Page 52 of Shattered and Saved

“You’re not a freak,” I reassured him, quickly unlocking his chains. As soon as he was freed, he grabbed his burnt wrists, massaging them. After a pause, I revealed, “You’re an Ashen Wolf.”

His eyes darted up to me, blurred with confusion. “A what?” He shook his head. “H-how would you know?”

“Because I’m just like you,” I said, watching hopeful relief spread across his face. “I’m Avril Fletcher, Alpha of Azure Smoke Pack - the last pack of Ashen Wolves.” I extended my handto help him up and added, “Come with us, and I’ll tell you everything.”

By the time we left the dungeons with the newest member of our pack, the team of scouts I had sent to confirm there were no survivors had already returned. They had counted the bodies to ensure none had managed to escape. With that, we were ready to head home.

Despite how tired we all were from the journey and the battle, we couldn’t afford to rest. Though weakened, Blood Rose had many allies, and it was only a matter of time before one of them was alerted to the attack. Besides, simply being out of our secret haven in full force was risky enough - we needed to get back as soon as possible. Thankfully, the night should offer us enough camouflage to travel safely.

Thus, we marched, enshrouded in a thick cloud of smoke that followed us as we cut through one forest after another. Since Ruac couldn’t shift until the poison was out of his system, Theo volunteered to give him a ride. The moment he crossed the magical borders hiding our territory, the mark of our kind appeared on his arm, just like it had with Oliver.

This time, though, I wouldn’t let his newly awakened powers consume him. The first thing I did was hand him one of the bracelets we all wore. While everyone else was allowed to rest, I stayed with the fledgling to make sure he felt at home and received the care he needed. Through it all, Koen never left my side.

Once Ruac was settled, I left him to rest at his new cottage before finally going to bed with Koen. Tomorrow would be a longday, but for a while longer, I decided not to think about that. In my former mate’s arms, I drifted off peacefully.

When morning came, I didn’t have the heart to wake him. A short night of rest had been enough for me to recover, but the previous day had taken a greater toll on Koen. Even as the first light of day bathed his face, he didn’t stir. He had impressed me with how well he kept up during the mission, but his body wasn’t as resilient as ours. Before heading out, I closed the curtains, leaving him to recharge.

I started by checking on Ruac. It was a relief to see that his injuries had healed, and he seemed lighter, both physically and emotionally. After offering a bit more insight into our kind, I asked if he was ready to share what exactly had happened at Blood Rose. Though he hesitated, his gratitude was clear, and he eventually told me everything.

He had never been overly mistreated prior to shifting for the first time. Unsure of how he ended up at Blood Rose, too young to have memories of the day, he had been an omega since he could remember. With no adoptive parents, he was raised by the pack as a whole and put to work when he turned fourteen. He had always been a servant, but he was given food, clothes and a roof, so he was content.

It was when Brent took over that the pack members’ behavior toward him and other omegas began to change. Some wolves were around when his counterpart awakened, and they decided to pick on him for how weird his animal form looked. When the beta’s son attacked him, he fought back out of fear, and that’s when the confusion started.

Harming a member of high-ranking blood was considered a crime, so he was brought to the alpha for it. When Brent heard about how an orphaned omega born outside of Blood Rose with an eerie-looking wolf had beaten the beta’s son, he wasconcerned. After being locked up, Ruac heard two guards talking about how the Elders had been involved.

“From what I gathered, it seemed the Council had a hunch about what was wrong with me,” Ruac revealed. “But I’d never heard the name Ashen Wolves until you mentioned it.”

I pressed my lips together thoughtfully. The situation wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it wasn’t good, either. I couldn’t be sure the Elders’ assumption about Ruac’s true identity was correct, but it had certainly raised suspicions. More questions would likely arise after the attack on Blood Rose and Ruac’s mysterious disappearance.

And we’d better be prepared to answer them.

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A V R I L

When our prioritywas rescuing the fledgling, I purposefully set aside the consequences of wiping out Blood Rose Pack. I needed all of my focus on our mission to ensure it would be a complete success. Now that Ruac was safe with us, and the ones who could expose our secret were gone, it was time to deal with the aftermath of our actions.

“Theo. Elijah. Rhea.”I mindlinked all three of my friends at once.“I need you at my office.”

“Yes, Alpha,”they all replied in unison, and I started heading there myself.

The town square was unusually crowded this morning. I decided there would be no training today to allow the pack to rest. It seemed most of them decided to spend some time outside and enjoy the sun after breakfast. I even spotted Waylon, whom I hadn’t bumped into much for the past month, sitting at one of the tables with other top warriors.

And I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

“So, the big tough elite warrior had his ass saved by the outsider?” one of the men mocked, glancing at an unamused Waylon.

“Yep, I saw it all!” another warrior confirmed. If I remembered correctly, he was on Theo and Uncle Joe’s team.

“Really, Lon? Don’t tell me a regular alpha-blooded wolf could keep up with us better than you!” A third man playfully punched his shoulder.

“It shows why he’s the alpha’s favorite, not you,” the first one teased.

“Shut the fuck up!” Waylon barked, but his outburst only made them laugh harder. Just then, his eyes darted to me. I straightened my posture and kept walking, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing.

But I couldn’t hide the proud smile that painted my lips.

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