Page 9 of Framed and Forgotten (Ashen Wolves #3)

____________________

A V R I L

I’d gotten used to being around Koen’s bare body.

Though the sight never lost its shine, it no longer felt as overwhelming.

I didn’t feel the urge to pounce on him every time he undressed.

Similarly, I’d grown comfortable with being naked around him.

So much so, I barely noticed that we’d been completely bare this whole time.

That is, until he moved. With a swift, effortless motion, he flipped me in his arms, and I felt the undeniable press of his already-hard cock against my lower back. My breath caught, heat flaring as that casual comfort dissolved into a searing awareness of his presence.

Koen’s fingers moved my hair out of his way, his lips dipping to the mark at the base of my neck, ripping a gasp of surprise from me.

Before I could recover, his hand traveled further down, grasping one of my breasts.

I arched my back against his rock-hard chest, but his other arm locked me at the waist, keeping my body on his.

Conscious of my vulnerability, I instinctively struggled to take control, only to freeze as he tightened his hold on me, locking me in place.

“Not today, Alpha,” he whispered in my ear, the warmth of his breath taking over my entire being.

“This time, you’ll let me worship you for what you are - my Queen. ”

I could fight him. Normally, I would. But did I really want to right now? Even Kea lacked the drive to complain. All she did was purr, desire pulsing through us as we found ourselves eager to uncover exactly what he meant. And so, I surrendered.

Feeling me relax in his embrace, Koen scooped me into his muscular arms. As he did, his lips found mine, kissing me with the same mix of passion and desire as the first time.

Carefully, he lowered me onto my back on the grass, pushing my legs apart to kneel between them.

Without breaking our kiss, he ground his cock between my folds teasingly before pushing inside me.

Goddess, I would never get enough of this feeling - of him.

I let my head fall back, pulling my mouth away from his as I concentrated solely on the way he stretched me inch by inch.

Wasting no time, he seized the opportunity to trail kisses down my chest, his fingers alternating between massaging my breasts and playing with my stiff nipples.

“You’re the only one, Avril,” he breathed out in between kisses as his length filled me to the brim, only to slowly retreat, leaving me empty and craving.

“No one else…”

Thrust.

“Will ever…”

Thrust.

“Have me…”

Thrust.

“Only you.”

When he plunged into me again, I yelped, “Ah!”

The pleasure was too much, his leisurely pace killing me slowly.

I was on the edge, but he refused to let me reach the peak, the pressure in my stomach building up to the point where I thought I’d implode.

Desperate for release, I rocked my hips against him, trying to pick up the pace.

That was when I felt his fist around my neck - hard enough to steal my attention, but tender and careful enough not to cut my airway.

Still deep inside me, Koen commanded, “Look at me, Avril.” My eyes burst open to find him staring intently at me, nothing but the utmost devotion shining in those bright emeralds.

“You’re the pulse of my life,” he murmured, lowering himself onto me, his cock reaching even deeper - I swore he’d tear me in half, and the feeling was maddening. “I will never leave you, Avril, unless you wish me to.”

“I won’t ever wish that,” I replied urgently, without a second thought.

“Then I’ll stay forever,” he reassured me. “And it’ll be a pleasure to be the everlasting flicker to your flame.”

As he crashed his mouth onto mine, he started pummeling me again, increasing his speed with each thrust. Assaulted by his tongue and his dick overwhelmingly, I was sent over the edge in a matter of seconds.

When I finally came undone with a loud moan, I clung to his body, but Koen took no pity.

He rammed into me relentlessly, extending my climax as he searched for his own.

Every time his enlarged cock rasped against my sensitive core, a new wave of mind-blowing ecstasy surged through me.

The growing sound of his roar filled the forest as he released inside of me, his hot seed enveloping my walls.

After a moment, I felt Koen remove himself, but I was still too engrossed in my slowly-decreasing high to actually acknowledge it. My senses only started coming back to me when I felt something strangely wet and cold between my legs. When I realized what it was, I quickly jolted up.

My eyes spotted Columbus, now transformed in front of me, at the same time my hand wrapped around his muzzle, keeping his nose away from my pussy.

The huge gray wolf didn’t fight me, but he didn’t back away either, his intentions shockingly clear.

A smirk played on his face as his eyes sparkled with malice.

“Not in this form,” I warned him, though my voice didn’t come out as firm as I intended.

A soft whimper escaped the beast as Col's voice echoed in my mind.

“But I want to pledge my loyalty to you, too, mate.” His gaze was unnervingly penetrating as he whispered, “I can be as gentle…” He lowered his face, crouching to the ground.

“Or as rough…” Shaking his head to dislodge my hand, he concluded, “As you want me to be.”

Suddenly, it sounded like too good of a proposal to pass up - and I was sure Kea would want to have her fun as well.

A couple more rounds later, Koen and I lay on the grass in the middle of the forest. Drained from all the action, we relished the lingering waves of pleasure, spooning peacefully as we caught our breaths.

I could fall asleep, finally at peace, as my mate covered my skin with long, delicious kisses.

Damn, being spoiled really did feel amazing.

Still, I’d rather not drift off out here in the open, where any pack member could stumble upon us.

It’d been risky enough - though undeniably enticing - mating in the middle of the woods surrounding the heart of our territory.

“We should go,” I told him.

“We should,” Koen agreed, but not for the reason I expected. “I still have plans for today.”

I frowned, despite not being bothered enough to roll over to look at him. “You do?”

“Mm-hmm,” he muttered, still nibbling at my skin. “I want to take you on a date,” he revealed, to my surprise. “It’s been a while since we’ve been on a proper one.

“We shouldn’t leave pack grounds,” I regretted saying. “With the council on our tails-”

“No one will notice us,” he insisted. “Just let me wine and dine you.”

I chuckled, teasing, “I thought you didn’t drink.

I could feel his smile even without facing him as he countered, “I suppose I could be convinced…under the right circumstances.”

“And what would those be?” I asked playfully.

“Guess we’ll see,” he replied nonchalantly. At last, he shifted from his spot, and before I knew it, he was up on his feet, offering his hand to help me stand. “Let’s go before everyone starts wondering about us.”

“Oh, I think they already know what we’ve been up to.” I laughed.

For the rest of the day, the problems we had completely slipped my mind, seemingly not as significant anymore.

After lunch, we enjoyed a relaxing evening with our friends, returning to the alpha suite just before sundown to prepare for our date.

Koen refused to tell me where we were going, and while I pretended to be irritated, I couldn’t help but feel the mystery heighten my excitement.

When we were ready, we made our way to the car, where my mate stuck to his plan of keeping me in the dark.

Through mindlink, he instructed the driver on our destination.

As we drove through the winding roads, the city lights slowly came into view.

Soon enough, we were stopping in front of a tall building flanked by grand stone pillars.

Koen got out first, then came around to open my door. As I stepped out, I couldn’t help but glance up at the impressive structure before me. “Where are we?” I asked, my voice thick with curiosity.

“A place I thought you’d enjoy,” Koen replied, his eyes gleaming with something both playful and proud. He took my hand and led me toward the entrance, where a doorman greeted us with a polite nod.

As we walked past him, my mate mumbled, “They might have stripped me of everything, but they couldn’t interfere with my memberships.”

“I figured this was an alpha-status venue,” I observed, glancing around to take in the minimalist decor, the polished marble floors, and the beautiful crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Koen guided me to an elevator, where he pressed the button for the top floor. The world seemed to vanish, and for a moment, it was just the two of us. When the doors opened, we stepped into an open-air terrace that overlooked the entire city. The view was breathtaking.

Koen turned to me with that familiar, intense gaze. “I wanted to take you somewhere you could truly relax. Somewhere that was just for us.”

I was speechless for a moment, overwhelmed by the beauty of the place and the thoughtfulness of his gesture. “Koen, this is… this is amazing.”

He smiled softly, then gently took my hand and led me to the table.

As we sat, the waiter appeared silently to serve our dinner - delicate dishes that were as beautiful as they were delicious.

Staying true to his promise, Koen also made sure to get us the best wine, and I indulged in the rare pleasure of savoring a quality drink.

Once we were finished, Koen stood up. I took his hand, allowing him to guide me into the center of the terrace.

The music had shifted into something slower, more intimate.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, and we swayed gently, the city lights below us twinkling like diamonds.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I let go of everything - the worries, the uncertainties - and simply focused on him.

Unfortunately, life kept reminding me that I should never let my guard down.

After a perfect evening, Koen and I left the building. We were walking across the street, ready to meet our driver at the corner when I heard someone calling my name.

Goosebumps prickled my skin as I recognized the voice from not too long ago. When I turned, my nightmares materialized - Alpha Orson of the Golden Valley Pack. With a wicked gleam in his eyes, he chanted, bizarrely gleeful, "What are the odds we’d run into each other here tonight?"