Rejected (Werewolf Levi x Witch Reader Soulmate AU)

Chapter 6: Levi

Morning turned into afternoon before Levi was able to pull himself to his feet. He didn't want to get up, but he had spent enough time sleeping already. If he stayed locked away in here much longer, Erwin would send someone to check on him. Thus, he begrudgingly dragged himself to the bathroom and made himself presentable.

He wasn't ready to face the Alpha just yet, to say aloud that he had rejected the bond. So he made his way to the forest and shifted, deciding to patrol the trees for a bit. He was still too weak from last night's torture to be of any use if a threat actually appeared, but he needed to get out, to clear his head.

He didn't have a particular destination in mind, but somehow, he ended up being drawn toward the neighboring town. Toward her.

Levi skidded to a stop as soon as he smelled the large settlement of people. No, he couldn't be here, not now. By the stars, why had his instincts even driven him here? He had rejected the bond. It was over.

Wasn't it?

He was just about to turn around when the wind carried another scent to him. Four scents, actually. Two of them were stronger, and they immediately set him on high alert. Rogues.

Levi knew that his body was still too weak to fight them. Thus, the best course of action would be to gather some of the guards and return. As much as it stung his pride, it was the logical thing to do. He couldn't protect the pack if he was dead.

But those two weaker scents stopped him from doing the smart thing. His heart lurched when he recognized them. One was feline – an unpleasant odor that brought a certain prissy familiar to the forefront of his memory. And the other...by the stars, he would never forget that perfect combination of lavender and lemon verbena.

Without giving it a second thought, he followed the scent as fast as his legs could carry him, praying that he wasn't too late.

At least Levi had the advantage of being downwind. The Rogues wouldn't smell him coming. And in his weakened state, he needed all the help he could get right now.

He heard them before he saw them. The first sound to reach his ears was (f/n)'s agonized screams, cutting him like a knife through his heart. Was he already too late?

Or...was she feeling the mating bond break, just like he had?

"Alpha?" one of the Rogues chuckled. "You hear this, Galliard? The little kitty thinks we're a part of the pack!"

The wolf called Galliard laughed along with his partner. "Stupid feline. Haven't you heard? We're Rogues. And that means we don't take orders from anyone. We're free to eat whatever we want. And right now, she's on the menu."

She?

The witch.

No!

"No!" the cat screamed, echoing the cry in Levi's head. As the group finally came into his view, he saw the familiar put herself between the Rogues and the witch. Her sacrifice would do nothing to stop them, but Levi could appreciate the loyalty. In fact, he felt a sudden fondness for the cat – a fondness that would have irritated him, were he not so intent on saving the witch.

The werewolves only laughed before preparing to pounce.

The witch gave one final, feeble cry before passing out on the forest floor. She was curled into a fetal position, with tears cutting a heartbreaking path down her cheeks. And when Levi saw that she had no visible wounds, he knew for certain. Rejecting the bond had hurt her. Maybe it was even killing her.

Oh stars, please no.

The Rogues were too focused on the cat to notice his approach, and Levi used that to his advantage. He pounced on the bigger of the two before either of them had a chance to react. Not wasting any time, he closed his powerful jaws around the enemy's throat.

The werewolf jerked underneath him, then went still.

Levi didn't have time to catch his breath. Before he could blink, the second werewolf was on him, howling in rage. The Rogue clamped his teeth down on Levi's left hind leg and shook, trying to yank Levi from his already-dead partner. Levi yelped in pain as the wolf snapped his head back and forth, ripping skin and breaking bones, before finally throwing Levi against a nearby tree. 

Levi struggled to rise, but his leg wouldn't hold him. The rest of his body was also shaking – he was still too weak from rejecting the bond. With great effort, he gritted his teeth and looked up, only to see the enemy advancing not on him, but on the witch.

The feline was hissing and spitting furiously, but she could do nothing. The Rogue smacked her away with the back of his paw, as if she were no more than a fly. Salivating, the wolf's eyes fixed on the witch, who was still unconscious on the forest floor.

"No!" Levi screamed desperately. He mustered the last of his strength and threw himself between the Rogue and the witch. Just like the cat, he knew he would probably die protecting her. But he had to try. No matter what, he wouldn't let the witch be harmed. He couldn't. Even if it killed him.

As he stared his enemy down, he finally allowed himself to feel what he had been fighting for so long. The witch was his. His to love. His to protect. His mate. And he accepted her, for whatever time he had left.

"Wake up!" Levi heard the cat screaming behind him. There was a faint tapping noise, as if she were batting the witch with her paws. "You have to wake up! Now!"

The Rogue's lips pulled into a smirk as he paced around Levi in a half circle. He was enjoying this – the opportunity to kill without restraint. "I'll drop your head at your Alpha's feet, little Beta," he taunted. "Right before I rip him apart."

Then the Rogue lunged from the left – from Levi's injured side, and Levi braced himself, preparing to fight as hard as he could. Even though he was weak and wounded, he would protect his mate. His beautiful, precious, perfect mate, who he had waited years to find.

I wish I could have known her name, he thought.

Faster than Levi could blink, something flew into the Rogue's flank while he was still in midair. There was a bang, and a flash, and the Rogue dropped to the ground, whimpering.

Levi quickly turned his face away to avoid being hit by debris from whatever had exploded. When he looked toward the Rogue again, the wolf was whimpering and pawing at his side, which was now seared an angry red.

Shocked, Levi whipped around, only to see the witch, conscious and standing. Her (s/c) hand held another one of those...things – ready to throw it if necessary. When her eyes locked with his, Levi could see a fierce determination in them.

"What...?" he gasped.

"My gift is fire!" the witch explained quickly. "I can make this powder explode!"

Levi didn't have time to marvel at the usefulness of such a gift, because the Rogue was up and growling again. He charged toward the witch, but Levi lunged at him from the side. It was enough to make the Rogue stumble, enough of a distraction that the witch could throw her second sack of powder directly into his face.

The Rogue howled, pawing in vain at his burning muzzle. The explosion had clearly affected his vision, leaving him in no fit state to continue the fight. The Rogue realized this, and with an enraged growl, he turned and ran off, narrowly avoiding the trees in his path.

Panting, Levi remained on his feet just long enough for the Rogue's scent to vanish. Then he collapsed onto his right side, feeling the agony from his leg in full force. He didn't even want to look, knowing that the wound would be sickening.

He closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing, but the pain was too much. He felt himself fading into the fuzzy space between consciousness and unconsciousness, and he desperately wished that he would just pass out already.

Levi heard the witch's footsteps rush across the forest floor. "Are you alright?" she gasped, dropping to her knees next to him.

He couldn't respond. It was all he could do to continue his labored breathing.

Then, Levi felt a hand on his side. The touch was shaky and hesitant at first, but it soon settled into his fur. That small point of contact filled Levi with a sense of warmth and comfort. His mate was here. She had a hand on him. That was enough.