Demon: Book 1

Chapter 38: Eating Our Vegetables

My mom opened the front door as I walked down the stairs. Titus gave her a smile before frowning at me.

"Knock it off. It's not that bad."

"Your face is swollen," he muttered.

"Like a chipmunk." She grabbed his hand and put an ice pack in it.

"Mom," I said under my breath. "Why do you have to be so embarrassing?" I turned sharply and marched to my room.

I fell onto my bed. Titus entered soon after. He sat down at my side and brushed my hair out of the way so he could put the ice on my cheek.

"Did you get in trouble?"

He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

My mother stood at the door. "Can I trust you not to be doing anything indecent up here?" She folded her arms.

"You have my word, Mrs. Perri." He glanced at me with a smirk. "We're just going to cuddle."

My mouth fell open. "Titus!" I covered my face. "Why are you both so annoying?"

My mother was soaking it all in with a dreamy look on her face. She gave an approving nod and left. "I'll knock before entering, just in case."

"Please, shut the door," I groaned.

He went to do so. Returning to the bed, he lay at my side.

"So?" I asked.

Pulling me closer, he adjusted the ice pack. "We're waiting to see. I didn't do anything wrong. I have the right to protect you."

"Because of this?" My hand went to my scar.

Titus nodded. "It's part of our agreement with the humans."

"Am I in trouble?"

Shifting around, he rested his chin on top of my head. "Be glad you're not a werewolf yet." He rubbed my arm. "I've never been so close to hitting my dad then last night."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "That bad?"

"If we weren't engaged, it would have been."

"This mark kind of saved me, then?" I laughed hesitantly.

My forced attempt at lightening the mood failed. Titus nodded as he continued to run his hand up and down my arm.

"I'm protective of you, Aden. It's my nature. You will never understand what leaving a mark on someone feels like." He hid his face in the crook of my neck. "When your dad took you away, I've never been so depressed. I thought something was wrong with me. I'd broken up with people before, but it had never hurt like this." He took in a deep breath and rolled onto his back. "The older dominants said it only gets worse once the mark is permanent. It's the wolf coming out of us."

I peeked at him to see that he was gazing up at the ceiling with an emotionless expression.

"I see you as my mate. Whether you want to be or not. To me, you already are."

"I'm sorry." I pressed into his side. "I didn't think things would turn out this way." Sighing, I bounced my head against his arm. "I'm so stupid sometimes."

"Never do it again."

"I won't. I promise I won't."

Titus wrapped me up in his arms. His breath was steady, but I still felt an uneasiness about him. He wasn't his usual self.

"Titus?"

He tipped my chin up and kissed me. "I would have killed him. If you had waited a second more to tell me to stop, I would have done it, and that scares me."