Stray Echo

Disappointed

POV: Echo

Suddenly feeling shy, I wrapped my arms around myself, covering my chest and eyeing the floor. Atlas slowly tugs my arms away, inhaling sharply as he takes in all of me.

“Don’t hide your body from me,” His husky voice is gentle and his words firm as he raises his desire-filled eyes to mine. I shivered in anticipation, my body reacting to him in a way that it had never responded to Brady. He slowly reaches out a hand, and starting at my lips, he trails a single fingertip down my neck, over my chest, looping lightly around my n****e, which hardens on contact.

He keeps going, tracing down my inner thigh until he loops up, running over my bottom, and up my back, ending where he will make his mark. The sensation is so different from anything that I’m used to. My whole-body tingles and shivers, burning slightly where his finger touched my skin. He sweeps my hair out of his way and brushes his lips against it. Heat pools between my legs again, moans escaping me as I grab his arms to keep myself steady. He stills for a moment before sighing and pulling away, forcing a whine from me.

“We can’t let ourselves get carried away. We will have to wait until we are home.” He says, kissing my forehead and helping me settle back on the edge of the bed. “It’s almost time for us to head out, Little Warrior. Travis just mind-linked that he is meeting with the Alpha in five minutes to inform him of our departure in half an hour.” He smiles reassuringly, watching excitement and fear war with each other in my eyes.

“Let’s get you dressed.” He scoops my dress from where I’d dropped it earlier. I am suddenly very aware of the fact that I am naked, and he is only half covered by a sheet.

I blushed hard, suddenly unable to look away from the rippling muscles of Atlas’s chest and abdomen. Atlas chuckles, going to pull the dress over my head, stopping when I shake my head violently, bile rising at the scent of Brady and my blood on the vile piece of clothing.

Atlas looks at the dress in his hands, sniffs it once, and neatly tosses it into the bin next to the bed. He reaches down and pulls a suitcase from under the bed. He unzips it, and pulls out two of his giant t-shirts, as well as underwear, socks and a pair of pants.

He gently pulls one of his shirts over my head, and I push my arms through. The soft grey material hangs well past my knees, and the sleeves reach past my elbows. It smells strongly of him, and I can’t help but bring the material to my face and inhale his scent greedily. I watch the mountain of a man in front of me as he pulls a black t-shirt over his head, pulling it down over his sculpted body.

What drowns me fits tightly on him, and Tala purrs in the back of my head in appreciation. He stops for a second, turning to where his clothes sit, dropping the sheet around his waist to the floor. I can feel my face burn, but I can’t seem to look away.

‘Even his ass has muscles that could crush a lesser man!’ Tala exclaims in my head, forcing out a growl in approval of our mate’s God-like body. My eyes widen and I just stare at him in shock as he turns to face me with a grin.

My eyes immediately fell on the equally giant member hanging between his legs. Atlas smirks, noticing my less-than-discreet ogling of his body. Slowly pulling on his underwear and then his pants, I know he knew I was watching every movement. He comes over to scoop me up again.

“Like what you saw, Little Warrior?” He whispers roughly in my ear, making my lower abdomen throb with need. He groans, equally struggling with his desire for me. We stare at each other for a few moments before he speaks again. “Will you show me your room?” His voice is soft as he stares down at me.

“We can gather your things to bring with us.” I shifted slightly, feeling uncomfortable at the idea of him seeing where I’ve been living for the last ten years. I sighed, meeting his eyes and nodding once. May as well gather my things. They aren’t much, but they are all I have. His smile takes me by surprise, and he moves gracefully toward the door. Two steps later, he came to a screeching halt.

He stiffens, scenting someone I had yet to sense. He suddenly snarls, and I am abruptly reminded that my safety is hanging by a thread. We are still in the pack house, and I am still at Alpha Brady’s mercy. Atlas gently sets me back on my foot, stepping slightly in front of me.

*Bam… Bam… Bam* Someone slams their fist against the door. Between Atlas’s reaction and the force of the knocks, it isn’t hard to guess who it is. My entire body trembles in fear that he’s finally come to take me away.

“ALPHA ATLAS!” he rages from the other side of the door. “How dare you send your Beta to tell me of your departure! I am sure you have discovered that my Little Doll is already claimed property! Now let us discuss this deal you came here to make before you got distracted by the pack slave!”

Everything seemed to slow down the moment he began to shout. I am frozen in place, completely unable to move or even breathe. He had been waiting for me to be tossed aside. Damaged goods, marked as the property of another Alpha. He never expected I could be accepted by another man with his name carved into me.

“Little Doll,” his voice softened, becoming sickeningly sweet. “You disappointed me today; you disappointed me greatly.” I suck in a ragged breath, my whole body shaking. Disappointment means pain, so much pain.

“But, if you’re a good Little Doll, and open the door and come with me, I will forgive your indiscretions. I’ll even give you a little treat.” He continues. I stared at the door, torn between the impossible task of escaping this hell and the need to avoid his disappointment.

“If you don’t, I can promise you that your punishment for disappointing me yet again will be greater than anything you have ever experienced before. No matter what he promised, he will leave you when he returns to his pack, and you will face my wrath, Little Doll.” He growled. I didn’t realize I had moved until I was standing in front of the door, with my hand on the handle, until he spoke again.

“Good Little Doll.” Brady purrs, and I startle when Atlas places his hand over mine. I jump away from the door, terrified at the fact that I’d almost willingly gone to the man who spent the last ten years taking joy in my pain. Atlas scooped me up, just as I feel the pain of walking on a broken ankle jolt through me. I whimper, both from the pain and from the realization.

“It’s okay, my Little Warrior, you are safe with me.” I look between him and the door, trembling, not understanding what had possessed me to try to open the door.

“LITTLE DOLL!” Brady roars, realizing I am moving away from the door and not opening it. Silent sobs of pure terror wrack my body as Atlas carefully sets me on the edge of the bed, narrowing his eyes at the door. He looks down at me, green eyes apprehensive.

“My Little Warrior, I wish I could explain what is going to happen next, but I cannot. I must ask you to trust me, to trust our pack. Can you do that?” I nodded slowly, not liking the sound of this at all, but loving the way he calls it our pack.

He gently caressed my cheek, then walked over to the door and turned the lock before pulling it open.