CHAPTER ELEVEN

Accidentally Mated To Alpha Atlas

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Chapter ELEVEN

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Atlas seemed like he wanted Anais for his mate, but Anais felt more like a child or a pet at the moment, not an equal.  And maybe she didn’t need to be an equal, but she would like to have some decision making power with the things that directly impacted her.

She looked at herself in the mirror and saw someone else staring back at her. It was her face, but the outfit that Anais wore was far from something she would choose for herself. She thought that Atlas was going to a lot of trouble to outfit her just for a few months. 

She would need maternity clothing sooner rather than later anyway.

Anais felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped on her.  The pup.  She swallowed hard and steeled herself.  She needed to get a grip on her emotions and thoughts in order to keep her place. 

She wasn’t sure where that was exactly, but she knew that she needed Atlas to be pleased with her if Anais would have any chance of a home and be able to stay with her pup. 

If Atlas wanted to dress her and hire staff and put Anais in another room then she would learn to accept it and be happy about it.

Anais blinked back into focus when she realized that Atlas was standing behind her.  She could see him in the mirror.  His scent and expression were full of concern.

“Ana?”

“Sorry, Atlas,” Anais apologized.  “This one or no?”

“What’s wrong?” Atlas asked her.

She looked up and met the alpha’s eyes in the mirror.  She warred with herself for a moment before she decided on the truth. 

She could gently tell the alpha what she thought and if Atlas seemed not to like it, she would back down.

“I don’t like most of these clothes,” She told him shyly.  Atlas’ eyebrows shot up in surprise and he looked closely at Anais.

“You don’t?” he asked.  “You look great in them all, Ana.”

She smiled at the compliment but she turned so she could look at the alpha.  “I appreciate that Alpha, and I understand that I need to dress a certain way now, but are there clothes that I could wear around the house that I could pick out?”

She tried to go for a compromise.  If Atlas wanted her to dress a certain way while they were out she would do so, but she hoped at her own home she would be able to relax and be herself.

“Of course, Ana.  I’m sorry, I’m not used to this.  Sometimes I forget that I don’t need to be the one in charge all the time.”  He touched the back of Anais’s hand where it hung down by her side and Anais shuddered at the touch.  “Let’s go through these again.  You’ll need a few dresses and a dinner gown along with a few other pairs of nice casual items, but I don’t personally care how you dress for the most part.  There will be functions that you’ll need to have certain dress attire for, but otherwise you can choose for yourself.”

Anais nodded and smiled.  “Thanks Atlas,” She said.

“I’ll just call Hannah then,” Atlas said. 

Anais couldn’t suppress her eye roll and she knew her scent soured. 

Atlas paused before he opened the door and turned back to her.  “What?” he asked. 

Anais could scent that he wasn’t irritated with her but the omega wasn’t sure she wanted to be truthful about this.

She licked her lips and began to unbutton the shirt. She pitched her voice low.  “She clearly knows that I’m not usually someone who shops here, Atlas.  And you didn’t introduce me as your mate,” She said. 

Atlas was silent.  Anais glanced up to look at him through the mirror again.   The alpha’s scent was mostly neutral but she could detect a trace of guilt and worry. 

Anais took in the way the alpha’s shoulders were tight and the small frown on his face.

“It’s okay, I understand,” She began.  She turned around to face Atlas while she spoke. She really did understand, but she was feeling rejected and hurt at the moment, too.  “I just wish you would have told me that you didn’t want anyone to know we were mated.”  She lost her nerve and looked down.  “I understand that you don’t want people to know that you mated a whore and you don’t even remember it.”

“Ana, that’s not-“

“How is everything?” Hannah’s falsely cheery voice asked through the door.  “Do you need me to check anything?”

Anais had pulled on her own shirt and pants by then and she turned around. 

“These are fine, Atlas.  We can go.”

She moved to open the door and Hannah stepped back.  She looked right over Anais and straight to Atlas.  “How did everything fit, Alpha Hawke?” she asked him. 

Anais kept her eyes downcast as Atlas answered. 

“I think everything was fine,” Atlas told her.  “We’ll check out now.”

“Wonderful!” she exclaimed. 

Anais wondered how much she made on commission. She silently followed Atlas to the register and watched as he swiped a black credit card through the reader, dropping more money than Anais made in several months on the clothes. 

They didn’t speak again and Hannah continued to act as if Anais was invisible.

Atlas gathered the bags and they walked back outside where Alfie was waiting on the curb in a slightly different spot.  Anais wondered how he did it in New York.  Alfie spotted them and popped the trunk so she and Atlas could put the bags in the back.

Anais let herself into the back seat and slid over so Atlas could sit next to her. 

When the alpha pulled the door shut, Anais thought he might say something, but Alfie got into the car and Atlas closed his mouth. 

Anais watched the city go by as they drove back across town.

Atlas' cell phone rang, breaking the long silence between them.  He answered the phone quickly and Anais listened to his half of the conversation.  She could hear someone on the other end shouting and Atlas trying to calm them down enough to hear what was going on. 

Atlas’ frustration skyrocketed and he growled slightly. 

“Fine, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”  He punched the end call button on the phone and leaned forward.  “Change of plans, Alfie.  I need you to take us straight home and then I need you to take me to the office.”

“Yes, Alpha Atlas,” he replied.  

Anais turned to face the window again, her disappointment evident in her body language and scent.

“I’m sorry, Ana.  The deal with Luc isn’t finalized and he’s thrown a wrench into things.  I need to get it sorted out.”

Anais’s stomach twisted at the mention of the other alpha and she thought she might be sick.  She hadn’t really thought about the night her heat hit.  The one where Atlas wasn’t the first alpha to-  Anais stopped herself and shook her head slightly. 

She had never felt ashamed of working for Roman until that moment.  She did what she had to do, and though she was still a whore, it was slightly more acceptable to work for an establishment like Roman’s. 

Now though, as she remembered how Atlas had first met her, she did feel ashamed.  Atlas had every right to want to keep their mating a secret from his peers.

“I’ll take you home and then I’ll probably be gone for the rest of the afternoon.”

“It’s fine, alpha,” Anais told him.  “I’ll do whatever you need me to.” 

She still couldn’t look at her mate and she knew her scent was muddled with self-loathing and worry and sadness and resignation. 

She didn’t want to think about the fact that Atlas and Luc might talk about her. 

Might compare…  But then again, maybe Atlas wouldn’t even mention anything.  He wasn’t interested in telling Hannah or the doormen about the fact that they were mated, why would he bother with his business associate?

They pulled up to the building and Atlas got out quickly.  He guided Anais through the door and stopped just inside.  Anais continued to walk a few steps before she realized the alpha had stopped.  She turned and understood that Atlas wasn’t going to walk her to the elevator let alone upstairs.

“Oh,” She said softly.  She stepped back to Atlas trying to quell the disappointment churning inside of her.  The sting of tears made her grit her teeth partially to keep herself from crying but also from irritation with herself.  The mating hormones were playing havoc with her. 

“I’m sorry, Ana, this is urgent.”

She smiled at the alpha.  If Atlas saw how fake it was he chose not to comment.  “Of course, alpha.  I’ll be here when you get back.”

Atlas smiled at her and touched her shoulder before he turned and nodded to the doorman.  Anais watched him walk back to the car and slide inside.  Alfie was pulling out in traffic before Atlas’ door was even shut. 

The alpha didn’t look back.

Anais stood there until someone got her attention.

“Omega?  Are you alright?”  Anais turned to see the doorman, Garth, peering at her closely.

Anais plastered on another smile for him.  “Fine, sorry.  Just lost in thought.  I’ll head upstairs now.” 

The beta nodded to him and Anais turned to move further into the lobby.  She pressed the button for the elevator but was stopped by someone else.  She turned to see an older, balding man approaching her.

“Excuse me, may I help you?” he asked.

Anais froze.  She didn’t know what to do. 

Atlas hadn’t given her any instructions. 

He hadn’t told the doorman or Hannah that Anais was his mate.  Was he supposed to tell this guy?  He had on a jacket that was like Garth’s, with a name tag that read Zachariah, so she knew this guy worked in the building.  He probably came from the concierge desk.

“Oh, um…”  Anais faltered.  She started panicking and the alpha frowned at her.

“Do you have someone you’re visiting here?” the alpha asked.  Anais’s eyes widened.  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave if not,” he continued. 

Anais could tell he didn’t believe that she would have any business in this building. 

Anais could see him looking her up and down and she felt self-conscious again. 

She wished that she hadn’t put her own clothes back on.  The ripped jeans and holey t-shirt weren’t helping her right now.

“I’m going up to Alpha Hawke’s apartment,” Anais told him shakily.

The alpha’s eye narrowed.  “Are you?” he asked. 

Anais realized that she needed to be careful.  She didn’t need to be manhandled out of the building.  She couldn’t hurt her pup and she thought Atlas would probably be furious with her if she caused a scene.

“Yes, he just dropped me off,” Anais tried to say confidently. 

“I’m afraid Alpha Hawke is not at home right now and visitors need to be announced.”  The alpha stepped forward again and Anais took a step back.  “I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you don’t have business here.”

Anais licked her lips.  Should she tell this guy she was mated to Atlas?  Would he even believe her? 

“The doorman, Garth, can tell you,” Anais told him.

The alpha frowned.  He leaned around Anais and clucked.  “It looks like Garth has finished his shift,” he told Anais. 

She spun around and saw that someone else had taken Garth’s place. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same doorman that was on duty last night, either.

Anais turned around and looked at the alpha.  He began to look more aggressive and she decided that she should get out of the building before something bad happened. She had good instincts and she would listen to them now.

“Alright, look, I’ll go.  I don’t want any trouble,” Anais told him with her hands up. 

The alpha nodded and followed her to the doors where he made sure that Anais exited.

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TBC

AUTHOR’S NOTE: hi you guys, how’s the story so far? Please leave gems