Rejected and Regretted (Ashen Wolves #1)

11

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A V R I L

I stood frozen, eyes wide, like a deer in the headlights.

With the three highest-ranking members of the pack gone, there should be no one inside any of the rooms at the upper floors. Yet, here I was, face to face with an older woman - a maid, who was evidently cleaning the beta suite while the second-in-command was out. I should have counted on such a possibility, but I was so eager to find the relic that I failed to consider it.

Now, my mission could really be over - not because I succeeded, but because I failed.

Before I could think, the maid turned around, attentive to the sound of the door being opened. However, when her eyes focused vaguely on me, instead of being consumed by panic, relief washed over me as I realized a crucial detail: she was blind. Another blink later, I finally recognized her as the head of the omegas.

“Oh, my. Did I leave the door open again? My old age is catching up to me,” the maid said, breaking the silence.

Although unable to see, her werewolf senses remained sharp even as the years advanced. She could easily hear and smell me, which was how she had managed to sense me and look in my direction.

Before I could speak, she continued, “You don’t smell like you’re from here.” Taking a step in my direction, she sniffed the air again, understanding permeating her features. “Ah, I see. You must be one of the visitors from Azure Smoke Pack, correct?”

Of course, she didn’t realize who I was. My scent had changed after I left Whispering Hills. Even if she could see me, I had changed a lot in the past years. I definitely wasn’t anything like the little girl she helped train.

“It’s me, Mildred. Avril,” I revealed, my voice low in an instinctive attempt to not be heard by anyone else.

“Oh, Avril! I recognize your voice now, though it sounds a bit more assertive than I remember,” she mused. It seemed her memory wasn’t faulty either, and she still paid attention to the smallest details. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Good to know you’re okay, dear.” A fond smile, warm like a grandma’s embrace, appeared on her lips. It helped ease my nerves, right before her next question made me tense up again. “Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“Me? I, uh…” I stuttered, trying to buy myself time to blurt out the first excuse I managed to come up with. The perks of sharing your mind with a counterpart, was that there were two heads thinking instead of one, allowing me to quickly answer, “I got confused. In my pack, the cleaning materials are located on the second floor. I wanted to clean my suite, and-”

Just then, the maid waved me off, and I gladly fell silent before I said more than I should. “That’s not what I meant. What are you doing in Whispering Hills? Given how…unfortunate your childhood here was, I’m sure you didn’t come to visit out of nostalgia.”

In a sense, Mildred was the closest thing I had to family. Not that our bond was particularly strong, but I appreciated how she took me under her wing, like she did with many other of the younger omegas. She was like a second mother to all of us - or, in my case, the only motherly figure I ever knew.

And she knew what I went through. Whenever I was picked on, or unjustly punished, she would prepare me some hot chocolate and hold me in her arms until I stopped crying. I never needed to tell her I hated living here; she knew I only stayed because I had nowhere else to go. That’s why my return came as a shock to her.

“I’m a representative of Azure Pack. I’m here to negotiate a deal with Alpha Koen,” I answered at last, repeating the same lie I had been telling everyone. Then, I remembered the situation I found myself in, and that I desperately had to fix it. “By the way, Mildred, would it be possible for you to not mention my…mistake, to him?”

“Don’t worry, my dear. I’ve never been one to gossip, and I’m surely too old to start now.” She chuckled. “Either way, even if pack members aren’t allowed here, I’m sure Alpha Koen would’ve understood, as you aren’t familiar with our rules anymore.” Her grin grew brighter as she chanted, “He’s such a sweet boy, our alpha!”

I arched an eyebrow at her, my confusion so loud I couldn’t keep it in. “He is?” I asked, bewilderment heavy in these simple two words.

“Most definitely!” she promptly replied cheerfully. “He makes sure all of us, omegas, are treated kindly. We only work four hours a day, because he insists we should get plenty of rest.”

I was dumbfounded. Although I’d heard her statement, I struggled to process it. Feeling the need to say something, I whispered, “That’s…great,” and honestly shocking.

Mildred clearly recognized the disbelief in my voice, as she admitted, “I’m sure you’re surprised. I wish you had stayed longer to witness the changes Alpha Koen implemented after his father stepped down. You could have led a decent life here, as we all do now.” After a brief pause, she added, “The young alpha’s nothing like his old man, you know.”

In the end, I sighed, letting a small smile shine through. “I’m glad to hear,” I told her sincerely. Whatever intentions Koen had, it was good to know old Mildred was living a better life.

“Well, that’s enough about me. You know when I start talking, I don’t stop!” she said lightheartedly. “Since I’m done cleaning the beta’s room, how about I prepare you some tea? You can tell me more about how you’ve been doing.”

“Sure,” I agreed, not just eager to get away from here before anyone else saw me, but truly looking forward to spending more time with an old friend - possibly the only friend I had here.

Just as she walked past me to take the lead, she paused as if recalling something. “Oh! And don’t worry about your room. You’re a guest here. I’ll ask one of the other omegas to clean it while we catch up.”

Needless to say, Theo and Elijah were confused to see me climb down the stairs in the maid’s company. While she left to heat the water and set a table for us in the kitchen, I explained to them about how I had run into her. They didn’t seem upset with me for coming back empty-handed, not even when I told them that I hadn’t seen the artifact anywhere around the second floor. Well, at least now we knew it had to be on the top floor.

Despite my obvious frustration over my failure, I tried not to dwell on it too much. Another opportunity to search without Koen and his beta near pack territory might not be readily available, but I could resume my efforts in a week. Today, they were preoccupied with a business meeting, but there was no reason they wouldn't lead the hunt next Wednesday. Besides, while chatting with Mildred, she accidentally revealed some valuable information about the pack’s schedule that I could exploit in the future.

As the sun set, dinner was served. I sat at the same table with my beta and gamma as always, but this evening, I found myself constantly zoning out of our conversation. Every time I did, my eyes instinctively roamed the room in search of Koen. No matter how many times I scolded myself, I inevitably caught myself doing the same thing again just moments later. For the sake of my sanity, I blamed it on the fear that he would discover I had visited the second floor, rather than what I dreaded to admit - that something inside me longed for his return.

While my friends headed back to their room to rest, I decided to go out for a run to clear my head. Exercising always helped me organize my thoughts, and I should make the most out of my last hours without Koen. I had a feeling I would start losing focus again as soon as he was back.

An hour later, I was much more relaxed. Ready to take a nice, cold shower before heading off to bed, I started making my way back to the main square. However, just as I was about to walk inside the packhouse, a figure stepped out of the shadows to block my path.

My jaw clenched when I looked up to find Angelica standing in my way.

“An omega like you shouldn’t be out alone this late at night.” She sneered. Her shrill voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and it made me frown. “It could be dangerous, you know.”

“What do you want now?” I spat, having grown tired of her stupid games a long time ago.

Judging by how her smile disappeared as she squinted her eyes, she didn’t appreciate my tone. “Since you’re too stupid to understand, I’ll clarify. Remember that lesson I never got to teach you?” With a swift motion, she raised her hand, revealing her manicured nails now transformed into sharp claws. Then, she proudly hummed her threat, “With the alpha gone, there’s no one here to protect you.”

Indeed, when her sinister laugh echoed around the main square, no one was there to hear.