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

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.

                Tiberius wasn't ignoring Jack. He still insisted that they have their meals together, he still stopped to press his nose to Jack's hair and inhale as he passed, he still clung tightly to Jack as they slept. But he also didn't do more than sleep with Jack. He didn't speak any more to Jack than he needed to. He didn't catch him around the waist and pull him in against him when they sat at the dinner table. He'd stopped stealing kisses and sneaking him into the shadowed hallways to kiss him senseless and whisper dirty fantasies into his ear whenever they had a moment alone.

It was making Jack miserable.

"Is he right?" he heaved, collapsing onto his bed as Everett stoked the fire one afternoon. "Have I been selfish this whole time?"

"Not intentionally," Everett assured him.

"Gee, thanks," Jack covered his eyes with a forearm. "I can't stand this. I can't stand it when he's angry with me."

"He's not angry with you," Everett said, and off the tray he'd brought in, pulled out a small pot of mini marshmallows. "Hot chocolate?"

"No, thank you."

He poured him a cup anyway. "He ordered me to keep the fire going so that you don't get cold for a single minute, and demanded I remember the marshmallows because he knows you love them. Are those the actions of an angry man? Sit up."

Jack did as he was told and took the cup with a murmured thanks. "Everett, he didn't come to bed last night."

"Because he was working with Vivaldi on the wedding details," Everett said cheerfully, "and driving her insane in the process."

"Yeah, he's working on the wedding," Jack said, waving his cup around, "and making sure I stay warm and—and sending Graham to check on me every now and then, but you don't get it. He used to spend every spare second he had at my side. Now, he waits until I wake up to kiss my cheek and just leaves!"

"Well, that's sweet, then, isn't it? He's giving you a cute kiss on the cheek. Cup cup cup."

"Do you really want me to get into what our mornings usually look like to compare?"

Everett's face turned red, and he turned away with his eyes shut tight. "Oh, must you? And for the Elders' sake, do watch that cup, don't get any chocolate on your blankets now!"

"He's angry," Jack insisted.

"He'll get over it!" Everett snapped, and looked over his shoulder at the doors to make sure Tiberius wasn't listening in. He put a hand on his chest, relieved. "He's not wrong to worry, all right? You do throw yourself into danger very often. One might say," he added pointedly, "more often than necessary."

"It's not like I'm doing it for fun," Jack argued. "I'm trying to keep everyone safe here."

"And you?" he raised a brow, his question reminding him too much of Tiberius.

"But it's all right to risk yourself? Everyone else matters but you?"

Jack closed his eyes, pressing the base of his palm into his eye, letting the hot ceramic burn his fingers. "I'm doing the best I can here. I wasn't born into this life, and I can't navigate it the way Tiberius wants me to. I'm not a—a fucking werewolf, I can't . . ." his eyes narrowed as his thoughts started skipping over one another. "I'm . . ." he said slowly, "not a werewolf . . ."