Chapter XXXV

"We need to get cleaned up before we go to sleep," Atlas spoke up after fifteen minutes of us silently holding each other.

I groaned as I just wanted to give in to the urge to pass out.

"Not up for debate, love." He says gently pulling my head from his chest and getting up from the comfortable bed. "Come on," he pulled the satin sheets from my body and picked me up.

"Not fair," I grumbled in his arms as he walked us to the bathroom. "I didn't get a chance to run away."

"Helix would have loved that." He chuckled, setting me on the cold counter making a squeal leave my mouth.

I inhaled deeply and tried my best to adjust to the marble's temperature. "I don't think I could even if I wanted to."

I tried not to cringe when he walked to the bath and started the water. I couldn't let my... incident rule my entire life. Especially with the view, I got while he squeezed a bottle of bubble bath into the rising water. His sculpted back and bum made me feel instantly better.

"You know," Atlas said, turning to me with his hands on his hips after switching the water off. "I can do more than smell you? I can feel your emotions now. If you want to be able to walk tomorrow, I suggest you stop."

"Technically you mean today. I am sure it is well past midnight." I say trying my best to take the focus off of the new knowledge he shared with me.

"Right," He came between my thighs, eyeing me with a knowing look. "Are you ready to get washed off?"

I looked over to the bathtub again. I sucked on the inside of my cheek as I held the panic in my stomach.

I am fine. Atlas is right here.

Massive hands meeting my cheeks made me pull my eyes away from the place that held the substance that killed me. "I got you," he reassured me for the hundredth time today.

"I know, I am fine," I whispered and allowed him to help me off the counter.

Once my feet hit the tiles, he escorted me to the tub. He got in before me and then helped me inside.

The warm water made me sigh in relaxation. Bubbles wrapped around us as he pulled my back to his chest with ease.

Tonight definitely was one for the history books. Even with all the unfortunate things that came out, Celeste and I could not be happier at this moment. Don't get me wrong, Esme is going to get what is coming to her. Atlas could say anything that he wanted, I knew the truth. The naked truth. If I could not expose her then I was going to make her wish she had never been born into Phoenix Moon.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Atlas asked while trickling water on my healed mark. The water was then tainted by the dried blood.

"I am just tired," I lie, poking at one of the bubbles floating in front of me.

He hummed disapprovingly but left it alone thankfully.

• • •

Waking up this morning is no easy task, especially with a giant arm draped around my waist. After our bath early this morning, Atlas insisted that I go to bed. It came as a shock to me when I looked over at him and he was sleeping.

I waved my hand in front of his face to be sure and smiled at the result of him still softly snoring. I could not help but take this moment to appreciate him.

We had fallen asleep facing each other leaving me the perfect view. The satin sheets hung lowly on his hips making my eyes start there first. As they trailed him, I noticed a few light scars on his chest that I had never paid attention to. They didn't look too serious so I allowed myself to move past them to his glorious face.

With parted lips and light breaths, he took mine away. His features reminded me of nothing but innocence and comfort.

Carefully kissing his chest, I came from under his arm and pulled his shirt from last night off the floor. All but two buttons came off of it but I shrugged deeming it good enough for now.

Sliding my arms through the sleeves and pulling my curly hair from under it, I walked to the bathroom to see my appearance not even bothering to close the door.

My hair was an absolute mess but that's not what made me gasp at my reflection in the mirror. The collar of the shirt now pushed off my shoulder, I was met with four scarred puncture wounds on my neck.

My mark.

Celeste yipped excitedly and spun in a circle.

I snickered.

I immediately cut off the link when Atlas shot up from his position of slumber.

I held my chest as fear consumed me from the bond. He was scared.

"Atlas," I called out to him from a safe distance just in case he was tripping out like the other night. "What's wrong?"

Relief.

It came in waves when he caught me with his eyes. "I didn't mean to fall asleep in here. I thought something had happened when I woke up in the bed and you we're gone."

Finally exhaling the breath I was holding, I leaned against the bathroom door frame with my arms crossing over my chest. "Don't worry, you were on your best behavior while you slept. You looked peaceful, to be honest."

"That's surprising."

I bite my cheek as a thought comes to me. "Maybe Helix understands that I am of no harm now that... you know."

"That could be true. We will have to see if you are right." He said getting up from the bed and coming over to me. "You look amazing in my shirts."

I blushed at his compliment and shook my head with a smile. "You don't look too bad with my mark on your shoulder."

And Goddess did he look so good with my mark on him. It was smaller than his on me but it is perfect.

"Oh yeah?" He whispered, wrapping his arms around my frame and pulling me to his naked one.

"Mhm," I say, placing my arms around his neck. "It almost looks as good as mine."

His eyes light up with that. "Oh! Let me see! Let me see!" He chanted like a child and pulled his shirt away from my neck again.

A smirk planted itself on his lips as he stared down at it. "It's big."

"Yeah, well. You have a big mouth." I tease him.

He gasped playfully and pushed me to the nearest wall. "You did not seem to have any complaints last night."

It was my turn to gasp as I slapped his chest. "Atlas Lycurgus!"

He released a heartwarming laugh that brought a wide smile to my face.

Unexpectedly, his eyes glazed over, signing a mindlink. I plopped my head on his chest patiently waiting for him to return to the bedroom.

"Artemis needs us at the pack house for some reason. She said it is important." He mumbles with a disappointed sigh.

I wiggle myself from his hold and kiss his cheek with wet lips as I just licked them. "Why are we just standing around then? We need to get ready,"

He growled with my movements away from him and grabbed my hips pulling me into the air. "I'd rather ignore the pest and take you back to bed."

His response brought a blush back to my cheeks and I had no choice but to hide it in the curve of his neck. "Come on. It is important, I have missed enough."

"Just for you, my love." He reluctantly put my feet back to the floor. Upon releasing me he let out a groan and rubbed his temples. "The Beta of the Ridge Port pack is here," he whined stomping to his closet making me laugh at him.

"So?" I ask following him.

He pulled a white button-up shirt from a drawer and then a pair of black slacks from a hanger. "So, I have to wear a suit in case we run into him. I do not want to wear a suit today."

"Technically it is not your meeting so you could go with the 'Feminist Rocks' t-shirt."

An airy chuckle came from him and he shook his head at me with amusement. "You are something else."

"So I have been told. Race you to get ready first!" I yell running away to my room.

I could hear him laugh and then speed to the bathroom to carry on with his process.

When I came to my closet, I went with a safe option of a sage green sundress with little white flowers all over it. After throwing it on, I went to my bathroom and brushed my teeth while applying mascara to my eyelashes. That took skill.

I refused to lose though, so I did nothing else for my face. My hair was a curly mess. That was a problem. Taking my hair straightening brush, I zoomed through my layers of locks. It took fifteen minutes to get it at least decent.

Strapping my sandals to my ankles was the last I did before exiting. The quietness upstairs made me doubt my victory. When I walked out of the room to see Atlas bouncing across the floor mumbling curses, trying to pull on his last shoe, I threw up my arms in celebration. "Yes!"

"No!" He cried out like a sore loser. "My stupid hair would not work with me! This is not fair!"

"Awe, poor baby." I fake cried and walked towards him just as he got his shoe on.

He straightened his posture by the time I was close enough to touch him. His tie was pathetically knotted and his blazer was sloppily thrown on. I let out a giggle undoing his tie and redoing it. After I finished, I fixed his blazer and smoothed it out.

"There, now you look like Alpha Atlas Lycurgus and not a hopeless brute who got beaten by his mate in a race." I tease him and kiss his jaw.

His eyes narrowed on me with a glint of amusement, "You are lucky you are dragging me out of the house or I would do something about that comment."

"I am so scared," I whisper and step away from him. "Now let's go, I want to raid the fridge anyways."

• • •

By the time we got to the pack house, Atlas had me over his shoulder because I kept pushing him around. I was bored and just wanted to annoy him. I did not expect him to go all caveman and carry me. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful view of his bum and smiled the entire way to the door.

As soon as Atlas walked us through the threshold, confetti popped all over us and he set me down. I Just Had Sex by Akon blared as Ellie and Willow danced with an empty confetti popper in their hands. Artemis was yelling the lyrics and grabbing my hands to pull me away from Atlas.

I was embarrassed I just wanted to go hide but that was not an option with these girls. Declan was off snickering at Atlas' expression and Josh was on the couch covering his ears.

"How in the hell?" Atlas asked and Declan came over patting him on the back.

Artemis turned down the music and I tried to escape her but she was too fast. "I came over last night to talk to you two and I heard Everly yelling when I came in. I thought she was hurt until I heard you." She wiggled her eyebrows.

Oh, Goddess.

I wanted to vomit.

Willow went by a scarred Josh and they both left. Thankfully sparing me from dealing with the sex talk in front of my big brother.

Declan and Ellie plopped themselves on the couch and ate popcorn while watching us. Real mature.

"Hold on." Atlas held up his hand to stop her from talking. He came over tugging me under his arm. He must have felt my distress, "One, where did you get a key? Two, why were you out after being plastered? Three, who is this?"

The 'who is this?" question brought my eyes from the two traitors known as our Betas and to the direction Atlas' gaze was burning a hole through. There stood a man around my age. His eyes were a soft blue and his smile touched them. He had dirty blonde hair that was kept neat in a buzz cut. He was only a little shorter than Atlas and had a bigger build than Declan.

"Oh!" Artemis piped up and grabbed the man's forearm. "He is the reason that I came over last night. I brought him over to introduce him to you two. Hudson, this is my sister-in-law Everly, and this is her dog of a mate, Atlas."

I could not even laugh at her joke because the realization of him being in the house when I was having sex with Atlas scorned my brain.

Oh.My.Goddess.

Atlas stiffened with her introduction and the information of an unknown male coming to his house. "What?"

Artemis rolled her eyes and looked back at Hudson. "Okay, Atlas is my brother and the Alpha of Phoenix Moon." She swung her head back to her brother. "Better?"

"No," His hazel eyes zeroed on her. "Stop coming to my house unannounced, I fucking mean it this time Artemis. It is disrespectful to not only me but to Everly."

He was calm when he commanded this of her but there was something else backing it. Helix. It was an Alpha Command which meant that it could not be disobeyed without punishment in usual cases.

Honestly, I could not make the call if he was taking this too far because from my understanding he has told her countless times to stop. Now that we are intimately involved I would rather her not walk in while he has me bent over the couch. So instead of intervening in that quarrel, I extended my hand to Hudson.

He took it appreciatively and smiled down at me. He had a goofy vibe to him, I liked that. "What brings you to this unfortunate round of events, Hudson?"

"I am a warrior from Ridge Port, Ms. Everly." He did not hesitate to answer.

Atlas saw me getting friendly with the wolf so he immediately dropped whatever was going on with Artemis and became interested in our conversation. "Why are you not with your Beta? I am sure he did not bring you along to lounge around."

"Atlas," I snapped at him with a disapproving look.

"He is here because he is my mate," Artemis mutters obviously still stale from Atlas' command.

I squealed and stomped my feet like a schoolgirl before launching myself at Artemis like she did the first time we met but we stayed standing. "I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

A laugh that I hadn't heard before broke into the room and I could tell it was Hudson by the tone.

This guy is so relaxed. Atlas should take some pointers. Speaking of Atlas.

I turned to see him staring at Hudson with a blank expression. Hudson did not seem to notice because he was too busy watching us.

"He already met Dad," Artemis added while holding onto me like we were the mated couple.

"He hasn't talked to me," Atlas did not take his eyes off of Hudson. "Declan, tell Romeo that I have one of his warriors during your meeting. We will be in my office."

"Yes, Alpha," Declan stated and looked at his watch.

"Atlas," I warned him without words to be nice.

This made his eyes shift to mine and they softened tremendously. "Do not worry, my love." The sparks from his hands tugging mine made me walk to him. "It won't take long. Plus, I am sure Artemis and Ellie would love to show you your surprise across the hall from my office." He gave me a light kiss and motioned Hudson to follow him.

Wait, what surprise?

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