Rejected (Werewolf Levi x Witch Reader Soulmate AU)

Chapter 12: (F/n)

"(F/n), I want you to mark me."

You gaped at him, stunned, reeling, trying to wrap your head around his request. "W-what? B-but I...you want..." Finally, you managed to collect yourself enough to form your thoughts into a sentence. "I don't understand. I thought that the males marked the females in werewolf culture, not the other way around."

"Normally, yes," Levi stated, his cheeks heating as he stared up at you. "It's...a way of showing submission, and tradition dictates that the female submits to the male. But...it doesn't feel right, to make you submit to me, because...I love you, (f/n). I want to give you everything, myself included. I want to submit to you. And I want you to mark me, so everyone knows that I'm yours."

You bit your lip, feeling quite shy. "Levi, I –"

"We don't have to consummate the bond," he said quickly, anticipating your thoughts. "I just want you to mark me. That's all, I promise. I..." He took a deep breath, then continued in a quiet tone, "When I go back, I want them to know that I'm not ashamed of you. I don't care what they think. I don't care about their prejudices. I'm proud to be your mate."

Tears swam in your eyes. Even though it was something too animalistic to be found in human or witch culture, you understood where he was coming from. It was the same concept as when he touched you and kissed you at night. Physicality was very important to werewolves – physical affection, physical markings. Because true wolves couldn't express themselves through words like humans did, they relied more heavily on demonstrating their emotions. And werewolves had inherited that tendency.

"I would be honored to mark you," you whispered.

Levi smiled – one of those tiny, precious, rare smiles, only for you.

You cupped his cheeks, pulling him up off his knees and into a kiss. He allowed you to lead him – onto the bed, then onto his back, with you hovering just above. Submitting, just like he said he wanted to.

You weren't really sure how to go about this, but you knew that you didn't want to just bite him outright. You wanted him to feel that you loved him, in a way that his werewolf instincts would understand. So you took your time, first bestowing tender kisses upon his lips, which Levi eagerly returned. Then you slid along his sharp jawbone, finally reaching his throat.

"You have to bite hard enough to break the skin," Levi whispered breathlessly. "Don't worry about hurting me."

You paused with your lips just under his ear. "Will it heal?" you panted.

"Yes, but the mark will remain. The mating bond keeps it there forever."

You nodded. You were hesitant to bite him that hard, but it was what the bond required. And you already knew that werewolves had a high pain tolerance, as well as accelerated healing.

Still, you started off with soft kisses. To your surprise, such gentle contact on the sensitive skin of his throat made Levi's lips part to release quiet, contented sighs. You never would have expected him to be vocal in this sort of situation, since he was so stoic in the day-to-day. But perhaps he knew that he didn't have to wear the mask of the invulnerable Beta here, when the two of you were alone together. In your arms, he was safe enough to express the emotions that were too often repressed. And his sounds were like music to your ears.

You replaced your lips with your tongue. Then your teeth, nipping him gently.

Levi arched his neck, exposing more of himself to you, asking you to take it. "Please, (f/n)," he whispered hoarsely.

You felt those words, felt his pleading tone resonating all the way to your core. It was so right, to have him underneath you like this, to make him feel pleasured and protected and loved. With that instinct consuming every inch of you, you bit into his porcelain skin, just above his collar. Marking him as yours.

You knew the mating bond was driving this, because you wouldn't have felt so good otherwise. And it seemed that Levi felt the same, because a breathy moan escaped his throat. "(F/n)..."

You pulled back just enough to observe what you had done to him. Dark-red teeth marks dotted his skin, in the exact shape of your mouth. A tiny drop of blood slid from the wound, so you gently licked it away, tasting the metallic flavor on your tongue. Then you glanced up at Levi.

He was already looking at you, his pupils blown wide, his lips parted to gasp for breath, his pale cheeks flushed pink. He was the most stunning creature you had ever seen.

"Thank you," he panted, and you could tell that he meant it with every fiber of his being.

You pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "I love you, Levi."

He cupped your cheek, pulling you down so that he could capture your lips with his own. The kiss was sloppy – probably due to the fact that Levi was still reeling – but you could feel the tenderness within it. You returned his affections with your own, bringing him down gently. When at last, you parted, you rolled onto your back next to him, trying to wrap your head around what you had just done.

Eventually, you ended up curled around each other, as you always did. You fell asleep not long after, the rush of emotions from the marking having left you completely drained. Tomorrow, you would have to face reality again, but for now, at least, you were free to rest peacefully in the arms of the person who loved you most.

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When you awoke, the spot next to you was empty.

Still in your pajamas, you rushed outside, only to find Levi lying in the backyard – a wolf once more.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" you asked.

Levi simply stared at you, unable to answer in his wolf form – or at least, he couldn't answer in your language. However, the fact that he had waited for you like this was telling enough. Even though he had wanted to see you before he left, he didn't want to give himself the ability to speak to you. He was afraid he couldn't handle it.

Upon realizing this, you stepped toward him, arms outstretched.

You had forgotten how big he was, but it hit you like a train when he stood up, and you realized that his wolf form was nearly as tall as his human one. Tall enough that you didn't even have to bend over as you wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your face in his fur.

"Be safe," you murmured. "And remember, you will always have a home here, with me. I love you."

You felt him grumble in response. When you finally let him go, he affectionately nuzzled into your stomach before looking up at you with big, grey-blue eyes. And then he was off, running so fast that you only had to blink once before he had disappeared amongst the trees.

You stood there for a long time afterward. (C/n) finally emerged from her reclusive hiding spot to curl around your legs, but nothing could cheer you up now. Your mate was running straight into a war, and he had taken your heart with him.