章 8: Chapter Eight

Snowflakes swept past the window of the speeding vehicle. Serena's puffs of breath fogged up a small section of the window. She drew animals and smiling faces in the fog. The corners of her eyes crinkled, and her mouth broadened into a smile, a small laugh threatening to break through. She turned toward the woman in front of her, steering the vehicle on this winter night.

"No, James. We are not talking about this right now. It's late and Serena's here."

The girl cocked her head, confused at the woman's tone. She turned back to the window to inspect her handiwork only to find the artwork was gone and the fog missing. The girl hunched forward and pursed her lips, her small arms crossed her chest.

"There's something in the road." The stern tone of her mother talking to her father caught Serena's attention. She turned her head to see her mother drop the phone. "You fastened, sweetheart?" The woman said, reaching back and tightening the seatbelt.

"Yes, Momma." The girl retorted, gently slapping her mother's hand away.

The woman continued to talk to Serena, but all that she was able to hear was a mix of noises and broken words. The girl squinted her eyes.

"What, Momma?" She reached for her mother's sleeve.

A lurch threw Serena forward as her mother gripped the wheel tightly, turning it this way and that. The force of the turns pulled Serena left and right. Screams came from the back seat. Her mother only looked forward.

"Serena, hold on." The woman yelled above the screeching tires and whistling air. The woman turned toward her daughter, her green eyes teary and calm as they examined Serena's red, puffy, and tearful face.

"No!" Serena screamed as she sat upright, gasping for air and clutching her chest.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." A woman called as she placed a hand on Serena's shoulder, gently easing her onto her back.

Serena continued to gasp for air and frantically glance about the room. She turned toward the hand on her shoulder and saw the winding scales and pointed beak of a basilisk. Her eyes followed the curves up to see the concerned face of Venus. Serena relaxed at the sight.

"Where… Where am… I?" She murmured in between steadying breaths.

"You're in the packhouse. Atlas found you in the field near the woods." She pointed toward the tall figure sitting at the edge of the bed, twiddling its thumbs.

A heavy sigh escaped Serena's lips.

"What happened?"

Venus glanced at her brother, eyeing him.

"You were attacked, Serena. There are rogues around here that do not take kindly to trespassers. Why were you there? How did you get out?"

Serena grimaced as she propped herself up. Her ribs screamed as she clutched them tightly, the pressure soothing.

"I-I'm, not really sure." She reached for her head and pressed. "I think my dad was here. He was trying to get me out of that cell. We got separated in the woods. Wait, where is my dad?" She threw off the covers and swung her legs onto the floor. The first step sent a wave of pain through her body and sent her reeling onto the floor. As the sound of Serena's body hitting the hardwood floor reached Atla's ears, he jumped from the chair and sent it flying into the wall behind him. With a few massive steps, he was at her side, lifting her onto the plush sheets and blankets. As he carefully tucked her in, he avoided her eyes and any unnecessary contact with her. His lips pursed and his brows furrowed.

Serena reached for his forearm and gripped it tightly, the touch sending electricity through her arm and into her entire body. Atlas stopped mid-motion and refused to look at her.

"I can finish." She stated, pushing him gently away and replacing his touch with fluffy fur blankets. The absence of his body heat left a cold spot in her hands and the fur was a poor replacement.

He turned and left the room with a door slam behind him. His loud footsteps retreated further and further, leaving the two women alone in the silent room.

"He was really worried about you. I know he does a bad job showing that, but he cares as much as he hates it." Venus said as she pulled a chair closer to Serena. "This is his room actually. He wouldn't let you have any other room."

"This is his?" Serena asked as she looked about the room. The dark wood-paneled walls contrasted with the lighter flooring. The dark sheets and blankets popped against the hide rug under the bed. Minimal décor and greenery dotted the room. Exposed lightbulbs and black fixtures peppered the walls and ceilings, providing just enough light to see the room and its glory but not enough to see the dirt that lined the cracks of the floorboards. The smell of cedar was thick in the blankets. "It's… nicer than I expected." She nodded in approval.

Venus burst into laughter. Not a fake laugh, but a light laugh that put a smile on Serena's face.

"You're right. It is pretty nice." She wiped a fake tear from her eye. "It is a bit better than all the women he brings here." She winked at Serena.

"Okay, that's enough." The deep, crackling voice of Atlas filled the room as he pushed the door open and strode over to his sister. He gripped her arm tightly and lifted her from her chair. "That's not true and you know it."

"Oh really now?" Venus quipped, smirking and with a fire in her eyes. "She does have a right to know that you are a bit of what they would call a womanizer, dear brother."

"I am not, first of all, and now is not the time to be telling her anything about my sex life." He roared, the tips of his ears tinting red. "She needs to heal and not be scared out of her mind."

"Oh? Why would she be scared?"

"Venus, you know what I meant." Atlas pulled his sister toward the door and shoved her through the doorway. He slammed the door in her face and turned toward Serena who was sitting in his bed, amused at the sibling banter. Atlas scratched the back of his head and looked about the room. His eyes finally rested on Serena's bruised face. "I'm sorry about her." He pointed his thumb toward the door.

"Don't be. She's great." Serena chuckled and bit her lip gently.

Atlas gulped and pulled a chair close to the edge of the bed, avoiding her gaze.

"Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you."

"Why don't you answer a question if I tell you what I remember?" Serena retorted, a gleam in her eye.

Atlas sighed and ran his fingers through his curls. "Fine."

"All I remember was that my dad came to get me out. No idea how he found me. He knocked Venus out," Atlas's eyebrows shot up at the mention of his sister, but his face remained expressionless. "And he helped me get to the forest. There was a howl and that's where we got separated. I don't remember much after that other than a large dark figure chasing after me."

"There was no dark figure when I found you. It was a light-colored one. He's been around here before." Atlas replied, staring into her eyes coldly.

"No, there was! It was black. I swear it. Now, why are you treating me differently now?!" Serena replied, frustrated. She clenched her hands and pulled on the furs.

"I'm not treating you differently."

"Yes, you are! You treated me so horribly when we first met. I was thrown in prison and now I am magically in your bedroom." Serena threw her hands in the air.

"I am not, woman," Atlas replied sternly. "You were placed in the cell overnight so that I could learn everything I needed about you. I did and I found that you were not a threat."

"How did you learn that?"

"I know someone." He shrugged, dismissing her question. "You were found with a grey and blonde wolf over your body in the woods. You are probably in shock and can't remember things right. Go get some sleep. I'll take the guest room and Venus will be here if you need anything." Atlas rose from the chair and knocked on the door before opening it. Venus entered and smiled at her brother as he exited the door. He held the door open and turned toward Serena, mouth opened as though he was going to say something but continued through with a shake of his head.

"Hey!" Venus called as she scampered toward Serena who leaned to get a last look at Atlas through the crack in the door before he disappeared.