Breathe (Mates Saga #1) *Wattys2015*

Chapter 15

        I knew Preston wanted us to be joined in holy matrimony soon, but this was just ridiculous. The other packs that had been invited to witness this event had already started arriving and settling themselves into tents on the edge of our territory. Honestly, if I wasn't already in so deep, I would have chickened out already. In other words, I was scared out of my mind. I wasn't sure that I could actually go through with it, and my wolf wasn't helping any.

        'Maybe you should go through with it,' she said with a sneer. 'What happens if Preston finds his mate? You'll be left in the dust, and by that point, Will will have already mated someone and found himself a Luna. Either way, you're going to lose.'

        My wolf was pissing me off, so I decided to play her game. 'Well, you're going to lose, too, you know. No matter what I decide, you're never going to be happy. So at least I won't be the only one suffering.'

        We both blocked each other out, sulking like little children. I know that my wolf and I acted totally childish towards each other, but sometimes, you can't help it. Of course, it doesn't help that we were fighting so much that we could actually end up tearing each other apart, leaving us both dead.

        I was strangely intrigued by the idea, and I wondered what Will and Preston would do. Would they both mourn us and swear off women forever, kind of like the way I had (and failed to do)? Or would they get over us with a steamy one-night stand and be completely done with us? Would it be that easy for them to get rid of us? Were we that disgusting? I had no answers for my haunting revelations, and it scared me.

        "Are you nervous?" someone behind me asked, and I calmly turned around to find myself face-to-face with Maria.

        I was startled to find that it was her, but I'd heard her approaching. It's just that, I hadn't gotten used enough to my new senses to be able to pick out certain people's footsteps. It was kind of annoying, if you ask me. I stared at her absentmindedly for a moment, only brought back to the present when she cleared her throat, clearly wanting an answer. I blushed crimson and turned away, looking out of my window wistfully. "Yeah, I am," I found myself saying truthfully. "What happens when Preston finds his mate? What will happen to me then?"

        Maria wrapped me up in a hug from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder. "Preston loves you so much that he'd reject his mate to be with you."

        'So there'll end up being two broken hearts by the end of this thing. Maybe his mate and Will could hook up. I hope you're proud of yourself, Ella. This is all your doing,' my wolf said, but I ignored her and blocked her out. I was done with her judging my every action and claiming that I wasn't good enough for her when we were born with each other.

        You see, every human being is born with an inner wolf, just in case something happens to them. If your predestined mate turns out to already be a werewolf, then your inner wolf's rank in a pack is the same as your mate's. It's interesting if you really think about it.

        "Ella? Are you still there?" Maria asked, and I jolted out of my thoughts.

        "Sorry," I said, smiling sheepishly. "I was just thinking."

        Maria laughed. "Obviously," she remarked, and I rolled my eyes in a good-natured way.

        "Oh, shut up," I said, and Maria laughed more.

        When I got tired of her arms constricting me, I began wriggling around. "Okay, okay, I'd like some personal space now," I said and sighed in relief when she stepped away from me. "Thanks."