The Alphas Sanctuary

Safe at last

She didn’t turn away as Alex asked her, just shook her head no and watched as his body transformed. He grew taller, wider, his face elongated as his body sprouted dark black fur. Her eyes met his, and watched as they flashed teal, then grey, then back to teal. In what seemed like only seconds a wolf stood where Alex once stood. Apryl couldn’t move. Shi let out a sad whimper at her hesitation and lowered his head in defeat. 

Apryl could somehow feel what the wolf felt, rejected, like she looked at him as a monster. “I’m not afraid” She whispered to him. Shi’s gaze slowly met hers. “I’m just amazed.” Shi slowly walked to her, taking calculated steps to not cause her fear. “You are magnificent” she said more to herself, but with his wolf hearing both Alex and Shi heard her clearly and they stood a little taller at her praise. 

“This is really cute and all, but we gotta go guys.” Gage’s voice brought her back to the present, Shi turned and snapped his teeth at him. 

“Hey, don’t be mean to him” Apryl scolded as she placed a hand on the side of Shi’s neck. “He has a point, we need to go” Shi nodded. Using his head he nudged her, and lowered himself so she could climb on his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. “Am I hurting you?” she whispered. If a wolf could laugh that’s what Shi was doing as he shook his head no.

Apryl watched as Gage shifted also. He was large, but not as large as Alex, his fur was light brown with patches of black scattered across his body and one eye, and two white paws that looked like he was wearing socks. His markings were nothing like anything she had seen before. 

“Look at you, Patches” based on Gage’s body language he did not appreciate the nickname. “It’s either that or mittens?” Gage barked at her and Apryl couldn’t help but laugh. Shi just shook his head and headed for the forest. 

They ran all night, the cool air blowing through her hair. She could smell Alex’s scent strong when he was in wolf form, leaning over she laid her head onto his fur. He was galloping at full speed, but it felt effortless in his body. He was agile, dodging logs and trees never missing a step. 

This wolf was Alex, Alex was the wolf. Gage was a wolf. They were both wolves, so did that mean that the story about the moon goddess was real? It had to be didn’t it? Apryl knew that any sane person would rationalize this to the ground. Throughout her life she had always felt like there was something missing. A piece of her soul, her being. Yet in this moment, she felt whole and complete. Did it really matter what he was? 

Apryl had nothing to do but think while they ran. So she let her mind wander. She knew that she had been drawn to this place for a reason, and the reason was Alex. She thought about the past three years of her life. How was she going to tell him? He would never look at her the same, he wouldn’t want her after he learned the truth. He was strong, she was weak, he’d never want her.

Apryl realized they were slowing down as the river came into view. She could hear the water flowing, always changing, never the same. The sun was just starting to rise making the water look like it was on fire. Her cabin came into view and she could see someone pacing on the porch. Instinctively she stiffened, her fingers curling hard into Shi’s fur. Turning his head he gently licked her leg, hinting to her that everything was okay and she tried to relax.

When they reached her home she saw who had been pacing on the porch. It was a girl about her age and height, slim but muscular, long straight blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was a flesh and blood goddess. When she noticed they arrived she flew down the stairs to them.

“Are you alright? What the hell happened? You can't just tell me to come clean up explaining nothing and I walk in and see the cabin like that! What’s the matter with you Alex!?” the girl screamed. “Go around back, I put clothes there for you, I’ll help Apryl up.” She reached for Apryl’s hand and helped her dismount from Shi. “Hello Apryl, I’m Jessica, Alex’s cousin. Let’s get you inside. Don’t worry about a thing I’ve already cleaned up, turned the kettle on and started a fire.” Apryl could tell she was going to like this girl.

True to her word, the cabin was spotless and the fire was crackling. Jessica ushered her into a chair and brought her a cup of tea. Apryl sat staring at the fire when she heard the screen door slowly creak open.

“Jess, could you excuse us please. Gage will see you home, he will explain everything to you. But please, what he tells you, keep it to yourself for now.”

Jessica nodded to him and turned to Apryl “It was nice to meet you. I hope I will see you again soon.” 

Gage stood in the doorway string at Apryl. Without a word he walked towards her and pulled her up into his arms. “I’m so glad you are okay. We will talk later okay?” He placed her back onto the sofa.

“Thank you for coming for me.”

“Always and forever.” He kissed the top of her head quickly before turning to the door leaving Alex and Apryl alone, in silence. 

“Say something, anything, please.” The suspense was killing him. He couldn’t tell what was going on in her mind, or how she felt. 

“You said I was your mate.”

“Yes, I did.”

“What is a mate?”

He reached his fingers to her hands that were gripping her tea cup and gently stroked her knuckles. “So you feel that? Those little sparks when we touch?” She could only nod, her mind went blank as soon as he touched her. “Have you ever felt them with someone else’s touch before?” his fingers traveled as if they had a mind of their own up her arms.

“No” she had to think hard in order to answer, his touch was distracting. 

“I was created by the moon goddess, she paired me with my equal my other half, you, my mate. Your mine-”

“No”

“We can take-wait did you just say no?” He pulled his hands away from her. This was it, she was going to reject him and he would surely die. His heart sank to his stomach, his shoulders slumped in defeat, he couldn’t bear to look at her when she rejected him.

“I don’t think I am ready to be with anyone. My past is-complicated” she whispered.

Alex turned back to her kneeling in front of her. “You asked me why I growled at you the first time we met. I have spent 35 years with this missing piece of my soul. I never wanted a mate, never looked like most do. I was just fine on my own. Then I saw you. This beautiful woman sitting in front of me smelling like fresh water and moon flowers. I had to fight to remind myself that I didn’t want a mate.”

“So you don’t want me?” he could see the tears forming in her eyes.

“I didn’t at first no but not for any reason you may be thinking.” Alex took a deep breath “I never fully understood the mate pull. How you meet someone for the first time and they instantly become your whole world. Two strangers predestined to be together, to complete each other, without ever having met. Without knowing what kind of person they are. You just automatically become this huge part of each other's lives without any choice. You deserve that choice. I live in a world of things you have never seen before. I am something you may not be able to accept.”

Could she accept him, should she? She thought about what it may be like to never see him again, never heard his voice. She felt her heart crack at this thought.