Chapter 58
Hunting Titus Down
My mom's car stopped in front of the school. Rising to my feet, I walked over and climbed inside.
"Still no word from Titus?"
I shook my head. "He didn't call the house."
"No, he must be running late." She put the car in drive and started down the road. "I'll call Xavier and asked if he would please let my soon to be son-in-law be done for the day."
"I called the cave." I slipped down in my seat. "Darius said he thought Titus had already left."
"Well maybe Xavier sent him out on a last minute error." She gave me a smile. "Nothing to worry about, Aden. You are engaged to a werewolf."
"True," I sighed. "I just wish he'd hurry up and text me back."
Putting my knees up against the dash, I stared out the window. We drove back to the house, listening to the radio. My mom pulled into the garage and turned off the car.
"Thanks for coming to get me," I said as I climbed out and went inside. I tossed my bookbag on the table and went to the fridge.
My mother patted my back as she passed to cut up more vegetables that were still sitting on the cutting board. "He'll be fine, Aden."
"I know," I muttered, closing the fridge and opening the snack cupboard. I grabbed a bag of chips and sat down at the bar.
Shaking her head, my mother laughed. "Sweetheart, calm down."
"I am calm," I replied, before shoving a handful of chips in my mouth. "You do know Titus is coming to dinner."
"All the boy eats is meat." She pushed her knife down through a head of broccoli. "That ends today. I'm going to install some healthy eating habits before I hand my son over to him."
"They're werewolves, mom, and they look pretty healthy to me."
She cut up the broccoli into smaller pieces. "Yes, so think what a good dose of daily vegetables could do for them."
I munched on another handful of chips. "I guess. He'll eat whatever you put in front of him eventually." I slid off the stool, taking the bag with me. "I'll be upstairs."
"Alright," she broke apart a stalk of celery. "Oh Aden."
"Yeah," I replied from the stairs.
"He'll be fine."
I nodded and hurried up to my room. I knew he was going to be fine, I just wish he'd hurry up and let me know where he was at.
****
I sat at the table with my parents, staring at my phone. My mother and father were watching me.
"Should we just start?" asked my dad.
I didn't say anything.
"Aden," said my mother. "Let's eat, and then I'll call Xavier."
"Alright." I stood. "I'm not hungry." Going into the living room, I laid down on the couch and text Titus again. Why wasn't he responding to me? Whether his dad has him on earns or not, he should not be ignoring me. I heard footsteps and turned over to see my dad.
"You're mom's putting away dinner, and then we'll go out and look for him."
I jumped up and hugged him. "Thank you."
He put his arms around me. "Well, he is a part of the family. As much as I tried to fight him off, that boy is persistent."
I stepped back. "Did you call the alpha?"
"Your mother is right now. This really isn't like him, Aden."
"Well we'll just hunt him down and ask him why the hell he's thinks worrying me like this is okay."
My dad laughed. "Go get in the truck. I'll be out in a minute with your mother."
"'kay." Grabbing a jacket from the entryway, I went out to the garage and climbed into the back seat. My hands were sweating as I waited for my parents. It better just be car problems. I rest my head on the seat in front of me. But that didn't explain why he was ignoring me. He also could have ran here.
My parents arrived, and we were out on the road soon after.
"What did Xavier say?" I asked.
"He said Titus left on time. They're getting together a search team." She turned around in her seat. "We'll find him."
I bounced my leg as we started down the road. He was hurt; I knew it. Titus was hurt somewhere. We drove past the Andersen's cow pasture. My dad slammed on the breaks as a dog darted across the road.
"Damn it," muttered my father, starting back down the road. "Stupid animal. It didn't even look."
"It's one of their cow dogs."
"What the hell is it doing clear over here?"
I looked out the back window and saw the dog still running. "Wait. Dad wait."
"What Aden?"
"I want to look to somewhere."
"Where?"
"Just pull over," I stated.
My dad did so, and I jumped out of the truck. I jogged down the road to the turn off. At the end was the grove.
"Aden," called my mother. "Come back, sweetheart."
"Just a minute." I hurried across the road and started toward the patch of trees.
"Aden, come back," she yelled after me.
I broke into a run. The cold winter air burned my legs as I ran through the slush on the road. My pants were soaked up to the knee when I reached the trees. My father's truck lights weren't far behind me.
"Titus!" I called. I slumped through the snow. "Titus are you here." Standing in the small clearing where we used to lay together, I looked around. He wasn't there. My shoulder rolled forward and my eyes started to burn. Where was he?
"Aden?" My mother hurried through the trees. She arrived at my side and pulled me into her arms. "Shhhh... it's alright."
"Something happened, I know it," I whispered. "He won't have forgotten me. The stupid werewolf can't forget me," I muttered, wiping off hot tears away. "He spent all summer dragging me around, and every time I told him no, he'd come anyways. He can't forget me. He can't. It's not possible."
My mom held me close as I cried into her shoulder. My father patted my shoulder as he passed us to look around.
"We'll find him, Aden." She brushed a hand through my hair.
"Aden," called my dad. "Aden, over here."
My mother and I hurried over. There was blood in the snow.
"He's hurt," I breathed, taking off into the trees following the patches of blood.
"Aden," yelled my dad. "Aden wait."
I didn't listen. I heard growling. A large black form was laying in the snow with one of the Andersen's mutts lunged at Titus and bit his leg. Something came over me. I charged and when I reached the dog, I kicked it hard in the gut. It yelped and ran off. Dropping to my knees, I lifted the werewolf's head.
"Titus," I brushed his fur back. "Titus, open your eyes. Please open your eyes."
My parents arrived and stared at us. Blood soaked the snow around his side and shoulder.
"Call Xavier," said my father, taking off his coat.
My mother took out her phone. Her hands hook as she found the number. My dad and I turned Titus onto his back. He pressed his coat onto the wound on his chest.
My hand hovered over the one on his shoulder. "Titus," I wept. "Oh god." I kissed his cheek. "Please wake up. Please. I love you."
***
I sat directly across from the guest room door. Xavier had arrived and had brought the pack's doctor. The door was closed, and little sound came from inside. What if he had died? I was too late. I sat around all day while my fiance was bleeding to death in the woods.
Laying my head on my knees, I took deep breaths to stop from crying. My eyes were already swollen and red. I just wanted them to come out and tell me Titus was okay.
The door opened, and I jumped to my feet. Xavier slipped outside and gave me a small smile. He nodded and stepped out of the way. "He's sleeping, but the doctor said he'll make it."
"Oh god," I rushed passed him and stared at the sleeping wolf on the bed. A metal tin sat next to Titus with a two bullets inside. I covered my mouth.
Xavier stood behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Two were still lodged inside, another one went straight through. The wounds couldn't heal properly, so they kept bleeding.
"He's lucky," said the doctor. "It's was close to his lung. He won't have survived a collapsed lung along with the blood loss." He slipped past us into the hall.
"I thought werewolves were indestructible," I whispered, trying to force a laugh.
"We pretend to be." He gave my shoulder a squeeze. "If he wakes up, see if he'll shift for you so we can bind the wounds properly."
I nodded. "'kay." I went to the other side of the bed and carefully laid down beside my finace. I saw his hand rest beside him, and slipped mine into it. Curling up close to him, I closed my eyes. He was alive and that's all that mattered. Xavier left us.
I watched him sleep for a while, drifting off myself a couple times, before jarring back awake. Sleep overtook me, later into the night. I woke the feeling of someone moving. The door was dimming lit by the rising sun.
Rolling over, I saw Titus looking at me. I cried out in joy and grabbed his face, kissing him hard. He slowly pulled me onto him. I did my best to avoid the bandages.
"I'm not hurting you," I whispered.
He shook his head. "No, you're perfect where you are." He put his nose in my hair.
"Your dad wants you to shift so they can bind the wounds better," I said softly.
"I don't think I can right now." He took in a shaky breath. "I don't have the energy for it."
I hid my face in his fur.
"Aden, please," he whispered. "I'm fine. I don't want to see you upset."
"Someone shot you," I snapped. "I can be upset."
He laughed and ran his hand along my back. "Whatever you say."
I sat up. "Don't joke with me. I could have let the Andersen's dog finish you off." A range of emotions were whirling through my head, and I wanted all of them to go away.
Titus pressed my head back to my chest. "I'm sorry."
Let out a deep breath, I closed my eyes. "I love you."
"Enough to let a dog finish me off," he teased.
I wanted to yell at him, to tell him to stop being an asshole, but I started crying instead. "I didn't mean it." I rolled away from him and hid my face in a pillow.
"Aden," he grunted as he rolled over. "I'm sorry. I know. I was trying to make you laugh. I'm sorry, I'll stop. I promise."
I turned toward him. He held me close to calm me down. My head hurt. My forehead was pounding.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," said Titus with a waiver to his voice.
Xavier entered and turned on the lights. He leaned against the doorframe. "How are feeling?"
"Like I had a couple bullets ripped out of me."
"Do you know who did it?"
Titus shook his head. "There was no scent. I got out of the car to fix a flat, and heard a gun go off. I was hit twice, before I fell to the ground." He glanced at his shoulder. "They shot again, and I panicked. I shifted, and ran for it."
My breathing became really forced. Titus noticed the changed and forced us both to sit up with some resistance from his injuries.
"I'm fine," he said firmly. "In a couple weeks, I'll be good as new."
"Someone shot you," I whispered through my hands. "You don't understand. They tried to kill you."
He hugged me. I felt exhausted. My head hurt so bad, and my eyes still burned from yesterday.
Titus kissed the side of my head and rocked me side to side. "A werewolf's life isn't the safest. They're pack wars, Aden, or a rogue getting revenge on my father. A number of people would have reason to hurt me."
"Then don't be a werewolf any more," I whispered sharply. "Come live with us. We can move away from here, and we can have a normal life as humans. I don't want to be a werewolf if I have to worry about this."
"Aden," he tipped my chin up. "I could never leave my pack. It's my duty to protect them."
"Then ask your father to demote you, so someone can protect you," I replied.
He gave me a small smile before kissing my forehead. "Northern Ridge is one of the strongest traditional pack. Whoever did this would be found and my father will deal with it. It won't happen again. In all my life, this is the first time someone has attacked me. It not a normal thing, Aden."
I nodded. "My head hurts."
"I bet it does." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the edge of the bed. "Let's get you something for it."
"Are you sure about moving around just yet?" asked Xavier. "I can get it if you need me to."
Titus shook his head and rose to his feet with a couple looks of pain. "I'm mostly just sore and this should help."
I climbed off the bed and stayed close to his side, holding Titus's hand tightly.
The moment Titus was in reach, Xavier hugged his son. "We'll find who did this."
He stepped back and clasped his son's arm. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Xavier gave his son a nod. He turned to me. Giving me a small smile, he turned and went downstairs.
Titus led me to the bathroom. I sat him down on the toilet, and rifled through the medicine cabinet.
"Do you want anything?" I took out a couple pain relievers.
He shook his head. "Won't work on me. It's not strong enough."
Filling a cup with water, I downed the two pills. "Do werewolves get headaches?"
"On occasion, why?"
"Because you are the source of mine, and once we're married, my drugs are going to stop working."
Titus chuckled. "I'll do some calling around and see if I can find you anything."
I put the container away. "You better," I breathed, running my hand down my face. "I need something."
Standing, Titus placed his arms around me from behind. "Do you think you'll mom will freak when she sees me like this?"
I leaned back against him. "No, she'll just lecture you from making her worry and not being careful. I don't she'll care what form you're in."
"I better prepare myself then."
We went downstairs. Everyone was gathered in the kitchen with my mother and Rose frying up pancakes, ham, bacon, and steaks.
"Oh Titus," my mother hurried over and pulled out a chair. "Sit, sit. Your father said you'd be extra hungry, so I made every bit of meat I could find."
He did so and pulled me down onto his knee. I tried to get away.
"I'm injured, so amuse me," he whispered.
"I'm going to hurt you." I wiggled free and took the chair next to him.
My mother sat a platter of different food in front of him. "If you want more, just ask."
Everyone gathered around, and we started to eat. I settled for a couple pancakes. I still wasn't very hungry though.
"How are feeling today?" asked my dad.
Titus shrugged. "Stiff, but we rebound quickly. I'll be good in a couple days."
"You'll be taking a couple weeks off," said Xavier sternly. "No arguments either."
With a sigh, Titus sunk into his sink. "Bored at the cave, yeah."
Darius pointed his fork at his brother. "We could be burying you right now, so don't start whining about a couple weeks off."
I suck in my lips and stared straight down. The stupid medicine needed to kick in now. Titus grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Aden you should eat more," said my mother as she placed more food down in front of the werewolves.
"I'm not feeling very well." I stood. "I'm going to go lay down in the living room."
Titus tried to follow, but when the alpha cleared his throat, he sunk back down.
My mother walked with me to the stairs and felt my forehead. "He's going to be okay, sweetheart."
I nodded.
"Do you want me to bring you anything?"
"No, I took some meds. My head just really hurts."
"Alright." She clasped my cheek. "Tell me if you do."
I forced a smile and went to the living room. I flopped down on the couch and tucked a pillow under my head. Turning into the back of the couch, I closed my eyes, hoping the darkness would help my pounding forehead.
****
This is longer than Raven now....