s h e r l o c k | chapter 04

That was not the last of Atticus Grady. Since he and Ludovic came back from that - according to him, foolish meeting with the female Alpha, he kept thinking of a way to properly approach Octavia that would be approving to her while pacing in front of his friends.

Ludovic told Onyx about everything that happened earlier. Nick listened intently to every word that Vic says and the latter seemed to notice this. He could see the way Nick would clench his jaw and fists, the way he would avert his eyes to glance at Atticus for a split second, and the way he would suck in a deep breath.

"She never acknowledged him as her mate though. She didn't even show a single sign that she knew."

Onyx seemed to be processing a thing or two in his mind before his gaze locked onto Atticus, who is still walking back and forth in front of the fireplace in his bedroom.

"Are you alright, Nick?" Vic worriedly asked his friend.

The Beta nodded, eyes still fixated on Atticus. "Yes. Just thinking."

Why? Why did she reacted like there was nothing going on between us? Like I wasn't her mate? Why didn't she feel the fucking connection?

Troubled thoughts ran through Atticus' head. He still couldn't grasp the logic in Octavia. She is a code that he cannot decipher. Yet.

Thick yew sheep dipping tot.

Atticus was confounded. He shook his head a bit before looking at his two really close friends. "What?"

"I said, you seemed to be deep in thought. What's up?" Asked Onyx, who was comfortably lying down on his bed.

"He is probably reminiscing the way Octavia treated him earlier." Ludovic said before bursting into laughter. Nick chuckled along with him, shaking his head.

Atticus growled for them to stop, but the two kept laughing as Vic's laughter was getting louder. He nudged Nick's arm with his elbow. "You should've seen the look on his face when they argued at some point! HAHAHA a-and that was when she threatened him and said the word 'mate.' He clearly froze!"

"Shut up. The both of you. I was actually planning of a way to-"

"What? Kidnap Octavia? Puh-lease! As if you could ever take down the queen." Nick cut him off before continuing to laugh with Vic.

'Kidnap. That sounds like a good idea.' Atticus mentally rolled his eyes as he heard the faint voice from his subconscious.

'No, it's not.' He thought to himself.

'Yes, it is. She hates you so why would she come to you willingly? If you really want her, go get her. Forcefully.'

'We don't know that. Also, that's a really terrible idea. And she'll hate me more.'

'Us. I am a part of you, idiot.' The voice retorted.

'Shut up. Just. Shut up.'

After having that weird conversation with his dark subconscious, which is partly responsible for all of his wrong doings and maniacal ways, Atticus commanded Nick and Vic to get out of his room. The two miraculously did so, all the while still laughing and making side comments; some a bit indecent.

Atticus sighed as he ran his hand down his face, a clear gesture of frustration. He kept pacing around his room that was now starting to get chilly because of the slowly dying flame in his fireplace. The temperature didn't seem to faze him as his thoughts kept running back to the dark haired she-wolf with the most intense eyes he has ever seen.

Letting out an annoyed scream, he's decided to just sleep it off; delighted that tomorrow's Saturday. After taking off his shirt and changing out of his pants, Atticus turned off the lights and let darkness embrace him, finding comfort in it. He laid down on his massive king-sized bed before staring up at the ceiling, pondering about what his evil subconscious said.

Steely emerald eyes haunted him as he drifted off to a horrendous nightmare filled with fire, screams, and a particular howl.

〜 ※ 〜

"Atticus"

"Atticus, wake up."

"ATTICUS!"

"What do you want?" With eyes closed and face buried in his pillows, Atticus groaned before glancing at his clock on his bedside table.

8:30 am. Saturday. April 26, 121 A.T.

"It's Saturday, Nick. What did I tell you about Saturdays?"

"To not disturb you until 3 pm." Nick stated in a monotone, rolling his dark green eyes.

"Unless?"

"Unless it is regarding the pack's safety and if it is life threatening."

Atticus nodded solemnly while humming in approval. "And is your matter any of those two?"

There was a small pause before Onyx answered. "No."

"Exactly." He said before turning his head in the opposite direction. "Don't bug me today. I haven't had any proper sleep."

"But Tic, someone's here to see you." Onyx ran his hand through his hair, clearly getting frustrated with his best friend. He knew that his Alpha's guest is quite impatient when it comes to business, and pissing them off is the last thing he'd want to do.

Atticus made a guttural sound and slightly glared at his Beta. "If that someone is Mandy that came back from that vacation I gave her; tell her she can die in a hole. If not, tell them they can also die in a hole."

"Tic, it's O-"

"Even if that someone is me?" Startled, Nick jumped at the sudden interruption, whereas it made Atticus dart up from his bed and tumble to the floor.

Octavia stood in his doorway beside Onyx, leaning on her shoulders with her arms crossed. She's wearing a cream-colored sweater paired with light blue skinny jeans and white sneakers. Her wavy black hair collected in a quite messy ponytail. The sun's rays that have passed through the small slits of Atticus' dark curtains were perfectly hitting all the perfect places in her perfect face.

To Atticus, overall she looked absolutely stunning. Even though it's pretty obvious that she didn't bothered to put effort in her looks today.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer." She smirked at him before giving Nick a smile. "Thank you, Nick. You can go now."

Onyx smiled back as he nods before glancing at his best friend. He gave Atticus a knowing look, to which the Alpha-male returned with a confused one, and left.

Atticus shifted his gaze from the door to his mate, who is now starting to wander around his room. He walked over to his walk-in closet and grabbed a random shirt, putting it on as he stepped out. "What are you doing here?"

"Your room is exceptionally neat." She simply stated while opening the curtains of his room. "Unlike Nate's."

His brows furrowed. "Who?"

"Nate. Ignatius. My brother and Beta, the one accompanying me yesterday. He has a really messy room; not quite fitting for his age..." She trailed off as her gaze landed on a single picture that brought back so many memories, wondrous and painful, to Atticus.

Tilting her head, Octavia scrutinized the photo. She took in every detail and emotion present in the picture as an uncomfortable silence covered them. Uneasy to Atticus at least. Although he used his sharp vision to examine her features, he still couldn't discern what her emotional state is at the moment.

"Who is she?" Atticus strode to where she stood and looked over her shoulders. His eyes landed on an old picture of him and Cassie. It was a photo taken on Cassidy's birthday when he rented an amusement park for the whole pack to enjoy and celebrate.

Onyx was practicing his photography skills, taking random pictures of random werewolves, when he saw them and captured the perfect image. Atticus was telling Cassidy one of his really old jokes that was so unfunny, it actually made her laugh. His arms were around her waist while hers were around his neck, and Atticus looked really happy and contented. He was actually laughing.

"She's Cassidy."

He saw how her eyebrows raised with pure innocent curiosity dancing in her gray-green eyes. "What is she?"

"A werewolf." He continued to stare at the photo as he answered her regardless. Painful memories creeping into his mind.

"Well clearly. I can sense that you're not the type to hang around humans." Octavia rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. She turned her body to face Atticus, who seems to be deep in thought. "What is she to you?"

"I actually don't know." Atticus set his gaze on her but she was already giving him an 'are you kidding me?' look. She wanted nothing more than to smack him in the head right then and there. However, she remained calm and collected.

"You have a photo with this lovely she-wolf and you two looked pretty sweet, yet you don't know what the heck she is to you?" Octavia asked, irritation laced in her voice. Her curiosity is consuming her, seeing as her mate may or may not have had another she-wolf to woo ages ago, but she wasn't going to let herself succumb to it and do anything foolish. Atticus just shrugged nonchalantly at her, not wanting to talk about his dreadful past.

"And they call you an Alpha." The irritated female said sarcastically while rolling her eyes. She withdrew herself from the display and came face-to-face with him, although there is a fair distance between them.

"What are you doing here?" Atticus asked his ignored question from earlier getting peevish with his mate. He, too, is not a patient man himself.

"You're my mate." Octavia simply stated but before she could continue the Alpha male had interrupted her.

"No shit, Sherlock."

With eyes wide and lips slightly parted, Octavia was bemused by his interruption. "Did you just sass me?"

"I don't do 'sass'" He explained himself while putting air quotations on the word sass before rolling his eyes.

"You just did."

"No. I did not."

"I'm not going to argue with you. Now, let's get professional." She cleared her throat, making sure to pin her point. "I am here to discuss some matters with you, Alpha Atticus."

Atticus crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "And what are they?"

"I am not going to discuss these things here and with you in a Batman boxer shorts. I'm meeting you downstairs and then you can lead me to your office where we can talk about my proposition." She said in a business-like tone before walking out of his bedroom. Atticus stood there for a moment, processing everything she said.

He entered his bathroom in haste, muttering a string of curses. He ran his hands down his face and growled lowly as he saw his reflection. "Fucking Batman boxers."

〜 ※ 〜

"Follow me." Atticus instructed Octavia, who seems to be texting with someone on her phone, when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He had taken a shower and changed into a more comfortable and appropriate set of clothes; a black sweatshirt and jeans matched with a pair of rubber shoes - appropriate for a Saturday that is.

He led her to his office and motioned for her to sit on the chair in front of him, she did what she was gestured to do and crossed her legs. "What is it that you want to discuss?"

"I have a proposition." He nodded his head for her to continue.

"I don't want a mate." Atticus almost choked on the air around him. Almost. He wanted to keep his cool. In order to do so, he balled his fists and clenched his jaw. "I am properly ruling my pack and, according to my observation, you are as well. I don't want to mess anything up."

"You're going to reject me." It felt as if everything around him was crumbling down. He could feel his chest tighten with just the mere thought of losing her. His mate. But he also wanted to clasp his hands around her neck and choke the life out of her.

"No." When he heard this two letter, one syllable word, hope bloomed within Atticus but confusion as well. "Rejections don't exist. Not to my type at least"

"You are making no sense at all." He leaned back in his chair and started to spin it a little side to side, waiting patiently for the Alpha female's reply.

Octavia seemed to pick the right words to say as she took a while to form a reply, not wanting to make another slip up. "I hate pain - enduring it. So in order to avoid the circumstances of pain by rejecting a mate, I have made a proposition; we are to avoid each other. Comply to this and I will give you a part of my land. I have heard that you were planning to expand your territory because of your pack's population, am I right?"

"You are. But this is stupid." He muttered the last part while glaring at her smaller frame.

"Excuse me?" Octavia looked up from her phone.

"I said this is stupid."

"Well, you're stupid."

Atticus' blue-brown eyes darkened, the brown becoming more prominent. He doesn't like being disrespected nor insulted. "What?" He growled out.

"I am also doing this because I don't want to have you as a mate." She snarled before murmuring something. Not being abled to keep it in any longer, he shot up from his seat and leaned on his table to loom over her, a deathly glare fixated on his perfectly calm mate.

"Well sorry, but I have been waiting for you for far too long. I have been searching for you since goddess knows when. I have sacrificed everything for you and this is how you repay me?" Atticus bawled out.

"Do I even know you in those times?"

"No." He said roughly while Octavia stood up.

"Well then, I don't have the blame for this." She stated calmly, not even fazed by the fuming Alpha in front of her. And not just an ordinary Alpha, but the Alpha of the most feared and powerful pack in the world, that could possibly kill her in that moment. Atticus removed himself from his desk and stood in front of her, crossing his arms. His face held a dangerously calm expression.

Octavia's phone rang, disturbing the vicious silence between them. She looked at the caller ID; Ignatius' name was on display, along with a wacky photo of him. She denied the call before looking at Atticus, who was carefully observing her. "I need to go."

Before she could advance to the door, Atticus grabbed her wrist. "If you leave now, I will make you feel an immense amount of pain. Mate or not. You have disrespected me more than once and I will not let you affront me once more."

She scoffed. "In that case, you sure are one heck of a mon-"

"Finish that damn sentence and I'll make sure you'll fucking regret it." He threatens her lowly, signifying that he is serious.

Octavia just smirked. "Monster."

Enraged, Atticus lunged at her, pinning her body against the wall with his hand around her neck. His grip on her throat tightens and Octavia's hands flew to his. Jade eyes met amber ones as she gazed into his wolf's orbs with fiery intensity. She was starting to suffocate at the moment her feet were lifted off the ground by Atticus' murderous hold.

When she couldn't take it anymore, Octavia kicked him hard on the abdomen. He snapped out of his livid state before stumbling back, releasing the grip of his fingers around her neck. She raised an arm and punched him hard across the face, breaking the skin on his cheekbone.

"You fucking punched me!" Atticus bellowed, a bit pissed yet somewhat amused and impressed, as he wiped off the blood on his cheek. It's been a while since the last time he felt that stinging sensation of a wound on his face.

When Octavia finished soothing her reddened neck, she stood straight and clapped slowly, a sneer on her face. "No shit, Sherlock."

〜 ※ 〜

n o t e

A penny for your thoughts on Octavia?

How about Atticus and Onyx?

Let me know, I would love to hear your opinions.

Much love,

Tonie