Chapter 55
Happy Birthday
I heard the front door bell ring and tossed my homework to the side. Going to the top of the stairs, I saw my mother opened the door.
“Hello Titus.”
“Mrs. Perri.” He gave her a nod.
“He’s upstairs.” She left to go finish dinner.
Titus stepped inside and closed the door. He looked up at me and opened his arms. “Happy Birthday.”
I forced a smile and went to him. “Thanks.” I hugged him and waited for my kiss.
He tilted up my chin and gave me one. Pulling back, he stared at me, still holding my chin. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I laughed. “You’re here now, so everything is great.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Where should I put this?” He lifted up a bag.
“In the living room, I suppose.”
Taking my hand, he led me there and put the package on top of the others, before pulling me to the couch. We sat down, and Titus put his arm around my shoulders.
“How’s your family?”
He shrugged. “Same as always.”
“That’s good.”
We sat in awkward silence. Titus was staring at me, but I kept looking off around the room.
“Are you going to tell me?”
“Nothing’s wrong, though,” I replied. “I’m good. Really.”
Grabbing both my hands, Titus turned his body, so it was facing me. “In four months, we’re getting married, and you will be my mate. I want you to be honest with me, so I can’t help you with things.”
I gazed off across the room. “Just don’t attack him.”
“It’s Chris, right?” he asked with anger in his voice.
Bowing my head, I nodded. “People at school found out I was engaged.” I twisted my ring around my finger. “He was making fun of me for it, and I said some things back. It set him off.” I sighed. “He dumped my things on the ground and kicking an orange juice bottle in my face. I’m fine, though, just annoyed.”
Titus took a deep breath, squeezing my hands. His jaw was clenched as he turned forward and pulled me back into his side. I couldn’t help it, I started to laugh. He gave me a confused look.
“How is this funny? You were assaulted,” he snapped.
“Not him, you.” I clasped his cheek. “You’re trying really hard not to run out of the house and track Chris down.” I sat up and kissed him. “Thanks you, it’s really sweet that you care so much.”
“Well of course. We are engaged,” he muttered, “and he hurt you. If Chris was a werewolf, I beat his ass.”
I started laughing again. “Like any dominant male should,” I teased.
He mumbled something under his breath and sunk into the couch with his arms folded. Titus always did look cute when he pouted.
I put my arms around his neck. “Thank you for worrying about me,” I whispered in his ear. “But I’ll be okay. I promise.”
***
“Happy birthday to you,” sang my mother as she carried over the cake to the table.
The song continued with Titus muttering along, but was still quite animated on the happy birthday sections.
The song ended, and Titus dipped down to kiss my cheek. “Happy birthday, Aden.”
“Alright, blow out the candles,” said my mom with her camera ready.
I took a deep breath and blew hard. All but two went out, I quickly extinguished them as well with a second breath.
My father scooted the cake to the other side of the table and started cutting it. My mom handed me my first present. I ripped off the blue wrapping paper and stared at the picture on the side.
My mother smiled. “I do expect your married life to be well documented, and who knows maybe a future little puppy- ”
“Mom,” I held up my hand. “Too soon.”
She just smiled.
I lifted up the box with a picture of an expensive looking camera on the outside. “This looks really expensive.”
“Don’t worry about it sweetheart. Xavier is pitching in for the wedding.” She patted my arm. “It’s going to be stunning boys.”
Titus smiled and wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Good, because that’s what my future mate deserves.”
I rolled my eyes at him. He knew what I thought about my mother going overboard.
“Thanks mom. I don’t think I’m allowed to take pictures of werewolves, but I’ll try to send you some stuff.”
She slid another gift over. I opened it to find clothes and different basic everyday items. The other presents contained movies, art supplied and a few gift cards. Titus’s present was the last one.
He sat down at my side. “Hope you like it.”
I grabbed the card and opened it. Titus’s family had signed it and included a couple hundred dollars. “Wow, tell them thanks for me.” I skimmed over the message and found Darius. “Happy birthday, Princess,” I muttered. I looked to Titus. “Leave your brother out of that thank you.” I put the card to the side and lifted out a heavy duty, waterproof, phone case. “Oh my god,” I examined the packaging. “This thing is like indestructible.”
“I know,” chuckled Titus. “That’s why I got it for you.”
“What are you implying?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Only the best, for my mate.” He gave me a quick kiss.
“Hmmm…” I gave him a smirk. “Nice save.”
“Do you like it, though?”
I nodded. “Yes, thank you. Won’t have to worry about dropping my phone in the river again.”
“So that’s what happened to the last one,” said my mother.
I shrugged. “I kind of smashed it against a rock as well.”
She shook her head and pulled over a plate of cake and ice cream. We each grabbed one as well. Titus wasn’t eating much of the cake, but was inhaling the ice cream. After finishing mine, I started on his slice.
“So Titus, will you be spending the night?” asked my mother.
He nodded. “If it’s okay with you, and I can give Aden a ride to school in the morning.”
“That’s fine with me,” said my mother.
I poked at the remaining food on my plate. “Can he sleep in my room?”
“Aden,” she said sternly. “We talked about this.”
“We’re getting married, mom, and I’m an adult now. I can vote.”
“That might be so.” She pointed her fork at me. “But your father and I still have the majority.”
“Please,” I begged. “We’ll just sleep, nothing else.”
My mother glanced at her husband. “Quint, what are you thinking?”
He held up his hands. “I haven’t had a say for months, but it seems the boys are committed to one another, so by this point, I don’t mind.”
“Good lord, what has become of my husband,” she clasped her chest. “Giving in, this is so not like you,” she teased.
My father shrugged. “It can change quickly.” He looked directly at Titus. “Just remember what will happen to you if you hurt my son.”
“Oh, I won’t,” replied Titus.
My mom let out a sigh. “Fine, but mind your manners boys. I better not find out you were fooling around up there, when we all know what that could lead to. My son won’t be sprouting fur for at least another four months.”
I groaned and rubbed my forehead. “Can we changed the subject?”
Titus snatched one of my new movies. “Let’s watch this.”
***
The light in the hallway and downstairs turned off. I leaned into Titus, who was holding my laptop with a second movie for the night playing. We watched quietly as the last twenty or so minutes played. Once the credits started, I exited out and shut my laptop. Titus got up and put it on my desk.
“It’s eleven, want to go to bed?”
I bit my lip. “We could do something else.”
Titus shook his head. “Nope, I won’t be upsetting your mother on purpose.”
“I wasn’t thinking that,” I replied, climbed off the bed. “I need to take a shower. Do you want to take one with me?”
“Sure,” he said, eyeing me up and down.
“I’ll show you how we humans bath,” I teased, leaving the room.
Titus followed right behind me and into the bathroom. I quickly locked the door and checked to make sure there were towels. Titus was leaning against the wall watching me as I grabbed them out from under the sink and set them on the toilet.
I tugged my shirt over my head and tossed it in the hamper.
Titus moved in and grabbed my hips, pulling them flush against his. “Your mother is going to be very upset with us.”
Leaning over, I turned on the water. “She won’t be able to hear anything.”
“Let’s take a bath instead.”
“Alright.” I started to unbuckle his pants.
Titus took his shirt off and tossed it on the floor. I slid the rest of clothes off as did Titus. He stepped into the tub and sat down. I climbed in, sitting across from him. I poked his arms with my feet. He narrowed his eyes at me, but I didn’t stop. Titus snatched my ankle.
“No, no,” I breathed, before he could yank my legs out from under me.
“Then come here.”
He released me, and I stood and tried to figure out how this was going to work. Titus took up most of the tub. He grabbed my hand, and pulled me down into his lap.
“There,” He said with a smirk. “We fit.”
“Barely,” I laughed.
He shifted his shoulder, trying to find a more comfortable position. “It’s fine. What’s this?” Titus grabbed a bottle.
“My mom’s. She takes bath up here sometimes when my dad’s hogging their bathroom.”
He took off the lid and smelt it. “Wow,” he exclaimed. “Potent stuff.”
I took it from him and poured some into the water. Bubbles started to form.
The werewolf was startled at first, but quickly relaxed. A grin spread across my lips. He was cute when he had these naive moments too. I laid my head on his shoulder. Titus ran his hands along my back. It felt really nice.
Titus hooked the handle with his foot and turned it off.
“Thanks for coming to my birthday party.”
“Like I would miss it.”
I laughed softly. “True, though it seems like you didn’t like my mother’s cake.”
“It’s was good, just too sweet. The sugar hurt my teeth.”
“You’re being melodramatic.” I scooped up some bubbles and put it on his head. “My mom’s cake is perfect.”
“You’re a sugar addicted, though.” He brushed them off.
I shrugged. “If it taste good, why not.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be making special food order after we’re mated,” he chuckled.
“Well now that I know you can make food order, that’s a yes.”
He laughed harder. “I should have kept that to myself.”
“I would have just complained to my mom, and she would have sent me some stuff.”
“I don’t doubt that.” He brushed his thumb along my arm. “That woman loves you a little too much. She reminds me of a bear that tried to rip my head off as a pup. I got between her and the cubs.” He shook his head. “If I ever smell a bear now, I’m out of there. Darius teases me for it, but those things are vicious.”
“Probably best not to tell my mother you compared her to a bear. It wouldn’t go over well.”
“I’ll remember that.”
We soaked for a while, before pulling the drain. I quickly washed my hair as Titus dried off. Turning off the water, I stepped out and took a towel from him. We slipped back to my room. I put on some underwear, before we climbed into bed.
I took a deep breath as Titus draped his arm over my waist.
“Yep, I knew it,” he breathed.
Glancing over my shoulder, I gave him a confused look. “What?”
“I like my bed more.” He kissed me. “But I’ll sleep in any bed, as long as you’re in it.”