Butterflies and Hurricanes

Seeing my house in the distance, I couldn't help but grin at the prospect of seeing Sarah again, and urged my horse into a canter. Brian laughed behind me, and soon his horse was cantering alongside us, the guys had gone to their respective homes now we were back from Costa Mesa.

We were spraying up the gravel of the driveway within minutes, and with a quick tug of the reins, my horse's hind legs slid underneath him, spraying up some stray sand and stones as he levelled himself out. Brian was off his horse within seconds, as was I, and a stable hand came forward quickly, taking hold of our horses reins.

With a quick pat of the neck to thank my horse for his hard work, we were inside the house almost instantly. My mother was downstairs in the living room, and smiled at me as I walked inside. A grin to her and I was instantly scanning round for my beloved. My father walked down the stairs slowly, smiling at me.

"All has been well my son," He said and asked at the same time. I bowed my head slightly, as did Brian from behind me.

"Nothing went wrong. Were they well?" I asked instantly. He nodded and entered the living room with my mum. Both Brian and me bolted up the stairs without my parents noticing, and we entered Sarah's room quietly. The body in the bed was Kirsty, I could smell it instantly. A frown reached my face as I looked round.

Brian moved over to the bed, and his body shuddered as he turned in front of me, climbing up onto the bed and laying down next to her. I watched him with interest, and wondered if I'd be able to get away with that with Sarah.

"I'm gonna look for Sarah," I whispered, and Brian looked at me and nodded his head slightly. A very un-wolf like motion causing me to smile and exit quietly. Moving down the stairs quietly, I entered the living room and looked at my parents curiously. My mother was reading a novel, and my father was reading the days newspaper. Both had cups of tea in them.

"Mom, dad, do you know where Sarah is? She's not in her room," I asked hesitantly. They both looked at me curiously, and I knew they were wondering why I'd been in her room.

"I haven't seen her since last night son," My dad answered, and I nodded, my stomach clenching involuntarily. My mother was silent for a moment, and I narrowed my eyes at here, wondering if she was hiding something from me.

"The same goes for me Zachary my dear, I have not seen sight nor sound of your pretty fiancée, and perhaps she is in one of the rooms? You should go look, she'll be so happy to see you again," She smiled, and I felt uneasy, but shrugged it off and walked out the room.

I scanned all the bottom rooms quickly, even entering the kitchen when the maids were in there, causing quite the commotion I must say. They all had a very obvious crush on me, which boosted my ego so much but did nothing for my heart.

"Have any of you seen Miss Sarah?" I asked instantly. They all shook their heads meekly, and I frowned, nodding and thanking them before exiting the room. Making my way up the stairs again for the second time, I began to look through the rooms. In her own room, both Kirsty and Brian were still fast asleep, and Sarah wasn't in there.

She wasn't in the bathroom, nor was she in the library, or the spare rooms up here. I even looked upstairs in the attic for her, and down in the basement. She was not anywhere, and the unease in my stomach was slowly turning to lead as panic began to slowly burn through my veins like molten lava.

Where was my soul mate? Why was she not here? Why has she not run to greet me?

I ran through the house, checking every room twice, I even checked the living room again, much to my parents bemused looks. My mother even looked smug almost for some unknown reason, and a cold feeling was taking over me.

She might be in the gardens! She could be there, it's a possibility.

My feet took me out to the large expanse of green grass that was our garden, I could not see her and as I ran through it, I could not even smell her. I checked the flower garden as well, just to see if she was admiring the flowers, but she wasn't there. I looked on both porches, and my panic was evident now.

"Have you seen Miss Sarah?" I asked one of the maids's who hadn't been in the kitchen that was putting out the laundry onto the line. She started and looked at me wide eyed before shaking her head, her obvious discontent at Sarah being my fiancée almost angering me in my volatile mood.

I even ran to the stables and looked through every stall, startling the highly-strung horses and annoying the stable hands.

Where was my baby? Where was my beautiful fiancée, my soulmate, and the girl who I'm to spend the rest of my life with? Where was she? She's not in the house, the gardens, the stable yard, she's not here. Where is she? What if someone kidnapped her? Oh god I never felt anything, oh my god, what's happened?

"Sarah!" I shouted out, looking round for her. My calls seemed to fall on deaf ears though as no one answered me, and as I turned round, I saw the sea in front of me, and the golden beaches in front of it. Maybe she was there!

I practically sprinted onto the beach and looked round, almost crying out when I didn't see anything, that was until I noted the dark figure curled up about a hundred feet away from me. Gasping, I ran towards the shape, and almost cried out in relief when I saw it was my Sarah.

"Oh God Sarah, you're here, you're safe, you're ok," I mumbled into her hair as I pulled her to me. She mumbled some unintelligible words, and I realised she had been asleep. And judging from the state of her clothes, she's been here a while.

"Baby, did you sleep on the beach?" I asked, confused. She was silent, and looking down at her hands. Taking her chin in my hands, I lifted her head slowly, and noted her red-rimmed eyes. She'd been crying, why?

"Sarah, what's wrong?" She looked back down and shrugged meekly, and I wondered why this sudden lack of attitude was here. I'd been gone a day, and I'd pined nearly all night for her. I'd expected a little more excitement to come back to. Something must have happened.

"Baby?" I whispered softly, and she looked back at me and smiled weakly. My arms found their way around her shoulders, and hugged her tightly, kissing her hair and head and closing my eyes as I inhaled her scent. Something was wrong but she wasn't telling me.

"I love you," It came out without me thinking, but I was hoping she would respond. Instead she just hugged me tighter, and I was confused. Why was she not talking, why the lack of response, just why? Why is she not responding like she should? What's happened for her to act like this?

"Baby let's go inside, see Kirsty and Brian ok?" I said quietly. She nodded and let me pull her up, and I wrapped my arm around her waist. She seemed sad, and I got a flashback to when the police had taken her in for questioning in London, when she was arrested and degraded. This was the same attitude, as if someone had told her she wasn't worthy enough of something.

"I love you, and I can't wait to marry you," My voice was soft as I whispered into her ear, kissing her temple. I hoped I could find out what had happened to my sweetheart, I wanted to comfort her and make her happy, and someone has apparently shattered all my hard work in one night.

When I found out who it was, they were going to pay for breaking her.