Raphael, Rhae, Phoenix, Julius, Ayla, and Titan stood at the edge of the Burgundy thicket, eyeing the newest member of their group like he was an enemy.
Titan's words sank into Ayla's mind as she scrambled to process them, her thoughts racing while she searched for an escape route.
She felt like she had just led her friends into the wolves' den, with the door closing behind them.
"What do you mean you've got a plan to keep them from finding out who I am? You don't need one if they don't know about me to begin with, right?" Ayla asked.
Phoenix arched an eyebrow, following her questioning instantly.
"Bro, you should've given us a heads-up about bringing us here, especially her. That wasn't part of the plan, and she's not a fan of surprises."
He shook his head, lips pressed tightly together, and crossed his arms at Titan.
Titan stayed composed and clearly explained his reasoning.
"Well, my pack hasn't been going after Ayla because of me. My Luna asked me to keep an eye on you so she could stay in the loop with what everyone else knew. I know it wasn't part of the plan to come here, but I just wanted to make sure you were safe."
Guilt showed on his face as he glanced down.
"So you knew who we were the whole time, then, even before the scent game?" Ayla asked.
"I did. I knew who you were before you left Scarlet Crest, maybe not all of you, but yeah," he admitted.
Ayla felt a rush of intense emotions wash over him, with desperation outweighing everything else, yet his honesty remained clear.
Raphael chimed in with his two cents at that moment.
"Honestly, I wouldn't have believed you, or trusted you, if you claimed they had no interest in her."
That comforted Titan about his confession, and he went on.
"Yeah, they sent me to observe and collect information, but as far as I know, no one in my pack actually knows anything about Ayla, aside from your name. And that is only certain high-up individuals, to my knowledge. I was always careful to keep my reports very limited."
Ayla wondered what his plan was after that, but even more, why he had never shared what he'd learned about her.
"I'm all ears. So, what's this grand plan you've got? We are running out of time."
Titan gave a sly smirk.
"What if I came up with a fake name for you to use, something simple for all of us to remember while we're here? We could say you're just a random wolf passing through, like the others. Now, all of you have become my friends."
They glanced at one another.
Ayla took a step back to rejoin the others.
"What name would you like me to use for you, since it seems you already have it all figured out?"
"Raya. It's close to your real name. The best fake names are the ones that sound like the real thing, making them easy to remember. They just roll off the tongue. Raya."
There was a faint twinkle in his eye as he spoke, as if there was more on his mind that he didn't dare to say out loud.
Phoenix gave a casual shrug.
"Raya, I can remember that easily. I like it too, but it's up to Ayla. What's the plan if we go in? It needs to be more than just a fake name."
"I've already had my head guard prepare four rooms next to mine in the packhouse. If you'd rather not stay there, we can head back into the thicket or find a cave for the night to get some rest. It's completely your choice, but honestly, I think the packhouse is the safest option."
Raphael wore a puzzled expression.
"Why is that considered the safest option?"
Then Ayla spoke up.
"It's probably related to the warning he received when we first entered the thicket. Am I right?"
Titan nodded.
"Kind of. Right now, I'm sure we can make it into my pack house without crossing paths with Orion's men. I can't guarantee the same if we head off in any other direction."
After gaining more information, Phoenix found himself with a lot of questions.
"So, we're safe for now. But what happens when we leave? If word gets out that we're here, won't that make it harder to get home? What if we end up stuck here? Is that really your plan?"
Ayla glanced at Titan, eager to find out the answer for herself.
"That's not my plan, but it could turn out that way. I can't say what will happen if we go to Crescent Moon, and I can't say what will happen if we don't. What I can promise is that I'll do my best to protect all of you, no matter what you decide. My goal is simply to offer the best options and support you in whatever choice you make. If you want to head back through the Burgundies, then that's where we'll go."
The five of them retreated toward the thicket to talk over their next move, putting some distance between themselves and Titan.
For a few moments, there were hushed whispers, so quiet that Titan couldn't catch what they were saying.
After a brief, tense pause, Raphael stepped out from the small group, with Phoenix right behind him.
Julius followed behind the group, as though keeping watch over the girls.
Raphael was the one who spoke up.
"The three of us will head into the open area to scout around, making sure it's truly clear before the girls and Julius step out from the safety of the thickets."
Titan nodded and turned to lead the way.
Ayla had a question she was eager to have answered: "Titan, why do you call the Forbidden Thicket the Burgundy Thicket or the Burgundies?"
"Because so many wolves end up bleeding when they try to enter, most never make it back out, and those that do are barely alive. The thickets are stained with the blood of wolves."
After a few moments, as Ayla, Julius, and Rhae cautiously scanned their surroundings while in the thicket and the others scanned the clearing to ensure it was secure, Phoenix gave a short howl to signal the all-clear, letting the three remaining members know it was safe to step into the open.
Just as they stepped out into the supposedly safe clearing, a thick, musky fog began to seep into the thicket from the direction they had just left.
"RUN! NOW!" Raphael yelled out to them.
Julius turned and saw the fog-like smoke closing in on them, as if it were chasing them, and repeated Raphael's words to the girls.
Now, the once cautious wolves in human form were sprinting at full speed toward the mountains just ahead.
The worry that had kept them from heading to Crescent Moon Mountain had faded, replaced by the fear of whatever was now chasing them.
It must have been the witch who sent them to the thicket in the first place.
Ayla knew that she was up to something, but what kind of game was she playing, and what would the fog do if it reached them?
Hopefully, they wouldn't have to find out as they sprinted with all they had, right on Titan's heels.
Luckily, they didn't have much farther to go before reaching the mountain, and then it was just a matter of climbing over it.
At least, that's what Ayla figured.
As they ascended through the lower levels of the Crescent Moon Mountains, Titan guided them to a hidden spot that only revealed itself once they were surrounded by the dense rocks and scattered rubble.
As they ran, he led them to what seemed to be a hidden cave.
Ayla was the first to chastise him, "No offense, Titan, but the fog will be creeping in here any minute. We can't just sit around like cows to the slaughter and hope it passes."
Titan shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Just keep following me," he said.
To their surprise, he led them to what they assumed was the cave's end, but it stretched on farther.
With everyone's eyes glowing as their wolf senses kicked in, they realized there was no back wall to it after all.
They kept moving forward as the path gradually transformed into a tunnel that widened slightly the farther they went.
Titan led them along a shortcut.
He had discovered a clever way to slip in and out of his pack that kept them hidden from the others.
He truly had a plan to keep them safe, or at least the desire to.
Through Ayla's bite bond, Titan felt the tension ease slightly, and it lifted his spirits as well.
He realized that meant she was beginning to trust him, even if only a bit.
Before long, they emerged from the other side of the mountain, leaving the fog behind and venturing deep into Crescent Moon territory.
Ayla and the others were getting anxious again, unsure of what would happen next.
They found themselves once again in a foreign pack, and the last experience hadn't ended well for two members of their group.
"The packhouse is just a short walk from here, right up this way. Let's get moving before anyone spots you. Follow me and stick the shadows. Come on."
He took Ayla's hand and rushed down the path toward a pack house styled much like the Moonlight Shifters'.
Titan glanced over his shoulder.
"You've got this, Raya," he said, guiding them along the outskirts of the town toward their destination, reminding them that she was no longer the wolf that everyone was hunting.
A smile fought to break free on her lips, but he felt the slight feeling of satisfaction flutter through her at being someone new.
The mountain packs seemed to use the terrain to their advantage, and being the largest of them all, Titans' packhouse was actually bigger and just a touch more grand.
Tucked away on the far side of the mountain, they managed to make it a little more elegant and elaborate than the other two packs.
The first thing Ayla noticed was the use of water wheels, solar panels, windmills, and other devices to generate small amounts of energy for lights, homes, and other simple needs.
They were more efficient than the other pack they'd visited, but also better hidden.
She gazed at Titan with a look of curiosity.
Was he and his pack really that different from the others?
Had she been too quick to judge him?
For now, she kept her thoughts to herself, followed him into his home, and let it take her breath away.
It was crafted for royalty.
The Moon Goddess herself might have once called that place home.
Light blues, dark blues, whites, diamonds, sapphires, and every shade reminiscent of the stars, the moon, and its hues found themselves within the walls, the window cutouts, and the furniture.
She barely had time to take it all in as Titan rushed them toward their rooms to hide.
He had promised they'd be safe and stay under the radar, and he was doing everything he could to make sure of it.
When they reached the first room, he basically pushed Raphael and Rhae inside.
They didn't complain, either.
The nearby table piled high with food immediately caught their attention.
Rhae's gaze was locked on the large porcelain claw-foot tub in the far corner, steaming and surrounded by candles.
At that moment, neither of them noticed the massive king-size bed on the other side of the room, but Titan was certain they eventually would.
The next room belonged to Phoenix, followed by Julius's.
Before they entered the next room, he stopped for a moment.
"I wanted you to feel at ease, without any pressure to react a certain way. After the past few days, I thought it would be best for you to have some time apart from me. This is your room for tonight, and I'll be right across the hall if you need anything."
Ayla gave him a look that suggested she thought he was a bit crazy.
"Why are you explaining that you're giving me my own room? You didn't think I planned to… Did you think I was… Titan, I didn't think you were keeping me in your room. You said you had four rooms prepared."
Titan gave a quick cough to clear his throat.
"I know, I just wanted to explain why. If I assumed you were staying with me, that would make me the jerk, right?"
He smirked and said, "You're more than welcome to do so, but no funny business, of course."
Ayla gave an exaggerated eye roll.
"If I have the overwhelming sensation that I just have to see you, need to see you, and can't sleep without your touch, I know exactly where to find you," she remarked sarcastically, glancing toward the door of his room.
He gave a nod and pushed open the door to her room.
She walked in, and he trailed right behind her.
"What are you doing?"
Titan gave her a coy, devilish grin.
"I just couldn't stand being apart from you, so I had to come see you. Would it be alright if I helped you with your bath?"
Ayla sighed playfully.
She realized her words were coming back to haunt her.
"That depends. No funny business, right? Are you just offering to help me bathe, or is there something else you have in mind?"
Titan's cheek lifted as one side of his mouth curled into a playful smirk.
"I just want to help you take a bath. Let's make it a mutual thing: you help me, and I help you."
Titan stepped into the tub, steam curling up around him as he settled in.
"You never mentioned anything about taking a bath with me."
"How else am I supposed to get you nice and clean? Come on, let's hop in."
Ayla had never seen anything more enticing than Titan lounging in the bath, white lily petals drifting around him, the air filled with a fresh citrus scent, as he waited for her to join him.
It was as if they had captured his very essence and infused it into the steaming water for her to inhale, sending her wolf into a frenzy despite her best efforts to keep it under control.
After a moment, she sighed in defeat and climbed in after him.
At first, she sat on the far side of the tub, facing him, but that arrangement didn't suit Titan.
He took her hand and drew her close, spinning her around as he did.
"Much better. Now I can clean you. Pass me the sponge."
"Bossy much."
"Never. Now pass me the sponge, or I'll just use my hands and whatever else I have at my disposal for each place that needs cleaning."
Ayla didn't wait another moment.
She quickly snatched up the sponge and passed it to him.
"Good girl. Now, lean back so I can clean your front."
Ayla leaned back against him and gave him an exaggerated eye roll.
Titan raised an eyebrow and pinched her nipple.
"I'm pampering you. Stop being a brat."
She cut her eyes at him, and he narrowed his at her.
He pinched her nipple again as she gave a cross between a moan and almost a little squeal.
"No funny business, Titan!"
"Right," he said as he cleared his throat.
Then he started to rub the sponge over her chest, down one arm, back across her chest, making sure to go over every inch of both her breasts slowly, swirling the sponge over each one, then down the center of her stomach.
A sensation stronger than any she had felt with him yet began to take over her, inch by inch of her skin being washed over and touched with just the right pressure, making every drop of blood running through her veins, every nerve in her body come alive.
Titan continued to rub the sponge over every inch of her, returning to her stomach, then back down the center of her stomach until he was between her thighs with it.
He was kissing her collarbone and giving her bites gently and licking gently up her neck, to her ear.
Then, moving to her ear, teasing her with each gentle nibble along the curve of her lobe.
When he began to rub the sponge between her thighs, she opened her legs on instinct and began rubbing backwards against him slowly, as he was now feeling everything she was and just as deeply.
Her rubbing against him was getting to be too much for him to handle, as he was now just rubbing his fingers against her, no sponge in sight, and he slipped two fingers inside of her and started to pleasure her with slow, steady motions to start.
Lost in the feeling, Ayla turned herself over to face Titan, straddling him at that, and rolling her hips while he fingered her, kissing him with the passion that burned deep within her.
As he continued, she took a hand and grabbed his appendage and started moving her hand up and down, matching his movement inside of her.
When he sped up, she did, and now he was losing himself in her touch.
She was too, as she started kissing up his neck, making her way back to his mouth and his soft, supple, perfect lips.
Her body was on fire with desire.
Ayla was on the verge of climaxing as he broke free from her kiss and started making his way down her neck to her collarbone.
He was desperate to sink his fangs into her, but she hadn't given him permission yet.
"Fuck Me. Please. I want you so bad, please fuck me."
Titan didn't need to hear another word.
A second later, he was lined up and at her entrance.
Sinking into her, he let out a soft, deep, sinful moan, forcing himself all the way in as she let out a pleasurable moan.
She felt more amazing than he ever thought possible, as he grabbed her hips and helped her ride up and down him, his hands grasping her hips harder than he realized as he pulled her down over and over into his thrusts to magnify the impact.
Water splashed everywhere around them as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge.
As he was to finally get what he wanted, nearing his climax, he started to kiss down her neck to her collarbone, passionately, and his wolf instinct took over before he could stop it.
Ayla moaned louder than she ever had.
His fangs were deep in her collarbone as his penis was deep inside her, and they orgasmed at the same time due to the bond that surged through them, the sensations that were released while he thrust at the same time as the bite sank into her with the venom.
More than that, the bite was causing something neither of them had anticipated.
She hadn't given him permission, though!