Page 45 of Framed and Forgotten
Kea came at me with a speed I could barely comprehend, slamming into the side of the car with a force that rattled my bones. My breath hitched in my chest as I braked hard andjumped out of the car in one fluid motion. Before I could even pull myself up, she was on me.
The world shifted in an instant, and suddenly I was on the ground with Kea pinning me down, her strength overwhelming. Her claws dug into me, her eyes blazing with an intensity that felt like fire. I wasn’t afraid - not of her, not of the anger in her eyes. I knew I deserved it.
The she-wolf’s breath came in sharp, frustrated gasps, and then, in a fluid motion, she shifted. I couldn’t help but watch, completely at her mercy. Once the transformation was over, Avril had me captured between her legs, straddling me, completely naked. But as she leaned in, her body pressing against mine, my pulse quickened in a way I hadn’t expected.
In any other situation, having a naked Avril on top of me would’ve made me lose control in an instant. The mere thought of it would’ve sent my blood rushing, my instincts clawing to pull her closer. This, however, wasn’t that moment. There was no sign of desire in the way she carried herself. This was raw, unfiltered fury, and I could see it in the way her eyes burned with accusation.
“Avril,” I whispered her name like a lovesick fool, ignoring her obvious rage.
She snarled, silencing me. I expected her to yell at me. To curse me. Hell, maybe even beat me black and blue, and I’d gladly take every single one of her strikes if it could take her pain away.
However, when she finally spoke, her question caught me completely off guard. “How the hell did you find us?”
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K O E N
As her wordsrang in my ears, I knew I had fucked up worse than I could have ever imagined.
“What do you-” I tried, in vain.
The next second, Avril’s fist was around my throat, applying just enough pressure to hold me in place - yet threatening to snap my neck if I didn’t submit completely. It would have been insanely hot if she didn’t look so damn tempted to follow through.
Was I expecting her to be mad? Absolutely. Did I think she’d welcome me back with open arms? Not in a million years. But this? This felt like something else entirely. It was like she was ready to strike me down where I stood.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” she warned, tightening her grasp until it became slightly uncomfortable for me to breathe. Her voice carried the sharpness of a dagger against my skin, cutting through the space between us like a final verdict. Glaring into my eyes, she continued her senseless interrogation. “Were you tracking me? What do you know about my pack?”
I frowned. “T-tracking…you?” I repeated, my voice coming out strangled as I struggled to speak. My body screamed for air, but I focused on the only thing that mattered - her. Brushing offmy confusion, I answered, “All I k-know…is wh-what…you told me…a-and what I’ve…experienced.”
It was her turn to furrow her brows, though I had a feeling her confusion wasn’t a result of my answer. When she finally released me, standing up and stepping away, I shot up, coughing. Once I managed to collect myself, I immediately glanced at her to realize something had shifted in her eyes. They were dark, but not with fury. Those pools of blue lacked their usual glow, as if she was lost in a storm. An instant later, she groaned, her hand flying to her forehead to massage her temples in a clear attempt to alleviate the pain.
“Avril…” I reached out for her, our explosive encounter completely forgotten as my instincts to protect her kicked in. Yet, before I could take a full step in her direction, she raised her other hand to stop me.
“Stay away!” she snarled, panting and grunting as she tried to contain her headache.
What was wrong with her? I wanted to wrap her in my arms and kiss her pain away regardless of how she felt toward me now. However, another part of me was hesitant about ignoring her wishes. I had failed to listen to her for so long.
While I tried to grasp the situation, she continued, “How do you have the mark of an Ashen Wolf?”
I blinked. “What?”
Glancing at my arm, I realized my long-sleeved shirt was torn. It had likely been damaged when I was tossed out of the car onto the forest floor at full speed, revealing some of the intricate tribal pattern that had been branded on my skin when I turned.
Allowing me no time to process what she had said, she threw another illogical question at me. “Why…why do I feel drawn to you? Even more than I used to at… Argh!”
This time, whatever strange headache she was experiencing struck harder. She doubled over, cradling her lowered head with both hands. My chest tightened at the sight, the agony in her voice worse than any wound I’d ever endured. I couldn’t keep my distance anymore. Let her scream at me for going against her orders, let her hate me. I didn’t care. I couldn’t just stand there and watch her suffer.
“Alpha!”
As I was about to move toward her, Theo appeared by her side, promptly helping her stand straight again. His presence brought a shift in the air, grounding yet laced with urgency. Then, his gaze flickered to me, his eyes widening with surprise and relief, but also… concern?
“Koen,” he acknowledged, his voice unreadable.
From that moment on, everything started making even less sense.
After Theo arrived, he convinced Avril to allow me into the territory, and I followed them back toward the town square as a sickly unease curled in my stomach. Honestly, I had considered the possibility that she wouldn’t want me back - hell, I had braced myself for it. Given my last conversation with her uncle before I left, it wouldn’t have surprised me. What actually disturbed me was her motivation. It didn’t seem like she wanted to keep me at a distance because she was angry, but rather because she saw me as a threat.
