Page 41 of Framed and Forgotten
It was obvious the idea of delaying our playdate didn’t appease him, but he still nodded understandingly. “As long as you’re here with me, I can wait.”
My heart shattered for him. He was a good kid, just a victim of his mother’s schemes. I wondered if I could fix the situation without letting him get hurt, but something else bothered me more.
Was he really my son? The man Nerine was talking to - the one she claimed was his father - looked just like me, but…it wasn’tme. It couldn’t have been.
Whatever was going on, the longer I stayed at Crystal Pond, the stronger the feeling grew that this was much darker than I could have imagined.
A V R I L
Why were my friends acting so strangely today? Ever since Theo left to check for a response from the Council, I hadn't had a moment alone. It was strange enough that Elijah chose to stay behind, letting his mate travel alone, but then I noticed Rhea wasn’t quite herself either. No matter where I went, one of them was always there. At first, I thought they were just keeping me company, but their constant presence soon felt too deliberate to ignore.
At some point, their behavior started to frustrate me. Having them trail after me, carrying a mix of caution and concern on their faces, felt almost insulting. I couldn’t shake the feeling that they saw me as a fragile diamond in need of protection ratherthan the powerful alpha who protectedthem. But what irked me most was their attempt to play it off as if nothing was wrong.
By sundown, I’d had enough of them. I managed to lose them, putting up a block so they couldn’t try and reach me like I knew they would. If they wouldn’t tell me why their behavior toward me, their leader, had suddenly changed, I would figure it out myself. But not now. A potential letter from the Elders would give me enough to worry about soon. I didn’t need to add any more problems to my list. Tonight, I just wanted to unwind.
Just then, as if my prayers had been answered, I bumped into the one person who might just offer me the perfect escape from reality.
“Hey, Waylon!” I called, drawing his attention as I caught up with him. Lowering my voice, I asked, “Got any plans for tonight?”
Instead of greeting me with his usual sass, he merely arched an eyebrow at me. Ouch. That was kinda cold - but then again, I had always insisted there should be no attachment between us. It had been a while since we last spoke. Maybe he was seeing someone.
Before I could read him, his expression shifted, confusion deepening in every line of his face. “Wait, Avril. What happened to your mark?”
Ugh. Not again.
Unable to contain my frustration, I huffed. “Okay, what the hell is going on? Why are you the second person to ask me this today?” Stretching my arm out toward him, I pointed out, “There’s nothing wrong with my mark!”
Waylon shook his head. “No, Avril. Your mate mark.” Only then did I realize that his eyes were glued on my neck.
I must’ve heard him wrong. “My what?” I asked, incredulous.
“Did you reject Koen?” he blurted out, eyeing me in shock.
What the hell was he on?
“You know that it was him who rejected me. Five years ago,” I reminded him, furrowing my brows. “Why are you even bringing that up now?”
His face immediately fell, his eyes widening with a mix of understanding and bewilderment, as if he'd just started connecting the pieces of a puzzle only to realize the mystery was far more complicated than he expected.
And instead of the much-desired moment to unwind, all I ended up with were more questions.
26
____________________
K O E N
Since my tripto the past, it was becoming increasingly harder to maintain the charade. How could I keep convincingly acting like I was in love with such a manipulative woman when I could see through her lies every time I looked at her? Luckily, she was so insane and eager to believe she’d won that she seemed oblivious to the little signs that slipped past my mask. Playing the trophy father to Elias, now that I wasn’t even sure of paternity, was no easier.
Despite feeling like I would suffocate every time I was around them, I still smiled. I laughed. I held Nerine’s hand and whispered sweet nothings, each word leaving a bitter taste on my tongue. It was revolting, a slow poison I willingly swallowed. How much longer before the bile clawing up my throat finally spilled over? Before the truth ripped free from my chest like a caged beast?
It was too much. Too heavy. Avril had worn her mask for weeks, burying every flicker of emotion beneath a flawless act, while I was already unraveling - not even two weeks in. How had she endured it? How had she stood in the face of betrayal and swallowed down her pride without choking on it? If only I couldbe more like her. Stronger. Colder. Ruthless enough to do what needed to be done.
Oh, Avril.The thought of her was the only thing keeping me sane. In the days since I’d texted her about my decision to stay, the gnawing guilt and regret hadn’t disappeared, but they had faded into the background. The dire need to redeem myself still festered beneath my skin, but the deafening questions exploding in my head drowned out everything else.
The more time passed, the more doubts I had, and the fewer answers there were. Opportunities to be alone were rare with Nerine and Elias always nearby, but I used all of them to the fullest. On my sleepless nights, my mind too restless, I roamed the packhouse searching for anything - any insignificant object - that might hold a clue. If I could just find enough scattered details, maybe I could start piecing this puzzle together.
Strangely, my ability to glimpse into the past never worked again. I didn’t know if it had drained too much of my energy, like it had some kind of cooldown, or if I simply wasn’t doing it right. Maybe that first vision had shaken me more than I realized, my hesitation clouding my focus. Whatever it was, I had to resort to other, more traditional methods to find information.
