Page 56 of Atlas and the Traitor

Robin threw back his head and roared at the betrayal—of Atlas, of Sybil, of Deborah and his own mother.

Their presence announced, pandemonium erupted.

Some of the humans ran. Others revealed weapons they’d hidden under their jackets. They’d been primed, by the priest and supposed converts behind the altar with Evan. Adam gave the call to spare them when they could, Jenn echoing it to the pack, but a crossbow was a crossbow, and as their group made their way forward in the crowd, Robin didn’t hesitate to bite into any human aiming at his family. Same as Atlas beside him, hurling green orbs of magic, and Mary, slinging knives at anyone who got close to their fighters.

“Atlas!” Paris shouted from where he was crouched beside one of the dead. “The altar!”

Robin slung the latest attacker aside and rounded behind Atlas, stomach sinking at the sight a half crowd away. Long bloody slashes crisscrossed Niall’s chest, and deep cuts bisected the insides of his arms, blood spilling out of him. Pierce and James moved to either end of the alter, Evan remaining in the middle, and the magic that rippled over the field was awful, like it was a wind scooping up souls and sending them skyward.

It chilled Robin’s insides and made his stomach churn, the dreadful dark magic stench left behind only adding to the nausea.

“We need to get to that altar!” Atlas shouted.

Robin howled for backup, and Jenn and Abigail joined him in a point, more of the pack flanking them, clearing a path forward by claw and teeth, for Jason and Atlas who were likewise hurling orbs of fire and magic at anyone who got in their way.

Adam, Icarus, and Paris, with Mary between them, were also making their way forward, while Mac, Liam, Kai, and the rest of the ravens sailed higher, maneuvering above the altar, avoiding enemy orbs while trying to intercept the souls the evil warlocks were using like a battering ram against the veil.

“I thought you two were done with magic?” Atlas shouted at his father and uncle when they were close enough to be heard. They were still fighting their way through what appeared to be the other side’s best fighters at the base of the altar, other shifters and warlocks tempted Chaos’s promise of power.

“He’s closing the veil once and for all,” Pierce called back. “Like you and Daphne, and Sybil and Vanessa would never do.”

“We’re finishing this!” James added.

“Is that what you think he’s doing?” Atlas scoffed.

“He’s thinning it, you morons,” Jason shouted. “He wants to bring Chaos through.”

“He’s ending this!” Pierce continued to insist, but James was wavering, his hold on the altar and the magic loosening.

Adam noticed the same. “Paris!” he shouted. “Call Daphne to you.” The problem with thinning the veil was that it could work in their favor too. The souls being swept up coalesced around the stately blond who appeared a moment later over her father’s shoulder. “Daddy, stop,” Daphne said. “He’s using you like he used me.”

Paris didn’t stop there. Canton and Cole appeared next, and Atlas gasped beside him.

“Dad, stop this!” Canton pleaded. “Don’t make our deaths for nothing.”

“Evan, if you stop now,” Cole begged, “I’ll forgive you, Mom will forgive you.”

And then Lila, adoringly wrapping herself around Pierce. “Your sons need you.”

“Argh!” Pierce shouted, letting go of the altar.

For a second, as Robin and his contingent broke through the line, he thought victory was within their grasp, but then Pierce whirled on his heel, set his sights on Paris, and spun up a globe, arm reared back.

Robin tensed to jump, to vault over the altar if that was what it would take to prevent Pierce from hurling that globe at the best of them. But he didn’t need to. Green magic streaked past him and collided with Pierce, sending him tumbling.

Robin whipped around in time to see pain streak across Atlas’s face, to feel it in his own chest. A kill his mate hadn’t wanted to make but one he’d had to—to protect his real family.

And Robin acted to protect his. Sensing a threat to Atlas, he spun back around, just in time to see Evan cast a yellow globe in their direction. Robin flattened Atlas, taking Mary down with them, the tip of his other ear taking the singe.

And fuck if that didn’t piss him off more.

End this!the wild called inside him.

“Get what you deserve,” Mary whispered in his ear.

He roared for his pack, and they answered, rushing to meet him at the foot of the altar, jumping after him, as he leapt the altar, sending Evan wheeling backward.

The force of Adam’s bullet, Atlas’s green globe, and Robin’s big coyote body all hitting him at once took him to the ground.

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