Shattered and Saved (Ashen Wolves #2)

17

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K O E N

The situation at Azure Smoke was escalating at an alarming speed.

I didn’t try to find Avril again after our fight. Despite how badly my heart longed to be near her, to let it all go just so we could return to the blissful moment we shared on the night we spent at the waterfall, I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was raised in a violent environment and stood up against my father to defend the peace I believed in. Meaningless violence didn’t sit right with me, especially when the one inflicting it was far stronger than the one enduring it.

However, Avril did send Theo and Elijah to keep me company later in the evening. I assumed it was her way of checking on me without injuring her pride. They filled me in on Oliver’s case, reporting that a similar episode had occurred involving two other pack members. While they were starting to consider that these random angry outbursts could be linked, they had no idea what could have caused them.

Having only recently been thrown into the world of the Ashen Wolves, I still had much to learn about them. If even the ranked members of Azure Smoke couldn’t make sense of the situation, I was completely adrift. But the weight of the issue was unmistakable in the tension radiating from them.

And I wasn’t the only one who could feel it.

When I left my cottage the next morning, the air crackled with uneasiness. News traveled fast in wolf packs - in a pack the size of Azure Smoke, it happened practically instantaneously. The shifters were wary. The usual chit chat in the crowded town square had faded into unsettling silence.

As I walked through the territory, I noticed a shift in the way the pack members looked at me. I had grown accustomed to their blatant dislike of me, but today their quiet disdain felt more intense. They seemed to see me as more than just an outcast - as a threat. The absurdity of that thought made me dismiss it, convincing myself I must have misread their expressions.

The beta and gamma were waiting for me when I entered the training grounds. We had agreed to meet after the warriors' session was over so we could resume my lessons. I greeted them before heading toward the center of the arena with Theo while Elijah sat on one of the benches, ready to assist his mate with training if needed.

“Ready to push your limits today?” Theo asked, his excitement transpiring in the form of a half-smile.

“Always,” I replied confidently.

With a nod of agreement, the beta shifted into his wolf form, and I did the same. Once freed, Columbus shook his fur before assuming a fighting stance. He stayed still, waiting for the next instructions.

“Remember, Koen, you can’t match Reagan’s speed or strength directly.” Elijah’s voice echoed through the indoor arena. “You need to rely on your instincts and strategy.”

I let his words sink in, inhaling a calming breath to keep my emotions in check. It was easy to get lost in the thrill of battle, but as the gamma had pointed out, I had to remain rational while facing my opponent. I had come up with a few strategies to deal with the advantages an Ashen Wolf possessed while Avril was out on her rescue mission, and it was time to put them in action.

At first, we both just circled each other. Theo allowed me to inspect his slightest movements as a thin cloak of smoke started surrounding him. Then, Reagan charged at Col, a blur of speed and power. I braced myself, focusing on timing rather than brute force. As the beta lunged, my wolf sidestepped at the last moment, using his agility to evade the attack. He spun around, trying to anticipate the adversary’s next move.

But I underestimated Reagan’s insane speed. Col was barely able to spot him before he succeeded in knocking us down with a powerful headbutt. A brief gasp escaped my wolf before he pulled himself up again. The beta waited, positioning himself in front of us to start again.

“Nice dodge there, but you need to think a step ahead when dealing with an enemy with twice your speed,” Elijah pointed out, his voice light despite the intensity of the training. “Let’s try again.”

Half an hour passed as I struggled to evade Theo’s relentless blows. Col could manage to dodge two consecutive attacks at most before his efforts were rendered ineffective against Reagan’s agility. Though Theo wasn’t giving it his all, I was already sporting bruises from the sheer number of hits I’d taken. It was frustrating - demoralizing, even - to confront an opponent wielding skills I had never even dreamed of. But I refused to give up.

As Reagan advanced once more, my mind raced. I focused, analyzing his movements. Then, after enduring hit after hit, it finally clicked. While the beta could teleport and move quickly, he also had a rhythm - a pattern. He could only move between shadows, which limited his movements. Perhaps it was something I could exploit.

With Col’s thoughts aligned with mine, he feigned a charge toward the opponent, making it look like he intended to counter attack rather than just dodge. Reagan reacted immediately, shifting to intercept him. Just before they collided, my wolf dove to the side, using the momentum to slide along the floor and kick up a cloud of dust.

Surprised, Reagan stumbled slightly, his eyes momentarily obscured by the dust cloud. Seizing the opportunity, Col darted forward, using the lack of visibility to his advantage. He aimed for the beta’s flank, making him lose balance and sending him straight to the ground.

“That’s it, Alpha!” Elijah cheered, clapping his hands excitedly. “Impressive use of the environment to counter the smoke cloud and turn the tables! You could be a Dust Wolf! Wait, no- Desert Wolf!”

Reagan snorted at his mate’s tendency to give stupid names to everything, but a loving smile soon painted his lips. Col puffed his chest, proud of his achievements. I let him celebrate our small victory before taking back control, offering Theo my hand to help him up after he shifted back as well.

Once training was over, Elijah provided me with feedback on our first session. He pointed out areas for improvement and outlined what we should focus on in tomorrow’s lesson. He also complimented my strategy once more, and Theo chimed in with praise. For the first time, I found myself believing that I could become as strong as an Ashen Wolf.

That I could become as strong as Avril.

I returned to my cottage for a quick shower before meeting the guys at the cafeteria for breakfast. It felt strange to see the alpha’s chair empty. Col whimpered at her absence, and I couldn’t help but wish she were here, too. She was probably occupied with the issues some members of Azure Smoke were facing.

By the time I left the building, I was contemplating looking for her to see if she needed help. She had been by my side when I faced problems at Whispering Hills. I convinced myself I just wanted to return the favor, but the truth was, I couldn’t possibly avoid Avril forever - as in I physically couldn’t.

Regardless of how deeply I disapproved of her choices, my heart would always look past them. My body would always crave her, even if she was drenched in the blood of innocents. Besides, Columbus wasn’t nearly as upset as I was. While he agreed with my concerns, he insisted he would bring her enemies to her on a silver platter if that’s what it took for us to be with her. Talk about ignoring red flags - but then again, wolves couldn’t see colors properly, so to him, they probably just looked like random flags.

Surprisingly enough, I found her standing right outside the cafeteria, her eyes locked on me as if she were waiting for me to walk out.

“Can we talk?” she asked quietly when I was closer. Urgency coated her voice, and she didn’t try to hide it.

“Sure,” I agreed, setting everything aside the second I realized how vulnerable she looked.

Avril was usually guarded. She was great at masking her real emotions, so much so that even I found it hard to perceive them at times. But right now, her distress showed in her tired eyes, as if she hadn’t slept all night.

We walked together, and she waited until we were further away from the town square and the pack members before beginning, “I’m sorry about what I said yesterday.” She remained silent for a moment, likely organizing her thoughts. “I didn’t like being talked back to like that, and I got defensive. I was harsher than I intended to be. Ruder than you deserved.”

I nodded, listening to her as she continued. “I understand why my actions upset you, and I regret not having considered how you might have felt. I promise I will be more careful on future missions and double check if there are innocent passersby around before using my powers.”

After concluding her sentence, Avril halted. I stopped as well, turning to face her. She drew in a long breath, resolve in her features, mixed with a pinch of guilt.

“But I can’t promise I won’t ever have to do what I did again,” she admitted, her voice steady. “I stand by what I said - I will always put my family’s lives before those who want to destroy us. If there’s even the slightest chance they could threaten our existence, I won’t hesitate to eliminate them.” She paused, her gaze locking with mine, her aquamarine eyes revealing every ounce of sincerity. “But you’re not like them, Koen. Not to me. I give you my word: as long as you’re with me, no harm will come to you.”

As I let her words sink in, I couldn’t find it in my heart to be angry with her. I could see her perspective, feel her protectiveness, even if I disagreed. Besides, it didn’t feel right for me to pass judgment on how she chose to lead. I could either support her or step back, but it wasn’t my place to dictate how she ruled her own home. All I could do was trust that she had her pack’s well-being at heart. She wasn’t a bloodthirsty tyrant like my father, and she had protected me more than once, making it impossible to believe she would ever turn against me or sacrifice my life.

In the end, I sighed, “Okay.”

She forced a smile, and I returned her gesture. Although I couldn’t say everything was back to normal between us, I was determined to work through it. I appreciated her effort, and I believed that as long as we both committed to this relationship, we could find a way forward.

One step at a time.