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

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE.

                Just the sound of Jack's voice had Tiberius steadying his stance, looking down on Isaac with a fiery glare, his growls low and rumbling. A threatening storm to destroy everything.

Behind the net of lights, werewolf after werewolf appeared around the clearing, circling Isaac. Jack was looking up at Tiberius, so he didn't notice when Violet came up to him until she touched his shoulder.

"Jack," she said, brows furrowed. "The stone."

Jack frowned, looked down, and instantly regretted it. The stone had turned painfully bright now. He held it at arm's length, keeping both hands on it.

"What's happening to it?"

"Your arm!" Philomena called.

Jack's arm was coated in blood, and his blood had . . . touched the stone. Of course. Isaac had needed a lot of human blood to make up for one werewolf, but Jack was a royal, wasn't he? Did that mean he'd only needed a few drops?

"Blood and life," Jack murmured, looking down at the stone. "But I . . . I didn't die. Nobody did this time. The ritual's not done, so why's it doing this?"

Whatever the reason didn't matter to Isaac. He saw only that Jack had bled on the stone, ruining whatever effect he'd had himself. His eyes darkened, his rage palpable. With just a few drops of blood, Jack had burned away all of his hard work. He didn't seem to care who was surrounding him, what it would cost him. He lunged at Jack.

Tiberius shielded him, but Isaac had gone wild. He didn't seem to care who he was attacking as long as he was shedding blood. He cut a gash in Tiberius's neck, and blood splattered across Jack's chest, coating the stone and making it blinding now, lighting up the entire clearing like it was day.

The wolves had to look away with whimpers and growls, but Jack could only think of Tiberius, lying on top of him and struggling to stand. "Tiberius?" he shook him. "Tiberius!"

Tiberius whimpered as Violet knelt at his side, but he looked up at Jack with those beautiful gold eyes. He growled low under his breath, and Jack could sense what he was saying the way he couldn't with anyone else.

Run, he begged. Hide. Go!

Jack ignored him, looking around. The wolves were still struggling to get any closer with the stone and net's bright light, Everett was approaching Isaac carefully with a red-eyed Graham at his side, and the puddle . . .

The puddle at the center of the clearing was as bright as the stone itself, wisps flickering to life around it. Suddenly, a naked woman with long wavy hair that fell down to her ankles and a dead flower crown on her head rose up out of the surface. Fairy, the thought came to Jack's mind as if the woman had put it there. She held her arms out for the stone. Jack turned, and met eyes with Violet who had seen the woman just as clearly. A silent decision passed between them, and Jack looked back to Tiberius.

He kissed the top of his head, whispered, "I love you," and scrambled out from underneath him.

Tiberius growled for him, but Jack was already running at the puddle. Isaac lunged, caught his leg, but it was too late. Jack tossed the stone and the fairy woman caught it before disappearing back into the water as the wisps flickered out. Jack screamed, but Everett was already stabbing into Isaac's side with his fang earring. Isaac fought back, then the others leapt in. Mira and Wyatt tried to pin him down, but he fought hard, and finally, Graham bit into his side. Isaac writhed and squirmed on the ground, glaring up at his brother, then turned still.