his long hair, pushing it from his face. “Dealing with the ghosts constantly was exhausting. There was no getting any peace. No matter where I went, they were there. Some paid attention to me. Others didn’t.”
“But you never had a break,” River said. “God, Winter. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”
“Fox changed it all for me.” Winter flashed River a small smile, but it felt like his heart was breaking. “When I’m near him, I can’t see or hear the ghosts. It’s like his natural magic ability wraps me in a protective bubble. I’d only see the ghosts when I went into the world of the dead. It’s what happens when I disappear. I pass through their reality and no living creature can see, hear, or touch me there.”
“That’s astounding.” Sofia gave a little laugh and shook her head. “That’s how the Variks have done it all these years. How you’ve learned so many secrets. How you’ve been the scariest thing in all our kind. Because you can disappear.”
“And because many ghosts are happy to tell secrets about the people who killed them,” Winter added.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Rafe demanded. “After all this time. I understand in the beginning, but it’s been nearly two centuries…why keep this from us?”
“Mother.”
Rafe shoved to his feet. “You’re obviously not mad like she was. Poor excuse, dear brother.”
“Mother has been dead less than a year. All our focus was on her and protecting our family prior to that. My…gift…was manageable. It was just easier if you didn’t have to worry about it as well.”
Rafe stunned Winter by grabbing him and jerking him in for a hard embrace. Winter stood there stiff as a board for a moment; then he slowly wrapped his arms around his brother. Rafe pressed his face into Winter’s hair and murmured, “How dare you deny us the right to protect our little brother. You’re precious to us, you fucking dumbass.”
Winter snickered against Rafe’s chest, but there was also relief. Soul-deep relief to finally have this secret out in the open and know that his brothers were still there for him. A moment later, he felt Bel’s arms wrap around him. And then they all grunted as they were squeezed even tighter. Winter’s head popped up to find Marcus holding them tightly.
“You’re all idiots,” Marcus grumbled. “And there will be no more secrets in this family.”
“Rafe is planning to sneak off with Philippe and get married by an Elvis impersonator,” Bel announced.
Rafe gasped. “You bloody tattletale.” His eyes narrowed into a glare at his twin and he said stiffly, “Fine. Bel’s pregnant!”
They all broke apart to look at Bel’s bright red face.
“I am not! Men can’t get pregnant,” Bel sputtered.
Rafe shrugged. “True, but I figured if anyone was going to break the laws of nature, it was going to be you.”
“Excuse me,” Sofia said. Winter turned to find her holding up one hand as if trying to claim the floor in all this insanity. “But a vampire mated with a werewolf does not break any natural laws.”
“Eh…maybe not, but Bel claiming two of them is certainly bending a few rules.”
“I don’t know why you think our clan is the most insane, my love,” David said as he smiled down at Sofia.
Zelda snorted. “No, the Variks are definitely an original experience.” She rolled her eyes, but there was a smile playing on her lips. “But aside from Winter’s secret, Fox has done him a world of good. Given his brain a much-needed break.”
“And the ring?” Bel asked.
“A gift from Zelda and Fox. She placed a drop of his blood in the sapphire, and I now keep Fox’s protective bubble around me even if he’s not physically near me,” Winter said. He touched the ring on his finger, spinning the warm metal for a minute before sliding it off. He held it out to the witch. “But I’ll give it back right now if you can give me Fox.”
Zelda blinked her eyes rapidly a couple of times as if she were trying to hold in tears. With soft, gentle hands, she forced Winter to curl his fingers around the ring again. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. There are things that need to be done. I can’t promise you’re going to get your Fox, but I think we’ve got a good shot at it.”
Winter could only nod. He’d known it was a long shot, but he had to try. He slipped the ring onto his finger, some of the tension easing