Rejected (Werewolf Levi x Witch Reader Soulmate AU)

Chapter 8: (F/n)

After (c/n) helped you find the book, she padded off to her favorite sleeping spot – which could have been anywhere besides her actual bed, but today, it was underneath the various cloaks in your closet. She had offered to stay awake with you, but you assured her that you would be fine on your own for a while. After all, she had had a rough day, too. She deserved some rest.

Several minutes later, you found what you were looking for. You murmured the words to yourself as you read, trying to understand. "Every werewolf has a soulmate, chosen for them at birth. The guiding force that assigns soulmates is a mystery – whether it's fate, the gods, nature...no one knows. But the bond itself is definitely real, and to find their mate is a gift that every werewolf longs for. Mates are essentially made for each other, and they will love and understand one another better than anyone else. Furthermore, werewolves will recognize their mate instantly once they get close enough, usually by sight or smell. The bond is typically accepted by both wolves shortly thereafter. However, there are rare instances when one or both wolves will reject the bond – usually because doing so is in the best interest of the werewolf pack. Yet, rejecting the bond comes at a cost. Unless the werewolves are exceptionally strong, rejecting that most sacred of connections will kill them both."

You set the book down, your mind reeling. Suddenly, it all made sense. The first time you two met, Levi couldn't stop staring at you because he realized that you were his mate. And sometime after that, he must have decided to reject you, probably because you were a witch, and that made things too complicated. He was the pack Beta, so he must have been one of the few wolves strong enough to reject the bond and live. That was why he said those strange words to you the second time you saw him, and why you felt so terrible afterwards.

Well, fine. If he would rather kill you than be your mate, good riddance. You would finish healing him and then send him on his way. Your debt to him for saving your life would be repaid, and you would never have to see each other again.

But...he did save your life. Despite rejecting the bond, he came to rescue you. And when he did, the pain stopped. Why did the pain stop? Why weren't you dead?

Was it possible that Levi had decided not to reject you after all?

Your eyes flicked back to Levi, and you noticed that the potions had finished their work, much faster than you had expected. They must have been aided by the accelerated healing that werewolves were rumored to possess. His bones and muscles were complete – though the latter was quite basic. You could make the muscles exist, but you couldn't imbue them with the strength they had before. Levi would have to do that himself, the old-fashioned way.

With a wave of your wand, his pale skin knitted together, without so much as a single scar. You then tucked that leg into the blanket and resumed your seat on the floor. Of course, your constant vigil was no longer necessary, but you couldn't stop yourself from staring at him.

You had to admit to yourself that you knew. The signs had been there from the very first time you met – when (c/n) only smelled a wolf while you smelled the most amazing cologne. You hadn't realized it then, because you weren't a werewolf, and you had never been exposed to the concept of mates. But there was a reason why he was the most gorgeous male you had ever seen, why he had consumed your thoughts, and why you couldn't tear yourself away from him, even after all the pain you had suffered.

You were a witch. He was a werewolf. Yet, somehow, you two had been made for each other. Levi was your mate.

As you gazed at his sleeping face – which was so much more relaxed than you had ever seen it while he was awake, you gave in to the impulse to reach out and brush your fingers through his hair. It was incredibly soft, like his wolf fur, but in a more human way. And goddess, he was so beautiful.