Wren POV
Charlie has been standing outside of my new house for more than an hour. He works up the nerve to knock on the door, and then quickly walks away. Only to repeat the process several minutes later. I could put him out of his misery and open the door, but what would be the fun in that? He hasn't fought for me for months. He could have stood up to Destin, but no. He kept me in the dark, too.
The back door opens, and Sophie comes inside with a box of kitchen supplies. "What are you looking at?"
"Charlie," I say, not turning away from the window. "He is trying to work up the nerve to knock on the door."
She opens the curtains and glares out at him. "Do you want me to tell him to fuck off?"
I duck behind the curtains. I don't want him to see me. "I want to see if he is brave enough to come to the door himself."
Sophie pulls up a chair and props her elbows on the windowsill. Her eyes move with Charlie as he paces back and forth. "Here he comes. No wait. He changed his mind. No, no. He is coming again. Nope."
I listen to her commentary for several minutes before it drives me insane. Flinging the door open, I glare at my mate.
"Princess," he smiles nervously.
"Don't call me that," I snap at him. "I am not a princess in this realm."
He steps toward my house, but I don't let him in. "You are my princess."
Crossing my arms over my chest, I scoff loudly. "Which kind of princess am I? The one you lock away in a tower. Should I grow my hair long so you can climb up my tower whenever you want to visit?"
"Wren." His eyes are pleading with me. "That isn't fair."
"Of course it isn't." I roll my eyes. "You were only trying to protect me."
He sighs with relief, before he realizes I am being sarcastic. "Wren."
"Don't." I hold up my hand to stop him. "Don't make excuses for what you did. It might have been in the name of protecting me, but you should have asked me. You should have told me I wouldn't be able to leave the cabin. I expect this type of treatment from Destin. He is barbaric at times. But not you."
His guilt flows so strongly through the bond that I almost feel bad for him. But I keep my resolve. I am mad at him. I am mad at Destin. They owe me an apology and chocolate. A whole fucking lot of chocolate.
"I am sorry," he whispers. "I was just so happy to have you back…"
"Nope," I stop him. "Try again."
He hangs his head. "I was a fool. I am sorry."
I cock my head to the side and look him up and down. He hasn't slept. The bags under his eyes are dark and heavy. The whites of his eyes are bloodshot. I should forgive him. "Do you want to come inside?"
Hope floods his eyes but falls almost as quickly. "I can't."
"You can," I laugh nervously. "You don't have to listen to Destin."
He touches me gently. "I am going back to the Human Realm."
"No." I step away from him. "I love you. You can't leave me."
He pulls me into his arms. "Princess. I am not leaving you. Well, I am. But I am not leaving because of you. I am leaving to get the tome. I am coming back."
"I will go with you," I cry into his chest.
He kisses the top of my head. "It isn't safe for you, Princess. Plus, someone needs to look after Destin. He is helpless."
I chuckle through my tears. "You are right. He is like a child."
"A five hundred year old child," Charlie smiles.
"Who has the tome?" I whisper.
Charlie looks around me. His eyes fall on Sophie, and he refuses to say who has it. He shakes his head awkwardly. "That isn't important."
I hold him by the sides of his face. "Be safe."
"Always."
The kiss we share isn't long, but it is enough to prove that he loves me. My cheeks are wet with my tears as we pull apart. I had planned on being apart from my mates, but I didn't think a magical wall would separate us. The fear that time will flow differently between the realms is in the back of my mind. Nyx cannot close the portal until he comes back. I will have to make sure of it.
My arms feel weak as he lets me go, and I wrap them around myself to keep from shaking. He winks over his shoulder before he leaves me standing in my doorway, wishing he wouldn't go.
"Wren," Sophie mumbles. "What is a tome?"
I close my door gently and turn to my only friend. "It is a spellbook of sorts."
Her eyes widen. "Oh."
A growl parts my lips. "Sophie. What do you know?"
She shakes her head. "Nothing. I need to find my mates. I told them I would be right back."
Sophie tries to run for the back door, but I step in her way. Tears are already pooling in her eyes.
"Sophie," I beg. "What do you know?"
Her voice shakes. "You don't know what it is like not to have a mate. For the most part, the three of us had come to terms with it, but when Scarlett found hers. Sadie began to change. There was an old book in Destin's house, and she tried to translate the words, but she couldn't. Destin didn't want it. Something about an old mate. So Sadie took it. He said it was fine"
"Where is Sadie now?"
"I don't know," she whimpers. "The last time I saw her, she was looking for someone who could translate it. She wanted to use it to find a mate."
I nod, trying to calm the storm raging in my head. "That book is full of dark magic. What was Destin thinking?"
Sophie shuffles uneasily on her feet. "I don't know."
I grab my coat and open my door. "I am going to find out."