The War of Atlas

Hard Truths

Atlas

I felt dejected watching Griffin walk away. She had made it perfectly clear that having pups with me disgusted her. I felt a hand on mine and smiled at my sister. She was holding her newborn son against her chest and looked so happy. Jed was looking lovingly at his son and mate. I looked down the table to see Dalton bouncing his younger son Sean on his knee while Noah was regaling him with a story. He used his free hand to touch his mate’s growing belly.

I sighed sadly and felt envious of my best friends. They had what I always wanted. I always wanted to have a happy family full of pups and a loving mate. But instead, I was cursed with the one female that hated pups and the idea of being pregnant. ‘Can we reject her?’ I asked Hyperion as I rose from the table.

‘No, we can’t reject our mate.’ He retorted.

‘Why not? She has made it completely clear that she will not have our pups. I need an heir, and if she isn’t going to give me one, I need to find someone who will.’ I explained to my wolf.

He growled. ‘You have to give her time, Atlas. But we can’t reject her. We need her.’

‘No man needs the grief that so-called woman is giving me,’ I snarled and blocked him out.

“Atlas?” I heard my sister calling to me.

I stopped and turned to her with a slight smile. “What?”

“Are you alright?” Khione asked while lightly touching my arm.

I shook my head. “Not really, Khione.”

She pursed her lips. “I am sorry things are hard between you and Griffin. I like her, but I don’t like how she treats you.”

“Thank you, Khione.”

“I think she is going to check out the gym later. Tracy and I will go with her,” She spoke. “I’ll try to talk to her about the whole pup situation.”

“You don’t need to do that, Khione,” I sighed. “I need you guys to start getting her Luna ceremony planned.”

She smiled. “So, you are going to make her official?”

I nodded even though part of me wanted to reject her. “I would like to have it on the next full moon.”

“Atlas! That is next week,” Khione smacked my arm, and I chuckled.

“You can do it. I know you can. Make sure that Griffin helps, though. She needs to learn to act female.” I sighed. “I have to get to work. I’ll see you later.” I leaned down and kissed my sister’s cheek, and marched to my office. As I walked in, I stared at the picture of my parents on one of the shelves. The photo was taken when my mother was pregnant with me, and they looked so happy. I picked up the frame and sat at my desk. All I wanted was what they had. I needed to know more about Griffin and why she acted as she did. I set the picture frame on my desk and dialed the number, and let it trill.

“This is Alpha Landon,” The voice answered on the other end. “Can I help you?”

I took a deep breath. “Landon, it's Atlas.”

“Oh Atlas, how are things going with Griffin?” He asked cheerfully.

I was silent for a moment before answering. “I need to know a few things about Griffin, Landon.”

The other alpha sighed. “That bad, huh?”

“First, what the hell did your pack do to her? Why does she hate pups and the idea of being a mother?” I spat out with anger and grief.

Landon huffed. “We didn’t do anything to Griffin other than love her. Griffin is Griffin.”

“Why does she hate pups so much?” I nearly yelled.

There was some rustling, and then another voice came on. “Hello Atlas,” Elder Arthur chimed in. “I hope you don’t mind, but my son put this on speakerphone. I heard your questions. Griffin does not hate pups. She just isn’t comfortable around them.”

“She didn’t really like pups when she was a pup,” Landon responded. “I mean, she was friends with my son, Braedon and Prince Aaron. She just never related to her peers.”

I heard Elder Arthur take a deep breath. “She was a happy pup when she was younger, but then she watched her mother get killed, and I think that had a lot to do with her present state of mind.”

“Wait, she never mentioned that,” I said out loud. “I was told that Griffin’s mother died trying to save some scouts.”

“That is true,” The elder said. I could hear the pain in his voice as we were talking about his daughter. “Griffin was in Wilderness Scouts. Her troop was out exploring the edge of our territory. A couple of the pups went off trail and were ambushed by hybrids. Griffin mind linked her mother who was on patrol,” Elder Arthur explained.

“Justine was overwhelmed by the sheer number of hybrids, and she succumbed to her injuries before other warriors could get to her. The other pups fled the scene with their troop leader, but Griffin tried to help her mother.” Landon added. “I was one of the first to reach the scene, and my sister was-“ He trailed off. “Anyways, Justine prevented the deaths of those pups and other pack members. My sister took out about twenty hybrids.”

“Griffin sort of shut down after that. The happy-go-lucky little girl sort of died that day,” Elder Arthur said. “We got her therapy, but that didn’t really help. It wasn’t until we allowed her to start training that some of the old Griffin came back.”

“So, you guys didn’t even try to teach her to be a woman?” I snarled.

“Lynette, Syd, and my mother tried. But Griffin has a hard time sitting still,” Landon told me. “And she just wasn’t interested, so we didn’t push it.”

“So, how do I convince her that having pups isn’t disgusting? All I want is to have a family with my mate, but I am on the verge of rejecting her.”

“Has she said that she is never having them?” Elder Arthur asked me.

“Well, no-“

“Then you need to be patient, Atlas. Griffin isn’t used to the lifestyle of your pack. She is used to eight hours a day of training and battle strategy. She is probably going nuts not having that outlet,” Elder Arthur explained.

“I have conceded and am allowing her to teach the females self-defense,” I responded.

“That’s a start,” Alpha Landon breathed out. “Look far from it for me to tell you how to run your pack, but in my pack, we never barred females from training. I know you are old-fashioned on that. But we always saw it as a detriment to a pack to leave half of its members defenseless.”

A growl rolled out of me. “We are here to discuss my mate, not how I run my pack, Landon.”

“Sorry, but if I may make a suggestion. Let her train with the males.” Landon pushed.

I sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“I think if you let her train with the males, she may be more willing to give you pups sooner,” Elder Arthur added. “A solid mate relationship hinges on compromises. Trust this old man who has been with his mate for over fifty years.” He chuckled.

The door of my office opened, and Jed walked in, looking concerned. “Atlas, we need to talk,” my Beta said to me.

“Gentlemen, I have pack matters to attend to. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me,” I said to them.

“We are glad to help, Atlas. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call,” Alpha Landon said.

“Goodbye,” I hung up the phone and looked at my beta. “What has you all uptight?”

Jed stepped towards the desk, and I smelled death on him. “A body was found on the border.”

I stood up. “One of ours?”

Jed nodded. “Dalton identified her as the kindergarten teacher. Her mate is one of the border guards.”

“What?” I snarled. “Anything else?” I just noticed that Jed had one of his hands behind his back. He placed a plastic bag with a bloody note inside. “This was pinned to her corpse.”

I picked up the bag and read the note. A room-shaking roar fell out of me, and I slammed the bag on my desk. “f*****g Constantine!”

“Why would they want Griffin?” Jed asked with a huff. “I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting that mess.”

I growled again. “Have care how you speak about your Luna, Jed.”

He scoffed. “Oh, come on, Atlas. You barely want her. I don’t know why you keep letting her walk all over you. Khione would never act like that. I wouldn’t let her.”

“Don’t worry about my relationship, Jed.” I snarled at him.

Jed rolled his eyes. “Your relationship affects all of us, Atlas. The men are talking. They see and hear you two yelling back and forth. They hear what she says and sees you letting her get away with it.”

I balled up my fist, ready to punch my beta, but he was right. “Let’s just worry about this right now,” I pointed to the note. I was about to mind link my gamma when he walked into my office with two border guards. “I was just about to call you in here.”

Dalton gestured to the border guards. “These two found Dana.”

I eyed the guards and gestured to the chairs in front of my desk. “Sit down, gentlemen. I have questions for you.”

They nodded and sat down. I walked around my desk and looked down at them. “What time did you find the body?”

“Around seven a.m., Alpha,” One of the males with black hair answered me. They were both dressed in camouflage.

“Did you see or hear anything before finding the body?” I asked.

The two guards looked at each other and seemed hesitant to answer me. “Ryan, Clay, tell Alpha Atlas what you told me,” Dalton pressed them. He and Jed were standing behind the chairs.

“We thought we smelled rogues and went towards the source and then heard a scream in the opposite direction. Ryan and I decided to split up. I went towards the scent, and Ryan went towards the scream,” The one I assumed to be Clay replied.

“I am the one that found her,” Ryan told me. “I smelled fresh blood, but by the time I arrived, she was already dead and tore up pretty bad.”

“Ryan called to me, and I ran over to him,” Clay added. “Then I called Gamma Dalton.”

“And you didn’t see or hear anything else?” I asked.

They both shook their heads. I looked at my gamma. “And you identified the body?”

Dalton nodded. “She is or was Sean’s teacher, Dana Meadows. Her mate is one of our top warriors.”

“Brian Meadows?” I asked, and Dalton nodded. “s**t. Get Brian in here.” I ordered.

“Atlas, he is mourning the loss of his mate-“

I interrupted Dalton with a growl. “I realize that. Get him in here now,” I repeated in my alpha tone. Dalton nodded and walked out of the office. I looked down at the guards. “You two are dismissed. But I may have more questions later.”

The two guards nodded and left the office. I sat in my chair behind the desk and picked up the bag with the note in it. ‘What does Constantine want with my mate?’

‘She has mentioned that she knows him.’ Hyperion replied. ‘I believe her old pack has dealt with him as well.’

I set the note down, and Dalton walked into the office with the warrior, Brian Meadows. The warrior was nearly the size of my gamma. He looked at me through puffy red eyes. I hated to drag him in here while he was mourning his mate. I stood up. “I am very sorry to do this, Brian,” I said to the warrior. “Have a seat.” I pushed the box of tissues towards him.

“I am sorry for blubbering like a little girl, Alpha,” The warrior sniffled.

“We won't tell anyone,” I said to him as I walked around to the front of my desk. “I have some questions for you.”

Brian nodded. “I’ll try to answer them, sir.”

I felt empathy for my warrior. A large and strong man sat before me, trying not to cry. I had heard how painful the loss of a mate could be. “Did you and your mate have pups?” I asked gently.

He sniffled and looked at his hands. “Three girls, sir. My eldest two are in school while the baby is with my mother, right now.”

“I am very sorry for your loss.” I patted his shoulder.

He nodded his head. “That means a lot to me, Alpha.”

I clasped my hands together. “Now, I need to know something. What was your mate doing on the border?”

Brian looked up at me and took a deep breath. “She was nowhere near the border, sir. I left early to get to my post. My mother told me that Dana had to run to the store for some milk for the girls.”

“So, she was nowhere near the border?” I asked, skeptical.

He shook his head. “When she didn’t return, my mother called me to tell me that Dana hadn’t come home. Then I felt her death through our bond, and moments later, Gamma Dalton called to say they found her body.” Tears fell from his eyes. “I-I don’t know how she got out there.”

“f**k,” I snarled loudly, and Brian jumped. “You are dismissed for now. I may have questions for you later.”

Brian stood up. “You are going to find out what happened to my mate, right? I need closure. I feel like I failed her by not protecting her. I felt her fear, but when I tried mind linking her, she would not reply. Then just like that, she was dead.”

“We will get to the bottom of it, I promise,” I assured him. “Go be with your family. You may have the rest of the week off.”

He sighed. “Thank you, Alpha.” He said while walking out of the office.

I looked at my gamma and beta. “We need to investigate how one of our pack members was abducted that far into the territory. We need surveillance, and we need to question the store clerk and anyone that lives along the way.”

They both nodded. “We are on it,” Jed replied.

Within an hour, we had testimony from several pack members. The three of us had maps and written statements spread all over the large table in my office. The three of us were having a heated discussion about security when the scent of a cigar hit me. Then there was a knock on the door.

‘Tell her to come back later,’ I told Jed through mind link.

“Come back later,” Jed yelled.

I heard her huff, and then the door opened. I glared at my mate as she sauntered in with determined fire in her eyes. “I thought he said to come back later,” I snarled at Griffin.

“I need to discuss something with you. But-,” I watched her red eyes looking at the maps and papers strewn about. She spotted the note and pointed to it. “Why is my name on that? Is he threatening the pack over me?”

I walked over to her and tried pushing her away from the table and out of the office. “It's nothing you have to worry about. We got it under control.”

She pushed me back and walked around me towards the table. Jed blocked her, but she growled at him. “Let me help you guys,” She turned to me. “I told you that Mars Ulta has had trouble with Constantine too.”

I grabbed her arm and pulled her a little too hard towards the door. I was tired of her undermining me. “The only thing you need to worry about is your Luna ceremony. The men will worry about this.”

Griffin started to struggle out of my grip. “Dammit, Atlas. Please let me help. I don’t know s**t about planning parties. But I do know how to fight hybrids. And I do know things about Constantine that could be valuable to you.”

I sneered at her. “What do you possibly know that be of any value to us?”

She yanked her arm from my grip and glared at me. I hated that her anger somehow turned me on. She looked at each of us before answering. “For one thing, my mother was Constantine’s fated mate.” She stated.

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. “Excuse me?”

She picked up the bloody note. “What didn’t you understand?”

Jed snatched the note from her hand. “So, are you saying that Constantine Drago is your father?” He placed the note on the table. “That would certainly explain a lot.”

Griffin snorted and rolled her eyes. “No, Constantine Drago is not my father.” Her eyes looked down at the maps. “Ooo, we were breached, and someone died.”

I ignored her inquiry. I was interested in the whole Justine Lockhart being Constantine Drago’s mate thing. “Wait, so how is Constantine not your father if he was your mother’s mate?” I asked.

Griffin looked at me with those red eyes of hers. “He and my mother never had s*x, so there was no way for him to impregnate her,” She replied sarcastically and walked towards the door. “But since I’m just a girl without valuable information, I’ll be leaving.”

I walked over and put my hand on the door. “What happened between your mother and Constantine?”

Griffin furrowed her brows. “Oh now, you need information from me.”

I growled at her. “Griffin, this is not a game. Just answer my question, please.”

She turned and walked over to my desk and sat on it. “Well, since you said please, oh dear mate.”

Dalton chuckled at her, but Jed just glared at her. “Griffin-“ I drawled with annoyance.

She crossed her legs and sighed. “I don’t know the whole story because it happened before I was born. And what my Uncle and Grandfather told me was fragmented. I guess they met at the palace. This was back when Constantine was still alpha of a pack, and he spotted my mom with Uncle Rodney and Aunt Sydney. He tried to claim her, but my mother instantly rejected him.”

I listened to Griffin’s explanation. I knew that at one time, Constantine had been the alpha of a pack called Frozen Moon. A medium-sized pack up north. He had his title taken away after an investigation into allegations of abuse.

“Constantine was under investigation by Uncle Rodney over allegations of abuse. Frozen Moon was a pack like this one still stuck in the 1800s. Only they were more abusive than you guys so-“

“Wait,” I held up a hand, cutting her off. “Are you implying that my pack is abusive?” I felt my anger rising at her accusation.

She nodded. “Half of your pack is made to believe that their only value in life is how many babies they produce. They aren’t allowed to make decisions or train to defend themselves. One woman told me that she was denied the right to go to school to be a doctor. So yeah, denying someone’s potential based on their genitals is abuse.”

A low growl rumbled out of me. “We do not abuse anyone. That is not tolerated here!” I yelled at her.

She snorted. “Right. I guess I should be thankful that you don’t believe in beating submission out of your womenfolk.”

“You listen here, you slut,” Jed stepped towards her. “Just because we don’t let our women w***e about doesn’t mean we abuse them!” He jammed a finger in her face. “You would do good to learn your place!”

Griffin rolled her eyes at him. “My place is wherever the f**k I say it is.” She hopped off my desk and got into Jed’s face.

Jed turned away from her. “I can’t deal with your b***h, right now!”

Without thinking, I punched my beta, and he flew into a wall. “Do not call her a b***h!” I roared at him.

Jed got to his feet slowly with his eyes on Griffin. “Go get some air, Jed,” I ordered my beta. “You too, Dalton.”

“Let’s go look at the surveillance footage again,” Dalton suggested to Jed.

“Whatever gets me away from that w***e,” He snarled and stormed out of my office.

Dalton gave me a sympathetic look and followed Jed out. I looked at my mate. “What is it you came in here for in the first place?”

She was looking at the maps again. I touched her shoulder and stood beside her. “I came in here to talk about the state of the women’s gym.”

“What is wrong with it?” I asked.

She was looking at the note again. “Constantine thinks I am his daughter, but I am not. He has tried kidnapping me since I was seven.”

“Griffin, answer my question.”

“Oh, the women’s gym. It’s a shithole.” She was reading one of the testimonies. “So, the body was a teacher? Damn, that sucks.”

I snatched it from her. “What do you mean the gym is a shithole?”

She huffed loudly. “Don’t you know what shithole means? It's dilapidated, run-down, and dirty. The building is falling apart and probably a health hazard. None of the machines work. So, I came in here to talk to you about fixing it up or building another one.”

“Fine,” I replied to her, and she c****d her head.

“What?”

“I said fine. Fix it up or build a new one. Whatever you think should be done. I’ll leave the planning up to you. Figure out what needs to be fixed and replaced. Call and get quotes. All of that. Give the women a gym you feel is adequate.”

She looked shocked. “Really? Just like that?”

“Yes, Griffin. You are the Luna, aren’t you? If something needs attention, then fix it.” I told her.

“Thank you.” She replied slowly. “Also, I need a place to train the women in the meantime. I was going to ask if we could use one of the fields.”

“Okay,” I conceded and watched her expression soften. “Use the field the furthest from the arena. We never use that.”

She furrowed her eyebrows at me. “In exchange for what?”

I scoffed. “For goddess sakes, Griffin. I am trying to work with you. Just use the god damn field. Train our women how to defend themselves, so other pups don’t lose their mothers!” I nearly shouted while pointing at the paperwork.

She touched my arm and looked into my eyes. “Yes, Alpha,” She said with a smirk.

The sparks from the contact were making me weak in the knees. I ran my hand down her cheek and felt her shudder. I wrapped my other arm around her and pulled her to my chest. I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. “What am I going to do with you?” I whispered against her lips.

“You sound like my father.” She laughed.

“Who is your father, Griffin?”

She shook her head. “I am not ready to give you that information yet.”

Shaking my head, I kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss. My hand slid down her body and massaged her breast. She moaned into my mouth, and I felt myself getting hard. I slid my hand down to the top of her pants, and the door opened.

“Atlas, we found something-“ Dalton started to say but stopped when he saw me with Griffin.

I growled and then pulled away from her. “Can it wait?”

Griffin untangled herself from me. “I’ll go get started on those plans for the gym,” She started to walk away from me, and I grabbed her arm.

“Stay,” I pleaded with her.

“You don’t want my help, Atlas. So, I’ll go worry about the gym.” She pulled away from me, and Hyperion whined.

I watched her walk almost out of the office. “Griffin,” I called, and she turned to me. “Can we have dinner later? A nice dinner.”

She shrugged. “Sure, I may even wear a dress.” She smirked.

“See you then.” I smiled at her. She waved and left the office. I just stared at the door for a moment until Dalton whistled. “What? Oh,” I sighed. “Tell me what you found, Dalton.” I sat down behind my desk while he and Jed sat in front of the desk. My beta and I exchanged a brief look before turning to Dalton.