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

CHAPTER EIGHT.

                Jack felt like he'd been pacing in the garden all day, though realistically he knew it had only been two hours since he'd gotten up at dawn. The moon was still out, and most of the castle still asleep, but Jack had once again woken up to that bodiless voice calling to him, and there was no beating his insomnia after that. Even with Tiberius's warm body pressed against his own.

He'd gotten out of bed and dressed with the intention of going through the letters that Tiberius had promised him he'd finally get to read, but they'd been stored with Graham who was still out on patrol. So instead, Jack had tried to go through the library for something about shadow monsters, but he couldn't stop thinking of what Violet had said yesterday.

"I think we're safe for tonight. I'll come by tomorrow morning so we can work out the details."

He sat down on the fountain with a huff, uncaring about the frost and running a hand through his hair. "What's wrong with me?" he murmured.

"Nothing," Tiberius said, and Jack looked up to find him approaching with his hands in his pants pockets, smiling. "Not one thing."

"You're biased," Jack said, dropping his hands. "I can't trust a word you say."

Tiberius pulled off his cardigan so he was in nothing but a cream-colored turtleneck, tugged Jack up off the fountain to place it underneath him, and sat him back down, taking a seat beside him, unbothered by the cold.

"I'm allowed to be biased," he said, smiling. "I have the most beautiful mate in the world." Jack tried and failed to smile, and Tiberius took his hand. "We agreed not to let each other wake up alone anymore."

Jack shut his eyes. "I'm sorry. I just can't stop thinking about that thing . . ." he exhaled shakily. "I don't know why I'm so bothered about this. I've been around werewolves, witches, fairies . . . why is one more monster getting to me? Have I finally cracked under the pressure? I knew I was handling it too well."

Tiberius barked a laugh. "Didn't you threaten to kill me with a pen at one point?"

"But I didn't," Jack said matter-of-factly. "Handling it."

"Yes," Tiberius agreed, his smile dimming. "You are. You're not breaking now, my love. That thing wasn't a regular occupant of Crowswood, you're right to feel unnerved. Just the scent of it told me it was from somewhere far away."

"How far?"

"Enough," he said grimly, and squeezed his hand. "But it won't touch you. I promise you, whatever it was, I'll take care of it."

"We'll take care of it," Jack corrected with some exasperation. "You're keeping me in the loop now, right?"

He nodded. "I never meant to keep you out of it in the first place."

"I know," he said, because he did. "After everything we've been through, I understand not wanting to see any more monsters for a while." He ran another hand through his hair and mustered a weak smile. "I just wish we'd gotten another week or two, you know? This'll put a serious wrench in the wedding preparations, and Vivaldi's really not going to be happy about that."

"Oh, I'm marrying you at the end of the month," Tiberius said, his gold eyes fierce. "I would marry you right now if not determined to have your mind at peace for it first. I don't want you worried about anything when we promise eternity to each other."

He cupped Jack's cheek, and Jack leaned into the warmth. "Worried about anything . . ." he murmured. Jack should've swooned at the words, comforted by Tiberius so close by, but there was still one more weight that he really needed to get off his chest.