Atlas roared, his anger boiling over as he prepared to take on those who had tortured him and taken Theo captive. Without a second thought, he sprang into action, grabbing the wrist of the person who had touched him and flipping them through the air as if they were a mere sack of flour. Thud. The sound echoed through the dungeon, but Atlas didn't take the time to glance at the attacker he had just confronted.
Spinning around, his wolf heightened his abilities, making him much faster and quicker than before. Just as he reached out for the other assailant, he heard his name croaked out in shock, "Atlas!" The voice seemed so familiar, but with the threat of danger, Atlas had no time to think about that.
The unknown assailant put their hands on his chest, sending bolts of electricity through him. His brain, in fight-or-flight mode, instantly reached out to grab them and throw them out of his path to save Theo. The moment his hands made contact with this unknown assailant, his wolf almost took over.
"Stop," it screamed, "mate. MATE. MATEEE!" The howling in his mind was deafening until he could focus on what was in front of him.
His eyes, glazed over with the fury and spite he held in his heart, started to clear. The realization of what he had almost done dawned on him. In front of him stood Elara, shrinking down almost as if trying to hide within herself, her eyes wide in a state of shock and hurt.
Atlas's heart sank. In his fury, he had not only hurt Devin, the one he had vowed to protect years ago, but he had almost assaulted his mate as well. His eyes filled with hatred and disgust for what he had just done. Would they ever forgive him?
Elara's eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and confusion. She took a step back, her hand still tingling from the electricity that had surged through Atlas. "Atlas," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It's us. We're here to help you."
Devin groaned from where he had landed, slowly getting to his feet. "Atlas, calm down. It's just us."
Atlas's chest heaved as he struggled to control his breathing. The anger and adrenaline coursing through his veins made it difficult to think clearly. He took a step back, his eyes darting between Elara and Devin. "I... I'm sorry," he stammered, his voice filled with regret.
Elara took a cautious step forward, her eyes never leaving his. "It's okay, Atlas. We understand. You were just trying to protect Theo."
Theo peeked out from behind Elara, her eyes wide with concern. "Atlas, are you okay?"
Atlas's heart ached at the sight of the young girl. She had risked so much to help him, and he had almost let his anger get the better of him. "I'm fine, Theo," he said softly, his voice filled with guilt. "I'm just... I'm sorry."
Devin walked over, placing a reassuring hand on Atlas's shoulder. "We need to get out of here before the guards come back. Can you walk?"