A certain darkness is needed,

to see the stars

***

~ATLAS~

I walked aimlessly down the dirt road.

Hands folding inside my black jacket, humming tunelessly. Signs of fall already invaded the trees as the color changed and fell around me.

I heard the sound of an approaching car behind me, and without turning, moved more to the side of the road.

However the sounds of dirt under tire slowed down and I glanced to my side to see a small truck ease beside me.

"Hey Atlas," Quinn grinned at me, looking me up and down.

I nodded my head politely. "Hello."

In terms of relationship, Quinn and I had none. She didn't let that stop her though. I always wondered if perhaps she was jealous that I would occasionally seek Lilah. Though they were twins, the two girls had opposite personalities.

I never saw Quinn without makeup adorning her face, and the latest style of clothing dressing her. She seemed to always be surrounded by a gaggle of others, and confusingly enough had a new boyfriend for each month of the year. Flipping to the other side of the coin, Lilah stood within the background, observing but never really approaching you unless you sought her out.

"Want a ride somewhere?"

I shook my head, "Just walking."

She continued idling to the side, debating something in her mind before she pulled the truck in front of me.

I stopped and stared at her actions, wary of what she would do next.

"Come on Atlas, let me take you for a spin," she gave me her winning smile. I felt small annoyance but held it down. Her dyed blond hair deliberately fell to the side of her face as she leaned towards me.

"No thanks Quinn. I'm good. Really." I stressed the last word, hoping she would get a clue. She stared at me a few more seconds before shrugging and flipping her hair back over her shoulder, "Fine, suit yourself. Don't say I didn't offer though."

I nodded, not breathing a sigh of relief until her truck had gone a distance down the road.

I continued my walk, until I looked at the forest. It was silent and inviting. The urge to go in there pressed against me as I changed paths in my direction.

Getting further within, I looked around cautiously before taking off the clothes that I had.

Unbeknownst to me, Quinn had saw me shift within the forest and changed. That moment began her weird fascination with me. Father had simply laughed at my complaining.

The training dad put me through everyday was hard, but because of it I was able to effortlessly shift and had already achieved expert ranking within the pack warriors. Though I was by far the lowest within their ranking.

I felt the change come over me and breathed in the deep smells of the forest as my senes fully came flooding into me.

Shifting now was second nature. I shook out my fur, loving the feel of it in the cool fall wind. I felt the pressing presence of another force in the back of my mind. My wolf. The soul that I shared.

Greeting it hello, I was returned with a warm feeling. A friendship. It was a bond that was slowly forming.

Running through the forest, I couldn't help the yip of happiness that escaped me.

Father never really shifted anymore.

Only when the pack needed to handle threats.

Like his wolf though, I was bigger than the normal size of the creature, linking back to the Alpha blood that flowed within me.

I only spent a short while in the forest. I found the familiar scent that led me back home. Emerging from the back, I found Nov-nov on the porch, quietly reading.

She looked up and smiled at me.

"Did you forget your clothes within the forest again?"

I cringed at her words, realizing I would have to go back for them.

She shook her head and laughed though, tossing me a pair of shorts.

I shifted, and quickly pulled them on.

I looked up to find Quinn watching from the window. Damn.

Father must have invited Lilah over and she piggybacked herself on the invitation.

I scowled in her direction, causing nov-nov to turn around in curiosity.

She to scowled at what she found, motioning for Quinn to go away.

Quinn only grinned at us before walking off further inside the house.

I sat down next to nov-nov.

"You need to be careful of girls like that Atlas," she clicked her tongue in annoyance and bookmarked the page she was on, "Vile things. They'll latch onto you and drain you dry."

I laughed at nov-nov and her dramatic description.

"I know nov-nov."

She shook her head, "Others can see that you are of Alpha blood now. Your presence alone dominates others, just when you simply walk in the room. You need to swat any female that is not your mate away."

I nodded again, glancing at nov-nov to the side, "Will my mate stay?"

Nov-nov gasped and turned to me, "of course she will. Why would she not?"

I looked guiltily around, making sure father was not in earshot. I would never ask him such questions.

"I mean...mother didn't stay and-,"

"Don't ever," nov-nov's eyes flashed dangerously as she looked at me, "think your mate will be anything like that woman."

I gulped back whatever response I was about to make.

It was a reasonable question to me though. I had heard that the mate's bond was powerful. It was something that bind two souls together.

But it wasn't powerful enough to make her stay.

I never resented father for it. Never thought that he was too weak to keep her as some of the pack members did.

Instead I respected him. Respected what he had gone through and endured under her fire.

I got up, holding my hand out to nov-nov as I helped her stand.

"Thank you," she said, still eyeing me worriedly as she thought of any reason I would have for asking my questions. No doubt she would tell father later. Maybe. It all depended on what mood he was in.

Going back inside, I saw that the table was full tonight.

I sat on father's right like always. This time though Stephen sat across from me. He had been gone this morning, but my father's Beta was present now.

Sitting next to him was his sister, Grace and her mate John.

Lilah and Quinn sat next to their father. Quinn smiled at me, as I looked away at anything but her hungry eyes.

Nov-nov sat next to me, her silent glare making Quinn back off. I had to smile at that. My grandmother could be something fierce.

Father and Stephen talked in whispers as they discussed whether or not to move a certain student up to expert. I listened for a bit but soon looked elsewhere.

Lilah waved at me, granting me a small smile. I smiled back, no doubt to Quinn's charging. She was dressed in her usual outfit- sports shirt and running pants with her light brown hair pulled back. Everything about Lilah screamed athletic. It probably lead to that reason for why she moved up so quickly into intermediate rank. I could tell from a young age that she was destined to be a pack warrior.

Dinner went by. I slowly, after the first few months had started adjusting to Sandra's cooking. I had been raised with just Jackie's.

"How is training Atlas?" John's voice carried down the table to me. I never really got along with John. Grace was alright, but John seemed...flimsy. As I grew up, I started to get the impression that he was the kind of person who would lie through his teeth just to be your friend.

I nodded, "Fine."

John smiled, "Just like your father. Only one word to describe anything."

I stared at dad, meeting his irritated eyes. He never let anyone know, but he also did not like John.

"I guess, " I said.

John looked at me then, taking in my face as I uncomfortably looked away. I didn't like the attention.

"Actually...Everything about you seems to be Jay doesn't it?"

He stared even harder at me. I felt father tense. John never was good at social cues.Or maybe he just wanted to make father feel some small pain. Grace silently put her hand on John's- a warning to not press the topic further. He looked at her and smiled, stealing her hand and placing a soft kiss on it.

"Gross, not at the table," Quinn murmured. Her voice came out low, but everyone had good hearing from their heightened senses.

I looked at father again.

He was staring at the hand John had just kissed. His expression was unreadable, but something in me seemed to crack along with it.

I had learned at a young age though, the art of concealment. I could feel other's eyes on father and me, taking us in as if we were fragile. But I held my head up high and father did the same.

We were not as broken as they thought.

Only we were allowed to see the full damage what was done to us.

We were not emotional.

We were wolves. The Alphas.

Hurt and pain had been our first emotions. It had taught us the true art of survival.

And I would not succumb to the darkness of life.

We humans, experience all emotions. Sorrow. Pain. Rage. Hurt. Happiness. Lust. Greed. Joy. and Love.

I will not exclude some emotions over others. I will show, to the best of my ability, the emotions of my characters. I will reveal their stories.

Don't worry my little readers.

In one way or another, great or small- you're going to feel it all.

But first I will make you strong.

Until next time,

Loves,

/////WORLD_JOY_/////