feed just once every two weeks from the comfort of his home. To go to someone who knew exactly what he was doing and have them willingly hand over their blood.
Of course, Wyatt’s blood would make the feast all the sweeter. He’d finally be able to hold the strong man against him, to breathe in his scent until it was the only thing in his lungs. He wanted to taste his skin, hear his moans of pleasure and need before he sank his fangs in.
But that was never going to happen. He was never going to feed from Wyatt or River.
They’d given up enough of their freedom, handed over too much of themselves as payment for whatever assistance and protection they could scrape together. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.
Their companionship each night was payment enough for what Bel was providing them. He treasured every moment he spent with them. He didn’t need anything else, and definitely didn’t want them offering their blood because they felt they had to. If Bel couldn’t feel Wyatt’s genuine pleasure each night when he was working with Bel in his lab, he would tell the wolf to go do whatever he wanted, even if Bel would much rather have Wyatt at his side.
As it was, he needed to remember to start spending at least one night a week out of the house just so Wyatt and River could have some time to themselves. Not that he wanted to be away from them. Even now, his skin crawled with worry and need. He wanted to turn around and head straight home. This twisting in his gut wouldn’t subside until he laid eyes on them, until he touched them and saw their smiles.
