Smoke and Mirrors - Dark Side of the Moon

A Penchant for Small Things

Atlas's POV

Despite the fact that my alarm had gone off a good half hour ago at least, I was still lying on my bed, arm resting over my eyes, when I heard my bedroom door softly open and gently click shut. I didn't have to open my eyes to know who was there. "What do you want Nova?" I asked, doing my best to sound irritated but not quite managing. 

"You weren't at breakfast" 

"When am I ever?" 

"You need to start joining in more At, everyone's talking" 

"Let them" I scoffed. I didn't care in the slightest. Her features changed, almost imperceptibly, if I hadn't have grown up with her all my life I'd never have known, but I had and I knew my words had hurt her somewhat. 

I felt the weight shift as she sat at the foot of my bed and I stiffened as she rested her warm hand on my leg. Slowly, barely noticeable, she began moving her hand further up my leg. "Stop" I said, no playfulness in my voice, she hesitated briefly, but soon resumed her movements up my leg, squeezing slightly at my thigh. 

Sitting bolt upright I grabbed her forcefully by her shoulders and spun her round swiftly, pinning her to my bed beneath me. A self satisfied smirk pulled at the corner of my mouth as I heard her breath hitch in her throat, the sound stirring something deep in the pit of my stomach as her eyes widened and her pupils dilated a touch. Leaning down close to her face I breathed her scent in and was rewarded with a small moan of longing from her. "Nova" I whispered in her ear, feeling her shudder beneath me. "Won't Corvus be missing you?" 

And just like that, her lithe body was no longer keening beneath me. Instead it was her turn to go stiff, she sat up and got off of my bed, every atom of her radiating open hostility now. "You're an Ass" She spat at me. Propping myself up on my elbow from where I was still reclining on my bed, I did my best attempt at regarding her with cool disinterest, a look I had about perfected after years of practice. "They don't love you At. You aren't a team player, and you need to start being a bit more of a team player. You're going to be incharge soon and you're going to need someone in your corner, so maybe stop pushing every attempt anyone makes to get close to you away" and with that she stormed out of my room. 

I sighed and flopped back on my bed. 

She couldn't understand. None of them could. I couldn't lead because I wasn't like the rest of them. I had been so excited for my sixteenth birthday, so ready to feel that connection, to run by my mother's side, but the day had come and gone, and there had been no sign of my wolf. I wasn't mortal. I could hear more, see more, smell more. I was faster than all the other boys at track. But no wolf. 

My mother says I'm just a late bloomer. She comes from a strong line of wolves from one of the strongest packs in the North. My father married her, but he didn't imprint on her. He was trying to do what was right for his pack by marrying into a string bloodline, it helped of course that my mother was loaded too. Orion house had benefited from a much needed extension and renovation with my mother's money. My father found his mate when I was three. She lives in Orion house now. My mother is still Luna, and the pack love her but, even though she didn't imprint on my father either, I know seeing him with someone else hurts her. Her only consolation is supposedly me. Her darling son. Born of two strong lines and heir to the Orion pack, only, I've got no wolf and I can't lead jack. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, my father's only just over forty, he should lead for another twenty years yet, but he's sick. Really sick. And that ass Corvus, son of my father's Beta, is lurking in the wings, ready to take any opportunity.

I pulled a pillow over my face and groaned into it for the hopelessness of it all. Well, waiting round here wasn't going to make it any better, I needed to get up and go to school. 

Pack house's are all about education. They like to keep everything in house, so all their little proteges need to be doctors, lawyers, chefs, anything that might be useful to the pack, and bring money in too. So skipping breakfast might be frowned upon, but skipping school would bring a harsh punishment. 

"There he is, my liege lord" Corvus mock bowed as I descended the stairs. "You didn't run last night" He hissed at me as I walked passed him. "It's a shame, there was some good sport out" He called after me, not realising that his father had stalked in just behind me and smacked the back of his head. "Yes, I heard about your good sport. What's I told you about scarring the locals!" Beta Ares, Corvus's father scolded him. Corvus rubbed the back of his head "It was nothing, besides, they all believe that old tale about wolves living in the woods after they escaped from the circus all those years ago, I'm just doing my bit keeping local legends alive. Besides, she's not from round here" 

My spine prickled. "What do you mean not from round here?" Ares asked, saving me the bother of having to demand the answer from him myself. "She's new. Tasty little thing" Corvus smirked, his father ruffled his hair but warned him "I don't want any trouble because of you" before leaving, shouting as he left "Don't be late for school!" 

Castor, one of the boys a year younger than us, pushed Corvus playfully. It was his first run yesterday and, although he looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep for a week, on the whole he looked alright. Some times after the first change, people had to have a week off, and the parents of Orion house wouldn't usually let you have the day off if you'd chopped your arm off. "I saw you in the park" Castor cajoled "Breathing in that little human". Corvus grinned and shoved playfully back at Castor, to anyone outside of the house it might have looked almost violent, but wolves are physical beings, and we can take more than your average teenager. "Did you hear the way she wimpered when she feel?" Corvus asked eagerly, sinking his canine into his tongue. Corvus had a penchant for weaker ones. He liked to watch things break. 

"Are we going or are we listening to you spout off about some human girl you made jump all day?" Nova called, shouldering her backpack. "I liked seeing your brave little mouse with fear in her eyes" Corvus hissed in my ear as I grabbed my own backpack "I want to taste that fear on her flesh". I shoved Corvus more forcefully than I had to. "Leave the humans alone" I warned him. "You're not my Alpha yet, Alpha's son. Besides, you want to try it sometime, you may get surprise yourself and really enjoy it. Or is that why you don't run? Afraid you won't be able to hold back?" 

I grabbed Corvus by the front of his shirt "You watch your mouth!" I spat at him, he held his hands up in mock surrender "Hey, I don't judge, when they're panting like that, all.weak and helpless, I might be inclined to get a little carried away myself" 

I'd have punched him, but it would have gotten me into more trouble than it was worth. I threw him to the floor and stalked angrily out the door and started walking towards the school.