Waking Bel (Lords of Discord 3)

Wyatt’s eyes found Bel’s through the crowd and he smiled, but it was tense and a little pained.

“The pack needs to run,” Wyatt announced, and everyone grew quiet. Several people looked over at Bel.

Bel nodded. “Yes. Of course.”

Wyatt and River had announced this a few times while they were living together. Shifting and running together was more than stretching their legs. It was also about bonding. A sense of family.

“If the alpha would permit me.” An older woman with a heavily wrinkled face and snowy white hair made her way through the crowd to stand by Bel. She placed her hand on his arm and smiled up at him. “These bones are a little too old for shifting, Alpha. I can take your vampire up to the house. We’ll see what’s in the kitchen.”

“I would be very grateful for your assistance,” Wyatt said with a regal bow of his head. He then turned his attention to the rest of the pack and lifted his voice in command, “We hunt!”

A shout went up, and clothes were suddenly thrown off in every direction. Bel gasped and grabbed the older woman’s hand as people became naked around him in a flurry of frantic but joyous activity.

“Oh, my!”

The old woman giggled and started ushering Bel through the crowd to the edge of the field. Once they reached the sidewalk, Bel looked back to find the field covered in clothing and dozens of people in the process of shifting from human to wolf. It was astounding. The scientist in him was crying out for some paper upon which to make notes. The pack was shifting together and going on a hunt.

“That’s just…astounding,” Bel whispered, unable to tear his eyes away.

“It’s a very good thing. This pack hasn’t hunted together since old Donald was killed.”

Bel watched as the wolves crowded around River and Wyatt. They rubbed and bumped heads. There were a few low growls, but nothing that lasted too long. The only thing that bothered Bel was that River and Wyatt were greatly outnumbered, and Wyatt was already injured.

“Your wolves are going to be just fine,” the old woman said as she patted his arm. “A pack needs to run together. It bonds them, and the hunt will shake out the last of the blood lust. Nothing is going to happen to your wolves.”

Bel forced a smile at the woman. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.”

“You’re just fine, young man. You care about them. Nothing wrong with that.”

It was on the tip of Bel’s tongue to point out that he wasn’t a young man and that caring for another man was what got Wyatt and River exiled in the first place, but he understood what she was saying. Wyatt and River wouldn’t come to harm while on the hunt.

“I didn’t catch your name,” Bel said as they resumed walking toward the massive house.

“Maggie Oliver.”

Bel smiled and bowed his head deeply to the woman. “Beltran Varik, at your service.”

She gave a little sigh. “A real live vampire. I’ve always wanted to meet one.” She gave a surprisingly girlish giggle, and Bel chuckled as well. “Can you really not see yourself in a mirror?”

Bel’s chuckle turned into a belly laugh. Those old folk tales and legends were sources of endless amusement. He and Ethan had lounged on Marcus’s couch one evening trying to list them all.

“I can see myself in a mirror just fine.” He paused and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “Though, I may not always look like it.”

“No, sweetie. You’re perfectly handsome. Even better than that old Bela Lugosi.”

Bel released a small sigh. “I don’t know. He was pretty dreamy when he was younger.”

Maggie paused on the stairs to the house and leaned into Bel as she laughed. “Yes, he was.”

They continued into the house, and Maggie’s good mood deflated as her eyes swept over the riches that were accumulated in the various rooms along with the bits of trash. The house looked as if no one cleaned it in months while at the same time hoarding pieces of art, electronics, and other expensive goods.

“Albert took things from every pack member. Said it was owed to him as the pack alpha,” Maggie grumbled.

“Don’t worry. Wyatt will set everything to rights. Give things back to people.”

“I hope you’re correct. This pack has been through enough.”

“I know I am.”

But there was no telling Maggie or any of the wolves that Wyatt was going to be a better alpha than Albert. He had to prove it with his actions. For now, Bel followed Maggie into the kitchen. With her seated at a small kitchen table, Bel shot off a quick text to his brothers that everything was fine and set about making some tea for the old woman. Once the tea was on, he cleared away the trash.