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

EPILOGUE.

TWO MONTHS LATER.

"A little to the left," Jack said, walking backwards. "No, Tiberius, left."

"It is left."

"My left, honey, here," and Jack crossed the apartment living room, standing shoulder-to-shoulder and thigh-to-thigh with Tiberius, hands braced next to his on the honey-colored armrest, their matching gold bands glittering in the afternoon light, and tugged the opposite way. "Over here."

"Oh?" Tiberius covered Jack's hands with his and leaned in, grinning. "My bad then."

Jack hung his head and laughed. "You're such a—do you have an off switch?"

"Not with you," Tiberius grinned against his jaw, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him down, screaming and laughing onto the couch. They'd already laid out the red and brown Persian rug, lit the fire with Tiberius's buttery reading armchair to the side, stuffed cushions against the bay window with Jack's notebooks and pens amongst the blankets, and cleaned. The space was barely larger than their bathroom back at Crescent Castle, but Jack had to admit there was something about having this small space just for him and Tiberius, nothing but warm colors and potted plants and Tiberius's pine scent, the afternoon sun shining in as cars drove by the street below.

"We can't do this, my parents are coming in three hours and I haven't even put the chicken in the oven yet!"

"I'll just buy one later," Tiberius grinned, pinning his wrists above his head. "Now spread your legs for me."

Jack giggled as Tiberius nuzzled his jaw, his lips leaving a trail down to Jack's neck when—

"Bit small, isn't it?" Everett walked in, still taking a look around, and Jack quickly pushed Tiberius off him and shot to his feet, straightening his shirt and clearing his throat. "Not that I don't see the appeal, mind you, but . . ." he took in Jack's flushed cheeks and tousled hair and his shoulders fell. "Oh, are you joking? The Hunters will be here any moment!"

"Relax, elf," Tiberius said, resting his chin on Jack's shoulder. "My mother and father-in-law love me."

"Even so, Your Majesty," Everett said, patting his hair nervously over his pointy ears, "it'll be difficult enough to keep our abnormality hidden, we need to make the absolute best impression."

"Okay, Everett, first of all," Jack crossed his arms, "I already told my parents that you're a big fantasy cosplayer."

"What did you just call me?"

"So they'll think the ears are just a costume. They're not an abnormality."

"Me?" he demanded, and pointed a finger at the open archway. "I'm talking about him!"

Wyatt sauntered in, holding a dried a bag of dried mangos. "This is incredible! It's supposed to be fruit, but it's all flat and sugary! Can we get a few more bags of this to take back to Crescent Castle?"

"Feel free," Jack sighed. "Tiberius and I are staying for another week while I get my work set up again though."

"Nervous?" Wyatt asked.

"Sort of," he confessed, hands on his hips. "It'll be tough trying to explain where I've been the past few months, but not any tougher than having to explain why I don't age anymore, right? I want to work at the Journal for as long as I can. I'm just lucky I can mail in my articles from back home."