The Taste of Seduction

"Go on," Lucious spoke to him and he continued. "Well, during the fight, Austin was about to launch an attack at Meredith – and she wasn't aware of what was happening. In other words, there was a very high chance of her being sent here."

"So, how did you end up here, instead of my daughter?" Lucious asked again, his eagerness was evident in his voice as he spoke. The tale was an interesting one, but he hoped that Meredith was fine after everything that had happened. He hoped that she was not injured or hurt in any way.

"Just before Austin landed the attack, I leapt in the way, taking the hit in her place. It sent me through the rift he created, locking me inside instantly." He paused in his story telling, and observed Lucious through his lashes, he noticed that he was listening intently. So, he continued. "I was also unconscious after the drop, but eventually, I woke up.

And I was wondering how the war ended, did we win, did we not win, eventually, I came to the decision that I'd only be able to figure that out if I find a way out of here –"

"That's sensible," Lucious commented, interrupting his speech. Atlas beheld him with humor in his gaze, and then he continued. "Any way, I began to walk. There's nothing here, I can't imagine how long you've been here without losing your mind."

"I was asleep, how you met me is how I've been for the past – well I've lost count." Lucious said, slumping his shoulders in defeat. "If you were sent here when Meredith was still a baby, then my guesses would be over twenty years. Woo, man, that's an awfully long time." Atlas added, exaggerating the words for added effect.

"What happened next?" Lucious beckoned him to continue, his exasperation was evident. Atlas could tell immediately that he was disconcerted about the thought of being in the void for so long, and missing the entire childhood of his dear daughter.

"That's about it, I kept walking until I bumped into you, well, not literally. You were lying on the ground, unconscious. I figured out you were a werewolf, and I did the first thing I thought would be able to bring you back." Atlas added with a shrug. "You clawed my bare skin. What if I was human?" Lucious growled, throwing him a menacing glance, Atlas flinched, raising his palms in surrender.

"I would've been able to tell, just like I was able to when I first approached you, sir." He replied as he leaned back forward.

"Point made," Lucious added. A lot of things had happened, and he'd missed every detail. He did not want to imagine what Meredith's reaction will be when she sees him, or if she would even remember him. And Gwen, his beloved; he shut his eyes and placed his hand on his chest, willing the pain of his current situation to ebb.

He was very convinced that all of this was not a dream and everything that Atlas had told him couldn't be a lie. If it was, it'd be a well-structured one.

The details were easy to piece together, and the fellow didn't seem like one that had a cunning bone in his body. He observed him one more time, he was scanning the environment around him, most likely searching for a way out.

He smiled as he beheld his mannerisms; he was a proactive lad that was eager to get moving, and he was dependable too; a hyper solution finder, and a werewolf, the perfect gentleman for his baby girl. His heart swelled with gratitude with the gift of such a wonderful person for Meredith, he was very convinced that Atlas would never leave his daughter in harm's way.

Atlas turned his gaze in Lucious' direction and noticed him staring intently, but with a ghost of a smile on his face. "Is everything alright, sir?"

"Call me Lucious, your name is Atlas, is that not?" Lucious replied, but with a question. Atlas nodded his reply and then he continued. "Thank you so much for protecting my daughter, you've done a most honorable thing, which makes me so happy and comfortable with you." "Oh, it was nothing,.

I would do it many times over if she's ever in another situation such as that – If I'd even let it happen again," Atlas mumbled the last statement, bowing his head in a subtle reproach. Lucious got on his feet and walked over to where he sat. He placed his hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at him. "Do not beat yourself up for something that could not be avoided.

Be happy instead, that you did what you could." Lucious replied, smiling down at him.

"But what if we go out there and realize –"

"Nothing of that sort will happen. Gwen won't let it happen." Lucious countered fiercely, his voice filled with determination as he spoke.

"Marcus won't let it either." Atlas replied as he got on his feet.

"Who's Marcus?" Lucious asked as they continued to walk, "Oh you'll see him when we get there, I can't put a word to his kind of person. He's just – weird." Atlas said, donning a look of skepticism that convinced Lucious that he really did not know how to describe the person named Marcus.

"But he's my friend." Atlas added with a smile, Lucious shook his head as he stared at him. "You kids are something else." He mumbled as he came to a halt.

"So, how do we make it out of here?" Atlas asked, facing him.

"That's actually easy for us as werewolves."

"What? Then why didn't you do it all this time?" Atlas asked.

"That deep sleep that you met me in, was no ordinary one," He began to explain. Atlas shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"Only another werewolf could wake me up, because werewolves have the power to bond with their mate from any part of the universe, immediately after the imprint." Lucious added.

"And that's why you had to fall asleep. Austin had to prevent you from connecting with Gwen, making your escape smooth and without hitch." Atlas added knowingly, Lucious acknowledged his theory with a smile.