Ven disappeared around the corner with a phone held to his ear. I looked to Titus who was running his hands through his hair and taking deep breaths. I could see the stress and concern etched into every corner of his handsome face.
"It will be alright Titus," I reached my hand out toward him. He quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me against him in a bone-crushing hug, his nose found the spot on my neck as his hands found their way around my waist.
"I will make sure everything is alright Liana," he grumbled softly into my shoulder. I felt safe from Phil for the first time in my life and I knew that Titus wouldn't think to let me go; unlike my father, who had so easily written off the possibility of my life with my mate. He had chosen Phil and never looked back, never hoped for something better, never even said he was happy my mate had found me. I felt a tear slip down my cheek as Titus pulled back to look at me.
"Why are you crying baby?" Titus wiped away the traitorous tear and pulled me to sit in his lap at the island. I shook my head and buried myself into his shoulder trying to regain my composure. I deeply inhaled his woodsy scent. "Are you afraid?" He whispered into my ear.
"Yes," I pulled away and looked at him.
"I'm not going to let you go."
"I know that."
"Then tell me what you are afraid of so I can make it better."
I thought for a moment about how to word what I was trying to say. Titus waited patiently and gently stroked my hair as I chewed on my lower lip. Finally, I came back to him and kissed him softly.
"Phil's pack has never had very much power but they have always been good at keeping powerful allies. Phil has never been powerful but he has always been able to negotiate what he wanted," Titus nodded to show he understood. "I never wanted to be his Luna. Most of our childhoods we were forced together because our fathers were close in proximity and close allies. Neither one of them had much but they were always willing to share amongst themselves. When we were 14 Phil told me he was sure that I would be his mate and that we would rule our territories together, we would have beautiful pups, and we would outdo all the old love stories-" a low growl came from Titus as his eyes flashed. "I would laugh and joke but I never wanted to be with him. But when I turned 17 my father announced the marriage had been arranged and forbid me to leave our territory or to visit with any of those coming from outside the territory until I was of age. It was a fluke... and a lucky one that my birthday fell a few weeks before the full moon because I would not have survived my marriage."
I looked down at my hands with embarrassment. I could feel more tears building up behind my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I tried to remind myself that I was free from all of it.
"What do you mean?" Titus lifted my chin so I was, once again, returning his eye contact. "Why wouldn't you have survived?"
"Phil had every intention of marrying me and producing an heir. But it was pretty clear that beyond that, I had nothing to offer him that someone else couldn't. I would have been locked away from the world, he would have slept around even after marking me which would have been excruciating, and... in the end, I would have lost everything. So I had two plans: one, continue to take the herbs that prevent conception, or two, go rouge." I studied Titus's face for a moment but I couldn't really understand what was behind it.
"You would have survived."
"I'm not sure I wanted to Titus." His eyes shot up at me and he growled so loudly the walls around us shook. I wanted to back up but he had a hard grip on my waist. "Too hard," I put my hands over his and he loosened the grip. I could tell that Telum had reappeared.
"You can't leave us!" Telum roared.
"I-I'm not leaving," I squeaked out frightened to my very core. His grip hadn't loosened around me and I could feel bruises building up under his fingers. "Telum you're hurting me!" I tried to be firm with him but it came out as a sob.
There was a bang from somewhere nearby and two sets of running footsteps approached us. Mathias and Ven came running into the room. Telum grabbed my wrists inhumanly hard and pulled me behind him, failing to let go even once I was securely tucked away.
"Titus," Ven warned from the doorway.
Mathias raised his hand toward Ven and took a step forward causing Telum to tighten his grip and a cry to come from my lips.
"Telum, sit libera puella," Mathias growled back at the shaking man in front of me. He asked him to let me go.
"No," Telum growled back taking a step forward with me in tow. "Your thoughts are clear you snide bastard. You want her for yourself! She is my mate! Mine!" His claws were beginning to extend into my wrists, breaking the skin and causing blood to run down my arm.
"Mathias," I whined. I wanted him to stop the pain or shut the hell up. I saw a twinkle in his eyes as they raised to meet mine. He winked. What the hell?
"You're right cousin. I want her for myself. And you can hear the way she says my name. She wants me just as badly. Let her come to her rightful mate." Mathias smirked and I could feel the shift starting in Titus's body.
He's going to force a shift and run him out! Amara yelled to me.
Let's hope it works.
Suddenly there was a deafening roar and ripping as Titus's body was replaced by his massive jet black wolf form. My wrists were freed and I made a break toward Ven as Mathias also shifted into his slightly smaller grey wolf and ran off through the front door with Telum on his tail.
Ven wrapped an arm around me and lead me toward the couches in the living room while he inspected the puncture wounds that were still bleeding. "Let's get you cleaned up and ready for the meeting. Those two will run it off and you can whoop my brother later."
I sat on the couch while Ven disappeared down the hallway only to reappear a few moments later with a first aid kit. He kneeled down in front of me and started to dab at the wounds with a stinging alcohol solution. His eyebrows furrowed as he worked.
"Ven?"
"Yes Liana?"
"You look confused."
He sighed and wrapped each wrist in a soft white bandage. "I'm angry at my brother for letting his wolf do this. He has waited his entire life for this and droned on and on about the path lit for him by the moon goddess and true love. In a handful of days he's managed to ruin what relationship you had with your father, throw your entire life off course, and now he's ripping into you when he can't control his wolf?!" He threw the first aid kit across the room and it landed with a loud thud.
"He's scared."
"That doesn't justify any of this. And I wouldn't have gone through with the kiss if I knew he was going to act like this."
"The kiss?" I met his furious eyes with soft confusion as he threw himself down next to me.
"Yesterday when you met the family."
"The hand thing?"
"Yes 'the hand thing'" he put up bunny quotes around what I'd said.
"What does it mean?"
"He didn't tell you?"
"We've been a bit preoccupied."
Ven sighed and ran his hand through his hair. I thought of Titus and prayed that when he returned he would be back to his old self. Things were in a state of chaos and all I wanted was his touch and comfort.
"The kiss is a blessing. Each family member kisses your hand as a sign of their acceptance of your mate-bond with their relative. It's a way of mixing the family scent and giving it to you before you officially become a part of the pack," Ven paused. "I can't believe he didn't tell you."
My heart sank in my chest. "You wouldn't have accepted me?" Obviously not Liana, you're far too much trouble and your past is following you around with a banner threatening their pack and his brother's happiness.
"Oh no, no no that's not what I meant," Ven wrapped an arm around me and squeezed which brought me some comfort. "I just meant we would have made Titus work for the blessing and prove that he would be a worthy mate."
"Him?" I asked, shocked. "It's me who isn't worth all of this. Look at the trouble I am causing!"
"You are not the trouble Liana. Philious is an issue and Titus's anger is an issue. You are just caught in the crossfire of some pissing contest between the two. You are not the problem and you are going to be an excellent Luna."
I couldn't help but wrap my arms around Ven's neck and hug him tightly. I was happy that he approved of me and I was proud that he thought I would be a good Luna. He went to pull me back by my waist but I flinched and sucked in a deep breath. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Titus grabbed on too hard," I whispered as I lowered the waist of my pants revealing a purpling handprint. Ven growled.
"Stupid ass."
"I know I am," a voice like honey spoke from the patio door. Titus had returned. "Liana?"
I didn't want to face him. I was upset he would leave marks like this on me. Instead of responding to my mate I turned back to Ven. "When is the meeting?"
"We need to leave in an hour," he replied flatly.
"I need to change. I will be back." And with that I scurried up the stairs toward our bedroom with Titus's eyes burning holes in my back the entire way. When I reached the room I disposed of my clothes into a hamper in the bathroom, except for my underwear and took a moment to look at the bruises in the mirror. They were already a dark purple around my waist. Once I disposed of the bandages around my wrists I washed off the dried blood and saw the same colour lurking there.
There was a soft knock at the bathroom door. "Liana?" Titus called from the other side. I chose not to respond. I needed a moment to collect myself before I could speak to him properly. But, before I could open the door, the handle turned on it's own and he stepped inside. Titus took in my appearance, scanning over my bruises and promptly smashed his fist into the wall beside the door.
"I don't think getting angry is the solution Titus," I stated coolly from the sink as I turned around.
"Liana..." he approached me and went to take my hands but I pulled them back. Sadness washed over his entire body. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to let that happen. I tried to pull back, tried to force him to listen but... he wouldn't listen."
"Amara doesn't like to listen either but I can make her when I need to."
"Please, my love, please find it in your heart to forgive me. I will never let this happen again." Part of me wanted to rip Titus a new one for letting it happen in the first place but the other part of me wanted to comfort his sadness. I knew I needed something to show me that he was seriously sorry and that it wouldn't happen again.
Before I could make any request of any kind, Titus kneeled himself before me and barred his neck in submission. His beautiful green eyes came back up to meet mine, "I will protect you from everyone, even myself." He lowered his head again and raised it with Telum at the surface. These eyes were softer and looked near to tears. "A king only bows to his queen and I bow to you to ask forgiveness."
His neck barred to me once again. It was unexpected but it proved what I needed it to.
"You are forgiven Telum, Titus." I lifted his chin and saw bright and happier green eyes filled with something I couldn't quite pinpoint.
Titus stood and kissed me gently on the lips.
"We have to get ready for this meeting." I hated to say it, I hated more to do it. But it was time to get rid of Philious once and for all.