Serena slammed her head back into the tiled wall. She skidded down the wall and landed with a loud thud on the floor. She groaned as she rubbed her head and back.
The sound of Serena falling to the floor was answered by fervent knocking and shouts from Atlas.
"Serena?" Atlas pounded on the door. "I'm coming in."
Serena scrambled around, searching for a towel as the doorknob turned.
Atlas charged in, eyes wide, as she tossed a towel over her naked body.
Atlas froze, midstep, in the doorway. His eyes trailed over her long, glossy legs and up to her damp, makeup-less face.
She shifted and pulled herself back against the wall, pulled herself up, and fully draped the towel over her body. The towel clung to her wet curves, emphasizing her breasts and hips.
Atlas gulped and slowly retreated through the doorway, back into the bedroom.
"I-I am so sorry." He stammered, hands held out in front of him. "I wanted to talk to you and didn't realize you would be so..." His voice broke as he trailed off. Atlas ran in hands through his hair and covered the bottom half of his bright pink face. His ears and fingertips were tinted the same shade.
Serena grumbled as she walked toward Atlas.
"It's fine." She closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her temples. "What did you need?"
Atlas gulped and redirected his eyes to her hairline, mentally slapping himself for the indecent thoughts he was having at the moment.
"I-I wanted to talk to you about the funeral preparations for your father. But change and-and we can discuss them later." He spun around and exited the room in a flash.
Serena shrugged and turned to her dresser.
"Not like it's anything he hasn't thought about or touched already..." She muttered under her breath as she dressed.
She lazily entered the living room to find Atlas pacing, face still red. He stopped as she cleared her throat and snapped his gaze to her.
"I'm sorry about earlier..." He said sheepishly.
Serena smiled gently and slid a hand over his forearm.
"It's okay." She pulled his arm close to her chest and rest her head on his shoulder. Atlas shrugged out of her grasp and moved a few paces away. Serena frowned and pouted internally but didn't make a move to follow him.
"What did you want to ask me?" She said as she tossed her long hair over her shoulder.
"I wanted to ask you where you wanted to bury your father or if you wanted to cremate him." Atlas kicked at an imaginary stone.
"I want to bury him under the tree by the lake back at the cabin. I won't have it any other way." Serena spoke steadily while her insides churned.
"So be it. We will have the funeral for him in a day or two. After the autopsy and report are finished. I'll tell you where to be and when." Atlas left the room without another word.
Serena flopped onto the couch and sighed. She sunk into the cushions in an attempt to protect herself from her own emotions, but the thoughts and feelings simmered as she sat there.
"Hey!" Eli called from the doorway behind her. She sat up and wiped her eyes.
"Hey." She replied after glancing at him for a moment. She sat back and covered herself with a nearby pillow.
Eli skirted the couch and sat opposite her. He lounged lazily in the tall backed accent chair, eyeing her closely.
"What's wrong?" He weaved his fingers together and leaned closer.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. Ignoring him and his obnoxious hair and curious stares. He shifted closer to her and caught her eyes.
"What happened?"
"Atlas told me they found my dad's body." She slammed the pillow to her face and sighed.
Eli tensed, blinked a few times, and cocked his head.
"Is that all he said? Tell me more, Serena." His voice was tight.
"No. He said he found the body, and after an autopsy, he will tell me more, and we can have the funeral. But we also kissed, and now he's ignoring me. It's kinda pissing me off. He gives me so many signs and shit, but then, when I give him one, he runs away." Serena slammed the pillow back into her lap and glared across the room at Eli.
Eli shifted back into the chair and crossed his arms.
"Atlas has a lot on his shoulders right now, and I'm sure he's thinking about what is best for the pack rather than what is best for himself."
"Well, doesn't your pack need a Luna?" Serena huffed.
"Yes. But it is also your pack now. There have been lots of things happening that you don't need to know about, and I'm sure that, when Atlas is ready, he will make it clear."
"Well, he gives me mixed signals. So if you wouldn't mind, oh Atlas whisperer, tell him where I'm at and maybe give him some good dating advice. Seeing as you're in a solid marriage relationship with a kid."
Eli stood and exited the room.
"I'll do my best." He said, leaving Serena to simmer in her head for a while.
Serena drifted further into the comfort of the pillow and couch as she sat there, well past dinnertime. Dozens of other pack members drifted by her eyes on their way to and from dinner. Only giving her concerned glances or whispering to each other.
It was very late into the night after all the lights had been dimmed and turned off. The crackling of the fireplace was Serena's only friend. The popping of wood kept her awake, and its warm glow heated her body.
A hand pressed down on her shoulder, weighing heavily against her baggy shirt.
She lifted her gaze and met Atlas' eyes. They were flickering in the firelight and warm. The glow cast a comforting shine on his face. Serena studied and melted into his scars and red eyes.
Atlas cleared his throat and slid his hand off her shoulder.
"May I join you?" He motioned to the spot beside her.