Shattered and Saved (Ashen Wolves #2)

13

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A V R I L

On the ride back, I encouraged Oliver to open up. He shared that he’d been a stray for as long as he could remember, always fighting to survive. The area where we found him was relatively peaceful, and he stayed safe by hiding.

He mentioned vague memories of a smoke-gray wolf - likely a relative - but she had been gone so long it felt like she only existed in his imagination. She disappeared around the time a kind man found him, the father of his friend. Though the alpha refused to let them adopt him, the man still built him a home and provided food and supplies.

Oliver had been incredibly lucky to find shifters willing to care for him, a stray wolf with an unknown past. Hearing how they helped him survive made me feel even worse for taking his friend’s life. But when I thought about what they might have done if they knew the truth about him, the guilt quickly faded.

Once he finished his story, I seized the chance to introduce him to the world he’d been denied. Elijah and Theo joined me in explaining our abilities, and the shift in subject brightened the mood. The boy’s melancholy over his past slowly gave way to excitement for his future.

His anticipation grew even more when we crossed the magical shield that kept our territory hidden from the outside world. As the ordinary landscape transformed into a land filled with magic, he became mesmerized. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the window.

Until the joyful moment was overshadowed by worry as Oliver released an ear-piercing scream.

“What’s wrong?” I asked urgently, drawing near him as he grasped his forearm.

“Ah! My skin is burning!” he cried out, fingertips digging into his flesh in an attempt to soothe his pain.

“Easy, Oliver. Breathe,” I instructed, watching his chest rise and fall rapidly as he drew in ragged breaths.

Carefully taking his hand, I slowly coaxed him to release his arm so I could try to make sense of what was happening. It seemed to have something to do with the appearance of his mark, but it shouldn’t hurt. Most of us only experienced mild discomfort at most.

But when he allowed me to see the spot, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“His mark…” I whispered in utter disbelief. “It’s complete.”

“What?” Beside me, Elijah furrowed his brows, leaning in to confirm what I had just said for himself. His eyes widened. “Impossible. It’s only been a few hours since he shifted. How can it be complete?”

Little by little, Oliver started to even his breathing, his muscles relaxing as the sudden pain went away, unlike my confusion. The more I looked at the undeniable fact before my eyes, the less it made sense. Until it finally clicked.

“It happened as soon as we entered our territory,” I observed, every member of our search party listening attentively to me. “It’s the first time we’ve learned about a mark becoming complete this fast, and it’s also the first time we’ve brought in a rescue since returning the sacred ashes to our land.”

Elijah turned to me. “Could it be related?”

“It must be,” I insisted. “Now that our full power has been restored, entering the sanctuary of the Ashen Wolves must have triggered the immediate completion of his mark, which means…” I made a brief pause, glancing at the boy beside me. “Oliver, how do you feel?”

“I…I feel…” He inhaled and exhaled deeply, shutting his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, they were glowing bright blue. “Unstoppable.”

A smile broke free as I caught the spark in Oliver’s eyes. He was no longer a hopeless boy but a man reclaiming what was stolen from him. It felt like a glimpse of how things were meant to be, igniting my faith in a brighter future.

We climbed out of the car at the heart of our territory, where the pack was already gathered, eager to meet the new member of our family. Among them, I found Koen, and my breath caught the second our gazes locked. My heart skipped a beat as Kea excitedly whipped her tail about, fervent to celebrate the occasion with him. Then, I noticed Rhea standing by his side, which was slightly weird. When I left, she barely cared to acknowledge his presence. I’d have to ask them what they had been up to later.

But first, I had a very important introduction to take care of.

The hubbub ceased the moment my voice filled the town square. “Members of the Azure Smoke Pack!” I addressed them. Only quiet, curious eyes studied the boy beside me, who seemed equal parts overwhelmed and thrilled as we stood together beneath the magical Banyan tree. “It is with great joy that I present to you the newest member of our family…” Glancing at him, I interlaced our fingers and raised our fists to the sky as I announced his name to the crowd: “Oliver!”

A wave of cheerful howls cut through the night as my pack threw our lost kin a warm welcome. At first, Oliver appeared slightly stunned by the commotion, but a smile soon broke through his lips, and he joined the rest of us. As I lowered his arm, I raised an open palm, asking for their silence again.

“I know you’re just as excited as I am,” I said with a grin. “And we should be! Tonight is a night for celebration. How about you join me in showing Oliver how Ashen Wolves know how to party?”

The crowd chanted in unison. I didn’t have to give them any further explanations. One by one, the wolves began to shift, bursting in different shades of gray. In Oliver’s expression, I saw the deep sense of belonging. He looked at me, almost as if asking for permission. With a nod, I signaled for him to let his wolf out to run with the others, and he rushed to be with them.

With the formalities out of the way, I made my way toward Koen. Not once had he averted his eyes from me during my speech, and still now they remained focused on mine. The admiration in them combined with the exhilaration I felt would prove to be a deadly mix, but I was ready to savor it to the last drop.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked Koen as I stopped right in front of him.

“You specifically said members of Azure Smoke Pack, which excludes me,” he observed with a hint of playfulness before his tone became more serious. “Besides, it seems like too intimate a ritual of yours for me to intrude.”

“Well, you might not be an Ashen Wolf,” I said, pointing out the obvious. “But while you’re here, you might as well join us.” As I walked past him, I glanced over my shoulder, a playful grin on my lips. “Let us show you the true meaning of freedom.”

Unceremoniously, I invited Kea to come forth. Her muscles rippled with anticipation as her paws touched the ground, and she honed her claws against the dirt. When she turned around to look at our former mate, I found Columbus already running toward her. He pounced on her, yet she easily ducked, running ahead. The alpha wolf wasted no time to follow her, the two engaging in a carefree game of chase as we joined the rest of the pack.

As we ran together, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized at the regal white wolf. Col stood out among the shades of gray, exuding royalty. He was a beacon of light amidst the shadows; pure, untouched by darkness.

And he is all mine , Kea and I thought in synchrony.

If it weren’t for the thrill coursing through my veins, I might have lingered on the words echoing in my subconscious. But as animal and human spirits blended within me, my wolf and I becoming one, there was no rationality to question my desires - only instinct. Lust. Craving.

Tonight, there was nothing stopping me from surrendering to these raw emotions and letting them take over.