Page 23 of Framed and Forgotten
“She has responsibilities back at the pack,” I blurted out, not wanting to let her know about our fights.
But, deep down, I did wish Avril would make an effort to be with me whenever I visited my son.
“Of course.” Nerine nodded. “It’s a lot, too. I’m sure you’re coming to understand that.” She grimaced, looking away as she added. “Maybe Avril never wanted to have pups. Some people don’t.”
I didn’t reply, the subject too personal. Whether my mate and I planned on having heirs was none of her business. Though I had to admit, her comment made me thoughtful. I stared ahead at the carousel, watching the lights blur as it spun. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind before. Avril had never mentioned wanting children, or not wanting them. Could there be more to why Avril didn’t seem interested in Elias other than him not being her son?
I couldn’t dwell on the question for long. Soon, my pup climbed off the stallion, running straight to me with excitement lighting up his small face. “Did you see me, Dad?”
Dad. The word still felt foreign, heavy with an emotion I couldn’t name. It terrified me at first, but…it was starting to resemble a warmth I longed to feel.
Crouching, I ruffled my boy’s hair. “I saw. You were the best rider there.”
He beamed before glancing up at Nerine, who watched us with a soft, almost wistful expression. “Mom, can we get cotton candy?”
My ex-wife smiled. “Of course, sweetheart.”
We finished the day with Elias on more rides, his laughter filling the spaces between us. When the sun began to set, the sky deepening into a dusky purple, the park slowly emptiedas families began to head back home. My pup rested his head against my side, worn out from the excitement of the day.
Nerine let out a quiet laugh. "He had a great time. You have a natural way with him."
I shrugged, looking down at my son’s peaceful face. "I’m trying."
"You’re doing more than trying. You’re showing up. That’s what matters most,” she praised, a sympathetic smile on her face.
Her words settled over me like a comforting blanket. I had spent so much time believing I could never make up for last time. That I wasn’t ready to be a father. But today, seeing Elias happy, feeling his trust in me - it made me want to believe I could do this.
Standing up, Nerine brushes off her jeans. "We should get him to bed."
I nodded, gently lifting Elias into my arms. He murmured something unintelligible, his small hands curling against my chest. Nerine led the way back to the parking lot, her steps light, her presence calm. I studied her, something shifting inside me. Maybe she really had changed. Maybe I had been holding onto old wounds for too long.
As I drove to the hotel, I stole glances at Elias, snuggled in the backseat, making sure he was okay. Then my thoughts drifted once again to Avril, but this time they weren’t laced with guilt. Instead, they were tinged with an odd, quiet uncertainty that I couldn’t quite name.
When we reached the hotel, I dropped off Nerine and Elias in the front before going to park the car. As I was about to pull away, Nerine glanced back at me, a small, tired smile on her lips. "Thank you for today, Koen."
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. See you tomorrow."
16
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A V R I L
I felt lighterafter my conversation with Elijah. True to his word, he stayed while Theo left to send the letter, keeping me company until his mate returned that night. The weight of his support lingered, making Sunday bearable. Still, I couldn’t help but sit by my bedroom window as the sun set, unable to keep my leg from bouncing up and down anxiously. After what felt like an eternity, Koen’s car finally pulled up to the packhouse.
My heart raced as I finally stood to pace the room as I tried to steady myself. Kea was relentless, spinning and bouncing in my mind as she chirped about our mate’s long-awaited arrival. I wished I could share her cheerfulness, but the tension between us was impossible to ignore, and I didn’t know how to handle it. Should I let it go and hope things would right themselves? Or should I talk to Koen about how I felt? I’d had plenty of time to think in his absence, yet I avoided it.
And as the doorknob turned, I knew I had run out of time.
Koen poked his head through the door, his troubled eyes, heavy with emotion, immediately locking onto mine. “Hey,” he whispered, testing the waters.
I sucked in a breath, managing a smile. “Hey.”
Our encounters had never been this awkward before, and it unsettled me.
Clearing my throat, I asked, “How was your trip?”
“Good,” he answered briefly, finally stepping inside. Though his vagueness annoyed me, I had a feeling it was more about sparing me the details than hiding something. With a quiet sigh, he asked in return, “How did handling the Elders go?”
