River snickered and cleared his throat, but Ethan must have caught it, because he swung around. “He told you, huh? Yeah, well, just watch out. He loves to use these big, sad innocent eyes and cry, ‘But it’s for science.’ ”
“Is everyone here?” Bel asked, trying to redirect the conversation while River was still laughing softly. They dealt with their coats, tucking them in the hall closet.
“Yep. You’re the last to arrive. Everyone is up in the library, having drinks. Dinner will be ready in a bit.”
Bel followed behind Ethan, the churning in this stomach growing more intense with each step. But he kept his head high and shoulders back. He was going to be strong for Wyatt and River. He didn’t need to upset the wolves more than they already were. The Variks were supposed to be helping them, not causing more problems and stress.
It wasn’t like he was scared of his brothers. No, he loved them, and they loved him. It was just that they tended to be overprotective at times and very skeptical of outsiders. They had lived and acted as a single-family unit for so long. How could anyone else understand them? And how could they risk an outsider’s life to Julianna’s mercurial moods?
Mother.
Bel’s hand automatically went to his chest, rubbing over his heart. The old wound had healed. There wasn’t even a scar to mark where she’d tried to tear his heart out, but there was a phantom ache that never quite went away. It pulsed to life whenever he thought about Julianna.
After she’d tried to kill him, there had been a dark part of himself that was glad she was gone. Glad she could no longer threaten him or his brothers.
And he’d hated himself for feeling that way.
A strong hand settled on his shoulder, and Bel blinked. He hadn’t even realized he’d stopped walking in the middle of the hall. Flashing Wyatt a smile, he continued to the library. This was no time to think about old ghosts.
Conversation came to an abrupt halt when Bel entered with Wyatt and River on his heels. While their looks weren’t unwelcoming, they were all very…curious. Bel had never brought anyone into their small world. He’d never even spoken of associating with anyone in the past. Most of his scientific contacts were handled electronically.
It seemed only natural that Aiden, his father and sire, was the first to speak. He pushed to his feet from where he’d been reclining on a dark-brown leather couch and walked over.
“Bel,” he started smoothly. “You’ve brought us guests. That’s excellent.”
Aiden wrapped his arms around Bel, pulling him in for a tight hug. Bel closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Aiden’s shoulder. Aiden might not be his biological father, but he’d been the man to care for him and guide him since he was a child. Aiden loved him like a father, and his father knew he was nervous.
When Aiden released him, Bel was centered and stronger. He turned toward the wolves. “These are my friends, Wyatt Campbell and River Stone.”
Aiden shook their hands as he took over the introductions. Bel watched him closely, trying to see if he noticed the same difference that Ethan had. There was something, a small twitch at the corner of his eye, but his warm smile never wavered.
“My, my, my,” Rafe drawled, his smile turning positively wicked. Bel could feel his face heating before his twin even finished making his teasing remark. No doubt his brother noticed the resemblance between Wyatt and the man he’d fed from at Blush just a month ago. “I think I underestimated you, my sweet Bel. I had begun to think you didn’t even notice men at all, and here you found two lovely ones for your—”
“Rafe!” Marcus barked in warning and Ethan snickered.
“It’s not like that!” Bel quickly said. “Wyatt and River are together. I’m just…just…”
“I think you better explain…everything,” Aiden said. And yes, he knew.
It didn’t help Bel feel any more settled when he saw that Aiden hadn’t returned to his previous seat on the couch. No, he was now sitting in the ornate high-back chair they’d used when Lola, Ryder, and Gideon had become official members of the Varik clan. The chair looked more like a throne and had quietly become Aiden’s seat of power within the clan. Add in the blond man’s impressive height, wide shoulders, and his regal bearing—he just looked like a king in that chair. Bel had no idea if this was a good sign or bad. Probably bad.
“As Ethan noticed downstairs, Wyatt and River aren’t vampires. They’re werewolves,” Bel started.
“This is a joke, right?” Winter said. “First, Rafe with his witch talk—”
“Don’t mock Zelda. She is a witch!” Rafe snapped.
“And now you’ve got werewolves,” Winter continued as if Rafe hadn’t spoken.
“Werewolves exist?” Ethan demanded.