They Mated
Aside from that, Ellen is not ready yet to mate someone despite the fact that it is being a must for her to find one of her age. She still has her unfulfilled dreams and ambition in life, not just as a wolf but as a human. And if she could have one, she was afraid her hopes and dreams might end terribly.
Needless to say, she doesn't like Rodney to be his mate. Being with him must be the last thing she could have wished for her entire life as a werewolf.
"Let the mating begin!" Vladimir pulled the trigger of his rifle pointing to the sky. Cheering and whooping from the hundreds of attendees and supporters have reverberated throughout the mansion.
Ellen and the rest of the participants immediately rushed through the dense forest in front of the mansion. Everyone, excluding Ellen, has felt the excitement of the event as they shifted into wolves.
The male wolves, including Rodney, were also in a race searching for their mates. Searching for Ellen. "Don't you dare try following Ellen? She's mine." he threatened all the boys with him as they rushed to the woods.
Then, they all separated ways. Meanwhile, Ellen rushed as far away as possible from the female wolves. She had to keep herself low-key, especially to her scent since it was the basis for the male wolves to tail them off.
"Good luck, Ellen. You deserve someone better. Someone like Rodney," says one of the female wolves who followed her trail.
"You like Rodney, don't you?" Ellen asked back.
The female wolf has suddenly startled by Ellen's unexpected question. It was undeniable to her face that Ellen was right. She smiled shortly and slowed down. Following Ellen was intentional. The female wolf knew Rodney will be chasing Ellen.
And she was taking advantage of the situation that in case Ellen would decline Rodney's proposal, she will save the man from being humiliated.
"Don't worry, he is all yours. I'd better be with someone else rather than him." Ellen smiled back before she speeds up her running until the female wolf was already out of her sight.
As soon as Elen concluded that no one has been following her, she slowed down as she shifted back into a human. She laid her exhausted back against the trunk of the tree, trying to catch up on her racing breath.
However, she did not shut off her enhanced werewolf senses to make sure she could have the sense when someone is coming. To her surprise, someone's scent suddenly appeared behind the tree she was resting on.
When she turned around, her eyes immediately enlarged and her jaw dropped to the ground after seeing Nathan's swollen eyes. His entire body was covered with mud and dirt as though he looked like someone who rolled over farmland.
She could even hear Nathan's thunderous heartbeats and felt his entire body trembling. That makes her think that if Nathan was also chasing her to be his mate, why is his eyes full of teardrops?
The worst part was, that he simply passed through in front of her and moved forward with a heavy heart. She even heard him muttering the same word over and over again.
"Nathan?" Ellen breathed out his name, expecting he would stop stepping forward.
Sadly, that was not what happened. Nathan ignored her as though he hadn't heard her shout. He continued marching, wiping those teary eyes, and was trying to stand still despite his trembling legs.
Out of curiosity, Ellen followed his direction. "Nathan, stop!" she exclaimed as she lifted her foot twice compared to Nathan's just to outrun him.
"Stay away from me, Ellen. I'm an abomination. Stay away from me if you don't want bad luck will also inflict on you. My life is worthless." Nathan said back and continued marching.
Ellen, on the other hand, was eager to know what happened to Nathan and how he got into the woods for the mating event. So, she continued following him.
"Don't say that, Nathan. Always remember if you have a few reasons to give up, find that one reason for you to live with. Life is beautiful." Ellen advised. "Will you stop for a sec, please?"
Nathan slowed down, not because his entire body was already feeling tired but because he felt the concerned tone of Ellen's voice. Similar to Ellen, Nathan was also curious about how she appeared in the middle of the woods.
"Thanks," she inhaled deeply and smiled right in front of Nathan's eyes. "So, what happened?"
To Ellen's surprise, Nathan did not give a damn as he suddenly burst out her tears and wrapped his arms around Ellen's. She was about to push him away because she was not used to when someone clasping her but she felt how badly Nathan needed someone to lean on.
Nathan refused to answer her concern. Instead, he took his time hugging Ellen. Ellen, on the other hand, simply let him do it and waited for him to talk. She already thought that she was safe from the mating event. Safe from Rodney. So, she gently stroked his back.
Five minutes later, Nathan eased off and slowly let go of his grip on Ellen. He then turned around to avoid getting eye-to-eye contact with her as he wiped the tears from his swollen eyes. And for her not seeing his blushing face because of what he did earlier.
Undeniably, Nathan's heavy feelings earlier got lightened. For the five minutes wrapping his arms around her, he somehow forgot those alarming problems that inflicted his terrible life like a virus.
"I just found out I am adopted," he muttered coldly. But Ellen doesn't know how to respond to his opening statement. She felt pity for him but she doesn't know how to ease off his burden.
Nevertheless, it was her first time hearing about such a kind of situation amongst the wolves she knew. The only thing she did at that time was to rub the tip of her nose while digging deeply into her heart to have something to say.
"Don't know who I really am. Who were my real parents? Where are they right now? And why did they abandon me?" His consecutive questions even gives pressure on Ellen.
Part of Nathan wanted to tell Ellen everything. But he intentionally forgot to mention to her that his adoptive parents found him in a cave, frozen by time. That he was not a member of the Crescent Moon Pack.
He was uncertain that Ellen might tell the rest of the wolves about him being a rogue or a lone wolf. That he faked his pack marks on his forehead. Aside from that, Nathan doesn't want Ellen to think he was nothing but a liar.
"My life was full of bad luck, Ellen. You're a good person. Don't want to infect whatever unlucky things that happen in my life right now. You're too lucky that you have everything."
Nathan was surprised when Ellen suddenly chuckled. She ordered Nathan to sit down with her on the ground when she knew it'll be long, long storytelling. And the mating event still has an hour to finish.
Aside from that, she felt comfortable being with Nathan, Ellen also wanted to help him the furthest she could do to comfort him. Though she knew she was not good for advising things, talking to him was the least she could do to make sure Nathan could not think about suicide or doing a terrible thing to ruin his wolf.
"Nah. I don't believe in bad luck, Nathan. We are the ones holding and making our destiny. I once experienced being in your shoes." Ellen said back. "My mum also died in a car accident along with my favorite dog. And I always blamed myself for that..."
Ellen cut off her statements when she remembered Nathan's mum just died. She was linking the incident being the reason Nathan appeared in the middle of the woods weeping. She doesn't want to add up the burden he felt deep in his heart.
"What did you do to end them?" Nathan curiously returned the question. At first, Ellen declined to answer because she doesn't want Nathan to remember anything about his mum's death but he insisted.
Ellen seemed to be obliged to answer, so she said, "fight back? Withstand them no matter what. We only have one life in this world, Nathan. For every problem has a solution. You just have to think of a better answer to it."
She suddenly leaned on the ground, staring at those millions of stars twinkling in the sky. Good thing they met each other in the middle of the night for him not to see her naked body.
"Thanks, Ellen," Nathan said back with a slight smile on his face. Even if he knew his life differed from hers, he was still thankful that someone has listened to his problems. "What are you doing here anyway?"
Ellen was about to lie to Nathan but someone's familiar scent suddenly appeared behind them. She quickly lifted half of her body and shortly muttered, "do you trust me?"
"What? What are you talking..." Nathan cut off his words when Ellen suddenly leaned her lips against Nathan's lips. She waited for Rodney to see it with his own eyes.
Ellen expected Rodney will disappear from his spot after seeing the kiss. However, she was surprised when Rodney grabbed her left arm by force and dragged her away from Nathan.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rodney furiously asked Nathan.
"Aren't I supposed to be the one to ask you that, huh?" Nathan courageously asked back. He quickly stood up and prepared for a fight. He was as furious as Rodney. And Nathan was willing to fight with him, considering he had a few problems on his plate at that time.
"So, you're brave now, huh? What are you trying to prove, you idiot metallic boy?" Rodney pushed Nathan which almost resulted in him stumbling to the ground. But Nathan pushed him back.
"Rodney, stop!" Ellen screamed. Loud enough a few wolves heard her terrified voice. "Nathan is my mate. And nothing from you could change that."
"What?" Nathan and Rodney breathed back in unison.
Ellen immediately made some gestures to get Nathan's attention to buy her drama. Nathan, who was smart, immediately read what was in Ellen's mind. So, he grabbed her back and set her behind him.
"You heard her, Rodney. Even if you already have everything and you were soon-to-be the alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, Ellen still chooses me over you. Maybe you have to learn to accept the fact." Nathan took the courage to say those words beneath his core.
