Page 18 of Framed and Forgotten (Ashen Wolves #3)

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A V R I L

I wished I could say I went straight to bed after finishing the documents, but even with that pressure off my shoulders, sleep eluded me.

In fact, I could hardly rest for the next week, tormented by the fear of failing to convince the Council.

My family's future depended on the outcome of this issue.

Anxious, I had sent Theo to Whispering Hills twice, only for him to return empty-handed both times.

It wasn’t surprising. Considering the fuss they had made about learning the background of every member of my pack, I was sure they would scrutinize the information.

A lack of response from them until now didn’t necessarily mean something was wrong, but my stomach still turned at the possibility.

How long could I wait before assuming they were coming for us?

To make matters worse, the Council wasn’t my only concern.

Things between Koen and I had been awkward since the pups conversation.

While he remained by my side, I no longer felt his support the way I once had - it was as if his body was there but he wasn’t really present, his mind elsewhere entirely.

He felt more distant, and I couldn’t tell if it was just him or if I was the one pulling away.

I constantly found myself wondering what was going on. The situation we faced was by no means easy to traverse, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was taking a much heavier toll on our relationship than it should have.

Koen had left the territory to spend the day with his son three times while we waited to hear back from the Elders, and every time he returned from being around Nerine, he acted stranger than the last time.

I couldn’t quite pinpoint why I felt that way, but I was beginning to believe it wasn’t just my own insecurities anymore.

Even Kea had changed her perspective - once adamant that we should make a sacrifice and stand by our mate, she now shared the same uneasy feeling in her gut.

More often than not, I wanted to insist on the issue, but then I’d remember that all my recent attempts at talking to him had accomplished little.

And when he walked into my office after another day out, with that look on his face - the one I had recently learned to dread - a cold chill ran down my spine.

“Hey,” he whispered with a forced smile.

“You’re back early,” I observed, lacking the energy to mimic his gesture.

“Yeah.” When he averted his gaze, as if he was trying to hide something, my heart tightened. “Do we have any news about the Council?” he asked, a clear attempt to change the subject.

“No. I’ll send Theo to check for a response again tomorrow,” I let him know, and he nodded as he took a seat in front of me across the desk. Silence followed.

I couldn’t take this anymore.

Whether it was sadness, anguish, or anger, something gave me the courage to finally say, “Koen, I…I need to talk to you.”

“Wait, Avril.” He stretched his arm over the desk, reaching for my hand. “There’s something I have to tell you first.”

Koen barely touched me lately, and when he did, it always felt…empty. His gentle fingers now seemed nothing but careful. The sparks that usually ignited with his contact weren't as strong. In fact, our very bond felt strained.

Unable to find my voice as apprehension gripped me, I listened as he spoke, “Every year, Nerine’s family travels from around the country and gathers in her pack for a reunion. Her aunts, sisters, and their mates will be there with their pups - Elias’ cousins.”

I arched an eyebrow, not entirely sure of where he was going with this. For better or worse, he did me the favor of clarifying, “Nerine said Elias always feels like the odd one out because all of his cousins have mothers and fathers, while he…” He paused, looking disappointed. “I was never there.”

“And?” My heart raced as I started to put the pieces together, but I still needed to hear him say it to my face.

“And this year, I want to be there for him.”

As disbelief surged from within, I kept it beneath my throat along with my rising anger, though I couldn’t prevent my jaw from clenching. “You want to spend an entire week sleeping under the same roof as Nerine?”

“It’s not like I’m sharing her bed, Avril,” he countered defensively.

That made me lose my temper.

“Not the point, Koen!” I yelled. “Are you seriously leaving me again? What if the Council replies and we face more problems?” I was pissed I even had to point it out.

“Or worse - what if we never hear back from them, and we have to prepare for the possibility that they might have found something they shouldn’t? ”

“Then, you let me know, and I’ll come back.” He shrugged as if it were that simple. “It’s not like me being here will make a difference until it’s time to act.”

“It does make a difference!” I argued. “You could stay and be here for me. For our pack!”

He sighed. “Please, Avril, try to understand-”

“I am trying! That’s all I’ve done lately!” I shouted back, offended. I rose from my seat as my irritation grew too large to contain. “I’ve been nothing but understanding, yet all I’ve gotten in return is an absurd change in behavior from you!”

After the burst of rage, my armor cracked, and I faltered. A glimpse of my hurt shined through as I asked him, “What’s going on, Koen?”

“Nothing’s going on!” he insisted, rising from his seat to pace around. I watched as he ran both hands through his hair in distress before heaving a sigh. “We’ll talk when I get back, okay?”

Kea whimpered, realizing he had already made up his mind. He had made a choice - and once again, he didn’t pick us. I was getting tired of waiting for my turn.

“You’re really going?” I half-dreaded, half-warned.

His eyes darted at me, decisive. “Yes, Avril.”

Before I had time to process the situation, he turned his back on me, slamming the door behind him as he disappeared from my office. By the time a rogue tear burned its way down my face, he was no longer there to witness it.

K O E N

For the first time in ages, Avril and I slept in separate rooms.

I’d packed my bag for the week away as soon as I left her office before heading to the old cottage that had been my home for my first weeks at Azure Smoke.

The place brought back memories that didn’t help calm the whirlwind in my mind, but it was better than being near my Avril.

I couldn’t think straight in her presence lately.

Col kept me up at night, giving me a headache as he whined about wanting to fix things with our mate before leaving to be with our son. Unfortunately, I had no idea what I could say to achieve such a result. I couldn’t seem to get things through to her lately.

Just like my wolf, I could feel her heartache through the mate bond. It pained me to be the one who’d caused it, but what was I supposed to do? She couldn’t understand my duties as a father - perhaps because she didn’t want to be a mother, as Nerine suggested.

Despite my efforts, Avril still couldn’t understand me.

“Maybe we haven’t tried hard enough,” Col offered. “We’ve hurt her. She’s losing faith in us. Mate doesn’t trust us anymore,” he lamented. The realization stung, but not nearly as much as it would have a while ago.

“Mate should be our priority,” he added.

“No, Col! Elias has to be our priority!” I corrected. “Avril is an adult. She shouldn’t be competing for attention with a child.”

“It’s because of us that she has to compete for it,” he insisted. “It shouldn’t be something she has to fight for. We’ve done her so wrong,” he whimpered. “Mate deserves better.”

Did he really think I was in the wrong for wanting to be the best father for our pup? Great. Now I couldn’t even see eye to eye with my own counterpart.

Why was everything such a mess these days?

Before sunrise, I dragged my things to the car.

Luckily, most of the pack members were still asleep, so I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone.

Still, surrendering to my wolf’s wishes, I made one last stop by the alpha chambers.

Avril was awake, and I know she heard me when I emphasized that if she needed me, all she had to do was call.

But she still didn’t answer me, not even when I bid her farewell.

As much as it hurt me to leave her like this, the idea of failing my son again was far worse.

Just as I was about to open the car door, a voice sounded from behind me, startling me. “You know, you almost had me fooled.”

Looking over my shoulder, I found Joe standing a few feet away from me, arms crossed in front of his chest. Even after living among Ashen Wolves for a while now, and even becoming one of them, I was still taken by surprise every time they managed to sneak up on me.

It was an ability I hadn’t completely mastered yet, obvious in how my escape wouldn’t be unnoticed as I’d hoped.

Stepping toward me, the man continued, “On the night we attacked Blood Rose, I was impressed. A regular wolf, fighting tooth and nail to protect one of ours? Quite the show of loyalty.” He clapped a few times in mocking congratulations, making the hairs on the back of my neck bristle.

“Then you turned, and I actually believed it was the last piece of evidence I needed to admit you might just be worthy of my niece. But here you are, showing your true colors.”

Stopping in front of me, he stared at me challengingly, eyes narrowed as he accused, “Like I said, one minor inconvenience and you’re ready to leave her again.”

“I’m not leaving her,” I said through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to growl at him. “But I don’t want to leave my son fatherless, either.”

Joe scoffed. “You never learn, do you?” He dropped his head, shaking it in disapproval before locking eyes with me again.

“You can’t keep everything. If you refuse to make a choice, one will be made for you.

And when that happens, it’ll be too late to regret it,” he spat.

“This is the only piece of advice I’ll ever give you.

Turn your back on her now, and you might as well never show your face here again. ”

Already tired of this conversation, I massaged my temple. “Perhaps we’re just too different, Joe.”

“My point exactly,” he deadpanned.

With my patience running thin, I stared back at him. “I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what you say,” I told him before concluding, “I love Avril.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Your actions tell a different story.”

Grinding my teeth, I prepared to argue with him, but I soon realized there was no point in doing so. Every word I said here would only be a waste of time - and I had someone waiting on me.

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.