Wren POV
The sun shines through the window and warms my skin. I am deliciously sore and sated. Destin and Charlie stayed true to their word and made it up to me. They spent the whole night pushing me over the edge, only to bring me back to the top again. I can't wait to do it again.
My core tightens as I think about last night, and I wiggle uncomfortably. Destin curls his arm around me and pulls me toward him. "Stop."
"Stop what?" I whisper, not wanting to wake Charlie.
"Thinking about last night," he moans. "I don't think you can handle more."
"Who says?" I pout.
"Me," he chuckles.
I twist in his arms. "Are you reading my mind?"
His forehead wrinkles. "No. I can feel your emotions through our bond. Especially when they are strong."
"Oh," I whisper. "Can I learn to block you out?"
His hand runs down my face, and he cups my cheek gently. "You can learn to do anything."
I curl my hands against his chest and lean in. I place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Teach me."
"Now?" He glances over at Charlie.
"Sure," I shrug. "He won't be up for hours."
Charlie curls around my back. "I heard that."
"Go back to sleep," I hiss at him.
He props himself up for just a moment. "You should be sleeping, too. I am training you to fight later."
"What?" I gasp. "When did you decide that?"
"Yesterday," he yawns.
Charlie flops back down and immediately starts snoring. Destin grabs my chin, forcing me to look back into his eyes. "You said you wanted us to train you. So, we will be training you."
"I meant when we get back to the Human Realm," I stutter. "I can't shift here."
"You will be able to shift when the moon reappears," he tells me. "That is in a few days."
My teeth grind together. "We don't have a few days. We are going back today."
"We aren't going back," Destin informs me. "Not until we know you can protect yourself. Selene can't reach you here."
Anger flashes in my mind. We can't stay here. The werewolf world needs me. Scarlett needs me. I finally have the answers we need. I know I can fix this.
"Scarlett will be fine," Destin narrows his eyes at me. "Your mother will handle everything."
"Stay out of my mind," I spit at him.
"Then keep me out," he smirks.
I scoff loudly. "You haven't taught me how."
He rolls me onto my back, pinning me beneath his body. I squirm under his weight, but he doesn't take his eyes off mine.
"Close your eyes," he whispers. "Think about where you keep your memories."
I roll my eyes before I close them. I don't see anything in my mind but darkness. "This isn't working."
"You aren't trying," he whispers.
I huff loudly. 'Jasmine, where do we keep memories?'
'I keep mine in a library,' Jasmine replies. 'But your location can be different. You have to find it.'
"Okay," I say aloud. In my mind, I try to imagine where I would keep memories. A light flashes and then another. Before I know it, I am standing in the middle of Selene's Moon Castle. I suck in a sharp breath. Did she bring me here? I thought Destin said she couldn't reach me in the Immortal Realm.
Quietly, I walk through the castle, but it appears to be empty. My feet fall gently on the marbled floors, barely making a sound. A golden door appears in front of me. It has a wolf engraved on the front. Not just any wolf. It is Jasmine.
I know I should leave. I am not supposed to be here, but my curiosity is taking over. I reach for the doorknob and turn. It opens easily. My heart is in my throat. She created this room for me. She told me she would, and she did. But why?
Jasmine's likeness is carved into every piece of furniture. Violet bedding covers the bed, and matching curtains hang from a window. Light filters into the room, and I inch my way toward the glass. The window overlooks a beautiful garden. The colors are more vibrant than the ones in the Immortal Realm. It is a room fit for a princess.
"Wren," Destin's voice echoes in my mind, but he sounds so far away.
"Destin," I call back to him, but sound doesn't leave my lips.
I wrap my hands around my throat and try to scream, but still nothing. A hand touches my shoulder, and I spin quickly. Selene is standing behind me, but she is nothing more than mist.
"Your brother once gave his voice to find his mate," she whispers. "What are you willing to give to save your beloved werewolf race?"
"I don't make deals with the devil." My voice is hoarse and painful.
"Stay with me for a month," she whispers. "And I will return your beloved mate bonds."
"What's the catch?" I rasp.
"You let me educate you," she shrugs.
She waves her hand, and the empty shelves of the bedroom are suddenly filled with books. There is a thump at my feet, and Arabella's book falls at my feet.
"I will teach you what they won't," she smirks. "You will be just as powerful as me."
An uneasy feeling covers my skin. It seeps through my pores and into my bones. Hot pain burns my body. It is worse than any shift I have ever felt in my life. I drop to my knees, my hands landing on the book of dark magic.
"Stay with me," Selene whispers. "All the power you can imagine will become yours."
"No," I grunt. "You can't keep me."
"I can't keep all of you," she laughs.
A scream rips through my body, and I fall to the ground. The pain is gone, and my eyes fly open. Destin is looking down on me, and Charlie is squeezing my hand. But I can't focus on either of them. My mind is focused on the piece of my heart that is missing. I don't want to believe it is real. I squeeze my eyes shut.
'Jasmine?' I whisper, but there is no response. She is gone.