Page 56 of Shattered and Saved

Yet, it was obvious she was apprehensive. Hell, I was, too. Even if the idea of becoming as powerful as her thrilled me, I was reluctant about the consequences. The hesitation of finding out the truth made my stomach turn.

But then, Avril’s hand found mine, stealing my focus. The jolts of electricity that surged from her contact were evenstronger now. Her touch anchored me, pulling me from the storm of uncertainty swirling in my mind. When I glanced into her eyes again, they sparkled with soothing confidence.

“Whatever happens,” she said softly, her fingers tightening around mine, “we’ll face it together. You’re my mate, and that’s all that matters.”

My lips curled into a faint smile, and I brought her hand up to my lips, planting a soft kiss on the back of it as I agreed, “Together.”

But in the back of my mind, a single question lingered, unspoken but persistent:

What had I become?

34

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A V R I L

To say thatclaiming my mate didn’t go as expected was an understatement.

Koen’s screams shattered my euphoria, dragging me back to reality. Before I could even process what was happening, he collapsed to the floor. Desperate, I rushed to his side. When none of my attempts to wake him worked, I grabbed a robe to cover him, preparing to hurry him to the hospital. But just as I started wrapping the fabric around him, I noticed black lines creeping up his forearm, etching themselves into his skin like a magical brand.

For a moment, I froze. Everything was happening too quickly for me to comprehend the consequences of the reckless decision unraveling before my eyes. Kea jolted me out of my stunned state, urging me to take him to the pack doctor, hoping she could heal him. The hours that followed felt endless as I struggled to make sense of the situation, but no answers came.

Despite the relief I felt when Koen woke up - seemingly well, at that - it wasn’t easy to face him. As Vereya shared what little insight we had about his situation, guilt overflowed from within. Whatever transformation he was undergoing, I had caused it.

I couldn’t decide if this was a blessing or a punishment. Was it proof that Koen was destined to lead by my side all along, or was the Goddess showing me that I tainted everythingI touched? Koen was inherently good, and my kind…our history was steeped in blood, our future stained just as red. If this was true - if my mark had truly turned him into an Ashen Wolf - would it change him?

I feared the shadows might consume his pure essence.

“Keep your senseless doubts to yourself!”Kea scolded, baring her teeth at me. As if I could stop her from hearing my thoughts.“This is a gift,”she said with unwavering confidence.“Not that our mate wasn’t already strong enough to be our King, but him becoming an Ashen Wolf makes everything easier. There will be no conflict within our pack, no questions to answer. He will share our powers now.”She paused briefly before repeating, as if to silence my uncertainty, “Thisisa gift.”

As she cut our connection, her words lingered, echoing in my mind. I wrestled with the weight of my doubts, trying to push away the shadows of negativity. We didn’t even fully understand how my mark had changed Koen yet. Experience had taught me to always expect the worst, but this time, I needed to find a sliver of hope - if only for him.

“Avril?” I heard Koen call me softly.

Blinking a few times, I noticed him staring at me, confused. He must have been trying to catch my attention for a while now. Then, I noticed we had already made it to the training grounds. A chill ran down my spine, but I tried my best to ignore it as I cleared my throat.

“Sorry. I zoned out for a bit.” Turning to him, I forced a smile, attempting to show him the tranquility I lacked in that moment. “Why don’t you shift, and we can go from there?”

With a nod, he stepped back. Drawing in a couple of breaths to control his own hesitation, he removed his shirt before allowing his wolf to come forth. I held my breath, unsure of what to expect.

Still, never in a thousand years could I have anticipated the scene unfolding before my eyes.

By the time Columbus stood right in front of me, I could barely recognize him. His frost-kissed, pure white coat had darkened, as if the night itself had claimed him. His new, opaque charcoal fur was nearly as dark as Kea’s. His eyes, once serene emeralds that held the quiet strength of untouched forests, now blazed neon green - alive with the untamed magic surging through him.

The wolf cocked his head, his reflection flickering in my wide eyes. As he stepped closer, I stumbled back, shaken. The creature staring back at me - was it still Col? The answer struck me like an arrow. Yes, of course it was him. I could feel it through our newly established mate bond, sense his reaction to my hesitation.

My chest tightened. Koen needed me now more than ever. I had to be strong for him.

Be a damn alpha,I urged myself.Contain your emotions.But they kept spilling over uncontrollably. Like a ruptured dam, there was no use trying to plug the cracks with my bare hands. Avoiding the inevitable collapse was impossible.

And when the torrent struck with full force, my knees buckled.

Crumpling to the floor, I buried my face in my palms. I couldn’t bear to look at the mess I’d made any longer. When the tears came, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

“I’m sorry,” I quavered, my voice trembling with guilt. “It’s my fault you’re like this. I did this to you,” I acknowledged, the tears pouring harder.

Since Koen arrived in Azure Smoke, he had longed to become as strong as an Ashen Wolf, but he never wanted to become one. He was kind, honorable, and gentle - traits my kinrarely possessed. It wasn’t in our nature. How could it be, when destiny had bound us to kill or be killed?

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