The Moonlit Path

Chapter 15: Stupid Ass

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.