Just the sound of Jack's voice had Tiberius steadying his stance, looking down on Isaac with a fiery glare, his growls low and rumbling. A threatening storm to destroy everything.
Behind the net of lights, werewolf after werewolf appeared around the clearing, circling Isaac. Jack was looking up at Tiberius, so he didn't notice when Violet came up to him until she touched his shoulder.
"Jack," she said, brows furrowed. "The stone."
Jack frowned, looked down, and instantly regretted it. The stone had turned painfully bright now. He held it at arm's length, keeping both hands on it.
"What's happening to it?"
"Your arm!" Philomena called.
Jack's arm was coated in blood, and his blood had . . . touched the stone. Of course. Isaac had needed a lot of human blood to make up for one werewolf, but Jack was a royal, wasn't he? Did that mean he'd only needed a few drops?
"Blood and life," Jack murmured, looking down at the stone. "But I . . . I didn't die. Nobody did this time. The ritual's not done, so why's it doing this?"
Whatever the reason didn't matter to Isaac. He saw only that Jack had bled on the stone, ruining whatever effect he'd had himself. His eyes darkened, his rage palpable. With just a few drops of blood, Jack had burned away all of his hard work. He didn't seem to care who was surrounding him, what it would cost him. He lunged at Jack.
Tiberius shielded him, but Isaac had gone wild. He didn't seem to care who he was attacking as long as he was shedding blood. He cut a gash in Tiberius's neck, and blood splattered across Jack's chest, coating the stone and making it blinding now, lighting up the entire clearing like it was day.
The wolves had to look away with whimpers and growls, but Jack could only think of Tiberius, lying on top of him and struggling to stand. "Tiberius?" he shook him. "Tiberius!"
Tiberius whimpered as Violet knelt at his side, but he looked up at Jack with those beautiful gold eyes. He growled low under his breath, and Jack could sense what he was saying the way he couldn't with anyone else.
Run, he begged. Hide. Go!
Jack ignored him, looking around. The wolves were still struggling to get any closer with the stone and net's bright light, Everett was approaching Isaac carefully with a red-eyed Graham at his side, and the puddle . . .
The puddle at the center of the clearing was as bright as the stone itself, wisps flickering to life around it. Suddenly, a naked woman with long wavy hair that fell down to her ankles and a dead flower crown on her head rose up out of the surface. Fairy, the thought came to Jack's mind as if the woman had put it there. She held her arms out for the stone. Jack turned, and met eyes with Violet who had seen the woman just as clearly. A silent decision passed between them, and Jack looked back to Tiberius.
He kissed the top of his head, whispered, "I love you," and scrambled out from underneath him.
Tiberius growled for him, but Jack was already running at the puddle. Isaac lunged, caught his leg, but it was too late. Jack tossed the stone and the fairy woman caught it before disappearing back into the water as the wisps flickered out. Jack screamed, but Everett was already stabbing into Isaac's side with his fang earring. Isaac fought back, then the others leapt in. Mira and Wyatt tried to pin him down, but he fought hard, and finally, Graham bit into his side. Isaac writhed and squirmed on the ground, glaring up at his brother, then turned still.
The bright light finally faded, leaving them in nothing but moonlight. Spots danced in Jack's eyes. Graham heaved, his fangs and fur coated in blood and looking no different than Isaac had just seconds ago. Except Isaac wouldn't move now, wouldn't hurt anyone. The puddle rippled a moment longer, the Werewolf Stone separated into tiny orbs of light that floated up, and as they disappeared, Jack and Tiberius's wounds lit just as brightly. When the light faded, their injuries were healed. Warmth flooded Jack's body and feeling returned to his arm and leg. Then the water turned as smooth as glass again, the area littered with mirrors that reflected the pine trees, starry sky, and full moon.
Everything turned quiet, and Jack pushed himself up.
"Tiberius," he breathed, and ran for him just as Tiberius stood as well. He hugged his neck tight, and Tiberius brought his head down to pull Jack in closer. The wolves shuffled around, closing in on not only Jack and Tiberius, but the witches as well.
"My Lady," Lavender murmured, looking around at all the wolves warily, "what do you want us to do?"
Violet merely held up a calm hand. "Jack," she asked instead, "are you all right?"
"Yeah," Jack huffed, patting down his arm and chest to make sure. "Thanks, Violet." More shuffling, less growls, more eyes going to Jack. "I just don't . . . exactly get what happened."
She hummed. "Neither do I, to be honest. But the Werewolf Stone is not my area of expertise."
Tiberius's growl turned louder, and he tugged Jack back to his side. But it is mine, he seemed to be saying. And so is he.
Jack put a hand on his neck, but smiled at Violet. "You helped me. You didn't have to get involved."
She smirked. "Yes, Your Majesty. I did." She looked to Tiberius. "You see, I know the pain of losing the one you love too much."
Jack nodded. The wolves watched avidly. Philomena and Everett stood silently and steadily at Graham's side as he stared at his dead brother in a pool of his own blood, while Lavender and Mira guarded Violet from anyone who might get any ideas.
"So what now?" Violet asked.
Jack looked over his shoulder at Tiberius. Tiberius watched Violet for a painfully long minute, then huffed gruffly, and nudged Jack's shoulder blade.
Jack smiled, and held out a hand to Violet. Her smile softened, and Jack shrugged a shoulder. "You won me over with the bunny spy."
Violet laughed quietly, sniffled, and took Jack's hand, wiping away a stray tear with her shoulder. Jack had the feeling it was more for Tiberius's acceptance than it was their new alliance.
As soon as Jack let go, however, his head started to swim. Violet's expression faltered, but even she turned blurry very quickly, and Jack lost strength in his legs. He collapsed, but never hit the ground as Tiberius caught him, eyes wide.
Jack tried to reassure him that he was fine, but no sound left his lips. The last thing he remembered before darkness took over was Tiberius's warmth and pine scent engulfing him.
Jack quickly realized he was having an obsession with Tiberius, but couldn't find it in him to care. Not when his beautiful mate slept at his side, dark lashes curled against tanned and scarred cheeks, long curled hair splayed across the pillow. Jack traced the tips of his fingers along Tiberius's cheekbone, the late morning light casting them in gold. He'd woken up a while ago, but was too comfortable in these silk sheets with Tiberius's warm, strong body next to his own, keeping him safe, to ever move again.
He pushed himself up, and Tiberius wrapped an arm around his waist, groaning. "Why'd you stop?" he complained. "I was enjoying that."
Jack leaned against the headboard, running one hand through his hair and planting the other deep in Tiberius's curls.
"What happened to me?"
"The Werewolf Stone," Tiberius said. "We absorbed its power."
"What does that mean?" Jack asked, not sure he wanted the answer. "Am I going to change?"
"As far as I can tell, no. Not really. Outside of the immortality you already have, of course. Turns out the royal family needed to absorb the stone completely, so I guess the only difference is that we don't rely on it anymore." He shook his head. "All these years, we were supposed to give it back to her."
Jack was unsurprised. He'd had the suspicion when he first saw her, the way she looked at the stone like it was a family relic instead of a piece of rock or a symbol of power.
"That fairy," he said. "That was the first Wolf Queen, wasn't it? Your great, great grandfather's mate, from the Moonstone Beacon story."
Tiberius grinned, moving to rest his head on Jack's lap and kissing his thigh. "Who knew, huh? A fairy is my great, great grandmother."
"Makes sense though," Jack thought. "Fairies play with wisps, so if one was lost from her mate, she would ask them for help to get him back." A thought occurred. "Hey, you think that's why the wisps brought him to Crowswood in the first place? His mate?"
"Now there's a romantic idea," he confessed, and raised a brow. "But how did you know that giving her the stone would work?"
Jack chuckled helplessly, and hugged Tiberius's shoulders, bending over to press a kiss to his crown. "I guessed."
Tiberius laughed, and pressed another openmouthed kiss on his waist. "Well, you guessed right. The ritual needed blood and life, and water gives life to everything."
"And the stone took our blood," Jack deduced. "So what, we are the Werewolf Stone now?"
"You don't sound too worried about it," Tiberius murmured against his hip.
"I'm kind of used to it at this point."
He looked up at him. "Wow. I really did destroy your life, didn't I?"
"You are my life," Jack argued, then Tiberius grinned and he blushed. "Asshole."
"I wanted to hear it just once," Tiberius said happily.
"I'll say it however many times you want," Jack grumbled.
"Say it now."
Jack rolled his eyes, trying not to smile. "You're my life, Tiberius." Then he swung his legs off the edge of the bed, letting Tiberius's head fall on the blankets instead. He was still a little dizzy, and he gripped the headboard to steady himself.
Tiberius was right behind him, standing on his knees and keeping his hands on Jack's hips. "Be careful," he said. "Your body's still adjusting to the stone's power."
Jack groaned, clutching his head. "Why aren't you sick?"
Tiberius hugged his waist, kissing up the length of his back before muttering against the crook of his neck, "I'm already used to immortality. You turned immortal just days ago. Oh and . . ." he whispered, reaching a hand up Jack's shirt, his fingers trailing the line of hair leading up to Jack's bellybutton. "Speaking of which . . ."
Jack laughed, breathless, and pulled away. "Don't," he warned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I need to focus."
"Right," Tiberius's smile widened. "Because I distract you, don't I?"
Jack point-blank refused to face him and the satisfaction in his expression. "Maybe we should check on the others? Make sure everyone's doing okay after last night? You know, like rulers?"
Tiberius's smile softened. "Graham's been making sure everyone's okay since we got you back here."
Jack faltered. "But Graham had to . . . he's been through a lot. He should rest like everyone else."
"And he will," Tiberius said. "But for now, he needs this, Jack. He needs to feel like he's doing some good. Losing a brother is . . . incomparable."
Jack cupped his jaw. "I know what happened with Moebius," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"No," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I asked you not to trust Violet, but never told you why. I wouldn't listen."
He hesitated. "You know I have to ask, right? What happened with the witches?"
Tiberius's smile turned small and resigned. "Want to go see them?"
Jack blinked. "They're still here?"
"Of course," Tiberius stepped off the bed, but wouldn't loosen his hold on Jack's waist. "We're a team, aren't we? We make these big decisions together."
***
One more chapter and then an epilogue, guys. We're almost there. ❤