Wren POV
Destin and Charlie took turns ravaging my body all day and into the night. By the time they were finished, I was deliciously sore and sated.
My eyes are heavy, and I slip into a peaceful sleep with my mates by my side. But no sooner than I fell asleep did he sound of children laughing wake me. I look around the room in confusion. Why would children be here?
Destin and Charlie are missing, and I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, I wrap a robe around my body and I go in search of my mates.
The laughter gets louder as I make my way down the stairs. I follow the sound into the kitchen and stop in my tracks. Destin is flipping pancakes while three children sit at the table. They couldn't be more than five years old. Two boys and a girl.
The boys could be Destin's children. They have dark hair and emerald eyes. The little girl glances in my direction, and a sob leaves my chest. Despite her blonde hair, there is no denying her eyes. Icy blue, just like the Moon Goddess. Just like mine.
"Mommy," the little girl squeals as she hops off her chair.
She wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me tightly. Soon after, the boys join her. The three hug me so fiercely, I am tackled to the ground.
Destin's voice booms with laughter, but he pulls them off one by one and sits them back at the table.
"We tried to let you sleep in," he smiles.
I look around the kitchen, but Charlie is nowhere to be seen. "Where is Charlie?"
Destin tenses beside me and looks back at the children. "We will be right back. Make sure to finish your breakfast."
He leads me into the living room and presses his hand to my forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine," I reply. "What is going on? Who are those children? Where is Charlie?"
Destin wrinkles his brow. "Those are our children."
"No," I step away from him. "I don't have any children. We haven't completed our bond. Where is Charlie?"
Destin holds my hands and leads me to the couch. "Charlie died. Fifty years ago."
I hold up my hands, looking for signs of aging, but my skin is still flawless. "I don't understand."
"I should call a doctor," Destin says.
"No," I shout. "Just explain the last fifty years to me. How am I still alive and Charlie isn't?"
He runs his fingers through his hair. "Your bond with Charlie was never completed. We waited for the runes to show up on his arms, but they never did. After years of trying, he couldn't bear the unfinished bond, and he took his life."
My hands cover my mouth, and I cry loudly. Destin holds me close to his chest and tries to comfort me, but I can feel his concern through our bond.
"How am I still young?" I manage to ask.
" The Moon Goddess granted you eternal life," he whispers.
My eyes dart to the kitchen. "And what about my children?"
"They are half Fae," he says gently. "They will be eternal."
"My family?" I choke on the words.
"Your parents are gone, but your brothers are still in the Immortal Realm with Macy," he sighs.
More tears run down my cheeks. How have I forgotten all of this? It is like I went to sleep and woke up fifty years later.
"Who is the Werewolf Queen?" I ask.
Destin swallows hard. "Your daughter with Charlie runs the Werewolf World. You didn't want the throne after Charlie died."
This is all a bad dream. It has to be. I jump to my feet. None of this is real. Show yourself, Selene."
The cabin fades away, and cruel laughter fills my ears. Selene appears in front of me.
"Why would show me that?" I demand to know.
"I thought you should know the consequences of not choosing," she continues to laugh.
"I hate you," I growl through my teeth.
She picks at the edges of her manicured nails. "So many do."
"Let me go home," I demand.
She pushes her bottom up out in a fake pout. "Don't you want to know what you give me in exchange for eternal life?"
A cage appears in front of me, and Jasmine is locked inside. I scramble to find an opening, but there is none.
"Set her free," I spit at her.
Selene waves her hand, and the cage disappears. I wrap my arms around Jasmine's neck and cry into her fur.
"Say your goodbyes. She will be mine soon enough," Selene smirks.
"I would never give her away," I tell Selene. "Not even for eternal life."
"Perhaps you should pick the mortal then," she muses.
"I will not choose between them," I remind her.
"Then the wolf will die," she smirks. "You have seen it."
"I don't need the runes to complete the bond," I hiss at her, but I am not sure if I believe my words.
"Do you think your mark will be enough to please him?" She smirks. "He will know the lack of runes means his bond isn't as strong as the one between you and the Fae."
"Send me back," I growl. "I am tired of listening to your lies."
"You are making all the wrong choices," My father's words echo in my mind.
"If you wish to return," Selene sighs.
I am thrown off my feet, and my back hits something soft. My eyes fly open, and I reach for Charlie, but he isn't there. Neither is Destin.
Not bothering to put on clothes, I race down the stairs. Charlie and Destin are sitting on the couch watching TV. I pinch myself as I approach them to make sure I am not dreaming.
"What's wrong, kitten?" Destin asks, but my eyes are focused on Charlie.
I straddle his lap and pull at his shirt. With panic fueling me, I accidentally rip it.
"Princess," he cups my face. "What is wrong?"
"We have to mark each other," I beg. "Right now."
"Kitten," Destin pulls my gaze. "We have time."
My heart aches painfully. "No, we don't."
"What did she show you?" Destin demands to know.
I shake my head. "It won't matter if we mark each other. I can fix it."
Charlie holds me to his chest, and I breathe in his cinnamon scent. "What did she show you?" he echoes Destin's question.
My tears soak into his shirt. "The runes never appear between us. The heartbreak is too much for you and..."
I can't finish my sentence. The thought of losing him is too much. My breaths come short and fast. Soon, it is difficult for me to breathe. Destin pulls me away from Charlie, but I fight to get back to him.
"Kitten," he coos. "I'm not taking you away from him. I need you to breathe."
"I can't," I sob. "I will lose him. I have to fix this."
Charlie holds me from behind, and I am sandwiched between them. Their breaths fall in sync, and tingles spread over my body. My breathing steadies, but they don't let me go.
"We are going to figure this out together," Charlie whispers. "You won't lose me."