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

CHAPTER TWELVE.

                "Okay," Jack said slowly, "remember when I said I didn't want you to transform?"

Wyatt nudged him with an elbow. "Want to ride your king out in public, huh?"

"Oh," Everett stepped between them, glaring, "would you please?"

Wyatt held his hands up in defense as Mira examined the hole. "We have to jump down, don't we?"

"Well," Everett sighed, "knowing our luck, I'd assume that yes, that's exactly what we have to do."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Mira sniffed. "We might very well survive."

"The kings aren't going to die," Graham said simply. "That's why I'm here."

"That's a comfort," Wyatt noted. "For, you know, the non-kings of us."

"Jack?" Tiberius said, and Jack looked down. He'd instinctively taken hold of Tiberius's arm, like he was hoping to use Tiberius as an anchor to keep from letting his rising panic show. He quickly let go, blushing furiously.

Every day, love was turning him into more of a needy person.

"It scares me. How much I fucking need you."

Tiberius's words rang in his ears, and Jack exhaled shakily. Tiberius reached up to brush his bangs aside, and Jack almost jumped at the faint touch, startled.

"S-Sorry."

He considered him, then pursed his lips. "Do you still want me to tear my clothes off?"

He was trying to make Jack feel better, his voice light and attempting humor when there was no place for it. Something he would only do for Jack. Maybe it was because Jack knew that, that Tiberius would forge ahead with a grim expression if it had been anyone else, and only for Jack would he pause and smile, that Jack managed a weak chuckle.

"Always. But maybe it can wait until after we find out my destiny."

Tiberius put a hand in his hair and tilted his head. "If you insist."

"So how do we do this, Your Majesty?" Everett asked, eyes on the hole as he swung his arms like he was preparing to jump. "Do we just . . . fall in?"

"I could push you," Wyatt offered, "if that would help."

Everett glared, but Graham was already grabbing the collar of Wyatt's shirt, picking him up and setting him down again at his side. "You better stay where I can see you, brat."

Wyatt blinked, staring at Graham.

"What?" he growled.

Wyatt suddenly smiled widely, and in a singsong voice said, "Nooooothing! Say," he hung off his arm, "order me around again."

Graham narrowed his eyes, but Jack was too busy peering down the hole to try deciphering everything Wyatt right now. It was just pitch black below, but Jack felt a faint breeze sweep across his forehead and cheeks. He was just starting to say so when—

"Jack . . . come to me, Jack . . . almost there now . . . come find me . . ."

"Jack, can you hear me? I'm right here, love, look at me."

Jack's eyes were shut, but he opened them just as Tiberius tipped his chin up. The voice was stronger here, louder, and it lingered a little longer. He wanted more than anything to lean into Tiberius, put his head on his shoulder, and hug him tight until all of the chill in his body burned away. But he had work to do. They all did.

So he straightened, his hands still in Tiberius's, and together they looked down the entrance to the Seer's cave.

"This," Jack muttered grimly, "should be fun."

In no time at all, Jack and Everett were surrounded by four wolves, Tiberius the largest of the lot. Jack rode on Tiberius's back and Everett rode on Mira's. They conversed with each other in growls, and Jack was either starting to understand the wolves or he just knew his fiancé very well because he was unsurprised when Graham led the way down.

Tiberius directed something at the rest of them, which Jack interpreted as "stay close behind us" because he checked as if to make sure Jack was secure, and then leapt into the entrance.

It was less a descent straight down, and more a slide. They were falling for seconds before Tiberius was running in the dark, and then more falling. Jack couldn't see a thing, the wind whipping his face and hair so violently that all he could do was hold onto Tiberius for dear life. He heard echoing gasps somewhere above him, and hoped Everett was doing a better job seeing than he was.

Then Tiberius growled at the same time that something a lot like a bat screeched close by. One bat turned to several, Jack felt the flap of wings brush his hair, and he shut his eyes, face pressed to Tiberius's fur. Then they landed with a hard thud that had Jack clenching his thighs around Tiberius, and he peeked an eye open to find . . .

"Whoa," he breathed.

How the entrance could be shrouded in such darkness, Jack had no idea, because the walls down here were alit with so many glowworms that Jack didn't think he'd need his flashlight again. With a thump and a whoosh, Mira and Wyatt landed around them. Everett was dusting rubble off his shoulder.

Jack slid off Tiberius's back and dug into his satchel. He pulled out a long scarf Everett had knitted him a few weeks back, and handed it to his now human, half-naked fiancé.

Tiberius's lips quirked as Jack wrapped the scarf around his neck once. Thankfully, his now shorts still covered his vital parts, so . . . good enough.

"Thank you," he said.

Jack tucked one of his curls behind his ear. Tiberius's eyes turned almost green in the brilliant blue light of the cavern walls. His heart thudded in his chest. "You're welcome."

"Well," Everett huffed as he slid off Mira's back, "I do hope that was the worst part."

Mira transformed back, and Everett took his own black coat off to hang over her shoulders. "It wasn't so bad," she noted.

"That was fun!" Wyatt leapt eagerly. "Can we do it again?!"

They heard a growling from the opposite end of the cavern and turned to find Graham still in wolf form beside a tunnel lit with more glowworms and leading deep into the cavern.

"Aww," Wyatt whined, "I wanted to see you naked!"

Graham growled low under his throat and nudged his head at the tunnel, telling them to follow. But Jack was already stepping towards it as a faint whisper sounded in his ears.

"I can hear her," he murmured, brows furrowed.

"Bloody hell," Everett covered his ears, looking disturbed. "So can I."

"Me, too," said Mira. "Does this mean we're all getting a prophecy?"

"Ew," Wyatt said.

"No," Tiberius said, taking Jack's hand. "It means she knows we're here, and she wants us to be afraid."