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

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

                "This feels wrong," Tiberius said aloud, arms crossed as he paced the length of their bedroom.

Jack met his eyes in their vanity mirror and smiled. "You're just worried, honey."

"What, about you?" he demanded. "Why would I be? You've got me to protect you, nothing and no one's going to touch a hair on your head."

Jack smiled to himself. "Oh?" He gave himself a moment to calm his racing heart and turned to face Tiberius. "Then what is it?"

Tiberius shook his head, running a hand through his curls. "I know this is going to sound strange, but . . . I'll always be grateful to the Seer. She told me about you, she gave me hope. The day she announced my mate was finally coming . . ." he stepped forward, cupping Jack's cheeks, "you have no idea how I felt, Jack. It was like my life had truly started that night."

Jack's thoughts flitted back to another night, months ago, when he'd walked into Tiberius's room to find him chained to his own bed, damp and heaving, his cock hard and sticking up and begging for Jack's touch. Jack had slept with Tiberius for the first time then, cementing his immortality and truly beginning a new life of his own.

"I have some idea," he murmured, pressing a hand right over Tiberius's heart. Tiberius covered his hand with his own.

"I know it's selfish," he said, "and stupid and arrogant, but I wish your destiny didn't extend beyond me. I wish this"—he gestured around them at the luxurious bedroom, and presumably the strong castle beyond—"was your happily ever after. Not just another beginning to the next story."

"Tiberius . . ."

Tiberius brushed his cheek with his thumb. "I swear to you," he said fiercely, his gold eyes shining almost brighter than the midday sun, "our relationship will not be this . . . damn dark shadow hanging over us much longer. I will not let your life with me be haunted by monsters."

Jack was already shaking his head, gripping Tiberius's wrists to get him to see, to understand. "Tiberius, that's not . . . I don't—"

Knock knock knock.

"Are you two decent?" Graham grunted from behind the door, and Tiberius pressed a silent kiss to Jack's forehead.

"Come in," he said, letting his arm fall to wrap around Jack's waist, keeping him close.

Graham opened the door, dark eyes even darker, and only when he came inside did Jack realize why.

"Wyatt?" he blinked. "What're you doing?"

Graham hooked a thumb over his shoulder at him. "The brat saw me coming up here and followed." He grit his teeth. "He won't go away."

"I already said," Wyatt put his hands on his hips, "that I'm coming with King Jack." At Tiberius's glower, Wyatt smiled meekly and shrunk to hide behind Graham. "And King Tiberius, of course. His mate. And fiancé." A pause. "And whatever else to get that angry look off His Majesty's face."

Graham rubbed his eyes with one hand and heaved, "What an idiot."

"Ah, you're already here, I see," Everett said, squeezing in delicately past Graham and Wyatt, followed by Mira. "Is it time, then?"

Jack looked to Tiberius, and Tiberius, grim-faced, nodded. "Now or never."

He took Jack's hand and started to lead the way, but Jack stopped. "Wait a second, wait!" he grabbed a gold hairbrush off his vanity—it was ridiculously heavy and Jack never used it, but Tiberius insisted on him having it because "you look breathtaking in gold"—and stuffed it into his trusted satchel slung across his chest.