Page 36 of Shattered and Saved

A V R I L

I was done fearing what my pack would think of me for getting involved with Koen. It had taken time, but I finally realized their loyalty to me ran deeper than any reservations they might have had about my former mate. Besides, most of those doubts seemed to have vanished after Koen figured out how to save us all.

While it was true they respected me too much to mention my night out with him in front of me - and I wouldn’t have it any other way - I still caught the glances some pack members shot his way as we left the training grounds. They almost seemed to admire him now, not just because his brilliant idea ended the anger outbursts, but because he was with me. As if earning the Alpha’s attention was some extraordinary accomplishment. Go figure.

“He definitely earned my attention at training,”Kea pointed out, lust in her voice.“I believe he can actually do it, Avril. He could become the first regular wolf capable of matching an Ashen Wolf’s strength.”

Though my heart agreed with her, I tried not to get my hopes up.“It’s too soon to be sure. We’ll have to see if he can make it through the trials.”

“Whenhe makes it,”she corrected.“It’ll only be proof that he has what it takes to be it…”Her sentence made my heart race as I anticipated what she meant before she even concluded,“Our mate.”

The word rang in my ears. Fate had tied me to Koen, but he chose to defy it, resulting in me finding my true destiny. When our paths crossed again, I never thought it would come to this. While I had admitted a long time ago that I was falling hard for him, I didn’t think about making our relationship official.

It was too complicated. We were from different worlds, but after he lost his, he was relentlessly trying to become part of mine. I didn’t think fate could ever be restored. Was the universe trying to show me that I could be wrong?

Could we really be mates again?

I was so absorbed in thought, I didn’t notice the man approaching me until he was right in front of me. “Is it true, Avril?” Flames danced in Waylon’s eyes as his voice abruptly pulled me back to reality. “You never agreed to go out with me. To spend the night with me. Why does he? Why him, when I was always there for you?”

Usually, it would take me a moment to regain my focus, but his audacity sparked my rage. Baring my fangs, I warned him, “First of all, back off.” Albeit reluctant, he did what I said. “Now, I’m pretty sure I don’t owe you any explanations. This is none of your business, but at this point, I’ll do anything to get you off my case,” I confessed harshly. “You want to know why? Because Koen was once my fated mate.”

“He rejected you!” he argued, a shadow of hurt washing over his face.

“Listen, Waylon.” I breathed in, trying to contain the urge to strangle him. “Shit happened while I was at Whispering Hills. I learned the whole story. I…” Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose, knowing I would regret what I said next. “I fell in love with him.”

His eyes widened in disbelief, his face twisting with disgust. “You deserve so much better, Avril,” he insisted, to my annoyance. “If you’d only give me a chance, I could-”

“For the thousandth time, Waylon! It’s over!” I cut him off before he could become even more delusional. “We were never a thing to begin with, but whatever we had, it’s over,” I said, loud and clear, hoping I could get the message through to him at last.“Even if Koen disappears, I promise you - you and I will never happen again.”

Instead of accepting the truth, Waylon squinted his eyes, countering defiantly, “Wanna bet?”

Moved by raw instinct, Kea pushed forward, a menacing growl escaping me as I grabbed Waylon by the throat, shoving him against the nearest wall. I didn’t care if the sound of his back slamming against the hard surface would draw attention.

“Touch him,” I dared, my wolf’s voice mixing with mine as protectiveness and rage took over. “And you won’t get away quick enough to tell the story,” I vowed.

Waylon’s fingers pulled at my tight fists, trying to loosen my grasp, but I didn’t budge. His words came out muffled as he tried to speak with his airway blocked. “Shouldn’t the alpha’s mate…be able to…defend himself?” he observed.

As his face turned red from the lack of oxygen, I forced myself to release him. He fell to the ground on his knees, coughing desperately. The first thing he did once he managed to catch his breath was look at me, the determination in his expression unchanged.

“Don’t you see it, Avril? If you have to protect him, he will only be a problem.A liability,” he spat as he struggled back to his feet. “But I guess you’ll have to see that for yourself.”

After finishing his sentence, he disappeared down the hall. It took every ounce of control I had not to beat the crap out of him for questioning my decisions and threatening Koen. But for the sake of ending this pointless discussion, I let him go without another word. In the end, I knew Waylon was all bark and no bite. I doubted he had the guts to actually do anything stupid.

Still, I’d love to see him try.

23

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A V R I L

The next monthpassed in calm, a rare stillness we all desperately needed to catch our breath. It was also the best time for me and Koen. Since the pack learned about us, I could spend more time with him. Our dates grew more frequent, each ending in the same heated haze. His cottage stood empty most nights as he shared the bed of the alpha chambers with me.

For the first time, our differences didn’t matter. Our constant arguments ceased, replaced by lust, passion, and fleeting moments of pure bliss. It felt like I was living the teenage summer dream I thought I’d never get to experience. I knew perfection was a fragile illusion, and challenges would come, but for once, I let myself live in the moment, unburdened by the weight of tomorrow.

Like me, Koen seemed content with savoring the now. He never pushed me to label what we had, so I decided not to worry about it. Instead of overthinking whether or not he could actually become the king of the Ashen Wolves, I decided to let time tell.

Thankfully, Waylon seemed to have also left me alone for good. It was impossible not to bump into him every now and then, but he always kept his distance. As expected, he didn’t try to intimidate my former mate or prove why he was more deserving of my attention.

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