Ayla wasn't quite sure what she had just gotten herself into.
All she knew was that this powerful, mesmerizing wolf man was trying to get his way.
He claimed that cleaning her wound was a pure and innocent gesture, yet it left her feeling that the act might not be so innocent after all.
Still, despite knowing better, she went along with it.
Now, she just needed to find out what she had agreed to.
What innocent thing was Titan planning to do to her?
Just as her nerves began to overwhelm her, he pulled back from her.
It wasn't what she had expected, but it only made her feel more uneasy.
Why would he need to step back from her to clean her wound?
Besides that, didn't the water clean it?
Before she even knew what was happening, he took hold of the arm resting over her wound and moved it aside.
As quickly as he moved her arm out of the way, he dropped his head down to her side.
She gasped as his tongue softly traced each claw mark from top to bottom, again and again, mingling with gentle kisses, the sensation unexpectedly soothing.
It brought a strange mix of relief and butterflies that Ayla wasn't sure how to handle.
That's when the other sensations began to slowly creep in.
Was what he was doing innocent?
Titan knew exactly what he was doing, and she let him go through with it.
As he went on, his free arm slid around her back and rested on the hip across from him.
It felt as though he was drawing her into his arms while gently tending to her wounds.
For a moment, she gave in to the rush of euphoria, letting it completely wash over her.
Her whole body felt incredible as he slowly pulled away from the lines, which were now healing even faster.
They looked paper-thin as she glanced at the spots where there had once been large gashes.
He hadn't lied about cleaning the wounds, only about what it would mean for them both.
His touches had turned into soft, tender kisses, drifting toward the center of her stomach as he gently drew her closer into his embrace.
Their connection was electric, and for once, she wasn't trying to resist it.
Titan was overwhelmed by the unmistakable allure radiating from the goddess before him.
He began to take his kisses lower and slowly moved so that he could take a hand and start running it up and down her thigh, gently and sensually.
That was when Ayla felt herself becoming overwhelmed by the surge of desire threatening to consume her, and she quickly snapped back to the present moment.
Realizing exactly how his cleaning of the wound was affecting her.
Her first clear thoughts since the moment his tongue touched her skin, as she looked down to see that they were officially closed.
She cleared her throat and said, "I think my wounds are good now. Thanks."
Unsure of what else to say, she sprang to her feet and made a beeline for the water.
Her body felt like it was burning, and she just needed to cool off as fast as she could.
Titan chuckled and shook his head.
Not quite a full laugh, more of an amused chuckle.
He knew exactly what happened to wolves when you tended to another's wounds, but it was worth a try.
In that, he was willing to do whatever it took to break through her defenses.
Plus, he enjoyed watching her squirm.
After that, he simply watched her swim for a while, cooling herself down.
That wolf was simply waiting for the right moment, patiently chipping away at her defenses while quietly learning her weaknesses and figuring her out.
He wanted to understand all the ways her mind worked.
It was only a matter of time before the chase paid off, and he claimed his prize.
At last, Ayla waded out of the water, heading toward the fading glow of the fire.
Titan stalked his prey, demonstrating just how patient he could be.
"You smell much better now. Strangely, I can't catch your scent, but at least the smell of the other wolves is gone."
His words seemed to trigger something in her.
"Those are my friends you're talking about. Basically, my pack. Say one more thing about them, and danger or not, I'll go on alone. I'm pretty sure that's the last thing you want."
"Fine, fine," he said, raising his hands in surrender.
"But let's settle in and rest for a bit so you can keep going later. I know you're strong and resilient, but you need to take care of yourself. Rest. I'll watch over you and wake you soon so we can continue."
Ayla paused to think for a moment.
If she stayed put a bit longer, it would just give the group more time to catch up with her.
Honestly, a bit of rest sounded perfect, and it seemed she had someone there to keep an eye on her while she did.
"Okay. I will rest for a short bit, and then we can head back toward my destination. No funny business, though. The first time you try something, you pay for it, and I disappear. Understood."
"Understood."
Titan caught her words with a smile, watching as she scanned the area for the perfect spot to settle into.
Her saying they would venture on together made it clear she had no intention of running from him.
Not at that time, anyway.
It wasn't long before Ayla curled up at the base of a large tree and drifted off to sleep.
The day had been draining, not just for her but for everyone around.
As she slept, Titan kept a careful watch over her and the forest surrounding them.
He knew the smell of blood could easily attract a swarm of enemies.
Deep down, even without realizing it, she was consumed with worry for her companions.
Were they alright, or even still together?
The group was indeed together, sleeping beneath the same moon, just a fair trek behind the lone wolf Ayla.
Raphael and the rest of the group had slept longer than expected, and the moon hung high in the sky, slowly sinking toward the horizon as Alexander opened his eyes.
Realizing how long he had been asleep, he let out a loud howl.
Phoenix quickly lifted his head.
"Bro, never howl in the woods like that at night. You're just drawing attention to us. It's basically an automatic beacon for the group. Everyone, get up now, we've got to go."
Alexander decided to remember that for later.
Raphael sprang to his feet.
"Come on, girls, get up and move faster. We don't want to run into anything that goes bump in the night."
Alexander didn't know what had Raphael and Phoenix so worked up, but if they were ready to bolt, it was definitely time to go.
What exactly was lurking in the darkness alongside them?
With haste, the group was up and moving, but it was evident that something was rummaging around in the woods around where they had just left.
The guys were, as always, right.
"Let's put some space between us. Time to pick up the pace," Phoenix shouted to the group.
They could all hear something behind them, and they wasted no time in speeding up.
With that, Ayla was suddenly at the forefront of all their thoughts.
She was out there by herself, and they knew they had to reach her fast.
As the sounds faded into the distance, they pressed on toward their missing friend, hoping they were drawing nearer to her.
One thought lingered in the back of each man's mind, or rather, one person who wasn't Ayla.
Dominic.
Was he handling everything okay?
Had they made the right call by leaving him behind to manage the businesses and keep watch, or would it have been better to bring him along?
At that point, there was no way to check on him, so all they could do was hope he was okay and had everything under control.
Luckily, he was giving it his all to make that happen.
Back in town, the club was as lively as ever, but Dominic had no interest in joining the bustle.
That level of interaction would be overwhelming for him.
People downing drink after drink, dancing, and soaking up every moment the club had to offer with their friends.
The monitors in front of him showed a view from a camera just above the bar, revealing a seemingly endless sea of faces.
Once Lucas got inside, he watched him head straight for Deva, and her radiant personality drew him in even more than when he'd only heard her voice.
If nothing else, this would be a great way to test the supposedly loyal Rollo.
He had deliberately sent a wolf from out of town to the club to see if the appointed man would mention anything to him in his report.
Now, all he could do was wait and see what would happen, knowing that Rollo had spotted him and even exchanged a few words.
It was actually a test for Rollo, Deva, and Lucas, because no matter the task, Dominic always knew how to get it done.
Would all three spies admit to talking with each other at the club?
Dominic scanned the screens, carefully sweeping over every inch of the town while frequently checking on the two assigned staff members and Lucas.
Lucas and Deva went from sipping drinks and engaging in casual conversation to dancing and sharing lighthearted laughter.
One thing was for sure: Lucas was captivated by the young woman.
Rollo had been caught dropping by to check on Deva more than a few times, which made Dominic wonder if his visits were about more than just keeping tabs on the out-of-town guests.
Maybe he was also fond of Ms. Deva, or there was some connection between them that he wasn't entirely sure about but was just on the verge of figuring out.
As he sat in the office, keeping an eye on the night's activity, it reached that time when patrons began to vanish, and the doors would soon be closed and locked.
Dominic realized that meant two of them were on their way to him.
Like clockwork, people began disappearing from his screens, and Deva was among the last to go.
Lucas walked her to the entrance of her apartment building, hoping for some hint that she liked him, but it was no use.
She gave him a brief hug and slipped inside without even a backward glance.
Though Lucas was heartbroken, Dominic merely chuckled.
'Poor wolf,' he thought to himself.
Within minutes, he crossed the street and reached the door, ready to let himself in for the first time.
To his surprise, Dominic was true to his word and was awake when he strolled through the door.
"She was, and still is, absolutely amazing, like sunshine bottled up in a tiny body. Perfect. Just so perfect. I wanted to kiss her with every fiber of my being, but I didn't want to scare her away," Lucas said as he approached his roommate.
"It's probably best to take things slow with her. You'll need plenty of patience and should put in the effort to win her over. She's not like the other girls you've known. Deva grew up here, surrounded by romance."
Lucas furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips at that.
"Romance, huh? I can handle that. You'll see. Still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Anyway, I'm heading to bed."
"I'll be there soon. I have some business first with Rollo."
"Oh, that guy. What a character. He came right over when I got to the club, firing off all sorts of questions. Really curious type. I had no idea he was the one reporting back to you."
Dominic nodded.
"At least he was doing what I asked. That's good to hear."
Lucas was already heading out of the office when he noticed Rollo approaching the front of the building.
Dominic didn't want him spotting the out-of-towner in the hallway, so he urged him to hurry, hoping he'd be gone before Rollo showed up.
Thankfully, Rollo wasn't in a rush, and Lucas remained safe in the apartment as the buzzer rang.
Crisis averted, for the time being.
"So, Rollo, how did things go at the club this evening?"
His nose twitched as he began to speak, "All in all... I'd say things went pretty well. You always get creeps hovering around the pretty ladies, but that's just expected. I just wish they'd leave Deva alone when she comes out."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
His lips curled into a sly grin.
"Some guy showed up and wouldn't leave Deva alone tonight. She's like a sister to me, and it really bugs me when that happens. Deva should be able to go out and enjoy herself without some creep trying to take her home."
"I understand. I didn't realize you knew Deva or were that close with her. Did you happen to know the guy who was bothering her tonight?"
It turned out to be one of the people you'd asked me to watch for. He didn't seem too eager to answer questions and kept his replies short, so I didn't get much from him. Sorry. As for Deva and me, we grew up in the same orphanage as Alexander and Julius. We're all really close, like family. Siblings in our own way. I just feel it's my responsibility to make sure she's okay."
His eyes were deadlocked on Dominic's when he finished.
"I'm sorry to hear you all grew up as orphans. That must have been tough. I'm glad you found one another," his eyebrow meeting each other as he nodded.
"Thanks, here are the books for today. I managed to finish them all, so I won't see you tomorrow."
Dominic wondered why he was in such a hurry to return the books and leave, making it obvious he had no intention of seeing him.
Then again, he already had the books for the current shift, so there was no reason to come back, and he was ready to head home.
He just wasn't the same as he had been with him earlier that day.
Still distant and uninterested in being there, that had not changed.
Rollo didn't seem interested in talking to him, but he was ready to get his job done that morning.
Something happened, things changed, and he would only drop by when it was necessary, nothing more.
Tomorrow was no longer necessary.
If the books weren't finished, he might not see him at night either.
One thing was for sure: he got some answers.
They had something unique about them, just as he suspected.
Were they cursed just like the others?
Could his son have been helping him track down all the lost wolves without even knowing it?
Not all orphans were wolves, but were these two he had just met actually wolves?