Breathe (Mates Saga #1) *Wattys2015*

Chapter 17

        "I'll never let anyone hurt you, Ella."

        "You mean the world to me, princess."

        "Ella! Look at what I found!"

        "I love you, Ella."

        "Princess, please. Just give me a chance."

        "Ella! Guess what? Guess what I found?"

        "Ella, tell me who hurt you. I'll kill them."

        "She did what? I'll kill her for you, princess."

        "Why can't we kiss, Ella?"

        "I fell in love with you the minute our eyes met, Ella."

        "Princess! Princess, wake up! Please wake up! You're having a nightmare!"

        My eyes fluttered open and I saw a figure leaning over me, shaking me awake. "Will? Is that you?" I whispered hopefully.

        "Who's Will, Ella? It's me, Preston," the figure whispered back, and I felt the blood drain from my face.

        I still hadn't told him about my true mate, and I frankly wasn't planning to. So I did the next best thing: I lied. "Will was my childhood sweetheart," I said, placing my hand on his cheek, "but he's dead now, so there's no competition."

        "Good," Preston said, leaning into my hand. "I don't want to have to kill him because he has my love's heart when I'm supposed to be the only one with her heart."

        I'm pretty sure my heart sank into my stomach when I heard him say that, and I was filled with guilt. In all truth, Will had my heart, and Preston never would. I felt terrible for lying to him. And so, I decided to ask him what we would do about mates. "Preston, what are we going to do when we find our mates?"

        My heart was thrumming in my chest, straining to escape my body, as I waited for his reply. Preston took both of my hands in his and pulled me up and into his chest. "No mate could ever steal my heart from you," he whispered, and I felt sick to my stomach for lying to him. "Why?"

        "I was just worried," I claimed, hoping he'd buy the obvious lie.

        "Don't be, love," Preston replied, entwining our fingers. "Besides, my mate died before she shifted. I knew her and knew she was my mate, but she didn't know it."

        A tear slipped down my cheek and Preston wiped it away with his thumb. "I'm sorry," I whispered hoarsely, trying to suppress the urge to be sick.

        "Don't be," he said, and I knew he was giving me a gentle, loving smile. "I have you now, and you're all that I need."

        "But what if I have a mate?" I asked suddenly, my voice cracking with my desperation.

        "Then he'll have to fight me for you," Preston said, a growl ripping through his throat.

        My mouth fell open and I began to panic, nearing hyperventilation. "Will you bring the pack into it?" I asked, fearing the answer.

        "Of course," Preston replied, oblivious to my panicking. "They'll want to protect their Luna just as much as I want to protect you."

        It was then that I truly began to panic, hyperventilating to the point where my head began to swim and my vision clouded. There was no way that Will would survive the battle. The rest of the pack would be demolished, as well. The Blood Rose pack, Preston's pack, is the second strongest pack in the entire world and the strongest on the American continent. There was no way that Will's pack would stand a chance if it really came down to it.