Rejected and Regretted (Ashen Wolves #1)

15

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A V R I L

When Koen expressed his desire to keep me away from the fight, I was initially taken aback. It had been years since the last time I sat out of a battle, and the idea felt weird to me. Yet, it wasn’t long before I remembered that, to everyone here, I was an untrained omega; it was only natural for me to stay with the other pack members who couldn’t fight. Still, I couldn’t deny that watching the alpha shift and march into battle while I was escorted to safety made me itch.

I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t fond of the idea, though. The sentinels made sure to throw insults at me, shoving me to move faster at any opportunity they got. Like every other wolf at Whispering Hills, they despised me. I suspected the only reason why they kept leading me to the safety bunker was because they were afraid of Koen’s threat.

Koen. Flashes of him transforming into his beast and bolting away flooded my mind. I had seen how relentless he was just yesterday when he harshly punished Angelica without hesitation. Judging by how his men followed his orders despite not agreeing with him, it was obvious he imposed respect too. But was he strong enough to beat the alpha of Midnight Sun?

Shaking my head, I instantly scolded myself. Why should I care? If he went down, it would be easier for me to get what I needed from this pack. Yet, if he was indifferent to me, why did the idea of him being taken out in combat make me so apprehensive?

Before I could figure out my confusing feelings, the sentinels suddenly came to a stop. Kea perked up her ears in my head as we both grew wary of our surroundings. Not even a second later, a group of Midnight Sun warriors came out of the shadows, immediately launching themselves at Koen’s men.

We had been ambushed.

The chief sentinel was the first to go down, surprised by two wolves who tore his body to pieces. Those were soon stopped by the other men, and before my eyes, a fight broke out. I stood at the center, constantly looking over my shoulders, making sure I wasn’t vulnerable while I tried to grasp who had the upper hand.

The situation didn’t look good for the sentinels. Although they managed to slow the enemies’ advance, the numbers weren’t in their favor. It became obvious that they would lose, and the attackers would come for me next.

Amidst the bloodbath, I was conflicted. I had no doubt I could take down the enemies, but at what cost? I should prioritize protecting my fake identity. Deep down, I knew the correct choice would be to seize the opportunity and make a run for it. We weren’t far from the bunker; I could hide there until the battle was over.

Nonetheless, as the urge to stay and fight - a consequence of my alpha genes - mixed with Kea’s restlessness after being caged for days, I lacked the strength to contain her. Just as the last sentinel fell, my she-wolf broke free, jumping straight into battle.

Swift and silent like smoke, full of energy and thirsting for blood, Kea ended all of the remaining adversaries in the blink of an eye. Carefully, she examined the fallen sentinels, searching for signs of life. Thankfully, a few of them were still alive, but unconscious - which meant they hadn’t witnessed our masterful strikes.

The sentinels should be safe until help arrived, as long as they stayed down. No Midnight Sun warrior would scavenge the battlefield for half-dead wolves while they were occupied fighting capable pack members. I, on the other hand, had better keep moving.

My first instinct was to mindlink my friends to ensure they were safe. “Theo. Elijah. Where are you?”

“Alpha,” my beta was the first to reply, though I could sense his mate opening up to my connection as well. “We’re closer to the south border. We were worried about you. Should we come to you?”

“No, I’ll meet you there,” I told them as Kea rushed to their encounter.

Then, I spoke directly to her, “We should lay low. I know you want to fight, but-”

“We mustn’t let others see what we’re capable of. I know,” she grunted annoyedly. “Don’t worry, we’re fast enough to dismiss anyone who tries to chase us anyway. We can leave all the fun to Theo and Elijah.”

Closing our connection, my she-wolf marched through the battlefield, evading the claws and teeth of enemies who tried to catch us at breakneck speed. It wasn’t in our blood to flee instead of fight, but at least she seemed content with the little action she was getting. However, before we could spot our friends among the sea of wolves, someone else broke our concentration.

Columbus’ bright emerald eyes glowed like a beacon, stealing our attention. Kea halted, her gaze lingering on his, then moving to study him. The alpha was a sight to behold with his glistening white fur dyed ruby, an image of raw power. Shit, he looked…

“Smoking hot,” Kea blurted out, widening her eyes soon after.

Startled, I questioned, “What did you just say?”

“Forget it!” she snapped, finally breaking eye-contact with Col to focus on avoiding more attacks.

But even with our attention divided, I could feel Koen’s beast make his way toward us. It was as if I could feel his presence drawing nearer by the second. When he was close enough, my wolf glanced at him again, only to realize that there were two enemies ready to pounce on him. How could he not have seen them?

“He lost his focus,” Kea growled. “Stupid alpha!”

Before I could understand her intentions, she rushed toward Col, pushing him and knocking him out of the enemies’ way. Her reckless move led to her rolling downhill with him, both wolves clinging to each other as they descended.

Once they landed at the foot of the hill, Col ended up underneath Kea, with her standing right on top of him. In a mystical moment, their eyes locked. My wolf stiffened as she realized how close she was to the alpha, and for a second, a purr escaped her.

I couldn’t tell whether it was her reaction or the situation, but my heart skipped a beat.

Snapping out of it, Kea shook her head. She stepped away from Col at last, allowing him to stand back up, but she didn’t wait for him. Instead, she bolted away, as if she was running from the plague - as if Koen was the plague .

Our mind only cleared once we found our friends. It was relieving to see that they were fine. Despite being drenched in blood, neither of them seemed to have deep scratches or ugly gashes. Not that it was a surprise; us, wolves of Azure Smoke, were stronger than regular shifters. And it was okay for Theo and Elijah to let a fraction of their true power show, since they were supposedly here to demonstrate the strength of our pack’s warriors.

There he stood, a figure of pride, head held high, fangs glistening with blood, the fallen alpha of Midnight Sun at his feet. He exuded an aura reminiscent of the God of Death himself, commanding my unwavering attention.

Yet, even as he shifted back to address his pack and announce their win, his eyes were focused solely on me.

Koen marched toward Kea, his magnificent naked body covered in blood, while his pack howled in triumph, celebrating their victory. It was a scene out of a movie; even my powerful she-wolf couldn’t move, feeling the weight of the atmosphere. I felt compelled to take control and shift back, but I was soon reminded of a crucial detail.

If I transformed into my human form, my skin would be exposed for everyone to see - there was no way the mark on my arm, which I fought to keep hidden, would go unnoticed.

When the alpha was only a couple feet away from us, he lowered himself, staring into my wolf’s eyes. “It’s alright, Avril. You can shift back. You’re safe.”

Damn it, he thought I was afraid. Well, it wasn’t all that bad, considering that would help me appear weak, despite having an inexplicably large wolf for an omega. Still, I couldn’t assume my human form until I had clothes to cover up my secrets, but I couldn’t tell him that.

Thinking quickly, Kea’s gaze shifted between the dozens of wolves as she coiled up, whimpering. She was trying to convey shyness. Koen furrowed his brows, making an effort to understand her. When he looked at the crowd surrounding us, it dawned on him that I was embarrassed to be naked in front of the entire pack.

Rising, he whispered, “I see.” His eyes clouded over, and in a matter of minutes, a group of omegas appeared at his heel. They gave him a pair of robes before going off handing one over to every shifter. As he put on his own, he laid the other one on the ground in front of Kea, turning around immediately after to offer us a semblance of privacy.

Theo and Elijah, once clothed, also approached my wolf, creating a barrier to block the view while I shifted. Never in my life had I gotten dressed so fast. Thankfully, I was certain I had succeeded at keeping my mark hidden.

As soon as I was back to my human form, Koen turned around, offering me a comforting smile before speaking to his pack again, “Whispering Hills, we might have won, but we aren’t out of the woods just yet. Those of you who are in good enough shape, please help the wounded. Together, we are stronger!”

“Yes, Alpha!” the people bellowed as they rushed to follow their leader’s command.

A second later, Koen’s eyes were on me again. “Avril, I’m sure the experience must have been frightening to you, but if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak to you.” Behind his untouched forests, I caught a glimpse of confusion.

I immediately knew the moment had come when I would have to try and explain everything he had seen - everything I was trying to cover, for I knew it would raise suspicions regarding who I truly was.

Yet, since denying his request would only make the situation worse, I replied, “Sure.”