His phone was full of possible candidates. Atlas had been welcomed with open arms and had plenty of friends to choose from. Adam and Asmos were an immediate no. They already shared too much without Atlas asking. Seb would probably send him a spreadsheet and Ari would share more research material. One person came to mind. Gage. Gage might be the best to draw into this. He was mischievous enough to help but would also keep the teasing down to a minimum.
Taking care of his morning business and showering, Atlas made up his mind.
If Bel wasn’t going to initiate, then Atlas would. Atlas was tired of waiting. He knew in his heart where and who he belonged to. If after a week he felt like this, how would two weeks, a month, a year feel?
It was also important to show Bel more of his true self.
Yes, Atlas was small and most took that as him being on the submissive side. That couldn’t be further from the truth. There were times when Atlas enjoyed submitting but they were few and far between.
Even as the smaller partner Atlas had no problem taking control. He loved being able to hold a big man down and give him what he really wanted.
Would Bel allow that?
There was only one way to find out. Atlas wasn’t too worried. If the fates that these demons loved to talk about really did match up mates perfectly, then Atlas’s mate would want, maybe crave, the same thing Atlas did.
By the time Atlas stepped into the shared office, he was sweating with nerves and anticipation. First things first. A kiss. Atlas was getting his damn kiss.
He came to an abrupt stop as Bel and three others turned at his entrance. Mammon he recognized, but with him was another demon and someone who appeared fully human.
“Uh, hi.” Atlas gave a small wave. New friends? Or had something happened? Hell sure was a hopping place with everything that they had to deal with. And Atlas only knew a small portion of what happened in the realm. He couldn’t imagine how busy Lucifer truly was.
“Atlas!” Bel hurried around the desk, rushing to his side.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. It had been a few days since Bel had been this flustered. The demon prince had just started to relax around Atlas and Atlas hated seeing him like this again.
“It will be fine,” Bel assured him.
Or Atlas took it that Bel was trying to be reassuring. Turning, Atlas wrapped his arm around Bel’s waist, making sure to avoid his wings. He gave a little smile when Bel’s tail wrapped aroundAtlas’s ankle. Connecting them. Tying them together. “Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”
“Both?” Bel offered with a small smile.
“Get me some coffee and we’ll figure it out,” Atlas told his mate.
Bel nodded while walking them forward. “I don’t think you’ve met Tristan and Jason. They are the ones that went to investigate your family’s deaths.”
“Hello.” Atlas nodded at the two strangers. “Thank you for your help.”
The human, Jason, grinned. He was an attractive man in worn jeans, black boots, and a black leather jacket. His mate was more on the pretty side. Together they were nearly breathtaking. “We’re happy to assist. Wish we had better news.”
“But we will get this rogue pack,” Tristan’s promise ended with a growl. “And when I do.” He made a twisting motion with both his hands.
Jason patted his mate’s back. “I know, honey.”
The fire flared to life as two couches materialized in front of it.
“Shall we sit?” Bel offered.
Atlas kept Bel close to his side as they crossed the room. He sat, pulling Bel down with him. Physical touch was one thing that Atlas noticed that Bel didn’t initiate but seemed to appreciate. Holding hands, small touches across Bel’s shoulders, anytime that Atlas could, he tried to show Bel his feelings.
As Mammon, Jason, and Tristan settled across from them, Bel handed Atlas a full mug of coffee.
“Thanks,” Atlas whispered before taking a sip. As always the temperature was perfect. He drank half the cup before adjusting to lean a shoulder against Bel.
Bel’s arms went around his shoulders.
“Okay, so what did you find out?” Atlas asked.
Jason cleared his throat. “There were two packs in your town at the time you lived there. The first was a family pack living in one house on the edge of town that gave them access to enough land to shift.”
