Page 15 of Shattered and Saved

Little by little, the sound of rushing water filled the silence, a gentle roar that beckoned us closer. As we stepped into a clearing, the moonlight revealed a waterfall cascading down the rocks, shimmering like liquid silver in the night. My breath caught in my throat at the breathtaking sight. All of her territory held an exotic beauty, but this looked like a piece of paradise hidden behind the trees.

“Wow,” was all I could say, taking a moment to soak it all in.

She chuckled, clearly amused. Then, her voice sounded, “You know the tall tree at Whispering Hills?” I nodded. “Well, this is my tree.” She opened her arms toward the waterfall.“Whenever I need to think, this is where I come. It makes me feel…free; unburdened.”

A familiar pang of longing hit me. This place held a sense of serenity that we both desperately needed. “It’s perfect,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt.

As we stood together, the night air filled with the sound of the waterfall, I felt a surge of emotion. Everything we had been through - our past, our heartbreak - flooded back in a rush. I wanted to reach out, to bridge the distance between us, but I didn’t know how.

Avril seemed to share my feelings, hesitation mixed with temptation as she called, “Koen, I…”

But her voice trailed off. As if being closer to her would allow me to hear her thoughts, I took a step in her direction. Something shifted in the air between us. I saw her resolve, the way her breath hitched slightly. It was a moment of unguarded honesty, and I felt the pull of an unspoken invitation. Without thinking, I started closing the distance between us, and she met me halfway.

As if drawn by an invisible force, her hands found my face, and she leaned in, her lips brushing softly against mine. It was a gentle kiss at first, tentative yet electric, a spark igniting the tension that had built between us. I felt my heart soar as I kissed her back, the warmth of her lips igniting a flame within me.

The kiss deepened naturally, as if we were rediscovering something we had always known. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer, surrendering to the moment. It felt like everything we hadn’t said was woven into that kiss, a bridge connecting our past with the promise of a new beginning.

We got lost in each other - in the moment. As our lungs began to scream for oxygen, we finally pulled apart. I rested my forehead against hers, both of us breathless, hearts beating fast, louder than the cascading waters. The silence held a weight of itsown, heavy with everything we didn’t yet know how to say. But it didn’t matter. For once, I didn’t mind taking it slow. It was just what I needed - what we both needed.

The tension that had wrapped around us began to unravel, replaced by the thrill of possibility. In that moment, under the moonlight and the sound of the waterfall, I felt a glimmer of hope. Everything seemed uncertain now, but maybe, just maybe, we could reclaim what we had lost and forge a new path together.

10

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A V R I L

After sleeping onKoen’s request, I gathered with my beta and gamma in the morning to discuss it. I should have known they wouldn’t judge me, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about admitting I wanted to consider letting my former mate participate in the trials. It was too intimate a custom of ours to simply allow an outsider to undertake it. But they were extremely supportive and completely understood how important it was to him.

Under normal circumstances, I would have waited longer to even contemplate letting Koen go through our ritual. Yet, when I looked into his eyes, filled with a desperate need to find his worth again after losing everything, I couldn’t bring myself to say no. The details still needed to be worked out, but we would find a way.

It was unsettling how much he affected me and how easily he could bend my morals. If I was going to open myself to the possibility of a relationship with him, I’d have to get used to it. In fact, there was so much I’d needed to adjust to, so much to learn. And it was far more terrifying than discovering I was destined to lead a pack of powerful, mythical beasts.

Still, the first step we, two broken and burdened souls, had taken last night made me feel like we were heading in the right direction.

Once my friends and I had come up with a solid plan for Koen facing the trials, we fell back into our routine. In the afternoon, I knocked on his door and guided him to the indoor training grounds, where Theo and Elijah were waiting for us. It was the same place where we held our daily morning training sessions, but it was always empty for the rest of the day, allowing us some much-needed privacy.

Before we began, I faced Koen. “Alright, this is how it’s gonna go,” I said, clapping my hands. “Theo and Elijah will handle the initial steps of your training. They will teach you everything you need to know. You will have one month to prepare.”

Koen seemed slightly surprised that I wouldn’t be the one training him. Still, he exchanged glances with my beta and gamma, nodding at them before turning back to me and asking, “Once my training is complete, will I be able to take the trials?”

“Actually, no.” He frowned in confusion at my response, and I proceeded to explain, “At the end of your training, you will face me in a duel. It will be your ultimate test. Then, I will determine whether or not I’ll allow you to undertake the trials.”

His lips curled in a half-smile, his eyes shining with anticipation for the challenge that lay ahead of him, as he agreed, “Got it, Alpha.”

I blinked, taken aback by the way he addressed me. It was the second time he ever called me alpha, and hearing it made me feel both proud and flustered. I made sure to quickly shake it off though.

“Well.” I cleared my throat. “There’s things I need to take care of, so I’ll leave you to it.” As I turned around to leave, I stopped to glance at Koen over my shoulder and whispered, “Good luck.”

K O E N

As soon as Avril left, Theo stepped forward. “Ready to begin?” he asked, glancing at his mate as he got comfortable on one of the empty benches surrounding the arena. I took it that he would be the one conducting our training today.

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, rolling my shoulders back to release the tightness in them, my muscles warming up as I prepared for whatever he had to throw at me.

“First of all,” he began, “if you are to find a way to make up for the advantages an Ashen Wolf has compared to a regular wolf, you need to understand exactly what they are.”

“Avril said you are stronger, tougher, and have even better hearing, eyesight, and healing than other shifters. She also briefly explained about your powers,” I mused.

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