Page 17 of Shattered and Saved

“That’s how we were able to find Avril five years ago,” Theo added.

“If you’ve been tracking the Ashen Wolves for decades, shouldn’t you have found all of them by now?” I asked. “I mean, if they become trackable at eighteen and you’ve been searching that long, there shouldn’t be any left out there.”

“It’s not that simple.” Avril grimaced. “The signs aren’t always clear. Sometimes, even though we are aware that a rogue Ashen Wolf has come of age, we might lack the information we need to find them.”

“The closer they are to our lands, the clearer the signs,” Elijah clarified.

At the office, I quietly listened as they quickly scraped together a plan to rescue the fledgling. There was a chance the wolf could be alone and unaware of their lineage - just like Avril had been when she was found - which put them at risk. Thus the need to get to them before they ended up killed or exposed their true nature to the werewolf world.

According to them, these rescue missions weren’t frequent, as there weren’t many Ashen Wolves left, especially outside Azure Smoke. Avril had only ever led two search parties in her time as Alpha. However, they seemed to be pretty well rehearsed. In less than an hour, they had everything planned out, as well as a set time to leave.

“Theo, gather the warriors. Elijah, let Rhea know how long we should be gone, and get everything we might need,” Avril instructed her beta and gamma. “Meet me at the Banyan in fifteen.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the two said in unison, bowing their heads at their alpha before exiting the room.

When it was only me and Avril in her office, I approached her. “What do you need me to do?” I asked her, desperate to be useful, as I didn’t hear her include me in her plan.

Getting up in a haste, she casually replied, “Nothing. We can handle this,” she assured me. “If there are no setbacks, we should be back in five hours.”

“Wait.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “Am I not going?”

Her eyes were wide as she darted her head at me. “Absolutely not! These missions can be dangerous. We have no idea what we’ll find out there.”

“I’m an alpha, too, Avril,” I reminded her, slightly offended at her insinuation. “I can handle my own.”

“Yeah, but you’re not like us, Koen,” she pointed out, and suddenly I had no more arguments.

The feeling of powerlessness wasn’t something I was used to. It must have been written all over my face because her expression soon changed as she came closer, sympathy shining in her eyes. She reached up to cup my cheek, and I instinctively leaned into her soothing touch. For a brief moment, my frustrations were forgotten.

“I get it - you’re used to being out there, leading, taking charge,” she murmured gently. “But right now, I need you to be here, where I know you’ll be safe.”

A defeated grunt escaped me. I had no strength to deny her request - not when her touch and her voice were so compelling. Breathing in, I inhaled her scent. My hand reached for hers, interlacing our fingers as I lowered them.

Staring straight into her eyes, I mused, “How will I knowyouwill be safe?”

She chuckled - a sound I had rarely heard from her, and it was delicious. I felt her aura expand, emanating power as her eyes glowed an intense shade of blue. Amusement danced in her curled lips, and she pronounced, “Because I’m the Alpha of the Ashen Wolves.”

Discovering that Avril was stronger than me stung more than I wanted to admit. It bruised my pride, made me feel smallin ways I wasn’t used to. And yet, a part of me couldn’t help but be drawn to it - toher. There was something undeniably magnetic about having the attention of a female this powerful. As much as it rattled me, it was impossibly enticing.

“Fine, Alpha,” I whispered in a husky voice, and satisfaction immediately permeated her features at the way I addressed her. Leaning closer, I added, “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

She didn’t tense when my lips brushed against hers. Instead, her breath caught, and she leaned in, meeting me halfway, her mouth parting in quiet invitation. I tasted her slowly, savoring each second as if it were the last time, allowing myself to become intoxicated with her. The kiss we shared was different from any other; it wasn’t reluctant or rushed. There was no shyness, like something we shouldn’t want, or urgency, like we’d lose control. It was just… easy.

And it made me feel as though we were both truly giving in to this relationship.

When we pulled apart, she glanced into my eyes. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

I watched from a distance, intimidated by the crowd that wished their alpha success, as Avril departed with her team. A sense of uneasiness settled in as she disappeared from view. I was still frustrated that she forbade me from coming with her, and I couldn’t help but be concerned for her. On top of that, I was also hesitant about being alone at Azure Smoke without Avril, Theo, or Elijah, the only three people I was comfortable with around here.

Suck it up, Koen, I told myself. Sulking over being benched wasn’t an option. Whether I liked it or not, I had to face the fact that I wasn’t at the top of the food chain anymore; I was surrounded by beings far more powerful than I was. If I wanted their respect, I’d have to earn it.

So, after Avril left, I tried to go about my day. Today was supposed to be my first day of training, but with my coaches called away on a last-minute mission, I decided to head to the gym and get started on my own. Theo and Elijah had already explained the advantages of their kind - I could start from there.

After two hours of training, I was spent. It seemed my body hadn’t fully recovered yet, and I knew pushing it past its limits wouldn’t yield any fruits. As badly as I wanted to keep going, I decided it was better to return to my cottage to take a shower before grabbing something to eat.

As I walked around the territory, I caught a few scornful looks here and there. It wasn’t hard to ignore them. What I couldn’t shake, though, was the feeling that I was being followed and watched. Since I could never find any solid proof aside from that eerie sensation, I figured I must be getting paranoid. It was probably a result of constantly watching my back in a place where my presence wasn’t welcomed.

I was idling around the village, wondering what I could do to keep myself entertained for the next few hours, when a vaguely familiar voice reached my ears. “If it isn’t the alpha’s precious stray.”

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