Breathe (Mates Saga #1) *Wattys2015*

Chapter 26

Will's and my child continued to develop inside of me over the next couple of days, and my stomach grew bigger. I continued to get even more curves, types of curves I'd never had before; I didn't like it, but Will did. He really enjoyed my curves, shown by the way that he would caress them at night. Yeah, it was creepy.

Will was preparing for the war even more while I spent time inside, relaxing on the couch watching old movies from my childhood (AKA: Disney). I ate weird foods - and food mixtures, too. Basically, I was like a pregnant human. Except I was growing bigger and bigger around the midsection day by day. It wasn't a gradual growth; I was like five inches bigger around the midsection day to day.

It was a week after the day we discovered that I was pregnant that I went into labor. It was a very painful but quick delivery, and when I was done, I gave birth to a small baby girl with little tufts of gold hair on her ears that Will and I named Luce. Luce Torii Vale.

"Will, I want to fight," I said, cradling Luce in my arms. "I want to get back at Preston for everything he's done."

Will gently rubbed my upper arms, smiling gently at me. "I want to let you, sweetheart," he told me, honesty ringing true in every word. "I honestly do, but it's against pack rules to let a new mother fight in a werewolf war."

I blinked. "So it's okay for me to fight in a human/werewolf war?" I asked, and he chuckled.

"Yes, although I don't really get it," Will said, shrugging. "But it's a werewolf war, and I can't let you fight."

"Change the rules for me!" I exclaimed, rocking Luce. "Bend them a little. Just, please, let me fight, Will."

Will leaned forward and kissed me, his lips soft and warm against mine. He pulled away and gave me a sad smile. "I can't, sweetheart," he said.

"I'm your mate! I'm the Luna. The pack will understand!" I pleaded, but Will shook his head.

"I love you, sweetheart," he said. "That's why I can't let you fight."

"I'm not going to die, and you're not going to either," I said vehemently, and he laughed quietly and kissed the top of my head.

"The fact of the matter is that it's very likely that we're going to lose. If you have a child and are Marked, Preston can't take you," Will reasoned. "It's safer for you to stay with Luce and wait for the war to be over."

Tears gathered in my ears, stinging at my eyes like a nettle-brush against my arm. I sniffled, and a tear slipped down my cheek. "I don't want to lose you," I said, choking on the words and the emotions overwhelming me. "Please don't. I can't lose you."

Will wiped away my tear and kissed my lips tenderly before pressing his lips against my forehead. "You know I can't promise anything," he whispered against my forehead. "I can't promise that I won't die, because, honestly, it's very likely that I'm going to. We're almost assured to lose. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish that it wasn't the truth, but it is. Just . . . don't you die, too, all right? Find a way to survive."

"If you die, I'll have to live life on the run," I said, crying silently. "I'll be a rogue, and I'll likely be executed."

"You won't be a rogue," Will said, and I blinked. "You'll be a lone-wolf; there's a difference. All rogues start out as lone-wolves, but not all lone-wolves turn into rogues. Rogues are lone-wolves who have lost all of their humanity, all of their compassion, all of the things that make them human."

"But we're werewolves," I said, and he shook his head.

"That's not what I'm saying," he said. "What I'm saying is they've lost what makes us more like humans than beasts."

I sighed. "All right, so I won't be a rogue but I will be a lone-wolf. I'll be one of those poor wolves who's lost their mate and is like a shell," I said, and Will flinched as if I had struck him. Oblivious, I continued: "I'll be dead. That's no way for Luce to be raised. She'll be so miserable because I'll be miserable."

Will suddenly grabbed me and dragged me into a hug, careful not to harm Luce. "Don't talk like that, sweetheart," he breathed against my neck. "I can't stand to think of you unhappy; it kills me inside."

"Then don't leave me," I said, pleading with him. "Please don't leave me."

Will pulled away. "I don't have a choice," he said, and I bit my lip, tears still pouring down my cheeks like rain - as cliche as that is. "I don't have a say in this. I don't want to leave you, sweetheart. I really don't, but I don't have a choice. I'm going to die; we're going to lose and Preston is going to kill me to have you. That's the way it's going to turn out. You already know that. I'm going to die, and you're going to have to escape Preston's wrath with Luce and probably get out of the country, because then no one will be around to challenge Preston's pack. I don't want this, sweetheart. None of us do. I love you, sweetheart, but I may have to leave you. Please don't be angry with me or hate me if I do."

Then he left, so fast all that I could see of him was a fast-moving blur.

I fell to my knees, sobbing. "I could never be angry with you or hate you. I love you, Will. Please don't leave me."

I cradled Luce in my arms as I curled up on the floor in a fetal position, still bawling.