Page 77 of Atlas
“A predator. How so? Does the wolf tell you to hurt people?”
“Sometimes.”
“As in killing people?”
“No.” Deep frown lines marred his forehead. “No, nothing like that, and my inner wolf only reacts to certain people.”
“And what does he want you to do to them?”
Atlas took off his glasses and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. “He wants to hurt them.”
My pulse was racing. The events of the night and the alcohol in his blood made Atlas finally ready to talk, and I was eager to listen. I kept my voice calm. “In what way?”
“In a sexual way.”
“You said that you are your father’s son. What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“All right, then show me.”
He moved his hands from his eyes and gave me ayou don’t know what you’re sayinglook.
“Show me!” I repeated, hoping to bring back the passion between us that he’d shown me in the alley.
“No!”
“Atlas, do I look scared?” It was a good thing that he couldn’t see how fast my heart was beating.
“You want to see the devil who fathered me? You want to know what he did to women, and why I hate the twisted part he left in me?”
That wasn’t what I had meant when I asked for him to show me, but I nodded. “Yes. I want to understand.”
Without a word, Atlas fetched his laptop from the small desk in the room. He powered it up and clicked on a file called Red Manor USB Stick Content.
I moved closer to him and took the laptop when he handed it to me.
“Remember that you asked to see this.”
I gave a single nod and pressed play.
“Is that your father?”
“Yes.”
I tilted my head and listened while watching a woman in her early twenties, standing in what looked to be an office. A handsome, fit man, at least ten years her senior, sat in an office chair. Both were fully dressed.
“You know I adore you, Gwen. We all do. You’re intuitive and talented. It’s a pleasure having you with us.”
“Thank you.” The young woman lowered her head and smiled. “I love being here.”
“That’s good. But I’m sensing you’re holding back a little. It’s like you haven’t fully embraced that we want the best for you and that you can trust us.” Conor pushed his chair back and walked to stand next to the woman he’d called Gwen.
“No, I do trust you.”
“Fully?”
“Yes.” She nodded as Conor sat down on the edge of the desk in front of her. From the angle of the camera, we couldn’t see her face, but he had a charming smile. I had seen a picture of Conor during my research, but it hadn’t done him justice. In the video, it was easy to see how charismatic he was. Conor exuded the same kind of confidence that I loved so much in Atlas.
