He Chose Her

Part 1

"I'm glad you understand, but I hope it doesn't come down to me picking between you both. It wouldn't be great either way," he said with an awkward chuckle. I saw him turn to the ground and avoid my gaze once more, "You should get ready for class." Daniel was already twenty and had already finished high school, he was about to take the role of Alpha from his father in two weeks.

"I wish I was strong enough to tell you," I said, still stuck on something he previously said. But he had turned his back and started walking away, and I knew he didn't hear me. I sighed and began to collect my things for the day. 

Five Months Later

I wish I could say that things had changed for the better in the last five months, but today, Daniel was getting married. He's a little too young, which most of the pack has been gossiping about recently, but he and Martha claimed it was "true love". I suppose there is something romantic in choosing to have married her before even meeting his mate, but it wasn't "true love". It couldn't be; I was his mate.

I had made a new friend in the last few weeks. My conversation with Daniel seemed to have affected him, and with his pending nuptials, his time appears to be dedicated to Martha anyways. His name was George, my new friend. He knows everything about my mate and me, he understands me, and I trust him—I guess one good thing has come out of this situation.

We are outside of this barn-like complex on our pack grounds which we usually use to host meetings or large celebrations, but today, it would mark the spot of Daniel's wedding. It is decorated from head to toe in white lace, with roses neatly strewn by the entrance. George and I watched our pack make their way in when he turned to me and whispered, "You're going to die, you know?" It was blunt, but that's what I loved about George. He was honest.

"I could survive, just without my wolf," I answered quickly, but he and I both knew it was a lie as soon as the words left my mouth. Perhaps I was just trying to convince myself and make today seem less insidious, but I was going to die soon. I spent most of my nights awake pondering whether my heart would be strong enough to withstand the pain. Most women die, most often when their mate also dies, but also when their mate bonds to another—like in the case of Daniel and Martha. This wasn't just a wedding; it was a spiritual ceremony that will attempt to sear one's link to their mate, leaving the one remaining feeling unwhole for the rest of their lives.

"Do you think anyone will miss me when I'm gone?" I asked suddenly. George frowned, "Apart from you of course," I added. "I mean, my parents hate me, Daniel just doesn't seem to care for my existence, I have no siblings, and you're my only friend."

"I'm am going to miss you so much that you couldn't possibly put it into words," George exclaimed, but only silence followed for a while. "You could always tell him. He might choose you once he knows," he said.

"Yeah, sure," I sighed, "But I love him enough to put him first and make sure he is happy". We were once again engulfed in profound silence.

"It's weird how in a matter of hours, you'll just be a memory, and you won't be a living, breathing person anymore." He mumbled, and my eyes snapped towards him. I felt sad too, it had been hard for me to imagine a life where I could be happy without Daniel, but I could sometimes catch glimpses of it, and it didn't seem too daunting. He took my silence as a sign of offence, "I'm sorry, it's just hard for me to wrap this around my head."