This ones wins, so I'm deleteing the other chapter 16.
Chapter 16
His Many Forms
He led me deep into the woods. Whatever he wanted to show me, Titus was making sure no one else was going to overhear us. I just followed quietly behind him.
We entered a clearing. Titus stopped and looked around.
I glanced at my surrounding. "Titus?"
Titus turned to me and took a deep breath. "Tell me everything right now, Aden."
I rang my hand together. "Titus, let's just go back."
"I'm not asking," he snapped.
I bite my lip and looked away. "Wolves. I keep seeing these giant wolves, but they're not real," I quickly added, rubbing my forehead. "One scratched me." My hand went to my shoulder. "But, nothing was there. Just a bruise," I laughed hesitantly. "So none of this can be real, right? Scratches don't just disappear."
Titus stared back, stoned faced. "And the party?"
"You looked mad." My gaze dropped to the ground as I continued to rub my arm. "That's it."
"Now's not the time to lie," he stated firmly. "I want the truth."
"You changed. Something about you changed. Your hands." I peeked up at him. "You just changed." I took a deep breath. "Can we go back now?"
"Nothing else?"
I shrugged. "The way you healed Chris. It wasn't natural. It was like that time at the hot pools."
Sighing, he ran his hand down his face and thought for a moment. "I'm different, Aden. My family, we're just different. As long as you understand that will be fine."
"No one should be able to do that, Titus. I thought it was my mind making it up, but something really isn't right with you." I backed away.
Titus snatched my arm. "Aden, please."
I slowly pulled my arm free. "Whatever is going on with you scares me. I don't want to worry about things jumping out at me. I'm sorry, Titus, but I can't do this."
"It's not like that though," he pled. "I will keep you safe."
"I shouldn't have to be kept safe," I exclaimed. I clasped my forehead. My head was starting to throb. "I'm going back." I walked back the way we had came.
"Aden, wait!"
I stopped and looked over my shoulder at him.
Titus dropped his shorts. "Just wait. I'll show you everything is okay. There's nothing to be afraid-"
A red blur leaped from the trees and tackled him. My breath caught, and I stood there frozen.
Titus kicked the mutant wolf off him. The red beast rolled across the ground and right back onto its feet. It snarled at him. Gritting this teeth, Titus stood. Blood was running down his arm.
"What is with you!" Titus snapped.
The wolf snapped its jaws at him. I was struggling to breath as I sunk to the ground. It did exist. This demon that kept trying to kill me. It was not a figment of my mind.
"I am so sick of us constantly fighting," growled Titus, wiping the blood off his arm. "For once, could you take a break?"
The wound was pulling together. All I did was stare. What was going on?
It snarled at him again, snapping at him. The animal's deep blue eyes turned to me. My heart rate shot to extreme as it bared a mouth full of teeth.
"Darius," said Titus, inching toward me. "Don't you-"
The wolf charged. I covered my head and toppled over, screaming. Nothing happened. Soon growls and ripping noises filled the area. I sat up to see a black wolf fighting with the red. I searched the area, but Titus was gone.
Popping sounds echoed through the trees. I sunk lower into the grass as the monsters rose up on two legs. The black one punch the red hard in the jaw, sending it flying. The red quickly jumped up and dive tackled the black to the ground. It pinned its opponent there.
"Did you not listen!" the red one growled.
My eyes went wide. They could talk. These demons could speak.
"Get off me, Darius!" The black wolf struggled to get free.
"He told you no. Dad said no. That you couldn't show your stupid little human pet until you marked him." He jolted the other beast against the ground. "I don't see a mark, Titus."
"Titus?" I breathed. That black monster was Titus.
They both turned to me.
"Aden." The black one knocked the other off him.
It stood tall with large wolf-like paws as its tail swayed from side to side. The beast's arms and hands were human like along with it's torso, simply matted with fur. This was not like the mutant wolves I had seen. This was a something completely new.
I slowly climbed to my feet. "Titus?"
It scratched its head. "So, I guess I need to explain this."
Shaking my head, I backed away.
"Let's just kill him and be done with these stupid love games of yours," groaned the red one, who was lounging against a fallen log. "Dad's not going to let this continue anyways. Might as well end it now." He gave me a smirk.
"Shut up, Darius," Titus snapped. He turned to me. "Aden, look. I wasn't allow to tell you." He reached out to me. "I'm sorr-"
I turned and ran. I didn't hear them chasing me. I heard nothing but my ragged breathing and the pounding of my heart. Racing down the beach to the campground, I went to the first outhouse and hurried inside. I slided the bolt into place, before retreating to the corner.
Sinking to the floor, I pulled my knees to my chest. What was I going to do? I had never felt so lost.
***
"Aden!"
I stared at the bathroom door.
"Aden, where are you?" called my dad.
I slowly climbed to my feet and dusted myself off. Taking a deep breath, I hoped I didn't look too horrible. The last thing I wanted was to make my parents think something was wrong. I'd never be able to explain what I had seen.
Grabbing the mop and bucket, I slipped outside and dumped the water on the ground. I headed back to the shed, trying to appear normal. My father spotted me and hurried over.
"Where have you been?" He patted my back. "I've been calling you for awhile."
"Sorry," I said softly as I locked the door to the shed.
He turned me around. "What happened?"
I wiped my face. "A dog," I whispered. "It just really scared me." I gave him a shaky laugh. "I'm being stupid. It was just a dog."
My father hugged me. "It's fine, Aden. We all have things that scare us. You'll be fine."
I nodded. "Thanks."
We parted, and he ruffled my hair.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Yes," I breathed. "A lot better."
"Alright." He put his arm around my shoulder. "Let's go home. I promise not to tell your mother this time," he chuckled. "She might make you quit, and we still need to do some more character building."
I laughed. "Thanks dad."
I walked around to my side of the truck as he climbed into the driver seat. I slipped inside and closed the door. A part of me really wished he would tell, because I never wanted to come back to this place again.
***
"Good night, Aden," yelled my mom from downstairs.
"Good night." I closed the door and changed into sweats.
I sat down on the bed and clutched my knees. What had happened today couldn't have been real. Covering my face, I fell into my side. Something was wrong with me. I hate those woods. I never should have agreed to go. Working at a burger place would have been better than seeing delusional wolf creatures.
I curled into a ball and laid there in the dark. One summer had decimated my life. I didn't know what to think anymore.
The sound the window opening jolted me up right. It was unlocked!
I scrambled into my feet and ran over. Titus was already halfway inside when I arrived. Struggling to breathe, I shrank back into the corner and fell to the ground. I covered my mouth and pulled my knees in close.
Titus held his hands out in front of him. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You turned into that thing," I whispered. "You're one of them."
"Aden," he slowly slipped off his shorts. "Please. I won't hurt you." His body transformed again, and the black mutant wolf from the night in the Andersen's field appeared. He laid on the floor with his ears splayed to the side.
I was gasping for air. A giant wolf was in my bedroom. A human wolf creature was in my bedroom.
The wolf crept forward and whined softly. Its tail softly pounded the floor. I felt like crying as it stopped at my feet. I couldn't move.
"Titus?" I whispered.
The animal lifted its head as its tail wagged faster. I slowly reached out a quivering hand and placed it on top of the wolf's head. His fur was soft but very thick.
"How?" I breathed. "You're a wolf. You're this-this wolf creature? That night, it was you?"
The wolf sat upright, and its body started to morph. It took on a more human-like appearance, somewhere between a wolf and the Titus I knew. He slowly reached over and cupped my cheek with his clawed hands. I ran my fingers along his arm, feeling the fur.
"It's okay," he whispered in that deep voice from before. "It's still me, Titus."
My breath caught, and I felt the panic start to build.
Titus quickly shifted again into human and wrapped me up in his arms. "See, it's me. It's just me, Aden." He pressed my head against his shoulder.
I was gasping for air as I clung to him. "What are you?"
"A werewolf."