Shattered and Saved (Ashen Wolves #2)

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A V R I L

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. Flashes of the passionate moment we had shared only hours ago flooded my mind with every blink. Not even the adrenaline of being on the run could drown out the sensations, still fresh and stamped on my very soul. I drowned in guilt, picturing his face as he woke up to find me gone - not in his bed, not in his room, not even in his heart - as he slowly realized what I had done.

My name is Avril Fletcher. I was once an omega in the Whispering Hills Pack, until my fated mate, Koen, the alpha heir, cruelly rejected me. Cast aside, I found refuge among rogues harboring a shadowed secret. Taking my place as their leader, I trained relentlessly for years, and eventually, fate led me back to the lands I once called home. After half a decade, I finally exacted my revenge on the one who shattered my heart, betraying him and leaving him behind. Yet, the victory tasted far less sweet than I had imagined - perhaps because I didn’t even want it anymore.

“Avril, wait,” a familiar voice, filled with worry, suddenly echoed in my head, jolting me back to reality.

My wolf, Kea, came to an abrupt stop, her paws scraping against the ground as she struggled to halt her momentum. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, her chest heaving as she panted. She turned to look at the two wolves behind us - Theo, my beta, supporting his mate and gamma, Elijah, who was struggling to stay on his feet.

They weren’t in good shape, both gasping for air and legs shaking from the effort. Elijah’s beast, Conri, looked even worse - his eyes were glassy with dilated pupils, and he breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Seeing this, it sunk in that we had been running non-stop for almost two hours.

Wolf shifters were more resilient than both humans and regular wolves - our kind even more so. However, we weren’t unbreakable. Tormented by my thoughts, the ache in my muscles had faded into the background, but once I stopped running, I could no longer ignore the burning in my lungs. Thanks to my alpha blood, I had slightly more endurance than my friends. Yet, even though I still had enough stamina to continue, I didn’t have the heart to push their limits.

Kea nodded at them. “Five minutes,” I granted, and they immediately flopped to the ground. As I approached, I reassured them, “We’re almost there. Once we ensure that the relic is safe, we’ll get proper rest.”

I didn’t have to remind them. When time was up, both Conri and Reagan were on their feet again. They touched their snouts, encouraging each other to keep going before focusing on me, waiting for me to lead them. And so I did, forcing my sore muscles to continue, for our mission wasn’t over yet.

For the final minutes until we reached the highway where a car awaited us, I managed to forcefully banish Koen from my thoughts, focusing solely on the task at hand. My friends and I shifted back into our human forms right before we exited the forest, throwing on the first change of clothes we could grab out of our backpacks. Once dressed, we jogged toward the small SUV, getting in the second the driver opened the door for us.

As I took my seat, exhaustion finally caught up with me, accompanied by a wave of relief that made the aching more bearable. It would be another couple of hours until we made it home, but we were pretty much out of the woods.

Home . I relished the word. We were so close, I could already taste it.

Theo and Elijah celebrated by cheering and exchanging kisses, while I leaned back, letting my heavy eyelids fall shut. They excitedly filled Samuel, one of our warriors who had come to pick us up, in on the details of the relic we had retrieved - an urn containing the ashes of the ancient sacred Banyan. I listened with a peaceful smile as they marveled at the significance of our find, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment for our pack.

“We did it, Avril. Soon enough, we’ll change the course of history,” Kea rejoiced, though a distant hint of uncertainty lingered in her voice. It didn’t go unnoticed. We had succeeded, but at what cost? I pushed the question away before it could disturb my contentment.

Thankfully, the ride passed quickly as I clung to the feeling of fulfillment, dreading that it might slip through my fingers if I faltered. I almost didn’t believe it when I opened my eyes to see the familiar landscape through the window. To most, these were just trees - it didn’t look particularly special, as it should be. The semblance of normalcy was what kept us safe; hidden. Yet, the moment we crossed the magical barrier surrounding the territory, an entirely different world came to life before our eyes.

As the landscape around us shifted, a sweet, flowery fragrance, laced with fresh greenery and damp earth, breezed through my window, carrying away the tension I’d endured for days. The soft murmur of the stream reached my ears, its crystal waters winding through the territory like a lifeline. I paused, letting the energy of this place seep into my bones. Magic used to flow through every acre of these woods before they were stripped bare, and our kind was chased down. But I chose not to dwell on the anger or sadness of the past. Our power was about to be restored anyway.

Further down the familiar path, the massive Banyan tree came into view, its roots weaving through the earth, embracing the land. Orchids nestled among them, their vibrant petals glowing in the dappled light. The stream curved around the tree, its clear waters reflecting the sprawling branches above. It stood tall, a testament to our strength, watching over us all like a sentinel.

I was so entranced that I barely noticed Theo shifting beside me, sliding closer. "Good to be back, isn’t it?" A smile spread across his lips; he was in a better mood than usual. Although caring and fiercely loyal, Theo was mostly serious - it was his mate who often flaunted the happiness.

Returning his smile, I replied, "It sure is." Despite the truth in my words, the deeper meaning of coming back home still tightened my heart.

“Here we are,” the driver announced not too long after as the car came to a stop. He climbed out and opened the door for me. “Welcome back, Alpha.”

The moment I stepped out of the vehicle, shifters - both in human and in animal form - surrounded me. It was slightly overwhelming. Even after leading them for years, I still wasn’t used to being the center of attention, but I appreciated their warm reception. Their eyes glistened with joy and anticipation, yet out of respect, they avoided staring directly at me. One by one, they stepped aside, bowing their heads as I walked past on my way toward the packhouse.

“Miss being an omega yet?” Theo joked, referring to the fake identity I had maintained for the past few weeks.

Luckily, he couldn’t see my face contort from behind me as I tried to stifle a laugh. “Shut up!”

It almost felt weird to walk down the long stone hallways. The time I spent at Whispering Hills had awakened memories from a life I had left in the past - from a part of me I had buried, until it resurfaced. I shook the feeling, sucking in a deep breath to remind myself of who I truly was - the Alpha of Azure Smoke Pack, Queen of the Ashen Wolves.

I parted ways with my friends on the second floor. While they went to their chambers for a much deserved rest, I climbed the stairs all the way up to the top floor. I hesitated as I reached the door to my room - the alpha suite - taking a moment to push the door open. It was exactly how I had left it, yet it was so different from the guest suite where I had lived for the past weeks.

Frustrated about my conflicting thoughts, I rubbed my face with my palms. I could use a quick shower to wash away the strangeness of it all before finally heading to bed. Dawn was already on its way; if I wasn’t asleep before the first light of day, I’d hardly manage to rest. After closing the curtains, I started removing my clothes.

As I peeled off my hoodie, my gaze was drawn to my bandaged arm. My heart raced. With trembling fingers, I slowly unwrapped the bandages, letting them fall in loose coils to the floor. My entire focus was on the mark that stretched across my forearm. It consisted of thin lines branching out from a thicker central line, with offshoots at both ends that resembled the bare branches of a tree.

I hadn’t seen it in so long, forced to keep it concealed in order to protect my identity. And as I stared at it, thoughts of my former mate that I had been fighting to keep away suddenly came rushing back. It reminded me of every single lie I had told Koen. Of how I had fooled him. Of how I had abandoned him when he needed me, without ever revealing the truth.

Guilt overflowed from within.

Just then, a knock on my door snapped me from my trance. I blinked a few times before tearing my gaze away from the mark, unable to bear the emotions the sight of it brought back any longer. After recomposing myself, I put my hoodie back on and headed to the door, opening it to find my uncle standing on the other side.

“I hope you weren’t planning on passing out without so much as a hello,” the older man mockingly scolded, unable to hide his smile.

“Of course not, Uncle Joe,” I replied, stepping forward to give him a hug.

We talked for a few minutes. I gave him the highlights of our trip, leaving out the details on how I had stumbled upon the urn. In return, he explained about how he helped at the pack while I was away. When he noticed how exhausted I was, he told me we could catch up later - he only had one last question.

“Have you decided on a date to perform the ritual now that we have the ashes?” Excitement pooled in his eyes as he continued, “There will be an eclipse in a few days. If you need more time to prepare, we could wait for the blood moon next month.”

My expression hardened as I confessed, “It’s going to happen sooner.”

His eyes widened, surprise and curiosity mixing in his gaze. “When?”

“At the last sliver of daylight today,” I stated firmly, revealing the plans I had already discussed with my beta and gamma, and watching my uncle’s shock deepen. “We’ve waited long enough - there will be no more delays.”