Chapter XXX

Voices harshly speaking to each other woke me from my dreamless sleep. Once I started to fully wake up, my ears registered them both as Leo and Atlas.

"Is she okay now?" My Mate's voice was heavy with concern. It nearly made me open my eyes but I decided to eavesdrop more.

There was a bit of shuffling before Leo's voice came through the room. "She is now. No thanks to you. What if I didn't come by last night and the man came back to take her life again?"

The vibration from Atlas' chest shook the ground and everything on it. It was enough to shoot me up from the couch thinking an earthquake hit.

"You woke her up!" Leo snapped at his son, coming over to my stretched-out form on the couch. "Morning Darling, would you like to get out of the house for a bit?"

His smile was warm and inviting. I look forward to Atlas, seeing him already staring at me. He looked exhausted still and by taking in his appearance, he had not slept. He wore a pair of shorts and his hair was going in all different directions. Sweat and dirt were all over his naked chest. He must have just gotten home.

I needed to make things right with him. Running away would do nothing but hurt him more.

"I think I'm going to stay home. I need to rest so I can get Celeste back sooner," I say leaning off the couch to get up.

"Very well. If you change your mind, let Atlas know," Leo ruffled my hair with his hand with a smile before walking around Atlas.

I couldn't see his face but the way that Atlas held a frown, Leo was probably scowling at him.

I stood with my arms crossed across my chest after Leo left the house. The weight of his eyes consumed me as neither one of us spoke. The silence was reassuring yet anxiety-ridden at the same time.

I already knew what he was going to say. He was going to apologize, but in reality, Leo was being too tough on him. I walked away first, I went across a boundary of his and Atlas did what he did every night. He ran.

"Do not say it," I commanded him and began to walk towards his giant frame.

His orbs soften at me coming to him. He pushed off the wall he was leaning against. "But I am. I know you said that I couldn't keep saying it. I just wasn't thinking, Everly,"

"I walked away first, and I pushed you, Atlas," I grabbed his dirty hand pulling it to my chest and taking the last step I could to be close to him. "I never should have been angry with you. I know there is a perfectly acceptable explanation that you can't tell me what is going on with you. I can wait until you are ready to let me help. You are not alone anymore. No matter what terms we are on, I will never leave you alone with your demons. I'm so sorry for last night,"

He looked at me with his beautiful hazel eyes. They held so many feelings toward me. I felt like I was floating and molding into the thin air.

"I am so lucky to have you, Everly Ford," He breathed and then put his lips on mine. The kiss was slow and showed so many things that he hadn't said.

He was struggling, and he needed me.

My hands cupped his clean-shaven face, holding him like he was the most precious thing on the planet. To me he is. It had only been a short while since we had met, but Atlas is my safe space.

He was the one I wanted to run to when I was scared or just frustrated. He was my safety blanket. The more time I spend with him, the more I realize that it is okay for him to be my rock. The challenge is that he needs to realize that it's okay for me to be his.

Taking his full lips from mine, his eyes were slightly darker with something I couldn't figure out. "Atlas," I whispered to him. An unfamiliar feeling was creeping up my lower stomach as my eyes stayed on his. It unsettled me in the most delightful ways, making me pull my lip in between my teeth with a blush tainting my cheeks.

"Don't do that," He gritted out in a stern voice. His tone just made my stomach flip again. The attraction I was feeling towards him at this moment nearly brought me to a puddle. "Fuck, Everly."

What did I do?

My lips went to a slight frown as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong. I didn't say anything so it couldn't be that. I hadn't moved from the spot I have been all along.

Like a mind reader he answers my questions. "I can smell you," Atlas grunts, taking a step away from my body. His eyes were nearly brown with the rush surging through him.

I wanted to die, but for real this time.

I didn't understand what was happening to me until now.

I was aroused.

Celeste would be howling at this and pushing me to take him now.

"Oh-," I cleared my throat, looking away from him and clamping my thighs together as much as I could without making it obvious. "I'm going to go," I pointed to nowhere specifically and turned to hurry away.

Before getting anywhere, I was pulled into the wall. My body lightly hit it and I was immediately pinned by Atlas. He released a humming growl smashing his lips back onto mine.

My hands travel to his neck almost instinctively. I felt his thick hands grab the back of my thighs and then I was in the air.

Wrapping my legs around his torso, neither one of us broke the kiss. My head was spinning as his tongue entered my mouth. He brought the emotion of absolute bliss and excitement.

My arms untangled from his neck moving my hands up to his locks of hair making him groan in satisfaction. "Everly" he whispered between his soft attacks. I sucked in a breath at his voice. It drove electricity through me making my hair stand on end.

The feeling of his hands moving from my thighs to my hips made my heart pound loudly in my ears.

Was this it? Please Moon Goddess, do not let me make a fool out of myself.

Air swarmed us as he quickly directed us to the couch that I had slept on. Pushing me down on it, breaking the kiss. Atlas looked down at me like I was his prey. It was intimidating but turned me on at the same time.

Celeste would have been yelling at me by now to not let him just throw me around like his toy but, I personally liked when he was in charge. She on the other hand is very dominant and would be challenging him every second she got.

A deep rumble left his chest as he leaned down to my face. He was teasing me. He knew that I was desperate for his touch and lips. He wanted me to tell him that, he wanted me to beg. Without Celeste here, I nearly gave in. Instead, I let out a small whimper tugging him on top of me.

Complying, Atlas laid in between my legs and used his arms to hold himself above me. This time, I was the one who started the kissing. He groaned at me running my hands from his shoulders down his naked chest.

The kiss did not last long as I expected it to. Atlas brought his tender lips to my cheek then to my exposed neck.

Leaving sloppy and wet kisses, I gave him full access while I caught my breath. My eyes stayed closed during his assault on every inch of my delicate skin. My body was shaking as the feelings he gave me buzzed through my veins.

A loud moan escaped my lips before my back arched into his hovering body. It was the most accelerating warmness that I had ever felt. My entire form ached for him, it practically hurt.

He had found my marking spot. I was fully prepared to be marked by him. I wanted it so badly, I just did not realize it until now.

Feeling his teeth scrape against my flesh had me trembling in pleasure. I tried to tell him to do it but my words just came out as whines.

Atlas withdrew from my sweet spot and looked down at me. I knew I looked a mess, but I didn't care. I wanted more, I needed more.

I shoved him with all my might until he was on his back. Climbing on top, I tugged his hair while moving my lips against his again. Instead of giving in, Atlas basically threw me off of him.

I yelled out as my back met the sofa and he scrambled away from me.

"We need to stop," he said through the thickness of his voice.

"What?" I mumbled the question and moved my fingers to my swollen lips. "What happened? Why didn't you mark me?"

He cleared his throat and ran his hands through his messy hair. He wouldn't even look at me. "Because you never said I could and there is some stuff I want you to know before I lock you into this mateship forever."

"Tell me and then mark me. Problem solved." I gave him a cheesy smile at the end which made his serious face tug upwards a tiny bit.

"I don't think it is going to be that easy, my love." He said as his breathing became normal again. "I just hope it doesn't go too badly. I just got you back..."

What could he be talking about? Did he think I would leave him?

My heart hurt at the thought of him being scared of me walking away. His eyes were set on the TV on the wall that was off. They were hard as stone and that just made me feel worse. "Atlas," I commanded his full attention.

When he swung his head in my direction, his entire presence screamed: "guarded". Grabbing his jaw and giving it a light kiss I continue, "I don't care what it is. You are the most magnificent man I have ever met. I would be stupid to leave you after everything we have been through already."

Instead of smiling at my compliment, his eyes drop and he takes my hands off of him. "You say that now. We will talk about it sometime in the future." He dismissed the conversation.

I felt anger arise from the pit of my stomach. I hated how he just brushed it away but I just told him that I wouldn't push him into talking.

Standing, I turned to see him staring at me with sadness written on his gorgeous face. "It's okay," I smiled and offered a hand to him. "Why don't you go take a shower and go get some rest? I'm going to have the girls come over."

"Are you sure? I can stay up longer." Atlas said, trying to please me after shutting down our previous conversation. He was just trying to make up for it when he did nothing wrong.

"Yes, go. If you don't go to sleep now then we can't watch Greys tonight." I point out.

He bit the inside of the cheek as if he was weighing his options but we both knew that he did not have any. "Just promise me that you will stay in the house?"

"I promise."

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