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“Bel, get back!”
Bel ignored Aiden’s orders and came to stand next to River’s head. This hair was soaked with sweat, but the gray pallor in his cheeks was replaced with a bright flush. His lovely brown eyes were gone, replaced with a frightening sea of red. No pupil, iris, or sclera. Just blood.
Very carefully, Bel threaded the fingers of his uninjured hand through River’s hair and started to sing. So softly at first, but his voice grew louder as the old French lullaby came back to him. It was the same song his mother had sung to him when the thunder rattled the windows of their London town house. It was the song she sang when he fought with Rafe, and he ran to her with tears streaking his cheeks. It was the song she sang when the world was just too big and scary.
She sang the song for each of them.
And while he wasn’t sure if River could even hear him, Bel sang it for him now.
A second voice joined him almost immediately, and Bel looked up to find Rafe smirking at him as he sang. Marcus’s beautiful baritone joined in on the next verse, followed by Philippe’s sweet voice. It wasn’t a surprise that Philippe knew the song since he was French, but Bel was touched by the tears glistening in his green eyes. Memories he’d likely share with Rafe later when they were alone.
Bel’s heart soared at their voices as they sang the little song over and over again. He wished Winter could be there with them. He wanted his younger brother beside him in this family moment, but travel during the daylight hours was tricky under the best of circumstances. Winter might not have been in a position to safely reach them.
It didn’t matter. Bel had no doubt that Winter would appear at Marcus’s house the second the sun sank below the horizon.
Gradually, River’s thrashing and growls quieted. His eyes slid shut as if he were falling asleep, and his breathing slowed. Bel stopped singing, and the room fell quiet. Everyone continued to hold tight to River as if afraid it was all a trick.
“River? Can you hear me?” Bel asked softly. His eyes strayed to the gentle rise and fall of his chest. His color was better, though it was hard to tell under all the dried blood. “Open your eyes, dearest heart. I need you to look at me.”
Long eyelashes flickered and lifted, revealing pale hazel eyes he knew so well.
“Bel,” River said on a soft sigh.
“It’s okay,” Aiden announced in a relieved voice. They all released River, and Bel started to lean down to kiss his wolf while Wyatt hurried around the table to join them.
“Wait!” Marcus shouted and everyone froze. “Is he a wolf or a vampire?”
No one moved a muscle. Eyes darted from Aiden to River, who even looked to be holding his breath. They waited for some sign of which way River now fell.
Rafe snorted. “There’s one easy way to figure this out.” He pressed one hand to River’s chest and lifted his blood-smeared fingers to River’s nose, waving them back and forth. Almost immediately, River jerked his head to the side, his nose wrinkling.
“Eww! Gross!” he said, trying to escape Rafe’s hand.
“There you have it. Wolf!” Rafe declared.
A cheer went up, but Bel didn’t care if River was a vampire or a wolf. He just wanted the man alive. He captured his lips in an awkward kiss. His lover tasted of blood and sweat but also River. He was alive and safe.
River reached up, placing his hand against his neck and Bel hissed, jerking away as fresh pain shot through his body. Now that his lover was on the mend, his own pains were returning. The world swayed and he struggled to stay on his feet. Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, holding him upright.
Bel blinked and looked up to find Aiden right there, a worried smile on his exhausted face.
“Celebrating can wait until we have everyone fixed up,” Aiden said sharply. “River stays on the table until we get another pint in him. Bel, you need to feed from Wyatt. No arguments.”
“But—”
Wyatt cut him off as he pulled Bel’s nearly limp body out of Aiden’s arms. “I believe your father said no arguing. I finally get to feed you, and you can’t fight it any longer.”
Bel wanted to argue and fight, but he was so damn hungry, and there was so much pain radiating through his body. And there was a part of him that truly did want to taste Wyatt, wanted to swallow down his blood and let it soak into all of his cells.
“Rafe, watch your brother. Stop him from taking too much. Less than he would if feeding from a human,” Aiden continued to direct. “Everyone else help clean up this disaster area.”
