Page 29 of Framed and Forgotten
In the end, I settled on a final response: “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
As I grasped the car door handle, another comment from Joe made me stop. “You leaving is all the proof I need,” he said firmly, and from the sound of his footsteps, he began to walk away. I let out a sigh as I finally got into the car.
As I drove away from Azure Smoke, uncertainty crept up my spine.
19
____________________
A V R I L
Whatever flicker of hopeI had for saving my relationship with Koen was fading fast.
I lay in bed, still as stone, until I heard the car engine start. My heart tightened, and Kea let out a whimper as we realized that our mate was gone. He’d left without kissing me goodbye. Without holding me tenderly. Without changing his mind.
With trembling steps, I dragged myself to the bathroom. Beneath the ache in my chest, confusion stirred. I wasn’t used to Koen’s coldness, and I didn’t think I deserved it. Even when I’d pushed his buttons in the past, he’d never treated me with such indifference.
The Koen I knew - the one I fell in love with - would never do that.
Deep in thought, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. No matter how hard I tried to keep my expression blank, the hurt was carved into every line of my face. I couldn’t leave the room like this. It was hard enough to excuse my mate’s absence to the pack; they certainly wouldn’t believe me when I looked like the very picture of betrayal.
My fingers lifted hesitantly, drawn to the mark at the base of my neck. As I traced the delicate bite scar, the familiar rush ofemotions never came. The bond that once set my heart soaring felt distant, frayed, unraveling thread by thread.
It didn’t matter anyway. Koen and I had found our way back to each other with a shattered bond and a story full of hurt and distrust. That bond shouldn’t be the only thing holding us together now. But what could have driven us apart so quickly? It felt like magic, only the opposite of the pull between fated mates.
Like magnets, Koen and I had always been drawn to each other by an undeniable pull, effortless and natural. But lately, it felt as if the polarity had flipped. Instead of attraction, there was resistance, an invisible barrier keeping us apart and pushing back whenever I tried to hold on.
How was everything falling apart so quickly? Our love was new, but it had never felt fragile. At least, I thought it hadn’t. Was I wrong, or had something changed?
My breath hitched as a thought crossed my mind. A completed bond could rarely be broken, but it could be weakened by betrayal. The possibility made my knees weak, but I quickly dismissed it. If Koen were cheating, I would know. The intricate magical threads tying our souls together would warn me, sending sharp waves of pain if he were ever intimate with another female.
Perhaps the explanation was less dramatic and more straightforward. A new bond had been formed for Koen when he learned about Elias’ existence - a familiar bond, which was typically stronger between parent and pup. More often than not, it surpassed the connection between fated mates.
Maybe the parental bond between my mate and his son was simply more intense than what we had, and the fact that I wasn’t his pup’s mother...
I shook my head, clearing it of unwanted thoughts. Wondering why our relationship wasn’t the same wouldn’t change the truth. I needed to find my focus before warriortraining started in half an hour. Koen might have let me down, but I couldn’t do the same to my family. Regardless of what was happening in my personal life, I needed to be the alpha - the one everyone could rely on. If I started to crumble, my pack would follow.
With a deep breath, I steeled myself for what I had to do. First, I pushed Kea to the depths of my mind, muffling her sounds and emotions. Our animal counterparts felt more intensely than our human side, meaning I couldn’t rely on her this time. She was in shambles, and I knew I wouldn’t make it through the day as long as I was listening to her.
A cold shower did the rest, washing away my concerns about Koen - at least for the moment. I got dressed quickly and rushed out of the packhouse, eager to reach the training grounds as fast as I could.
The sooner I could punch something, the easier it would be to keep the tornado raging inside me at bay.
Fortunately, training proved to be a good distraction. I obviously wasn’t at my prime, but I doubted the rest of the warriors had noticed it as they sparred with each other. Well, most of them didn’t pay attention, but there was one person who would never let it slip.
Once training ended and the warriors started to leave the arena, my beta approached me. “Lingering behind today?”
I felt a tug in my chest, an urge to tell him everything. But I held it in with everything that I had. “Think I’ll practice somemore. Can’t say I’m satisfied with my performance,” I answered in the most casual tone I could muster.
But the fact I couldn’t look him in the eye probably gave me away.
As I turned around, my beta took a step closer. “Avril, if there’s anything I can do-”
“There’s nothing you can do,” I cut him off sharply, shooting him a glare that made him stiffen. Seeing his reaction, I let out a sigh. “I’m tired of talking, Theo. I just…I need some time to myself.”
Reluctantly, my friend nodded. He began moving away, but not without adding, “If you do need anything - anything at all - don’t forget that I’ll be right here.”
I didn’t reply. I didn’t have the strength to speak. As soon as he vanished and I was completely alone, I threw my fist against the punching bag in front of me, so hard that my bare knuckles burned red, almost knocking me off balance.
