"I've been avoiding the thought of you leaving, pretending I had more time. God, I'll miss you, Smiley." He pulled me into a tight hug.
I sank into it before whispering back, "How am I going to survive without your constant teasing?"
"You're too important for that now," he teased, though his eyes betrayed his sadness.
Saying goodbye to my pack turned out to be harder than I imagined. A few tears escaped as I tried to wipe them away—just in time for a car to pull up. Atlas stepped out, and instantly, everyone around bowed their heads in respect. His eyes locked onto mine, and I was lost as he made his way over.
"Little mate, I've missed you," he whispered, sending shivers down my spine.
I smiled faintly, but his expression hardened as he noticed my tears.
"Tears? Who made my queen cry?" he growled.
The crowd shifted nervously under his glare.
"I'm leaving," I whispered softly.
Atlas sighed and nodded. "I should have realized. Forgive me—everyone, I overreacted."
"No, you were just protecting your mate," Cain said quickly.
Atlas looked back at me. "Are you ready to go?"
I nodded. He signaled his guards to carry away my belongings. The sight of my things being taken and my family watching with sad smiles made more tears threaten to fall.
Before we could get into the car, a voice called out. "Anaa!"
Hunta jogged forward, holding something in his hand. If this had been before, my heart would have raced. But now, all I felt was discomfort.
"Don't leave without this. Here—it's a gift." He handed me a simple necklace.
I held it, but it felt more like a claim than a gift.
"Let me put it on for you," he offered, reaching out.
"No," Atlas and I said at the same time.
Atlas looked ready to rip him apart. My heart sank—what if he had figured out Hunta was the one who broke me?
"Thanks, Hunta, but I'll wear it later. We need to go," I said firmly.
Hunta nodded, though I caught the defeated look in his eyes. Cain, however, was glaring at him—confirmation that something about Hunta's behavior was off.
Oddly enough, Lana was nowhere to be seen.
"Come on, Atlas, let's go," I urged, pulling him away from his simmering anger.
Turning to my family, I smiled sadly. "I love you all, and I'll miss you so much."
"We love you too, Anaa," Dad replied.
Once Atlas and I were in the car, I waved as we pulled away from the only home I had ever known.
The first hour of the journey was silent. I listened to music while Atlas drove. We stopped at a service station during the second hour, and I met Sophie while grabbing food. Oddly, Atlas didn't pick up anything for himself. When we hit the road again, I debated whether or not I should share my sandwich with him.
My wolf, of course, insisted I offer him everything—though that was a bit too much. A girl still had to eat. In the end, I split the sandwich in half.
"Here," I said, holding it out.
"I can't eat while driving," Atlas replied.
What nonsense. I always ate while driving. Still, something inside me wanted him to eat. So, I did the only thing that made sense—I fed him.
His eyes widened when I held the sandwich to his mouth, but he leaned in and took a bite while keeping his focus on the road. The action sent a shiver down my spine.
Was my body going to react like this every time he did something simple? I wasn't sure I could handle it.
He finished the sandwich, and I ate the other half. The silence that followed felt comfortable until I finally spoke up.
"I don't know if you know, but I was training to be a pack doctor," I said.
"Yes, I knew," he answered without hesitation.
Of course he did. Clearly, he had done his research on me.
"Well, I'd like to continue that training and work as a professional," I said carefully.
"Of course, there isn't a problem with that," Atlas replied.
I blinked in shock. "You… you're okay with it?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" He glanced at me.
"I thought queen duties would keep me too busy, or that being queen meant I wouldn't be allowed," I admitted.
"There's no reason you can't be both. You have a gift and a passion. I would never take that from you."
His smirk widened when he saw my stunned reaction. "Have some faith in me, little one. I'm not as bad as you think."
I couldn't even speak, so I just nodded.
Who knew Atlas would agree so easily? I had prepared myself for an argument, but he had surprised me completely.
A yawn escaped before I could stop it.
Atlas chuckled, and the sound sent warmth racing through me. "You're not an early riser, are you?"
I shook my head, and he smiled. "Sleep, little one."
I didn't need to be told twice. As my eyes closed and my body relaxed, the last thing I heard was his voice whispering, "Soon we will be home."
When I woke up, I realized I wasn't in the car anymore. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. It was clear I was in a room — most likely Atlas's, judging by his strong scent everywhere. I sat up and looked around, but he wasn't here. My belongings, however, were scattered across the room.
I took the time to admire the space. The bed was massive, probably a super king. A huge TV was mounted on the wall with two sofas near the large windows, and there was even a balcony. The color scheme was grey and black. As much as I loved the room, it felt like it reflected how busy Atlas was. Dust coated the TV remotes, like he hadn't picked them up in ages. He must have worked so hard if he barely used this room, and that only made me admire him more.
For some reason, I felt it was my duty to make sure Atlas got the rest he clearly needed. Sophie's words echoed in my mind — how much Atlas had been dealing with because he hadn't found his mate. Now that I was here, would I make his life easier? I hoped so.
I got out of the comfy bed and opened the bedroom door. No one seemed to be on this floor, at least no one I could see. Maybe I should find Atlas? My wolf certainly agreed.
No, that would probably be a bad idea. I should just stay in the room and unpack; there was no real reason to go looking for him. Once I closed the door, I looked at all my stuff, then around the room. There was plenty of space here, but where would I put everything? Going through his things to make room for mine felt wrong.
Damn it. Maybe I did need to find him.
Sighing, I walked toward the door again, but a knock sounded. I knew it wasn't Atlas because my wolf would've gone crazy. It had to be some guard Atlas sent.
I opened the door — and there stood Savanah. Great. Just great. She was the last person I wanted to see, and judging by her expression, the feeling was mutual.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"Where is Dimitri?" she replied.
"Why?" I questioned, not liking that she wanted to see Atlas.
"Look, you need to learn to mind your own business. First you embarrass me in front of all those people, and now you're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Savanah spat.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, like I meant to find my mate who just happened to be your date. Get over yourself. If you want to speak to Atlas, then find him yourself. Clearly whatever you want to talk to him about isn't my business anyway." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Wow, you're so pathetic and childish." Savanah sighed.
"F*** off. I don't want to see you here." I glared at her and was about to shut the door when the atmosphere suddenly changed. It became charged, electric. There was only one person who could do that — Atlas.
My gaze found his as he walked up the stairs toward me. I swallowed a lump in my throat. Atlas was really hot. Damn it, no, Anaa. You shouldn't be having these dangerous thoughts.
"What is going on here?" Atlas asked.
I watched as Savanah fixed her hair and adjusted her shirt. This girl had no shame. I glared at Atlas. "You and your girlfriend sort out your stuff. I don't have time for this." Without waiting for a response, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it. I hadn't even been here a full day and already there was drama.
What I should have done was sit on the bed and wait for Atlas to come in, but instead I found myself listening.
Atlas let out a large sigh. I heard Savanah try to speak, but Atlas shut her down.
"This floor is meant for me and my mate only. You know you shouldn't be here at all. All you've done is cause me more problems."
Guilt began to eat away at me. Was I too harsh on him? Clearly, he wasn't impressed with Savanah and wanted out of the situation.
Now, if I'd been thinking clearly, I would've left them to deal with it. But I wasn't thinking clearly at all. Instead, I opened the door, catching them both by surprise. While Atlas looked relieved to see me, Savanah looked livid. This girl needed to learn her place.
"As a matter of fact, I take back what I said. I need Atlas, and since he is my mate, I get top priority. You should make an appointment — though I can't guarantee he'll see you. He is a very busy man. Bye now. I'm sure you remember the way down."