Chapter 8
Eight
Wyatt looked up from the computer screen in front of him and at the vampire who was currently looking into a microscope while lightly clutching a pen in his left hand.
He and River had been living with Bel for just over a month, and he couldn’t believe how happy he was.
Never had he expected life to take this strange and wonderfully unexpected turn.
When he’d been young, he had dreams of becoming a doctor.
He wanted to help people, not that he would have gotten a lot of work among his kind.
Werewolves healed too quickly on their own and couldn’t catch the flu or even a cold.
But he’d always been fascinated by the complexities of the human body.
And now he was working in an actual laboratory beside a man who had devoted his very long existence to science.
In his study, one wall was lined with framed diplomas from an assortment of schools, where Bel had taken night classes and graduated.
It might not be his dream exactly, but Wyatt was just giddy to enjoy even this small taste of it all.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that Bel was proving to be an incredibly patient teacher and companion. He showed no frustration at Wyatt’s seemingly endless supply of questions and even kept a running list of books and resources to acquire for Wyatt to help in his quest for more knowledge.
Lifting his face from where he’d been peering through the lenses of the microscope, Bel blinked a couple of times as if trying to get his eyes to readjust to his surroundings. “I can feel you smiling.”
Wyatt huffed a laugh. “Would you like me to stop?”
Bel grinned at him, turning his gaze on Wyatt.
There was answering laughter in his bright blue eyes.
“Of course not. It’s just interesting how clear the emotion comes through.
It’s as if you and River have your own pathway through my brain.
Definitely more similar now to how I can feel Rafe than to how I can feel the thoughts and emotions of the animals.
” Bel paused and made a little sound in his throat as he pulled a small notebook out of his pocket.
Wyatt loved that notebook. Bel kept it with him at all times and wrote down thoughts that occurred to him throughout the day.
Each morning before he turned in, Bel would transfer those thoughts into various journals and computer programs for him to pursue later.
Wyatt was sure he and River filled those pages now.
“You’re saying your sense of us has changed?”
Bel nodded. “I’ve never had that happen.”
“Well, we have been staying with you for a month. Extended exposure to us could have affected you.”
Bel’s head cocked a little to the side, and his smile grew. “Has it really been a month already?”
“A month yesterday, actually.”
The vampire returned to his little notebook, made another note, and shoved it into his pocket. “Then I think this makes for the perfect occasion.” Bel pushed to his feet and walked over to one of the cabinets, where he pulled out what looked to be a dark-blue shirt box with a silver ribbon.
“What’s that?”
Bel returned to the table, placed the box in front of Wyatt, then moved to his own stool. “Just a small gift to make your working in my lab official.”
“Bel, you shouldn’t have. You’ve already given River and me so much.”
The vampire waved a dismissive hand at the comment. “Merely necessities of life, though I believe this also falls into that category. Go ahead, open it!”
Tamping down the strange swirl of nerves and excitement building in his chest, Wyatt slid off the slender ribbon and lifted the lid. His eyes fell on a white lab coat that looked identical to the one that Bel was wearing, and his breath caught in the back of his throat.
“I’m sorry it took so long to arrive,” Bel murmured softly.
“I attempted to handle it myself, and that was a terrible mistake. I tried to order it from the tailor since they already had your measurements, but they hadn’t a clue as to what I was talking about when I said I needed a lab coat.
I had to hand the whole mess over to Carl. ”
Only about half of that registered in Wyatt’s brain. With trembling fingers, he carefully lifted the jacket from the box. It was simple but well made—he could tell the material was sturdy. And it was easily the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Do you like it?” Bel asked, a slight waver in his voice.
Wyatt reverently returned the coat to its box, launched himself off his seat, and snatched up Bel in a tight hug, earning a surprised squeak from the vampire.
“It’s perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much,” Wyatt said, burying his face in Bel’s silky hair as he tried to swallow past the lump in his throat.
His eyes burned with unshed tears, but he didn’t care. He needed to hold Bel.
Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him so tight. “I’m glad to. You deserve this, Wyatt. Never question that. You deserve to be happy and to have the life you dreamed of.”
Wyatt’s heart expanded in his chest, and his breath caught again.
No one had ever said such things to him.
Only River had cared to ask what he wanted to do with his life, what his dreams were.
But they hadn’t been in a position to pursue any of those dreams. Bel was actively attempting to remove barriers and put him on that path again.
Very slowly, Wyatt released his desperate hold on the vampire and took a half step backward.
He looked down at the man in his arms to find him staring at him with watery blue eyes of joy.
How had they gotten so lucky to meet someone like Bel?
It wasn’t just that he had this sexy nerd vibe that made Wyatt’s entire body hum with need.
Bel was so damn compassionate and caring as well.
“I was lucky when I was young. My mother might not have understood my interest in science, but she always supported me. She bought me my first Griffin beaker.” His smile wobbled a little. “She always said that if I grew bored with chemistry, she could use it for a vase.”
“Your mother sounds amazing.”
For some reason, Bel’s happiness dimmed for a second, but then he blinked and his smile was firmly in place again.
He reached up and lightly touched Wyatt’s jaw, the warmth of his fingers sliding through Wyatt’s entire body.
“The important thing is that you have someone in your corner supporting you. You’re interested in science.
River said you wanted to be a doctor. If that’s what you want, we will make that happen. ”
Wyatt could only nod. There was no talking past the massive lump in his throat. It had to be his heart. The damn thing was trying to break free of his body so it could curl up in Bel’s arms.
“Good! Now put on your lab coat so we can get back to work.” Bel released Wyatt and settled back on his stool.
Grateful for the distraction from the confusing feelings filling his chest, Wyatt turned back to the box and pulled out the lab coat.
It wasn’t surprising that the thing fit him perfectly, falling to the back of his knees.
There was no pulling across his shoulders or over his chest. Smiling up at Bel again, Wyatt turned in place and Bel laughed.
“Yes, absolutely perfect,” Bel confirmed.
“Thank you again.”
“It was my pleasure.” Bel’s smile wilted a little as he watched Wyatt return to his stool and put aside the gift box. “I want to get River something…well, like that, but I’m not sure what he wants to do. What he dreams of.”
The answer was on the tip of Wyatt’s tongue, but he held back. He suspected River was nervous about grabbing those old dreams again, but he would come around. Wyatt wanted River to have his own precious moment with Bel.
“I’m sure you and River will figure it out,” Wyatt said.
Bel nodded and returned to his computer screen, where he’d been entering some test results and other thoughts.
Wyatt wanted to go back to work as well, but his brain wouldn’t let him concentrate on the book he’d been reading.
No, he was now consumed with thoughts of Bel and his life before becoming a vampire.
“May I ask you a personal question?”
Bel laughed. “I’ve asked you and River countless personal questions over the past month. I think you’ve earned a few.”
Wyatt shrugged. “Your questions were in the interest of science.”
Bel snorted as he turned toward him on the stool. “Yes, let’s just hold on to that belief, because that whole line of questioning last night about whether a wolf can laugh and trying to tickle River while he was in wolf form was completely scientific.”
He couldn’t even remember how they’d gotten onto the topic in the first place.
They had been relaxing in the living room when they’d somehow started talking about how animals express emotions.
Anger and fear were easy to read. So was happiness, but that just devolved into whether a wolf could laugh.
The next thing they knew, River was flinging off his clothes, bringing a blush to Bel’s cheeks before he could avert his eyes.
River shifted, essentially egging Bel on to touch him.
It hadn’t exactly been subtle, but neither Wyatt nor River was aiming for subtle any longer.
Everything seemed to have changed after their shopping trip and the impromptu movie night. It wasn’t enough that Bel was their trusted friend and companion. It wasn’t enough that to their inner wolves he was pack. No, Bel was theirs.
Of course, it had taken Wyatt more than a week to get up the nerve to blurt out to River that his feelings for the vampire were more than just friendship. That he wanted to touch, kiss, and explore every inch of Bel until he was writhing and moaning beneath Wyatt.
His sweet, understanding mate promptly fell over in bed laughing. Yes, River had known. And yes, River felt the same way for their dear Bel.
Their only problem now was convincing Bel that they could have so much more than platonic friendship.