Chapter 10
“If we are riding in a cop car, can I please ride in the back,” Jade asked with a bat of her eyelashes wondering if he had a funny bone in his entire body.
“Missing your cage already?” Titus smirked as he passed her. “If you’re feeling homesick for constraints, then I’ll gladly handcuff you to your bed so you can feel safe enough to go to sleep.”
“In your dreams,” she happily informed him as she rolled her eyes and stayed a couple steps behind him.
There was no way in hell she was going to let that visual take hold in her brain. It irked her when he opened the front door for her like a gentleman. Once they were out in the parking lot, she wasn’t disappointed when he passed up the squad cars and clicked a button on his keys causing the headlights of a solid black hummer with tinted windows to flash.
When he went straight to the passenger side and opened the door for her, she crossed her arms over her chest and asked, “What am I… five?”
Titus let go of the door and started around to the other side of the hummer. “If the shoe fits,” he retorted.
“Funny,” Jade mumbled. She climbed up into the high vehicle and slammed the door behind her while Titus was climbing in the other side.
“Not meant to be funny,” Titus countered calmly. “It’s just a shame that you’ve never dealt with a gentleman holding the door for you.”
She looked away from him and her gaze was instantly drawn to the dash as Titus cranked the hummer. There were so many lights it would have won a freaking Christmas decoration contest. She watched as Titus flipped a switch and the low voices of cops talking to dispatch floated into the cab.
Jade pulled on her seatbelt. “And here I thought you were going to turn on some music.” She spotted the GPS and leaned forward, punching in the address of her and Sonia’s beach house. When she felt him looking at her, Jade slid him a glance, “What, did you want me too constantly say… turn here and here?”
Titus slammed the hummer in reverse. He was getting really tired of taking all the not so subtle hits from her. He waited until he was out on the road and at a decent rate of speed to ensure the little hothead wouldn’t get mad enough to jump out while they were in motion. He was either going to have to break through this bad ass routine she was hiding behind, or run the risk of throttling the person he was supposed to be protecting.
“What the hell is your problem with me?” Titus demanded ready to have it out with her. “Whatever it is, just spit it the hell out and get it over with.”
“You’re an Alpha,” Jade mocked as if he was a little slow not to have figured it out already.
“You don’t even know me,” Titus pointed out.
“What’s not to know? All Alpha’s are basically the same. They will use other people like a step ladder to get to the top… then leave them twisted and broken when they’ve drained every ounce of usefulness out of them.” Jade crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the passenger side window even though she could still see his reflection in the tinted glass.
“You’re right,” Titus agreed then smirked when she jerked her head around to stare at him with those beautiful pouting lips slightly parted. “Right for the most part,” he corrected. He couldn't hold her hate for Alpha’s against her when he had felt the same way toward Alpha’s most of his life. “Let me tell you a little story about the LA werewolves.”
“Goody,” Jade leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. “That’s all I need… a bedtime horror story to put me right to sleep.”
“My grandfather was the Alpha of the LA werewolves for almost a century and he was a good man for most of it. That is until a neighboring pack started moving in on his territory and they were heavily mob oriented. The way my grandfather looked at it… it was either join them or risk the pack being picked off one by one or abandoning him for the Alpha with the most money.”
“When he entered ties with the mob, it started a downward spiral. The descent took years but yeah, he became one of the Alpha’s you just so accurately described. My father hated what his father had become and hardly ever went to visit him, opting to stay as far away from the mob as he could. Then one night… he received an urgent summons to the main house.”
“As he entered the estate, he saw his brother, Anthony leaving. Their cars passed close enough that he could see the smug smile on Anthony’s face. He found his father alone in the study, still sitting behind his expensive desk. The only difference was the bullet hole right between his eyes.”
When Titus paused in his story, Jade didn’t open her eyes but she couldn't stop herself from asking, “And your father became Alpha… right?”
“No, he was next in line but wanted no part of it. He let his brother have it since Anthony had wanted it bad enough to kill their father for it,” Titus continued feeling pride swell in his chest for his father. “Once Anthony took over, pack mentality went from bad to worse and my father completely separated from the pack. He was often approached by pack members asking… begging him to come back and challenge Anthony.”
“When I became of age, they started in on me about joining. Several pack members even pulled me to the side telling me some of Anthony’s darkest secrets and asking me to overthrow him. When I found out about the slave trade, among other things, I went behind my father’s back and confronted Anthony. It took Anthony less than a day to decide I was better off dead.”
Jade held her breath wanting to hear the rest of the story.
“We had just walked out of a restaurant when we heard the gunshots. I was hit in the side but my father pulled me behind him and took the other two bullets meant for me… one in the shoulder and the other just inches below his heart. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
This time Jade did open her eyes and rolled her head on the back of the seat so she could see his expression. “Did he die?”
“Thankfully no, but I had it in my head to pay Anthony back… bullet for bullet. Not only did my father save my life that night, but he saved it again when he packed us up and moved us across the ocean. In no time, he had a friendly pack of his own and that’s when I saw what a true Alpha was.”
“If LA was that bad, then why did you come back here?” Jade asked knowing there was more to the story.
“A couple weeks ago, Anthony bit off more than he could chew and Micah’s extended family, along with the help of PIT, took Anthony out of the equation. Some of the oldest members of the pack contacted my father to get him to come home.” Titus smiled and shook his head, “Of course he didn’t. Why would he? He’s got it made where he is… the healthy pack he’s always craved. I had moved to Malta so he started redirecting all of the LA pack’s needs to me.”
“And you ran home to claim the title?” Jade asked not really knowing how she felt about that.
“No, I ignored the summons at first, until one of the messages that came through was about an old friend of mine… Micah. The night Anthony was killed, Micah was rescued from Anthony’s torture chamber barely alive. That was the last straw for me. If I’d been here… I could have stopped Anthony from hurting him. I came back to check on Micah’s recovery.”
“He seems to have recovered just fine,” Jade pointed out feeling like she was missing something.
“Micah should have died from his injuries. But, the next morning he woke up without a single scratch on him. No one has come forward to take credit for the miracle, but with PIT in town there have been many miracles. For example, a demon killed everyone on one of the floors at the hospital… including the children in the cancer ward. Wouldn’t you call it a miracle when all of those children revived… completely cancer free?”
“So, PIT can save anyone if they get killed?” Jade asked.
“No, it’s not that simple. Even a couple of the PIT members have already died fighting the war against the demons… PIT has asked me to stay and help out. I never wanted to be Alpha, but here is my chance to undo the damage my grandfather had done.”
“That’s a pretty big pill to swallow,” Jade remarked. She could have sat there and called him a liar, but she knew better. Wolves were very good at sensing when someone was lying and he wasn’t lying… not about any of it.
“Yeah,” Titus agreed. “I came back to find that half of the LA werewolves left the state when Anthony was killed and the demons suddenly showed up. The other half have split into two groups. Some went with Lucca to continue the mob ties and the other half was waiting on me.”
“I never claimed the title of Alpha, but as long as I’m here and can help PIT and stop Lucca at the same time… that’s what I’m going to do. It was PIT’s idea to take over the police force when some of the human cops were suddenly coming up against demons. With us taking the calls, we not only save a lot of lives that would be lost to the demons… we also have a legit way to take down the mafia starting with Lucca. I haven’t made up my mind if I’ll even stay once this mess is cleaned up.”
Jade bit her bottom lip feeling really bad for the way she’d been treating him. She could be a bitch on a good day but damn if she hadn't been a mega-bitch to him. If she really thought about it, all he’d done so far was save her from Lucca. Then he’d saved her again by forcing her to shift back into her human form when it was obvious her animal side was trying to dominate her psyche.
She gazed over at Titus and made up her mind not to be a coward and to stop hiding behind a bad attitude. “I’ll wave a white flag if you promise not to hit me with it,” she tried for a small apologetic smile when he spared her a quick glance before looking back at the road.
“Is that your way of calling a truce?” Titus asked, silently thanking Tasuki for the advice he’d given about being straight up with Jade. Who knew it would work wonders.
“Yeah… I didn’t know,” Jade felt some of the tension leave her body but now that she knew exactly what he was up to… and up against, she kind of felt like a burden and didn’t much care for the feeling. “When we get to the beach house, if you want, you could just drop me off. I mean, you seem to already have a full plate and don’t need the hassle of babysitting me. I have weapons there and will be fine. I could meet you back at the station tomorrow just like you told Tasuki and Micah to do.”
Titus stayed quiet for a moment deciphering everything she had just said. First, he pictured her in a bikini for the simple fact she’d mentioned that it was a beach house they were going to. He’d never thought to look at the address and had so far just been following the GPS.
The second thing that went through his mind was her in a bikini surrounded by a bunch of horny werewolves because she was in heat. He gritted his teeth in order to suppress a growl when his suspicious mind did a U-turn. Maybe she was trying to ditch him because she was in heat and wanted to go find someone to help take care of the craving.
“You heard Storm’s warning.” Titus reminded her. “He said not to let you out of my sight and he wouldn’t have said that unless he’d seen you in trouble with no one there to help you. He can’t save everybody but, if you’re lucky enough to get a heads-up from him, then you can bet your beach house that he’s trying to save a life.”
Titus shook his head feeling completely justified, “No Jade, I’m not leaving you alone… even for a minute if I can help it. I’ll be right there in the same room with you… even when you fall asleep.”
Jade quickly faced forward and swallowed. The beach house was only supposed to be temporary and her bedroom had a bed, a dresser, and a huge bay window with a cushioned window seat nestled in it so you could lounge there and watch the ocean.
“My room isn’t that big,” she warned.
“Then I guess we’ll be crowded,” Titus said stubbornly.
The memory of him in the crowded shower crept back into Jade’s mind to haunt her. She tightened her thigh muscles when the phantom feeling of him sliding his hand between her legs hit her hard.
Titus gripped the steering wheel a little harder when the scent of her heat reached out and caressed his senses. Needing a distraction, he reached over and turned the volume on the police scanner up.
They remained silent, concentrating on the voices coming over the radio. A frown appeared on his face when Titus caught the name of the street they were currently driving down.
He picked up the receiver without thinking and responded, “Dispatch, this is Titus. What’s the emergency at that address?”
“A young child who sounds maybe five years of age has called 911. He keeps repeating that someone is hurting his parents,” dispatch elaborated.
“What’s the address,” Titus questioned.
The dispatcher immediately gave the address and Jade’s eyes widened, “That’s right up the road.”
“Dispatch, I’m a few houses away. I’ll check it out.” Titus shut off the radio and leaned forward just a little bit so they could read the numbers on the mailboxes.
They slowed down and passed the home before pulling under a shade tree a few more houses down. Titus shut off the vehicle and checked to make sure he had his weapon before opening the door. He swung around when he heard Jade doing the same and reached out to grab her arm.
“No, you stay right here in the hummer. We don’t know what’s going on in there… it could be a prank, or the child could be right and there is a demon inside that house,” He cautioned, keeping his voice low just in case.
Jade lifted one of her eyebrows at him and Titus gave her a stern look. She opened her mouth to argue with him but Titus spoke first.
“I’m not kidding Jade,” he grabbed another hand gun out of the back seat and got out, almost slamming the door but caught himself just in time. Instead, he shut it softly not wanting to give up his element of surprise.
Jade made a face, “How do you expect to keep an eye on me at all times if you’re running off, Mr. I-Follow-Storm’s-Word-To-The-Letter?”
Titus glared at her through the open window as Jade continued her sarcastic whispering.
“Besides,” she continued. “I’m your partner, not your damned child.”
“Don’t move,” Titus growled and left her alone in the Hummer.
Jade smirked when she saw him run around the corner of the house through the side mirror. She opened the dash and her smirk turned into a full blown smile as she reached in and palmed the pistol, checking to make sure it was loaded.
“And you’re the dummy that left your child in the car with a loaded gun,” She finished with a nod.
She looked around to make sure Titus wasn’t watching and silently opened the passenger door. Climbing down out of the obscenely high Hummer, Jade slowly eased the door against the hinge so it wouldn’t make a sound. She then quickly followed Titus’ footsteps, sneaking around the side of the house.
She might have been a mob princess, but that didn’t mean she acted like one. That was another thing the males of her pack tended to forget… she knew how to shoot a gun and she definitely knew how to fight.
Making her way down the side of the house, she kept an eye out for Titus but he was nowhere to be seen. Coming up on a window, she ducked low and inched her way up to it. When she reached the corner of the sill, she flattened her back against the wall and slowly rose up, turning her head so she could get a view of the interior.
A hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and clamped over her mouth, pulling her back down from the window. She glanced out the corner of her eyes to get a look, but an arm slipped under her ribs and forcefully jerked her back against a hard body.
“I told you to stay in the Hummer,” Titus hissed in her ear.
He tightened his grip but removed his hand when she pressed her ass back against his crotch trying to break the hold. He instantly hardened. This woman was going to be the death of him and she wasn’t even trying.
Jade tilted her head up to glare at him then wiggled her butt, letting him know she felt his hard on. “I hope that’s your gun because I think we’re going to need it,” she whispered back.
“Why? What did you see in there?” Titus asked.
Jade shook her head, “That room is clear but I don’t have to see them to know something is wrong. They must be in another part of the house.”
Titus almost asked what the hell she was talking about but he was having a hard time focusing on anything except the feel of her trapped in his arms. In the back of his mind he knew her heat was getting to him but he couldn't stop himself from tightening his hold on her and lowering his face to the side of her neck. He inhaled deeply.
Jade froze when Titus’ breath tickled her neck and sounded loud in her ear, the sensation causing her to flinch and stare straight ahead.
“Titus?” Jade whispered.
Titus blinked trying to focus on the scent that mingled with hers. He could smell it now. Fear… and it wasn’t coming from Jade. There were three… no… four people inside and one of them was very young. This was no prank.
“You smell it too,” Jade whispered when he released his hold on her.
Titus nodded, suddenly angry with himself for being so weak and moved past her keeping low. He turned back and indicated for her to keep close without saying a word.
Jade moved silently under the window and followed him around to the back of the house. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the swing set and tree house in the back yard. Whatever this thing was, there was no way she was letting it hurt the kid. She stopped when Titus held his hand out behind him telling her to stop.
They both looked toward the open sliding glass door and Titus motioned his hand forward again. He stopped and held his hand gun up before leaning to the left, peeking inside and drawing back.
‘Empty,’ his lips told her when their gazes met.
‘Living room,’ Jade mouthed back and Titus nodded.
They slipped through the door and stayed low to the floor while making their way through the kitchen. The sound of a petrified whimper met their sensitive ears and they moved to points on either side of the kitchen door.
‘On three,’ Titus mouthed to her.
Jade nodded and Titus began counting down with his fingers. He’d just reached two when an arm suddenly rammed through the wall next to Jade and drug her through it backwards. She clawed at the arm around her neck and brought the gun up, firing off a shot that went harmlessly through the ceiling.
“What do we have here?” a demonic voice asked.
Jade’s eyes widened when she saw a man and a woman tied up back to back in the middle of the living room floor. The man had a large bloody gash on his leg and the blood looked smeared like something had been licking at it. She cringed away from the sight.
“Let go of me!” Jade yelled and started to struggle.
A loud, snarling growl was the only warning the demon got before Titus came out of the kitchen in a blur and leapt at the demon. His body stretched and his skin was replaced by the most beautiful silver fur Jade had ever seen. The clothes Titus had been wearing fell to the floor in a ragged heap and Jade distantly noticed the necklace Storm had given him remained around his neck.
