Rafe laughed, and the last of the tension fled Bel. There was something about knowing Rafe was happy that made everything in the world seem okay. All his worries and frustrations eased and became less pressing with Rafe’s amusement.
“He is simply my Philippe. There is no need for any other labels when that says it all.”
“Then you’ve been occupied with your Philippe, which is as it should be. I’m fine.”
“You will be at Marcus’s for dinner this Saturday?”
“Of course. I haven’t forgotten.” He had. “It’s already on my calendar, and reminders are set.” At least four reminders were set because he would undoubtedly forget again.
“You need to remember to take more breaks from your work. You get too consumed.”
Bel sighed. It was an old refrain between them that Bel had heard countless times over the decades. “I know, but I need my work. I know I can do something great with it. Marcus protects us. Winter gathers up the world’s secrets. You bring the world joy. And I…I just feel like I need to save someone.”
Rafe made a humming noise but didn’t argue for once. “Then I will leave you to your saving, my sweet Bel.”
“Good night, Rafe,” Bel murmured and ended the call. He closed his eyes and shoved the phone into his pocket. He adored his brother, all his brothers, but Rafe really was too overprotective at times. Not that Bel would change a thing about him or their special connection. While sometimes intrusive, it kept Bel from ever feeling truly detached or apart from them.
The melodic chime of the doorbell had the vampire jerking upright in his chair. Nervous energy streaked through him, but he clamped down on it. He didn’t want any more phone calls or even a surprise visit from Rafe. The key was to remain calm.
Shoving to his feet, he hurried over to the front door and pulled it open. Wyatt and River were standing on the doorstep, dressed in street clothes, thank God. But they were wearing only jeans and light T-shirts. The frigid air had them standing close as if huddling for warmth.
“In. Hurry. Inside, please. You’ll freeze!” Bel said, waving them into his house.
Wyatt pressed a hand to River’s back, seeming to give him a little push to get him moving again. They were much closer now as they passed by Bel, giving him a chance to catalogue everything.
Wyatt was definitely the older of the two, but he appeared to be in his early thirties at the most. His dark-brown hair was thick and hung long around his shoulders. River couldn’t have been more than twenty-one or twenty-two, but looks could be deceiving. Bel looked as if he were in his late twenties, but he was nearly two hundred years old if all his time on Earth were tallied.
“Thank you,” Wyatt said quietly. His voice was barely more than a low rumble.
“Yes. Um…let’s move to the living room. It’s more comfortable there, so we can talk.” Bel stepped around the two werewolves, trying to keep a safe distance from them while trying not to seem like he was putting space between himself and them. He walked briskly down the hall and into the large open room with the high ceilings and wall of windows that looked out on the woods. He moved directly to the gas fireplace and flipped it on. The air was warm, but it looked as if Wyatt and River could use additional defrosting.
River whistled long and low as he paused on the threshold of the living room, his eyes skimming over everything before finally locking on the windows and the snow that was still falling. “This is beautiful.” He cocked his head to the side a little. “You…you have a lot of windows for a vampire.”
“Thank you.” Bel motioned toward the sofa while he stood in front of a chair.
Wyatt and River sat where he indicated. Again, River stuck close to his companion, but Bel couldn’t decide if it was out of need for warmth, protection, or something else.
“Can I offer you a refreshment?” Bel inquired, knowing his mother would be giving him a dark glare at that moment if he didn’t remember his proper manners.
She believed that no matter the circumstances, a person always remembered manners and etiquette. Science and questions could wait. Of course, this was also the same woman who’d sat on his chest and tried to claw his heart out with her fingers, so he followed her instructions while swallowing a bitter pill of irony.
“We’re fine. Thank you.”
Bel frowned, taking in their close huddle. “Or…or maybe a blanket to help you warm up?”
“We’re fine. Thank you,” Wyatt murmured politely.
Well, at least civil pleasantries were out of the way now. Bel dropped into his chair and simply stared at his two guests for a few seconds. His eyes swept over their faces and hair to their wide shoulders stretching the thin cotton material of their T-shirts. From a visual standpoint, they looked no different from any other human. They were both extremely handsome men, but that was a purely subjective assessment. He truly doubted that it was a feature all werewolves had.