Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 140

Atlas POV

The morning had barely broken when I was already on my feet, moving through the corridors of the pack house with sharp intent. My head wasn’t exactly clear—I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before—but the tension in my chest told me it was better I checked the security perimeters myself instead of sending one of the warriors. My instincts rarely lied, and when they whispered that something was off, it was best not to ignore them.

By the time I reached the outer fields, the sun was peeking over the horizon, painting the sky with a soft orange glow. The dew on the grass soaked through the edges of my boots as I stalked toward the far end of the training grounds where the border security checks were usually run. The guards at the western flank stiffened the moment they saw me approach, straightening from their relaxed stances.

“Report,” I barked.

One of them—a young warrior, barely out of adolescence—shifted nervously. “All clear, Beta Atlas.”

All clear. My jaw clenched. I scanned the grounds myself. Nothing looked out of place at first glance, but the longer I stared, the more I noticed. The footprint trails were wrong—too many patterns in and out for the shift schedule I had approved. Some supplies stacked near the weapon racks had been moved, not in the orderly fashion of trained warriors, but shoved carelessly.

“You’re telling me this is all clear?” I said slowly, my eyes narrowing.

The warrior swallowed. “Y-yes, sir. Nothing unusual.”

I crouched low, dragging my fingers across the disturbed soil, then stood abruptly, my patience thinning. “Next time you open your mouth, make sure it isn’t filled with lies. This ground has been tampered with. Tracks. See these edges? Someone came through last night who wasn’t supposed to.”

The guards exchanged nervous glances, and my chest burned with irritation. Carelessness was one thing I had no tolerance for. Security was our lifeline. If the enemy slipped through because of negligence, the blood would be on all our hands.

“Double the patrols,” I ordered coldly. “And get me a detailed log of last night’s rotations. I’ll see for myself who was where and when.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I turned on my heel and strode back, my fists clenched, my mind already racing. Whoever had been out there wasn’t just wandering. They were studying us, maybe testing the perimeter, and if that was the case, then something bigger was brewing.

By the time I reached Enzo’s quarters, my blood was pounding hot. I didn’t even knock; I pushed the door open, finding him seated at his desk, his dark hair slightly disheveled, papers scattered across the surface. He lifted his eyes immediately, sharp and alert.

“What is it?” His tone was clipped, but not surprised—he could probably read the storm in my expression.

“There’s been a breach. Not obvious, but subtle. Tracks on the west end. Supplies shifted. Whoever it was knew not to make it noticeable, which means they weren’t amateurs. Our guards were blind to it.”

Enzo leaned back, his gaze narrowing. For a long moment he said nothing, then he tapped his fingers against the wooden desk. “We expected they’d test us sooner or later. Still, it’s earlier than I anticipated.”

My jaw tightened. “You’re not as rattled as you should be. You knew?”

“I suspected,” he admitted. His voice was calm, almost too calm, like he had already mapped ten steps ahead. “That’s why I was going to bring this up with you today. We need more than just warriors standing guard with swords and claws. Our enemies are arming themselves with something stronger—silver-laced weapons, enhanced ammunition. If we’re going to hold ground, we need more than defense. We need firepower that bites deeper.”

I frowned. “And where do we get that?”

Enzo’s gaze hardened. “Baron’s pack. He’s been experimenting, forging weapons laced with rare minerals. Cruder than ours in combat skill, but his mind for weaponry is unmatched. He owes me a debt. I plan to collect.”

The name alone made my chest twist. Baron wasn’t a man I trusted, not even slightly. He had always struck me as the type who thrived on chaos, who could turn ally into enemy in a blink if the offer was right.

“You’re thinking of traveling to him.” I didn’t phrase it as a question, because I could see it in his eyes.

“Yes,” Enzo said simply. “But I won’t be going alone. You’ll go ahead to negotiate the first stage. I’ll follow when necessary. You have the patience for his games more than I do.”

I stared at him, my pulse thudding. “You want me to leave the pack now, when security is already fragile? What if they attack while I’m gone?”

“That’s why Kael is here,” Enzo countered smoothly. “And you’ll only be gone a few days. This mission is more important than watching the borders like a paranoid hawk. We need weapons that can tear through them before they tear through us.”

His words left little room for argument, though my gut still twisted with unease. I wanted to argue, wanted to insist that leaving was reckless, but Enzo’s tone was final, and deep down I knew he was right. If Baron had what he claimed, then it might tip the balance in our favor.

“Fine,” I muttered, exhaling sharply. “But if anything happens while I’m gone—”

“I’ll handle it,” Enzo cut in. His eyes burned steady into mine, and for a fleeting moment, I believed him.

I gave a sharp nod and turned to leave, my mind still buzzing. Duty. Always duty. It weighed heavier than chains, and no matter how many times I thought I’d grown numb to it, the pressure never let up.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. My thoughts churned too much. I found myself wandering outside, through the quiet corridors until the cool night air hit my face. The garden was dimly lit, moonlight washing over the flowers and hedges, the air scented with faint jasmine. It was peaceful in a way the rest of the world wasn’t, and for a moment I just stood there, inhaling the calm.

Then I heard footsteps. Light, almost hesitant. I turned, and there she was—Lisa.

She hadn’t noticed me yet. She moved across the garden slowly, her fingers brushing the petals of a nearby rose bush, her hair catching the moonlight like strands of silver and gold. Something tightened in my chest. The mate bond flared inside me, that pull I’d been fighting since the first time I laid eyes on her. It never dulled, no matter how hard I tried to bury it.

When she finally saw me, she startled slightly, then relaxed. “Oh. Atlas.”

Her voice was soft, carrying a gentleness that could undo even the hardest warrior. I forced my tone to stay even. “Couldn’t sleep either?”

She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “No. Too many thoughts. Needed some air.”

I nodded, and silence stretched between us. I should have left it there, should have turned and walked away. But instead, I found myself walking closer, my steps slow, deliberate.

“You seemed… distracted earlier,” I said carefully. “Everything alright?”

Lisa sighed, looking down at her hands. “It’s nothing important. Just… life, I guess. Complicated.”

Something in her tone pricked at me, and before I could stop myself, I asked, “Complicated because of Enzo?”

Her head snapped up, eyes wide, but she didn’t answer right away. That silence was enough.

The mate bond twisted again, sharp and insistent, demanding, urging me to close the distance. And like a fool, I listened. I stepped closer until I was only inches away, the scent of her filling my lungs, the magnetic pull nearly unbearable.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” My voice was low, rougher than I intended. “This bond between us. You can’t deny it.”

Her lips parted, but she shook her head, eyes shining. “Atlas…”

I didn’t let her finish. My hand lifted, hovering near her cheek, my body moving on instinct rather than reason. I leaned in, close enough that my breath mingled with hers, close enough that I could taste the tension in the air between us.

But just as my lips nearly brushed hers, she jerked back.

“No.” Her voice trembled, firm but laced with sorrow. “I can’t. I can’t fall for you. I’ve already fallen for Enzo.”

The words cut like blades, sharper than I expected. She looked at me then, her eyes pleading, guilty, and something inside me cracked.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. “I shouldn’t have let it get this far. You’ve been nothing but kind, but… my heart isn’t free.”

Before I could answer, before I could even process the mess of emotions surging inside me, she turned and ran. Her footsteps echoed against the stone path, fading into the night, leaving me standing there with the moonlight glaring down on my shame.

My fists clenched at my sides, my chest burning with a mix of frustration and ache I didn’t want to admit out loud. The mate bond tugged cruelly, reminding me of what was mine but out of reach. And for the first time in a long while, I felt powerless.

Powerless, and unbearably alone.