Wren POV
Jasmine is ready to shift if I need her. My claws extend from my fingers, and I slowly push the door open. It creeks loudly, causing me to cringe. The house appears to be empty, and nothing has been touched. Lifting my nose into the air, I try to find a scent, but whoever was here was smart. They covered their scent. If they knew how to do that, they would know what I am.
Something falls to the ground in my bedroom, and I hold my breath. Jasmine is growling in my head, ready to rip them apart. Inching my way down the hallway, I press my back against the wall. I listen for sounds in the bedroom, and I swear someone is crying.
I peek into the bedroom and see Charlie crying on my bed. His head is resting in his hands, and he is definitely crying. My legs move faster than I ever thought I could. Racing around the door, I tackle Charlie. He is taken by surprise, but wraps his arms around me. He nuzzles his nose in my neck, and inhales deeply. "I thought you were dead."
I place little kisses all over his face. "Why would you have thought that?"
He attempts to pry me off his body, but I am not letting go. "Princess, your scent is fading."
I finally let go of him. "What?"
He gets to his feet and looks me up and down. Circling my body, he looks for any signs that I might be hurt, and when he finds none. His shoulders relax. "I don't understand. I followed your scent for the first couple of months, and then it began to fade. I stopped in towns as I headed south, keeping my ears and eyes open. I began to hear rumors about golden wolf sightings, and I followed them here."
"If I don't have a scent, how could you find my house?"
"It is here," he whispers. "But it is faint. I thought you died, and that is why it is fading."
"I am not dead," I smile, trying to calm him down. "Neither are the twins. They are at school."
Charlie's eyes bulge. "What do you mean school?"
I rest my hands on his shoulders. "It is okay. They have accepted us here. They love us. We are safe. I picked this little town carefully."
He relaxes a little, but I am sure he will feel better when it is time to pick them up from school. He looks around my room with a frown on his face. "This is where you live?'
"Yes," I can feel myself getting defensive. There is nothing wrong with my home. It is small, but it has everything we need. I keep it tidy and stocked with food. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"You are a princess."
I hold my fingers against his lips. "Stop. Don't do that. This town has been wonderful for us. We are happy and safe."
He tugs on my hand. "You left your front door unlocked."
I groan. "Because I am safe."
He pulls me into his arms. "I don't want to fight."
I melt into his touch. Letting the tingles of the mate bond wash away the fear from earlier. "I thought you weren't coming. I had a vision, but it doesn't matter. All that does matter is that you are here now."
He holds me close. "There is something you need to know."
"I knew it," I whimper. "It was too good to be true. Where is Destin?"
His teeth grind together. "Macy took him prisoner."
"No." I shake my head in disbelief. "She wouldn't. Not because of my actions. He didn't know."
He runs his fingers through my hair. "She thinks he did."
"Why did she let you go?"
"She said it was up to your mother to punish me?"
Laughter bubbles in my chest. "My mother would never punish you for this. My parents ran with us to the border. They love the twins."
An awkward silence falls between us. Six months apart, and we should have so much to say to one another, yet neither one of us can find the words. I fear that Destin was always the glue that held us together. We have never been just Charlie and Wren. It has always been the three of us.
"What are we going to do about Destin?" Charlie asks.
I push him away. "Nothing. My job is to protect the twins. Going back to save Destin would undermine that. I will not be going back."
His cheeks turn red with anger. "He loves you. He loves us. We can't leave him behind."
I press my finger into his chest. "You left him behind, too."
"He told me to," he defends himself.
I hold my breath, exhaling slowly. "What did he say?"
"To protect you and love you. You and the twins."
"He would be pissed if we went back for him," I remind Charlie. "He likes for things to go his way."
His face is still the color of a tomato. "I left Sadie behind. I have to save someone."
My phone buzzes in my pocket. "We have to go."
"No," he fights. "We need to talk about this."
"Do you want to fight, or do you want to pick up the twins from school?"
The anger drains from his face, and he smirks behind his overgrown beard. "I want to get the twins."
We walk through the town, and all eyes are on Charlie. He is probably the biggest person who has ever come through here, and his red hair makes him stick out like a sore thumb. The women whisper behind closed doors about how handsome he is, and the men view him as a threat. I get the feeling it will take them longer to warm up to him than they did with me.
Children are running out of the school into their parents arms, and the twins are no different. They run right into my arms, not even noticing that Charlie is standing beside me.
"Birdie, Birdie," Veyra squeals. "Gabriela gave us cookies for lunch."
"Were they yummy?" Charlie asks.
The twins look between Charlie and me before screaming. They climb all over him like he is their personal jungle gym. He carries Coren on his back and Veyra in his arms. Charlie tickles her with his beard, and she wrinkles her nose angrily. "You need a shave."
I try to hide my laugh, but I don't do it quickly enough.
Charlie pouts. "I thought I the long beard was a good look for me."
"It's not," Veyra answers for me.
"And you need a shower," Coren chimes in.