The Taste of Seduction

In spite of the stabbing pain in his forehead, Atlas struggled to stand on his feet, placing his palm against his head for added support. His eyes were tight shut as he willed the hammering in his skull to silence. Finally, he opened his eyes, only to behold a vast space of nothingness.

The place was almost pitch black, except for dark shades of purple that spoke of the energy that maintained the aura of the place; obviously dark energy.

What is this place? He thought to himself as he began to walk, seeking no form of direction or turn.

Everything happened so fast, I remember being thrown through a rift by – Austin. He paused in his tracks and snapped his finger. He began to recall the moment before the incident, and according to what he was able to decipher, Meredith was about to be attacked, when he stepped in. He looked up and around him, and then at the ground.

It was clear that there was no mode of exit, which could only mean that Austin had intended to lock her away.

But his plan did not work, and Meredith is not here. Does that mean they won?

His mind pondered the two major possibilities of what might've happened during the course of his unconsciousness in this void. He wasn't willing to accept the possibility of the war ending with them losing. However, the only way he could be sure of what happened exactly, was to figure out a way to leave the void, somehow. He continued his aimless journey.

He had not gotten far when he noticed someone, lying unconscious on the ground. He froze and observed from a distance. When he saw no sign of movement, he closed the distance between himself and the weird figure.

When he drew closer, he went on his hunches and began a thorough observation of the strange person. Clearly, it was a man, but what baffled him was the striking resemblance with Meredith. His features, although defined, held a sort of feminine softness that hinted at Meredith's delicate features. His nose was almost too small for his face, but it was perfectly pointed, just like hers.

And then like a revelation, his mind drifted back to the moment before the attack. Just before Austin unleashed his attack, he had mentioned something about Meredith joining her stupid father, that could only mean one thing, her father had been sealed off in this void as well and the chances of him being this person that laid unconscious, were very much a hundred percent.

He itches his nose, and almost at its own instinct, it began to twitch. He was sensing something that, he could tell. He looked down at the man who was still unmoving. There is no doubt he is also a Werewolf.

"I hope this works," He said as claws began to emerge from his once delicate digits, "But it's worth giving a try." He ripped off the remainder of his shirt that was slightly marred, clearly by his transformation.

No harm done there, it was already messed up. He thought to himself as he discarded the rag piece. The irises of his eyes began to glow a golden yellow, and with a loud cry, he drove his claws into the heart region of the man. Almost instantly, the man jolted into a sitting position, his eyes wide open as he groaned, trying hard to absorb the pain.

Atlas backed off and fell on his bum in a sitting position. And then the man turned to face him, his gaze locking with Atlas's in a silent battle. Atlas, on the other hand, leaned back in his arms, smiling.

He cleared his throat before speaking, "You must be Lucious, Meredith's father," he said, his voice ringing out like a bell. At the mention of her name, his gaze snapped back to Atlas. He was clearly taken aback by the sudden reference that the stranger made and with his voice strained with disuse, he asked, "You know my daughter?"

"Yes, I'm Atlas, her fiancée "

*******

Surprise and bewilderment was etched on Luscious' face as he stared at the pompous lad who had just declared himself his beloved daughter's lover. He locked his gaze with Atlas, pondering what he could do about what he'd just witnessed.

On one hand, he wanted to start a blood battle, a fight to the finish with one of them ending up dead, and on the other hand, he wanted to hug the man for having such effrontery, he just hoped that he was as bold in the face of danger as he seemed to be before him.

Suddenly, his head began to throb as he began to recall the event that had led to him entering the dark void. Austin had forced him to take some potions that were meant for him to fall into a deep sleep, most likely to never wake up. Now he was conscious thanks to the help of this strange man called Atlas. At the time that he passed out, his baby Meredith was still, well, a baby.

But now, she was a full grown woman, even taking a lover for herself. He laughed at the turn out of things, not just that, the fellow is also a werewolf. He wondered how much he'd missed since his forced journey through the rift.

"Young man, tell me how you ended up here," He declared, turning his tired gaze towards Atlas.

"Sure thing sir," Atlas shifted his weight, settling into a more comfortable position, as he prepared to recount the story of his heroic deed. Though he did not particularly care for his approval, he knew it was important to Meredith and he didn't want any future rejection from the father to get in the way of his love for her.

"There was a battle between us and Austin. It would've been a fair fight, if he hadn't conjured up the beasts of the lands to back him up. That and with mind control, so it was much easier for him to execute his plan." He said it all in one breath, and then he paused to look at Lucious who had his chin propped against his elbow and resting on his knee.