Serena's resolve broke as Atlas finished his words. Her lip quivered and her body shook.
Atlas tore his eyes from hers and fixated on the candle burning between them. Serena turned her face from him and held back the tears.
"I killed him because of what he could have done to my pack and what he had done. He hurt my sister and he could have hurt many more."
"That's no reason." Serena interrupted, her voice quivering. She turned back to Atlas, angry. "Tell me the real reason."
Atlas swallowed and fidgeted with the silverware before him.
"James Clell was a cheap werewolf copy. He stole what was rightfully the packs and used it to his advantage. He took away the future Beta of this pack and married her. He then tried to murder a number of the local Alphas, but the packs defended against him and his family of phonies. He almost killed Venus in your escape attempt and was going to kill a member of my pack." Atlas spat, the years of loathing and hatred seeping into his biting words.
"That is all conjecture. He never would have killed Venus. I stopped him." Serena jumped from the table and slammed her finger down against the tablecloth.
"No, it is not. Let me finish." Atlas warned, his eyes made their way to hers and held just below. "He broke the treaty that my grandfather set up with his grandfather. It says that we are not allowed to bring our matters onto their land and vice versa. That any trespasser will be killed and no excuses."
"Then why am I not dead?"
"Because you are my mate."
At the word mate, Atlas rose the inch to her eyes. The green was vibrant against the tears and red whites of her eyes. Her lip trembled and she instinctively reached for her lips, tracing her fingers along their surface.
"Tell me what really happened that day." She spoke sternly, meeting his gaze.
"That day was like any other day when it comes to having prisoners. I saw you and left to have a meeting of the Elders. It was later in the day when I was able to leave. I figured I would go see Venus and check on you. When I got there, Eli was hovering over Venus' unconscious body, trying to wake her. I have never seen him so distraught. He never cries. Not even when his pet goldfish died when he was 4. But he was crying then, he thought she had died until I checked her pulse and told him she was going to be okay. He hugged her and raced her to his parent's house.
"After I left the prison house, I search everywhere for you. Your cell had no clues since your father had used the key. But I had your scent. It's something that only I know and crave. I'm sure you have something similar even though you aren't a pure-blood werewolf. I raced around the edge of the woods, in my wolf form, searching for you. I caught your scent on the shifting wind and pinpointed your last location. But instead of meeting you, I met your father. He had a pelt underneath his jacket. He used it and we fought. It was over in a matter of minutes. I dragged him back to the meadow and raced after you."
Atlas drank a sip of his water while Serena glowered at him. He sat the glass slowly back down and took in a strained breath.
"I found you running. I knew I probably frightened you, but I didn't care. You escaped and you were mine. That's all that mattered. The wolf part of me takes over when I am in that form. I caught you in the brush and carried you to your father. You had passed out or were knocked unconscious by my paw. I don't really know. Your father apologized as I dragged him to the woods." Atlas' voice broke and wouldn't continue as he spoke of killing James Clell.
"What did you do to him?" Serena demanded, her voice low and her gaze angry.
"I-I sunk my teeth into his neck and ripped his throat out." Atlas' voice cracked. "He bled to death at my feet as I watched the life slip from his eyes."
Serena flopped into the seat and pressed a hand firmly over her mouth, stifling the cries and wails that wanted to come.
"What did my father say to me?" She turned to him, her eyes moist.
"He said 'I'm sorry, Princess. I never should have lied to you. I'm sorry I put you in this mess.' and reached for you as I dragged him by his foot."
Serena turned away from him and silent tears streamed down her face and through the cracks of her fingers. Atlas reached for her but stopped short. He pulled his hand back into his lap and dipped his head.
"I am sorry for the hurt I have caused you, it was not intentional. I had no plan to actually make you a part of this clan. I had no intention of listening to my wolf and the mate bond it needs and craves. I ask you to forgive me."
Serena looked down at him, broken-heartedly. Tears plummeted to her feet as she stared blankly at the Alpha bowing to her.
"I can't." She whimpered after a long moment. "I won't."
Atlas sighed and looked up to find her. But she was gone. The sound of her footsteps running further and further from him, the source of her pain. He pressed a hand on his thigh tightly and grimaced.
"You can come out now..." He said to the empty room.
The small creak of a closet door came from behind him. A hand rest on his shoulder and squeezed.
"You did well." Eli comforted Atlas. "She will be okay. She knows now what happened to her father and you have done the hardest part. Let her be."
Atlas rose from the floor, moved around the table and Eli, and made his way toward the basement. The safe place of the house.