Shattered and Saved (Ashen Wolves #2)

11

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K O E N

I watched in deep confusion as Avril and her team approached the Banyan, following close behind them as I tried to make sense of the situation. Vibrant blue lines ran along the bark, and she traced them carefully with her index finger. A couple of minutes later, the tree’s glow diminished. Whatever message it had sent to Avril and her pack, she seemed to have understood it as she turned to her beta and gamma with certainty in her eyes.

“They’re not too far from here,” she informed them. “There’s no time to waste.”

As she started toward the packhouse, I couldn’t contain my questions any longer. “What’s going on?”

The alpha spared me a glance, blinking as if she had forgotten that I was even there before inviting, “Come with us, Koen.”

On the way to her office, Avril explained that there were Ashen Wolves outside of Azure Smoke, but they could only be located once their wolves awoke upon reaching adulthood. Back when her kind was chased down, the ones who escaped ended up being separated as they ran for their lives, spreading across the country. It was her parents who began tracking the descendants of these survivors, following the magical leads sent by the sacred Banyan tree they planted as a beacon.

“That’s how we were able to find Avril five years ago,” Theo added.

“If you’ve been tracking the Ashen Wolves for decades, shouldn’t you have found all of them by now?” I asked. “I mean, if they become trackable at eighteen and you’ve been searching that long, there shouldn’t be any left out there.”

“It’s not that simple.” Avril grimaced. “The signs aren’t always clear. Sometimes, even though we are aware that a rogue Ashen Wolf has come of age, we might lack the information we need to find them.”

“The closer they are to our lands, the clearer the signs,” Elijah clarified.

At the office, I quietly listened as they quickly scraped together a plan to rescue the fledgling. There was a chance the wolf could be alone and unaware of their lineage - just like Avril had been when she was found - which put them at risk. Thus the need to get to them before they ended up killed or exposed their true nature to the werewolf world.

According to them, these rescue missions weren’t frequent, as there weren’t many Ashen Wolves left, especially outside Azure Smoke. Avril had only ever led two search parties in her time as Alpha. However, they seemed to be pretty well rehearsed. In less than an hour, they had everything planned out, as well as a set time to leave.

“Theo, gather the warriors. Elijah, let Rhea know how long we should be gone, and get everything we might need,” Avril instructed her beta and gamma. “Meet me at the Banyan in fifteen.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the two said in unison, bowing their heads at their alpha before exiting the room.

When it was only me and Avril in her office, I approached her. “What do you need me to do?” I asked her, desperate to be useful, as I didn’t hear her include me in her plan.

Getting up in a haste, she casually replied, “Nothing. We can handle this,” she assured me. “If there are no setbacks, we should be back in five hours.”

“Wait.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “Am I not going?”

Her eyes were wide as she darted her head at me. “Absolutely not! These missions can be dangerous. We have no idea what we’ll find out there.”

“I’m an alpha, too, Avril,” I reminded her, slightly offended at her insinuation. “I can handle my own.”

“Yeah, but you’re not like us, Koen,” she pointed out, and suddenly I had no more arguments.

The feeling of powerlessness wasn’t something I was used to. It must have been written all over my face because her expression soon changed as she came closer, sympathy shining in her eyes. She reached up to cup my cheek, and I instinctively leaned into her soothing touch. For a brief moment, my frustrations were forgotten.

“I get it - you’re used to being out there, leading, taking charge,” she murmured gently. “But right now, I need you to be here, where I know you’ll be safe.”

A defeated grunt escaped me. I had no strength to deny her request - not when her touch and her voice were so compelling. Breathing in, I inhaled her scent. My hand reached for hers, interlacing our fingers as I lowered them.

Staring straight into her eyes, I mused, “How will I know you will be safe?”

She chuckled - a sound I had rarely heard from her, and it was delicious. I felt her aura expand, emanating power as her eyes glowed an intense shade of blue. Amusement danced in her curled lips, and she pronounced, “Because I’m the Alpha of the Ashen Wolves.”

Discovering that Avril was stronger than me stung more than I wanted to admit. It bruised my pride, made me feel small in ways I wasn’t used to. And yet, a part of me couldn’t help but be drawn to it - to her . There was something undeniably magnetic about having the attention of a female this powerful. As much as it rattled me, it was impossibly enticing.

“Fine, Alpha,” I whispered in a husky voice, and satisfaction immediately permeated her features at the way I addressed her. Leaning closer, I added, “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

She didn’t tense when my lips brushed against hers. Instead, her breath caught, and she leaned in, meeting me halfway, her mouth parting in quiet invitation. I tasted her slowly, savoring each second as if it were the last time, allowing myself to become intoxicated with her. The kiss we shared was different from any other; it wasn’t reluctant or rushed. There was no shyness, like something we shouldn’t want, or urgency, like we’d lose control. It was just… easy.

And it made me feel as though we were both truly giving in to this relationship.

When we pulled apart, she glanced into my eyes. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

I watched from a distance, intimidated by the crowd that wished their alpha success, as Avril departed with her team. A sense of uneasiness settled in as she disappeared from view. I was still frustrated that she forbade me from coming with her, and I couldn’t help but be concerned for her. On top of that, I was also hesitant about being alone at Azure Smoke without Avril, Theo, or Elijah, the only three people I was comfortable with around here.

Suck it up, Koen , I told myself. Sulking over being benched wasn’t an option. Whether I liked it or not, I had to face the fact that I wasn’t at the top of the food chain anymore; I was surrounded by beings far more powerful than I was. If I wanted their respect, I’d have to earn it.

So, after Avril left, I tried to go about my day. Today was supposed to be my first day of training, but with my coaches called away on a last-minute mission, I decided to head to the gym and get started on my own. Theo and Elijah had already explained the advantages of their kind - I could start from there.

After two hours of training, I was spent. It seemed my body hadn’t fully recovered yet, and I knew pushing it past its limits wouldn’t yield any fruits. As badly as I wanted to keep going, I decided it was better to return to my cottage to take a shower before grabbing something to eat.

As I walked around the territory, I caught a few scornful looks here and there. It wasn’t hard to ignore them. What I couldn’t shake, though, was the feeling that I was being followed and watched. Since I could never find any solid proof aside from that eerie sensation, I figured I must be getting paranoid. It was probably a result of constantly watching my back in a place where my presence wasn’t welcomed.

I was idling around the village, wondering what I could do to keep myself entertained for the next few hours, when a vaguely familiar voice reached my ears. “If it isn’t the alpha’s precious stray.”

It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me before I turned around to find the same man who shot insinuations at Avril while she was showing me around. The memory alone made Col start growling inside my head, his hackles raised in a sign of aggression. Likewise, the hairs on the back of my neck bristled.

Before anger could get the best of me, I managed to rein in my emotions. I had no idea who Waylon - if I remembered his name correctly - was or what kind of relationship he had with Avril. Although my gut told me I shouldn’t like him, I knew it would be smarter to just ignore him, as it was obvious he was just looking for trouble. Yet just as I turned back around to continue on my way, he used his superior speed to stand in front of me, making it clear he wouldn’t leave me alone.

I didn’t back down as he glared at me in a futile attempt to intimidate me. He might be an Ashen Wolf, but I was an alpha, and cowering before another male wasn’t in my genes. Holding my head high, I stared defiantly into his eyes.

“What’s wrong, stray? Don’t tell me you were planning on tucking your tail and running away?” His wicked grin intensified my rage.

Mimicking his expression, I replied, “Sorry, I don’t have time to waste with idiots.”

Waylon bared his fangs at me, balling his fists. Without warning, he advanced, but I was already expecting hostility from him. Before he could touch me, I used my werewolf speed to dodge him. As Elijah had explained, Ashen Wolves could only use their abilities in wolf form, which meant, in human form, we were almost equal. I took an offensive stance after gaining a safe distance, waiting for his next move and trying to read him in case he decided to shift.

Instead, he remained unmoving, squinting as if to study me. “What makes you so special?” he wondered. “You regular wolves are pathetic. Weaker. Slower. Frailer.” I stood my ground as he slowly stepped closer. “I can’t see why Avril has taken such an interest in you.”

“He thinks we’re weak?!” Col roared, enraged. “I’ll prove him wrong! He might know some neat tricks, but I’ll show him we can still outpower him without them!”

In a moment of anger, I was about to listen to my wolf and let him out on Waylon, when a third person suddenly joined the conversation.

“If you think Koen is all of that, why are you picking on him?”

As I looked to my right, I noticed Avril’s delta was now standing beside me, unamused as she stared at the other man. “From where I’m standing, it looks like you see him as a threat.”

Flames danced in Waylon’s eyes as he replied, “I see him for what he is - inferior in every way.”

“Interesting, considering you appear wildly intimidated by him,” Rhea insisted, boldly approaching Waylon.

“Did Avril put you on babysitting duty while she’s away?” he huffed, already backing away.

“No, but she ordered us all to ensure he is treated well,” she retorted. “It would be smart of you not to test her patience.”

With a final scoff, Waylon left. As the tension dissipated, I began to lower my guard. Glancing at Rhea, I could suddenly understand why Avril was never afraid to stay away with her beta and gamma for long periods. As long as her delta was in charge, her pack was far from unprotected. While Waylon reeked of empty threats, Rhea was far scarier - she seemed to be all bite and no bark.

“She must have been the one watching us all day,” Col concluded, and I found myself agreeing. She must have used her abilities to stay undetected as she followed us around. “That would explain how she appeared so fast.”

In the end, she finally decided to break the silence, looking at me. “You good?”

“Yeah.” I made a brief pause, but I couldn’t hold my curiosity for long. “Who is that guy?” Although the members of Azure Smoke didn’t try to hide their resentment toward me, none of them tried to approach me directly. It seemed Waylon’s problem with me was personal.

“That would be Avril’s fuckboy,” Rhea answered casually, unaware of how her revelation made Columbus go berserk inside my head. I couldn’t deny that jealousy flared within me, too, multiplying my desire to shatter that idiot’s face by a thousand. My discontentment must have shown, as the delta soon added, “Don’t worry, she’s been giving him the cold shoulder since she returned from your pack.”

A wave of relief washed over me, as well as a pinch of satisfaction. Yet, it didn’t make me dislike Waylon any less.

“Waylon must have been able to smell her scent on you,” Rhea continued. “He’s gotta be suspicious that something might be going on between the two of you.”

I eyed her for a moment, wondering if she knew about Avril and I. Both the beta and gamma were aware of our relationship, but she never mentioned talking to her delta about it. I couldn’t decipher whether she knew or simply had assumptions, like Waylon.

In the end, I decided to ask, “Did Avril tell you about me?”

“No, and I don’t care,” she told me point-blank. “All that matters is that she deemed you worthy. You’re the first one to learn about us, which means you’re important to her.” She flashed me a side glance before concluding, “That’s enough for me to respect and protect you.”

With her response, it dawned on me why Avril seemed adamant that I would be safe in her pack despite their obvious weariness of me. While she was a guest at my pack, I was constantly concerned she might be targeted - and she was. But I was stupid to think for a second that Azure Smoke and Whispering Hills were the same. I couldn’t fully trust my followers, for I knew their loyalty was split.

Avril’s pack, on the other hand, held her in such high regard that they unwaveringly followed her orders, even when they disagreed.