CHP.23-Tipping Point

We were quickly stalking through the house. Zeke leading the way with the rest of us following suit. Serenity flanked my left side as Lilly, Avery and Willow all trailed along behind the two of us. The closer we got to the front door the more I could hear Titus' shouts. He was obviously unhappy about being denied entry into the house as the warrior wolves worked to keep him and his men outside.

However, the second Zeke opened the front door and stood in the frame he quietened down. Smiling at Zeke in greeting,

"Brother, I was just getting denied entry into your house by these wolves and I can't seem to understand why." Titus forced the words out between his teeth. Frustration oozing from his pores yet he tried his best to remain cool in front of Zeke.

"He was just doing his job, I had instructed them to let no one in without my direct permission."

"I see. I'm also not sure if my nose is tricking me but I seem to smell a few interesting scents behind you. One, in particular, is quite lovely." It was his way of demanding to see the females in a politically correct way. He knew more had joined our ranks. He wouldn't be here with 5 of his wolves otherwise. Zeke grunted before looking over his shoulder at me.

He knew he couldn't deny Titus meeting them, he technically had no reason to. But still, the idea made him and myself uncomfortable, I could feel it through the bond. I nodded at him in approval, Titus would have to meet them eventually.

Zeke stepped through the doorway and onto the porch. I quickly stepped out behind him with Serenity. The last three trickled out the doorway. Lilly standing confidently and slightly positioned in front of her younger sisters. Avery seemed uncertain while Willow reeked of anxiety. I didn't blame her.

"Luna Cecil, Serenity a pleasure to see you as always." I offered a slight nod of acknowledgment while Serenity didn't move at all. Seemingly unphased Titus moved on to rake his gaze over the three females standing just behind us.

"Well aren't you three just something spectacular," he wasn't wrong. The three sisters were stunningly beautiful, he let out a low chuckle before continuing, "isn't Alpha Zeke just a very lucky man. So many lovely females in the one house." His passive aggressiveness had me wanting to release a snarl. His eyes shifted across to Zeke,

"May I go greet them properly?" Zeke once again nodded, again it wouldn't be logical to say no. As again, he technically had no reason to deny Titus. Titus walked up the stairs confidently, his eyes never leaving the group of sisters as he approached them. Reaching forward to grab Lilly's hand to kiss it, he froze. Her eyes widened. Titus whispered something so gently, that even with strained ears I couldn't hear it.

I nearly gasped. This didn't mean what I thought it did, did it? Lilly was quick to pull her hand out of his, taking a small step away from him. Her eyes stared at his, and for the first time since I had met her, she seemed somewhat, unconfident.

"Mate." Titus spoke the word out loud and my eyes widened. Lilly and Titus?

"N-no. No. I won't go with you. My mate was Isaac." Lilly began to back away from Titus. Avery was quick to grab her arm and pull her behind her body, effectively shielding her from Titus' imposing figure.

"Your what?" His eyes finally seeing the mark on her neck as the situation clicked, I could feel his anger begin to rise.

"Where is he? Where is the male who would take my mate? I'll kill him! Where is he?!" Titus' voice began to rise as he grew angrier. The idea of another male claiming his female driving his rage.

"He's dead," Lilly whispered, her eyes filling with unshed tears. Titus smiled as he heard the sentence.

"Fine, my mark will override his anyway. It'll be like it never happened." It was true, the mark of a true mate would always override a bond mate.

"No. I won't accept your mark. I don't accept you as my mate. Isaac was my mate and I'll never stop loving him." Lilly spoke softly, almost as if she was regretful she wouldn't accept her true mate. Titus stepped back as if he had just been slapped in the face. I couldn't imagine the sting of rejection he would be feeling, I would break down if Zeke pushed me away for another female.

The surrounding wolves were deadly silent. No one moved or made noise. The situation was tense and Titus was a ticking time bomb. Some wolves went mad after being rejected by their mates, and somehow I couldn't see Titus being exempt from them.

"No, you will come with me. You are my mate and once my mark is on your skin you'll accept me quick enough." Titus stepped forward to grab her, causing Avery, Serenity and myself to growl out at him.

He would not touch a female. My female.

"You will not lay a hand on her." I snarled the words out, feeling gold bleed into my iris' as my wolf joined the party. She would not have a female wolf in her pack taken against her will. Titus turned to glare at me.

"You have no say in this she-wolf. The female is mine, and I'll have her." My wolf snarled at the disrespect he threw towards us, degrading our title and brushing us off like we were below him. I was a Luna of the Bloodhound pack and I'd be damned before some wolf would disregard it. Serenity moved up to my side, aggression radiating off of her. She seemed to not like the disrespect either.

"The female is mine. I am her Luna and she is in my pack. You will not lay a hand on her unless you wish, to lose, the fucking hand." My canines were quicky descending as rage flooded through my body. Zeke grabbing my elbow with his hand. His way of telling me to calm down.

"Titus you will not take the female against her will. I forbid it." Zeke's words were low but full of threat and power. He was the Alpha here and it was his call. Titus' glare shifted to his brother, his eyes shining with disdain.

"No, I don't think you will. We are allies you and I. Equals, you don't get to pull rank on me." Titus' words oozed confidence and his eyes began to show gold. His wolf obviously feeling the same anger he was.

I nearly laughed at him. Zeke and him were not equals. Zeke was a true born Alpha, he had a larger pack and he was a more powerful wolf. To think he was equal to Zeke was daft. I would've said the words but it was not my place. This was between him and Zeke, and Zeke did not his female to speak for him. No matter how much I wanted to.

"Touch the girl, and lose a hand," Zeke repeated my words from earlier, his threat was heavy and his warrior wolves below growled out their approval. They would not stand for Titus to challenge their Alpha.

Titus' wolves let out a low growl at them, letting them know they would protect their Alpha should the need arise.

Titus' eyes shifted around the area. Seemingly assessing the situation. He was outnumbered. His wolves were outnumbered and to try and take Lilly would create a war. He blinked. And then he moved. His canines descending quickly as he made his way towards Lilly with pace. My body moving before I could process what was happening.

He shoved Avery to the side, her body skidding a few meters before slamming against the sidewall, the scent of her blood immediately filling the air as her head began to gush it. He continued forward, moving to grab Lilly before my body slammed into his from the side. Throwing him off balance. The whole event happening so quickly I didn't even realize what I had done until he was on the floor a few meters away from me.

He rolled his body, so that he was on all fours, his eyes shining pure gold as he stared at me in rage. I glared down at him,

"The female is mine," I repeated my earlier words as I bared my canines at him. Titus snarled in anger, the sound of his bones breaking filled the air as he shifted into a large dark wolf in a matter of seconds. He canines displayed as he charged at me. I could only brace myself for impact, I didn't have enough time to shift and I would not be able to beat a wolf of his size in my human form. Raising my arms to protect myself I waited for the collision. Only to hear a whine of pain.

Zeke had grabbed Titus by the fur on the back of his neck, seemingly stopping his aggressive charge a mere meter away from me. Even in his human form, Zeke was taller than his brother's wolf. Zeke growled, the sound so menacing I nearly released a whine of submission, before he threw his brother from the porch. The wolfs body skidding across the dirt before coming to a halt.

Zeke descended the stairs after him. Nodding to his warrior wolves who quickly apprehended Titus' men.

"You come onto my land. Threaten a she-wolf under my roof. Disrespect my title and my rule and then attack my mate. Do you have a death wish?" Zeke released a low chuckle as he stalked towards his brothers' collapsed form. I had only seen Zeke like this once before. When he disciplined the three wolves who had tried to rape me. But this time he was much worse. He radiated more hostility.

"Titus you are my brother, so I will not kill you today. But if you ever come onto my land again I will not hesitate to rip you apart. Understood?" Titus' stood up, shaking out his fur before turning and bolting into the woods. He knew he would not beat Zeke.

Not today, and not on his own.

Titus' men watched in disbelief as he left them with Zeke's men. Abandoning pack wolves was not something an Alpha did. Zeke approached them with confidence,

"You have a choice, follow the steps of the Alpha who abandoned you and die. Or pledge your allegiance to me under the watch of the Moon Goddess and join my pack."