Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 122684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 491(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 491(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Wyatt gifted him with a soft smile. “Shifter packs have two goals: protect their pack mates and breed more wolves. River and I were happy to protect our fellow pack members. But…we refused to mate with females.” Wyatt reached over and placed his hand over River’s. “River and I are mates, but they tossed us out because we will never produce more werewolves.”
“So, you’re what? Useless?” Bel snapped. He slid to the edge of his seat, gripping both arms of the chair tightly.
“Pretty much,” River muttered.
“I think the pack elders also wanted to make an example of us to frighten anyone else who might have similar leanings,” Wyatt said.
Bel launched himself out of his chair and paced over to the fireplace, his fists balled at his sides. It was absolutely ludicrous. It was absurd! To toss them out like so much trash. He’d fought Wyatt and River. His brother had fought them. Even if they couldn’t bear children, they would clearly fight to protect their pack mates. Were there no shifter children they could foster?
And even if they couldn’t stay with the pack, why could they not just live in peace together away from other wolves?
He could feel their innate goodness, their kindness and love for each other. When there was so much violence and hatred in the world, how could a pack willingly throw that beauty away?
Wyatt’s words dug up old worries for his brother Marcus. One night, a long time ago, when he and his older brother had been deep in their cups, Marcus had muttered words like broken and useless about himself because his eye liked the male form over the female.
Bel hadn’t known what to say that night because he had battled those same feelings of shame and frustration. His heart had broken for his strong, formidable sibling. No one was as powerful and confident as Marcus. No one protected their family like him. How could Marcus feel broken?
And if their family hadn’t needed protecting, what would have happened to him? Would he have taken his own life?
Marcus had never been willing to discuss again what he’d mumbled under his breath that night, and it was with great relief that he’d found Ethan. Bel never wanted his amazing, wonderful brother to be lost to such self-loathing.
“That’s…that’s just obscene!” Bel exploded as he turned away from the fire to face the men seated on the couch. “It’s a waste!”
“They said we’re an abomination against nature,” River mumbled.
“Nonsense! I can give dozens of examples of homosexuality in nature! Science! Not archaic sentimentality and nonsense.” Hell, he was ready to beat someone with a science textbook if they were unwilling to listen to logic and reason. His brothers weren’t an abomination. He wasn’t an abomination. And these wolves weren’t either.
“I take it doesn’t bother you, then?”
Bel’s indignation and righteous anger left him in a heartbeat under the stunning warmth of Wyatt’s smile. He blinked and found River smiling at him as well, looking relaxed for the first time since stepping inside of Bel’s home.
“Oh. Um…no, of course not,” Bel stammered a bit. He took a breath to mention his brothers’ same-sex mates, but there really was no point. His mini rant had shown them plenty already.
“So, you’ve lost the protection of your pack, and other packs will attack you because you’re rogue wolves,” he recapped. His brow furrowed in thought, and he dragged his gaze back to Wyatt. “Is there another pack of werewolves in this area?”
“Yes. Not a large one, but enough to overpower both myself and River.”
“I don’t understand where the MacPhersons and this Brett vampire comes in.”
“River and I managed to remain hidden for the first two years. When we encountered Brett, we were exhausted from running and hiding. He said he would claim us and offer protection if we would obey him. Become his attack dogs.”
River snorted and looked down at his hands. “This is the longest I’ve spent as a human in…in months.”
Bel struggled to push through River’s feelings of both relief and joy to actually focus on his horrific words. “He didn’t let you stay in your human form?”
River shook his head. “No, not for long, and definitely not while other vampires were around. He didn’t want anyone feeding off us without his permission, and he couldn’t control us when we were in human form.”
“We never liked being with Brett or the MacPhersons, but we didn’t spend most days and nights afraid for our lives.”
“Yes, we’re sorry about that night in the woods,” Wyatt said.
“And for attacking your brother,” River added. “Brett didn’t give us any choice.”
Bel scrubbed a hand over his face as he tried to absorb their words. This was a nightmare. “Forgiven, though Rafe might not be so understanding,” Bel grumbled. He wandered over to his chair and sat, his mind spinning over the information he’d been given.