Page 63 of Shattered and Saved

As for Koen, I had him wear long sleeves to conceal the mark on his arm, just like me. It was an obvious solution, but the bestone we had. The last thing we needed was someone catching a glimpse of the Ashen Wolf symbol and piecing it all together.

The day of the meeting arrived faster than I anticipated, and despite our preparations, the weight of what was to come felt heavier than ever. The air around us was tense with unspoken thoughts, but as we neared the meeting, I let go of all my uncertainties. When we climbed out of the car to face the sharks, I put on my little lamb mask.

For the last time in my life, I would make everyone believe I was just a weak omega.

38

____________________

A V R I L

As soon aswe arrived at the venue, all eyes turned to us.

I had a feeling we were going to be the talk of the town. After all, this entire event had been orchestrated because of us, under the false pretense of discussing the fall of two long-standing packs. Among werewolves, rumors spread like wildfire, and it was obvious they’d heard about us.

As we strode through the hotel lobby toward the elevator, the crowd appeared even more perplexed upon noticing the mating marks on our necks. Pretending to be overwhelmed from their attention, I shrank into Koen, who held his head high and brushed the back of my hand with his thumb in a soothing gesture.

It was all an act. Their intense stares didn’t intimidate me in the slightest, and Koen knew it. We were both well-rehearsed; every detail had been meticulously calculated to make our story unquestionable, starting with how we were dressed

I wore a simple yet elegant navy long-sleeved dress. It was appropriately presentable, as an alpha’s representative should be, without drawing too much attention. After all, omegas weren’t supposed to stand out, especially in the presence of important leaders.

Koen, on the other hand, was dressed to impress. From his expensive smoke-gray suit to his designer shoes, everything about his outfit exuded wealth and power. He had to look the part - he was still an alpha, after all. We wanted everyone to believe that nothing had changed, except for us falling in love.

Arriving at our suite to drop off our belongings, we decided to take a brief breather. With half an hour left before we set off to deliver the performance of our lives, we both needed a moment to simply be ourselves.

Time slipped away quickly, and as we prepared to leave, I checked Koen’s mark one last time. Like mine, it was concealed beneath bandages, hidden further by his long-sleeved shirt and suit. There was no chance anyone would catch a glimpse of it.

Just as I finished rolling down his sleeve, hiding our secret, his hand lifted to my face. He caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers, and I leaned into his touch, soaking in his warmth. It was the fire I needed before diving into a cold water tank filled with piranhas.

As my eyes fluttered back open, they stared deep into his. I reached for his face again, cradling it between my hands to whisper, “Are you ready?”

A quiet chuckle escaped him. “I don’t think I’m as good a liar as you,” he said playfully. “But I might have learned a thing or two when I was caught in your web.”

I could barely contain a laugh. “Should I be proud or worried?”

“I’ll let you know when we’re heading back home after all of this is over,” he replied, closing the distance between us to press his lips against mine.

With that, we left the comfort of our private room and headed to the top floor of the hotel, where the conference room for the meeting was located. When we stepped inside, some shifters were already present, scattered around the space andchatting as they awaited the event's start. However, quite a few people had yet to arrive.

Our timing was perfect. We ensured we were neither the first to arrive nor the last. Arriving too early might give the impression that we were eager to get it over with, while showing up late could suggest we were hesitant or afraid of being questioned. Instead, we exuded tranquility, as though we had nothing to hide and no reason to fear.

We greeted the leaders, who now wore political expressions, concealing their real opinion about us. Once the elders appeared at the door, every alpha, luna, and beta stopped talking, lowering their heads in respect before taking their assigned seats. In utter silence, the five members of the council made their way to their seats at the main table.

Before the meeting was even called to order, the head of the council’s eyes locked on me. His voice resonated through the room, sober and commanding, as he addressed me, “I reckon you are not the alpha of the Azure Smoke Pack.”

I cowered in my seat, pretending to react to the Elder’s powerful aura while making sure he couldn’t detect mine. Koen gave my hand a reassuring squeeze for everyone to see, and I acted as if I were encouraged by it. With a nod, I straightened my posture, though my gaze remained fixed on the table.

“Yes, your Honor,” I began in the most humble voice I could muster. “I am Avril Fletcher, Omega of the Azure Smoke Pack, chosen as the alpha’s representative for this meeting.”

“Why you, a lowly omega?” a different elder questioned.

His comment wasn’t meant to offend me; it was simply the truth. It was, at the very least, curious why an alpha would choose to send an omega as their representative. I had expected that question, and the answer was already on the tip of my tongue.

“The alpha treats everyone equally in our pack. In her eyes, we are all warriors, regardless of the difference in strength,” I began, keeping my gaze low as a sign of respect. “I have acted as her representative before when I visited Whispering Hills, shortly before its doom. Since my mate,” - I glanced up at Koen - “was also invited to the meeting, she insisted it made sense for me to accompany him and assume this prestigious role a second time.”

“We have commanded her presence. If she wished to remain anonymous, she ought to have sent her second- or third-in-command,” the same Elder complained.

“With all due respect, your Honor, the Alpha has no legal obligation to reveal who her Elite members are,” I reminded him, citing the Insurgent Pack Law. “She recognizes that the lack of information about Azure Smoke is a major reason why it has managed to thrive thus far, and the alpha wishes to use this to our pack’s advantage until she is no longer permitted to.”

---