The cool fall morning brings with it a warm southern breeze rustling through trees of our territory. My bare feet kiss the ground as I rush back toward the house before sunrise to make Titus and I breakfast before we start the day. As I pass a line of patrol I see a familiar set of faces smiling toward me. Mathias and Bella are snuggled up against a tree, pretending I haven't caught them in the act. The two of them have been inseparable for the last two weeks. I knew when the tearing of his bond healed he would find someone better than Philious.
I lift my hand and wave to them as I rush past. They return the favor and then head off in the direction of their own home.
I clamber through the door of the house, shutting the door silently behind me. I scurry into the kitchen to flip on the coffee maker before slipping upstairs to wake my mate.
Titus is sprawled across the bed on his stomach, his long limbs peaking out in every direction from under the blanket. I place a careful kiss on his cheek and lightly smack his bottom.
"Time to wake up," I whisper.
He grunts and lifts his sleepy lids to take in my disheveled look. "Looks like you've already been up," he mutters as he sleepily sits up and rubs his eyes.
"I went for a run around the territory."
"That's what the patrol is for," he teases and wraps an arm around me pulling me onto his lap with a goofy grin.
"We can't force them to do all the work when they're clearly canoodling through the night."
"We have to separate those two," he groans.
"Imagine being separated from me," I raise an eyebrow at him.
"I wouldn't ever want to be separated from you again, my love." Titus pushes his forehead against mine before leaning in for a long sweet kiss.
"Good thing you won't ever have to be away from me for longer than the duration of a shower," I giggle as I get off his lap and head toward the bathroom to wash off the grime of my run.
"And who says we have to be separated for that?" Titus prowls toward me, catching me around the hip and carrying me into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind us.