The War of Atlas

All the King's Men

Atlas

“Do you want lunch or not?” My newly found mate asked me. She had just pulled me into a janitor’s closet. She began to unbuckle my belt, and a low growl fell out of me.

“Lunch it is,” I replied to her as I felt her hand reach into my pants and rub my hardening c**k. The tingles from her touch made my eyes roll back into my head. I was already getting hard from the kiss we shared in the hallway. I would be lying if I said that her slapping me turned me on more. This woman had a fire I was going to have a hard time taming.

“Damn, it's huge,” She purred while getting down on her knees. I shuddered when I felt her tongue on the tip.

I looked down at her, and those red eyes peered up at me. “Can you handle it, sweetheart?”

She answered me by placing her mouth on the tip and then taking me entirely in her mouth and even swallowing the tip. I leaned against the wall as she began to suck, lick, and deep throat. I ran my hands through her short hair. Every few strokes, those piercing red eyes would smile up at me.

“f**k, woman. You are going to be the death of me.” I growled out as my eyes rolled into the back of my head. I could smell her arousal with each stroke of her mouth and hands. I could also sense that she was not a virgin. I'm not sure how I felt about that. “You aren’t a virgin, are you?” I whispered out.

She laughed. “Neither are you.”

I looked down at her quizzical face, and she had me at the edge of blowing my load, but I was compelled not to blow it all over her face. “Stand up,” I said as I pulled her to her feet. I ran my hand down her cheek while looking into her eyes. “How are your eyes so red?”

She smirked. “You can thank my father for that.”

My lips captured hers, and she moaned as I wrapped my arms around her. “Are you going to slap me again?”

“Why did you like it?” She smirked.

“A little,” I said to her. I pulled back from the kiss and spun her around. “Take off your pants.”

She shrugged and did as I said. I was still rock hard as she slowly pulled her pant and panties down. The scent of her arousal filled the room. I bent her over a rusty cart and stuck my fingers between her legs. She moaned as I rubbed her wet clit. I held her down as I placed my c**k at her entrance while still rubbing her clit.

I grasped her hips and then thrust hard into her.

“I am going to guess that you are the kind of girl that likes it rough,” I said as I began thrusting hard in and out of her.

She moaned while spreading her legs to take me all in. She gripped the sides of the cart as I grabbed her shoulders. She let out a scream and then covered her mouth as I went harder and faster into her.

“Let it all out, sweetheart.” I wrapped my arm around her neck and pulled her upright while still thrusting hard into her. She moaned and began to move her body in sync with mine. The feeling of my d**k in my fated mate was hotter and better than I ever expected it would be. “I’m about to blow my load. Do you want it in or out?” I growled.

“Out!” She answered quickly. I pulled out of her and spun her around, and made her get on her knees again. She began to suck me again as I released my seed into her eager mouth. She sucked me dry and then cleaned me up. She swallowed every drop like a champ. She then stood up and pulled her pants up. Her eyes glazed over for a second. “s**t, I am supposed to be having lunch with my Aunt Syd.”

I put my d**k back in my pants and zipped them up.

“Who is Aunt Syd?” I asked.

She snorted as she looked at a shiny sheet of metal hanging on the wall. “You would know her as Queen Sydney.” She fixed her hair. “Anyways, I’ll see you later,” She opened the door of the closet and dashed out.

I followed her out, “Griffin!” I shouted after her. But she was quick and disappeared quickly. “f**k!” I snarled and punched a wall.

“Atlas, there you are,” I heard Dalton, my gamma, say.

I glared at him. “Yeah, here I am,” I snarled.

“What do you need?”

“You disappeared and weren’t answering my mind links.” He sighed.

I looked down the hall where Griffin had disappeared. “I, uh, was talking to my mate.”

Dalton eyed the closet I had just walked out of. “In a closet?” He wrinkled his nose. “With your pants down?”

“Shut up, Dalton,” I growled. Hyperion was carrying on like a love-sick puppy in my head. He was telling me to run after her. I was not about to go running through the royal palace looking for my mate. No matter how much it pained me not to. The scent of Cuban cigars hung in the air, and it was driving me nuts. “Let’s go get lunch.”

We walked down the hall towards the dining room.

It certainly fits the setting of being in a royal palace. The food was set up buffet style. I spied the King sitting at a table with his cousins and Elder Arthur Lockhart. I was tempted to go over and ask them about Griffin, but I didn’t want to seem desperate. I piled some meat and potatoes on a plate and found my friend Garfield sitting with another alpha I didn’t recognize. “May I sit with you, gentlemen?”

Garfield smirked. “Of course, Atlas.”

I sat down and eyed the strange man. He held out a hand. “Alpha Atlas, I am Alpha Fletcher Rhodes of the Flowing Wells Pack.”

“How did you know my name?” I asked as I shook his hand, and he chuckled.

“You are hard to miss. We may have never met, but your reputation is well known throughout all of the packs,” Alpha Fletcher explained.

I just nodded and kept eating. The smell of cigars filled my senses, and I turned to see Griffin walking into the room with the Queen. She had changed into a solid white suit, and it somehow made her look hotter.

Her eyes darted to me, but she barely acknowledged me, which made Hyperion nuts. I shook my head as I felt a hand on my arm.

“So, is it true? Griffin Lockhart is your mate?” I heard Garfield ask.

My eyes were still on my mate, who had her back to me. The Queen eyed me for a second and then said something to Griffin. They then stood up and walked over to the buffet. Ignoring the others at the table, I found myself walking towards her. I stopped just behind her.

“Can I help you, Alpha?” She asked dryly as the Queen eyed me with a smirk.

I breathed into her ear. “You can call me Atlas. I mean, after that little moment in the closet, I think we are past formalities.”

She pulled away from me without looking back.

“I suppose.”

“Why are you avoiding me?” I asked as I tried to get her to look at me.

Her red eyes glanced back at me while she popped a grape into her luscious mouth. “I’m not avoiding you. I am spending time with my cousin.” She nodded at the Queen.

“Please excuse my intrusion, your majesty,” I bowed my head to Queen Sydney.

She just shrugged. “No, bother, Alpha, I am enjoying the show.” She looked at Griffin. "I am going to go sit down while you continue your little dance of avoidance.”

Griffin c****d her head at Queen Syd. “Aunt Syd,” She elongated the name as the Queen walked away. She sighed and turned to me. “I am starving.” She popped another grape into her mouth and walked off towards the table where her family was sitting.

I just stood there as the scent of cigars enveloped me. ‘Why are you just standing here?’ Hyperion growled.

‘I don’t know.’ This woman is doing things to me that I didn’t like. Absentmindedly, I walked back to the table with Garfield and my gamma. I sat down in a heap.

“So it is true?” Garfield chuckled. “Oh man, are you in for a ride.”

I eyed my friend. “Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know Griffin well, but I have seen her in training, and dude-“ He trailed off. “You know she has flipped the King on his ass a few times.”

“I heard about the time she eviscerated about twenty rogues without blinking,” Alpha Fletcher added.

I shook my head. I realized my mate was most likely strong for a female in battle, but once I got her home, she would become a proper Luna. “I don’t allow females to be warriors in my pack.”

“You won’t make an exception for Griffin?” Fletcher asked. “I mean, there is a reason that Prince Aaron chose her to be his royal gamma.”

“No, I won’t make an exception. My woman does not fight or train.” I stood up from the table.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.” It was few minutes before the meeting started up again.

I looked where Griffin was sitting.

She was laughing with Prince Aaron and Alpha Braedon. She caught me staring and smirked before ignoring me again.

I walked out of the dining hall with a growl and nearly collided with King Rodney and Elder Arthur. “Excuse me, your majesty,” I bowed and tried to walk away.

“Alpha Atlas, please come to my office after the meeting,” King Rodney said to me.

I eyed him and the elder. “If this is about Griffin, I am fine.”

“That wasn’t a request,” King Rodney scowled at me.

I chuckled. “Are you afraid she can’t handle me?”

Elder Arthur let out a hearty laugh. “No, son, I don’t think you are prepared to handle my granddaughter,” He patted my shoulder.

“How hard can one she-wolf be to handle?” I asked, and they both laughed.

“Meeting starts in five minutes.” King Rodney announced and then walked away with Elder Arthur.

I watched them walk away. I leaned against the wall and ran my hand down my face. This she-wolf had my head all kinds of f****d up. All because of the mate bond. Moments later, I noticed Dalton standing in front of me.

“Are you ready for the meeting?” He asked with a smirk on his face.

I just glared at him. “Shut up,” I snarled and headed down the hall.

“Man, I have never seen you all worked up by some chick before,” Dalton laughed.

I stopped and growled at him. “Dalton, she isn’t some chick. She is my mate and your Luna.”

He stiffened. “Right, of course.”

“And yes, I am all worked up over her,” I replied, and Dalton laughed. “Asshole,” I muttered, and he laughed harder. We walked into the meeting hall and sat at our table. Griffin was sitting with her cousins. I hated that they were both touching her.

‘Those bastards need to quit touching our mate,’ Hyperion snarled.

I glared over at her, and she just smirked at me. ‘Goddess, this woman is f*****g me up.’

King Rodney walked to his podium and began the second part of the meeting. I heard very little of what was going on. I kept my eyes on Griffin, who was back to avoiding my gaze. ‘Why is she avoiding us?’ Hyperion whined.

‘Quit whining, Hyperion, “I chastised my wolf.

The meeting droned on, and it took all of my willpower to remain awake. Most of it did not pertain to my pack or me, so I leaned back in my seat and kept my eyes on Griffin. Those red eyes did manage to dart my way every so often. Sometimes they were black, so I knew her wolf was giving her s**t too. ‘I wonder what her name is?’

‘Eris. Her wolf’s name is Eris,’ Hyperion replied.

“Eris,” I said out loud.

Dalton looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Eris?”

“That’s the name of Griffin’s wolf,” I replied quietly with a smile.

Dalton snorted and elbowed me. “Look at you giving in to the bond. I remember you telling Jed and me how you would never let it affect you.” I glared at him, and he threw up his hands. “Right, shut up, Dal.”

After three more hours of boredom, King Rodney finally ended the meeting. I would have been relieved, but there was another day of this s**t tomorrow. I stood up and stretched. “Hey Dalton, I have to go talk to the King, so you are free to do whatever,” I told my gamma.

“Cool, I was going to hang with a few of the other gammas and play some pool.” He told me, “After I call Tracy, of course.” He smirked.

“Trust me. You are going to find it hard to be away from your mate for long.”

I rolled my eyes and slapped his back. “See you later.” I walked away from him, and my phone rang. I saw it was my sister calling. “Khione, my beautiful sister, how are you?”

“I just pushed a ten-pound pup out of me,” She snarked. “But other than that, I am good. Jed said, you are okay with us naming him Benjamin.”

“I am okay with it, sis,” I told her.

“But you wanted it for your first son.” I could hear she was tearing up.

I stopped walking. “Khione, I am not upset. I am glad you used the name. Okay? I love you, little sister. I can’t wait to meet my nephew when I get home.”

“I love you too, giant brother.” She giggled. “He looks just like Jed.”

“Poor pup,” I chuckled.

She giggled again. “Hey, Jed is hot.”

“I don’t see it. Anyway, I met my mate here.” I told my sister, and she squealed.

“Finally!”

“Yeah,” I laughed. “I am bringing her home with me.”

“Tracy and I could use another female around here,” Khione said to me.

I saw the King walk out of the meeting hall with his uncle and cousin behind him. He eyed me for a second before heading down the hall. “Hey, Khione, I have to go and talk to the King. I will speak to you later.”

“Oh, what did you do?” She laughed.

“Bye, Khione,” I told my sister before hanging up. The scent of cigars made me freeze. Griffin was by the entrance of the meeting hall talking to the Queen and her cousins. I walked towards them.

Griffin looked up at me while folding her arms. “Can we help you, Alpha?”

My eyes narrowed at her. “You are just calling me that to annoy me, aren’t you?”

“Is it working?”

“A little,” I replied.

She looked at Prince Aaron and snickered. “Then yes, I am doing it to annoy you.”

“I have to go talk to the King and Elder Arthur. Will I see you at dinner?” I asked her.

She started to shake her head, but the Queen stepped towards me. “Of course you will.” Griffin glared at the Queen but said nothing. “We will see you there, Alpha.”

I bowed to the Queen. “I best get to that meeting before the king has my head,” I chuckled, and Griffin rolled her eyes and walked away. I turned and went down the hall. The King’s office was a few doors down from the large meeting hall.

I knocked on the thick oak door.

“Come in, Alpha,” The King’s deep voice said from inside. I walked in, and the king was seated on a large leather couch with Elder Arthur and Alpha Landon. They all had drinks in their hands, and Elder Arthur was puffing on a fine Cuban. It smelled like Griffin, and my head spun.

“Come sit, Alpha Wylde,” King Rodney beckoned me forward. He went over to a wet bar beside the couch. “What do you drink?”

“Whiskey,” I replied. Elder Arthur stood up and held out a fresh cigar.

“I heard you like these,” He smiled as I took it from him.

I sat down beside Alpha Landon and took in the scent of the cigar as the king handed me a drink. Elder Arthur handed me a gold ladened lighter for the cigar. I lit it up and puffed.

“I figured since my mate is at home, I may indulge,” The elder said with a chuckle.

I leaned back on the couch. “So, I take it you are all here to threaten me about hurting Griffin.”

They all laughed. “I’m pretty sure Griffin can take care of that herself,” Alpha Landon laughed and sipped his drink.

“Look, gentlemen, I can handle a she-wolf.” I sipped my drink. “Especially my own mate.”

“My granddaughter is no ordinary she-wolf, Alpha. She is built different than other females,” Elder Arthur sat forward.

“Hell, she is the strongest warrior in my pack,” Alpha Landon.

I eyed him. “Your warriors must be pretty weak then,” I snarked as I puffed on the cigar.

The other alpha growled. “Mars Ulta is stronger than your pack, Alpha. We, too, were blessed by Ares.”

“Then how is a she-wolf your strongest warrior?” I asked him.

“As my father said, she is no ordinary she-wolf.” Alpha Landon said to me. “She has been training since she was seven. By the time she was twelve, she was training my new warriors, and when she was thirteen, she managed to flip Rod on his ass a few times,” He indicated the king.

I eyed King Rodney. He is not a small wolf by any means. His reputation in battle is well known. Getting the drop on him is nearly impossible. “You are saying a thirteen-year-old she-wolf managed to flip the king?”

“Just like she did with you earlier today,” King Rodney smirked at me, “Hurt, didn’t it?”

I snorted again as smoke blew out of my nose. “No, it didn’t hurt. It takes more than a flip to hurt me.”

“I’m sure it hurt your pride,” Alpha Landon snarked.

I glared at him. He was getting on my nerves. I slammed the rest of my drink. “Well, gentlemen, this has been educational. But like I said. I can handle my mate. Once I get her home, she will learn her place.”

The three men exchanged worried glances. “She is not going to be happy being an ordinary Luna.”

“Oh well. I don’t allow females to dictate their place to me,” I stood up. “Excuse me. I would like to relax before dinner.”

They all stood up. “I only pray to the Moon Goddess that you will think before you try to force Griffin into a role she was not meant for,” Elder Arthur said to me.

“She was meant to be a luna since Selene paired her with me.” I was irritated by them. “I promise you I do not abuse females. I just expect my mate to stay home where she-wolves belong.”

“I hope you mean that about the abuse because not only would you have the three of us to worry about,” Elder Arthur’s voice dropped an octave. “Griffin’s father is not someone you want to cross.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “I can handle any wolf, Elder.”

“Griffin’s father is not a wolf. He is-“ Alpha Landon started to say something, but his father stopped him.

“That is something that Griffin should tell Atlas, Landon,” Elder Arthur told his son. He flicked his eyes to me. “We will see you at dinner, Alpha.”

“We will have a place for you at the royal table if you wish,” King Rodney added. “I’m sure you and Griffin would like another opportunity to get to know each other. Someplace nicer than a janitor’s closet, at least.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How did-“

“I am the King. I know everything that goes on in my palace,” He winked. “Dinner is at six-thirty. Be there a few minutes early.”

I bowed to him, shook the other two hands, and walked out of the office, still puffing on the cigar. The scent was so close to Griffin’s that it was intoxicating. I got back to my room and stripped off my suit, and took a shower. I needed the hot water to relax my tense muscles. I relaxed on the couch for an hour. Khione had sent me pictures of my nephew. Then I got dressed in another suit and headed out for dinner.

I stopped in the foyer with the other alphas. A lot of them had their lunas or other females on their arms. I stood beside Dalton and my friend Garfield. Garfield had a thin redhead on his arm. He introduced her as Renee. She isn’t his mate, just a pack member he brought with him. Everyone stopped talking as the royal family started to descend the steps. King Rodney had Queen Sydney on his arm. They both looked elegant and well-dressed. Behind them was Prince Aaron and who I assumed to be his mate. Then elder Arthur walked in with his son Alpha Landon beside him.

The scent of cigars caught me off guard, and I saw Griffin walking beside her cousin Braedon. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at my mate wearing a silver dress. The dress showed off her well-toned body and ample breasts. Her well-muscled arms were bare, showing off numerous tattoos. Her black hair was styled in a faux mohawk, and she was wearing a gold necklace with the male symbol on it. I thought that was odd. Her red eyes locked with mine as she walked down the stairs. I barely registered King Rodney walking towards me with the Queen.

“Alpha?” The King’s voice broke me from my staring.

“Yes?”

He smirked and reached out for Griffin, who walked towards us with a scowl on her face. “Is she beautiful?” He asked me.

Griffin shot him a look that would get most others executed. I looked Griffin up and down. “You look beautiful, Griffin.” She blushed slightly. I held my hand out to her. “Shall we?”