Page 24 of Rejected and Regretted

“We mustn’t let others see what we’re capable of. I know,”she grunted annoyedly.“Don’t worry, we’re fast enough to dismiss anyone who tries to chase us anyway. We can leave all the fun to Theo and Elijah.”

Closing our connection, my she-wolf marched through the battlefield, evading the claws and teeth of enemies who tried to catch us at breakneck speed. It wasn’t in our blood to flee instead of fight, but at least she seemed content with the little action she was getting. However, before we could spot our friends among the sea of wolves, someone else broke our concentration.

Columbus’ bright emerald eyes glowed like a beacon, stealing our attention. Kea halted, her gaze lingering on his, then moving to study him. The alpha was a sight to behold with his glistening white fur dyed ruby, an image of raw power. Shit, he looked…

“Smoking hot,”Kea blurted out, widening her eyes soon after.

Startled, I questioned,“What did you just say?”

“Forget it!”she snapped, finally breaking eye-contact with Col to focus on avoiding more attacks.

But even with our attention divided, I could feel Koen’s beast make his way toward us. It was as if I could feel his presence drawing nearer by the second. When he was close enough, my wolf glanced at him again, only to realize that there were two enemies ready to pounce on him. How could he not have seen them?

“He lost his focus,”Kea growled.“Stupid alpha!”

Before I could understand her intentions, she rushed toward Col, pushing him and knocking him out of the enemies’ way. Her reckless move led to her rolling downhill with him, both wolves clinging to each other as they descended.

Once they landed at the foot of the hill, Col ended up underneath Kea, with her standing right on top of him. In a mystical moment, their eyes locked. My wolf stiffened as she realized how close she was to the alpha, and for a second, a purr escaped her.

I couldn’t tell whether it was her reaction or the situation, but my heart skipped a beat.

Snapping out of it, Kea shook her head. She stepped away from Col at last, allowing him to stand back up, but she didn’t wait for him. Instead, she bolted away, as if she was running from the plague -as if Koen was the plague.

Our mind only cleared once we found our friends. It was relieving to see that they were fine. Despite being drenched in blood, neither of them seemed to have deep scratches or ugly gashes. Not that it was a surprise; us, wolves of Azure Smoke, were stronger than regular shifters. And it was okay for Theo and Elijah to let a fraction of their true power show, since theywere supposedly here to demonstrate the strength of our pack’s warriors.

There he stood, a figure of pride, head held high, fangs glistening with blood, the fallen alpha of Midnight Sun at his feet. He exuded an aura reminiscent of the God of Death himself, commanding my unwavering attention.

Yet, even as he shifted back to address his pack and announce their win, his eyes were focused solely on me.

Koen marched toward Kea, his magnificent naked body covered in blood, while his pack howled in triumph, celebrating their victory. It was a scene out of a movie; even my powerful she-wolf couldn’t move, feeling the weight of the atmosphere. I felt compelled to take control and shift back, but I was soon reminded of a crucial detail.

If I transformed into my human form, my skin would be exposed for everyone to see - there was no way the mark on my arm, which I fought to keep hidden, would go unnoticed.

When the alpha was only a couple feet away from us, he lowered himself, staring into my wolf’s eyes. “It’s alright, Avril. You can shift back. You’re safe.”

Damn it, he thought I was afraid. Well, it wasn’t all that bad, considering that would help me appear weak, despite having an inexplicably large wolf for an omega. Still, I couldn’t assume my human form until I had clothes to cover up my secrets, but I couldn’t tell him that.

Thinking quickly, Kea’s gaze shifted between the dozens of wolves as she coiled up, whimpering. She was trying to convey shyness. Koen furrowed his brows, making an effort to understand her. When he looked at the crowd surrounding us, it dawned on him that I was embarrassed to be naked in front of the entire pack.

Rising, he whispered, “I see.” His eyes clouded over, and in a matter of minutes, a group of omegas appeared at his heel. Theygave him a pair of robes before going off handing one over to every shifter. As he put on his own, he laid the other one on the ground in front of Kea, turning around immediately after to offer us a semblance of privacy.

Theo and Elijah, once clothed, also approached my wolf, creating a barrier to block the view while I shifted. Never in my life had I gotten dressed so fast. Thankfully, I was certain I had succeeded at keeping my mark hidden.

As soon as I was back to my human form, Koen turned around, offering me a comforting smile before speaking to his pack again, “Whispering Hills, we might have won, but we aren’t out of the woods just yet. Those of you who are in good enough shape, please help the wounded. Together, we are stronger!”

“Yes, Alpha!” the people bellowed as they rushed to follow their leader’s command.

A second later, Koen’s eyes were on me again. “Avril, I’m sure the experience must have been frightening to you, but if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak to you.” Behind his untouched forests, I caught a glimpse of confusion.

I immediately knew the moment had come when I would have to try and explain everything he had seen - everything I was trying to cover, for I knew it would raise suspicions regarding who I truly was.

Yet, since denying his request would only make the situation worse, I replied, “Sure.”

16

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