Page 2 of Shattered and Saved

Guilt overflowed from within.

Just then, a knock on my door snapped me from my trance. I blinked a few times before tearing my gaze away from the mark, unable to bear the emotions the sight of it brought back any longer. After recomposing myself, I put my hoodie back on and headed to the door, opening it to find my uncle standing on the other side.

“I hope you weren’t planning on passing out without so much as a hello,” the older man mockingly scolded, unable to hide his smile.

“Of course not, Uncle Joe,” I replied, stepping forward to give him a hug.

We talked for a few minutes. I gave him the highlights of our trip, leaving out the details on how I had stumbled upon the urn. In return, he explained about how he helped at the pack while I was away. When he noticed how exhausted I was, he told me we could catch up later - he only had one last question.

“Have you decided on a date to perform the ritual now that we have the ashes?” Excitement pooled in his eyes as he continued, “There will be an eclipse in a few days. If you need more time to prepare, we could wait for the blood moon next month.”

My expression hardened as I confessed, “It’s going to happen sooner.”

His eyes widened, surprise and curiosity mixing in his gaze. “When?”

“At the last sliver of daylight today,” I stated firmly, revealing the plans I had already discussed with my beta and gamma, and watching my uncle’s shock deepen. “We’ve waited long enough - there will be no more delays.”

2

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A V R I L

The rising moonpainted the sky in purples and blues as the members of Azure Smoke gathered around the Banyan tree. I stood beneath it, facing the other shifters, the urn pressed close to my chest. My team was in formation - my beta and gamma at my sides, and my delta, Rhea, right behind me. She had been the one to prepare everything for the ritual in such short notice while Theo, Elijah, and I restored our energy.

Now, we were ready to begin.

“Members of Azure Smoke Pack,” I started, and the wolves around me immediately fell silent, devoting their attention to me. “After a long and exhausting mission, I have returned with the sacred relic that was stolen from us centuries ago. This urn contains the ashes of the original Banyan that granted our kind its powers.”

Cheers erupted from the crowd. I let them celebrate our long-awaited victory, bursting with pride as it sunk in that I had been the one to conquer it. A moment later, Theo raised one hand, and the wolves quieted down again for me to continue.

“For ages, we have survived with only a percentage of our true power. Tonight, it will finally be restored, and the Ashen Wolves will rise from the shadows we have been hiding in!”

A choir of howls filled the night, excitement and anticipation taking over. To that sweet melody, I stepped forward, away fromthe shade of the tree. Everyone watched attentively as I carefully removed the lid of the urn, lifting the relic above my head. I allowed it to absorb the moonlight for an entire minute before lowering it again.

Crouching by the water, I observed the ashes inside the container. They glittered with light, a sign of the Moon Goddess’ blessing. With that final confirmation, I recited my kind’s ancient vow as I slowly poured the ashes into the stream, which flowed swiftly around the Banyan and across our territory.

The very next second, the clear waters began to glow with a luminous shade of electric blue. I quickly rose to my feet, stepping cautiously away from the riverbank. Little by little, every form of life fed by the stream gradually acquired the same luminescence - from the grass to the orchids, and finally, the Banyan tree.

Impressed murmurs echoed through the crowd as we all witnessed the packlands burst with magic right before our eyes. I felt like I was in a dream. It was hard to believe that our kind’s essence was being restored - not only because of how fantastical the whole process was, but also because, at times, it had seemed like an impossible feat. I wanted to savor every second of it.

However, something else pulled my focus, disrupting the spectacle. A strange sensation stirred within me. Heat bloomed in my stomach, spreading like a slow-burning fire through my veins, reaching every nerve ending and igniting them. But instead of hurting me, itenergizedme, making me feel more alive than ever - morepowerfulthan ever.

The mark on my arm began to itch, and when I looked down, it was glowing just like the rivers, the flowers, and the tree. Electric blue pulsed through the black lines branded on my skin. Gasps rippled through the crowd, and I realized the same transformation was happening to the rest of my pack. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the light faded.

But the power coursing through me didn’t.

“This belongs to us, Avril,”Kea remarked. I couldn’t help but notice a change in her, too.“And no one will ever take it from us again.”

A wave of emotions crashed over me at her words - fierceness, ambition, protectiveness. I felt like I could conquer the world, yet at the same time, I held a precious treasure I had to protect. The weight of responsibility settled on me, blending with a new fury that burned within. I would defend my family and our gift until my dying breath.

Inhaling deeply to soothe my burning lungs, I faced the wolves before me and raised my voice. “Ashen Wolves!” I called, capturing their attention. “Our spirit is no longer suppressed - no one can silence us anymore!”

As the crowd erupted in cheers, I glanced back at my friends. Their eyes sparkled with a fierce energy, reflecting the same excitement surging within me. Theo and Elijah clenched their fists, knuckles white with anticipation, while Rhea’s smile broke wide, filled with the wild thrill of the moment. I could feel the barely contained power radiating from them, their bodies tense, ready to leap into action.

Turning back to my pack, I invited them with a smile. "Let’s run together and feel what it truly means to be unbound!"

With cries of approval, the shifters around me began to transform, their animal sides surging forward. Kea stirred beneath my skin, eager to stretch her legs and pound the earth beneath her paws. I didn’t hesitate, letting her take over. We led our people, a pack unchained, across our lands that now bloomed with magic.

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