Anaa
I quickly ripped my gaze away from Hunta's. I didn't like the way he was looking at me one bit. I had a mate now. And so did he.
So why was he looking at me like that?
And what would Atlas do if he saw it?
I tried to pretend I didn't notice him and turned to where Atlas had been standing a minute earlier. But he wasn't there. Huh? Where is he?
I scanned the crowd, but Atlas was nowhere to be seen. I could still feel Hunta's gaze lingering on me as I searched for Atlas. As I passed people, all of them were saying "congratulations" and "I am so glad our king found his mate." The fake smile I kept forcing was hurting my jaw. Even though there was nothing wrong with these people, all I wanted was to find Atlas.
Finally, I reached the end of the giant room and spotted a glass door leading out of the palace. It was completely dark outside, but when I peered through, I saw the unmistakable hulking outline of Atlas standing on the balcony. What is he doing out there?
I pushed the door open, about to call out to him, when suddenly I heard a female voice in the darkness. "How could you do this to me?" she said. I turned to see Savanah standing by him, tears rolling down her face. "You embarrassed me in front of everyone, Dimitri," Savanah said, wiping her tears away.
Wow, I must be a robot or something. Not even a small part of me felt sorry for this woman. She was embarrassed, but I didn't feel anything, maybe a bit of anger, but that was it.
I remembered that Atlas was very particular about who called him what. It was clear Savanah wasn't allowed to call him Atlas. For some strange reason, I felt proud.
I must be going crazy. That was the only logical explanation. Rolling my eyes, I quickly turned to go. He could deal with this on his own.
But I didn't get the chance to leave. In a flash, Atlas had turned and pulled me captive into his arms. The feeling of him holding me was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
"Anaa, don't you even think about going anywhere," Atlas whispered in my ear. He looked at Savanah. "Please, just leave."
"Atlas, I have better things to do than listen to your lovers' spat," I retorted as I tried to escape his hold, even though deep down I didn't want to.
"Atlas? Why are you calling him that?" Savanah looked appalled.
"She can." Atlas's voice hardened. "Savanah, if you don't leave, I'll get guards to escort you out."
Savanah looked between the two of us before finally storming away.
"Can you let me go now?" I asked.
"I never thought I would find you; I almost gave up," Atlas said softly. The sincerity in his eyes nearly melted me. This would have been the perfect moment to say something romantic, but this is me we're talking about, so instead, I blurted out, "Well, I never wanted a mate after getting my heart broken."
Atlas's demeanor shifted as he tightened his hold. His stance grew sharper, he was definitely angry.
"Who the hell had your heart before me?" he growled.
Well then, this wasn't going to be easy to get through.
"You can't tell me no one has ever broken your heart before?" I asked, shocked.
"This isn't about me. This is about you. You're the one who said it." Atlas's grip tightened further. Damn it, this was going to be harder than I thought. Again, I tried to wriggle free but failed.
"Can't we talk about this later?" I tried to negotiate.
Atlas looked at me like I was insane. "I want to know now. Who was it that had your heart before me?"
I didn't want to answer that. The scary look in Atlas's eyes told me Hunta would be in deep trouble if he ever found out. Even though Hunta was the one who had broken my heart, it wasn't like I wanted something bad to happen to him.
"Who was it?" Atlas growled.
Suddenly, the door opened and my mom poked her head through. "There you are! Everyone's been looking for you two! It's time for the royal dance!"
I let out a sigh of relief.
There was no way I could keep secrets from a man like that for long. Atlas's eyes softened, and he loosened his grip on me. I breathed easier, relieved to escape the tension.
But his gaze sharpened again. "Don't think I'll forget about this. Once I sort this issue out, I'll find out who broke your heart."P
The sincerity in his voice sent sparks shooting down my spine, making me shiver. Atlas took my hand, and we made our way back downstairs, where everyone was waiting. Damn, it felt weird to be stared at. I flushed, uncomfortable with all the attention.
I had to get used to this queen thing.
Then suddenly, I was pulled back into Atlas's body. We stood in the center of the room, and he gently grabbed my hand, holding it out to the side. His other hand rested firmly on my hip, sending sparks shooting down my body. I found myself leaning into his touch. What was happening to me? Why were his touches so addictive? I didn't want this moment to end.
Then suddenly, we began to dance. I'm not exactly the best dancer, but he took the lead perfectly, and all I had to do was follow his steps. It felt like we were gliding. He smiled, his piercing eyes filled with powerful affection. I could stare into those eyes forever.
But then I noticed he wasn't the only one staring at me that way.
Oh Goddess.
Hunta was glaring at me again, his eyes following my every move. I felt myself grow uneasy, and my feet stumbled out of step with Atlas's. He instantly noticed, his expression turning worried.
"What is it?" he whispered.
I shook my head, pretending nothing was wrong, but Atlas quickly followed my gaze. His eyes landed on Hunta, whose expression said everything.
I didn't even have a chance to move before Atlas turned and pounced on Hunta in a flash. And at that moment, the lover of my past and the lover of my present went crashing to the floor—
And all hell broke loose.
Series
Atlas was holding Hunta by the collar, nearly suffocating him under the tightness of his grip. His other hand pressed over Hunta's chest, like he might rip out his heart with his bare hands without a second thought.
When just moments ago, I had been dancing with Atlas, holding him, surprised at my own attraction to him. But now, I saw him for what he really was. Or should I say what I thought he truly was from the very beginning.
A monster.
I couldn't believe that someone like this was my mate. And I wasn't about to let him do anything to Hunta.
"Atlas!" I shouted. I ran forward and tried to pull him off Hunta, but he was as solid as a boulder. He didn't budge.
"Atlas, please, don't hurt him. He didn't do anything."
"I am the King," Atlas said through gritted teeth. "I do what I want." His eyes still glowed with rage. I was certain he would shift any second now, and then Hunta would really be done for.
I kept waiting for Hunta to say something, but he was silent. He knew better than to talk back to the King. But apparently, I didn't.
"Let go of him," I said firmly. "Now."
Atlas's eyes snapped to mine. For an instant, I thought he might attack me instead. But to my surprise, his grip loosened on Hunta's collar.
"Get your mate and get the hell out of here," Atlas snarled at Hunta. Then he released the poor man, grabbed my hand, and led me away without looking back.
I followed, relieved we had avoided a real disaster.
We stepped outside onto the patio, but before we even had a moment alone, Gabe, Evan, and Lexi appeared at our side.
"I told everyone else to go home too," Gabe said. "It seemed like the night was over anyway."
Atlas nodded. "I have to check on something. Stay here." That last part was directed at me.
I watched as Atlas walked away. Just then Sophie and Luke entered, both looking worried. Gabe whispered something to them, and they turned to me, eyes wide with shock.
Instinctively, I glanced down at my dress to see if I had spilled something on it, but there was nothing.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Gabe said, "but it's programmed into Lycan DNA to protect their mate at any cost."
"Anaa, that was amazing..." Sophie trailed off.
"What about that was amazing?" I asked.
"Atlas didn't fully lose control. Normally, he needs to be physically restrained once his Lycan takes over. It hasn't even been a full day since he found you, yet your presence is helping him stay in control."
Sophie smiled.
Could my presence really be the reason Atlas was managing to stay in control? It seemed unlikely, but the looks on the Lycans' faces suggested otherwise. Was a mate really that important, that they could help their Lycan stay grounded?
I didn't have long to think about it because Atlas returned. He had changed clothes, and I couldn't help but admit how hot he looked.
…..
My mom came up to me and gave me a big hug. "It's time we got going now."
My heart sank. There was no way I was going back home with them. Not possible.
"I am coming back with you," I stated. Atlas's head whipped around.
"No, baby. You need to stay here. I'll pack your things and send them here for you."
My mom stroked my cheek.
I scoffed. "No way. I'm coming back. No offense, Mom, but my whole life is back home, and I should be the one to pack everything up."
Atlas growled, clearly unhappy with my words, but I rolled my eyes. He couldn't control me.
My mom looked between us, worried. She never liked conflict.
Cain strolled over and winked. "Smiley, I know you're going to miss my gorgeous body, but don't worry, I'll send you pics."
I laughed and shoved him away. "Please, I don't wanna see pictures of your beer belly."
Cain gasped dramatically, but I cut him off. "I'm coming back home because only I have the right to pack up my things."
No one else spoke. They were all waiting to see what Atlas would say. Not that it mattered, I was going home no matter what.
Finally, Atlas sighed. "Fine. You can go back home, but you only have two days. In two days' time, I'll be there to pick you up." His tone left no room for argument.
Damn. Two days wasn't much, but maybe it would be enough to escape. There was no way I was coming back here. I didn't want a mate, and I didn't want to be queen. Especially not after what I had just witnessed. I had to find a way out before it was too late.
My thoughts were cut off by Atlas's harsh tone. "I'll be sending two people I trust to guard you. Don't think you can try and escape me."
His gaze pierced into mine, and I froze. How could he have known what I was thinking? Hope crumbled as I realized I wouldn't be able to escape.
Atlas looked at everyone else and gave a nod before motioning for the other Lycans to follow him.
When they left, my mom turned to me and sighed. "Anaa, what is wrong with you?"
I shrugged, not wanting to answer, but that wasn't enough for her.
"You are the mate of a Lycan. Forget that he's king, do you know how important a mate is to a Lycan? And you're still acting like this. Why?"
"What if he doesn't let me become a pack doctor because I'd have to be queen? I don't want to be tied down and lose my dreams."
Sighing, I turned away from her. But she turned me back and said, "I raised a strong woman, not a coward. We all know that if you want something, you'll fight for it. So don't give me that crap. I know it's hard to grow up and leave your family, but you are needed here. Think of your mate."
There was nothing I could say. Of course my mom was right, she always was. What she didn't know was that my reluctance to have a mate came from my broken heart.
Cain caught my gaze and gave me a sympathetic smile; he knew the truth.
Luke and Sophie walked in and smiled. "We will be your guards."
"That way I can spend more time with my family," Sophie added brightly.
But Luke's expression turned serious. "Don't try anything, Anaa. I won't let you escape. You'd kill my king in the process."
Just as quickly as hope came, it vanished. Not trusting my voice, I only nodded. There was no way I could try anything with Luke watching, and I had no doubt Sophie wouldn't let me go either.
"Wow, I can't believe my Smiley is going to be queen. Don't forget about us commoners when you're sitting on that massive throne of yours," Cain teased, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
Rolling my eyes, I elbowed him, and he just laughed before grabbing Diya's hand and walking out.
"Right, it's time to get back to the hotel. We have to leave."
Just as I turned to go, a hand caught my arm. I spun around to see Atlas standing there. He leaned in close, his lips hovering just inches above mine.
As much as I tried to resist, a wave of attraction swept through me.
"Two days, Anaa," he whispered. "And then you're all mine."