The War of Atlas

Have a Cigar

Atlas

The Royal Pack palace finally came into view. It had been a two-day drive to reach it, and I was tired of being stuck in a car, especially with Dalton’s incessant droning on about the future royal Gamma. He was supposed to stay behind at the pack while Jed came with me. But my sister was having complications with her pregnancy, and she wanted Jed to stay with her. I didn't understand why she needed him, but I rarely ever said no to Khione.

The thought of that horrified me. If I ever got a chick pregnant, she was on her own. I often laughed at my beta, watching him cater to Khione’s every request.

He even got up in the middle of the night to drive to McDonald’s for McNuggets to soothe my sister’s cravings.

“Did you hear the incoming royal gamma once flipped the king on his back?” Dalton’s voice brought me out of my thoughts.

I gave my Gamma a lazy look and shook my head. “No, Dal. You haven’t mentioned that yet.” I rolled my eyes.

“Sorry, I just-“ Dalton kept talking, but I blocked him out.

I was not looking forward to being stuck in a meeting room with dozens of other alphas. I had skipped the last few years of alpha summits and used various excuses to get out of them. But this year, with the growing hybrid problem, I had to go. We were all going to discuss how to keep our pack safe. King Rodney also asked me to explain why my pack and Constantine Drago’s family were at odds. From what I understood, the Dragos were enemies to a lot of packs.

The closer we got to the palace, the more my wolf Hyperion acted up. He started pacing and whining like never before.

‘What is your problem, mutt?’ I snarled at him. He replied with a growl. ‘Settle down.’

“Atlas?” Dalton was waving his hand in front of my face. “Are you listening?”

I looked at my Gamma. “Sorry, my wolf is acting up.”

He sighed. “You know Tracy was mad that I had to come instead of Jed.” He spoke of his mate. She was also pregnant, but she was nowhere near being due like my sister was. And this was their third pup.

“Tell Tracy to yell at Khione then. She demanded that Jed stay home with her. And you know me. I never say no to Khione,” I told Dalton.

“If she were your mate, you would be whipped,” Dalton snorted.

I glared at him. “Shut up before I rip your tongue out. I will never let a woman whip me.”

He laughed. “Except for Khione.”

I turned away from him and watched as we got closer to the royal palace. It was like a white beacon in a sea of green.

It was only a little bigger than my packhouse, I thought. I glanced at the vehicle behind us. Besides the two warriors in the front seat, I had another six following us in the SUV behind us. Every Alpha was allowed up to a dozen men to accompany them. I only brought eight. The hybrids were getting stronger, and Jed insisted I bring more than two warriors.

Hyperion was still pacing in my head. I had tried pushing him to the back of my mind, but he kept breaking through.

It was starting to irritate me. ‘Seriously, if you don’t quit whining like a b***h, we are going to have problems.’

‘I just feel something, Atlas,’ Hyperion replied with a whine.

‘Ugh, you are one of the strongest alpha wolves in existence, and you are whining like a pup. It's driving me nuts.’ I scolded him. He finally stopped and retreated to the back of my mind. “Finally, some peace,” I mumbled out loud.

“Huh?” Dalton looked over at me. He had been on his phone, most likely texting Tracy.

“My wolf finally shut up,” I said to him.

The SUV finally approached the palace gates, and we pulled up to the guardhouse. A man dressed in royal fatigues approached the vehicle. “State you pack.”

I rolled down my window and stuck my head out. The guard nodded to me. “Alpha Atlas Wylde of Titan Mountain Pack.”

“You are hard to miss, Alpha Wylde,” The guard said with a slight smile as he wrote something on a clipboard he had. “Are those your men in the vehicle behind this one?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Go on ahead to the palace. The omegas will take care of your luggage and direct your warriors to where they are staying.

You will meet with King Rodney and Elder Arthur upon arrival.” He explained.

“Then you will be shown your rooms.”

I nodded, and fake saluted. The guard stepped back and pushed a button on the inside of the guardhouse, and the barrier raised. It took another five minutes of driving to finally reach the front of the palace. I was eager to get out and stretch my legs.

Even in a large SUV, I felt cramped.

We had to wait in line behind other SUVs. It seemed all of the alphas were arriving the same day. I huffed in annoyance. I saw the king standing just outside the door with Elder Arthur, his uncle, and his cousin Alpha Landon of Mars Ulta Pack. I didn’t know too much about Mars Ulta. I just knew they were the other pack blessed by Ares. My father had known Elder Arthur, but they didn’t get along.

An omega finally opened my door, and I stepped out. The omega looked at me with wide eyes. He had probably never seen someone nearly seven feet tall. I looked down at him as Dalton walked up to my side.

I looked back at my warrior, who had driven us here. “Alex, just follow their instructions, and I’ll catch up with you later.”

Alex nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”

I turned away from the vehicle and started towards King Rodney and Elder Arthur.

My wolf started going nuts again.

He whined and paced like he was rabid or something. I shook my head, trying to concentrate. I saw another man standing beside Elder Arthur. He looked just like the elder. I assumed it was his son Alpha Landon Lockhart the current Alpha of Mars Ulta. Then the scent of a fine Cuban cigar hit me, and I felt weak in the knees.

Hyperion was nearly howling now, and I had to stop.

“Atlas?” Dalton asked from my side. “Dude, what’s wrong?”

“Do you smell cigars?” I asked him.

He sniffed the air and shook his head. “No,” He gave me a strange look. “Are you sure you are alright?”

I pushed him away and straightened my suit, and tried my best to ignore my frantic wolf. I stepped towards the king. He gave me a tight smile and held out his hand. “Alpha Atlas Wylde,” He acknowledged me.

I bowed to him. “Your majesty,” I shook his hand.

“I am pleased that you finally decided to attend a summit. I know I don’t make them mandatory-“

While the king was talking, the cigar scent was stronger on him. Like he had rubbed one on his clothes. I leaned in and inhaled.

The king stopped speaking. “Did you just sniff me?” He laughed and looked at his uncle.

“I’m sorry. But are you a fan of Cuban cigars?” I asked him. He laughed again.

“No, Alpha, I have never smoked a day in my life,” He turned to Elder Arthur. “But my uncle here, Elder Arthur, has.”

Elder Arthur regarded me. “I do like my cigars, and I have snuck a few Cubans into the country, but it's been years since I had one. Marjorie, my mate, gets angry when she smells them on me.”

I looked the elder over, and I swear the scent was on him too. “Are you sure because it smells like you just had one?”

The elder and king both laughed. “Perhaps, I’ll have an omega show you your room now. You had a long journey,” King Rodney said to me.

“No, I am fine. It's just-“ I trailed off as I stepped towards Alpha Landon. He kept glancing at Elder Arthur. He, too, had the scent of a fine Cuban cigar, and it was making my wolf nuts.

“Well, the others are gathering in the library. There are refreshments but no cigars, I am afraid.” King Rodney snorted.

‘Great, now he thinks I am crazy.’ I mumbled to my wolf. ‘I blame you.’ Hyperion just growled. “Thank you, your majesty,” I mumbled and looked at Dalton. “Come on, Dal.”

My Gamma followed behind me silently. I heard the chatter of the other alphas. I walked in, and they all stopped talking. I just nodded my head. “What haven’t you all ever seen a seven-foot-tall alpha?” I snarked and headed straight to the bar. They went back to talking, and one of my allies, Alpha Garfield Long, walked towards me.

His pack, Harvest Moon, is significantly smaller than mine. They are a farming pack and sell my pack produce. “Hey, Garfield,” I greeted him with a hand shank. Garfield is about five inches shorter than me, with blonde hair and brown eyes.

“Atlas,” He shook my hand and slapped my arm with the other hand. “Glad to see you made it. How is the hybrid situation?”

I chuckled as I reached the bar and flagged down the bartender. “I’ll have a rum and Coke,” I looked at Garfield. “What’s your poison? I’m buying.”

Garfield looked at the bartender. “Same.”

“The hybrid situation is ever the thorn in my side. Last week we caught about twenty trespassing on my land. I hesitated on coming here, but the king insisted I come and discuss the situation with the others. Our packs aren’t the only ones being hit.” I told Garfield. The bartender set our drinks on the bar. I picked mine up and sucked down half. Hyperion was still driving me nuts, and alcohol was good at masking his whining.

“I have to thank you for sending those warriors to help us out,” Garfield told me.

I nodded at him. “Well, it was the right thing to do. You give me a good deal on produce, so helping you out was the logical thing to do.”

“We have been eyeing getting into the cattle game. I mean, we’ve had success with poultry.” Garfield spoke.

Another alpha walked towards us. One that I wasn’t overly fond of. “Atlas! My man,” His shrill voice echoed through the library.

“Tanner,” I replied with marked sarcasm. Tanner Ridgely of Red River Pack was a thorn in my side. He was always trying to get me to partner with his business ventures, and I would find excuses not to. Tanner is a horrible businessman.

Tanner walked up to me and acknowledged Garfield. “So, talking about apples and oranges, are you?” He snickered and then looked up at me. Tanner is relatively small for an alpha. He is only six feet tall and rather thin.

“We were discussing the hybrid problem, actually,” I chimed in.

Tanner snorted. “Oh, that.

We haven’t seen any hybrids. Are you sure they aren’t attracted by your charm, Atlas?” He laughed like he thought he was the funniest man on the planet.

I just looked at Garfield with an eye roll and downed the rest of my drink.

I flagged the bartender to bring me another. “I’m sure that is the reason, Tanner.”

“Anyways, have you thought about the offer I made?” Tanner changed the subject.

He was always about business.

The bartender set my new drink down, and I picked it up and swirled it. “Which offer was that? I get so many they get mixed up.”

Tanner snorted. “Dude, the offer to partner on the solar car venture. You don’t remember that.”

“Sorry, dude,” I replied in a mocking tone. I hated being called dude. “I have had a lot on my plate with the hybrids and the impending birth of my first nephew that I haven’t had a chance to look it over. But solar cars? Really?”

Tanner nodded. “Yeah, they are the next big thing.” He looked past me. “Oh, there is the king. Excuse me.” I watched the sniveling weasel take off towards King Rodney. He had just walked in with Elder Arthur and Alpha Landon.

Alpha Landon walked towards the bar and nodded at me. “Hey, I hope my father and cousin didn’t upset you earlier.”

I shook my head as the scent of Cuban cigars hit me again, and I felt my wolf go nuts.

I had to grab the edge of the bar to keep myself steady. “No, I wasn’t upset. I guess I was just woozy from my long trip. I have never liked long car rides.”

Alpha Landon ordered a beer and sipped it. “I know what you mean. Wolves are meant to be confined to small spaces.”

“Speaking of confined spaces, excuse me,” I said to him. “I need some fresh air.” I downed the rest of my drink and looked at Garfield. “I’ll catch up with you later, buddy.”

Garfield held up his drink. “See ya, buddy.”

I walked away from him, and the scent got fainter, but Hyperion was still going nuts in my head. I walked out onto a balcony the looked over the lake and forest around the palace. I sat on a bench that felt like a child’s chair.

I buried my head in my hands. I hated showing any sort of weakness around others. I am Atlas Bane Wylde, the strongest Alpha there is. Why am I allowing my mind to f**k with me?

‘Our mate is near,’ Hyperion said to me.

‘Excuse me?’ I said to my wolf. ‘We don’t have a mate.’

Hyperion huffed. ‘Of course, we have a mate, you dunce. And she is here and close. I feel her wolf.’

‘Where exactly is she?’ I asked and noticed someone walking towards me.

A timid female omega slowly approached me. “Excuse me, Alpha, but the king is asking for everyone to come back to the library.”

“Okay,” I said and rose to my full height. The poor omega couldn’t be more than five feet tall. She trembled as I looked down at her. For such a petite female, I found her quite attractive. “What is your name?”

She looked up at me with her mouth agape. “N-n-Nicole, sir.” She replied barely above a whisper.

I leaned down to her. “You are rather cute, Nicole,” I smirked and walked away from her. I glanced back to see her smiling to herself. She would probably be a good screw, I thought. I walked into the library, and King Rodney and Elder Arthur were standing on a raised platform.

“Welcome, Alphas of the Kingdom of Lupi Lunas. As your king, I am pleased to welcome you all to the Royal Pack for our annual Alpha summit. Some of you I haven’t seen for years,” He looked at me directly. A few of the other alphas turned to me. I just shrugged while narrowing my eyes at the king.

“Many of you are dealing with hybrid rogues. Our main topic of discussion will be about ridding ourselves of that problem. For now, you may continue to mingle, or my omegas will show you to your rooms. The first meeting, mandatory for everyone here, will begin at eight am sharp tomorrow morning in the conference hall. Thank you.” The king stepped off the platform, and other alphas rushed towards him.

I sighed and felt like I wanted to go veg in my room. I looked around and found Dalton talking to a few males I assumed to be betas or gammas. I walked over to my Gamma. “Dal, I am going to retire to my room. You heard the king. Meet me in the hall at eight am.”

“Okay, Atlas. I won’t be far behind you.” He replied to me.

I walked out of the library and towards a female omega. “I would like to be shown to my room,” I said as the scent of cigars hit me again. I looked around and spotted Prince Aaron walking down the hall with another male I couldn’t quite place. The omega started to say something to me, but I brushed past her without a word. As I got closer to the crown prince and the other male, I was nearly blindsided by the scent.

‘It's our mate,’ Hyperion interjected.

‘Are you saying the prince or the other guy is our mate?’

My wolf laughed. ‘No, the scent is from our mate.’

I stopped in front of the prince and bowed. “Hello, Prince Aaron,” I greeted him and suddenly realized I didn’t have anything else to say. Asking him why he smelled like my mate would sound stupid.

Prince Aaron looked up at me. “You must be Alpha Atlas,” He said to me.

“You must be right,” I joked.

The other male with him was looking me up and down. The Prince glanced at him. “Oh, this is my cousin Braedon, the future Alpha of Mars Ulta.”

“I was just talking with your father, Braedon.” This conversation was going nowhere. Why did he and his whole family smell like my mate?

“Is there anything we can help you with, Alpha?” Prince Aaron brought me out of my thoughts.

I took a deep breath. “I hate to ask this but have either you been around any she-wolves?”

They both looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Just my mate, Maia, and my cousin.” Prince Aaron replied. “Why?”

“No reason. No reason at all. Sorry, I asked.” I sighed. “Thank you.” I just walked away from the prince and his cousin. I was feeling exhausted from my long trip and my wolf’s constant pacing. Hyperion started clawing at my mind as I walked to the omega. “I’m sorry I just walked away. Can you take me to my room now?”

She nodded and held up a notepad. “Alpha Atlas, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Right this way.” She started down the hall towards a grand staircase.

‘No, go back. Look for mate.’ Hyperion cried.

‘Hyperion, seriously. I am tired. Can we just go chill?’ I pleaded with him. He huffed and retreated to the back of my mind. After what felt like a ton of walking, the omega finally stopped in front of a white door.

“This is your room, Alpha. Your gamma’s room is next door,” She pointed to another door. She handed me a piece of paper. “This is the schedule for the summit. If you need anything like food, the number to call is on the back.”

“Thank you,” I said and handed her a twenty-dollar bill. I opened the door and walked into a plush room with a king-sized bed. The walls were a stark white with a marble floor. The linens on the bed were a light blue.

There were large windows that overlooked the lake. I walked over to the bed and flopped onto it, not bothering to take off my suit.

I fell asleep and dreamt of running through the forest chasing a beautiful woman.

I couldn’t see her face, but I knew she was beautiful. Every time I got close to her, she would speed away. My wolf would howl with frustration. Finally, I managed to grab her, but the dream was interrupted by my phone ringing. I opened my eyes and sat up. I dug my phone out of my jacket and saw it was Jed calling. “Jed?” I said into the phone. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Atlas, everything is great,” He replied, sounding exhausted. “Khione just gave birth to a ten-pound pup. She wanted me to call and tell you right away.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “How is my little sister doing?”

“She is doing okay. She bled a little more than the doctor would have liked, but she will be okay. “ He told me.

“And my son, he is perfect.”

“What did you guys name him?” I asked.

“Benjamin Levi Springer,” Jed replied. “Khione said you were okay with us using your father’s name.”

My father, Benjamin Wylde, had been killed when I was sixteen. Khione was barely six when he died, but she was his little girl. I had wanted the name for my first son, but Khione said she wanted the name for her son too, and because of how much I love my sister, I let her have it. “That is a great name, Jed. Is Khione awake?”

“She is out like a light, bro.” Jed chuckled. “I’ll have her call you later when she wakes up.”

“No hurry, let her rest. It sounds like she needs it. Give her my regards,” I said to my beta. “How is the home front?”

“Quiet,” Jed responded. “Anyways, I will let you go. It sounds like I woke you up.”

“Yeah, you did, asshole,” I snorted. “Goodnight, Jed.” I hung up the phone and tossed it on the end table beside the bed. I got up and stripped out of my suit, and took off my shoes.

I went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. After drying off, I put my boxers on and decided to go back to bed.

The next morning I was up early before the sun rose and decided to take a run in the woods. After my run, I went back to my room and had breakfast brought up to my room. I didn’t feel like sitting in the dining hall with others.

I dressed in one of my best suits. I smoothed my hand over my bald head and brushed my long beard. My ice-blue eyes sparkled. ‘Getting gussied up for our mate, I see,’ Hyperion snickered. I rolled my eyes and ignored him. I walked out of my room, and my Gamma walked out of his at the same time.

“Good morning, Atlas,” Dalton greeted me. “How was your night?”

I shrugged. “I miss my own bed,” I replied. “My sister had the baby last night.”

Dalton’s eyes brightened. “That’s awesome. What did they name him?”

“Benjamin Levi,” I replied.

Dalton raised his eyebrows. “You are okay with your sister giving her son your Dad’s name?”

I shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be? It’s a good strong name.”

“I don’t know. I remember you saying that you wanted to use it for your first son.” Dalton countered as we walked down the stairs.

“That was a long time ago, Dal. Back when I thought I would find my mate-“ I trailed off as the scent of cigars hit me again. Hyperion began his idiotic pacing and whining. We reached the ground floor and started towards the conference hall. The closer we got, the more I smelled the scent. I looked around frantically and saw only males. Dalton was still talking about something, but I ignored him. ‘Mate. Mate.’ Hyperion kept repeating.

I growled with frustration. ‘Where Hyperion?’ My eyes scanned the room. I saw King Rodney talking to his uncle and cousin. Prince Aaron was a few feet away from them, who was talking to a person with their back to me. The person was where the scent was coming from, the strongest. Then the person who was talking to the prince turned in my direction, and a pair of reddish eyes looked my way. ‘MATE!’ Hyperion shouted.

The red-eyed one looked me up and down. She was taller than any female I had ever seen. She was also very muscular and had really short black hair. She was wearing a black pant suit. In her way, she was very beautiful, and I found myself instantly drawn to her.

She took a deep breath and then turned away from me. That made Hyperion howl in frustration. I watched as the prince’s cousin Braedon walk up to my mate and slap her on the back. A loud growl rumbled out of me, and in a flash, I was across the room. I knocked Braedon on his ass. I then grabbed my beautiful mate and inhaled the overwhelming scent of Cuban cigars.

My mate froze for a second, and then she growled loudly and elbowed me hard in the stomach. She grabbed my hand with a grip I was not expecting from a female, and then in a flash, she flipped me over her shoulder, and I hit the ground with a very loud thud. I looked up at her, and her eyes were glowing red.

I looked up at her in shock. "Mate?" I said feebly to her as the room went dead silent.