Page 8 of Framed and Forgotten (Ashen Wolves #3)

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K O E N

When I first found out about the possibility of being the father of Nerine’s pup, I was devastated.

Our relationship hadn’t ended well, and I had to admit the mere thought of her made me sick.

The first thing I was displeased about was having to reconnect with her, which would be inevitable if her claim was true.

Then, the test results came in, and reality as I knew it was shattered.

It was a lot to take in, especially considering my bitterness toward my ex-wife.

But the feeling soon became insignificant in face of everything else.

Initially, I couldn’t say I was happy as most men would be upon receiving the news.

Still, I knew I had to take responsibility.

The longer I thought about it, the more I started feeling like this was something I had to do.

I had a son, blood of my blood, and I hadn’t been there for him for the almost three years of his life.

Along with guilt, came fear. What if Elias resented me for my absence?

What if he’d rather continue to live without me?

Of course, I’d still support him financially, and in any other way I could.

To be honest, it would have been easier.

But the idea of being rejected by my one and only pup destroyed me.

And if he did want me, could I be the father he needed? I had no time to come to terms with the news. Becoming a parent should be a gradual process, but obviously, I had some catching up to do. How patient would he be with me? What if all I did was fail him again?

In the end, it turned out that meeting the son I never knew I had wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

Elias was innocent and accepting. He never asked why I wasn’t around, content with enjoying the fact that I finally came looking for him.

During our walk, he told me his mother insisted I didn’t exist, and that she kept my real identity from him.

However, not long ago, he had found a picture of me and her while he was going through her things, and he knew that I had to be his dad.

Hector confirmed everything little Elias said, adding that his niece kept her mouth shut no matter what her father threatened her with.

Even when he decided to disown her, she refused to say a word.

Because of her reluctance, they assumed she’d had a one night stand with a low ranking male; perhaps a packless wolf, or even a human.

I had to admit I was shocked by their revelation.

The Nerine I knew was obsessed with making me fall for her.

Even as I threw her out of my room, marching to sign the end of our contracted marriage, she pleaded for me to give her another chance.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have put it past her to use the pregnancy to trap me.

Yet, she did the exact opposite.

My ex-wife must have truly matured after our divorce, which made me feel a little more relaxed around her. Staying true to what her son and uncle told me, she never tried to make a move on me during our reunion. She seemed truly glad that I was willing - and eager - to meet Elias, but that was all.

I wondered if Avril had the same impression.

“Yeah,” my mate said, her gaze lowered and her voice subdued as we drove back home. She almost sounded disappointed as she added, “She was nice to me, too. Quite different from how I remembered her.”

Avril was quiet for a moment before lifting her head to shoot me a questioning look. “But isn’t it all a little weird? I mean, who changes so drastically in such a short time?”

“Well,” I began, a small smirk tugging at my lips as I flashed her a quick glance. “You changed quite a bit in just five years.”

A frown crossed her face. “This is different,” she countered sharply, completely missing the humor in my tone.

Although a little taken aback by her seriousness, I matched it, softening my voice in an attempt to comfort her. “We’ll keep our eyes open until we’re sure,” I offered, resting my hand on her thigh and caressing her reassuringly. She responded with a curt nod.

After a moment of silence, her voice filled the car again. “And you?”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion without shifting my focus from the road. “What about me?”

“How are you feeling?” she asked rather shyly. “About…you know. This whole thing.” She shrugged.

I sighed. “It’s a lot, for sure.”

A part of me had always wanted a son, but the feeling never developed into something bigger. The only woman I would ever love was Avril - until she came back to me, I hadn’t pictured myself as a father. Even after we got together, there was so much happening I didn’t have time to think about pups.

The situation was far from ideal, but it couldn’t be changed. Elias wasn’t at fault for who his mother was, and I would treat him as my son regardless, because that’s what he was. Instead of taking the news as the past coming back to haunt me, I would do my best to cherish it and embrace it.

A little more confident, I continued, “The chance of interacting with Elias sure made it much easier to digest. When I look at him, I…I just can’t deny it.”

Avril didn’t say another word, simply turning to look outside her window. I found her reaction strange, but I assumed she must have been tired. It was a long day, and we still had a few hours on the road before we could rest.

Just like every other night, I fell asleep with Avril in my arms. But when I woke up the next morning, she wasn’t in bed with me anymore. In fact, she wasn’t even in our room.

I jolted upright. A quick sniff told me she must have been gone for a while - her scent wasn’t as strong as it should have been.

Glancing at the clock on the bedside table, I realized it had just turned eight.

Where could she have gone so early, leaving before sunrise? And why hadn’t she come back yet?

Worry settled in, but I tried my best to stay calm. Avril had to be within pack territory, meaning she was safe. Throwing on the first clothes I could find, I set off to find her.

When I couldn’t find her in the packhouse or around the mostly empty town square, I rushed to the waterfall.

Her scent lingered in the area, as if she’d been here and I’d just missed her.

I considered mindlinking Theo or Elijah, but I didn’t want to disturb their day off.

Chances were they wouldn’t know where their alpha was anyway, and the news of her disappearance would likely alarm them.

Instead, I let my wolf out. In animal form, we could track our mate with more precision. Though I had to admit I doubted Columbus’ nose as he plunged deeper into the forest, stopping in the middle of nowhere. He spun around, trying to find Avril, but there was no sight of her.

“She’s here,” Col insisted.

One deep breath, and her scent surrounded us, making Col’s words undeniable. Since she was nowhere to be seen, I could only assume she was in wolf form, using her powers to hide her presence. She knew we were here, looking for her - and she didn’t want to be found.

Shifting back into my human form, I announced, “I know you’re here, Avril. You can hide from everyone else, but not me.”

There was no response. All I could hear were the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. I was ready to call for her again, unable to comprehend her cat and mouse game. But then, she fell from the sky right in front of me, her nakedness confirming my suspicions.

A hint of relief washed over me, only to be quickly replaced by confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I was…running,” she offered.

I huffed in disbelief. “In the treetops?”

“Parkour training,” she corrected. “It’s part of the new strategy I’m developing.”

“We both know there’s no new strategy. It was always an excuse,” I accused her, anxious to get to the bottom of this.

“Okay, fine!” She raised her hands defensively before revealing, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“I didn’t notice,” I confessed, cocking my head. “I was so tired I just passed out. Why couldn’t you sleep?”

She shrugged. “Silly nightmare.”

There wasn’t an ounce of truth in her words.

“It’s nothing, Koen. I’m sorry I made you worry,” she blurted out, trying to brush me off.

But I didn’t buy it. Concerned about her evasive behavior, I approached her. She tried to avert her gaze, but I cupped one side of her face, bringing her eyes back to mine.

“Talk to me, Avril,” I whispered. “Please.”

Her face fell, the tough exterior she showed the world crumbling before my eyes.

She was never this vulnerable, not around anyone else.

With others, she stayed guarded, never letting herself be caught in a moment of weakness.

But with me… she let her walls down. She revealed a side of herself she feared to share with anyone else.

She wasn’t afraid to stand bare - quite literally - in front of me, with nothing to hide.

It was a privilege to witness her like this, though I couldn’t say it brought me any comfort.

In the end, she sighed in defeat. “You were so happy with Elias yesterday. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you with him, and I couldn’t help but wonder…” Her voice faltered, the pain making it hard to continue, but she pushed on. “Now that you know he’s your son, what does that mean for us?”

Her words struck me like a knife to the heart. Finally, it dawned on me - her quietness on the ride home…it wasn’t tiredness. It was uncertainty - insecurity .

“Oh, Avril…” I couldn’t hide the guilt in my voice as I pulled her into my arms, hoping the gesture could convey everything I hadn’t been able to in the past few days. “I’m sorry. I was so focused on this huge revelation-”

“As you should be,” she interrupted, pulling away just enough to meet my gaze. “It’s a pretty big deal, and it changes a lot.”

“It doesn’t change what you mean to me - what you are to me,” I said with more confidence than I’d ever had in my life. “My mate. I can’t believe I forgot to consider your feelings in all of this. I’m sorry I made you think that me having a son could drive us apart.

“You will always be my priority. I’m your mate, and I’ll soon be your king,” I promised her, watching her features soften as I chased away her doubts. “We’ve been through so much. Nothing - not this, nor anything else - will ever change what I feel for you.”

A sense of relief washed over her, her shoulders relaxing as her gaze softened with love. The tension in her body melted away, and for the first time in days, she looked at me with unwavering confidence. She knew, in that moment, that regardless of what happened, I wouldn’t leave her.

“I’m yours. Forever. ” I lowered my hands to her neck, gently angling her head to give me better access to her mouth. I brushed my lips against hers, letting my next words glide against her skin. “Allow me to remind you of that.”