Page 67 of Framed and Forgotten
“Can’t…” I pressed. “Or won’t?”
He shook his head, releasing a sigh. “You haven’t been discharged.”
I scoffed. “Officially,” I emphasized. “But the doctors said I’m stable. They’re just being cautious.”
From the moment our paths crossed again, communication had often been an issue. We’d always struggled to say the right things to each other, always dancing around the full weight of our emotions. But our bodies...they had no filter. No hesitation. When words failed, touch always found the truth. Maybe this wasn’t just about desire - maybe it was the only language we both trusted.
And perhaps the quickest method of reconnecting with Koen was by physically showing him that I held no hard feelings, while letting him prove his love in the way he understood best.
When Koen didn’t break the silence, I spoke again. “I thought you’d do anything for me,” I accused, ripping a groan from him as I put him in a tight spot. He breathed in and out, trying to keep himself in check, fighting his own desire, and I pushed, “Please,mate,” I moaned, in the exact way I knew to make him fall apart. “I need you.”
This time, his sigh came out as a growl. For a heartbeat, he didn’t move. Then, very slowly, his lips curved. “You’re insatiable, my mate.”
As he leaned in, I lifted my hand, dragging my fingers along the nape of his neck. “Would you rather I had enough of you after one bite?”
His eyes darkened instantly, and his voice dropped to a husky growl. “Not at all, my Queen,” he murmured, climbing onto the bed with deliberate grace. “Allow me to satisfy your hunger.”
He pushed the blanket aside, settling between my legs like he belonged there - because he did.
39
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K O E N
For a moment,while I savored every sweet, sacred inch of Avril, I almost forgot what I’d done.
Almost.
Knowing - feeling - that she had truly forgiven me was extraordinarily healing. It stripped away my hesitation, freeing me from the chains of regret and awakening a deep desire to live for her. To ensure she was fulfilled, cherished, and happy. I clung to that role, for it gave me a good, valid reason to stay by her side, even after all my terrible mistakes.
Still, the guilt didn’t fade. I wasn’t sure it ever would. It had been hard enough to recover from rejecting and exiling her years ago, but putting her life on the line simply because I’d lost focus? That was unforgivable. A failure soaked in blood and fear. I could still hear her choking on it, see her hands trembling as death threatened to take her. No vow or act of love could erase that image from my mind.
All I could do was try and suppress it for the sake of being what she needed me to be.
Later that same day, Avril was officially discharged from the hospital. She wasn’t back to full strength, but it seemed I’d at least helped reach Kea, who had been in a kind of hibernationsince their near-death experience. With her wolf finally awake again, the doctors cleared her to resume her duties as Alpha - and she had quite a lot to handle.
Ever since our return, I had been doing everything I could to assist Theo, Elijah, and Rhea with pack matters. I also told them that the existence of the Ashen Wolves had been exposed, and though wary, they agreed we should hold off on deciding Azure Smoke’s fate until Avril had recovered. Naturally, the moment she was out of the hospital, she called an emergency meeting.
“As you’ve heard, other shifters now know we’re still alive,” she began, pressing her lips together, frustration and apprehension flickering in her eyes. “I won’t hide from the blame. I was caught off guard and I acted recklessly. It cost us our secrecy.”
No one dared interrupted her - not even me - but from the looks in their eyes, it was clear they didn’t hold it against her.
With a sigh, she continued, “Fortunately, Koen showed more restraint than I did. By fighting without using his powers, while Col’s appearance was masked by magic, he managed to avoid exposing himself as well.” She offered me a subtle, proud smile. I didn’t think I deserved it, but I returned the gesture anyway.
“That’s one less thing we have to worry about, and something we might be able to use to our advantage later.”
When her voice fell quiet, silence followed, the air thick with tension.
Though she’d tried to begin on a vaguely optimistic note, her posture betrayed the truth - it hadn’t done much to strengthen our position. Everyone remained still, waiting for her to say what I was certain she’d already played out in her mind a hundred times while she was on bed rest.
“We all knew we couldn’t stay hidden forever. Sooner or later, the world was bound to find out about us,” she said. “Iexpected us to have a little more time to prepare, but we’ll work with what we’ve got.”
One by one, our friends lifted their heads. The tension in their features eased, and the fear that should’ve taken hold simply wasn’t there. Instead of panicking, they stayed calm - confident, even. No matter the odds, they truly believed in Avril to lead them toward a brighter future. Witnessing it was nothing short of inspiring.
“What should we do, Alpha?” Rhea was the first to ask.
Avril hesitated, reluctant to admit, “I believe the best course of action is to leave our sanctuary and find a new one.”
