Demon: Book 1

Chapter 51: Hunting Down Titus

My mother and I hurried to him. There was blood in the snow.

"He's hurt," I breathed. Taking off into the woods, I followed the patches of blood.

"Aden!" my dad yelled. "Aden, wait!"

I didn't listen and heard growling up ahead. A large black form lay in the snow, and one of Anderson's mutts lunged at it. Something came over me. I charged and kicked the dog 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 shook as she found the number. My dad and I turned Titus onto his back. He pressed his coat onto the chest wound.

My hand hovered over the one on his shoulder. "Titus," I wept. "Oh, god." I kissed his cheek. "Please wake up. Please."

***

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 noise came from inside. What if he had died? I sat around all day while my fiancé was bleeding to death in the woods.

Lying 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."

"Thank god." I rushed past him and stared at the sleeping wolf on the bed. A metal tin sat next to Titus with 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 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 said with a forced laugh.

"We pretend to be." Xavier gave my shoulder a squeeze. "If he wakes up, see if he can shift so we can bind the wounds properly."

"'kay." I went to the other side of the bed and carefully lay down beside Titus. I slipped my hand into his.

Curling up next to him, I closed my eyes. He was alive, and that's all that mattered. Xavier left the room. I watched Titus sleep for a while, drifting off myself a couple of times before jarring back awake. Sleep overtook me later into the night. I woke to the feeling of someone moving. The door was dimly lit by the rising sun.

Rolling over, I saw Titus watching me. I grabbed his face and kissed him. He pulled me closer, and I did my best to avoid the bandages.

"I'm not hurting you, right?"

Titus 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 don't think I can right now." Titus 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 can be upset."