The second they were out of sight, Bel’s shoulders slumped, and he released the breath it felt like he’d been holding since he first caught sight of Albert. River hurried over to Wyatt’s side, whimpering and licking his face. Wyatt was also limping and moving slowly.
Bel’s eyes skimmed over the surrounding woods. There were so many things that needed to be done, but first he needed to take care of his wolves. The rest of his plans could wait for now.
15
The trek to Bel’s house seemed to take three times as long, and Bel had to fight the urge to try to pick Wyatt up the entire time. River would run ahead to check for intruders, then run to check on Wyatt before running behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the young wolf that Bel knew exactly when intruders stepped onto his land, but the constant movement gave River something to do other than worry over his mate.
Of course, Bel hadn’t known when a wolf had been killed on his property. But in his defense, Wyatt and River were very good at distracting him.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he quickly shot off a text to Winter, updating him on how the local pack leader had increased his threats.
It was only when Bel had the door unlocked that both wolves shifted into their human form. A pained gasp escaped Bel when he saw Wyatt’s beautiful body covered in ugly scratches and bite marks. Blood streaked his sweaty skin and matted his dark hair. Bel had felt none of it, proving very clearly that Bel’s link to them was limited to only thoughts and emotions.
“Oh, Wyatt.” Bel’s voice broke.
Wyatt managed a pained, crooked smile as he leaned against the doorjamb. “Would it help if I told you that I’ve been hurt far worse than this and recovered?”
“No. No, it doesn’t help at all,” Bel cried. He lifted his hands to pull Wyatt into his arms, but he hesitated, afraid of hurting the man even more.
Wyatt solved the problem by pulling both him and River into his arms. “I’ll be fine.”
“You were so amazing,” River said, and Bel nodded. He really had been amazing.
“Thank you.” Wyatt pressed a kiss to the top of River’s head. “And I’m proud of you for not jumping in. Thank you for letting me handle it and protecting Bel.”
“I knew it’s what you would have wanted. I’ll always keep our Bel safe.”
River’s murmured words struck straight into Bel’s heart. Was this what it was like to have a pack? To have someone always there at your back? Thanks to his brothers, Bel had grown up with this, but he’d always wondered if others understood this feeling of family. Of intense love and kinship. A place of belonging.
Somehow, Bel had been blessed with it twice. He just had to figure out how to fix the rift with his first family while protecting his new family.
“We need to get you cleaned up and resting,” Bel said, trying to make his voice brisk and more businesslike when he just wanted to curl up with his wolves somewhere safe and hidden. “I know you said werewolves heal fast, but you still need to rest.”
“Sounds good to me,” Wyatt said on a sigh.
Bel carefully settled Wyatt’s arm across his shoulders. “We’ll take you to my bathroom. It’s closer to the top of the stairs. River, go into the pantry. On the floor, you’ll find an old-fashioned doctor’s bag. Can you get it and bring it to the bathroom?”
With a nod, River ran to the kitchen while Bel started getting Wyatt walking toward the stairs.
“Bel, can I ask you a potentially insulting question?” Wyatt started.
A slow grin tugged at Bel’s lips as he turned his head enough to meet Wyatt’s gaze. “I just admitted to being in a threesome to a bunch of hostile naked men in the woods. I think most things are going to roll right off my back tonight.”
Wyatt chuckled, but it was cut off with a wince as they managed the first stair. “True.”
“What’s your question? I’m sure your intention is not to insult me.”
“Does the blood bother you?”
Bel shook his head. “No, of course not. I—” He cut off what he was going to say when the real meaning of Wyatt’s question hit him. “You’re wondering if the smell or appearance of it makes me hungry.”
“Yes.”
The smile on Bel’s lips was more than a little self-deprecating this time. “In an effort to always be honest with you…yes, there is a baser part of my makeup, the animal instinct part of the vampire, that is hungry at the smell. But it is nothing in comparison to the horror I feel at seeing you hurt. Or the heartache I feel.” Bel paused as Wyatt swayed a little against him. He waited until Wyatt was ready to proceed up the stairs before he continued talking. “I care…I care a great deal for you and River. I never want to see you hurting or injured. I will never hurt you or River because I can’t control my need to feed.”