Titus: Luna Lodge #2

by Stevens, Madison

  His chuckle warmed her, and she snuggled in next to him, her chin resting on his chest.

  “Let’s get back to the lodge, and if you want to spend days wearing me out, I’d be all right with that,” he said, his voice dipping low. She shivered.

  Something about the way he said it made it seem more like a challenge than a promise.

  He grabbed his phone off the night stand and frowned.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  He glanced over to her and lifted his nose.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she realized something wasn’t right.

  “We should put on clothes,” he said.

  She watched as he climbed out of bed, sad that their amazing time together had been tainted yet again.

  Kate gasped when she noticed his calf.

  “What happened?” She scrambled off the bed and gingerly touched the dried scratches.

  They were red and swollen. Titus hissed when she inspected them.

  “Pale Man,” he said.

  “Romulus,” she corrected and looked up to him. “That’s his name.”

  She grabbed a shirt and slipped it on. Kate went into the bathroom and wetted a towel with a little soap and water. When she came out, he was mostly dressed.

  “I’m fine,” he said.

  Kate placed her hand on her hip and stared at him.

  “You got hurt saving me, and you’re not even going to let me clean it?” She knew she was playing dirty, but she’d do whatever she had to in order to keep him safe, even if that meant keeping him safe from himself.

  He sighed and placed his foot in the chair. She lifted up the pant leg and proceeded to clean the wound.

  “It’s weird,” she said. “It almost looks infected.”

  She looked up and found Titus watching her.

  “It is infected,” he said quietly.

  “How can it be?” She stood and looked at him. “He just scratched it.”

  Titus shrugged. “He’s not just a normal hybrid. We don’t really know what he is but just that he wasn’t born hybrid like the rest of us.” He sat down on the bed, and she followed. “He was someone who wanted nothing more than to be a hybrid, so he injected himself. We assume he was a scientist that worked for the Horatius Group.”

  “But I didn’t think that was possible,” she said.

  Titus shook his head. “It’s not supposed to be, but he found a way. Those men that were surrounding your cage were a lesser form of him. We think he purposefully didn’t pass on his data, so he would be the best.”

  “But he’s not the best,” she said. “He’s weird and unsettling.”

  Titus nodded. “And now he seems to be mutating into something else.”

  “Your leg?” she said timidly.

  “It’s infected. I’ve felt it for a while now but not much I can do about it.” He sighed.

  Kate looked down to his leg. “But how? You can’t do that.”

  Titus shook his head. “We’ll likely never know. His aversion to sunlight is about the only thing we have on him.”

  Kate looked through the top of the curtain at the pitch black sky.

  “But it’s night now,” she said. Fear rising up in her.

  Titus scrawled something onto a piece of paper and handed it to her.

  He’s already here.

  “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen,” he said and handed her a pair of pants and a belt.

  Kate put them on. Her heart hammered into her chest as she pulled the belt as tight as it would go. Then, she rolled the bottom of the pants.

  She turned and watched as Titus made a call.

  “Just checking on that plane,” he said and paused. “Twenty minutes.”

  He glanced over to her.

  “No, we’re both wide awake now,” he said into the phone.

  She jumped when something hit the door.

  “Shit,” Titus said into the phone. “They’ve made their move. Send Lucius and go with Carter’s men. It’s time for plan B.”

  Kate peeked out the window and shuddered. Glowing eyes stared back at her. Movement far off caught her attention. The owner of the red glowing eyes paced back and forth like a caged animal.

  “Romulus,” she whispered.

  She jumped when Titus came to stand next to her, peering out into the dark.

  “I want you to go into the bathroom,” he said quietly.

  Kate shook her head. “What about you?”

  She stared at him for a moment.

  “I have to know you’re safe,” he said. “Please, Kate.” He bent down and kissed her. “Just go into the bathroom.”

  Kate went over to the fireplace and picked up the poker there. “Fine, but it’s not going to hold them.”

  She reached up to him and brought him down for a hard kiss.

  “Be careful,” she whispered. Something hit the door, and then, there was a knock.

  “Lucius,” he said to her. “Get in and don’t come out until you hear from me.”

  “I love you,” she whispered as he shut the door.

  Kate listened as he opened the door and went with Lucius to fight off Romulus and his men.

  Titus closed the door to the cabin and hoped she would be safe for now. If they could just hold them off, Apollo and Carter would be back with plan B.

  He glanced to the side at a dead hybrid and then back to Lucius.

  “There’s no way to win against him,” he said to Lucius and winked.

  It was better to let Romulus think he had the upper hand.

  “Although his men are no match for us.” Lucius grinned. “The Pale Man will have to try harder with the next batch.”

  “We know his name now,” Titus said as they stepped off the porch. “Romulus.”

  Lucius rolled his eyes.

  Titus had to agree. To name yourself after the mythical founder of Rome took both guts and a certain amount arrogance. It did explain quite a lot about the Horatius Group and why they had aligned themselves with a man who was clearly not right in the head.

  They were hoping for a whole new Rome through him. A whole new hybrid Roman Empire to take over the world. It had never been about selling them off to militaries but a plan to take control the world.

  “We guard the cabin,” he said to Lucius. “He wants Kate, and he can’t have her.”

  He spoke loudly and clearly. Romulus roared from the trees a distance away.

  The landscape around them erupted into echoing cries. Titus stood tall.

  The first hybrids sprinted across the grass to them. Titus had to hand it to them, they were stronger and faster than he would have ever thought, but none of them seemed to be considering anything like tactics instead of just acting on instinct alone.

  If his years of training with the group had taught him anything, it was that a great mind was worth far more than an empty shell, no matter how strong the casing.

  He watched as Lucius leapt to meet one of the hybrids head on. It was clear the hybrid had no clear plan other than to attack, where Lucius always had a battle plan. Each movement on the field meant something. There were no wasted steps.

  Titus turned to the left as a hybrid lunged for him. He grabbed the man by the foot, stopping his forward motion and tossed him to the ground. The man howled in pain as his arm cracked.

  He turned and snarled at Titus, his eyes devoid of signs human intelligence. There would be no retraining othese men to be a part of society. They were empty inside, and it was better they were taken out than left to harm others.

  Titus thought back to the tape and notes from Costa Rica. The Group had let the new hybrids do horrible things to innocent women.

  It would be like that for others, if they weren’t stopped. The man lunged at him, mouth opened wide as if to take a bite out of him. He tossed the man into the tree and heard the snap of his neck. He slumped to the ground, his body lifeless.

  Something turned in him. Something he hadn’t yet dealt
with. The death burned in him, and he wondered how far apart he was from Romulus if he was willing to take out a whole group of people.

  Titus didn’t have time to think on this as several more jumped toward him. Not putting as much effort into it, he kicked one in the head and tossed the other into the wall. Both fell unconscious to the ground.

  He didn’t want to be like Romulus if he could help it, and if that meant he saved the lives of people who didn’t deserve it, then so be it.

  Titus walked around the house, pulling hybrids away from the windows and knocking them out with a few well-placed blows. When he came back around to the front, Romulus had moved out of the shade of the trees. He stood in the clearing, waiting for Titus.

  * * *

  Kate listened as the windows to the cabin shattered and cracked. They were getting in. She could hear the men fighting them, but there were just too many of them.

  One had gotten in and ran around the room, looking for her. She rolled her eyes. They really weren’t all that smart. Silently, she sat in the little bathroom, knowing that the plywood door would only hold for a few seconds.

  She held her breath when he stood outside the door and sniffed the air. He would know she was in there. The handle jiggled, and she jumped. Kate clutched the fireplace poker in her hands.

  He banged against the door, and it rattled in the frame. She could already see the inside of the door cracking. He banged against it again, and it bowed heavily on her side. One more time, and he would be inside.

  Kate turned her body to the side like she was swinging a bat. She had one shot at this if she was going to take him out.

  He threw his whole weight against the door. It burst open. Kate slammed the poker hard into the man’s head. He dropped instantly, and she stepped quickly around him. Another man was climbing into the cabin. Without stopping she raced over to the window and hit him on the back of the head.

  She peeked out the window. Kate could see Lucius going from man to man, quickly dropping them as they came at him. Titus was to her left. Covered with sweat, he moved much slower than Lucius.

  He limped slightly, and she frowned. His infection was worse than what she first thought, or maybe it was just getting worse.

  “This is not good,” she whispered.

  She followed him as he took down men. Her heart raced when she realized where he was going. There, not far away now, stood Romulus. He watched as Titus struggled to make it to him.

  Something moved behind her, and she spun around just in time to jump away from a hybrid. Kate held her poker up and pointed at him.

  “You don’t want any of this,” she said.

  He snarled and snapped his teeth at her.

  Her stomach rolled, and she wondered if she could keep this up. The hybrid reached out again, and she dodged his outstretched hand.

  They circled one another, waiting for the other to make a mistake. He moved quickly to her right, and she stumbled. His hand came out and gripped her arm so hard she cried out in pain. Her stomach twisted when he smiled.

  Kate drew her arm back and swung hard at his head. The crack sounded in the room, and she stepped out of the way as he fell to the floor.

  She went back to the window and watched as Titus met with Romulus on the field. There was no way this was a fair fight. He could be macho another day, but she wasn’t going to watch him get killed just to prove a point.

  Kate raced for the door.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I told you it wasn’t over, Titus,” Romulus said.

  “So it would seem,” Titus said as he leaned heavily on his good leg. “You’ve been busy.”

  “Oh, yes, my brood have been hard at work.” He laughed. “I admit, you’re seeing some of my less fortunate in the bunch, but then, every army has to have those that will just follow.”

  “There are others?” Titus said, hoping that any others would have more of their intelligence left and thus perhaps be persuadable.

  “Many others.” Romulus smiled.

  Titus glanced behind him. The hybrids moved closer to the cabin, but there was nothing he could do for Kate.

  “We will find then,” he said. “They will know the freedom we know.”

  “Freedom?” Romulus scoffed. “Four walls and a military watching you? Angry, inferior humans who want to spit on you? You had far more freedom with us. Besides, you have only a few Vestals, and I will take them from you.” Romulus waved a hand. “Though, we we do have our own anyway.”

  Titus frowned.

  A broad smiled spread across Romulus’s face.

  “Sometimes they come to me willingly.” He shrugged. “Sometimes we have to be more persuasive.”

  “You steal them?” Titus spat out.

  “It worked for the Romans,” he said. “It also worked for my father.”

  Titus frowned. “Your father?” he said, surprised.

  Romulus laughed loudly. “They really did keep you in the dark. Well, old friend, let me help your with that.”

  Titus watched as he paced back and forth.

  “My father was a brilliant man,” he said. “He knew there must be a way to create men that were more than just men. More like gods on earth. I watched him work hard to create a new breed of man. One capable of so much more.”

  He stopped pacing for a moment and sighed.

  “But it wasn’t all successes. The first batches didn’t take. When he tried to inject his serum into grown men, they ended up dying very quickly.” He puffed his chest out with pride. “I was able to create in myself what my father was never able to do.”

  Titus stared at him and remained silent, hoping to glean any information he could manage.

  Romulus started pacing again. “It wasn’t until he started bringing in babies still in their mother’s bellies that he was able to find success.”

  Titus watched in horror. His stomach churned.

  “I see that look on your face, but many of those woman wanted to do this. They were well compensated, and many were one step away from abortion. In truth, you owe my father a debt of gratitude.” He crossed his arms expectantly.

  Romulus dropped his arms and glared at Titus. “It’s only been here recently that we’ve had to resort to other methods.” He placed his hands on his hips and sneered at Titus. “Don’t give me that look. It’s not easy finding Vestals,” he said. “We still haven’t figured out why you’ve had such good luck, but we’ve got someone looking into that.”

  Titus leaned over and growled. That was enough. He had listened to about all he could take.

  Romulus’s blood-red eyes focused on Titus, as if assessing the damage he had inflicted earlier.

  During the battle, Titus had gone from mildly warm to burning up. Though he did his best not to show weakness to Romulus, he was already having some trouble concentrating and keeping his balance.

  “I see my nails have done their part.” He smiled. “The neurotoxin should be kicking in here soon. I’m sure you’re already feeling the effects of my deadly cocktail.”

  He gave a venomous smile, and Titus wondered how much reptile DNA had been infused into him.

  “First, the infection will set in. You’ll feel your temperature spike and then chills. It will seem like it’s from the infection, but this is really the poison hitting your blood stream. You’ll feel stabbing pain next along all parts of your body. Last, paralysis.” He smiled. “You’ll notice limbs not moving like they are supposed to and then speech problems. Finally, your organs will shut down one by one. Rather painfully I’m told.” He laughed and stepped forward. “All you had to do was go to the hospital. Sure, it would meant leaving Kate open to me, but then, we both know who’s going to end up with her when this is all over.”

  “Like hell you are,” Kate said from behind him.

  She raised a gun and fired twice. Titus jumped out of the way and watched in awe as a bullet struck Romulus in the shoulder. He easily dodged the other.

  “You bitch,” Romulus hissed
as blood oozed out of his shoulder. “I told you what I’d do to you if you didn’t listen like a good girl.”

  Kate raised the gun and leveled it at his head. “And I told you what would happen when Titus got ahold of you.” She winked at Titus. He stared at her stunned. “I just decided there was no way he was getting all the fun when it came to you.”

  “Kate,” Titus groaned. “What the hell are you doing?”

  She glanced down at him as she worked her way in front of his body.

  “I’m saving your ass,” she said. “And where it’s a fine ass to save, you owe me big. And I do take payment in the form of sexual favors.”

  He barked out a laugh, despite the spreading warmth and pain in his body.

  “You’re going to flirt with him in my presence?” Romulus hissed at her. “I should kill you for your insolence, you bitch.”

  “Kate!” Titus shouted.

  “No,” she said loudly. “You should run.”

  Both stopped and looked at her. Titus wondered if the lucky shot had gotten to her head.

  Romulus laughed. “Run?” He stepped forward, and Titus ached to place himself between them, but Kate wouldn’t move, and he was in no position to move her. “I don’t think you know how this work. You see, I tell people to run.”

  “Really?” She glanced behind her. “Because I was just buying my friends enough time to set things up.” She shrugged. “Hit it!” she shouted.

  The area flooded with light. Romulus screamed in pain. It was echoed by the remaining hybrids as the UV rays burned their heavily mutated skin.

  “Kate,” Titus groaned. He fell to the ground, his fever beginning to overwhelm him.

  She dropped to his side, and he struggled to sit up.

  “This isn’t over, Titus,” Romulus roared. “This is far from over.”

  Titus turned to watch as Romulus and his men fled to the woods.

  “Major,” she shouted. “He’s burning up.”

  “Poison,” he rasped out.

  Kate placed a cool hand to his forehead, and he moaned. It felt so good.

  Titus tried to listen as people around him shouted orders, but the only thing he could focus on was how amazing she looked in the moonlight.