Wren POV
Six months. It has been six months since we left the Immortal Realm. I am tracking the months, days, and hours since I have been separated from my mates. Even though Jasmine was the one that wanted to leave them behind, she is feeling the pain of their absence. She puts on a good show, but I can feel her sorrow. She misses them, especially Charlie's wolf, Rolfe.
Or maybe, she just misses having a wolf companion altogether. Werewolves are not meant to be solitary creatures. We belong in packs, surrounded by our family and friends. I fear that she will start to lose her mind and become feral. I am not sure how I will handle that, but that is a worry for another day. Right now, I have to get the children ready for school.
"Veyra. Coren." I call down the hall of our little house. "It is time to go."
They race down the hallway with their little backpacks bouncing up and down on their backs. The smiles on their faces are contagious, and it makes me remember what I am doing here. This is all for them. So they can be together until they are old enough to understand.
I straighten their hair and wipe the smudges left from their breakfast off their faces. Their skin has started to glow from the sun. Freckles have spread across their noses, and they have a little tan. Unfortunately, the black swirls on their skin have only gotten darker, but no one in this little South American town asks questions. They have grown to adore the twins and have claimed us as one of their own. My Spanish is still a little rusty, but the twins have picked it up quickly.
The sun is rising over the houses of the little town as we walk down the streets. Veyra and Coren skip and sing the songs they have learned in school. Other children emerge from their houses and join us on our walk. It has become our morning ritual. Before long, I feel like a mother duck, with her trail of ducklings following behind her. It is a far cry from my life as a werewolf princess, but I am happy. Perhaps not completely, but when my mates find me, I will be.
The schoolhouse is dark when I unlock the doors. I flick on the lights, and the children squeal as they run into the building. It isn't uncommon for me to be the first to arrive. I wander around the building turning on lights and unlocking doors. Everything is set up by the time the other teachers begin to arrive.
"Wren," Gabriela smiles. "You don't have to come so early."
"It is okay," I reply. "I have nothing better to do, and the children like it."
She tucks a dark hair behind her ear. "Can I ask you a question?"
I freeze, before I busy myself with some paperwork. I have been waiting for this day. The day I foresaw when I moved into this town. Only, I didn't see the result. "Sure."
She shuffles awkwardly. "There have been rumors of a golden wolf. They started around the same time you arrived here."
"How weird," I mutter.
She nods at the children. Veyra and Coren are making silly faces at me through the glass. "It is okay. We know what they are."
I swallow uncomfortably. "What is that?"
"Your war was fought outside of your borders. We know about the wolf creatures and the fairies."
"Fae creatures," I correct her.
She smiles gently. I expected her to be scared when she finally figured out what we are, but she isn't. In fact, she looks like she might be relieved. "You won't hurt us, but I have to ask, will more come?"
I nod. "Yes. Or at least I hope so. I have two mates. They will not harm you either. It is only our goal to keep the children safe from those who might hurt them."
Gabriela shrugs. "That is all I wanted to know. When will they arrive? You have been here for several months."
I can't stop the tears from brimming in my eyes. "I don't know."
She pats me on the shoulders. "Take the day off."
I wipe the tears from my eyes. "I can't."
Gabriela is listening. She pushes me out of the office and down the hall to the front door. "I will not take no for an answer. You can return to get the children when school is over."
I sigh. There is no arguing with Gabriela. She always gets her way. I take a final look back at the school before heading home.
The streets are beginning to come to life. The people of the town wave and nod as I walk by. I take my time. It is the first time in a long time that I have not had the twins with me. I wander into a few shops that I wouldn't normally and pick up a few things for myself and the twins. I also pick up a few things for Destin and Charlie, just in case they come.
As I head back out on the street, my vision goes dark for a moment. Charlie's face flashes before my eyes. He looks tired and sad. I brace my hand against the side of the building and try to catch my breath. My vision slowly comes back, but my tears make it blurry.
"Señorita," a man approaches me. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," I lie. "I stubbed my toe."
He looks down at my boots and shrugs his shoulders. "Okay."
I don't move when he wanders away. Charlie isn't coming. I could see it written on his face. I close my eyes, desperate to see more of the vision, but my mind is blank. I search for Destin, but I can't see him either.
'You have been neglecting your powers,' Jasmine chastises me.
'We have been,' I correct her. 'I am not alone in this.'
I continue to wander along the streets, but my feet lead me back home. Only it is not how I left it. The door is ajar. 'Are you ready?'
Jasmine growls. 'They picked the wrong fucking house.'