Breathe (Mates Saga #1) *Wattys2015*

Chapter 25

My eyes fluttered open and I yawned, stretching. I was groggy and probably wouldn't be awake until after my first cup of coffee. I attempted to roll over, but I couldn't move; it was as if there was a band of iron around my waist. A band of iron that wouldn't move no matter how hard I shoved at it.

"Stop it, sweetheart." Will's voice, groggy and full of the slow drawl of sleep, came from beside me, and it all came rushing back. Last night and the things we . . . did.

My face heated up and my hand immediately went up to my neck. I couldn't feel any upraised skin or anything, so I slid out of bed, grabbing my clothes out of the drawer. I got dressed in a white T-shirt that clung to my every curve, which all seemed more accented all of a sudden, and a pair of blue jeans. I jammed my hands in the pockets and walked to the bathroom, where I used the toilet.

I was washing my hands when I looked into the mirror. Imprinted on to the side of my neck was a crescent moon that was blue, with half of a dark red heart underneath it. The lettering underneath it read "Amavi etvixi", which my brain translated to "I loved and I lived."

I turned to look at Will, who was sprawled out on the bed watching me examine his Mark. I pointed to the Mark. "What is this from?" I asked, and he smiled brilliantly.

"We completed the Mating Ritual; therefore, if either of us dies, the other follows. We are forever connected. If we are ever reincarnated, we will both be mates again," Will explained. "We are officially soulmates."

"And we weren't before?" I asked, confused.

"There's a difference between mates and soulmates. Mates are when the Moon Goddess - a Wolf Deity that no one knows much about - has chosen two beings to be together. Soulmates is when they have officially Mated, like us. Understand?"

I nodded; it made sense now.

Will smiled. "Congratulations, sweetheart. You and I are officially soulmates," he drawled, and I held up a finger.

"But hang on. Why am I suddenly curvier?" I asked, and his eyes widened dramatically.

"WHAT!?" he all but screamed, at the top of his lungs.

http://www.wattpad.com/myworks/16414396/write/128553042 I dug in my ear with my pinkie, examining it for traces of blood. I didn't look at my mate as I told him, "Keep it down. You're going to wake the rest of the pack up. And not to mention ruin my hearing. Damn you can shout."

Will swallowed hard, and he raced to the dresser. He got dressed in a loose T-shirt of the black variety and a pair of tan cargo shorts, and then he rushed out of the room. Using my wolf speed, I chased after him, close behind him the entire time.

He led me to the pack doctor, banging on the door. I stopped behind him and looked at him; he looked genuinely afraid, and it was kind of scaring me.

The pack doctor, Ianto, opened the door, just as groggy as I was when I woke up. "Yes?" Ianto asked tiredly, and Will bit his lip - something I'd never seen him do before.

"May I come in?" Will asked, and Ianto snapped into attention.

"Yes, sir!" he exclaimed, opening the door widely.

Will grabbed my hand and dragged me inside with him. He had me sit down on the examination bed and pointed to me. "I want to know if she's pregnant," Will said, and my eyes widened.

Was that why I was suddenly curvier?

Ianto nodded, and he sniffed me. "She smells normal," he said as he continued to examine me. "She is curvier, though." He poked and prodded me until I hissed and batted his hand away.

"That hurts," I said, and Will's eyes widened.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked, moving to my side.

Careful not to make contact with the skin there, I pointed to my lower stomach. "Right there," I said, and Will gently laid his hand over my lower stomach.

Somehow, the sensation was pleasant, and I felt a slight jolt, like something kicked me. It was a weird feeling, and I jumped.

"What was that?" Will asked, bewildered, and I guessed that he had felt it too.

"It felt like a kick," I said, and he nodded.

Ianto's eyes widened and he dug in one of the cabinets for a couple of minutes. When he withdrew, he was holding a stick that I identified as a pregnancy test. "Try this," he said, and I nodded, accepting the test.

I went into the bathroom and peed on the stick like you're supposed to and then watched as the pregnancy test said 'Positive.' I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest, pounding faster and faster. My eyesight went blurry and I stood, gently setting the pregnancy test down on the counter, on the wrapping, as if it was my baby itself. I pulled up my pants and grabbed the test. I walked out and showed it to Ianto. I then went over to Will, and he hugged me to him tightly.

Ianto turned pale. "These tests are never wrong," he said quietly, and I bit my lip. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Vale, you're officially parents."

Will thanked Ianto and dragged me out of the room. He led me back to our room and sat me down on the bed. "What are we going to do?" he asked, pacing back and forth in front of me. "We can't have a child."

"Why not?" I couldn't help but ask; it slipped out of my lips before I could stop it.

Will smiled gently at me. "As much as I want to have a child with you, sweetheart, this isn't the right time." He resumed pacing. "We're about to enter an all-out war with the strongest pack in the country. Having a child around will just make us even more vulnerable. We can't have that."

I blinked away tears. "So you want me to abort our baby?" I asked, sniffling.

Will moved to my side, grabbing my hands and kneeling in front of me. "Of course not, Ella," he said, calling me by my real name for the first time ever. "What I want is for you to stay out of the fighting."

I bowed my head. As much as I wanted to fight, I knew that Will was right. Having a child inside of me would make me a burden to him and he wouldn't be able to fight as well while worrying about me 24/7. But maybe there was a way around it. If there was I would find it.

I looked up at Will. "How long does it take for a female werewolf to give birth?" I asked, and Will blinked.

"I don't know," he said, and I bit my lip. He tightened his grip on my hands and I looked deep into his eyes. "Why?"

"Because there's a chance that I might give birth before the war," I reasoned, and Will nodded.

"That is possible. Very possible, actually," he said, and I smiled, the weight on my heart easing up a little. "But you still aren't allowed to fight."

And the weight came crashing back down.

"Why not?" I asked - no, more like demanded.

"Because both of us can't die; there needs to be one of us to raise our child," Will reasoned, and I bowed my head.

He was right, as much as I didn't want to admit it.

I sighed and nodded. "All right, I'll stay out of the fighting," I said.

"Vow to me on the life of our child," Will demanded, and I nodded.

"I vow on the life of our child," I said, and I could feel the weight on my heart settle in to stay.