Atticus: #8 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas)

by Madison Stevens

  The two men circled one another now, each waiting for the other to attack. This was exactly what Atticus wanted, Thrax with his attention on him and not going after Celine. He hadn’t given up on taking out the super-Glycon either.

  Atticus raised a brow. Now he had an idea. Maybe if he could get the Glycon off-kilter, he might be able to find his shot. It was the only way he would win against him.

  “I seem to remember you running away like a bitch at our last fight because your master said to,” Atticus said. “So who is the real animal?”

  Thrax snarled at his words. “She is not my master!” His roar echoed in the darkness around them, and for a moment, Atticus wondered if he had gone too far.

  The Glycon charged at him once again, slamming into the hybrid at full speed. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of the hybrid’s lungs as he slammed against a hard concrete wall.

  Pieces of the wall broke off around him. Atticus could feel a few bones strain under the pressure, and pain shot through him. He wondered if any bones were broken.

  “What do you know of freedom, dog?” Thrax yelled. “So long you waited to be told what to do. You are as chained as any of us.”

  The Glycon’s words stung, as they were all the things Atticus had been thinking deep inside.

  Atticus pushed off the wall, taking a large stone with him. In one swing, he raked the rock across the skull of the Glycon. Thrax tumbled to the ground.

  Blood oozed from a gash in his head, and the Glycon had trouble looking up at Atticus as the hybrid stood over him.

  "I will kill you for what is mine," Thrax growled at him. For a moment his eyes glowed a strange purple shade before flickering out as he laid his head against the ground.

  Atticus stared down at the other man. “You’re going to have to if you want to get your hands on Celine,” he said flatly. “She is mine.”

  Thrax raised a hand to move but slumped over, still growling, but not completely out. He stumbled back a bit and shook his head. It was only a matter of time before he regained his bearings.

  Atticus considered charging him, but another solid blow to the hybrid’s ribs might end up with him on the ground instead of Thrax. He glanced back to the compound and shook his head. It would do them no good if he stormed in. Besides, he needed to protect Celine. She was the only one in any real danger at the moment.

  He rushed after her. Atticus lifted his nose into the air. Her scent still hung everywhere around him as he tracked her in the darkness.

  The forest at night was no problem for him. With his eyesight, he could see things as clearly as if it were day.

  He heard her before he saw her. Her small body was slumped over on the ground as she quietly sobbed to herself.

  Atticus came to a halt just as she lifted her head. Her makeup ran down her face from her tears.

  "We need to go," he said stiffly. “You’re in danger from the Gl… from the enemy.”

  Celine glanced back in the direction he had just come. "But what about the others?"

  Atticus shook his head. "I don't know, but we need to go.” He knelt down beside her and held out his hand. "He's coming for you.”

  His words seemed to strike a chord with her, and that was good because he was in no shape to take on Thrax again with both his ribs and back in bad condition.

  Celine stuck a shaky hand into his own and carefully stood. He could see now that the blood he smelled earlier had been from the wound on her knee. It would need to be bandaged at some point, but for now, they needed to get some distance between them and Thrax.

  The Glycon was driven, and that could really mean trouble.

  "I'm going to carry you," he said softly. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you."

  She closed her eyes, and with ease, Atticus lifted her into his arms. He couldn’t think of what was happening back at the compound. Right now, he had one focus: keeping her safe. That would just have to be enough.

  Chapter Seven

  The first thing Celine heard was the quiet chirping of birds. She’d never heard birds so close as they sounded right at that moment.

  After a moment, she realized, for the first time, that she’d slept through the night without trouble.

  Slowly, memories of what had happened the night before came back to her. The hulking man-creature that Atticus had fought with. The piercing blue eyes from her dreams that had now become reality. The fact that she had been hunted by the things with red eyes. Before it’d all just been bad dreams, but now terror stalked her while she was awake.

  Celine blinked her eyes open. The sun had not quite crested the horizon, the transition from night to dawn still ongoing. There was enough light to see things, but it was not so bright that it could be called fully morning.

  It took a few moments for her to even register that the warmth she had been feeling wasn’t a warm bed like she thought. Instead it was two very large arms wrapped protectively around her from Atticus.

  Something about his touch just felt so right, as if she’d waited her entire life to be snuggled up with him. Anassa’s explanations still didn’t make sense, but right then and there with Atticus, Celine couldn’t deny she was starting to believe she did have some sort of special connection with the man.

  Celine stilled her movements and stared unabashedly at the handsome face in front of her. His eyes were now closed as he slumbered undisturbed by her. Despite all the fear last night, he now seemed content and peaceful.

  So many questions still haunted her. She still didn't understand his bright blue eyes. In fact, she really didn’t understand much of anything that had happened, from the dreams to the bizarre attack at the Azilian compound.

  What was hunting them? Why were his eyes like that, and just what had Anassa meant with all her riddles?

  Not a bit of it made any sense, and the more she thought on it, the more irritated it all made her. She went to the Azilians to understand why she was having strange dreams. She wanted answers. Now she had even more questions than before.

  Celine’s eyes drifted over his face and down the thick column of his neck. There was a nice amount of stubble starting to form there.

  She paused as a slight bit of a blue tattoo peeked out the top of the T-shirt Atticus was wearing. It was shockingly bright. As bright as his beautiful blue eyes.

  Her hand itched to touch the blue. It fascinated and called to her. She had never felt that way about tattoos before. To her, they were symbols of pain or standing out, and those concepts just didn’t really do much for her.

  The tattoo on Atticus though was different, a marking of pure beauty.

  Carefully she moved her hand to the bright blue and gently touched it with her fingers.

  A spark of electricity shot through her. Every nerve in her body was on fire. She felt it then: more. A burning need for more.

  Celine glanced at his face and was surprised to find his bright eyes fixed on hers. Not just bright, but actually glowing. She couldn’t help but wonder what they would look like in the dark.

  She opened her mouth to say something, anything. She had no idea what, but the silence was overbearing. She struggled for a moment to come up with something until Atticus leaned forward and sealed her mouth with his own.

  The kiss was demanding. Rough and primal. The sort of kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. She didn’t push him away.

  The truth was she didn’t really know him at all. But when his mouth touched hers, nothing about it felt wrong. Whether it was his vibe or just raw attraction, she couldn’t say. All she knew was that she wanted him as much as he seemed to want her.

  His mouth moved over her in full dominance. She'd always assumed that Atticus would be the quiet sort, but this kiss said otherwise. This was anything but quiet.

  His hand wrapped roughly into the back of her head and tilted her mouth for a better angle.

  They kissed in earnest now, their tongues wrapping together inside her mouth, his hands pulling her closer
to his body. Fire still lit her nerves, not with pain, but excitement. It was like Atticus’s every movement was felt by her entire body.

  Celine kept her fingers on the throbbing pulse of the blue tattoo, the connection driving her further into his embrace. The feeling was more intense than she had ever known. She was lost in him.

  She shifted over him now, her legs straddling his lower half as she moved her body to the rhythm of their connection. Her need cried out to her to feel more of him as they kissed.

  Beneath her, she could feel his length as it grew against her wet center. Undeterred, she moved her hips over his, sliding his length over her center, each time grinding her clit just a bit over him.

  It was amazing. She’d had sex enough times to know that if the foreplay was this good, the sex was going to be mind-blowing.

  A deep, low moan ripped from her. The need pulsed through her as she moved.

  Atticus snapped his head back from hers. His eyes were no longer the blazing blue they had once been.

  He stared at her as if he'd never seen her before. Slowly Celine slipped her hand from where it rested on his tattoo. The touch now seemed too intimate.

  "I need to do patrol," he said gruffly. As if she weighed nothing, Atticus lifted her from his lap and leaned her against the tree.

  "You should get more sleep," he said, not looking at her now. "You look as if you could use it."

  Celine just stared at him as he walked away, his back rigid.

  She still wasn't certain what the hell had happened. Before and after. It all seemed like some sort of strange dream that never ended.

  The warmth of his body now faded, Celine lifted her knees to her chest for additional warmth. It was then that she realized the cut on her knee didn't hurt as it did before. In fact, it looked as if it had been wrapped.

  She lifted up her pants and was surprised to find a piece of cloth tied around the wound. Blood stained the outer layers.

  Carefully she untied the cloth to see just how bad the damage was. There was so little pain now, she had to think it must have clotted and scabbed over.

  Nothing. There was nothing there. The skin was completely unmarred.

  It didn’t make sense. With the blood pooled from the wound, there should have been quite the cut.

  "I don't understand," Celine whispered, rubbing her temples.

  Nothing made sense, and she had no answers for anything going on around her.

  Crunching leaves nearby made her jump, and she was surprised to find Atticus standing over her.

  "We need to move again," he said quietly. "We need to move farther, and we can’t stay in one spot for too long. If we do, they’ll come.”

  “Those monsters?”

  Atticus offered her a curt nod.

  Celine lifted the bandage in hands shaking slightly. "I don't understand what's going on. And I need to.”

  Atticus glanced down to her knee, and his eyes widened slightly.

  "I was hurt now I'm not," she said. "I need some answers."

  Something cried out in the distance. Their heads both swiveled toward the ungodly sound. Atticus stepped closer to her and held out his hand.

  "I'll give you all the answers I can," he said. "But first we need to leave and find somewhere safe."

  She didn't know much about whatever was tracking them, but it was clear Atticus did. It was also clear he was her only shot at making it out of this alive. She placed her hand into his and stood as he helped her.

  He walked her over to the spot where they had been sitting and took the bloody bandage from her hand and stuffed it into his pocket.

  "They’ll likely smell you a mile away, but we might be able to confuse them with some of the moldy leaves."

  Celine nodded, still not quite understanding what he meant but figuring he knew best.

  Atticus turned and stepped in front of her. He held out his hand, and she slipped hers into his.

  "When we move, we’ll move fast with as little sound as possible," he said. "The more distance we have between us and them, the better it will be. I promise you answers, but as soon as we are safe. Until then, we just need to concentrate on getting away from them.”

  He waited for her understanding, and after a moment Celine nodded. She didn't know why, but she trusted him. That was a good thing since it seemed like she would need to put her life into his hands.

  Chapter Eight

  They walked through the forest for hours. Atticus kept them at a grueling pace. He didn’t like to force Celine to walk like that, but the best thing they could do was continue to put distance between them and the Glycons.

  His own ribs still hurt, though the pain had lessened since the previous night, so he doubted they were broken. That was at least a small comfort in case he needed to fight Thrax again.

  If battle hadn’t been a worry, he would have been more than happy to carry her, but he needed to ensure he was ready to engage the enemy at a moment’s notice with the maximum strength available to him. He’d strained himself somewhat carrying her the night before.

  Atticus accepted he’d gotten lucky against Thrax at the compound, and out in the forest, there were no walls to pull pieces from to use against the Glycon.

  Every now and again, they would stop for a few moments to rest, but he knew it wasn't far enough. They needed to move farther into the protection of the wilderness.

  At this point, all he could do was hope that Rem and the rest of the men were searching for them. It was really their only chance of making it out alive.

  Maybe it was dumb to tell Celine to run from the compound. He wasn’t sure. The way Thrax had reacted to her scent the other night, he didn’t want to take any chances. He stood by that decision. Whatever his future was with Celine, he still felt compelled to protect her.

  With each step, Atticus cursed his lack of phone. He had been so preoccupied with Celine when the Glycons showed up his phone had ended up a casualty. Still, Atticus had faith in his people. They would find them.

  Whatever his own feelings, Rem, Magnus, and Quintus weren’t the kind of men who would leave him to the enemy. He didn’t always like Rem’s attitude or tendency to keep information to himself, but he couldn’t deny the man had suffered to help free them. He’d earned his right to be leader with his own blood.

  Atticus and Celine reached a stream, and he was grateful for the bit of luck. They spent a few moments drinking the cold, clear water. It felt good to quench their thirst after so much walking.

  He watched Celine as they sat near the creak, drinking. She hadn’t complained once the whole day. He knew he was pushing them hard, and Celine had met him with very little argument. She hadn’t even pressed him on asking for more information.

  Celine deserved to know what the hell was going on. He wanted to tell her. He just wasn’t ready yet. Waiting until they were safe seemed like the best plan for the moment.

  Atticus wondered what was going on in her head. What she must think of everything. Even if she’d seen hybrids on television, no one in the public knew about Glycons, let alone monstrous super-Glycons. A small amount of worry creeped into his thoughts.

  Maybe Celine was in shock. None of this was something she was used to. Not to mention all the stuff before. After all, when she had seen him, she had fainted. That might explain why she wasn’t pressing him and asking more questions.

  And then there was the kiss earlier.

  Atticus couldn’t really say what had come over him. He knew it was a bad idea. The fact that a Glycon might be chasing them now proved why the best thing for Celine was to stay well away from him.

  That didn’t change what happened with the kiss. Atticus had woken up, and she was touching him. A low hum rumbled through his body, along with a burning need he’d never had before. It was far stronger than the normal Vestal pull. It was like the only thing he could do was kiss her.

  Celine didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he had been surprised with her response. It wasn’t until she moaned that he
even realized just how far they were going and how dangerous that was. Even setting aside how bad of an idea it was for her to be with him, the last thing they needed to do was distract each other when they were being hunted.

  Atticus cleared his throat. “We’ll walk through the water,” he said softly.

  Celine lifted another palmful into her mouth before looking over to him. She glanced at his boots and then to her own small shoes. It was clear, one of them had an advantage in this.

  “Umm…” She began.

  He ran a hand through his hair and stood. “I’ll carry you.” A little bit shouldn’t be too much of a problem. At least he hoped it wouldn’t be.

  Celine opened her mouth to protest but stopped when he held out a hand.

  “Just let me help.”

  A small blush spread over her cheeks as she nodded.

  With ease, he lifted her onto his back, making sure her legs were wrapped snuggly around him.

  “We need the enemy to lose our scent,” he said, and turned. “The water will help with that.”

  Celine nodded against his shoulder as they splashed into the water.

  They returned to walking in silence. It was something he actually appreciated. She didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. It was important that he be able to hear anything that was around them. He had to make sure to protect her.

  Atticus kept a swift pace but didn’t run. Heavy footfalls in the water could draw the Glycons as easily as his scent.

  Having Celine next to him didn’t help him to ignore her sweet floral scent. He tried his best to ignore it for the moment and concentrate on listening and smelling for other threats around him.

  Eventually Atticus slowed. His legs burned with fatigue, and he was sure Celine was feeling the same. He stepped out of the water and slowly slid her off his back.

  Celine stared at him with sleepy eyes. The final light of the day was sweeping across the land. They didn’t have long before it was dark once again, a time when Thrax and his people had their greatest advantage.