Lola

13

Atlas had a wild temper the day following the town meeting. A majority of the pack had shown a lack of support for a war against the humans. They seemed to like the fact that they were slowly getting starved into extinction. 

"You're supposed to be the fucking best and you can't even find one man!" Atlas yelled at newly-promoted second beta Marcus. Ellieanna had tried to hide a smirk, but he caught her anyways. 

"What's the matter? You think you could do any better sweet Ellieanna?" his face was livid. 

"I know I can do better than Marcus, I made one mistake that cost me my rank, let me show you how capable I am Alpha." Ellieanna lowered herself to her knees and pressed her forehead against the floor before she lifted her gaze to meet the Alpha's gray eyes. The image of the beta on her knees gave him flashbacks to their sordid affair before she had become the third in command. 

"I'm the best tracker in this pack after Leonidas and yet Marcus didn't request for my assistance with finding our first beta." 

Atlas scratched his chin, "Is that true Marcus? If so, explain your actions."

Marcus could only open and close his mouth like a gaping fish before he stuttered, "You wanted mated trackers and s-she had lost her credibility when,"

"You just lost your credibility know Marcus."

"She's the reason Leonidas is gone in the first place! Alpha please mercy!" The grown man had fallen to the ground and mimicked Ellieanna's position on the floor. 

Atlas scratched his chin as he stared at his two pathetic betas kneeling in front of him. "I want you to find him and Vivian Payne within the week, he's gone after the woman no doubt. If Ellieanna is the one to find him, then she'll get her title back. If you are both empty-handed, well let's just say that you better not be empty-handed." 

They both brought their foreheads to the ground as they murmured a 'thank you alpha' before getting dismissed. Atlas blew his nose into a tissue. If only he wasn't sick, he'd find Leonidas himself. 

He decided to pay a visit to the betas chosen. 

-

Delilah scampered around her home, trying to gather a cup of tea and snacks for the alpha.

"You don't need to worry about me Delilah, I shouldn't be here long." 

Delilah presented him with sweet bread and cookies in one hand and a tall cup of iced tea in the other. 

"I know Leonidas more than anyone, but I can't seem to understand why he left. Can you tell me when he started to show symptoms of his...affliction."

"We visited Augustus's old house. He's back in town and he brought his daughter with him, I'm sure you'll find the paperwork on them somewhere. Anyways, the girl opened the door and she had such a strong scent, it's like she was on her heat but the girl didn't even seem to know it herself. Leonidas and I left after she made some attempts at seducing him." Delilah sniffled. Her heartbeat raced as she made a feeble attempt at concealing how Leonidas had actually responded to the female. 

"How did he react Del." Atlas reached forward to push her hair behind her ear gently. Delilah's tanned skin mustered up a weak blush as she slightly leaned her head towards him. 

"Leonidas refused her advances of course!" She nervously sipped from her tea. Atlas fingers dropped to the soft skin of her neck. He leaned towards his head against hers. 

"Everyone seems to have lacked common sense recently." Delilah look confused and Atlas stood up abruptly. 

"Ellieanna loses by beta, Marcus refuses to enlist the best tracker to find him, and now you've decided to lie to me. The others made stupid mistakes but at least I can explain them. You chose to lie to me and that's an offense that does not go lightly punished."