The Mating ends

Eight

After his disappearance I felt a tear in my heart, I had never felt more attached than I did now, it was like every time I saw him we became closer.

It was tearing me apart.
By the time I had composed myself my husband returned.

He must notice the look of confusion on my face as he entered,
"Hey soph, you okay?" He questions as he slides through the thick wooden door, his gaze locked with mine.
Concern graces his soft features as he approaches me, his arms reaching out to embrace me, my wavy hair shifting from his breath at the back of my head.
I hug him back and squeeze him, inhaling his scent as I calm down, all thoughts of my mate disappearing.

"We should never have come here, what was I thinking Soph, what if he comes after you." He whispered, moving away to look at my eyes.

This was the first time he had expressed any concern about the whole mate situation and I could see he was having second thoughts about staying.

"I know, I don't want to be here either but we have to look strong, this is going to be televised all over the werewolf channels and news and we have to be here to prove them all wrong, we have to stand and I need to prove this point and end these faulty games. Nobody should find their mate through fighting, and it's stupid because all alphas like my mate are so strong they can sense their mates before the fights. We need to show them that you can be happy without a mate, and that it should be a choice." I rush out , my thoughts jumbling together.

Is that really why I wanted to stay? A nagging feeling in my mind told me it was more than that.

"Are you happy soph? With me I mean." He asks, his gaze penetrating mine, the hazel eyes that have never lied.

"God yes." I almost laughed, of course I am happy, there was just something missing...

"Of course I'm happy with you, we have a beautiful girl and another child on the way." I remind him, placing his hands on my stomach.

"You Austin, are kind, stunningly handsome and loving and I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you, I love you." I exclaim slapping his chest lightheartedly,
"Come on we've been through this." I chuckle, my smile real.
He grins at me and pulls me in for a kiss.

It wasn't a lie, I wasn't lying. I did love him. I did. I do.

But was wanting to love him enough?

"So did you figure out what the hell were supposed to do now we're here?" I ask, breaking the silence that fell.

"Well I picked up a leaflet. These games are the biggest yet. The trouble makers are supposed to find a mate by fighting in the huge shiny new arena they've built next to this place on the old training field, all we have to do is sit in the stands and tell out happy love story." He grumbles as he slides me a leaflet.

I scoff at the thing and toss it into a ball and toss it just inches from the bin.

I sigh and turn to Austin to ask if he wants any food and notice that he has already resigned to bed.
I switch off the light in the bedroom and crawl into bed beside him, my clothes feeling dirty from my contact with Aiden, feeling like a thousand mites covered my body.

Restless, I toss of the covers and hop into the shower where I scrub my skin raw until the feeling of his breath lingering on my skin vanish.

I retire to bed, my hair still damp and fall asleep in Austin's arms, feeling so small and yet I still felt as though the arms that encased me weren't big enough. Or just weren't right.

In the morning we drag ourselves out of bed and dress for the first matches today, and suddenly it hit me. Aiden would have a new mate, someone else would be taking him home, another woman would take up his every thought.

I would live the mundane life with Austin, only ever wondering if the hoover was broken or not, I shivered at the thought. So much had changed since I discovered I was a werewolf, and maybe I had been a werewolf for a reason, maybe that life was for me, but I don't know if I want it.

Whatever I decide I was always going to be hurting somebody, and as selfish as it was I didn't want that to be me.

Over would be this game of cat and mouse where he chases me, the damsel in distress and then carries me back to his cave on the woods telling me that I'm his, where he pushes and pushes and I push back telling him I don't want him, I never thought this would happen and now it's setting in.

After this week he would no longer be mine, our connection would be gone and his love would lie with someone else.

And that terrified me.

Breakfast was brought to our room by a waiter with a suit on. Two full breakfasts for the VIP. Guests, he informed us that we would get our own veranda to watch the games and special passes to go backstage and see how it all worked. I shivered at the thought, I knew too well.

Oh I knew too well how these stupid games worked and yet I was being hypocritical by letting it happen, I was saying that another games was okay, I should end fighting against this, but I only want Aiden to have a new mate, or do I?

But if I somehow make it stop it will seem as though I still care. Do I ? Do I care?

Do I care if the man destined to me finds another like I did to him.

The answer shocks me to the bone so much that I choke on a slice of toast.
Yes, it seems. I do.

---------------////-----------—--------—:(:):):)):):):):):):):

Wherever you are, whatever happened today, how ever you ended up reading this novel, just know that I'm thinking of who I ship,

Aiphie (aiden + Sophie)

Or

Sophtin (Austin

Happy Halloween 🎃 (I know it's early)