Charlie POV
Wren has been clinging to my chest for hours, crying and begging for me to mark her. As much as I want to mark her, I can't bring myself to do it. It doesn't feel like the right time. I know many wolves would mark their mate as soon as they found them, but if I do, we might not figure out what the hell is going on.
Destin is attempting to be supportive, but I have known him long enough to know his mind is elsewhere. His hand is resting on her back, but his eyes are staring at the wall behind us. His jaw is tense, and I can't tell if he is pissed off or not. I find myself praying to the Moon Goddess that he doesn't leave us, and praying to her is something I swore I would never do again.
Eventually, Wren falls asleep, and I carry her back to her bedroom. Destin is waiting for me outside. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he looks annoyed. After comforting Wren, I don't have the time for his mood swings.
"What's wrong?" I groan.
"Just do it," he replies. "Mark her. It will make her happy and put her mind at ease."
I look him over. "She hasn't marked you yet."
"She hasn't asked. I would gladly let her bite me if that meant she were happy," he reminds me. I think I detect a hint of bitterness in his voice. Is this what his attitude is about? He is jealous?
"That isn't my fault." I try to head off an argument.
"Just fucking mark her," he whispers harshly. "It will make her happy. Don't you want to make her happy?"
"I do," I sigh. "But if I mark her, we may never figure this mate thing out."
Destin's face turns red. "I thought you didn't want to be a science experiment?"
"I don't," I mumble. "But I am thinking about Scarlett and the rest of the wolves who are feeling pain and don't know why. Wren doesn't want this to be up to us, but I don't think we have a choice."
"You need to sort this shit with Wren then," he snaps at me. "You can't deny her without reason."
"Do you agree with my reasoning?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"No," he spits. "You are fucking this up. For all of us."
"I didn't fuck anything up," I growl. "This is the Moon Goddess's doing. If you want to blame someone, blame her."
"Then stop fucking praying to her," he shouts.
"Stay out of my head," I warn him.
Destin and I glare at one another. Neither one of us is willing to back down. We have never had a true fight. Of course, we have thrown a few punches here and there, but we never aim to hurt or kill. I fear that Wren might push us over that line if we don't figure things out soon.
Suddenly, Destin sucks in a calming breath, and I let my guard down.
"I need to head out for an hour or so," he changes the subject. "Can you watch her?"
"She isn't a child," I hiss. I am still pissed off. "She doesn't need to be babysat."
Destin runs his fingers through his hair. "I don't want to fight with you. Just don't leave her alone. Her dreams are volatile. There is no telling what condition she will wake up in."
"Whatever," I grumble. "Where are you going anyway?"
"None of your business," he replies.
I step in front of him. "I disagree. If we are going to make this work, we need to be honest with each other."
"I am going to the Immortal Realm," he says through gritted teeth.
He rushes down the stairs, but I follow him down. There is no reason for him to go to the Immortal Realm.
"Are you coming back?" I yell after him.
"What kind of question is that?" He snaps back.
"What business do you have in the Immortal Realm? Macy isn't there. She is at the Gravestone Pack. So is Nyx." I list the reasons why he shouldn't go.
"I am not going for them," he rolls his eyes.
I block the door. "Then why are you going? You said yourself there is nothing left for you there."
"There are no books on magical mate bonds in this realm," he yells. "I have to figure this out."
"It isn't up to you to fix this," I remind him.
"It wasn't," he sighs. "But if you are going to kill yourself because of it, I have to fix it."
"I am not going to kill myself," I snap. "It was just a dream."
"Like you said," he replies in a low voice. "This isn't just about us anymore. You didn't have to carry Scarlett out of Jesse's while she screamed in pain."
"So you are on my side," I smirk.
"Mention it again and I will gut you with the tips of my wings," he threatens.
I roll my eyes. "That escalated quickly."
"Just keep her in the fucking cabin," he groans.
"What about the passing of time?" I ask.
Destin runs his fingers through his hair and looks annoyed. "The portal between the realms is open. Time flows freely. I won't be gone long."
He slams the door shut, and he is gone. I hope I can trust him to come back and not to do anything stupid, but this is Destin we are talking about. He is reckless on a good day. I just hope he comes home before Wren wakes up.
With nothing left to do, I climb the stairs and crawl into bed with Wren. She snuggles into my chest.
"Where is Destin?" She whimpers.
"He had to run an errand." It isn't a lie. "He told us to get some sleep."
She yawns and closes her eyes, falling back asleep. I do my best to follow her, but my mind won't stop racing. I would never kill myself. Or at least I don't think I would. The Moon Goddess must have shown her a lie.