Titus: Luna Lodge #2

by Stevens, Madison

  Kate listened as the line clicked over, and someone from the studio picked up.

  “I’m saying this one time, you all ever try that crap again, and you won’t be getting a call from me. You’ll get a call from my lawyer.” Kate hit end.

  When she turned, the group was watching her wordlessly on the couch. Titus stood off to the side, and she glared at him.

  “You!” She marched over to Titus. “You march in here like I’m the one who isn’t being honest when it’s really you who’s hiding things.”

  Titus frowned. “What am I hiding?”

  “Oh, that is rich! Rachel told me,” she said. He glared at Rachel. “Don’t blame her. She only said something because we stayed together last night, and she assumed you’d do the right thing.”

  He looked down. “It’s not like that,” he said. “I was going to tell you tonight.”

  Kate poked him in the chest. “You didn’t think you should tell me this before we had sex? Or maybe after at any of the points last night?”

  “I wasn’t thinking about it,” he said firmly.

  She balled her hands into fists at her side. The nails bit into the flash on her palms.

  “I think you should leave,” she said quietly. “This is a baby shower, and we’re supposed to be celebrating the babies.”

  Titus looked from her to Sol. “Let’s go back to the office,” he said.

  She turned her back to him and didn’t turn around again until she heard the door close.

  Kate’s shoulders sagged forward, and she let the tears that had been threatening to spill slip out.

  “It will be okay,” Hannah said and put her arm around Kate.

  “I just don’t know anymore,” she said between sobs.

  Erica wrapped her arms around Kate and pulled her into a great hug.

  “I know,” she whispered. “He’s an idiot but an idiot in love with you. No question in my mind.”

  Kate cried onto her friend for some time until her eyes couldn’t leak anything else.

  “Better?” Erica asked.

  Kate swallowed and leaned back.

  “Is it time for cake or what?” She gave a weak smile.

  “I’m pregnant,” Erica laughed. “It’s always time for cake.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  It had been three days, and he was losing his mind. Titus had tried everything to get her to even look at him, but Kate had continued to avoid him like the plague. All he needed was a few minutes to explain to her that it wasn’t just the pheromones causing all this. It was her. It had always been her.

  As it was, he couldn’t even get in the same room as her. It was like she had a sort of sixth sense and was always a few steps ahead. But not this time.

  She had to drop off the marketing plan, and he was going to be there. Titus suspected that the women were helping Kate avoid him, so he told Jenna that he was going home for the day. It was easy slipping into his office and waiting for her to come. Everything about it was sneaky and underhanded, but he was desperate. He had to be able to at least explain himself to her.

  He could hear to clack of her heels as she came into the front office.

  “He’s not in,” said Jenna. “Just set it on his desk.”

  The door opened. He waited in anticipation on the couch.

  When she reached the desk, he stood up. She was wearing a short skirt and button-up shirt. It made him tighten with need.

  “Hello, Kate,” he said.

  The look of surprise on her face might have made him laugh at another time but not when he was so twisted up inside.

  She glared out the door at Jenna.

  “She didn’t know,” he said.

  Kate moved around him in the direction of the door. He stepped into her path.

  He could hear her breathing increase when he turned around and shut the door. The click of the lock echoed in the room.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  Titus turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide, and she once again had deep circles under them.

  “Just giving us time to talk,” he said.

  “We have nothing to talk about.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Bullshit,” he said and moved toward her.

  Kate backed up with each step he took.

  “You don’t have feelings for me,” she said. “It’s all just the pheromones.”

  Titus closed on her fast. She pressed herself against the wall.

  “Bullshit,” he whispered.

  “Would you have wanted me if I didn’t smell good to you?” She looked down.

  He slipped a finger under her chin and pulled up. “Yes,” he said quietly. “You smell good, but I’m in charge of what I do and who I’m with.” He smiled at her. “I’m not with you because of the pheromones, I’m with you because of all the other reasons. And did you ever think that some of this pheromone business might just be a reflection of how I feel?”

  She looked up to him. Her expression suggested she hadn’t thought of that.

  “But how do you know?” She blinked a few times, and he could see she was trying not to cry.

  “Because I do,” he said and gently pulled her to him.

  He smiled when she sighed into his arms.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said near her ear.

  She shivered in his arms, and he knew she had missed him as well. The longer they stayed that way, the more her scent intensified in the room.

  When she pulled back to look at him, he swooped down and pressed his mouth against hers. Kate groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Tell me you missed me, Kate,” he said as he places soft kisses along her throat.

  “I missed you,” she whispered.

  He growled when she slipped her hands into his hair.

  “I want you,” she groaned. His fingers quickly found her nipples through the thin blouse.

  “How do you want me?” He grinned when she huffed in irritation. “Wrap your legs around me,” he said and lifted her ass up to meet him.

  They groaned as their bodies met.

  Titus swung her around and moved swiftly to the couch. He stooped to set her on the couch and knelt between her open legs. Without stopping he pushed up her skirt and groaned at the flimsy scrap of lace there.

  He traced a finger along the seam and grinned when she bucked wildly against him. Not stopping, he ground his thumb against her exposed clit and slipped a finger in her. Her climax built quickly, and she shouted when she came around him. He could feel her walls pull him in.

  “Titus.” She blinked her eyes open. “Make love to me.”

  His heart raced. She hadn’t said sex or fuck but make love. Titus leaned over and took her mouth in a searing kiss. He fumbled with his pants and groaned when they came down and he was flush with her sex.

  “Kate,” he whispered and slid deep within her. Titus pulled back and watched as his cock slip into her. Her juices glistened on him. He groaned at the sight.

  He jumped when she reached her hand between them to feel him plunging into her. His slick cocked slipped between her fingers as he moved, and it only intensified the feeling. She curled her fingers to fondle his balls, and he pushed harder into her.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  He moved into her. Her hand slipped away and wrapped around his neck as she pulled herself up. The new angle let him push even deeper into her. He groaned as he bumped the end of her.

  “Now,” she groaned.

  He shook as he came deep inside her. Her walls sucked on him, only prolonging his own climax.

  Titus leaned over and settled on top of her. She sighed at the feeling of him and wrapped her arms around him. Kate had missed him. Regardless of if it was real or not, her feelings were certainly real.

  He kissed her neck several times, and she smiled. Though so big and intense normally, he was certainly very loving and sweet when they were together.

  He pulled back to look at her. “Come to my
house tonight,” he whispered.

  She gasped when he started grow inside her.

  “Okay, but I’ve got a meeting I’m going to be late for.” She smiled.

  “So be late.” He pushed forward slightly, and she groaned.

  “Titus,” she breathed out his name. “I can’t.”

  He sighed and pulled out of her. “Okay,” he said. “But my place later.”

  She nodded and cleaned up a little with the tissues from her purse.

  “Shouldn’t be more than an hour and a half,” she said.

  “Where are you—” He stopped when she pressed her lips firmly to him.

  Kate kissed him hard, cutting off any way for him to talk. The faster she could make her escape, the better it would be all around.

  “I missed you more than I could ever express,” she whispered. Kate grinned up at him. “I expect a nice long bath when I get home,” she said and quickly moved to the door. “With you.” She winked and slipped out of his office.

  It was better if she could avoid answering any questions. He wouldn’t be happy with her, and, to be honest, she really didn’t know if she was all that happy with herself. Meeting with her parents? She really didn’t know what she was thinking.

  But her mom had seemed so concerned when she’s talked to her on the phone. As long as she didn’t have to see John, it would all be fine. Kate could show her that she was perfectly fine and get back to Titus’s cabin in time for her totally lusty bath.

  Not stopping, she made her way to her car and climbed in. It roared to life and off she went. She really wasn’t certain what would meet her at the gate. After the last time she had gone out, they had put up strict guidelines.

  She pulled up to the man at the gate and smiled.

  “Hi, Ms. Walker.” He smiled at her. “We got notice from Woods that you’d be meeting with your parents this evening. Hope you can get things worked out.”

  Kate frowned slightly. That was weird. She hadn’t known that he was the one behind setting up their meeting.

  She gave a smile to the man and nodded. “Thanks.”

  The gate swung open into the night. The meeting was feeling more and more like a bad idea, but she just had to get to the bottom of things. It would ruin the hybrids if something happened at the lodge.

  She drove on for some time before stopping outside the little café. It hadn’t even occurred to her that she would be meeting in the same spot she had met Woods. He was dirty, and now she knew it for sure. Fear blossomed in her chest. She didn’t think this was going to go as planned.

  A car pulled up behind her, and one pulled up in front. She was boxed in. She sighed. There was nothing to do now. Likely they would have guns, and she had nothing. She turned off her phone and slipped it into the pocket of her jacket. If they didn’t know about her phone, she’d still have a chance later.

  Kate climbed out of the car and into the night. Several suited men climbed out on both sides. It was clear whatever they had planned wouldn’t happen here. One came up from behind and secured her arms.

  “You won’t get away with this,” she said to them. “They will find me.”

  She shook as she spoke and hoped her words were true.

  “Oh, I’m sure they will,” someone said from the car ahead. “Or should I say, I’m sure he will.”

  She cried out as a needle pierced her neck. The world wobbled in front of her as she struggled to stay focused on the pair of legs that had emerged from the care. Her eyes blinked shut a few times, and when they opened, she was faced with the piercing red eyes from the dark.

  Her head lolled forward, and she lost sight of him. Her body fell toward the glowing red eyes. His arms reached out to catch her.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered in her ear. Her stomach rolled.

  “I hope I vomit on your shoes,” she said quietly.

  She felt him laugh and struggled to stay awake.

  “I can see why he likes you,” he said to her. “You make a good partner for a leader. My partner.”

  Fear pulsed through her, but there was no way to struggle at this point. She had lost use of her arms and legs.

  Still not able to see his face, he passed her to someone. Her eyes were heavy, and she found it harder and harder to keep them open.

  “Place her on the seat next to me,” he said.

  She noticed that his voice came out raspy, like he wasn’t used to using it much.

  The man who held her roughly shoved her into the seat. When the door closed, it banged against the top of her head. She grunted in pain.

  The red-eyed man rolled down his window to yell at the other man.

  “Is that any way to treat my bride?” he roared.

  “Bride?” she whispered. Her eyes refused to open.

  His calloused hand caressed her calf.

  “You really will make the perfect bride after we get the stench of that man off you.” He growled, and then laughed. “Most grown men can’t last as long as you have with the amount we’ve just given you. You are tough, Kate Walker, no question on that. Yes, you will make the perfect bride.”

  She shivered in the seat as the world around her faded into nothingness.

  Only the word bride lingered in her head.

  * * *

  Titus paced in the living room of his cabin. It had been nearly two hours, and he still hadn’t heard from her. She had said she’d only be gone an hour and a half at most. It didn’t help that all his calls only went to her voicemail.

  “The gate men said they saw her go, but a new guy was working,” Sol said.

  His head shot up. “New guy?”

  “No one had worked with him before, but he had all the appropriate paperwork.”

  “Bring him to me,” Titus said slowly.

  Sol shook his head. “No one can find him now.”

  “Shit.” He leaned onto the back of the couch and hung his head.

  She was gone, and no one seemed to know where the hell she was.

  Carter stepped in the front door.

  “I came as quick as I could,” he said. “What’s the word?”

  “We’ve got nothing,” he growled. “She said she would be back soon, and she’s not. I knew something was up.” He ran a hand through his hair. “She was so quick to get out of here, and I got distracted when asking here what the meeting was about.”

  “You made up?” Carter asked.

  Titus shot him a glare.

  “Just making sure she wasn’t trying to get away from you,” he said.

  Titus shook his head. He didn’t think it was anything like that. She had seemed happy earlier.

  His heart squeezed. Something had to have happened.

  One of Carter’s men came in. “Sir, Woods is on the line. He wants to talk to Titus.”

  Carter nodded. “Bring me the phone.” He looked over to Titus. “You keep in mind that this is what he wants. Don’t say anything that can be used against you.”

  “If he’s hurt her…” Titus started.

  Carter held up a hand. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. If he’s done something, you can bet his hands are about as clean as it gets.”

  Titus nodded. Carter was right. Threatening Woods wasn’t going to do much good and could cause him a whole lot of trouble.

  The man came back into the room with the phone and handed it to Titus.

  “Woods,” he snarled.

  “Titus, I’m here with Kate’s parents, and we’re concerned that she’s not here yet.” He could hear the smile in the man’s voice, and a bolt of rage passed through him. “It would be a shame if something happened to her along the way.”

  Her parents? He frowned. She’d put her safety at risk to meet the people she’d explained didn’t treat her well. He wondered for a second if they were actively in on whatever scheme Woods had in play.

  “Yes,” he said, “It certainly would be. I know I would stop at nothing to find the people responsible and hold them personally accountable
in accordance with our laws.”

  Silence met him over the phone.

  “You can tell her parents they will have to meet with her another day,” he bit out. “I’m about to go find my woman.”

  He pushed end and passed back the phone.

  “Any ideas?” Carter said to him.

  “There’s got to be some way of tracking her.” Titus paced.

  “Of course,” Carter said, looking at the phone in his hand. “The phone.”

  Titus shook his head. “It’s shut off,” he said. “Goes right to voicemail.”

  Carter grinned at him. “The phones we’ve issued here have GPS in them.”

  Titus nearly laughed. Everyone had been up his ass about how by the book he was, but all his protocol was about to pay off.

  “I’ll have to get the okay from further up the ladder, but we should be able to trace her if she’s still got her phone,” Carter said. He sighed. “It’s a long shot, but it’s the best we’ve got. If we do this though, you can only have a small number of men. There’s no way my superiors are going to let a large force of hybrids deploy stateside. They still don’t want a large force of you deploying anywhere.”

  Titus nodded and turned to Sol. “Get a few men together. We get the call we’re going to need to be ready to roll.”

  Sol nodded. “I’m in this time.”

  Titus shook his head and leaned in. “Something fishy is going on. I need you to be on hand here. I have to go, and I need to know this place is protected.”

  Sol frowned. “You’re going to need me.”

  “I’m more afraid I’m going to need you right here.” He grunted. “Seems we might have a fox in the hen house.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The air was chilly when she woke up. Kate stretched and knew she must have been out hours for the ache to have set into her body like it had. She blinked her eyes a few times as the room came into focus.

  It was well decorated for a cell, with a luxurious bed and a rather ornate rug. She looked around. It was an open air cage in a large room.

  “Do you like it?” a voice rasped from the other side of the room, which was shrouded in darkness.