Shattered and Saved (Ashen Wolves #2)

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A V R I L

Koen stayed up the entire night, shifting in bed as his mind refused to relax, constantly working on ways to circumvent the Council’s demands. The matter left him deeply distressed. Although he hadn’t spoken to me much about it - probably in an attempt to spare me further worry in an already stressful situation - I could feel his anxiety twisting inside him as if it were my own.

And I understood. Koen was relentless in his efforts to be the best Alpha he could be, tirelessly working to mend the broken pieces his father had left behind and create a better, safer environment for the wolves who trusted him. The weight of failure still lingered, and watching whatever remained of his legacy slip right through his fingers...it must have felt like losing his pack all over again.

Thankfully, the next day arrived quickly, the golden rays of the sun announcing our win. The most dangerous mission we’d had to face thus far had ended, and we had survived. Soon enough, we would be heading back home, bringing the news of our success.

The warmth of the morning should be relieving, but it did little to melt the tension inside our suite. Koen barely met my gaze as he moved around the room, packing the last of our belongings. He carried himself with the kind of focus that bordered on fragility, as though speaking might cause the tough facade he put on to crumble.

But I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Koen,” I began, my voice soft but firm. He stilled, his hands frozen over his bag. “We’ll find a way to recover your pack’s resources. I promise you that.”

He exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping as he continued his task. “It’s not that simple, Avril,” he stated, his voice heavy with frustration and something deeper - pain. “The Council isn’t just going to let us have it. They’ve made that clear. And the only way they’re offering is...” His words faltered, but I knew what he meant.

“...a political marriage with another she-wolf,” I finished for him, my chest tightening at the thought. With a sigh, I whispered. “I know.”

His head darted to me, eyes snapping to mine, doubt giving way to unwavering certainty. “I will never leave you,” he said with conviction. “I’d rather lose everything than lose you.”

My heart ached at the raw determination in his voice. I stepped closer, taking his hands in mine. “You don’t have to,” I assured him. “We’ll find another way. We have three months to think about what we can do, and we won’t stop until we find a solution. Together.”

His fingers tightened around mine, and for a moment, some of the tension in his expression eased. “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured, resting his forehead against mine, but I shook my head.

“You deserve everything, Koen,” I corrected, my soft tone hardening under the weight of a threatening promise as I vowed, “And we’ll make sure you keep it.”

Once our bags were packed, we exited our room to check out from the hotel. The lobby was busy with leaders preparing to return to their homes, their excitement to be back with their families shining through the emotionless expressions they maintained throughout the whole event. Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford such luxury. We had to keep our masks, concealing our exhaustion, until we were in the privacy of our car.

Fortunately, we wouldn’t have to endure this torture much longer. Our car was right outside, the driver waiting for us. I could almost taste freedom again as we strode toward the limousine, the stress from the meeting fading with each step.

I should have known our escape wouldn’t be this simple.

As we were about to climb into the car, a high-pitched voice startled us. “Daddy!” a little boy cheered, running straight toward us.

Well, not to us - to Koen.

K O E N

I stilled, muscles locking in place as the little boy’s tiny arms wrapped around my legs. The gesture was so sudden, so unprovoked, it left me reeling. Never in my life had I been so confused. I had no idea who this pup was, nor why he had seemingly mistaken me for his father.

Before I could untangle my thoughts, the boy tilted his head back, his wide eyes meeting mine. Striking green emeralds stared up at me - familiar, hauntingly so.

They were exactly like mine.

An unsteady thump thundered in my chest. My breath hitched, the air around me suddenly thick as my mind scrambled for answers, but I found none. The world around me blurred, until a voice sliced through the haze.

“Elias!”

A woman’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding. The blonde she-wolf rushed up to the pup, and her face slowly came into focus - a face I hadn’t seen in years.

She grabbed the boy’s hand, pulling him firmly away from me, her expression a blend of worry and frustration. “I told you not to leave my side!” she scolded, her tone trembling as if more afraid than angry. “There are too many people here. You could get lost!”

Then, her attention shifted to me, an apology already forming on her lips. “I’m so sorry, he-” She froze, the words dying as her gaze locked onto mine. “Koen,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Nerine,” I replied, my tone colder than I intended.

It felt like a lifetime since I’d seen her - my ex-wife. The last time we spoke had been three years ago, on the termination of our marriage contract. Whispering Hills’ alliance with her pack, Silver Falls, had also ended then, but I kept a neutral relationship with her uncle - Hector. I would often bump into him at meetings, and we had exchanged a few words on the day Avril and I got here.

Hector had mentioned that he wanted to retire, but he hadn’t found an heir yet. Since he had no kids, the next-in-line was technically Nerine. However, because most traditional packs preferred to nominate male alphas, he wouldn’t pass the title on to her. I’d listened politely as she lamented that his niece remained unmated, though my thoughts were far from her circumstances. I hadn’t even known she was here.

How had I not seen her until now?

“And you’re…Avril, right?” Nerine spoke again, her attention turning to my mate.

“Yeah,” Avril replied hoarsely, her voice barely audible. Her face betrayed nothing, but through our bond, I felt the storm of emotions within her - confusion, unease, reluctance.

Nerine hesitated, her eyes darting to the boy clinging to her side. “I, uh… I’m here to pick up my uncle,” she announced, answering my unspoken question.

“Not Uncle - Daddy!” the boy chimed in, his small voice bright and unfiltered. He beamed at me, his little finger pointing proudly in my direction.

The world seemed to stop.

Nerine’s face drained of color, her eyes widening in horror as she faltered. “I…he…” she stammered, her gaze flickering between the boy and me. “I have no idea why he said that. Sorry, that was so weird. You’re not- I…” She stumbled over her words, her voice cracking under the weight of her own emotions.

She laughed nervously, before adding, her voice dropping to the sound of a whisper, “I don’t know who his father is.” Allowing me no time to process what was happening, she blurted out, “Koen, I’m sorry about Elias. It was good to see you again, but…we should get going.”

My mind was too flurried to form any sentences, my throat too tight to speak. I watched, frozen, as Nerine turned away, clutching the boy’s hand. As they walked away, the boy looked back, his emerald eyes locking onto mine once more. The intensity of his gaze twisted something deep inside me.

“Koen,” Avril’s voice broke through the fog, her hand slipping into mine. It was a grounding touch, steady and warm, even as my world seemed to spin violently.

I turned to her, forcing a faint smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Let’s go home,” I said, my voice hollow.

Despite her weariness, she nodded. As we got into the car, I tried to push the encounter from my mind, to focus on the road ahead. But no matter how hard I tried, it was no use. My mind raced with questions, but one thought rose above the chaos, clear and unrelenting:

Why did my ex-wife’s pup call me Daddy?