Raphael, Rhae, Phoenix, Julius, Ayla, and Titan were now standing at the edge of the Burgundy thicket.
Titans' words were setting into Ayla's mind as she tried to process them as quickly as possible.
"What do you mean you have a plan to stop them from knowing who I am?" Ayla asked.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow.
"Bro, you should have given us a heads up that you were planning on bringing us here. Especially her. She doesn't like surprises."
He was shaking his head now with his lips pinched closed, crossing his arms at Titan.
Titan managed to keep calm and explain his reasoning.
"Well, my pack hasn't actually been pursuing Ayla because of me. They have had me watching you, though."
Guilt was present on his face as he looked down.
Raphael added his two cents at that point.
"Well, honestly, I wouldn't trust you if you said they didn't have any interest in her."
That made Titan feel better about his revelation, and he continued.
"Well, yeah, they sent me to watch and gather information, but there isn't one person in my pack that actually knows anything about Ayla that I'm aware of. Well, except your name. I was always very tight-lipped about what I reported back."
Ayla was curious about what his plan was after that, but more so, why he never told them what he learned about her.
"I'm listening. What's this big plan of yours?"
Titan smirked.
"What if I have a fake name in mind for you to go by. Something easy for us all to remember while we are here. We claim you are just a random wolf traveling, just like the others. Now, you, all of you, have become friends of mine."
They all looked at each other.
Ayla stepped back toward the others.
"What would you have me go by? Since it seems you have it all thought out."
"Raya. It's similar to your real name. The best fake names are always the ones that sound similar to the real ones. That way, you can remember them. Rolls right off the tongue, too. Raya."
There was almost a twinkle in his eye as he said, like there was more to what he was thinking, but he didn't dare say it out loud.
Phoenix shrugged his shoulders.
"Raya, I can remember that. Easy enough. I like it too. Up to Ayla, though. What's the plan if we go in? It has to be more than just a fake name."
"I already had my head guard make up four rooms next to mine in my pack house. If you decide not to, we can head back into the thicket or a cave for the night and get some rest. Completely up to you. I think my packhouse is the safest option, though, honestly."
Raphael adopted a puzzled look.
"Why is that the safest option?"
Ayla spoke up then.
"Probably something to do with the warning he got when we first got into the thicket. Am I right?"
Titan nodded.
"Sort of. Currently, I know we can get into my pack house without running into Orion's men. I can't promise the same thing if we keep going in any other direction."
Phoenix had questions after he was now more informed.
"That means we would be safe for now. What happens when we leave? Word can get out that we are here. Would that not make it harder to get home when we leave?"
Ayla looked to Titan and wanted to know the answer to that herself.
"Possibly. I can't tell you what will happen if we go to Crescent Moon. I also can't tell you what happens if we don't. What I can tell you is I will do my best to protect you, all of you, no matter what you choose. My only goal is to give the best options and help you with whatever you choose."
The five of them stepped back toward the thicket to discuss how they wanted to proceed, away from Titan.
It was a few moments of hushed whispers, low enough that Titan couldn't make out what they were saying.
After a few tense moments, Raphael emerged from the small pack, followed by Phoenix.
Julius came up the rear as if to protect the girls.
Raphael was the one to speak.
"The three of us will go out into the open area and scout it out. We want to make sure it is actually clear before the girls and Julius leave the thickets' protection."
Titan nodded and led the way.
After several moments, Phoenix gave an all clear, short howl letting the three remaining members of the party know it was okay to step out into the clearing.
Just as they went to do just that, a thick, musky fog started to fill the thicket from where they had just come from.
"RUN! NOW!" Raphael yelled out to them.
Julius turned and saw the smoke like fog closing in on them, like it was chasing them, and echoed Raphael's words to the girls.
Now, the previously cautious wolves in human form were running full force toward the mountains just ahead.
The worry that was preventing them from going to Crescent Moon Mountain was gone, and the fear of whatever was coming after them had taken over.
It had to be the witch who had sent them to the thicket to begin with.
Ayla knew that she was up to something, but what kind of game was she playing, and what would the fog do if it reached them?
Hopefully, they wouldn't get the chance to find out as they ran with everything they had behind Titan.
Luckily, they didn't have too much farther to go, and they would be at the mountain, then they just had to climb over it.
That's what Ayla thought, anyway.
When they reached the lower levels of the Crescent Moon Mountains, Titan led them to an area that wasn't visible until they were in the thick of the rocks and rubble.
As they ran, he took them to what looked like a hidden cave.
Ayla was the first to chastise him, "No offense, Titan, but the fog is going to creep its way in here very soon. We can't hide from it in here like sitting ducks."
Titan shook his head, "Just keep following me."
To their surprise, he led them to what they thought was the back of a cave, but it kept going.
With everyone's eyes now glowing with the wolf senses kicking in, they realized there wasn't actually a back to it.
As it kept going, so did they, as it turned into a tunnel that got slightly wider as they went down it.
Titan was taking them through a shortcut.
A special way that he had found to sneak in and out of his pack that would help keep them hidden from the others.
He really did have a plan to keep them safe.
Titan could feel the unease wear off a bit through Ayla's bite bond, and it made him feel better, too.
He knew that meant she was starting to trust him just a little.
Before too long, they were coming out the other side of the mountain, clear of the fog, and deep into Crescent Moon territory.
Ayla and the others were starting to get anxious again, because they were unsure what was going to happen from that point forward.
"The packhouse isn't far from here. Just up this way. Let's go before anyone notices you. Come on."
He grabbed Ayla's hand and hurried down the path to a similar style pack house to the Moonlight Shifters.
Titan looked back, "You can do this, Raya," he said as he continued to lead them along the edge of the town to their destination.
The mountain packs appeared to use the mountains to their advantage, and these were the largest out of all of them, so Titans' packhouse was in fact larger, and just a bit more grand.
With it being hidden on the far side of the mountain, they were able to make it a bit more elegant and elaborate than the other two packs.
The first thing Ayla noticed was the use of water wheels, solar panels, wind mills, and other things to produce limited amounts of energy for small lights, homes, and other little things.
They were more efficient than the other pack they had visited, but more hidden.
She was looking at Titan with a curious disposition.
Was he and his pack truly different from the others?
Had she judged him too quickly?
For now, she kept her thoughts to herself and followed him into his home, and let it take her breath away.
It was made for royalty.
The Moon Goddess herself might have even lived there at one point.
Light blues, dark blues, whites, diamonds, sapphires, shades of anything that resembled the stars, moon, and its shades found themself inside.
She didn't have long to admire it and take it in as Titan did his best to hurry them along to their rooms.
He had promised that they would be safe and go unnoticed as much as possible, and he was doing his best to keep it that way.
As they came to the first room, he essentially shoved Raphael and Rhae inside.
They didn't complain either.
The table not too far in that was filled with food caught their eyes immediately.
Rhae was fixed on the large porcelain claw-foot tub in the far corner that was steaming too, surrounded by candles.
Neither of them even noticed the massive king-size bed on the other side of the room at that time, but Titan was sure they would.
The next room up was for Phoenix, then Julius.
When they came to the next room, he paused.
"I wanted you to feel comfortable, and I didn't want to pressure you to feel a certain way. After the last few days, I felt it was only right for you to spend some time away from me. This is your room for the night. I am across the hall from you if you need anything."
Ayla looked at him as if he were slightly insane.
"Why are you explaining that you are giving me my own room. You didn't think that I planned to…Did you think that I was…Titan, I didn't think you were keeping me in your room. You said you had four rooms made up."
Titan cleared his throat.
"I know. I just wanted to tell you why. If I assumed you were staying with me, that would make me the asshole, right?"
Then he started smirking, "You are more than welcome to do so, though. No funny business, of course."
Ayla rolled her eyes.
"If I just have to see you, and I just can't sleep without your touch, I know where to find you," she said sarcastically as she looked at the door to his room.
He nodded his head and opened the door to her room.
As she walked in, he followed her.
"What are you doing?"
Titan smiled.
"I just couldn't bear to be away from you. Would you mind if I helped you bathe?"
Ayla let out a playful sigh.
She knew her words were coming back to bite her.
"That depends. No funny business, right? Do you mean to just help me bathe, or do you have other things in mind?"
Titan smirked.
"I just want to help you take a bath. You help me, I help you."
"You didn't say anything about taking a bath with me."
"How else am I going to give you a good wash? Come on, let's get in."
Titan was climbing into the tub at that point, steam creeping up around him as he did.
Ayla had never seen anything more sexy than Titan sitting in the bath, waiting for her to come join him.
After a moment, she gave up and climbed in after him,
At first, she was sitting on the opposite side of the tub, facing him, but that didn't work for Titan.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into him, turning her as he did.
"That's better. Now I can clean you. Hand me the sponge."
"Bossy much."
"Never that. Now, hand me the sponge, or I will just use my hands and whatever else I have at my disposal."
Ayla didn't hesitate any longer.
She grabbed the sponge immediately and handed it to him.
"Good girl. Lean back so I can clean your front."
Ayla leaned back and rolled her eyes at him.
Titan raised an eyebrow and pinched her nipple.
"I'm pampering you. Stop being a brat."
He punched her nipple again as she gave a cross between a moan and almost a little squeal.
"No funny business, Titan!"
"Right," he said, clearing his throat.
Then he started to rub the sponge over her chest, down one arm, back across her chest, making sure to go over every inch of both her breasts, then down the center of her stomach.
A sensation stronger than any she had felt with him yet began to take over inch by inch of her skin, every drop of blood running through her veins, every nerve in her body.
Titan continued to rub the sponge over her stomach, then back down the center of her stomach until he was between her thighs with it.
He was kissing her collarbone and giving her bites gently and licking gently up her neck, to her ear.
Then doing the same to her ear.
When he began to rub the sponge between her thighs, she opened her legs on instinct and began rubbing backwards against him slowly, as he was now feeling everything she was and just as deeply.
Her rubbing against him was getting to be too much for him to handle, as he was now just rubbing his fingers against her, no sponge in sight, and he slipped two fingers inside of her and started to pleasure her with slow, steady motions to start.
Lost in the feeling, Ayla turned herself over to face Titan, straddling him at that, and rolling her hips while he fingered her.
As he continued, she took a hand and grabbed his appendage and started moving her hand up and down, matching his movement inside of her.
When he sped up, she did, and now he was losing himself in her touch.
She was too as she started kissing up his neck, making her way to his mouth, finally making it to his lips, and it was magical.
Her body was on fire with desire.
Ayla was on the verge of climaxing as he broke free from her kiss and started making his way down her neck to her collarbone.
He wanted to sink his fangs into her so badly, but she hadn't asked him to yet.
"Fuck Me. Please. I want you so bad, please fuck me."
Titan didn't have to hear anything else.
A second later, he was lined up and at her entrance.
Sinking into her, he let out a soft, deep, sinful moan.
She felt more amazing than he ever thought possible, as he grabbed her hips and helped her ride up and down him.
As he was to finally get what he wanted, he started to kiss down her neck to her collarbone, passionately, and his wolf instinct took over before he could stop it.
Ayla moaned louder than she ever had.
His fangs were deep in her collarbone as his penis was deep inside her, and they orgasmed at the same time due to the bond that surged through them.
More than that, the bite was doing something neither of them expected.
She hadn't given him permission, though!