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

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

                Vivaldi was less than pleased with Tiberius. His earlier sentiment in the library notwithstanding, now that he wasn't rushing around to hide the concerns of Crowswood from Jack, he was taking over the wedding preparations instead. Something that Vivaldi treated as an exceptional insult to her ancestors.

Maybe that was a testament to how perfect Jack and Tiberius really were for each other, because Jack was sure he'd hardly paid attention to a single word Vivaldi had said about the lanterns on the balconies, but when Tiberius explained it, he mustered enough care to manage a nod or an interested "hmm," which was really all anyone could ask of him.

And yet, Tiberius would end every other one of his ideas with a "make sure everything's just as Jack wants it, my fiancé deserves perfection," to which she would raise an impatient brow and snappishly write something across her clipboard. Probably the curse words she was too dignified to say to either of their faces.

Everett joined them half an hour later with a tray of tea, meat and cheese sandwiches, and a plate of cookies for breakfast, and a haughty look in Vivaldi's direction.

"Have you even let them eat yet?" he demanded, and Vivaldi narrowed her eyes. "Or did you just drag them out of bed at dawn?"

"They weren't in bed," she said coolly. "They were in the library. Having fallen asleep at the table. Too bad King Jack's personal servant didn't have the sense to make sure Their Majesties were safe and comfortable in their room before going off to his own."

Everett straightened, the tips of his sharp ears red. "You think anyone on this earth could pull Jack away from his research?" he demanded incredulously. "I dare you to try and see what happens!"

Vivaldi raised an unimpressed brow and corrected, "King Jack," and stalked off, her heels clapping the tiles, leaving Everett gaping after her.

"Ohhhhh," he groaned, sounding somewhere between pained and aggravated. "That . . . she's so . . . and why were you in the library till dawn?" he rounded on Jack. "You told me you'd go to bed in ten minutes!"

"In my defense," Jack held his hands up, "I lost of track of time."

"THAT'S A TERRIBLE DEFENSE!"

"I'm the king, am I not the king?" Jack asked Tiberius, exasperated with his lack of findings and everyone bossing him around all morning. "Do I not get to do what I want around here?"

Tiberius laughed. "Whatever you want. But even a king has someone to put them in their place."

"Yeah?" Jack raised a brow. "How would you know anything about that?" Tiberius merely smiled pointedly, and Jack blushed. "Oh."

Jack wanted to believe he was handling resting well, but his fiancé and personal servant and friends strongly disagreed.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping the bad prophecies away right now?" Wyatt said very tactfully when he found Jack in the garden pouring over the letters he'd finally gotten from Graham. Werewolves greeted him as they carried in crates of what Jack suspected were more wedding decorations, and the cool crisp air of freshly snowed grounds were keeping him awake and alert. "Why are you reading the bad letters?"

"Keep your voice down," Jack said, eyes narrowed at a particularly messy scrawl. "I don't want Tiberius to hear you."

Wyatt grinned, hands folded behind his back. "Because then he'll ask you why you're not sleeping?"