Chapter 46
"Wren..."
Birdie felt her heart split in half with the emotions that roared up inside of her. She took a small step forward, not trusting her legs to hold her up. The heat that burned inside of her tortured Birdie slowly as she gave up trying to make sense of anything and ran forward.
With ease and eager arms, Wren caught her, pulling her into his embrace as he buried his face in her hair. Birdie didn't know who shivered as she inhaled Wren's familiar scent. Tears rose to her eyes as she tightened her arms around his neck. Her feet barely touched the ground as Wren wrapped his arms around her and summoned a portal.
"Don't leave," Birdie panicked as she felt Wren take a step backwards. "No. No. Don't go."
"Shhhhh," Wren whispered into her ears. His hand rose to rest against the back of her head as he crushed her to himself and stepped into the portal. His eyes watched Maya and Heyder's face pale as the portal closed right before them.
"You're here," Birdie began to cry. Her tears soaked into Wren's skin as he held her tightly in his arms. "You're here."
"I'm here, Sultana," Wren smiled. He dared to pull back slightly to get a look at those beautiful eyes he couldn't breathe without. "I found you."
"I thought..." Birdie searched Wren's eyes through her tears. "Ira told me you were dead."
"Might as well have been without you," Wren whispered, resting his forehead against Birdie.
"You need a shave," Birdie laughed through her tears as she moved to place her hand against Wren's dark stubbles.
"You don't like it?" Wren asked, melting against her touch.
"It will hurt when you kiss me," Birdie couldn't stop crying. Her heart was beating so fast she feared she wouldn't live long enough to savor the moment.
"Let's test that theory," Wren leaned forward, capturing Birdie's mouth as she parted her lips and gasped.
And just like that, everything was right in the world once more.
Birdie couldn't explain the way her soul rose up to kiss Wren as he breathed life into her. His lips were hungry, seeking her out as if he too had been on the brink of death without her. His hands dove into her hair, pulling her to himself as if she wasn't close enough.
Birdie burned for his touch. Her skin was on fire as Wren moved his lips down the side of her face and then down her neck. Their breathing labored as they found their way to each other's lips over and over as if they would lose each other again if they stopped for even just a second.
"Don't leave me," Birdie said in between the kisses. "Don't ever leave me."
"Never," Wren promised.
With tenderness, Wren wiped the tears on Birdie's cheeks with his thumb as she stared up at him.
"You look beautiful," Wren whispered. "Better than how I remember you."
"How..." Birdie's heart skipped a beat. "How long...?"
The light in Wren's eyes flickered as he grew still for a few seconds. His heart hummed loudly under Birdie's hand as he gazed into her eyes, getting lost, wanting to lose his mind.
"Wren?" Birdie raised her hand and touched the edge of his face once more.
"I thought you were dead," Wren finally said. The words brought with them the pain that haunted him every night. "I spent the last three years searching for you in every universe I could open a portal to. Every timeline, every dimension, every reality. Anywhere there was life, I searched for you."
"Why..." Birdie never wanted him to stop talking.
"I couldn't live in a world where you didn't exist," Wren pushed his hand into her hair and brushed his lips over her once more. "Even if death took you from me, I would search through space and time until I found you once again."
"I love you," Birdie spoke the words against Wren's lips. His arm around her waist tightened as the corner of his mouth curved up.
"And you must know how I feel about you," Wren sighed, his smile widening.
"Say it," Birdie demanded, pushing at his chest.
"Little bird, I pulled universes together for you," Wren laughed. He spun her around and held her against his chest to show her the new Pangea he had created for her.
Birdie gasped, looking around and realizing they were standing on his balcony. Birds flew overhead and the gushing waters of the Splendid falls created misty clouds that swirled and danced.
"How did..." Birdie stared up at the birds in the sky.
"I set them all free," Wren rested his chin on her shoulder. "Look this way."
Birdie followed as Wren turned her around to face the city.
"No more walls," he said. "No more separations. The city is one now. No more high bloods, now more common bloods, no more collectors."
"You did all this?" Birdie stepped forward to the end of the balcony.
"For you," Wren said, watching her. "As I searched for you, I created a world for you to come home to."
Birdie looked over her shoulder to the fey. She turned and smiled up at him with her head tilted.
"I want to hear it," Birdie said.
"Sultana," Wren stepped forward mischievously.
"Say it, Wren," Birdie laughed. "Say the words."
"Look around you," Wren rolled his eyes. "Look at the millions of ways I'm showing it to you."
Birdie frowned, "I don't want a million different ways."
"Must it always be your way?" Wren chuckled.
"Must you always be so stubborn?"
"Yes," Wren laughed and pulled Birdie closer. "I love you, my little bird."
"There," Birdie smiled. "Was that so hard?"
"It was extremely difficult," Wren lowered his lips and let Birdie taste the words on his tongue.
"Say it again," Birdie pulled him closer by the lapel of the dark coat he was weaning.
"I love you," Wren leaned down and scooped her up into his arms. He spun her around, feeling high as Birdie laughed and called out his name. "I love you."
"Don't stop saying it," Birdie hooked her arms around his neck and pulled herself up until she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands held her round bottom as she smothered him with kisses all over his face.
"Whatever you command, Sultana," Wren met every kiss.
Suddenly, as Wren stood staring up at Birdie, the girl in his arms froze. The smile slowly slipped from her lips as her eyes grew dim and sad. Wren's heart contracted as he sat her down on her feet and cupped her face.
"I thought I would never get to tell you," Birdie's voice was slow.
"Me too..." Wren confessed.
"You are really here, right?" Birdie asked. "Am I going crazy?"
"Or are you a figment of my imagination?" Wren asked. "Did we both fall off the deep end and lose our sanity?"
"Sanity was overrated," Birdie smiled. "I think I like this insanity."
"It's madness," Wren chuckled.
"Love should always be madness," Birdie kissed him once more.
Birdie couldn't stop herself as she gripped Wren's collar and pulled him down to her mouth. Her tongue traced over his lip, making his fingers dig into her hips. Birdie was intoxicated by the way he smelled. She felt a burning need start to grow inside of herself that she thought she would never get back. She wanted him closer than he already was. She wanted to feel him and hear him and meet his body in every way possible.
When Birdie's hands began to fumble with the buttons of Wren's shirt, he picked her up with a low chuckle and carried her into the room. Setting her down one the bed, Wren fell on top of her as Birdie refused to let go of him for even just a split second.
"Give me a second," Wren bit down into her bottom lip.
"No," Birdie said.
"I've thought about this moment for so long," Wren laughed. "And somehow you're exceeding all my acceptations."
"Stop talking!" Birdie whined. "Take off your clothes. Take off my clothes."
"Yes, your grace," Wren melted.
His hands moved to Birdie's sides as he pushed up her shirt until it was over her head and out of the way. She was breathtaking. It was a dream to be touching her and running his hands over her. Wren marveled at how Birdie's skin blossomed with goosebumps everywhere he touched her. When his hands moved to the buttons of her jeans, he looked up to find her watching him.
"Yes," Birdie said breathlessly. "Don't stop."
"I'm not stopping," Wren grinned.
Birdie laughed as Wren undid the button of her jeans and slid his hand inside. She bit down on her bottom lip as she wiggled her hips and tried to pull the pants down her legs. Wren deepened their kiss as Birdie moaned into his mouth. She was about to push his hand farther down her pants when the doors to the room suddenly opened.
Gasping, Birdie pulled away from Wren's lips as someone entered the room and shut the door. Wren stilled, his face hardening as the muscles in his jaw tensed.
"My apologies," a woman said. "I didn't know you had company."
As Wren lifted himself off of Birdie, she pulled the sheets over herself and sat up in confusion. Her eyes fell on a young woman with midnight black hair and beautiful round eyes. Her pointy ears peaked out from behind her hair strands as she stood staring at Wren with a bored expression.
"What are you doing here?" Wren asked.
"I came to tell you we're moving dangerously close to Earth," the woman said, her eyes flickering towards Birdie. "Oh....so you found her."
"Yes, I did," Wren rose from the bed and cleared his throat. "Now, please leave."
"Are you sure she's the right one?" The woman asked, her eyes still on Birdie. "The other two weren't."
"What other two?" Birdie looked up to Wren. "Wren, what is she talking about?"
"I'll explain in just a second," Wren said to her kindly before he turned to the other women. "You may leave."
"No, wait," Birdie jumped up with the sheets. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled but it never reached her eyes, "My name is Maisha."
Birdie could feel Wren moving closer to her as Maisha's eyes shifted to him.
"I'm Wren's wife," she said.
Dear readers,
Thank you so much for all of your love and support with this series. You have made writing such a joy for me. I have been working on these books for years and to be completely honest, it was becoming very difficult to keep myself motivated.
To keep my love for writing alive, I have decided to take a break from writing fantasies. I am not abandoning this book. However, the harder you push for me to complete it, the father I will go from it.
I have had countless amounts of people message me saying they are disappointed and upset. I understand and I apologize but I hope you can be respectful of my needs. My mental health is a priority for me right now. I hope to come back to this book soon but until then please don't send me angry messages. It does hurt to read them.
With love,
Marcy