Page 12 of Framed and Forgotten (Ashen Wolves #3)

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A V R I L

I was holding on with everything in me to support Koen, but Goddess, nothing had ever tested me like this.

One week after our agreement, two visits had followed.

Both times, I forced a smile to hide the way my stomach twisted as I watched him leave before dawn to only return after dusk.

I was on edge every single minute he was away, paranoia consuming my every thought.

Despite my friends’ efforts to keep me distracted while he was gone, my mind was restless.

There were too many risks to ignore, even for a simple outing.

Koen had a point when he said it would be harder for others to suspect him since he was already a well-known figure in the werewolf world, but that wouldn’t spare him from the witch hunt.

One glance at his mark, and everyone would forget who he used to be.

I worried not only for his safety, but also my family’s.

He promised me he’d be careful not to reveal his real identity. No one at Nerine’s pack asked him about Azure Smoke anyway, and they didn’t seem as curious about us as other packs. But that did little to ease my fears.

What if someone discovered he was visiting Crystal Pond?

They could try to track him back to our lands.

Theo and Elijah, always the logical ones, insisted the chances of that happening were slim, especially with Koen making sure he wasn’t being followed.

Rhea, on the other hand, stayed quiet. But her silence wasn’t indecision.

I knew she felt the same as I did - as long as a chance existed, no matter how small or unlikely, it was still a risk.

Even putting the dangers of exposing our secret aside, I was still uncomfortable about him spending time with Nerine.

When I met her, she gave off nothing but guilt and sympathy.

But looks could be deceiving - I would know, having lied and succeeded a thousand times.

She could be fooling Koen just as I did.

To keep uncertainty from spreading through the pack, I ordered that everything regarding the pup situation remain between me and my team.

If the pack learned that part of him was still tied to the regular wolves, doubts about him would resurface.

Of course, they would eventually notice my mate leaving the territory more often, but that alone shouldn’t raise questions.

Between keeping my insecurities at bay and protecting my mate’s reputation as Alpha Consort, I was a big pile of nerves.

The only moment I would feel a pinch of relief was when he returned home safely, but it never lasted long.

Soon Koen would start talking about how his day with Elias had gone, showering me with pictures of him, and I would be paranoid all over again.

Elias was just a pup. I knew he wasn’t to blame for having a mother who trapped his father. Still, logic often slipped away from me. No matter how hard I tried, whenever I thought about him, all I could see was a threat - to my relationship, to my kind, and to my legacy.

And I must have been losing the strength to hide it, because as my mate was excitedly telling me everything upon returning from yet another visit, he suddenly stopped talking.

The silence slowly pulled me from my thoughts, and I blinked a few times to realize Koen’s face had fallen. “You don’t wanna hear about it,” he concluded.

“No, I do!” I stammered, guilt flooding me. “I’m happy for you, Koen. I mean, I…I want you to enjoy your son. It’s just…” The words trailed off, stuck behind my tongue.

How could I tell him what I was really thinking? That no matter how hard he tried, he could never reconcile his new family with his past life?

When I failed to speak, he did. “It’s okay. I get it.” Despite the sadness in his expression, he tried to show understanding.

“Koen…” I tried, only to come up empty again.

“Don’t worry,” he insisted, more confident this time. A new smile played on his lips, and he reached for my hand, interlacing our fingers. “I promised you our relationship won’t change because of Elias, and I’m a man of my word.”

Koen lifted my hand up to his lips, planting a tender kiss on the back of it. “I know you’ve been stressed lately,” he observed. “Let’s change the subject. We could do something,” he suggested, becoming thoughtful for a moment before coming up with an idea. “Have you had dinner yet?”

Taking his question for an invitation for a date, my lips pursed hesitantly. “We’ve been out more than we should lately,” I whispered. “Last time we went into the city-”

“Who said anything about leaving the territory?” He arched an eyebrow, playfulness gleaming in his expression. Just like that, I felt lighter. “I’m calling a picnic by the water under the stars.”

I couldn’t contain a chuckle. “Romantic,” I teased.

“When am I not?” he replied, laughing.

When he pressed his lips to mine, I once again chose to let it all go.

For the next few days, our lives seemed to have gone back to normal.

Koen wasn’t distracted anymore. He was always with me, helping with whatever I needed, taking initiative whenever a minor problem arose.

If I’d been struggling to picture him ruling the Ashen Wolves by my side lately, his heart clearly torn, I could now see the brilliant king he would be - the kind I used to see when my wolf and I decided to mark him.

Then, on a regular evening, he disappeared with Theo and Elijah while I was talking to Rhea, and he never returned.

I wondered where he could have gone, especially when I found my beta and gamma hanging around the town square without him.

Upon asking them, they said they thought he was heading back into the packhouse, but he wasn’t there.

When I mindlinked him, I was met with a block.

Despite finding it weird, I tried not to let my doubts get the best of me. Instead, I decided to look for him.

Could he be at the waterfall? As unusual as it would be for him to go there alone, I struggled to think where else he could be.

On my way there, a muffled thud coming from the training grounds as I passed by caught my attention.

The arena was normally empty after morning training, but it seemed someone was there.

As I stepped inside, the low murmur of voices rising and falling in-between the sound of sparring wolves confirmed my suspicions.

Turning around the corner, I finally found him.

And he wasn’t alone - Ruac was standing in front of him in animal form.

They didn’t seem to notice my presence, too focused on whatever they were doing.

Curious, I stopped to watch them in silence.

Koen’s stance was open, non-threatening, his voice low but firm.

He didn’t seem to be talking down to the boy - he was guiding him, patiently explaining something.

The young wolf shifted his weight, unsure of something my mate had said, but Koen only nodded, encouraging him to try again.

I could see the change in Ruac’s posture as he relaxed, his shoulders loosening as he took in Koen’s words.

It looked like Ruac was working on his camouflage.

Blending with the shadows was something that came naturally to most Ashen Wolves, but I noticed he had been having difficulty with his skills during training.

I didn’t think much of it, sure he would grow accustomed to his newly-discovered powers as he adjusted to the changes in his life.

But it must have been bothering him more than I noticed if he was practicing past training hours.

Having just arrived, I caught Koen’s instructions in the middle. Still, he must have offered incredibly helpful insight because, for the first time, I watched Ruac become almost invisible as he moved along the cloud of smoke.

Finally, after a few more words, Koen praised, “That was flawless.” He grinned, his eyes warm with encouragement. “Now, don’t overexert yourself. Repetition is key, but I say you should stop on a good note today. You’ll be even better tomorrow at training,” he finished.

The wolf nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he shifted back into his human form to say, “Thank you, Koen.”

The sight stirred something in me. It was something I hadn’t witnessed since I was at Whispering Hills, before Koen learned the truth about who I was. He only showed this soft, caring side to those he was leading - those who needed him to believe in themselves. Koen was great at inspiring others.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself. There was something deeply comforting about seeing him in this light - this quiet role of leader. In these confusing times where uncertainty constantly tugged at my heart, it was the reassurance I needed.

As Ruac put on a robe, he finally spotted me.

Lowering his head, he greeted me, revealing my presence.

Koen turned, noticing me standing there, my gaze locked on him.

As the young wolf excused himself, he took a step toward me, his expression shifting from the warmth he’d shown the boy to something more familiar, more personal.

“Did you need something?” he asked, his voice soft.

I shook my head, a chuckle escaping me. “No,” I said, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the evening air. “I was just looking for you.”

“Sorry.” He grimaced, proceeding to explain, “I was about to go find you when Ruac approached me. Since I got my powers shortly after him, he thought I could understand his struggles better. When he asked for a few tips, I couldn’t refuse him.”

“You don’t have to apologize for assisting a pack member…” I bit my bottom lip. Closing the distance between us, I rested my hands on his chest, concluding, “Alpha Koen.”

His smile grew brighter. He dove in to kiss me gently before countering, “I’m not Alpha Consort yet.”

“True,” I agreed. “Which has me thinking…” With a pause, I looked into his eyes. “It’s about time we pick a date for your ceremony. Maybe this weekend?”

I was disconcerted as I watched his expression change. He averted his gaze hesitantly, and I barely had time to brace for his response. “I think it’d be best if we waited a little longer. You know, until I can figure out how to properly balance my roles as father and alpha consort.”

His explanation made sense - it was the responsible thing to do.

So why, then, was I still stung by that pang of hurt, accompanied by the ever-so-familiar feeling of dread creeping up my spine?

“I was, uh…talking to Nerine,” he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper, as though he regretted speaking at all.

He’d been avoiding any mention of his ex-wife or his son, and the tension in his voice made it clear he had something more to say.

“She’s taking Elias to the amusement park this weekend, and I was planning on tagging along. ”

A surge of conflicting emotions hit me all at once, and before I could stop it, the words escaped in a sharp burst, “You what?!”