Page 40 of Framed and Forgotten (Ashen Wolves #3)

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A V R I L

The Sacred Banyan was more than just a symbol.

It was a sentient being, the pillar of our kind and the source of our strength.

A spiritual guide who showed us the path toward more than just survival.

It warned us of dangers, led us to lost fledglings, and protected us from the world who despised us.

If anything could help us find our way through the darkness, it was this tree.

While we usually only listened to the Banyan’s signs, it could also hear our prayers. I was sure it would give me a clue, offer me some clarity. And so, I connected with it, letting my question echo.

The visions of the Banyan were never entirely explicit.

They were meant to be interpreted. Though communicating with it had always come naturally to me, after years, I had mastered the ability to decipher the leads it laid out for me.

I emptied my thoughts, attuned myself to the ancient energy running through the tree, and waited.

In my mind, I traveled. Through dense forests and over snow-laced mountains, the journey felt endless - until a distant light shone beyond the peaks. Then, just as clarity seemed within reach, the vision shattered.

A cacophony of voices yanked me back to the present.

“What the hell...?” I muttered, my head snapping toward the sound.

Narrowing my eyes, I noticed pack members organized around a circle. Two blurry figures moved in the center - one standing, one crumpled on the ground. I couldn’t make out exactly what they were doing, until I realized the grass around them was unnaturally scarlet.

And my heart jumped.

Kea’s ears perked up, bristling with alertness, and I was already moving. Faster than ever, I crossed the town square in a blink, weaving through the crowd to reach my target.

I didn’t think, launching forward and yanking my uncle off Koen with so much force I nearly fell.

Pain rippled through my healing body, but I didn’t care.

My eyes locked on my mate’s broken form.

After making sure he was still breathing, all I could feel was rage as I turned toward my only living relative.

Suddenly, the idea of being the last one left in my bloodline didn’t seem so bad.

Kea went berserk inside my head, ready to tear Joe apart.

She would have, had I not contained her, though I kind of wished I hadn’t.

A savage part of me wanted to watch it unfold, just so I could make an example of him.

To show the pack what would happen to anyone who dared lay a hand on my mate. But the leader in me prevailed. Barely.

I snarled, my voice a low growl that silenced the entire square. “Isn’t it enough that werewolf society is out to get us? How the hell do you expect us to survive if we’re tearing each other apart from the inside?”

“He’s not one of us,” Joe barked. “He never will be!”

In a flash, I was on him, gripping his collar and hauling him to his feet. “He is one of us,” I corrected, Kea’s voice mixing with my own as the blatant disrespect toward our mate made us see red.

“Can’t you see it, Avril?” Joe choked out, still trying to justify himself. “You brought the enemy straight into our den. If I were still Alpha-”

“That’s exactly it, Joe,” I cut him off, my tone sharp as a blade. “You’re not Alpha anymore. I am.” For the first time, I saw the fight drain from his face.

My aura exploded outward, cracking like thunder as Kea crawled beneath my skin. “That means I make the rules,” I reminded him. “And you fucking follow them!”

With that, I released him, and he dropped to the ground. Just as I turned my back to him, I heard his voice echo in my head. “Avril, I just want to-”

I halted. “Help me?” I finished for him, letting the words echo before adding, “You know what would help, Uncle Joe? If you didn’t challenge my authority in the middle of a damn crisis! It’s all fucking falling apart already! Beating on Koen isn’t going to change that.”

After I cut our connection, I didn’t hear any more from him.

I didn’t need to look over my shoulder to feel him lower his head, submitting to me as I’d commanded.

Under different circumstances, I wouldn’t have been this lenient, but I had too much on my plate already and way more important things to worry about.

Once the situation was under control, my attention immediately returned to Koen.

Gratitude filled me as I noticed that my friends were already with him, helping him get back up, and I showed it with a subtle nod.

I wanted to rush over to my mate, but for now, knowing he was no longer in danger had to suffice.

I turned to my pack, recognizing what I had to do.

“Since we’re all here already, I might as well tell you now,” I began.

No ceremony, no politics. We lacked the time for it.

“Our existence has been discovered,” I announced.

“In two days, we leave our haven and head north, toward the ancient vale of the Lycans,” I declared, revealing the location the Banyan had just pointed at.

Shocked gasps exploded, followed by questions I’d been expecting.

“Leave?” someone echoed in disbelief.

“What if they destroy the sanctuary?” another asked, fear in their voice.

“We’ll lose our power again!” a man called out.

“No, we won’t,” I assured them, firm and resolute. “Our power was restored when the ashes were returned to these lands. It flows through our rivers. It feeds the soil beneath our feet. No one can take that from us again.”

Silence fell. A heavy, tense silence. It was on me to steady them.

“I know you have doubts,” I acknowledged, my voice steady. “I won’t lie and pretend I have all the answers,” I added honestly. “But I promise to guide you until my dying breath.” With a short breath, I drew in the weight of the moment and bellowed, “Are you with me, Ashen Wolves?”

Their answer wasn’t immediate, but when it came, it evoked nothing but sheer loyalty. “Yes, Alpha!”

K O E N

This time, I couldn’t avoid the trip to the hospital.

I didn’t fight it - not with Avril gripping my hand like I would disappear if she let go.

Theo, Elijah, and Rhea insisted on accompanying us, circling like guards around their injured king.

There was an intensity in their silence that told me I must’ve looked worse than I felt. And I felt awful .

By the time the nurses had taken care of my wounds, our friends offered us soft smiles and quietly slipped out, leaving us in the sterile hush of the infirmary room.

Avril sat beside me, one leg tucked beneath her, her hand still tangled with mine.

I stared at our intertwined fingers for a long moment before speaking.

“I’m sorry,” I uttered guiltily. “For creating yet another mess.”

Avril didn’t flinch. “It wasn’t you. It was Joe,” she said. Her voice was steady, something flickered in her eyes, like a deep fear was settling in her.

I was about to ask when she spoke again, softly this time. “Koen, I…I love you.”

Every other time she’d professed those three words, my heart soared with joy. Col would always purr like a kitten - but not this time. Instead, he lowered his ears. There was something off about her tone.

I squeezed her hand gently, offering what little comfort I could. “I know.”

She shook her head.

“No,” she whispered. “I love you…more than I love my own family. More than words could ever explain. Hell, I can’t even understand it.” She massaged her temples, as if thinking about it was frustrating. “That’s how much I love you.”

I tilted my head, heart thudding a little harder. This wasn’t just a confession - she was preparing me for something. Something I was sure I wouldn’t like.

“They don’t know about you,” she continued. “The rest of the world. The others. You could go back, Koen. Stay safe. Get out before the fight starts.”

There it was.

Her suggestion alone made my stomach twist. My wolf howled and whimpered in protest, both hurt and offended. I sat up straighter, wincing through the pain, and looked her dead in the eyes.

“I’m not leaving you, Avril. Never again.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but I didn’t let her as I went on, “I’m one of you now, but even if I wasn’t - even if I were still just a regular wolf - I’d stay.

Even if I stood no chance of surviving this war.

I’d still be here. I’m not afraid of falling by your side; it’s the thought of living in a world where I did nothing to save you.

” I paused, sucking in a breath before concluding, “Through heaven or hell, I’ll fight by your side. ”

Her lips trembled, but this time it was from something lighter - hope, or relief. Maybe even awe. And once she realized she wasn’t getting rid of me, she tried to lighten the mood, for things had been too heavy lately.

“Is that a proposal?” she teased.

A chuckle broke through my lips. “For now, just a vow. But one day, when all of this is over…” I contemplated. “It will be.”

She didn’t say anything, simply leaning in and pressing her forehead to mine, like she was trying to memorize my scent, my breath - this exact second in time before everything went to hell again. I shut my eyes, letting her calm the storm inside my chest, my shame, my regret.

So much had happened since we crashed into each other’s lives again months ago. I’d lost everything - my title, my pack, my bloodline. Who I thought I was. And yet, somehow, at the end of it all, I’d found her. And through it all, we stayed the same.

The future ahead of us was uncertain. War loomed, shadows stirred, and nothing was guaranteed. Except for one thing.

I would never leave Avril again.

Not in this life.

Not in any life after.