Sakura watched her mother die due to her father's abuse. That's all she's ever known a mate to be. So, when she meets hers, she's terrified she will end up the same way; dead. So, she does the only thing she can think to do, she begs him to reject her.

A sasusaku werewolf AU.

* A little bit of 18+ due to talk of violence and cursing.*

Sakura stood in the darkness… body shaking violently as the rain continued to pelt her naked flesh. Her tears mixed with the watery substance as she said her final farewell to the only person who had truly cared about her; her mother.

"I promise mama… I will make you proud," she whispered, voice growing weak as her words trailed off and then died in her throat. Sakura shifted then; white fur sprouting along her spine before extending further, her bones cracking and breaking before snapping into place. She blinked her eyes twice before taking off, turning one final time to gaze at the lone grave that sat on the horizon (her poor mother's final resting place) before vanishing into the night. Never to be seen by her pack again, not that they cared.

Three weeks later…

The lone she-wolf staggered into a small clearing.

Weak.

Tired.

Vulnerable.

Cool water descended down Sakura's parched throat as she lapped at the stream greedily. It had been days since she was able to have a proper drink, and she wasn't going to willingly waste this opportunity to do so. Due to her lack of nutrition, her once sharp senses had dulled significantly; so, she didn't realize that she was being watched… being stalked… until it was far too late. In seconds, a large wolf was on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Sakura bucks upwards, trying to throw the massive beast off of her back, but he was far too strong and pressed his large paws even harder onto her shoulder blades.

He growled.

She whimpered.

She felt his breath on her neck and closed her eyes, ready to die, when suddenly his weight was lifted off of her as an equally gigantic wolf rammed into its side. The two animals fought for a moment before facing off against one another, with canines flashing and growls being exchanged. Both were the same size, color, and of a similar build; so, the small she-wolf could only assume that they came from the same pack and possibly family.

After a few minutes the initial attacker backed off, his ears going flat as he watched her warily. The other wolf turned to face her and as soon as her eyes met his she knew who he was… and his reasoning for trying to protect her.

Mate.

Mine.

My… ma—

When the wolf took a step towards her, she panicked. The female darted forwards and plunged into the stream head first before coming back up; sputtering and gasping for air. She forgot in her panicked state that she didn't know how to swim. Her front paws flailed as she tried desperately to hold her head above the water; her viridescent eyes going wide as she felt herself sinking lower into the cool water.

Closer…

Closer…

… closer.

Splash.

Suddenly, sharp teeth sank gently into the nap of her neck, before she felt her body being pulled backwards through the water; back towards the shore. The she-wolf continued to thrash around though, convinced that she was going to meet her demise if she allowed him to pull her along.

'Which would be the worst of two evils…', Sakura thought. 'Drowning… or being beaten, tortured, and then killed by your mate?'

When they reached the shoreline, the other wolf helped to drag her body onto the grass, while the other wolf jumped out and shook his fur off. He came to her side and nuzzled her shoulder, but she remained frozen; fear kept her from moving, apart from a few small shivers. He began to lick her, trying to gain a reaction from her, but Sakura refused yet again.

Finally, they shifted, with her mate reaching down to stroke her affectionately on the side. Sakura avoided his worried gaze and continued to shake violently on the ground. He frowned. "She's really skinny, Nii-san. Too skinny."

The other man nodded. "We should get her back to the pack. Have the doctor check her over. Make sure she isn't sick or injured." He nodded in agreement before reaching down to scoop her up and into his arms. Sakura panicked again for a just moment, but his grip remained firm, so she soon settled; though her body remained rigid and tense as he held her to his bare skin and took off into the forest with his brother close on his heels.

Two weeks later…

Sakura lay on a warm bed of hay, her eyes following the movement of dust as it floated past her vision. When the bedroom door to her right opened, she sat up slowly as her mate entered the room. She had since learned that his name was Sasuke, and that he was the second son of the Uchiha clan. "Hey…," he whispered before pulling a large, freshly killed chicken from behind his back. "I brought you some lunch, love."

He paused when he was a few feet away and tossed it to her. Sakura sniffed at it once, looked at him and when he nodded his head, she quickly snatched it up; her stomach growling as the scent of fresh meat penetrated her senses. As she ate, Sasuke sat in his usual spot on the hardwood floor beside her, his arms hanging loosely on his knees as he leaned back and simply observed her. When she was done, she began to lick her paws to clean them.

"You can shift back, you know." She simply blinked at him. "We won't hurt you, love. You must know that by now." She laid her head on her legs and watched him. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I want to see you. The other you I mean. I want to get to know you. Learn your name. What you like and don't like. I want to… I want us to be together. The way that mates are supposed to."

Sakura whimpered… her heart wanting to accept him, but her mind still focused on the past. It wasn't that long ago that she decided to leave her family. It wasn't that long ago that she was forced to watch her father murder her mother. It wasn't that long ago when she had promised herself that she wouldn't allow herself to be mated to anyone… no matter how perfect they seemed.

After she remained silent for a few more minutes, he gave up and stood; walking to the door before turning to look at her one last time before he closed it softly behind him.

2 months later…

She had finally shifted and although she wasn't the woman that she used to be, she felt more comfortable in her own skin… more comfortable around her mate and his family. Sakura had taken a long hot shower before deciding to go out for some fresh air. Her lungs filled with the cool autumn breeze while her flesh prickled where the chilling breeze blew across her naked skin.

"May I join you, love…," came from behind her and Sakura turned to see her mate standing on the concrete steps that lead up to their pack house; his hands resting in his jeans pockets and his posture was the most relaxed that she had ever seen. 'He's so handsome…,' she thought, before her cheeks heated in embarrassment.

She nodded shyly before taking off… with Sasuke quickly falling into step beside her as they made their way around the pack grounds at a leisurely pace.

Even though they have had many conversations prior to today's outing, Sakura still felt slightly uneasy around him, especially whenever they were alone. It had nothing to do with how he treated her either, he was amazing, it was still her insecurities and her thoughts of the past that held her back from giving him her all. Sakura still had major PTSD problems and she didn't know if she would ever be able to overcome them.

"Sakura," Sasuke called to her softly; a hand coming up as he scraped his fingers through his midnight hair. She had learned that this was his way of showing his anxiety over something. Her abdomen twisted as she waited for him to continue. "I don't want to pressure you… given everything we have been through so far. But… the elders are pushing for our mating. I want you. I don't think you feel the same," he sighed before giving her a sheepish smile. "But we are mates, so I think it's something we should be considering. I want to do this, before they decide to force it."

"I… don't know what to say."

"I know you aren't fully comfortable with me just yet, love. I understand that and I won't force you to be with me until you are ready. But… I want to go ahead and set a date for our mating ceremony, as soon as possible."

Sakura's mind was racing, her heart pounding with anxiety as she closed her eyes tightly. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as an image popped into her mind.

Blood.

So much blood.

Her poor mother… lying prone on the living room floor… unmoving. Her father standing over the body, looked at her with an evil smirk.

"Bitch deserved it."

"Bitch deserved it."

"Bitch deserved it."

"Bitch deserved it."

Sakura flinched when Sasuke's hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Sakura, love…what—"

"I… I… I don't want to mate with you. I'm… s-sorry," she stuttered before taking off and into the woods. She could hear him calling after her, chasing her but she refused to stop. Just as her tears refused to stop streaming down her cheeks.

3 months later…

Sakura stood in a long, white gown; her face emotionless as she waited for her fated mate to meet her at the altar. The elder wolves of his clan (the sole reason for her and Sasuke's suddenly planned mating ceremony) stood to the right, while his immediate family stood to the left. Sasuke came to her side a moment later, leaning down to whisper softly in her ear, "You look beautiful, my love." He reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Sakura forcefully swallowed, pushing the bile back down her esophagus and she turned to him; her eyes pleading. "Please, Sasuke. Don't do this. Just reject me… as your mate. I don't want this." Hurt flashed across his face for a brief moment before his jaw grew tight.

"Sakura, I…"

"We are gathered here today—"

And so, it went on, the preacher performing the ceremony as all traditional ceremonies are done. When it came time for Sasuke to pledge himself to her… they turned to each other. Sakura opened her mouth to try and plead with him, one last time, but Sasuke silenced her with a look. Her lips snapped shut almost immediately, and she grew tense as she waited to see what he would do next.

Sasuke grasped both of her hands in his before bringing them up to plant a soft kiss to her knuckles, to her fingers; his eyes holding hers the entire time before he opened his mouth to speak. "I, Sasuke Uchiha, accept you… Sakura Haruno… as my true mate. I lay claim to you in front of my pack and I promise to love, honor, and cherish every part of you until our dying days. I give you my everything and I know you will give me yours. On this day, we will be joined as one."

Her heart sank as he leaned down and as his lips brushed softly against her skin, a single tear ran down her cheek right before his canines sank deeply into her flesh.

Marking her.

Claiming her as his.

Forever.

1 week later…

Sakura sat on the windowsill with her cheek pressed firmly against the cold glass; her green irises focusing on the tiny white flakes floating by as they slowly fell to the ground. She sighed when she heard the bedroom door open (for the fourth time that day) and the scent of her mate waffling in as he closed the door softly behind him. She didn't even spare him a glance as he came to stand beside her. The aroma of ham, biscuits, and other goodies hit her nostrils, causing her stomach to growl and twist painfully.

"I brought you something, love".

"I'm not hungry…," she lied and even though her stomach said otherwise, she refused the offered nourishment. She wasn't in the mood for food. She wanted to be left alone.

Sasuke sat the tray beside her and pulled up a chair to sit next to her; his legs hovering dangerously close to her knees. She continued to watch the snowfall and waited for him to speak. He always did.

"Look, I know you aren't happy with me right now, Sakura. Due to what happened and all, but you have to eat something. You are growing skinny again. It's unhealthy."

Sakura huffed and then turned to give him a weary look. "Why?" Sasuke frowned.

"Why what?"

"Why… didn't you do as I asked? At the ceremony… why didn't you just reject me, Sasuke?" She watched as his teeth clenched together before he looked away; his gaze now focused on the outdoors.

After a moment—

"I… couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because," he turned to face her. "As soon as I saw you… I fell in love with you. I want to be with you… even if you… even if you don't want to be with me."

Sakura swallowed and looked at her hands as they twisted anxiously in her lap. "It's not that I don't want you…," she finally whispered. "I… I know that I feel something for you. But… with my past… I… I can't stand the thought of being hurt… by you. I wanted you to reject me, so that I wouldn't have to suffer the same fate as my mother did."

"Sakura…," Sasuke reached over tentatively and grasped onto her hands. When she didn't pull away immediately he brushed his fingertips gently across her knuckles. The young wolf waited for her to look at him before continuing. "I am not like your father. I would never hurt you… not on purpose anyways. I love you. I want to take care of you. I want to grow old with you. I want everything that you are willing to give me. But I want to do it at your pace. I hated that I had to force you into our mating like that. But… I'm a selfish man. I wasn't willing to lose you; even if it meant that you would hate me. I am so sorry for my actions and the actions of my elders."

Sakura and Sasuke gazed into each other's eyes for a long time before she looked away; his words causing her heart to twist uncomfortably with new emotions that scared her a little. She squeezed his hands. "I don't hate you. I just… I'm… scared."

"I know. I understand. I'm willing to take as long as you need until you are comfortable with this… with us."

Sakura smiled weakly. "It might take years…"

"I'm willing to wait centuries for you, my love. Because you are worth it to me."

For the first time in her life, Sakura felt hope begin to blossom in her chest and she felt lighter than she ever had been.

Maybe she could trust Sasuke and maybe eventually she could give him everything that he deserved and everything that he needed.

Her heart.

Her body.

Her soul.

Author's Notes:

If any of these sound like your own writing or another you have read I apologize but I didn't copy anyone's work. This is entirely my own writing.