Chapter Forty-Five

As Serena left the room, Atlas exhaled loudly. He squeezed Venus' fingers tight. Her hand was small compared to his, and much more delicate looking. But she gave off that impression quite frequently. Atlas squeezed his eyes shut, released her hand, and lifted his eyes to meet her dead gaze.

"I won't forgive you," Venus said coldly. "You lied to me, you lied to Eli, and you lied to Serena. She was the one out of all of us you shouldn't have lied to in the first place. You led her to believe in events that never happened. Do you understand what kind of pressure that puts on the mind? On a person? On their soul? I can't forgive you until you fix your mistakes."

"What are you talking about?" Atlas' face contorted in confusion.

"Don't fucking lie to me." Venus sat straight and threw off the covers. Atlas fell back as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet narrowly missing his face. "You killed Serena's father and lied about the rogue attack. Why would you do that to her? To us? I thought we could trust our Alpha."

Atlas grumbled and rubbed his temples. They pounded and ached as he massaged the muscles. Stress or just tired, he wasn't sure.

"I did what I had to do to protect his pack. I did what I thought was best." He defended himself.

"Oh, you did? Without consulting Eli or even me?" Venus' voice was irritated and high-pitched.

"If you don't remember, he knocked you out. Almost killed you, actually. So no. I didn't have time to consult anyone on this. I have the right to make decisions that are in the best interest of the pack, and James Clell was a threat."

"A harmless old man was a threat? You know how long he's been living in that cabin. He has never hurt anyone. He may have had the wolf pelts, but he never used them to hurt anyone, let alone our kind." Venus shoved a finger into Atlas' chest. Her fingernail penetrated his shirt and dug into his skin. Atlas winced slightly at the pressure on his chest.

"You don't know what he's done or what he could have done. I was not in the wrong about this."

Atlas shoved Venus' arm to the side and stood up.

"I don't need to talk to you about this anymore." Atlas turned toward the door. "You don't know anything. You're just a Beta." He snapped.

Venus's eyes darkened. She scoffed as she strode toward her brother. She grabbed his wrist and flung him to the ground. His body hit the ground with a loud thud. Venus crawled on top of him and pressed her arm over his throat.

"I may be just a Beta, but there are female Alphas too. Don't you ever forget that." She spat. He turned his head away from hers, looking away from her poisonous gaze. She shoved his throat once more before rising off him. "You need to beg forgiveness for what you've done."

"No, I don't." Atlas wiped his jaw with a finger as he shot daggers at his sister's back.

She spun around and met his gaze with as much ferocity.

"Yes. You do. She will not love you after this." Her voice was steady and honest. She pointed toward the closed door. "Mom would be disappointed in the man you grew up to be."

"You didn't even know mom." Atlas scoffed, his eyes angry. "You weren't even in the family until I spoke to father about it. He only let you join because I said so." He shoved a thumb toward his heart.

"Take that back."

"No." He glared at his sister. Venus gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly.

Venus rushed toward Atlas and slammed him into the wall behind him. He grunted as his back hit the drywall. His head flew forward, colliding with hers with a loud crack. Atlas grimaced, and his eyes watered. His vision was blurry as he examined his sister's face.

"Our family is a different discussion. We are talking about you and Serena right now. The woman who brought life into you. You were a dead man before. Hollow and unforgiving. She changed that. And you love her. We all know. Plead on your hands and knees for forgiveness, and maybe, just maybe, she will forgive you for ruining her life and her future."

Atlas hung his head low, resting on his sister's hair. His breathing increased as he struggled to keep the feelings and tears suppressed. Venus loosened her grip as she looked at her brother's crumbling facade.

"I did what I had to do..." He whispered as tears formed on his eyelids. "You wouldn't understand. You didn't know what he was like... Serena would never want someone like me. She thinks she does, but I can't be what she needs. I need her, but she doesn't... she doesn't need me."

Venus backed away, clutching her side tightly. She sat on the bed, watching her brother tumble to the ground. He, too, clutched his sides, heaving air in an attempt to keep the tears pooled in his eyes. She watched him as he cried for a long while.

"She will never forgive me. The love I have to offer is not enough..."

When the hot angry, and sorrowful tears came no more, he wiped the remnants from his face with his sleeve, sniffling a few times as he did so. He struggled to his feet and exited the room. He paused partway out the door and left it cracked open. He lifted his head and peered through the crack one last time. His sister sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed neatly, watching him cautiously. He hung his head and turned away from his sister, toward the laughter down the stairs.

"Your lies have consequences, Atlas. We all have to accept what we're due some time." She called quietly after him. He closed the door, leaving her alone in the dark bedroom.