The Alpha King

Chapter Thirteen

(Titus's POV)

"Aurora, I need you to get behind me right now," Joesph said.

I stood my ground and looked into his eyes. "No!" Aurora growled. "You expect me to allow you to torture Titu like this? This is inhumane."

"He is not human, Aurora! That thing is a killer. Werewolves are murderers." Joesph yelled.

"Dad, I'm going to say this, and I'm going to say this once, if you stop us from walking out of here, I swear to f*****g god I will never forgive you." Aurora snarled. Man, she is hot when she gets angry.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetheart," Joesph said. "There is still so much that you don't know."

"And what are you going to do, dad? You can't kill him." Aurora pleaded.

"Aurora, this is what you were born into. I'm not going to kill him, but you might." Joesph smiled smugly.

"What? You're f*****g delusional, dad." Aurora gasped.

"This is who I am, Aurora. I'm a werewolf hunter, and that will be what you will be when the time comes." We all heard howling and other noises before Aurora and I could react to his words. Then my pack members in their wolf forms started to descend the stairs.

"Oh my god. Wolves?!" Aurora gasped, then I grasped her hand gently.

"Come on, Rory, let's get out of here," I said.

"I can't, Titus; if I do, my father will come after me with guns blazing. I can't put you at risk. I will come to find you later, Titus. Go, get out of here." Aurora shouted as she pushed me.

I had a hard time leaving her there, but deep down, I knew she'd be okay. I ran with my pack and returned home safely.

I woke up in bed the following day, took a shower, and lost myself in thought. The hate in Joesph's eyes was unmistakable. He hated werewolves with passion, a massive barrier between Aurora and me. We can't have a future together if her father tries to kill me. I know he will never accept our kind, and who knows what kind of secrets he's been telling Aurora? I need to find a way to show him I pose no threat to him or his daughter. Starting with my father, the future queen of the werewolves, having the blood of a hunter will cause some issues. Goddess, give me strength. I got dressed and headed to my father's office.

"Wait, your majesty," Dickson said, protecting my father's door to his office, but I threw him out of my way. "Wait, you can't- My lord, I tried to stop him from entering."

"It's okay, Dickson. Very few people can match my son's power and strength." My father smiled. "You're dismissed." Dickson bowed and returned to his post. "Now, Titus, you can't just walk into my office and just--" I interrupted him.

"A werewolf hunter captured me; I just got out last night." My father stared in shock.

"I'm sure you dealt with whoever did this." My father said.

"My human mate got me out, dad," I said.

"This conversation better not be heading where I think it's heading, Titus." My father stood up from his chair.

"You are the werewolf, King. Whatever you say goes." I scoffed.

"I'm not sure I follow, son." My father said.

"The wolves listen to you! If you could tell them, the hunters pose no threat," I said.

"I will do no such thing, Titus!" My father shouted.

"And why not?" I yelled right back at him.

"Because ever since this human you claim to be your mate has walked into your life, you have been blinded!" My father yelled.

"So if she were a werewolf, you would consider making peace with the werewolf hunters," I growled.

My father paused. "She knows what you are?"

"I was exposed the night of the ball," I said.

"You know the laws, Titus! You are forbidden to expose yourself to a human!" My father grunted.

"Well, the law needs to change!" I argued back.

"The Moon Goddess made these laws for a damn good reason, and it's why we haven't gone extinct. I will not risk the future of the werewolf race for any human!" My eyes glowed white, and Jamie was on the verge of taking control, but my father never showed an ounce of fear. "I advise you to reject her soon. I know you will end up without a kingdom, and I will lose a son." My father said calmly.

I stormed out of the office and went to the gym. I was punching the hell out of the punching bag. "Damn, just beat the thing off its hinges, why don't you?" Jack said. I turned around and glared at him. "Bro, I was just kidding." He raised his hands. "Titus, please tell me what is going on?"

"You okay going for a run, Jack?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I meant to let my wolf out," Jack said. We both went for a run in the woods as I explained what I had told my father. "The King said that?! By the Goddess, what will you do?"

"I don't know. You're my Beta; advise me." I said sarcastically.

"Well, there is no way I would ever be king in hell, so you need to keep your title, so it's not passed down to Erin."

I rolled my eyes at the obviousness. "What else do you have?" I asked.

"I think you need to talk to Aurora. For all we know, she might not want to be with you after discovering what you are," Jack said.

I scoffed at him. "Gee, thanks for the reminder, pal."

"Titus, you know I didn't mean it like that," Jack said apologetically. "You don't want to throw your kingdom away for nothing. First off, you need to find out what Aurora wants, and once you figure that out and find common ground together, you can start making rational decisions. Now let's finish this run and go home."

(Aurora's POV)

I was sitting in the gardens behind the house, thinking about Titus. I soon noticed my Aunt Freya approaching me. "Mind if I sit?" She asked.

"I don't mind at all," I said as she sat beside me. "I'm doing fine, Aunt Freya. If you were going to ask,"

"But how are you?" My aunt smiled.

"Everything is confusing. None of this makes sense, and it's making my head hurt trying to comprehend everything." I vented.

"You're right. It doesn't." Aunt Freya looked down at the ground.

"And did you know about werewolves this whole time?" I asked her.

"I did. I didn't say anything because it wasn't my place to tell you. Your parents made that very clear," Aunt Freya explained.

"This might sound crazy, but I want to know more," I said.

"We can teach you everything you need to know about them." Aunt Freya smiled.

"No, I-I want to see him. I think I still want to be with him." I smiled.

"Hold on a second, Aurora, you have seen what that thing is, yet you still want to be with him? Aurora, he could hurt you or worse," Aunt Freya said.

"He's not a thing, Aunt Freya. I know he won't hurt me," I said.

"Have you read the book, Aurora?" Aunt Freya gestured at the book in my bag. "They're monsters."

"This book? I said. Titus told me the hunters wrote false information to scare other humans."

"And you believe him?" Aunt Freya looked shocked and in disbelief. "Aurora, you can't trust that mutt. It's not even human. It's just an animal that has a human form."

"Titus didn't hurt me at all that night. Hell, he didn't even have a weapon. That night, the real monster was my father. He was the one with the gun." I folded my arms, annoyed. My aunt is acting like my father right now.

"Aurora! That thing is dangerous!!" My aunt stood up and yelled at me.

I stood up with her. "Werewolf hunters are dangerous!! Tell me, Aunt Freya, how many werewolves have you hunted and killed in cold blood?" my voice laced with hatred.

Aunt Freya turned around and took a deep breath. "Aurora, I lost count." She glared at me.

"That's what I thought. Go away and leave me alone." I yelled, and she stormed off.

I clenched my fist until I drew blood from how hard it was balling my fist. I went into the forest to cool off. I need answers, and I need to talk to Titus. I looked around the woods and got myself lost in my rage. I walked further into the woods and saw a giant brown wolf and Titus near him. I screamed and ran away while hearing Titus screaming my name.

"Rory, WAIT!!" I stopped in my tracks and turned to face Titus.

"I'm sorry how I reacted like that; it's just a habit, I guess," I said.

"I don't blame you," Titus said. "Jack's wolf is terrifying to look at." Titus laughed jokingly but stopped when he saw that I wasn't laughing. "Sorry."

"That was Jack?" I asked him.

"Yep, that was Jack. He's completely harmless." Titus smiled. "There's still a lot for you to get used to. So what are you doing this far out in the woods? Rory, it's dangerous being out here alone."

"I needed to get away from my family. My father shouldn't have done what he did to you. I'm surprised you didn't lay charges." I said, feeling ashamed of my dad's actions.

"Yeah, hi, my girlfriend's father kidnapped me and tried to beat me to death. But it's fine, I'm a werewolf, so I'm all healed now." Titus and I laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that wouldn't have ended well. Look, Titus, we can't pretend that everything is alright. I know I've been distant since I found out who you are, and I know you understand, but I want you to know that I still have some questions before deciding if I want to still be with you."

Titus got closer to me. "Ask me anything you wish, and I will answer them," Titus said softly.

"How did you become a werewolf," I asked him.

"Well, there are ways for a human to turn into a werewolf. Any injuries like a scratch or bite or through birth. Like me, I was born a werewolf. In a werewolf pack, there are several rankings. Depending on who your parents are or whether or not you have brought dishonor on yourself will decide what your rank is," Titus explained.

"What is your rank, Titus?" I asked him.

"I'm an Alpha. My father is the Alpha of our pack, and the Alpha is the leader. He has strength, courage, and dominance, which are needed to lead his pack." Titus explained. "I'm not an Alpha yet; I am my father's heir, which means I will become Alpha once he decides to pass it down.

"How do you transform into your wolf?" I asked him.

Titus hesitated a little but then spoke. "I have been shifting since I was eight, which was a bit early for most shifters. Most of us don't get our inner wolves until we turn thirteen, but everyone is different; we are either early, on time, or late bloomers. An inner wolf is like another personality, and they help us through our first shift. It's hard to explain how we shift; we do it."

"I read that you can only change on the full moon," I said.

"Those books hold nothing but false information written by hunters to turn humans against us. But we can transform wherever we want, whenever we want. During this process, we allow our bones to break and crack to form into a wolf, and it is painful at first, but after a few shifts, we feel nothing. My inner wolf's name is Jamie, and he has been with me since he awakened. He can hear you as well," Titus said.

"Now, I'm going to tell you something vital, Rory. Every wolf has a mate, and I found this out on the night of my birthday. But every werewolf is mated to another werewolf; our inner wolves meet before we have any idea who our mates are." Titus said.

"Okay, so what does this do with you finding me?" I asked him while I turned my head.

Aurora, I knew you were in danger that night because you're my mate.

Oh my god!!! I am mated to a werewolf?? "This is a lot to take it. I need some time to wrap my head around everything. And Titus, I'm still willing to give us a chance; if we can take it slow, I would like to--"

But then Titus' face turned red with rage, and he put me behind him. I wanted to scold him, but then I saw a figure moving. "Titus, what was that?"

"Stay behind me, Aurora," Titus said protectively. "Whatever you do, don't leave my side." I saw Titus turn into his wolf form. He was a beautiful white wolf with bluish-white eyes and confronted the other wolf, who was also white. I couldn't comprehend what was happening in front of me. Titus is a werewolf. Every time I tell myself this, I still can't believe it. Titus's wolf's fur was white as the purest snow; the sun's light reflected off it. He towered over me, blocking my view of the gray wolf in front of us. Titus was growling; was he warning him to back off? Titus then moved his body closer to me; I noticed two more gray wolves emerging from the trees. Titus was snarling at them with warnings as we watched the wolves circling us. Then one of the wolves charged at us.

Titus charged at the wolves, biting down on their flesh. Siliva mixed with blood as they tried to get the upper hand. Titus blocked my view of the action as well as their view of me, then suddenly, one of the white wolves bit down on Titus's leg. Blood gushed from the wound matting his fur; I fell to my knees while watching everything. Then the other wolf charged at him from his side and fell to the ground. The third wolf jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. The wolf clawed his face, breaking the skin and drawing blood. I just stood there powerless, as I couldn't do anything to help him. A tear fell from my eye. A terrifying howl pierced through the woods, grabbing the attention of the three gray wolves. I saw Titus use this moment to knock the fucker off him and then pin him down to the ground. Then Titus bit down on the neck of the wolf, and I heard a sticking crunch, then the wolf became motionless.

The last two white wolves charged at him. Out of nowhere, two other wolves jumped out from behind the tree, attacking the white wolves, and I recognized one of them. Jack?

"Oh, thank the Goddess, Aurora. Come with me." Erin said as she grabbed my hand and dragged me away from the fighting.

"NO, ERIN, LET ME GO; WE HAVE TO GO BACK." I cried and pleaded.

"Aurora, calm down." Erin slapped me.

"Erin, I have to know if Titus's okay! I was still freaking out. He was hurt."

"Titus will be fine; Jack and Danny are with him now," Erin said.

"But he was bleeding! He's-He's" Erin then hugged me.

"Breath, Aurora, breath." I took deep breaths while I was hugging her. "That's better."

I released myself from her hold. "So you're a werewolf too?"

"Surprise!" Erin laughed nervously. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. We all thought it would be easier for you if you didn't know. We're still the same as before, and would I still love to be friends?

"Erin, I would love that we remain friends, and at least now I can understand why you all look so damn perfect 24/7" Erin and I laughed.

"Well, now that you know our secret, this will be fun." Erin smiled.

I laughed and smiled nervously. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't have to hide who I truly am around you," Erin smiled.

"I noticed that Titus's wolf's fur is very different from the other wolves in the forest," I said.

"White werewolves are directly descended from the Moon Goddess. Titus and I are one of these descendants, so Titus and I share the same white fur. But for those who do not share the blood of the Moon Goddess, a wolf's fur determines the personality we possess," Erin explained.

"You mention this Goddess. Who is she?" I asked her.

"Have a seat 'cause this will be a long story," Erin said.

(Titus's POV)

"Bro, did you see how those gray wolves looked at us when we jumped out from those trees?" Danny said.

"Some gray wolves could have survived the Morning War 1,000 years ago," I said. "But those wolves looked like little pups who turned for the first time. What do I do!?!" I mocked.

"And then Titus's roar at the end to top everything off." Jack laughed.

"And now they know never to come back." Danny smiled.

"Erin, how is Aurora doing," I asked Erin through the mind link. "I'm sure everything has gotten her shaken up."

"Aurora is fine, but you should come over and see her. She's worried about you," Erin said.

"Okay, I'm coming now," I replied to Erin. "Jack, Danny, I want you two to ensure this palace floor is empty. I don't want any wolves tonight; they will all stay on the lower levels. My mate has gone through enough today and doesn't need any more surprises, understood?" Jack and Danny nodded. "Good, and that includes you guys putting on a shirt, you two. You will poke someone's eyes out, both men and women alike.

I put on a shirt and went to Erin's room, where she was calming Aurora down. They were both laughing. "Knock, Knock," I said.

"Well, I'll let you guys talk," Erin said, walking off.

As Erin left, Aurora slammed into me while wrapping her arms around me. "I thought I was going to lose you tonight." Aurora wept. "When you got hurt, I felt a piece of myself dying, and I couldn't breathe. Titus, I can't see you like that ever again."

"Aurora, you will never lose me. It'll be harder than you think to get rid of me." Titus laughed.

"That's not funny, Titus," I said.

Titus cupped my face. "Rory, look at me. I'm alright."

"Least my mind is at ease knowing that you heal at a fast rate. But that doesn't mean I won't worry about you. I have so much to catch up on," I said.

"And it will be my pleasure to teach you everything you want to know about werewolves." Titus smiled. "But for now, let's get you home."

Titus took me home to the gate, where we entered my father's property. "This is far enough." I stopped him. "If my father sees you, he will surely kill you this time, and I'll be powerless to stop him. Thank you for walking me home, Titus, but you must go." I covered his mouth before he was going to speak. "This isn't the time for jokes."

Titus gently moved my hand off his mouth. "I'll be waiting for you to enter your house, and then I will leave Aurora."

"Thank you, Titus. Goodnight," I kissed Titus, and he returned my kiss by pulling me closer to him.