Page 25 of Framed and Forgotten
My abrupt reaction didn’t go unnoticed. Koen pulled back slightly, his brows knitting in confusion as he studied me. Worried, he removed himself from me, the loss of his warmth making me feel even colder.
“Is something wrong?” he wondered.
I had to gather my strength to reply. “No, it’s just-” I stopped myself, shaking my head. It was my turn to stare at him with bewilderment. “Why would you say that?”
He frowned, seemingly offended. “Don’t you want to have pups with me?”
“I- I don’t know, Koen. I never stopped to think about it,” I said, as if it was obvious. Holding onto the sheets, I sat up,feeling like I had been thrown against a wall. My eyes remained glued to him. Why were we even discussing this now?
After a thoughtful moment, I explained, “Honestly, my life is chaotic enough as it is. I can’t fathom adding a pup to the mix.”
Ever since I learned about my bloodline, danger lurked around every corner. There had been violence in my past, my present, and my future. I lived in constant fear of my pack being found and slaughtered, of being unable to protect my family. I had enough to lose already.
“I don’t want to bring a pup into this world - my world - when death follows Ashen Wolves everywhere we go,” I continued, irritation rising with every word that left my mouth. “What kind of life would my pup have? Born only to live as if they’d never existed, forced to hide, afraid of being found and hunted?”
I’d never willingly put anyone else through what I, or any of the other members of my pack, faced daily. Our future was uncertain, and there was no greater dread. Until I could achieve peace, I couldn’t think about starting a family of my own.
Scrunching my brows, I added, “I’m shocked you’d even suggest this now, when you’ve just come to realize how troublesome it is to be a parent while being one of us.”
“Well, I’m trying to figure it out,” he defended. “I thought my biggest problem was trying to combine both of my worlds, but if we had a pup who was already part of ours…”
“It’s so much more complicated than that!” I argued. “Come on, Koen. Are you even listening to yourself?”
“Yeah,” he scoffed, rising off of bed himself. “You’re the one who doesn’t seem to be,” he shot, making me wince. Was he being serious? I couldn’t decide. “You’re against everything I say lately.”
I was baffled by his accusation. The longer I stared at him, the harder it was to recognize him, and I couldn’t help but voice my confusion.
“Who are you?” I muttered.
For a few more seconds, his gaze lingered on mine, his frustration clear. In the end, he let his head fall forward, not bothering to answer as he announced, “I’m tired. I need a shower.”
Without another word, he marched into the bathroom, leaving me behind, utterly startled. What had gotten into him? He looked like himself. He sounded like himself. But when he spoke, I heard someone else - a stranger.
That wasn’t the Koen I knew.
17
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A V R I L
For the first timesince Koen moved into the alpha chambers with me, we felt oceans apart despite sharing the same bed. Even before our bond was restored, his presence had always calmed me in ways science couldn’t explain. But that night, I couldn’t feel it, too restless to drift off. Sleeping next to him felt strange with so many questions spiraling in my head, but what choice did I have? After the way he’d reacted to our argument, I doubted talking to him would do any good, and being intimate with him had proven to be the wrong option.
Waking up beside him the next morning wasn’t any easier. Even with my back to him, I could tell he was awake. It was only a matter of time before he realized I was, too. Still, I couldn’t move, couldn’t open my eyes. An unconscious fear paralyzed me. What if getting out of bed meant walking on eggshells? I wasn’t ready for another fight - I wasn’t sure our relationship could take it.
Unfortunately for me, my nightmares bled into reality the moment a hand brushed my shoulder. Koen’s touch sent a storm of emotions through me - the mate bond reached for my heart, offering safety and shelter, but my mind screamed danger.Anxiety crept in. He knew I was awake now, and it was clear he wouldn’t let me off with just a simple ‘good morning.’
“Hey.” His voice was calm, quiet, yet it rang in my ears. “You awake?”
His fingers traced slow, gentle patterns along my arm as he waited for a response, though he already knew the answer. The words caught in my throat, hesitation getting the best of me. When had I become such a scared pup? Maybe Koen was acting weird, but I hardly recognized myself either.
“Mm-hmm,” was all I managed to reply.
I felt him shift on the mattress, inching closer. His hard chest pressed against my back, warmth seeping into me as his hand slid beneath my arm to rest against my stomach. Some of my tension unraveled when he planted a kiss on my temple. He seemed…gentler. Like his usual self. Could his strange behavior last night have just been exhaustion, like he claimed? The thought was a fragile comfort, one I wasn’t sure I could trust yet.
“Avril,” he uttered against my ear, my name rolling off his tongue just like it had when we reunited after five years apart. It sent shivers down my spine, and I surrendered to it - if only for a moment. “I’m sorry for how I acted last night.”
I swallowed. Kea was ready to forgive him, but I wasn’t so sure yet. “You’ve been apologizing a lot lately,” I countered, reluctant.
