“I didn’t say you were wrong. You tend to double count,” Bel replied to the raven.
He didn’t need to enter into an argument with the bird at the moment, but it was at least a distraction from the heavy weight that was starting to bear down on him. The wolves were close, and there was a feeling of hostility roiling through the air.
No, definitely not a welcome wagon.
For a bit of protection, Bel sent Ozzie winging off to the trees at the edge of his property. He also sent out a second command. While he might not be as impressive in stature as Marcus or generally as scary as Winter managed, Bel had a few tricks up his sleeve.
As they cleared a thick grouping of trees and came to a large clearing at the edge of his property, he could see an older man standing in the snow, wearing only a pair of jeans and an unbuttoned flannel shirt as if he’d just pulled it on to meet with Bel. Behind him were at least a dozen very large wolves. Some were pacing, but others stood frighteningly still, cold eyes watching them as they approached.
Bel nearly smirked to see the figure was standing one foot away from the property line. Nearly as close as he could get without crossing over. Wyatt’s description of the truce rang clear in his head. Wolves stayed out of vampire territory and vampire affairs.
He stopped walking when a few yards of open ground still separated them. No reason to get too close, but he didn’t want to appear afraid either. The older man’s eyes darted over to River and Wyatt for only a second, but it was enough to pull a curl into his upper lip before he looked at Bel again. His expression didn’t warm.
“Vampire,” the man growled as a greeting.
Bel formed a cool smile onto his lips, trying to aim for the same aloof expression he’d seen on Rafe’s face so many times in the past when dealing with someone he didn’t care for. “Beltran Varik, at your service,” he introduced with a small nod of his head.
“Albert.”
“My neighbor, I presume.”
The wolf grunted. Bel had to assume this was the alpha wolf of the pack. The man’s hair might be snowy white, but there was a thick muscle to him. If Bel didn’t know better, he’d believe the man was more likely to shift into a bear than a wolf. A white beard lined his jaw, but that was where the comparisons between him and Santa Claus stopped.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Bel prodded when the tense silence fell back over the clearing.
“You’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you. I wanted to make sure you’re well-acquainted with the truce that has held the peace between our kind for centuries.” The man’s voice was like listening to gravel being crushed under someone’s boot. Nothing like the warm, gentle rumble of Wyatt’s voice.
Bel bristled at the man’s words. Wyatt and River were very much his. Clenching his teeth for a second to regain control of his flaring temper, Bel forced his smile a little wider. “You mean the truce where wolves have agreed to stay out of vampire territory and vampire affairs? Yes, I have been apprised of it.”
“The truce also says vampires will keep out of shifter affairs.” Glaring, Albert pointed at Wyatt just behind Bel’s right shoulder. “They’re our problem.”
Bel shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat to hide the fact that he had balled them into tight fists. “I believe there’s been a misunderstanding,” Bel said, holding on to his light tone. “It was my understanding that Wyatt and River were kicked out of their pack. They’re exiles.” He turned a bit toward Wyatt and smiled. “Is that correct? You are both exiles?”
“Yes,” Wyatt bit out, his voice more animal growl.
“So that means you can’t possibly belong to this pack, correct?” Bel continued.
“Correct.”
“They’re wolves!” Albert bellowed as if he couldn’t stand the idea of anyone listening to what Wyatt might have to say. Some of the wolves behind Albert started to growl, their hackles rising.
Bel gave a loud sigh and shifted from one foot to the other. It was something he’d seen Rafe do on numerous occasions as a way of dismissing another person’s anger.
Okay, so he knew that using Rafe as a guide for any kind of negotiations or talks was a giant mistake, but Rafe was the only reference he had when it came to dealing with a hostile person. His brother had always been quite good at pissing people off and getting out of the situation.
Of course, getting out of it usually involved blood and carnage, which Bel was trying to avoid.
“They are wolves that have been tossed aside,” Bel said evenly as soon as the noise died down. “Your kind doesn’t want them. I do. Unless…”