The Wolf Crown (The Wolf Kings #2) (MLM)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

                Wyatt looked around with wide eyes, then smiled, put up a finger, and said, "I'll just go get Everett then, shall I?" and escaped in a hurry.

The silence that followed did nothing to ease the noise in Jack's head. He flipped through the pages of his book as Ender calmly took a seat on the sofa beside Quartz's armchair.

Jack murmured to himself as he read quickly, then he shut his eyes tight as he thought. Question after question swarmed Jack's mind, but the very prominent one, and definitely the least helpful with this new revelation, was—

"But it's a Wolf Crown," he argued. "None of you are werewolves."

"It's called that because the first ever werewolf came up with the idea," Tiberius said, taking Jack's hand and sitting down, rubbing his hand and forearm to calm the vibrations in his mind and body. "At least, that was always the legend. I never really believed it until now." To Ender, he asked, "So it's true?"

Ender nodded, rubbing his temple, looking like he hadn't gotten a second of sleep. Neither had Violet. Jack only belatedly realized that they'd arrived very quickly. He wondered what they'd been doing when Wyatt had called for them.

"When the Shadow Wolf first arose, your great, great grandfather saw it as his responsibility to stop him," he said. "After a war that lasted years and countless deaths, he discovered a spell that would destroy the beast, but it needed the magic of all the leaders. They weakened it and he delivered the final strike that killed it. Or . . . sent it underground."

"Not all the leaders," Quartz hummed casually, checking his nails which Jack only now noticed where sharpened to black tips. "The Fairy King wasn't very happy that someone else came up with the idea to save all of Crowswood, so he stood by, hoping the plan would fail. What a role model, eh?

Jack frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense, his own people must've been in danger, too, right?"

"Yes, and they would've had the Wolf King to thank for their rescue," he said. "There are more important things to His Highness." He tried to look nonchalant, but his tone held a bitter edge that Jack's trained ear couldn't miss. Was it normal that a fairy prince talked that way about his own father? Were any of them allowed to agree?

"We don't have time to worry about the Fairy King now," Violet said, rubbing her eyes. "The Damned Quarter's trees are dying faster than we can save them, and the elves' borders have already been hit twice. We've tried sending word to the Siren Queen, but there's no telling which of the seven seas she's even in now, and she might not even know what's happening until it's too late."

"Anything I can do to help, Violet?" Quartz offered, not a hint of sarcasm or mockery in his voice, but at his question, Violet's frown deepened and she looked away like the very sight of him tired her even more.

"No, Quartz." Then, as an afterthought, and only because it would've sounded unusually rude for her otherwise, added, "Thank you."

"I can send a fairy or two to look for her," Quartz tried. "I have friends I can ask—"

"Yes," she said curtly. "You have plenty of friends to help you with your requests, don't you?"

Quartz fell silent, watching her like she was the most precious an unattainable jewel. Jack shut his eyes against the influx of new information. He had enough to worry about now.

"What about the elves?" he asked. "Everett said you guys lived in the snowy mountains on the edge of the forest, is that right?"

"Yes," Ender sighed. "And we've been digging out archers buried under the avalanches for days now. Those earthquakes are splitting the mountains in two."

"Why is it doing this?" Jack demanded. "That beast, if it's supposed to be a wolf, why's it targeting everyone else?"

"It's trying to scare you," Quartz finally said, wrenching his eyes away from Violet who was still refusing to look at him. It was very unlike her, Jack made a quick mental note to ask her about it later. "Show off its strength. The Shadow Wolf was born out of ambition for power, its very existence comes from its greed and pride. Besides, what better way to weaken your will to fight than to hover"—he held out a finger inches above the armchair's armrest—"just high enough over you to show that it can? It could strike right now if it wanted to, then disappear again and again until you're spending your whole life just waiting for it to keep coming back."

"Enough," Violet snapped, and Quartz glanced at her, narrowed his eyes, and fell silent once more. But the eerie silence only last a second before—

The door burst open very suddenly, making everyone but Quartz shoot to their feet, and Wyatt shoved in the wide-eyed Everett who had clearly not been told that the leaders—and his idol—were all in one room.

"Er . . ." he straightened his waistcoat. "Terribly sorry, I'm here for . . . erm . . . oh, Jack."

"Just—Just a minute, Everett," Jack said, searching the page. After a war that lasted years and countless deaths. . . . Was that what his future was going to look like? Endless years of war and death and misery?

Fire, shadows, and death.

"Sorry," Tiberius said, "but I don't think so."

Everyone turned to him. He stood calmly, his expression would've looked impassive or uncaring to anyone except Jack who could see the contained rage in his eyes. Only Jack could see how close he was to tearing anyone who stood in his way apart.

"Whether we're married yet or not doesn't matter," he said. "Jack's life belongs to me, it always has. He belongs to me. And I decided the moment I claimed him that he will not suffer, not be harmed, and he certainly won't be haunted by anyone. Not even the Shadow Wolf."

Jack couldn't look away from him. "Tiberius . . ."

Tiberius walked up to him, his expression softening, his smile reassuring as he cupped Jack's jaw. "You trust me, don't you, love?"

"With my life," Jack breathed at once, no need to think about it. He thought he saw Violet smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Then trust me to guard it," he said, and ran a hand through his hair. "Everything will be fine. No, go upstairs, try to sleep off the rest of the night, and I'll see you in the morning." He leaned in and despite everyone's eyes on them—hopefully they had the decency to look away by now—he kissed Jack's cheek softly.

"You know there's no way in hell I'm actually going to sleep, right?" Jack whispered.

Tiberius chuckled low in his ear, sending shivers down his spine. "I know. I just figured you'd want to go investigate on your own."

Jack's hands itched to take Tiberius's face in his hands and kiss him senseless. But even he knew that humping your fiancé in front of a fairy prince, powerful witch, an ancient elf, and a military sergeant wasn't proper Crowswood decorum.

Jack caught up to Everett at the doorway and steered him out by the arm. He wanted to stay behind and find out what was going on, but not until Everett actually showed up did he realize that Tiberius was right; he needed to be able to do his own work, his way. Tiberius watched him go, and Jack knew he would fill him in later.

"Where are we going?" Everett asked, checking over his shoulder for the Elder Elf, but lucky for them, only Wyatt followed.

"My room," Jack said, his grip on the book in his free hand tightening. "I have a few things to look into, and I'll need your help."

"Away from Tiberius and the others?" Everett groaned. "That could only mean one thing."

"Yep," Wyatt grinned, "we're getting into the really dangerous stuff now."