Chapter 10

Currently, I'm having a mental break. I don't know when I fell asleep, but it was morning when I opened my eyes again. What the hell have I done? Just a moment ago, I thought he was weird and creepy. Now, I'm wrapped in his arms, feeling safe and warm. And now I'm debating if it would really be so bad if I stayed. The answer is an obvious no; I had long since decided to live amongst humans. The thought of living in a pack was tempting at first, but the fact that this pack killed 5 members of the Midnight Moon Pack, it'll not only make it easier for Damon to not only find me, but he'll go as far as subject this poor pack to torture for protecting me and killing his men. Damon is not the type to let bygones be bygones. He's the eye for an eye type of guy. As he and Emma grew closer, that side of him slowly died down, but since Emma isn't with him and will never be with him, I'm sure that that side of him must have doubled in size. I wouldn't be surprised if he's killed someone by now.

I looked at Atlas's sleeping face. The kindness he and his family showed me was far more than I could have ever wished for. The thought of all of them dying because of my selfishness terrified me. A lot of people died in the book because of Emma. Either trying to protect or save her. Running away from Midnight Moon Pack was so I wouldn't have to live like Emma and see people dying because of me. I…I don't want to be like her. I felt my eyes begin to water, and my sight start to blur. Seriously, crying now? In front of Atlas, no less. Why must I always find myself in an awkward position in front of him? Thankfully, he's still asleep. I move my hands up to my face and wipe away the tears threatening to fall.

I look back up at Atlas, a hint of a smile on my lips. Being in his arms felt nice. His steady breathing calmed me and gave me a sense of peace. I placed my hand on his cheek. How can such a handsome man be single?

Wait. Is he single? In novels like these, the Alpha always tends to have experience and a colossal amount of women at his beck and call. Or if not, they have a girlfriend, a steady girlfriend, like Damon and Jessica. Oh my God, what if Atlas has a Jessica. Oh no, this is bad, this is really very bad. Jessica would torment Emma just for looking at Damon. What if Atlas's Jessica does the same thing? If he has a Jessica, I have just become the other woman! Oh no, I have to leave this pack as soon as possible. I have no interest in being a mistress.

There was a sudden knocking at the door. I widened my eyes as I looked towards it. "Knock, knock!" a woman's voice rang outside the door. "Can I come in?" Holy shit. Atlas's dick is still hanging out, and I don't have any bottoms on. If they come in and see us like this, they'll think I seduced their next Alpha. I'll be sent to the dungeon.

"Atlas! Atlas, wake up!" I whispered, trying to wiggle out of his arms, but he just tightened them around me, pulling me closer, a grin evident on his face. The bastard's awake! How long has he been awake? He opened his eyes and looked down at me with a smile. He was laughing at me!

"Hold on, I'll be out in a minute!" Atlas yelled.

"Okay," said the person on the other side of the door.

Atlas planted a kiss on my forehead and got up from the bed. He put his dick back in his pants and closed the zipper, "What? Want seconds?" he asked me.

I knew my face had become beet red, "No!" I said and turned the other way.

"Gotta say, love the view," Atlas said. I realized I was giving him a view of my ass, so I quickly grabbed the blanket and covered up. I could hear Atlas laugh. When he opened the door, the smell of eggs and bacon made its way into the room. My stomach rumbled at the smell. I had no idea how hungry I was until just now.

"I've brought you breakfast," the woman said. Her voice sounded kind and innocent.

"Thanks, Hannah," Atlas said. He was going to close the door when she stopped it.

  "I was wondering if you had any plans tonight," I could tell almost immediately that she was flirting. "My dad won't be home tonight." Hold up. He…he really has a girlfriend?! I mean, I thought he might, but I didn't think he'd actually have one.

Atlas let out an awkward chuckle. Of course, he would feel uncomfortable. The girl he was just being intimate with found out he was dating someone.

"Hannah, we broke up long ago," he said. I was taken aback by his reply. Why is she inviting him over to her place if they broke up?

"And yet to still fall for my advances every time," Hannah said with a chuckle. So, that means that they have a sexual relationship even though they've stopped dating. Then, what does that make me?

"That was before. From now on, I will not stand for any advances you try on me in the future," Atlas said. Hannah gasped, taken aback by his words. I have to say, so was I. Did he tell her that because of me?

"Did…did you find someone else?" she asked, holding back tears, but the sadness was evident in her voice. Now, I feel bad for her. Have I broken up a couple on the road to getting back together?

There was a moment of silence, then Atlas answered, "Yes," I let out an audible gasp. Although I'm the quiet type, due to their werewolf hearing, I'm pretty sure they heard me. Especially when I stopped hearing Hannah's sobbing.

"Who the hell are you?" Hannah asked me, with a very hostile tone of voice. I turned to look at her. She was a tall girl with wavy red hair and green eyes. She wore a tight black t-shirt, dark green pants, and combat boots. She screamed typical werewolf warrior. She had some muscle, and unlike Jessica, she looked like she could take a punch and punch back harder. 

"Is it you?" She yelled; she walked past Atlas, grabbed me by the shirt, and pulled me up. I held onto the blanket, wrapping it tightly around me. I didn't want her to see me in such a compromised state, but she didn't have to. She just had to sniff around me, and her angered expression changed to one of pure hatred.

"Did you fuck her?" she asked Atlas as she dropped me on the floor, "Did you fuck this bitch?!" she yelled. I felt insulted and humiliated, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I would have told her I didn't know he had someone, but that would just mean pushing the blame onto someone else. I didn't fight back; I wanted him as much as he wanted me, and at that moment, I didn't even care to question if he had someone special.

"Hannah, what the fuck?!" Atlas yelled at her as he pushed her back and hurried to my side. He looked at me worriedly, "Are you okay?" he asked me. I nodded. He picked me up and sat me down on the bed again. He then stood in between Hannah and me in a protective stance.

"How fucking dare you?" Hannah said, you'd think she was asking him, but no, she was looking directly at me, "He is mine!"

"No, I'm not!" Atlas yelled, shutting her down. He looked at me nervously. "I'm not hers. I'm no one's. I'm 100% single," he said to me. I looked at Hannah and then back at him.

"If you're not dating, why is she acting like this?" I asked him.

"Don't you dare refer to me so casually. I'm his mate!" Hannah yelled. I was stunned. Mates? She's not his girlfriend, but his mate, and they're not together? Is he just another Damon?

"Goddess almighty! No, you're not Hannah!" Atlas corrected her. Now, I didn't know what to believe. He looked at me, getting down on one knee and grabbing my hands, "She and I aren't together. We broke up years ago, as soon as we found out we weren't mates," he told me. He looked scared. His expression said that he wanted me to believe him.

"Liar! Why have we continued to be intimate, then? You've cheated on me!"

"Hannah, calm the fuck down!" Atlas yelled back, "We aren't together anymore. Who I date or take to bed is none of your business!"

The way Atlas puts it makes it sound like Hannah is crazy obsessed with him, and I still don't know which side to believe. If the two of them broke up like Atlas says but maintained a physical relationship. On one hand, Atlas was just thinking it was nothing else except physical. Still, Hannah, on the other was thinking that their physical relationship could lead to them getting back together.

Neither of them is in the right, but they have every reason to be upset since they both have different expectations regarding their relationship. Hannah must think Atlas has just been stringing her along and sees me as an eyesore that got in between the two of them, even though he and I have just met.

"You!" Hannah points at me, "You must think you're all so high and mighty because he fucked you. But remember this: you're still just a rogue," Wow. She was really hurting my feelings. "As soon as he gets bored, he'll drop you like you're yesterday's garbage," Hannah said.

"No, I won't!" Atlas yelled at her. He turned to me and smiled, "Everything I've told you so far has been the truth and nothing but the truth. Don't be swayed by words from a jealous she-wolf."

I didn't know what to say. I see now that calling their relationship complicated is an understatement, and I have no intention of being in a love triangle. Even if her words didn't sway me, she displayed obvious violent behavior. If she has friends, they'll take her side regardless of whether she's in the wrong or not. Atlas and his family may protect me, but can they protect me from their own pack members? I'm sure the moment I'm out of their sights, Hannah might try something. In my weakened state, I won't be able to put up much of a fight. She'll kill me. 

"Jealous?! You know what? Fuck you, Atlas!" Hannah yelled. She looked at me, then yelled, "And you! You better watch your fucking back, rogue," she rushed out the door, slamming it behind her. It was so loud I thought she managed to rip the door off its hinges.

Oh my God, she's another Jessica. "Don't worry about her. She's all bark and no bite," Atlas told me, noticing my anxiousness. His comforting, though, wasn't working.

I took a deep breath, then told him, "I think I deserve an explanation," staring at him blankly, "You have a complicated relationship with her and still decided to do that to me, knowing she'd go insane if she found out."

"What? No! It's not like that. I told you we're not dating. We were, but that was when we were kids. I broke things off as soon as I found out we weren't mates. I won't be with anyone other than my fated mate."

"And why did you continue that type of relationship with her?" I asked, "Knowing full well how she felt about you."

Atlas looked down, scratching the back of his head, "Well, we were at a party, and everyone was super drunk. I was horny, Hannah offered to…you know. I agreed, and after that, she offered to keep things between up purely sexual, and I agreed to that too."

"So, friends with benefits," I said.

Atlas smiled and nodded, "Yes! Exactly!"

"And you have no lingering feelings for her?" I asked.

"No! None at all," Atlas answered quickly, "To me, she's just another pack member!" All throughout our conversation, Atlas seemed worried and maybe even scared that I wouldn't believe him. I can't see why my opinion of him is so important to him. 

"Why did she call you her mate when you said you weren't?" I asked.

"Probably pack chatter. We were kids when we started dating, and we were practically inseparable. Pack members started thinking that the two of us might be mates. And some started calling her the next Luna. Hannah was so happy about being Luna that she thought she would be Luna even if we didn't turn out to be fated mates. I guess she thought we would get back together eventually since we continued to have a sexual relationship."

I was surprised that Atlas was being so honest about this with me. He didn't have to answer my questions, but he did. He didn't jump around the bush but got straight to the point. I see now that he has no lingering feelings for Hannah, and she's the one who is high-key obsessed with him. Sadly, I couldn't help but be upset with him, not about Hannah, but about me. He believes in fated mates and wants to wait for her, but here he was, doing the dirty with me. I couldn't help but feel like I was being used.

"So, what about me?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?" Atlas asked, confused.

"If Hannah is just your friend with benefits. What am I?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to swallow them back up, pretend like I didn't just say them. He'd probably say I'm nothing or something twice as hurtful. I was already hurting my feelings with what-ifs that his actual answer surprised me.

"What do you want to be?" he asked. How do I answer that question? I'm not going to say girlfriend since he's obviously waiting for his mate, but I don't want to be Hannah's substitute.

"I don't know," I told him honestly. Atlas nodded. A hurt expression on his face.

"Well, let's just put a pin on that conversation and get back to it another day. When you've come up with an answer," Atlas suggested. I nodded, "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Now that he mentions it, I am pretty hungry. No, scratch that, I'm starving.

Atlas walked towards the food Hannah had brought, but as soon as he touched it, he realized it was cold. He then seemed to space out. I could tell he was using the mind link. After a few seconds, he looked back at me and said, "Let's eat downstairs."

"Love to, but I still can't move very well," I told him.

"Who said you'll have to walk?" he asked. He quickly wrapped the blanket tightly around me and then picked me up like a bride. He was about to open the door when I started struggling to get out of his grasp.

"What are you doing?! I'm still naked!" I yelled.

"So, it's not like the people downstairs will see," he answered. "Besides, fingering you while we're downstairs will be easier."

My cheeks reddened at his reply. Was he seriously planning on doing that to me in front of so many people?!

"You...you crazy bastard!" I yelled, "Put me down right now! I'll put on my  pants and go downstairs alone!"

"Jeez, fine," Atlas said, pouting. He put me back on the bed and said, "But you're not leaving my sight even for a second. So I'll do it." I didn't know what he meant until he grabbed my panties, laid me down, pulled my legs upwards, placed them over his shoulder, and slowly put them on me. Once in place, he spread my legs, each one on each of his shoulders, and pulled my lower half higher until my secret place was just inches away from his mouth. 

"What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"I want to fuck you so bad," he said, suddenly placing his nose upon my entrance and sniffing.

"Stop that!" I said, feeling a tingling down there, once again, and a weird feeling in my stomach. Atlas smiled at me, noticing the redness on my face.

"Your words and body are contradicting each other. One wants me, and the other says no. Who do I believe?" he teased. I struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Seriously, Atlas, stop it! I'm hungry!" I said.

Atlas looked at me. To show I was serious, I pouted while furrowing my brows. He frowned in response but let me go and said, "Okay." Although he let me go, he still urged me to put my pants on for me, so I let him. This time, there were no sexual innuendos. He just wanted to help. Atlas then wrapped the blanket around me and picked me up like a bride.