Trouble seemed to tag along with Ayla no matter where she went, and this time was no exception.
By then, it came as naturally to her as breathing.
She was constantly on the move, always with someone right on her heels.
The only difference this time was that she had help, or maybe they were just more people destined to get caught in her wake.
She felt a pang of guilt as she glanced at her companions, wondering if they truly understood what they had gotten themselves into when they agreed to join her on the trip.
Titan's whispered words echoed in her mind: "Bite me."
She didn't yet grasp the full scope of a bite or how it might actually help her, or him.
She thought it was just meant to be a mating mark, but if that were the case, he wouldn't have asked her to do it.
There must have been something about the way it worked that made him want her to go through with the act when the danger came for them.
He was panicking, and she could sense it, so he wasn't thinking clearly.
Titan was desperate for her to bite him, but she had no idea why, what it might do, or what the lasting effects could be, but time was running out.
She wasn't one to let fear guide her choices, but this time, maybe he actually knew what he was doing.
The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer as her heart pounded faster and harder, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
They could deal with the consequences later; for now, they just had to get ahead of whatever was closing in on them.
She glanced around, letting her fangs slide down on purpose for the first time since discovering her wolf.
The sensation made her feel alive as she slid a finger upward, lightly pushing it into his arm for stability before letting her fangs rest quickly on his shoulder.
He tried his best to resist, but his head tilted back as her venom surged through him, and the rush that swept over her sharpened her senses, letting her wolf reach its full strength, amplifying through him.
Biting Titan turned out to be far from one-sided, and he hadn't seen that coming.
What Ayla didn't know, and what he failed to mention when they talked earlier that evening, was that the bite had given him a connection to her, allowing him to sense her and find her no matter what.
Without a full mating bite from both of them, it would only be temporary, but Titan hoped it would be enough to get them through whatever lay ahead.
Buzzing from the bite, Ayla glanced over at the ladies in the group.
Rhae and Stella didn't seem frightened, but they were definitely on edge.
Raphael and Phoenix appeared to form a sort of cage with their backs, keeping the ladies safely behind them as they scanned the area for whoever was stalking them.
Alexander, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was up against: wolves, and plenty of them.
He quickly moved to Ayla's side, positioning himself on her other flank to form a matching barrier with Titan, shielding the prized wolf.
As her protector, this wasn't his first time in a situation like this, so he didn't need to see them to know exactly who had tracked them down.
She felt her curse would haunt her forever as she peered into the trees alongside the rest of the group, straining to figure out how many wolves were closing in.
Titan felt the unease creeping into her mind as the high faded away.
She felt like the whole thing was her fault, but he couldn't do anything right then without tipping off the others about what he'd done.
She tilted her human nose to the air, sniffing for any hint that might help them, and at last, she succeeded.
With her senses sharpened, she could smell everything as if she had never truly experienced a scent before.
Something in her brain clicked as she caught just the right stream of air passing across her nostrils.
"I think I know one of them, maybe two," she whispered.
Alexander and Titan exchanged glances, both giving her a puzzled look.
There was no way in hell Ayla could know any of the Moonlight Shifter pack.
As far as they both knew, she had never been anywhere but Scarlet Crest.
"How do you happen to know one, or maybe two, of the wolves from this pack?"
Once again, Alexander didn't waste any time letting his jealousy take over.
Titan couldn't stop the smirk from spreading across his face.
"This isn't the moment for that. Ayla, who is it you recognize?"
Ayla scanned the woods, her gaze fixed on the direction from which the scent drifted.
"Well, the Alpha's son, for starters, and his pet. ORION, SHAW," she shouted, "COME TALK TO ME FACE TO FACE."
Everyone in the group stared at her in surprise.
Raphael, always the voice of reason, was the first to speak up.
"Ayla, what the hell are you doing?"
"If they already know we're here and they're out there, why not have them come talk to us? I'm not planning on letting him stalk us all night, are you?"
She made a good point.
Ayla wasn't the type to just sit back and let her enemies strike while she stood there like a sitting duck.
If anything was about to happen, she'd make sure it played out in her favor.
She was always finding a way to get the upper hand.
This put the ball in her court, so to speak, making it a pretty good plan.
They couldn't run; judging by the smell, they were completely surrounded.
Their best option was to figure out what they wanted and how many wolves had shown up to greet them.
After a brief stretch of silence, the snap of a branch echoed from the direction Ayla was watching.
Titan and Alexander moved to stand in front of Ayla, while Rhae and Stella exchanged uneasy glances.
"Well, this is a surprise. Not that you're here. I figured it wouldn't take you long. What's unexpected is having him with you," Orion remarked, gesturing toward Titan.
"Did you think I'd show up?" Ayla asked.
"Of course I did. I knew that once Julius decided to come with us, you'd all show up soon after. That one's so gullible, came along without a second thought," he said, snickering with Shaw.
Alexander stepped forward and asked, "What did you do to convince him to come with you? Where is he now? Is he safe?"
"He's doing fine and is in town. My mom is with him, and I can take you all to see him tomorrow."
Ayla didn't like the answer, so she shoved her way forward between the two men blocking her path.
"Is there a reason we can't see tonight? Why do we have to wait until tomorrow?"
Shaw stepped in to speak for his friend.
"Weren't you planning to wait until tomorrow to come to town anyway? It seems perfectly reasonable to hold off and avoid waking anyone. That said, you're more than welcome to head into the territory town, sleep in proper beds, and get some clothes and food."
At that moment, he gave Ayla a once-over, appreciating her natural beauty, and said, "Or you could keep running around just as you are."
Titan and Alexander both move in front of her, releasing low, synchronized warning growls.
"You might want to get your pet under control, Orion," she said, leaning her head around Titan.
Ayla glanced at the others for guidance, unsure of what to do for once, and the offer seemed only partially convincing.
She couldn't tell if it was a setup, if they were being toyed with, or if he was genuinely sincere.
"Titan, everyone, what do you think? Are you going with them?"
There was a sense of a question as to whether they were up for a fight in her tone.
Phoenix glanced around at the wolves closing in on them and said, "Looks like we don't have much of a choice."
"You've got a choice," Orion remarked with a smug grin.
Phoenix replied, "A real choice. I think it would be better if we went willingly."
"Mom, Luna to you, mentioned you were coming, and that you'd be bringing home both a lost member and a new one. Willingness is always appreciated; I'd hate to scare the ladies. Still, we need to gauge your true intentions. After all, we have a pack to protect."
Titan shot Orion a knowing glance before moving ahead with the group.
He was an unexpected twist Orion hadn't anticipated, and the next Alpha-in-waiting wasn't quite sure how it would all unfold.
It was the first time the four newly discovered wolves would set foot in pack territory, and they felt a mix of excitement and curiosity.
Stella and Rhae were nearly giddy with excitement to visit the place where Stella was born and to see if her parents might be there.
What would it feel like to find them?
Orion knew that tracing her lineage was part of their mission, and he did his best to keep them focused on it as they walked toward their lodging for the stay.
"We'll do our best to find your parents quickly, Ms. Stella, if that's what you want. I'm sure they'd be happy to have you back, or at least know you're safe and doing well."
Stella's face glowed warmly in the flickering light of the torches they passed.
As the cursed wolves wandered through the town, they noticed the absence of electricity, which made sense.
It helped keep them hidden from human detection.
Wolves and their packs seemed to live self-sufficiently off the land, relying on what they could gather and produce from nature.
It seemed to appeal to all of them as they walked up to the building where they'd be staying.
A spacious wooden house with multiple rooms.
"Doesn't Julius stay in this house too?" Alexander asked.
Orion glanced at Shaw, then back at them, raising an eyebrow.
"No, the house he's in is full. This one's just the right size for all of you. You'll see him tomorrow. There's food on the kitchen table, and candles are lit in the kitchen, hallways, and bedroom. If you need anything more, just give me a call."
Ayla didn't trust him or what he said; everything felt vague and evasive.
"Tomorrow," he assured her.
With that, they stepped into the house, and the door quietly closed behind them.
Ayla pressed her ear against the door, straining to catch every sound.
It was obvious that no words were spoken, yet at least two wolves stood guard outside the door, keeping watch over them.
They had basically walked right into a fancy prison by choice.
It was all for Julius; they'd do anything for him.
As long as they managed to rescue Julius in the end, it would all be worth it, because there was no way he would have willingly come or stayed by that point.
Now, they were finally close to him.
All it took was a glance at him, and they could save him.
With nothing else to do that night, they decided to eat the food left for them and then get some sleep.
They could handle whatever the morning throws at them if they've had a good meal and enough rest.
The next question was, where was everyone going to sleep?
Having five beds definitely made things easier.
Alexander took the room closest to the front door, and then Titan chose the room nearest to the back door.
Ayla decided to take the room in the middle, away from both men.
That left two rooms, one on either side of Ayla, for Phoenix and Raphael to fill in with Stella and Rhae.
Being the first to arrive at his room, Alexander leaned in the doorway, watching as the others headed off to their rooms for the night.
He didn't trust Titan, and he trusted him even less, knowing she was in the same house with a pack he seemed close to.
He couldn't help but notice that Orion hinted it was surprising Titan was with them.
What about it made it surprise him?
How did Orion know Titan?
The Crescent Moon pack members never venture beyond their territory, so no one outside of it should know who they are, which includes him.
Alexander just had to stay silent and observe, waiting for the slippery wolf to make his move.
Eventually, he'd make a mistake and give up what he was after.
Hopefully, it would happen before Titan got what he was after.
Once everyone had settled into their rooms, Alexander stepped into his own, called it a night, and blew out the candle that softly lit the space.
Stella and Rhae were too amped up about being within the pack boundaries to even try giving the guys what they really wanted that night, instead chatting their ears off about every little thing they thought they noticed around the town.
The structures, the nature, the size, everything about it.
Neither of them could wait to see it in the daylight, with members strolling around, taking in the charm and everyday joys of life in such a beautiful place.
Ayla, however, had her mind on other things.
One thing in particular.
She was overwhelmed by sensations she struggled to keep in check.
Every ounce of desire Titan felt surged through her veins.
Every inch of her skin felt incredible as she lay in bed, running her fingertips over it and letting the sensation completely wash over her.
Unaware that he could sense her emotions as his desire consumed her, she became flushed with heat, slipping out of her clothes with ease.
Ayla began to throb between her legs, as moisture began to build, as one hand continued to caress her skin, and another started massaging her breasts.
Her skin never felt better to her than it had in that moment, as her nipples hardened from her touch.
The hand that was caressing her skin began to move its way to find the warmth that was building in her core.
Lost in the depths of her own emotions and sensations, she didn't hear the door open when Titan walked in, but she instantly sensed his presence in the room.
He could sense her through the bond of the bite, and he couldn't resist going to take a look.
The site before his eyes was one of pure ecstasy.
Ayla was sprawled out on the bed, one hand on her breast, one hand half disappeared between her legs, as a moan slipped from her lips.
If she wasn't ready to give herself to him yet, this was the next best thing.
Her hand slipped up her lower stomach slightly, glistening as it did, going up to meet her other hand in massaging her breast, before sliding its way back down as she used the tip of her middle finger to rub her clit, then her hand disappeared again as she let out another moan.
Ayla turned her head slightly, and she opened her eyes to look at Titan.
She sensed him standing there, full of desire to make her his, but she didn't care.
It felt so good to touch herself that she didn't want to stop.
Just then, she started moving her hand faster and harder as she stared at him, circling the sweet spot just inside as liquid began to pour out.
The sound that came with it made it clear that she had more than pleased herself, but he already knew that through the connection.
With one final moan, she began to fully relax and pulled her hand up, using her index finger to call Titan over to her.
As he drew near, she moved the hand resting on her breast to his chin and gently opened his mouth.
Without a second thought, she slipped her two damp fingers into his mouth and gently pressed it shut.
"Suck them clean."
He followed her instructions, letting them go with a faint pop when he was done.
"You taste even better than you smell."
Ayla smirked, "You can go now. I think I'm ready to go to bed."
"That's not really what you're after. I can sense what you're looking for. You want to feel satisfied. Let me make that happen for you."
She arched an eyebrow and gave a slight shake of her head.
"No, I satisfied myself just fine, as you seemed to have felt. Just because you can sense how much I want to fuck you right now doesn't mean I'm going to act on it. I'm heading to bed, and you should too. I have a friend to help tomorrow."
Titan shook his head.
"One day, you'll give in to your desires. When that day comes, I'll be here. But I've got to tell you, I don't think tomorrow will be as easy as you believe. They want you. Probably more than me… nah, I definitely want you more."
He laughed and walked out of the room.
Before he left, he glanced back at her one last time, gave her a once-over with a smirk, and shut the door behind him.
He walked away, leaving Ayla with words that spun in her head, fueling nothing but her anger.