~ Chapter Twenty-One - Part 2 ~

They returned to the car, and Autumn started driving them back to the mall. Katalina couldn’t stop looking at the ultrasound picture. “I can’t believe it’s happening,” she mumbled.
Autumn smiled in awe. “I can’t either.”
Katalina sighed in contentment as she leaned her head against the seat.
They made it to the mall and decided to get a newborn onesie that said, ‘Strong like my daddy.’ “He’s going to love it,” Autumn said with a bright smile.
Katalina smiled back just as brightly. “It’s perfect.”
They paid for it and started walking towards the exit. “Shit,” Katalina swore softly. “I have to run to the restroom fast,” Katalina said as she handed her bags to Autumn.
Katalina rushed to the nearest restroom and quickly took care of her business. She went to the sink to wash her hands when she came out. They appeared as she was reaching for a paper towel. “Hello, baby doll,” Martin said with a cruel grin.
Before Katalina could even blink, Martin grabbed her arm, and Samson teleported them to the dungeons in Atlas’s base. Katalina gasped as Martin and Samson teleported out of the cell and stood against the wall across from her. “Where the hell am I?” She demanded.
Martin smirked. “In Atlas’s dungeon.”
Katalina groaned. “Damn it,” she muttered. She glared at the two men standing across from her. “Go get the damn titan so I can talk to him.”
Martin raised an eyebrow. “Why would he want to talk to you?” He demanded.
Katalina scoffed. “Go fetch your boss. He will want to hear what I have to say.”
Martin shrugged. “It’s your funeral,” he let that cruel smirk spread over his face. “Though it’s your funeral, either way, little doll,” he said as he started walking up the stairs.
Katalina sighed as she leaned against the wall and waited for Martin to return with Atlas. Martin’s nickname for her was familiar. She remembered that dreadful day when everything had first changed for her. The rogue who had killed her parents had called her that before violently throwing her into a tree trunk. She tried not to let it show how much it affected her as Martin walked down the stairs with Atlas right behind. And behind Atlas was the rogue wolf from her past.
“Hello, baby doll,” the rogue drawled with a lazy smirk.
Katalina did her best to control the shudder of disgust and fear that went through her body. She cleared her throat and idly played with her hair, looking calm and unaffected. “Well, I see that you brought in a stray,” she uttered as she started picking at her nails.
Atlas chuckled as the rogue tried to lunge for the cell. “All in due time, Max,” he said as he placed a hand on Max’s chest.
Max let out a low growl as he watched Atlas walk closer to the cell. “So you’re the runt wolf who’s supposed to take me down?” He questioned as he studied her as if she were an animal in a zoo.
Katalina shrugged as she spread her arms wide. “Here I am.”
Atlas ran his eyes over her once more before laughing. “You are a runt.”
Katalina scoffed. “And you are an asshole.”
Atlas glared at her as he took a step back. “Do you know why you’re here, little runt?” he demanded.
Katalina dramatically sighed as she threw her head back and looked at the ceiling. “I’m here because you’re too much of a coward to face me in battle. You’re afraid I will defeat you and help the gods toss your sorry ass back underneath Uranus,” she let out a small giggle. “You’d be right about that. I can and will defeat you, and you will end up back underneath Uranus. There is nothing that you can do about that.”
Atlas chuckled darkly. “That’s where you’re wrong,” his vicious smirk stretched from one ear to the other as he started pacing back and forth. “You see,” he said. “If I have you here,” his smirk widened. “Or say in Tartarus, your army will never be able to defeat me. Certain allies will refuse to join your army without you being there. After all, you’re the wolf from the prophecy. You’re the one meant to lead us to victory. Without you, they know they’ll fail.”
Katalina groaned as she sat down against the wall. “Oh, please. Stop monologuing. It’s boring already.”
Atlas raised an eyebrow. “You have some attitude for the one locked in my dungeon right now.”
Katalina glanced around and gave him an unimpressed look. “Doesn’t look that bad to me. Unless it’s going to start smelling or something.”
Martin, Samson, and Max all looked at her in shock. Atlas chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, stupid girl. You are simply in the holding cell right now. You’ll be here when Max isn’t working on you,” he looked at the ceiling. “Until I have Samson send you to Tartarus to join Jacques, of course.”
Katalina glared at him. “I will walk out of Tartarus with Jacques at my side.”
Atlas clicked his tongue. “We’ll see about that.” He turned to Max. “She’s all yours.” He let a cruel half-smirk lift his lips as he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Do your worst but keep her alive.”
Atlas felt lighter as he walked upstairs to his office, leaving the runt wolf in his dungeon. With Katalina out of the picture, it would be much easier to pick apart his army.

Autumn frowned as she glanced at her watch for the millionth time. Katalina had been in the restroom too long for her liking. She couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. Autumn took a deep breath and tried to reach Katalina through their mind link. She rushed to the restroom when there was nothing but silence on Katalina's end.
Autumn threw open every stall door, but Katalina was nowhere to be found. She felt tears rushing down her face as she raced for their things. Finally, she pulled out her car keys and ran to her car. “What happened?” Graham demanded as he took in her frantic face. “You said that you two would be right out.”
Autumn shook her head. “She had to use the restroom, but she’s gone. We need to get home.”
Without waiting for a response, Autumn hopped into her car and started speeding towards Damien’s house. She ignored every traffic law until she was skidding to a halt in Damien’s driveway. She didn’t even bother to turn the car off or shut the driver’s door. Instead, Autumn raced into the house and straight to his office. She was breathing heavily as she threw the door open.
Damien frowned as he looked up from his paperwork. “Mom?” He questioned as he stood up. “Is everything alright?”
Autumn shook her head as she walked to him and practically collapsed in his arms. “She’s gone,” she said in a broken voice. “They took her,” she sobbed out.