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

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.

                Jack reached for his satchel at once, but Violet only sighed. "There's no need for that, Your Majesty."

"There is," Jack growled, shielding Everett. "If you're going to put spells on my friends."

"Jack, please," Violet said, a little breathless. Jack paused. He only now noticed that she was using a wooden cane to keep standing, there were dark circles under her eyes, and the hair at her temples was damp.

"Hey," he said, "what's wrong with you?"

"Freezing time is not an easy spell to cast," she said. "It takes an immense amount of skill and energy, but . . . desperate times call for desperate measures. I can hardly stroll into werewolf territory, can I?" She shook her head, running a weary hand across her brow. "Jack, we don't have a lot of time. The coven that attacked Crescent Castle days ago—it was as much a surprise to me as it was to you."

Jack tensed. "Yeah right. Don't tell me, they locked you in your room and went to attack the werewolves without you?"

"They left before I even realized anyone was gone," Violet sighed, and hunched over with a wince, grabbing her staff with both hands. Jack, startled, took one step towards her and stopped. "Look, my sister was under the impression that someone in Crescent Castle had kidnapped her wife. She said she overheard Philomena conversing with a man about a moonstone, and in the morning, she was gone. Her trail led back into werewolf territory, so you tell me why that is."

Jack thought hard about this. He had a suspicion. "Philomena . . . does she have about shoulder-length brown hair? Blue eyes?"

Violet's expression turned cold. "Yes, that's her. Jack, don't tell me that I pleaded with the council on your behalf for nothing. Do you realize how close we are to a war?"

"Whoa whoa, witch lady," Jack warned. "I did see Philomena, okay? But she was in a secret room in the castle, by herself, and she was about to take something when we showed up to stop her. Some . . . kind of rock." He shook his head. "I—I know that sounds stupid, but—"

"It's not," Violet breathed. "What you're referring to is the first Werewolf Stone. I assume you've heard the origin story? It's the moonrock that fell and created the first werewolf. Some of the stories even say that the wisps used that very stone to guide the first werewolf to his mate." She frowned. "But witches have no use for something like that, its magic doesn't even work for us."

Jack's brows pinched. "Then why would a witch try to take it?"

Violet released a shuddering breath, doubling over even as she held onto her staff. Jack knew she was immortal, as Tiberius was, but looking at her now, he couldn't help but see a woman no older than he was, tired and flushed and needing help. His hands clenched to fists.

"I want to trust you, Violet," he confessed. "I don't want a war between the werewolves and the witches either, okay? But Tiberius told me that you betrayed him, and I may want to trust, but I know more than most that sometimes the truth is a lot uglier than anyone wants it to be."

Violet met his gaze and held it, then she licked her lower lip and looked away, a sign Jack recognized as hesitance.

Then she said, "Tiberius and I used to be friends, Jack, it's true. But where he will hate me forever, I still see him as my friend. That's why I don't want him or you or his kingdom hurt, not if I can help it."

"Why?" Jack demanded. "Why does he hate you?"

Violet clenched her jaw. "Because his brother was my fiancé . . . and I killed him." She shut her eyes, like the memory alone pained her, but when she spoke again, her voice was calm. "I wouldn't let anything happen to Tiberius, and I would never let him experience the pain I did at losing the one I love. So listen to me, Jack. Something is going on in Crescent Castle, something you need to get to the bottom of, or this war will happen. The line between us has been frayed for a long time, and this is just the tipping point someone's been waiting for."