Wren POV
The night air is cool against my skin, and I wrap my arms around myself for warmth. It hasn't been this chilly in months. I wish I had worn warmer clothes, but I don't remember leaving Destin's cabin. I glance around and realize I have no idea where I am. The ground is dark and gray at my feet. It appears to be nothing but a barren wasteland. There is no vegetation, just gray sand. The sky is nothing but stars, and the Earth is large, blocking my view of the sun. Wait, that can't be right.
A rush of panic rushes through me, and I stumble back, trying to get my bearings. My back hits something hard, and I spin around to find a massive brick wall. A dark castle is looming over me. Crescent moons are carved into the stone.
"Fuck," I mumble. This has to be the castle of the Moon Goddess, but how the fuck did I get here.
A whimper comes from behind me, and something cold brushes against my leg. A golden wolf is sitting beside me, and a single tear drips down her fur.
"Jasmine?" I whisper.
She nods her head. I kneel beside her and run my fingers through her fur. She truly is lovely. I should appreciate her more instead of fighting with her. Jasmine seems to share my sentiment because she huddles closer to me.
"Are you going to stay out here all night?" A voice startles me.
A blonde woman is standing over me. She is beautiful, but there is something deadly in her smile. Our eyes match. They are the exact same shade of blue. If that wasn't enough to tell me who she is, the crescent moon tiara on her head does.
"Selene," I bow my head, not getting to my feet.
Her smile widens. "Is that any way to greet your grandmother?"
Slowly, I get to my feet, not daring to look in her eyes. "I am sorry. Why am I here?"
"Straight to the point, I see," she groans. "Come inside."
She strides back into the castle. Her robes are eerily still as she moves. Jasmine and I share a concerned look before following her inside. The massive door slams behind me, and I jump.
Even though the inside of the castle is warm and inviting, I keep my arms wrapped around myself. I don't want to let my guard down. From the stories I have heard, Selene can't be trusted.
She is sitting upon a massive throne. Her cold gaze doesn't match the smile on her face, and I shuffle awkwardly on my feet. "Why am I here?"
"Yes, of course," she replies. "All business. I brought you here because I thought you might have questions for me."
She isn't wrong. I have so many questions that I don't know where to start, but before I can ask the first one, Jasmine growls beside me. Her foot paws at the ground, and she snarls at her creator.
"I get the feeling it is not going to be straightforward," I express my concerns aloud.
Selene chuckles loudly. "I think you might be smarter than your mother."
I do not dignify her with a response. I stare at her angrily, and she clears her throat. "Yes," she continues. "You can ask only two questions."
I begin to pace in front of her throne. If I only have two questions, I need to be careful. I can't be selfish with my questions, no matter how much I might want to be. Selene's fingernails tap impatiently against the throne while I sort through the questions in my mind.
"Do werewolves, besides me, still have fated mates?" I ask boldly.
The tapping stops, and she leans forward. "Of course."
I open my mouth to ask her why, but I quickly close it. I only have one question left, and as much as I don't want to be selfish, I can't help myself.
"Why did you give me two mates?" I whisper quietly.
Selene smiles. "That is the real question, isn't it?"
"That is not an answer," I snap at her.
"Perhaps," she rises from her throne. "I didn't give you two. Maybe you are meant to choose between them."
"That is cruel," I gasp. "Why would you do this?"
"Alas," she sighs. "You have already reached the number of questions you can ask, but maybe I will bring you back under the next full moon, and you can ask two more."
"That is a month away," I shout. "What am I supposed to do until then?"
"Choose," Selene laughs. "And might I suggest keeping your legs closed for the time being. A bastard child would be a disgrace to the royal family."
Jasmine is growling beside me. The hair on her back is raised, and drool is dripping from her muzzle. She lunges at Selene, but before she can reach her, Selene waves her hand. The castle is gone, and so is the moon. I am back in Destin's cabin, and he is sleeping soundly beside me. My heart aches at the thought of having to choose between him and Charlie.
"I won't do it," I whisper. "She can't control my free will."
Destin grumbles in his sleep, and his eyes flutter open. I am met with such intensity that I turn into a puddle in his arms.
"Why are you awake?" He asks.
"Bad dream," I lie.
He pulls me closer to him and nuzzles his nose into my neck. "You might as well be Fae," he breathes against my skin. "You are a terrible liar."
I try to wiggle out of his arms, but he holds me tight. "It wasn't a lie."
He flips me onto my back and traps me between his arms. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Selene came to me in my sleep," I admit.
Destin tenses, and his teeth grind together. "What did she say?"
"That I have to choose between you and Charlie," I whisper.
Concern floods his face. "Are you going to?"
"Of course not," I scoff. "She can't force me to. I care for both of you."
Destin seems to relax a little. "What else did she say?"
"That werewolves still have fated mates, and she will bring me back in a month to ask two more questions," I groan.
"I hate her," he grumbles.
"That makes two of us."