The Alphas Sanctuary

Hardin

A loud slap echoed off the walls, and then another. Her face stung where his hand made contact. He sure knew how to hit a woman. 'Think of Alex, you're safe with Alex' another slap. 'Alex' slap. Apryl balled her fists and struggled against crying out. 

"Did you really think you could just leave me?"

She refused to answer him,  she didn't trust her voice not to crack.  She refused to give him that satisfaction. She would stay silent and endure, never again would she beg him to stop. 

"Though it's kinda cute that you found the balls." He stroked a finger down the red marks on her face.  "Did you really think you could start fresh,  that I wouldn't come find you? '' slap "answer me Apryl!" She met him with silence.  

'Alex, and that smile,  safe. ' Apryl closed her eyes and repeated this over and over to herself.  The room Hardin held her in made her skin cold,  but inside she was warm and safe.  When she thought of Gage she still felt the same  but not as strongly as when she thought of Alex. Her subconscious cried out for him over and over, oddly it was helping her keep her sanity.  

Turning her head slowly she looked into his piercing black hateful eyes.  He was breathing hard,  his face flushed, he was the most angry she had ever seen.  He brought his face inches from hers. "I loved you" he sneered 

Without evening thinking she responded "Are you delusional?" She had never answered him like that in their year relationship,  and it earned her two more slaps and a punch to the kidney.  Apryl slumped to the ground trying to catch her breath.

"I gave you everything,  you were nothing without me. Worthless."

"Then why didn't you let me go? " she wheezed out. 

"Because you owe me,  and I own you" Hardin reached behind into his jeans.  The light reflected off of something shiny in his hands.  *Click*

Alex was growing frustrated.  Apryl was in a car,  he couldn't shift,  and her scent was fading fast.  

"What do we do boss?" Gage was also growing more worried every second that passed.  He couldn't smell her like Alex could.  But Shi was gone and Gage knew they needed him to find her and hadn't a clue as to how to get Alex's wolf back. If they never found her, Alex would surely die and Gage would be devastated.  Suddenly he felt a warm breeze encircle him like an old friend and just as quickly it was gone.  Gage looked to Alex, and based on his expression he felt the breeze too.  "What is it? "

"It's Apryl...."

"You don't mean- she's not- she can't be-"

"No. She's alive.  But the wind,  I-I can hear her calling out for me it's so soft but it's her" Alex felt the wind shift. It felt as though it was guiding him,  pulling and pushing at the same time. "I think it's guiding me"

"Is that even possible? "

"I'm not sure but my gut is telling me to follow it." Alex decided to follow his instincts. He had nothing else to go on. He closed his eyes and let the wind guide him.  He then caught her faint scent again and he knew he had made the right decision. Everytime he heard her voice in the breeze his heart would beat harder.  Her voice saying his name, nothing else. Just his name. 

Alex couldn't explain it, but he suddenly felt an urgency, the wind pushing him harder. To move faster her voice sounded clearer, louder, almost pleading with him to find her. He wished he could tell her he was coming, that he would find her. Alex started running, pushing his human legs harder and faster then he ever had before.

'Shi, I'm sorry. Please help me.' Alex begged, but he was only met with silence. Alex blocked everything around him out, only focusing on the wind and Apryl's voice calling to him. 

"Alex slow down I can't keep up with you!" Gage had fallen a good distance behind. But he couldn't stop or slow down. Alex focused on her voice, the more he ran the louder her voice became. Trees blurred as he darted past them and he could no longer hear Gage behind him. 'Alex- hurry'' the addition of the new word pushed him harder and faster. Clearing a tree line Alex stood on an old dirt path. He could tell by the weeds that had started to take over that the road wasn't used often.  He could also tell that someone had recently driven it.  A strong gust of wind sent him to the left down the road.  His legs were starting to burn,  he didn't even know how many miles he had run. It didn't matter,  finding her was all that mattered. He was close,  he could feel it.  'I'm coming for you'

Alex rounded a bend and saw not far in the distance an old run down building. By now it was dark,  but the moon acted like a spot light upon the house.  As he drew closer he saw the house clearer. From the outside it didn't seem habitable. Ivy had taken over the sides covering the windows,  the roof looked like it was about to cave in.  The shutters were hanging crooked and the white paint was tarnished from years of neglect. 

As Alex approached the door he knew two things for sure. There was yelling,  it was muffled, angry, and definitely belonged to a man; and his mate was most definitely in there.  Alex's blood began to boil.  He entered the house as quietly as he could.  He followed the male voice he heard,  still being coaxed by the air even though he was now inside.  As he reached a door he heard the distinct sound of someone being slapped, hard. Without a second thought Alex kicked in the door. 

The room was mainly dark except for a dull swaying ceiling light. But it was enough of a glow for Alex to see another pair of eyes staring back at him. A tall husky man pointing a gun directly at his mate. Alex could see Apryl's red swollen check, and that her lip was split. Alex let out an inhumane growl.

“Alex” it wasn’t the wind he heard this time, no this whisper came straight from her lips. The man holding the gun shifted and aimed at Alex. Alex didn’t care that the bullet wouldn’t kill him, it would however kill Apryl if he decided to shoot.

“Who the f**k are you” Alex demanded of the man.

“This doesn’t concern you get out.” The man's voice was even ugly.

Alex took a step closer. “I asked you a question, I won't ask it a second time.”

Apryl took a small step closer towards Alex, never taking her eyes off Hardin. The gun swung and was pointing at her again.

“tsk tsk tsk princess don’t move.”

“Hardin-just put the gun down.” Apryl’s voice was slow and even tempo. Hardin had once cut her with a knife, so she knew he wouldn’t think twice about shooting her.

“Did I ask you to talk b***h?!” 

Alex lost control at the man's words and without warning and to his surprise he instantly shifted. Shi had complete control.  His mate was here in front of him in danger.  He could no longer stay in hiding. He growled a life threatening growl baring his teeth.  Apryl was dumbfounded at watching Alex shift.  Alex is a wolf, a six foot tall and broad, out for blood wolf. Shi charged towards the man ready to kill when suddenly the man turned the gun on him.  Shi didn't care; he would gladly have it pointed at him rather than Apryl. 

"NO!" Apryl screamed. She didn't have time to contemplate Alex turning into a wolf.  She knew it was Alex and she knew Hardin wouldn't hesitate to shoot him. She made a last second decision and flung herself at Hardin causing the gun to be flung a few feet away. 

Realizing the danger he was in Hardin went for the gun.  Before he could reach it the wolf crashed into him hard knocking him over.  Hardin kicked at the man wolf. He saw its leg give out when he kicked him in the knee.  The split second the wolf lost focus Hardin kicked him hard in the snout. Shi took a few steps back shaking his head back and forth.  

Apryl ran for the gun while Hardin was distracted.  Picking it up she aimed. Hardin was enraged he charged for her,  how dare she, he wanted her dead. Coming to his senses Shi saw this strange man running to Apryl and she was pointing the gun at him.  Alex could see everything unfolding, 'save her' he screamed at Shi. 

Shi aimed and leaped.

*BANG*

Shi's teeth sunk into the man's neck biting down with all the strength he had before ripping the man's head clean off. The headless body sank to the floor, his head laying several inches away. Shi looked at Apryl,  she stood frozen. Her arms still stretched out holding the gun, her eyes glued to the lifeless corpse at her feet. Her gaze shifted to him.  Shi stood completely still,  unsure what he should do.  He wanted to run to her but was she afraid of him? 

The gun clattering to the floor echoed in the room. Apryl looked into the wolf's eyes and ran to him wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his fur.  

"Alex"