Howls of Apollo

Tribus

The town was very much alive when she drove in. She didn’t get the time to people watch and look at the stores and she quickly made her way to their supply store. She parked haphazardly and quickly collected the boxes. She underestimated how short they were in supplies because she had to make multiple trips to get them all in the car.

As she placed the last box in, her movement faltered as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, sensing eyes on her but when she scanned the place, there was nothing. She can feel their presence but she can’t pinpoint where they are.

Deciding to ignore it, she got it and high tailed out of the town, speeding the road on the way to the pack house. She had just made it out of the outskirts when she felt a force hurtling towards her and she swerved just in time to dodge it.

A scream left her lips at what just happened, her heart beating rapidly. She snuck a peek at the rear-view mirror but there was nobody at the back. A blur of black caught her peripheral and her head quickly turned to look. 

Her eyes widened at the sight and she barely had time to brace herself when a force threw her off the road and onto the side of the road. On impulse, she instantly stepped on the break, and she lurched forward at the sudden stop.

Silence reigned over the small pause before her door was thrown open, causing another scream to escape her lips. A hand shot out to rip her out of the car, the force strong enough to snap the seatbelt from her body. She coughed aggressively at the force against her rib cage. She was dragged a few feet away from her car before she was pulled to her feet. The moment her feet touched the ground, her instincts kicked in and she pushed his hand away with all the might she could muster and send a kick to his torso enough to send him back a few steps.

She scrambled backwards, desperate to get a little distance away from the man who attacked her. She managed to get a look at the man and her brows furrowed when she saw he was dressed in all black with a tattoo covering half of his face. “Who are you?” She asked, continuing to back away.

The man just grunted and stood back up, stalking towards her. She was still on the ground, her chest searing in pain from the seatbelt snapping. Still, she couldn’t let the man just take her. Skaia reached down deep for all the training she went through and braced herself as the man neared. Her breaths coming out in pants.

He raised his arm to grab her, but she raised her own arm to block it and ducked, managing to stand on shaking legs as she shifted to the other side. She raised a leg to hit his midsection and turned to switch to the other leg to hit him on the knee. The man’s legs buckled, bringing him to his knees.

She quickly leapt into action and wound one of her legs around his neck. She flipped her body over, bringing the man along with her, swung her other leg to circle around the man’s throat. She squeezed her legs as much as she could, blocking his airway. The man flailed to get her off, groaning in pain. She was internally screaming for him to just pass out.

The man eventually fell limp and she quickly scrambled away to get back to her car. She didn’t see the second person come in from behind, and before she knew it, she was hit by a force on the side of her body and she fell against the door before she got it open.

She got a look at the second figure and saw that he looked just like the first one. The man sped his way to her and in desperation, she grabbed whatever she had near her. She took hold of something sharp and looked down to see it was a piece of glass that broke off from the side mirror. She didn’t think twice to throw it at the man, but he caught it mid-air, not with his hands though. The glass floated in the air as she looked on in shock, realizing just who, or rather what, the men are. ‘They’re warlocks’ she exclaimed in her mind.

The man flicked his hand and the object flew back to her, landing a hair above her head, crushing into pieces and falling on her, creating tiny cuts on her face and hands as she tried to block them. She screamed at the impact and lowered to the ground. She was once again yanked up, the action ripping another scream from her as pain erupted from her side. She curled against it reflexively but couldn’t fully able to because of the hand holding her up.

She was seeing stars at the pain, her breathing becoming heavy. The man grabbed her jaw and held it tight. She could vaguely see something being tipped to her mouth before she felt liquid go down her throat. The taste was awful, acidic and revolting but she didn’t get the chance to react because her vision soon faded to darkness.

Apollo had just exited his office after giving the announcement they’d be returning to Clara Solis today. He’d barely made his way down the steps before he nearly doubled over as a surge of pain hit him out of nowhere. It was so palpable it stopped him in his tracks. His Beta immediately rushed to his side, asking him what was wrong.

Apollo wanted to say he knew what was wrong but this pain wasn’t his own. It could only mean his mate was in trouble and he just felt every single pain she was going through. He felt a sense of dread, no doubt from his mate, as he felt the pain in certain places. He felt a few stings on his face and hands, but the worst was the one he felt on the side of his body. It tore his insides apart thinking of what she could possibly be going through and who was giving her this pain. He felt his blood boil at the person responsible and he’d take great pleasure returning it.

It eventually dulled into nothing, and that’s when his senses came crashing back as he immediately barked orders to get the cars ready. Everybody sprang into action at the command.

They were on the road in no time. Apollo couldn’t sit still as he fought to keep his wolf at bay. He had his fists clenched at his side, trying to keep in control. His rage was coming off of him in waves he had to sit in a different car alone with the privacy up to spare his Beta from his distress.

His Beta had to make the call to his sister’s pack for him as he was a second away from losing it. They were able to get in without a hitch and they were quickly led to the alpha’s office in the pack house where he was met by his sister’s worried face as soon as he stepped inside the room. She rushed to him in record time.

“Skaia’s missing.” She said. Those two words fell on him like a building of bricks ready to sink him into the dark abyss.

Skaia woke up gasping, her chest heaving up and down as she fought for air.  She felt like she’d just come up for air after swimming for hours and abusing her lungs. There was a ringing in her ears and her mind was fuzzy. She could barely make out anything in front of her as her vision blurred by the second.

She attempted to move an arm or a leg, but could only let out a panic groan as numbness overtook her body. As she struggled to make little sense of what’s happening, she can vaguely see a figure kneeling in front of her. The image so muddled it seemed like a figment of her imagination.

Her chin was tipped up, the action dulled by the systemic numbness. Skaia barely made out a face when the room danced in front of her and her eyes lolled to the back of her head. Her body surrendering to its own weight.

At Clara Solis (A few hours after Skaia was captured)

Lyra and Atlas has been in their joint office for two hours awaiting Apollo’s arrival. However, the Luna has been pacing back and forth for the remaining one and a half.

One of the pack guards had just retrieved a car found near the outskirts of their border. The guard stated with wary that the car was found on the side of the road, the driver nowhere to be seen. The news sent a call of distress to their instincts as leaders and when they hurried to investigate the vehicle, their worry skyrocketed to horror when they identified the lingering scent to be Skaia’s.

In the midst of worry however, Lyra noticed there were two other scents as well. Both of which are not from their pack, and on further concentration, she figured are not their kind. When it finally hit her, she quickly turned to her mate and frantically asked him to call for her brother.

Yet, not a moment too soon, a phone call rang from Atlas’ phone. It was Apollo’s Beta. His voice had been calm in informing the Alpha and Luna that Apollo had just felt his mate’s distress and they are currently on their way, yet there was an edge to it which worried Lyra considerably.

Nevertheless, the leaders swiftly responded that they’ll be waiting in the office and that the guards will be notified of their upcoming arrival.

It piqued the Luna’s interest when the Beta said her brother felt Skaia’s distress when they’re not even fully mated yet. That could either mean she was in trouble and got away or she was in trouble and got caught. The Luna could only hope it was the former, but with the c*****e of the car, she doubts it.

However, she feels no pity for the fool who dared cross her brother, and by the darkening of his expression the moment she told him his mate was missing, there was never any doubt, whoever took her are on numbered days.

“Did you see anything?” Apollo asked his sister. His voice was low akin to a growl, a clear sign that his wolf was at the surface.

“No” Lyra shook her head regretfully. “I do know who took her though.” She added, looking at him in worry.

“Who?” He growled lowly.

Lyra cleared her throat before answering. “Warlocks”

Apollo let out a loud growl at her answer. He should’ve known they’d make their move quickly.

“Their scents were all over the car as well. It looks like they got her off the road before they made their move. We think a fight might have ensued.” Lyra added.

Apollo gritted his teeth in silent albeit great effort to keep his wolf at bay and not go on a rampage.

“Where’s the car?” He asked gruffly.

“In the garage. We knew you’d want to see it for yourself so we didn’t let anybody touch it since it got taken back.” It was Atlas who answered this time, leading his mate and Apollo out the office.

Apollo’s nostrils flared at the sight of the car. The mirrors and the driver’s window were completely shattered. There was a gigantic dent on the driver’s side and from where he stood, he could sense the energy that was conjured up to make a damage like that. He inspected the car more closely and true enough, Skaia’s scent was all over it. It was on the dent too and he had to reign in another growl at the thought of what could have went down for her scent to be over it.

The two other scents were very distinct, to Apollo at least. Both of which he could immediately identify.

He inspected the dent more closely and he noticed that the closer he got, a hum would sound and when he was directly in front of it, the dent began to glow. It completely engulfed the room, they had to squint to see. Apollo could vaguely see a formation take place. The glow shone to its brightest light until it dimmed into nothing, leaving in its wake, an insignia Apollo is all too familiar with.

His anger reached new heights as his hunch was confirmed, his blood boiling beneath his skin. He could hear his wolf snarling, pacing back and forth wanting out. A sharp gasp sounded from behind him, but Apollo didn’t bother to face his sister and her mate and just wordlessly stormed out of the place in long rushed strides.

He reached the cars where his men waited and took the key from his Beta, ordering his men to stay in the pack and wait. He sent a look to his Beta who nodded in return, a silent understanding exchanged between the two men.

He was on the road in no time, the tires screeching as he sped out of the pack lands. He didn’t want to waste any time but before he could find his mate, he needed a little help first. With that, Apollo drove like a madman on the way to see just the man who can.