Wren POV
My heart is in my throat as I stand outside of the cabin in the Immortal Realm. He built this for someone else. This was his home with his first mate. How can I live here with his grandchildren and raise them as my own?
My doubts flood my mind, and I am unable to step forward. I can't do this. I can't live in the shadow of another woman. I know Destin loves me, and his first mate is a thing of the past, but I can't help but be jealous.
Both of my mates had a life before me. Destin's spanned several hundred years. Charlie's is shorter, but he still had another mate before me. I worry that I will never measure up as their second chance mate.
Destin lays his hand on the small of my back. Tingles spread over my ski,n and I feel somewhat at ease. "Arabella is gone," he reminds me. "You are my life now."
"I know," I reply, but even I can hear the uncertainty in my voice.
Charlie takes my hand and squeezes it gently. It gives me the support I need to step in the direction of the cabin. Macy comes out of the front door with a smile on her face. "I hear I have a new member in Lycan City that I need to meet. The twins are down for the night."
I can only nod. My voice is stuck in my throat. She glides toward me, her black wings glittering beautifully in the moonlight. Macy pauses in front of me and cups my face in her hands. "You belong here."
Tears well up in my eyes and spill down my cheeks. Macy kisses my forehead and walks away.
"Wait," I call after her. "You might want to give Sophie a moment with her mates. They were… busy."
Macy giggles. "Noted."
She takes off into the sky, and I inhale deeply. I can't run from this, not when I told Destin I would help him raise the twins.
Destin opens the door to the cabin, and his scent swirls around me. It is like he never left this place. This cabin is much the same as the one in the Human Realm. Everything is in its place, aside from a few children's toys scattered here and there.
A small handmade doll is on the floor in front of me. I bend down and pick it up. The doll has blonde hair and green eyes, just like the visions I have seen of the girl child. The gravity of the situation pulls me to the ground. These children lost their mother because of me.
"Destin," a little voice calls from up the stairs.
I look up and see the most beautiful child I have ever seen looking down at me. Blonde ringlets frame her petite face, and Destin's emerald eyes glow against her skin. Dark swirls cover her face and arms. I have never seen such beauty before.
"Veyra," Destin speaks with a gentleness I have never heard before. "You are supposed to be sleeping."
"I wanted to meet her," she whines. "Macy said she is beautiful."
Slowly, I get to my feet. "Not as beautiful as you."
Veyra blushes a bright shade of red, and the swirls along her skin deepen in color. She drops into a deep curtsy before she runs down the stairs. "Mommy said you are a Princess."
"I am," I respond. "Where is your brother?"
Veyra gestures to the couch. "Coren is hiding. He is afraid you won't like him."
I kneel down so I am looking her in the eyes. "Why would he think that?"
She looks down at her feet. "Because we aren't yours."
"That doesn't matter," I assure her. "I will love you as if you were."
"See," Veyra shouts. "I told you she would be nice. Just like Mommy said."
Coren appears from behind the couch and sticks his tongue out at his sister. Destin picks Coren up and begins to carry him up the stairs, but he kicks and fights. "Not you. I want her to put me to sleep."
"Yes," Veyra squeals. "We want Birdie to do it."
I cock my head to the side and smile. "Birdie?"
Veyra nods her head quickly. "Mommy said you were named after a beautiful bird in the Human Realm. Can we call you Birdie? Please."
Her emerald eyes are wide, and I don't have the heart to tell her no. Not that I would want to. "You can call me Birdie."
Veyra screams excitedly and tugs on my hand. I let her pull me up the stairs, and Destin passes me Coren as I pass by him. Charlie is trying to ascend the stairs behind us, but Coren bares his teeth and growls at him. Glancing over my shoulder, I smirk at Charlie. "Looks like you need to up your game. You have competition."
He rolls his eyes and stomps back down the stairs like a child. Coren tightens his arms around my neck, like he is afraid I will disappear. I let Veyra lead me into their bedroom. It is small but cozy. Two identical beds are on opposite sides of the room. One has a blanket with a sun, and the other with a moon.
I set Coren on the ground, and he pads his way over to the moon bed while Veyra gets into the other. I don't know what I am supposed to do. I haven't had much experience with children, but I remember what my mom used to do for me.
I begin to hum the song my mom used to sing for me as I cross the floor and tuck Veyra beneath the covers. Her eyes are growing heavy, and I turn to tuck in Coren, but he is wide awake.
"Do you know the words?" He asks.
"Of course," I smile. "Would you like to hear them?"
He nods and settles into his bed.
"Hush, little wolf, the night wraps you tight,
The stars keep their watch as you sleep through the night.
The trees hum your name, the wind sings it too,
And the earth holds you close, as the pack always does.
When the moon softly rises and paints you in the glow,
You'll run where the river and wildflowers grow.
No fear in your heart, no sorrow to find,
For the night is your cradle, and the wild is your kind."
"What is it about?" He asks.
"Well," I sigh. "It is about turning into a wolf and running into the night."
Coren rolls onto his side. "I don't have a wolf."
"I do," I tell him. "Her name is Jasmine, and her fur is the color of gold."
"Can I meet her?" He yawns.
I run my fingers through his dark hair. "Not tonight, but I promise you can meet her one day."
His eyes flutter shut, and I am astonished at how much he looks like Destin. It makes me wonder if my child will look like this as well, or if they will resemble me. Or maybe Charlie.
Suddenly, a vision flashes behind my eyes. Charlie is standing in front of the Moon Goddess, pleading for my life. She demands a life for mine, and he gives it willingly. The life of the child we could have had together. That is how he saved my life.