Page 24 of Shattered and Saved

Koen turned to me with a preoccupied look. “What is he talking about?”

I didn’t look at him, unable to tear my eyes off of the scene unfolding before me. When Oliver advanced toward Rhea again, she didn’t just evade him. Though it was obvious she didn’t want to hurt him, she needed to get him under control. With ease, she dodged his attack, wrapping one arm tightly around his neck, securing him in a headlock.

“What are you rambling about, damn it?!” Rhea snapped, using all of her strength to keep the fledgling from causing more trouble.

But, as his eyes zeroed in on Koen with murderous intent, I knew the situation was far from over.

“It’s him,” Oliver growled, his voice lacking humanity, as if it was his wolf speaking. “He’s a regular wolf! I saw them together yesterday! Why does he get to live when my friend had to die?”

Koen stepped back, muscles tensing with confusion as he waited for an explanation. Rhea shot me a questioning look, but I had no time to respond. I braced myself, sensing the explosion brewing.

Not even a second later, Oliver broke free, shifting mid-run as he charged straight for Koen, fury blazing in his eyes.

15

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A V R I L

Disaster unfoldedtooquickly for human eyes to perceive it. Oliver’s wolf came forth, fangs bared and eyes glowing. Then, he disappeared. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Koen shift into a defensive stance, ready to defend himself from the upcoming attack. But I knew he stood no chance against a volatile Ashen Wolf.

Afraid of what would happen if Oliver managed to get his claws on my former mate, Kea broke free. As alphas, we were faster and far more skilled than him. She had no trouble finding the ravenous wolf as he shrouded himself in smoke, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and knocking him down. In the blink of an eye, she had him pinned to the ground, only a few feet away from where Koen stood.

I thought he would stop fighting once he heard Kea’s growl, offering him a final chance to stand down. But he didn’t. To my surprise, he didn’t care that she was one snap away from ending his life. Not even the threat of her sharp fangs dangerously close to his jugular could stop him. He flailed violently, paying no mind to how his skin was torn as he struggled against my wolf’s teeth.

Bewilderment struck me. I’d never seen a pack member - or any wolf shifter for that matter - behave like this. He looked rabid.

“I get why he’s upset,”Kea said, struggling to hold the young beast down.“But there’s no way Koen’s presence alone set him off like this.”

She was right. This wasn’t normal. He looked more like a rogue - a mindless, feral creature. I barely knew Oliver, but the crazed wolf snapping beneath Kea was nothing like the shy, grateful boy I’d rescued just yesterday.

In a few seconds, Rhea rushed to my side, along with Theo and Elijah. When the situation started, she must have mindlinked them for reinforcement. My beta pulled out a syringe containing liquid silver, wasting no time to inject Oliver with it. The wolf tossed and turned a while longer, gnarling in agony before he finally went under.

I was panting by the time it was over. My delta approached me and handed me the robe I’d tossed aside moments ago during my transformation, then turned her attention back to the tranquilized wolf. Once I shifted back to my human form, I could feel the weight of everyone’s gazes on me. They were all waiting for answers.

“Rhea, Theo, Elijah,” I called, drawing their attention. “Take him somewhere safe and stay with him until he wakes up. Make sure he doesn’t try to harm anyone else,” I commanded. “Join me in my office once you’re done.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the three of them replied in unison.

As they hurried to do as I said, I turned around, searching for Koen. He was wearing a somber expression I couldn’t quite decipher. I stepped closer to him, inviting him to come with me. In silence, he followed me to my office. He waited until I closed the door before letting me know what was on his mind.

“What happened?” he asked cooly.

“I wish I knew,” I replied, too concerned about the issue at hand to pay attention to his tone. “That was unusual. We’ve never had a new member-”

“No, Avril,” he cut me off, taking a step in my direction, his face serious. I couldn’t say I appreciated it, but I let him talk. “What did Oliver mean?”

Finally comprehending the shift in his demeanor, I clenched my jaw, holding my tongue as I tried to formulate an answer. I didn’t even consider sharing the details of our rescue mission with him. Yet, I could see why it bothered him.

“What happened yesterday, Avril?” he pushed, growing impatient at my long silence.

Sucking in a breath, I revealed shamelessly, “Exactly what he said.” I stared straight into his eyes, explaining, “His friend saw us using our abilities. She became a liability. I took care of it.”

“Youtook careof it?” He furrowed his brow, disbelief written all over his face as he corrected, “You killed an innocent girl!”

“I eliminated a threat,” I countered, trying to keep my voice low even when he raised his. Turning around, I confessed, “I can’t say I’m proud of it, but I did what I had to do to ensure the safety of my family. I won’t apologize for it.”

A scoff broke through his lips. “Unbelievable.”

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