The Wolf King (The Wolf Kings #1) (MLM)

CHAPTER NINE.

                 Wyatt and Isaac had just been the beginning. Tiberius stayed on Jack's other side as they got further downstairs and found more people had come out of their rooms, rubbing the sleep from their eyes or groaning as if suffering from a hangover. Nobody, on the other hand, seemed as fresh in the morning as Wyatt. Women and men alike started to approach, caught sight of the look on Tiberius's face, and scattered back. They all had scars, some had dark stains on their clothes that Jack preferred not to think about. Jack spotted a few with wings, a few with pointy ears, and all of them had stopped to stare at Jack as he passed.

Jack cleared his throat, trying not to squirm under their eyes and cling to Tiberius's side. "I take it you guys don't usually get a lot of guests?"

"You're not a guest," Tiberius said. "You're their king. They can sense it."

"You're sure it's not just the smell of blood on me?"

"I did give you new clothes."

"I'm not wearing your clothes."

Tiberius's expression was still cold, his eyes still falling to Jack and Wyatt's linked arms. Jack had cooled down enough on their trip downstairs to finally let Wyatt go, if only to get Tiberius to stop glaring in his direction.

And you don't like seeing him upset, a voice said before Jack ignored it.

"There you are!" Everett said, running up to them. He huffed. "I've been looking everywhere for you, sir!" He wrinkled his nose at Wyatt. "Stop looking at me like that, Wyatt, I've already told you it's creepy."

Wyatt made a hmph sound and turned his back on him. "For your information, I've found a new friend to play with!"

"Not with my master, you're not!" Everett gaped, pulling Jack away from him. "Watch yourself, sir, his idea of a game last month was throwing Mira off the astronomy tower."

Jack raised a brow. His whole job was about learning to read between the lines, find out what people weren't willing to say, yet couldn't help but show. He'd gotten good at reading body language and tones, and he couldn't miss the way Everett's voice had softened ever so slightly at the mention of Mira's name.

Now I know who his mate is, he thought.

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Ever the drama queen, Everett. You think I'd do anything with the king watching? Not that I'd ever defy your orders if you weren't watching, Your Majesty," he added meekly to Tiberius.

Jack, on the other hand, was a little distracted by the whispers and mutters behind him to worry about Wyatt. Groups of women in dresses – servants, Jack briefly noted, if the pitchers and trays in their hands was anything to go by – gathered in clusters against the wall, gossiping to each other. There was a small door where more servants in vests and dresses were coming out. Jack made out a narrow hallway with lit sconces before the crowd blocked his view. The servants caught him looking and jumped, flustered. They scurried past him and the others to the wide open doors at the end of the hall, throwing nervous and eager glances over their shoulders.

They weren't the only ones. Jack heard more murmurs and gasps, saw people lingering in doorframes out of the corner of his eyes.

"Is that him?" one whispered.

"Did you see him?"

"He's so handsome."

"He smells like blood."