Finding Forgiveness

“I’m gonna make you regret that, Loren,” Andrea growled as he rolled over and got back to his feet. Pain? from his landing was evident in his voice and the first few steps he made back in our direction were more of a stagger than a walk.

Both of their scents reeked of adrenaline and anger and testosterone and it was the most suffocating and fear-inducing smell I’ve ever known.

“Ella, get out of here,” Leo ordered me. “Now.”

“Ella, don’t you dare,” Andrea countered as he pulled his gun from his belt.

As if it was a reflex action, Leo snapped forward before Andrea could aim and in a matter of milliseconds, they were wrestling each other on the floor…. with a gun. I shuffled back even further and looked around to find any resource I could to help out my mate. But my hands were tied and the warehouse was barren.

There was nothing I could do but stay out their way.

As I watched the two men roll around on the floor with each other, I felt my heart creep up into my throat. Andrea’s strength took both Leo and I by surprise. He wasn’t even an Alpha yet he was the only person I’d ever seen to even stand a chance against Leo and that alone was terrifying,? regardless of his murderous expression or the gun which Leo was fighting so hard to keep away from me and himself. At one point, Leo pinned Andrea’s wrist the floor but before he could get the gun from his hand, Andrea pushed him off and freed himself once again.

I managed to move behind a pile of boxes, which provided me relative safety, in the hope of giving my mate one less thing to stop Andrea from shooting. Just as the fight got out of my sight, I felt another body draw up behind me and grab my wrists.

“Sssh. It’s me,” a man’s voice whispered as I felt cutting and loosening of the ropes. “Don’t make a sound.”

I recognised the voice immediately.

My eldest cousin: Max.

When my hands were free, he began slowly leading us towards the back of the warehouse where a door hung bent with a freshly broken lock.

Seconds later, we were in the open desert and Max was leading me in the direction of a parked car about 50 metres away.

“Andrea has a gun,” I said pausing. “How can Leo defeat him unarmed?”

“Do not worry about him. You just need to get away from here safely,” Max replied tugging me.

“No, no, no. He is my mate. I can’t let him be killed,” I stated pulling my hand out of his. “Andrea is stronger than you’d expect.”

Max let out a short sigh before reaching forward and taking my hand again, this time more forcefully.

“Max, what the fuck?-” I began.

“We have to go. Now,” he replied. “I’m sorry, Ella,” he added now marching to the car and dragging me behind. “I made a promise to Leo that I’d get you away from here alive no matter what you say or how much you fight me. That man wants to hurt you and Leo wants your life to be put above his. He says it is the least he could do.”

“No,” I said trying to pry his hand off my wrist. “No! If he dies, I will never forgive you.”

“And I will never forgive myself but at least you will be okay and that is all that matters to him. He is willing to die so long as you live and I am willing to let him sacrifice himself,” Max replied.

“And why don’t I get a say in this?” I snapped kicking him in the shin.

I felt a little guilty because he was just following Leo’s orders but Leo’s orders were suicidal and I needed to do something.

“Let go of me, Max!” I cried as he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me from the ground as we continued to near the car.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I really am.”

“Max,” I begged. “Please! I can’t let him die! Please!”

After that, Max stopped replying. Ordinarily, I think I could have escaped his grasp but I hadn’t eaten or drunk properly in days and I had no strength left in me.

That didn’t mean I didn’t try though. I kicked and screamed and flailed and wriggled but my cousin wasn’t letting go.

“Leo and I are mates! We are a team! I can’t just leave him!” I cried.

“Yes you are a team and he is the Alpha of it so stop being a disobedient little bitch and fucking do as he says.”

I stopped fighting him and paused to give him a glare of absolute betrayal.

“Because you know all about obeying the Alpha,” I replied. ”

He stared back at me coldly but before he could do anything more to get me to the car,? it sounded.

The fateful gunshot.

My heart was leapt into my mouth or maybe deep into my stomach or maybe it had shattered… I don’t know. Nothing could describe the pure dread I was feeling.

I tried to speak but my lips couldn’t form words and nor could I produce a single sound. If it weren’t for Max still holding me tightly, I felt as though I would have sunk to the ground right there and then.

For about thirty agonising seconds there was complete silence. The sound of the shot? still rung through my ears but no movement was coming from the warehouse. No singular man emerging, neither Leo nor Andrea.

I listening to Max’s heart thud, his breath shorten and the sweat on his palms form. I was just the same but a thousand? times worse.

“Ella, I need you to get in the car,” Max said after a few more seconds. “I will go and investigate but if Andrea is still alive, he will be after you.”

I still couldn’t speak.

“Ella,” he repeated shaking me gently.

After I was unable to respond the second time, he began to lift me up. Just as he opened the car door, a figure began to emerge from the warehouse.

He had a gun in hand but no suit.

No devilish eyes, no sadistic grin, and his hair was dark blonde and his eyes vibrant blue.

I let out a deep breath, a shaking smile of relief formed on my face as Max put me down and I ran forward.

There was only about fifty metres between us and I covered it in less than five seconds before throwing myself into his arms and holding him tighter than I ever had. He dropped the gun and wrapped me in his comforting embrace too.

“You told Max not to let me help you? Why?” I sobbed refusing to let him go.

“I’m sorry,” he replied sounding emotional too. “Your life was all that mattered. I had to ensure you were safe.”

“Even if it meant you weren’t?”

“Of course, Ella,” he replied looking down at me with his big blue eyes. “I’m sorry I took so long but I’ll always be here to catch you when you fall. No matter what.”

In that moment, the swing dream made sense. It made perfect sense.

I smiled before taking his face in my hands and kissing him gently.

“Thank you,” I whispered before he leant back in and kissed me back, this time more passionately.

“Easy, tiger,” I said a few seconds later, “We have an audience,” I added looking up to Max who was stood awkwardly, looking anywhere but in our direction.

Leo laughed before he just pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead.