The War of Atlas

Favorite Child

Griffin

“Shall we?” Atlas asked as he held out his massive hand to me. The moment I caught his scent, Eris started going nuts in my head. She wanted her mate, but I was still apprehensive about him.

I place my smaller hand in his, and he smiled at me, and I let him lead me into the dining room, following the rest of my family. Everyone already in the room stood up at attention as their king and queen entered. The rest of us were honored as royalty even though we didn’t carry royal titles. We sat down at the long table with Uncle Roddy and Aunt Syd at the head of it, of course.

“You may all be seated,” Uncle Roddy said, and everyone sat down.

Servers dressed in tuxedos began serving the first course and the wine. I let go of Atlas’s hand, and I swear I heard him whimper, or it was his wolf whimpering. I just stared into space, unable to find words. My cousin Braedon was seated beside me, and he kept nudging me with his elbow.

I elbowed him back a little harder. “Ouch, dammit, Griff,” Braedon whined. He pursed his lips when his father gave us a look. “Sorry, Dad.”

“So, Atlas, how do you feel about being mated to my cousin here?” Aunt Syd had to open her mouth. I shot her a look that she promptly ignored.

Atlas was sipping his wine and set it down to face the queen. “To be honest, your majesty, I am still processing it. I was ready to give up on finding her considering I am almost thirty.”

“I know how that feels,” Uncle Roddy chimed in. “I was twenty-five when I found Sydney. Strange how she was living in my uncle’s pack the entire time, and I never noticed her.”

Aunt Syd laughed. “Well, I was away at college after graduating high school.”

“But you were best friends with my cousin, and we never crossed paths,” Uncle Roddy kept talking.

My mother and Aunt Syd were best friends growing up. Aunt Syd had gone to college because she wanted to be a teacher, so they lost touch for a few years. I looked down at the food just served to me, and I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. I felt a nudge on my arm and glanced at Atlas.

“Are you not hungry, Griffin?” He asked.

I shrugged. “I thought I was,” I mumbled a reply. I picked up the wine and took a long chug.

“Easy on the wine, Griffin,” My Grandfather rumbled. I set my glass down. “Are you nervous?”

“Griffin, nervous?” Aaron laughed.

I shook my head. “No, I am not nervous,” I gave Atlas another look. He seemed to be pondering something in his giant head.

“Why Griffin?” Atlas said to me.

“Why Griffin what?” I half snarled.

He sat up straight in his seat and twirled food on his fork. “Why were you named Griffin? It’s an unusual name for a female.”

“My mother was convinced that I would be a boy, and Griffin is the name she chose. So, when I turned out to be a girl, she just kept the name.” I explained.

“Marjorie tried to get her to change it to a girl’s name,” My Grandfather added. “But my Justine was one of the most stubborn people I ever knew.”

Atlas c****d his head as my Grandfather spoke. “And Griffin’s father?” He asked.

“He told Justine to name their child,” Grandpa told Atlas.

Atlas nodded and finished his food just in time for the next course to come out. “And you told me that he isn’t a werewolf?”

“Correct,” Grandpa looked at me. “But if you want to know more about him, that is Griffin’s story to tell.”

I gulped down the rest of my wine and flagged down a waiter to refill it. I was not ready to tell Atlas who my father is. It's not something that a lot of people outside my immediate family know about. The waiter refilled my wine, and I gulped down more of it. It wasn’t strong enough to give me a buzz, but the burn soothed me.

I glanced over at Atlas, who was looking at his phone. He passed it over to me. “My little sister keeps sending me pictures of my brand new nephew. Handsome, huh?” Atlas said to me.

I glanced at the chubby infant on my mate’s phone. “Yeah, cute,” I said without feeling.

“I raised my younger brother and sister after my parents died. Imagine my horror when I found out my innocent sister was mated to my beta, Jed.” Atlas laughed jovially, which was not something I expected from him. “But Jed is good to my sister. I would kill him if he wasn’t.” He kept talking for another minute, and I tuned him out until he nudged me again while I was drinking more wine. “How many pups do you want?”

Wine spat out of my mouth while Aaron and Braedon burst out laughing. “Griffin hates kids,” Braedon said to Atlas.

I wiped my face and glared at my cousin. “I do not hate them, Brae. I just prefer not to be near them.”

“You don’t want pups? That’s your duty as a woman.” Atlas said with an edge of sadness.

I rolled my eyes. “Maybe years from now. But I want there to be more to my life than popping out pups and wiping noses.” I scowled at him. I continued to pick at my food while Atlas was talking to my family. My head is a mess while I think over everything. I said little else to Atlas all through dinner. When dessert was finished, I was finished as well. I stood up. “Goodnight, everyone. I am exhausted,” I looked at Atlas for a second, and he got up and reached for my hand.

“I have to go think.” I pulled away from him and walked out of the dining room, ignoring my family calling my name. I was aware that Atlas was following me. I turned to him. “What?”

“You aren’t going to say goodnight to your mate?” He asked while stepping closer to me. I kept backing away from him until I hit a wall. He put his hands beside my head on the wall. His blue eyes were flickering to black. “I want you to come home with me when the summit is over. My pack has been without a luna for a long time.”

I glared at him. “Well, I am not Luna material. So please just reject me. Then you will be free to find female more your speed.” Eris howled angrily in my head.

‘He is not going to reject you. And you better not reject him,’ She roared at me.

Atlas’s lips hovered just above mine. “I am not rejecting you.”

I tried pushing him away, but he stood his ground. Sighing loudly, I looked into his eyes, and they were blue again. He grabbed my hand and held it to his lips. The tingles from the contact made me weak in the knees.

“Tell me you don’t feel that,” He whispered as he kissed down my arm, and I let out a moan. Before I knew it, his lips were on mine, and I wrapped my arms around his thick neck. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight to his chest. “Something tells me you feel our bond,” He breathed out before devouring my lips again. I granted his tongue entrance to my mouth, and we deepened the kiss until we were both a panting mess.

A throat cleared next to us, and I glanced at my Grandfather, who was standing next to Uncle Landon. I just smiled at them. “Hi.” I squeaked out. They both shook their heads and walked away. “Sorry about my family. They are all sort of protective of me.”

Atlas chuckled. “I am sort of protective of my sister, so I understand.”

I pushed him away from me. “I, uh, am exhausted. So goodnight.

I’ll see you in the morning.” I started to walk away from him without glancing back.

‘Why are you just leaving him like that?’ Eris yelled at me.

‘Quit yelling at me, Eris. I am not in the mood,’ I told my frantic wolf.

‘You are still aroused from that kiss.’ She pointed out.

With a huge sigh, I turned and saw Atlas still standing in the middle of the hall staring at me. I walked back to him and clasped his large hand. “Come on.” I pulled him to the elevator.

“Where are we going?” He asked.

“My room. I need to relieve some tension.” I told him.

We walked off the elevator and towards my room. Atlas silently let me drag him to my door. Luckily, none of my family were around, so I opened the door.

Atlas followed me into the room and shut the door. He began taking off his suit. I could see the lust in his eyes.

He unbuckled his belt. “I would mind another blow job,” He smirked. I let him wrap his arms around me and unzip my dress. It fell to the floor as he buried his nose in the crook of my neck.

“Your scent is that of the finest Cuban cigars. I never knew why that smell comforted me, but now I do.”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Ew, I smell like a cigar. That’s gross.”

“Not gross, the most seductive scent of all. What do I smell like to you?”

I laid my head on his broad chest and inhaled. “Tequila. Not the cheap kind.”

“Tequila,” He repeated and ran a hand down my cheek. He then placed his lips on mine.

Minutes later, I was on my knees with his giant erect c**k in my mouth. My arousal was driving me to suck harder and deeper than I ever have before. Atlas was making low moans and growls. His eyes were closed while his hand was gripping my hair. He began to thrust into my mouth. Despite his size, I was able to take it without choking. “Damn, woman. No one has ever taken me like that without choking.”

I looked up at him, and his blue eyes were peering down at me. I slowly licked his shaft up and down and then took his balls into my mouth. He roared with pleasure as I felt his c**k hardening.

“I’m about to blow,” He nearly yelled.

I took the tip into my mouth and licked until his seed blasted into my eager mouth. I swallowed every drop and licked him clean. He pulled me to my feet, and we looked each other in the eyes for a moment.

“You taste good,” I smirked. He returned the smirk and pushed me onto my bed.

“It's my turn to taste you,” He rumbled out. “I’m a little upset that you aren’t a virgin, though.”

“Neither are you.” I snarled.

He pushed me down and ripped my panties to get access to my mound. He kissed down my body. I bucked when he reached my clit and began to suck. One of his hands worked its way up to my breasts, and he kneaded while his lips and mouth worked their magic. I moaned and smoothed my hand over his bald head. His beard tickled as he moved his tongue in and out of me. My breathing became labored when he inserted one of his giant fingers into me. My nails dug into his bald head. “Fuck.”

“That’s my girl. Scream for me.” He thrust two fingers into me roughly and held me down with his other hand. I screamed and moaned. “Damn, you taste good.”

My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I was taken to the throes of ecstasy. His tongue slid into me, and I screamed so loud the walls shook. The sparks from our mate bond was increasing my pleasure. No male had ever made me feel this way, and I have been with many.

Not even Dwight could make me feel this way. On the edge of orgasm, I looked at his blue eyes once again. “I’m cumming.” He just smirked and thrust his tongue and fingers into me. My body shuddered as my juices flowed out. He licked me clean and then trailed his lips up my body until he was hovering over the top of me.

He kissed me with my juices still on his lips. “Do you want more? I don’t have any condoms with me.”

“I’m on birth control,” I replied and pulled his face to mine. We kissed roughly as I felt his very hard c**k poking at my entrance. I grasped it and smoothed my hands over it. With a growl, he thrust into me roughly. There was no pause before he began to go in and out of me fast and hard. My nails gripped his broad, muscled shoulders while he buried his nose in the crook of my neck. The bed squeaked in protest at our vigorous lovemaking. He pulled out of me and made me get on my stomach. He thrust hard into me again. I screamed and moaned. He pulled me to my hands and knees and slammed into me. “f**k, you are so deep.”

He just chucked and bit into my shoulder. “My wolf wants me to mark you,” He growled.

“Not yet,” I replied. My wolf wanted to be marked too, but I was not ready for that step. Thrust after thrust, I got closer to another orgasm. He wrapped his arm around my breasts and pulled me upwards until my back against his chest. He was still thrusting into me. He kissed and nibbled my neck while I moaned. My walls tightened around his c**k, and then I screamed out as my orgasm rocked my body. He followed within seconds with his own orgasm. His hot seed coated my insides, and I was glad I was on birth control. We collapsed to the bed with him on top of me. He kissed my shoulders and neck before rolling onto his back. We lay for a few minutes to catch our breath. “Now, I am really tired,” I chuckled.

He pulled me against his chest and ran his hands through my hair. “You are going to have to grow it out so I can run my hands through it.”

I shook my head. “I hate long hair. It gets in the way of training.”

He sighed but said nothing. I traced his heavily muscled chest while he stroked my hair. It didn’t take long before we both fell asleep. I woke up still in his arms when my alarm went off. He barely moved as I untangled myself from his arms and got out of bed.

I walked into the bathroom to take a brief shower before heading out to training. Braedon said he would train with me for a bit before the summit meeting. It drove me nuts to go even a day without training.

I finished the shower and walked out of my bathroom. Atlas was still asleep as I walked into the closet. I threw on a pair of black workout pants and a black sports bra. I combed my hair and put on my black sneakers. I wrote a note for Atlas and kissed his cheek before leaving the room.

I got down to the training grounds, and Braedon hadn’t shown up yet. There were a few of the elite warriors out warming up.

I greeted them. “Hey, fellas,” I waved. A large male that I knew a Ray walked over to me.

“Hey, Griff,” He said as we high-fived. “I heard you found your mate.”

I looked Ray up and down. He is a handsome male with blond hair and green eyes. We had slept together a few times last year. I broke it off when he became too possessive over me. “Yep, you heard right.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Smells like you already mated, too.”

I shrugged. “I’m still on the fence about him, but I couldn’t ignore my urges.”

Ray looked at my neck. “But you aren’t marked, so there is hope for me yet,” He smirked.

Braedon walked up to us. “Hey, cuz,” He slapped my shoulder. “Boy, you and Atlas were loud last night.”

“Atlas?” Ray asked. “Alpha Atlas Wylde, is you mate?”

I nodded. “Yep, right again, Ray. You are getting good at this.”

Ray let out a dry chuckle. “Poor dude.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked him.

Ray shrugged. “I think you know, Griff.”

I just shook my head and started my warm-up. “Are you ready to get your ass kicked, Brae?” I asked my cousin.

After warming up, I sparred with both Braedon and Ray. I managed to pin both of them three times. By the end of the training session, they were covered in bruises and blood. I stood by the table where water and Gatorade were always in supply. I gulped down some water. “Well, it was fun beating you up, Ray. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You aren’t going back to your mate’s pack?” He asked.

“I don’t know yet,” I told him and patted his back. I finished off the water and walked away. Braedon walked beside me.

“You aren’t going to Titan Mountain with Atlas?” He asked.

“Dude, Braedon, I don’t know. Okay? Can you f*****g drop it?” I whined at my cousin

He sighed. “Come on, Griff, you can’t just have s*x with the guy and leave him hanging.”

“Look, I don’t know if he is the kind of mate I want,” I said to my cousin. We walked the rest of the way to the palace in silence. I got back to my room, and Atlas was putting his pants on. He looked me up and down as I entered.

“Where the hell did you go dressed like that?” He growled possessively and stood in front of me.

I folded my arms. “Did you not read my note? I told you I went to training.”

He slipped his white button-up shirt on. “I don’t like you dressing like that.”

“f**k off, Atlas. I have always dressed like this for training.” I brushed past him and sat on my bed.

He cracked his neck as he picked up his jacket. “Well, when you get back to my pack, you won’t have to worry about training.”

“Why?” I stood up again.

“I don’t allow females to train. Especially my mate.” He told me with a smirk.

“WHAT?! I have been training since I was seven, and I am not giving that up for some asshole!” I screamed at him.

He stepped towards me with a glare. “You are my mate. You will do as I say.”

My fist balled up, and I slammed it into his jaw. He stumbled backward with a growl. “You are not the boss of me. I do what I want. I have worked hard to get where I am, and I am not going to let some asshole ruin it! Now reject me!” I roared.

He laughed while holding his bruised jaw. “No!” He roared back.

“Fine, then I’ll do it,” I said as Eris roared in my head. She was pushing for control, and I found myself unable to form any words. “I, Griffin Eloise Lockhart, re-“ An angry howl interrupted my words as Eris took control. I dropped to my knees and heard Atlas laughing.

“It seems your wolf doesn’t want you to reject me,” He knelt and put his hand on my bare shoulder. “Do you, Eris? You want me don’t you, baby girl,” He said softly, causing my wolf to wag her tail happily. “You are coming home with me tomorrow whether you want to or not.”

I glared into his ice-blue eyes. “f**k you!” I screamed and pushed him away from me. I stood up and walked towards my bathroom. “Get the f**k out of my room before I make you.”

He rolled his eyes and rose to his full height. “I can’t say I am much happier getting stuck with you as a mate.” He opened the door and walked out of my room, slamming the door behind him.

I stumbled over to my bed as Eris was carrying on in my head. ‘What the f**k, Eris? I can’t be with him. He wants me to give up training.’

‘You have to give him a chance. Your father picked him for you.’ She argued.

Ignoring her, I went into my bathroom to take a shower. After the shower, I put on another suit Aunt Syd had gotten me.

I sighed as I finished getting dressed and walked out of the room. I walked down the hall silently, trying not to cry. I never cry, but this stupid mate bond was doing stuff to me.

“Are you mad at me?” I heard a familiar voice. I looked up to see my father, Ares, the God of War, leaning against a wall. He was dressed in full Greek armor, including a golden helmet with red plumes. He was at a normal height of six foot five. Usually, he would be ten feet tall, but he shrank down in height but not size when he spoke to me. He easily put most wrestlers to shame with his physique. His red eyes glared at me from the shadows of the helmet. His face was scarred from the many battles he had been in.

“Seriously, what the f**k, Dad?” I snarled at him as I stepped towards him. He pulled away from the wall and took off the helmet. “Why the f**k are you picking mates for wolves?”

He regarded me for a moment. “I realize you are angry with me, Griffin. But that doesn’t mean I am going to tolerate disrespect.” He reached out and grabbed my chin. “Do you understand?’’

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you.” He scowled.

“Yes, sir,” I said louder, and he smiled and released my chin. He set the helmet down. “Now, are you going to tell me why you chose that misogynistic asshole for me? Do you hate me that much?”

“Griffin, you know I don’t hate you. In fact, you are my favorite child, and I have many children. I chose the strongest male werewolf for you.”

“But why him? And why the fu- I mean, why are you even choosing mates for wolves? That’s Selene’s gig.”

He folded his arms again. “Selene owed me a favor.” He replied.

“Like I just said, Atlas Wylde is the strongest male werewolf alive right now. There aren’t too many males that can take you on.”

“He said I couldn’t train anymore. He probably wants me to be some mindless luna that pops out pups and bakes pies. I can’t do that, Dad. Please. I don’t want a mate like that.”

“You may not want him, Griffin. But you need him, and he needs you. He is set in his ways, true. But he needs a strong mate that will help him fight his enemies. You and he both share a common enemy. The man that killed your mother is also the one leading the hybrids against his pack. Without you, he will not defeat them,” He explained while pacing in front of me.

I looked away from him, trying to hide the tears forming in my eyes. I never cried in front of my father. I hated to show any type of weakness in front of him. He touched my cheek and made me look at him. “He’s a sexist asshole. He won’t let me fight.”

My father snorted. “When has that ever stopped you from doing anything? You have always done what you wanted. You have to show Atlas your value as a warrior, and you have to yield too.

It's alright for you to be a kickass warrior who is also a good luna and mother.” He explained to me. “Besides, I am a sexist asshole, and you love me? Right?”

I just stared at him while chewing on my cheek. “I guess,” I mumbled.

He kissed my forehead. “You need to work things out with him.”

“Dad,” I whined, and he gave me the ‘quit whining look.’ “Sorry, I’ll do my best.”

He pulled me into a quick hug. “I know you will. I have to go.

You know how upset my father gets when I let these meetings linger.”

I shuddered, thinking about my other Grandfather, Zeus, the king of the gods. “Bye Dad. Say hi to Papa Zeus for me.”

He snorted. “Right.” He released me and stepped back. He picked up his helmet and put it back on before disappearing again.

I walked down the stairs. All of the alphas were gathering in the hall, waiting for the meeting to start. I found Atlas talking to two other males. My family was in another corner. I walked straight up to Atlas, knowing what I had to do. He didn’t stop his conversation as I stopped beside him. “Atlas,” I cleared my throat.

He held up a hand to the other males. “Excuse me, Garfield,” He then looked at me. “Did you come to try and reject me again?” He asked without emotion.

“What time are we leaving for your pack tomorrow?” I asked him.

He lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the other males. He seemed to be mind linking the other one. “Right after the meeting concludes, so around three pm.”

“I’ll be ready,” I said and walked away towards my family.