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

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

                No sooner had Jack closed the door than he heard –

"You are so bloody predictable!"

Everett stood there with crossed arms and Mira stood at his side, her basket in her hands. "You never came for the strawberries," she said, holding up the basket.

"Sorry," Jack murmured, glancing over his shoulder at his door as he started down the hall. "Forgot."

"Yeah, I bet you did," Everett scoffed, keeping in stride with him. "How was the bath?"

Jack got flashes of Tiberius's breath on his arm, his face pressed to Jack's own, not with the intent to kiss but only to touch in any way he could.

"Fine," he said.

"You're going to free William and Alyssa and Miles, aren't you?"

"If you say so."

"Are you mad?" Everett demanded in a hiss. "If King Tiberius finds out –"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Have you completely –" Everett cut off abruptly with a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They tried to kill you, Jack," he said in an attempt to sound reasonable. "If you set them free, the king will know, and then they'll be hunted down. No one wins, Jack! Back me up here, Mira."

"I disagree."

"There! You see – what?"

"I think Jack needs to do this," she said vaguely, picking through the strawberries. She offered Everett one. "Eat, Everett, you always get cranky when you're hungry."

He swiped the strawberry, agitated. "I get cranky when people make stupid decisions."

"Then by all means, go back to your room and pretend you didn't see me tonight," Jack said, listening intently for any indication of where the three might be. If he'd heard the screams to his right when entering the castle, and his room was on the left side, then that meant he had to make his way back to the entrance hall first. He thanked the stars for his good memory and went back the way they came.

"Please," Everett scowled. "This is no time for jokes."

"Someone's coming," Mira said, and Jack heard the footsteps and laughter a second later. He gasped, looking for a place to hide and finding a single door in the corridor. He tried it out and it swung open.

"Hurry!" he whispered, and Mira took Everett's hand, dragging him into the room. Jack closed the door and pressed his ear to it. Everett pressed his ear to the other side, and Mira pressed her ear to his back.

"I'm telling you, mate, I saw Chaval beat him back with a stick!"

"I hope I'm that cool when I'm a hundred and ten!"

"I'm already putting in more training now!" the guy said. "I'd like to see anyone try to touch the king while I'm around!"

"Get off it!" his friend laughed. "You couldn't keep yourself on your feet, let alone the king!"

The laughter died down as the footsteps faded.

"Question," Everett held a finger up. "Is there a reason we're hiding?"