Bound by Love

35. Please...

"Wren. Come back to us. Wren. We love you." The brothers cry out at her still form. She lays limply on the ground as their hearts ache with a sorrow they cannot comprehend.

Ian nuzzles at her slack hand praying for her to return to them. "Please Little Bird."

Gray clutches at his chest, wondering if the strength of this emotion swelling inside him will kill him as it seems to tear at his heart, ripping it to shreds. "My Heart, please come back. My own can't beat on without your presence."

Van cries, his tears dampening her hair as he cradles her head in his lap and traces the pale features of her face. "Angel, you must return to us. You must."

The world is silent as the brothers stare down at their mate. Her face, once cringing in pain is now peaceful - vacant.

The feelings rushing over them are too strong, their bodies can't hold the emotions in and will soon leak out in anger, aggression and fear. The ache of their grief too heavy a burden.

Gray swallows hard, hands clutching at Wren drawing her to his body. Ian and Van surround her on either side, until every part of her is touching her mates. They whisper their love and beg her to come back to them.

A small fluttering motion catches Gray's eye and he draws his head back to take in Wren's sweet face. Hope burns inside him as her eyelids flicker and open, revealing the gorgeous opal like orbs to his sight.

The brothers joy is too great for words as they kiss her pinking cheeks. They softly massage her cold limbs, drawing heat to her skin. All the while murmuring their love, and thanks to God that she came back to them.

"S-Stan?" Wren's voice stutters out in a weak whisper. "Is he okay? What happened?"

Gray shakes his head, his throat clogged with held back sobs and unable to find his voice.

"We don't know Little Bird. We..." Ian's voice breaks off.

Van wipes away an errant tear and forces his tongue to move. "You were looking into the future, to see if we could come with you. The next thing we know, you're laying on the ground and our hearts are breaking as if you died. The grief felt so real."

Wren nods, sobs competing with manic laughter. Her memories of what could come to pass fighting with the relief that it hasn't yet been. With her voice cracking Wren tells what she has learned.

"They will know if you follow me and Stanley will die. So I decided to see how it'd go if I went alone. If I do, w-we both die. If I could save him I would. There must be another path. Stan can't die. He's too bright of a light, the world would be so dark without him in it."

Ian lays his head in Wren's lap, tears soaking into the fabric of her jeans darkening the blue denim with navy drops. "We will come up with a way, Little Bird. We will."

Gray looks searchingly at Van and Ian, his face in deep contemplation. "Which of you was able to block us from view? Remember, when Blake harmed Wren and then again when Ian's marks were shielded from the council? Which of you did it?"

"I don't know." Van mutters. "I don't think it was me. But until it was pointed out to me, I didn't know I could make the force field. If were doing it unconsciously how are we to know who? And most importantly, how to call it out with purpose?"

"Well," Ian stands to his feet. "We all need to try. We have to figure it out and hopefully that will make it to where it will appear as if Wren is alone."

All three men concentrate and dig deep within their minds, searching for a flicker of understanding. Minutes pass, and everyone grows anxious as the deadline for Wren to get Stanley draws ever too close.

Atticus, Gwendolyn, and the rest of the council talk amongst themselves, trying to find an alternate solution. Atticus watches his newly found daughter, thanking God for her gifts that saved him from the grief of losing her once more after far too short a time.

He closes his eyes for a brief moment, trembling with the gratefulness he feels. When he opens his eyes he has to rub at them, certain that they are playing tricks on him. But no, the space where Wren was sitting is empty. He fears that she gave up on other solutions and went ahead to try to save Stan, even though she knows the outcome. But, then he realizes that the brothers are gone as well.

He calls out to his mate, making her turn to face him. "Gwennie, did Wren say anything to you? Or the brothers?"

"No, why..." She gasps as she sees the empty clearing. "Where are they? Wren?" Gwendolyn cries out in dismay and fear.

Then, quicker than a heart can beat the bothers and Wren are revealed. Exactly where they had been before.

Atticus falls to his knees, head in his hands. "Thank God! I feared... So which of you have the cloaking ability? Is it you Van? It is quite similar to the Angel's cloaking ability, just on a much larger scale."

Van shakes his head as he lends Wren a hand, drawing her to her feet. Ian hugs her from behind and Gray takes up her other hand.

"No sir. It isn't Vanny Boy, Gray or myself. It's all Little Bird. She just gets more and more impressive with every moment we're blessed to know her."

Atticus smiles, pride bright in his eyes. "My baby. You truly are a miracle."

Gwendolyn rushes over, hugging Wren close. "Sweetheart, how did you figure it out?"

Wren smiles shyly, a blush heating her cheeks. "I looked into the future, searching for when the guys would figure it out. I was shocked when I realized it was me! I looked, and if I cloak you, all of you can come with me without Reynolds or Blake being any the wiser. We can save Stan. He's going to be okay!"

Wren grins broadly as she squeezes her mom in a joyful hug, then her dad and finally her mates. She laughs with hard won relief. "Let's go. Let's save my brother."

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