~This chapter has an unedited version with a sexually explicit scene, which can be read for free on Radish Fiction, or on Wattpad in The Nitty Gritty which can be found on my profile~

Chapter 69

Full Moon

I opened my eyes to Titus running his thumb across my cheek.

"Good morning." He placed a kiss on my lips. 

Smiling, I buried my face in his chest. "It's cold."

Titus glanced around. "It's not too bad."

"You're never cold, though," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. 

Rolling on top of me, he placed a arm on either side of my head. "Better?"

"Yeah." I cupped his face and brushed back his hair. "We're married."

He smiled me. "This ring gets a bit tight when I shift."

I laughed. "I bet it does. If you want, we can get a chain, and you can wear it was a necklace."

Titus nodded. "That would probably be better. What about you?" Leaning down, he started kissing my neck. "You won't be just human for long."

"It's fine." I twisted it around my finger. "I'll figure it out. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be as big as you, and I will have to put it on a necklace."

"Ha!" he scoffed. "Werewolf hormones don't perform miracles."

"Oh really," I replied with a smirk. "What would you do if I turned out to be a dominant and was stronger than you."

He sighed. "Guess I'd be switching roles."

"Oh you poor thing."

I shoved him off me, and we turned onto our sides facing each other. 

"I don't care what you turn out to be Aden. As long as you're mine, I'm happy."

Moving forward, I ran my hand down his chest. "Than make me yours."

***

I woke to my stomach growling. Sitting up, I rubbed my shoulder. The scar was thicker than before, and I felt strange."

"Hey," Titus walked over with a bottle of water. "I'm not done with lunch yet, so give me a few more minutes."

Opening the bottle, I watched him slice up things on a cutting board. "I didn't know you cooked." I took a drink and swished it around my mouth, before swallowing.

"I don't. Most of it was prepared before hand. I'm just putting it all together," he lifted up a piece of paper. "Following your mother's instructions, of course."

The cave smelt like cooked meat as Titus flipped things on the small camp grill. I glanced at my arms and noticed some things were missing. All my freckles were gone. Lifting up the hid over my legs, I saw the scar from the dog bite was missing as well. 

Titus carried over a tray with two salads on it and set it beside me. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "A little weird, but okay." I raised an eyebrow. "Salad, interesting choice."

"There's meat in there." He grabbed a fork and moved stuff around. "Your mom made me promise we'd eat somewhat healthy."

"It looks good." I ran my hand down my arm. My skin felt very smooth, soft even. "My scar's gone, on my leg."

Titus kissed the one on my shoulder. "Only mark on your body." 

The simple touch sent a spark through me. I clasped my mating bite as he went back to the grill. My stomach started to get more vocal from the scent of steaks. 

"Is it alright if I start?"

He nodded. "Of course."

That was all I needed to hear to start digging in. Titus brought over the rest of the food, and I was ready for the second course. Titus skipped his salad and went straight to the meat as well.

He started laughing at me as I quickly devoured a thick piece of steak. "I'd say you're learning quickly what if feel like to be a hunger werewolf."

I wiped my face on my arm. "Sorry."

"Don't be, I made plenty. Rupert told me a few things from when Peter started the transition."

I glanced at Titus's salad. 

He grabbed it and handed it to me. "Eat it all."

"Thank you."

Grabbing a bottle of champagne, he popped off the cork and started to fill two glasses.

"I'm underaged Titus."

"Alcohol doesn't affect werewolves. It goes through our system too fast for us to get drunk on."

"Still." I poked at the lettuce at the bottom of the bowl.

"I have your mother's permission." He offered me the glass.

I took it from him and had a sip. It tasted alright. "Well if she said so." I drank the rest of it.

 We finished dinner, and Titus went to grab dessert. I was surprised I was still so hungry. Never in my life had I eaten this much. My mother would never have to complain about my lack of appetite again. 

Titus placed the red velvet cake between us and cut a slice. One was far bigger than the other. He gave the sliver to himself and placed the large one on mine. 

"I'm going to be really mad if I'm suddenly anti-sweets."

He chuckled. "I'm sure you're not."

Taking a bite, I was glad I still loved the taste. I finished off the cake and finally felt full. Titus had only eaten a small section of his piece.

"Don't waste that." I reached over and put it back in the container. "I'll eat it later."

Shaking his head, he started to laugh. "Never in my life would I think you'd be finish a meal for me."

I shrugged. "I eat until I'm full. It just takes longer now."

Grabbing my chin, he kissed me. "Hmmm... you're sweeter than that cake."

Rolling my eyes, I started to clean up. Titus gathered the leftover and put them away. Once we were done, I started the search for my bag. I spotted it in the corner of the room. 

"Grab a swimsuit."

Nodding, I put one on under my clothes and met him near the ledge. I glanced over the side to see the forest below. Titus took my hand and led me along the pathway. The sound of waterfalls grew louder. We turned a corner to a beautiful sight. 

"Oh Titus, it's amazing." 

The falls stretched far across the cliff side. The water was a clear blue, fresh from the snow melt in the high mountains. 

"It looks cold, though."

Titus dropped his shorts and shifted. He stretched out his hand for me. 

"Where are you going now?" I asked as I climbed onto his back. 

"You'll see." 

He climbed down a very steep path to the river below. I was holding on so tight, I had to remind myself not to choke him. We reached the bottom, and Titus led me down stream. It was a wider sections and much shallower than near the falls. 

"I'm going to freeze, Titus."

"No you won't." He picked me up around the waist and set me on his shoulder. 

I just prayed he won't slip while walking across, and we both fell in. It only came up to his waist, so I never was in danger of getting wet. On the other side, he wandered off into the trees to shake off. Returning, he led me through the trees to the far side of the falls. 

I could see red rocks up ahead and steam from rising up from the water around them. The hot water was pouring into multiple pools, before it ran over the side of a ledge into the bottom pond.

"My god, you really do know all the good places." I started to undress. 

"Well my tail is practically frozen, so I'm going in." Titus climbed up the rocks and jumped in. 

I stripped down to my swimsuit and noticed Titus in human form floating in the water. It was just like back at Beaver Lake. The boy with no shame and no sense of personal boundaries, my shoulder dropped, was now my husband. I took off my swimsuit and hurried into the water. 

Swimming out to him, I grabbed his arm. "Can you touch."

"Right here. It's deeper over there." He motioned to the rocks he had jumped off. 

"I want to try." I swam over to the edge and climbed out. 

I heard a whistle and turned around to see Titus watching me with just his eyes above the water.

"Quit staring at my ass," I snapped.

He laughed and turned away. I caught him peeking a couple times, as I climbed up to the top ledge. I looked down at the dark water below me. It wasn't that high, but my heart was still pumping. Closing my eyes, I jumped and felt the air rush around, before I plunged into the pool. Swimming back up to the surface, I paddled in a circle and found Titus sitting under the waterfall. 

Going over to him, he pulled me up next to him. The water pounding on my back felt like a massage and help ease the soreness from this morning. 

Leaning over my knees, I sighed. "We're going to need to come back."

"Oh we will. This place is a favorite. My dad even even comes here with us sometimes."

"Does he act like a big puppy too?" I teased.

Titus shrugged. "We usually have competitions to see who can make the biggest splash. In the summer, we jump off the main falls." He pointed back the way we'd had came.

I shook my head. "This is plenty. I'm not jumping off one of those."

"Rose think so too. Storm right up there with us, though."

"Not me," I stated. "I don't have a death wish."

Titus put his arm around me and squeezed me against his side. "I don't want you to die either."

"Thanks a lot," I muttered.

"I'm a very caring mate, Aden." He winked at me. 

"Hmmm.... you could have fooled me."

***

We sat huddled together watching the last rays of the sun disappear. Dinner already put away we enjoyed the rest of the champagne, and Titus had been right; I felt nothing from it. I took a deep breath as the stars became visible. 

"When?" I whispered.

"When the moon is completely visible."

I sunk into his side. "It's going to hurt right."

"A little bit. You're body will adjusted though, and it'll get used to it."

"Today was really fun. Can we go back to the hot pools tomorrow?"

He kissed my cheek. "Of course. I want to see my mate splashing around like a pup."

I glared at him. "Not possible. I was never a puppy."

"But you'll look like one at least." He kissed me again. 

Closing my eyes, I enjoyed just being there with him. We were mates, husbands. The sky grew darker, and Titus shifted to werewolf form. I glanced at him confused.

"I don't know what to expect." He moved me into his lap. "But I'll be right here for you."

I curled into his chest. My skin started to prickle. "Titus," I said softly.

"You feel it."

I nodded. A pain pulsed in my chest. I gasped and clung to Titus. "It hurts," I breathed.

He cradled me against him. Bone and muscle shifted and cracked, moving into new places. I cried out and heard it turned into a howl as my face pushed out into a muzzle. I contoured as fur sprouted from every pore. My back arched when my muscle started to spasm. My eyes started to water. I kicked my feet and felt claws grate against the rocks. 

It had only taken a few moments with the aching pain lingered. Titus held me through it. I opened my eyes and saw my hand. It was coated in fur with a claw instead of a fingernail attached to each finger. I whined softly like a hurt pup. My fur was dark. From the pain and disappointment, I started to cry. 

Titus hushed me, rocking me back and forth. "It's alright. It's over.

"I'm not what you want." My jaw ached.

"You're beautiful, Aden."

"My furs dark," I whimpered. "It's not what you want." I curled into a ball and hid my face. I felt something run across my leg and jumped. I stared down at it. Half was dark and the other was white. 

Titus reached down and ran his hand along it. I flinched again.

"It's your tail, Aden," he chuckled. 

I looked up at him confused. 

"Would you like to see yourself?"

Nodding, I reached up and felt one of my ears. This was really weird. Titus helped me up. My legs were wobbly, but I managed to gain my balance. My feet clearly looked like those of a wolf. My heel had been yanked up, and I felt like I was walking on my tiptoes. Titus grabbed a lantern and helped me out of the back of the cave.

It was hard, and I kept falling. Outside I dropped to my knees and breathed deeply. I felt exhausted. Everything still hurt.

"I think we're overdoing it, Aden." Titus knelt down and brushed his hand through my head fur. 

It was the strangest sensation, but it felt nice. 

I lifted up my arms. "Just carry me. I want to see."

"Alright." He gathered me up in his arms. "Sorry, but it doesn't seem like you've grown any bigger."

I sighed. "It was wishful thinking to begin with."

He carried me along the path to a pond that branched off from the main river. He set me down. I could see myself pretty clearly in the water from the light up the moon. I had white fur and dark markings. The light turned on and I saw they were red. My ears splayed out to the side. 

"What's wrong?" said Titus, nuzzling my cheek. 

"I've never seen a wolf this before." I felt my muzzle. "I look so weird."

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "It's just the human influence showing through."

"I'm not pure white, though."

"No," he laughed softly. "You have some character to you."

I ran my finger across the red fur that came up to my elbow and knees. A splash landed on the middle of my face and wrapped around my muzzle and onto my chest. My tail even had some on the underside as well as the tips of my ears.

"Do you like it?"

Titus hugged me from behind. "You're perfect."

***

The second book is called Hell's Angel and can be found on Wattpad and Radish Fiction in it's entirety. Enjoy and thanks for reading :)