Shattered and Saved (Ashen Wolves #2)

10

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A V R I L

After sleeping on Koen’s request, I gathered with my beta and gamma in the morning to discuss it. I should have known they wouldn’t judge me, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about admitting I wanted to consider letting my former mate participate in the trials. It was too intimate a custom of ours to simply allow an outsider to undertake it. But they were extremely supportive and completely understood how important it was to him.

Under normal circumstances, I would have waited longer to even contemplate letting Koen go through our ritual. Yet, when I looked into his eyes, filled with a desperate need to find his worth again after losing everything, I couldn’t bring myself to say no. The details still needed to be worked out, but we would find a way.

It was unsettling how much he affected me and how easily he could bend my morals. If I was going to open myself to the possibility of a relationship with him, I’d have to get used to it. In fact, there was so much I’d needed to adjust to, so much to learn. And it was far more terrifying than discovering I was destined to lead a pack of powerful, mythical beasts.

Still, the first step we, two broken and burdened souls, had taken last night made me feel like we were heading in the right direction.

Once my friends and I had come up with a solid plan for Koen facing the trials, we fell back into our routine. In the afternoon, I knocked on his door and guided him to the indoor training grounds, where Theo and Elijah were waiting for us. It was the same place where we held our daily morning training sessions, but it was always empty for the rest of the day, allowing us some much-needed privacy.

Before we began, I faced Koen. “Alright, this is how it’s gonna go,” I said, clapping my hands. “Theo and Elijah will handle the initial steps of your training. They will teach you everything you need to know. You will have one month to prepare.”

Koen seemed slightly surprised that I wouldn’t be the one training him. Still, he exchanged glances with my beta and gamma, nodding at them before turning back to me and asking, “Once my training is complete, will I be able to take the trials?”

“Actually, no.” He frowned in confusion at my response, and I proceeded to explain, “At the end of your training, you will face me in a duel. It will be your ultimate test. Then, I will determine whether or not I’ll allow you to undertake the trials.”

His lips curled in a half-smile, his eyes shining with anticipation for the challenge that lay ahead of him, as he agreed, “Got it, Alpha.”

I blinked, taken aback by the way he addressed me. It was the second time he ever called me alpha, and hearing it made me feel both proud and flustered. I made sure to quickly shake it off though.

“Well.” I cleared my throat. “There’s things I need to take care of, so I’ll leave you to it.” As I turned around to leave, I stopped to glance at Koen over my shoulder and whispered, “Good luck.”

K O E N

As soon as Avril left, Theo stepped forward. “Ready to begin?” he asked, glancing at his mate as he got comfortable on one of the empty benches surrounding the arena. I took it that he would be the one conducting our training today.

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, rolling my shoulders back to release the tightness in them, my muscles warming up as I prepared for whatever he had to throw at me.

“First of all,” he began, “if you are to find a way to make up for the advantages an Ashen Wolf has compared to a regular wolf, you need to understand exactly what they are.”

“Avril said you are stronger, tougher, and have even better hearing, eyesight, and healing than other shifters. She also briefly explained about your powers,” I mused.

“Correct,” he agreed, cracking his neck, then his knuckles. “We can only use our powers to the fullest in wolf form, so I’ll shift to demonstrate them.” Shooting a glance at his mate, he asked, “Give me a hand here, Eli?”

With a smile, the gamma replied, “Sure, love.”

After removing his shirt, Theo inhaled a deep breath, calling on his beast. In a matter of seconds, a massive, dark gray wolf was standing in his place. From what I could remember, he seemed slightly taller than Kea. Their coats were also very similar, though hers was a little darker. Once the transformation was complete, the beta’s counterpart - Reagan, if I remembered correctly - looked at his mate again.

Without hesitation, Elijah started, “Ashen Wolves mainly gain their names from the color of their fur. We all have gray coats that can vary in shade; the darker the shade, the stronger they are.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. While I had found it quite a coincidence that Avril, Theo, and Elijah had very similar wolves, they were only three members of a pack - I never would have guessed that the same applied to all of Azure Smoke. Though it did explain why Kea, the alpha, had fur so dark it could be mistaken for black.

“Our abilities are also somewhat related to our name,” Elijah continued. “Like ash, our bodies can withstand extreme temperatures, making us resistant to fire. By touching objects, we can see fragments of past events, providing insight and information.”

Mid-explanation, Reagan released a short growl of complaint, interrupting him. With a chuckle, the gamma said, “Okay, okay. Let’s show you what it looks like in practice.” He made a brief pause, standing up before going on, “First, there’s what I like to call Smoke Cloak - we can shroud ourselves in smoke, becoming nearly invisible in low visibility conditions.”

The words had barely left his lips when a veil of smoke began to pour from Reagan’s body, coiling around him. It wasn’t ordinary smoke - it swirled and twisted like a living thing, pulsing with hidden power. Shadows flickered within its depths, concealing Reagan’s form until only the gleam of his eyes shone through. He moved silently, and I realized that it was almost impossible to tell where the smoke ended and his body began.

“We can easily blend with the shadows, allowing us to move stealthily,” the gamma observed. “In human form, we can use this ability to an extent, but in wolf form, we’re almost undetectable. We can also teleport between shadows, allowing us to move swiftly over short distances.”

Before I could blink, Reagan’s shape wavered, rippling in the gloom, and then he was gone. Completely gone. A heartbeat later, he reappeared several feet away, emerging from the shadows like a mirage solidifying into flesh and bone. I stifled a gasp in awe. It was much faster than regular werewolf speed.

“I refer to that as the Shadow Step,” Elijah added with a grin, making his mate roll his eyes. While I was flabbergasted, they both acted as if what I was seeing was nothing out of the ordinary. Well, perhaps to them it wasn’t. “Last but not least, we can also absorb the energy of fallen ashen wolves, momentarily boosting our own abilities in times of dire need.”

As Elijah came to a conclusion, Reagan reappeared at his side, shaking off the remnants of smoke as though shrugging off a dream. By the time it was completely gone, Theo was back, already dressed in a pair of shorts, as if he’d never been a shadow-stepping beast just moments before.

I blinked, struggling to process what I’d seen. I felt like I’d just witnessed a force older than time itself, a glimpse into a world where the boundaries between reality and myth were fluid. The Ashen Wolves weren’t simply formidable warriors. They were wielders of magic so potent it defied understanding.

And I would have to learn to match them.

“Now that you know what we’re capable of, I’ll show you a few techniques to counter our abilities,” the beta said, and I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through me at the thought of learning how to harness their power - if I was even capable of it.

A few steps separated us as Theo took an attacking stance, and I instinctively assumed a defensive position, preparing for his next move. Before we could begin, I noticed the mark on his forearm - the same one that every Ashen Wolf carried - glow light blue. I wondered if it had anything to do with him concentrating his power, but when his eyes widened and he relaxed his stance, I realized it wasn’t intentional.

As Theo darted his head at his mate, their eyes locking with tension, I noticed that Elijah’s mark was also glowing. The atmosphere shifted, making me stiffen. What the hell was going on?

Worry must have been written all over my face, because Theo soon answered my unspoken question. “I think an Ashen Wolf has just awakened.”

Awakened? What was that supposed to mean?

Before I could ask, Theo rushed out of the training grounds, with Elijah at his heel. I followed them, trying to make sense of the situation. To my surprise, Avril was right outside, weariness in her features as she, too, examined her glowing mark. The three of them exchanged glances. Then, as if on cue, they all turned to the Banyan at the same time.

The magical tree was also glowing - more intensely than usual, like energy was pulsing through it. In a matter of time, all members of Azure Smoke gathered around it. The mix of curiosity, alertness, and confusion brewing within me was making my skin itch.

At last, Avril revealed, “A new Ashen Wolf has shifted beyond our borders.”