On Bended Knee

Chapter 8

"My pack members know that I have found my mate, but I'm not sure how many of them know that you are human. I had kind of a...meltdown...the other night. I'm not sure what all the pack knows." I guess the word meltdown was putting it diplomatically as I thought about how much furniture I had destroyed in my office. Half of the pack house had heard my screaming and then subsequent conversation with Jason and Hector. I had ripped the doors clear off the hinges on my way in, after all.

I was pulling up my freshly-washed leggings as we readied ourselves for the walk back to Fidelis. Atlas had insisted on me wearing his shirt, claiming my sports bra was too distracting for him.

"Do I want to know?" Atlas leaned back through the doorway to the bathroom as he put his hair up in a bun, securing it with a tie. He was looking at me with only one eyebrow raised in question. Dressed for the winter weather in a thick navy sweater and dark jeans, my mate looked good enough to eat. The copper of his hair and the sky blue of his eyes made for piercing contrast.

"You will see it for yourself soon enough," I sighed, both embarrassed and resigned to the fact that we had to face the mess I made. Literally. "Umm..." Not quite sure how to go about asking, I felt my face go red with my blush. "Do you want to maybe pack a bag?"

I had to be beet red by this point. I was looking straight into his chest, knowing I would lose it if I looked into his eyes right then. I shouldn't be this embarrassed to ask my mate to have a sleepover with me.

I felt his lips on my forehead before he moved around me to the other side of the room. His closet door opened and he rummaged around, bending at the knees to pull out a caramel colored leather duffel. I stood still on the other side of the bed as he packed jeans, t-shirts, socks, and underwear into the bag. Neither of us said anything as the folded the clothes into the bag. I walked into the closet and pull two flannels and a hoodie off of the hangers. Coming up to his right side, I offered them to Atlas silently. In my periphery, I saw the small smile across his mouth.

"It gets cold out there." I mumbled. He took the clothes from me and just nodded. "You finish in here, I'll be outside." And I ran out of there like my ass was on fire. Moving quickly through the house, I made my way outside and into the clearing. We had just over four miles of ground to cover before dark and we were burning daylight. I could make it the distance in a few minutes with my enhanced genes, not to mention the added Alpha perks, but Atlas was human. He was going to have to set the pace for our trek. I tried not to think about just how far his home really was from mine and the logistics of having a relationship so far outside of the safety of the territory.

"Don't you need shoes?" Atlas appeared at my elbow. He had his bag in tow, pushing his keys into the pocket of his jeans after presumably locking his front door.

"Shoes are kind of restrictive. We tend to shred any clothes we are wearing when we shift and shoes are a bit more expensive to replace." I shrugged in explanation. "And I don't really need them to begin with. Wolves don't get cold easily. Also, I'm a little wild, Atlas." I looked up at him next to me. His eyes were open and completely devoid of judgement. "I do also change into a giant animal completely covered in hair. Barefoot is kind of small potatoes here." I let the smile come across my face and saw his in return. "Ready to go?" I asked.

He nodded a few times and tossed his duffel over one shoulder. "Yeah. I'm assuming we aren't driving, then?"

I shook my head. "No, there aren't any roads leading to the pack house. Too hard to defend and keep hidden from humans. We have vehicles off-site we own and use to go into town, but cars aren't allowed within the borders.

Atlas nodded his head like he understood. "So on foot then?" He held out his free hand for me to take.

I smirked at him deviously. "It's quite the hike, Atlas. Over four miles to the border alone and then further still to the pack house." I took his hand and interlaced our fingers. "We are going to have to make it there before dark. Jason expects us, but we need to haul ass. I don't want to have you in the woods after dark without security." We begin the walk towards the tree line, moving south towards my home.