Chapter Text
Step 1: COMMUNICATION IS KEY: TELL YOUR MATE THAT HE/SHE IS YOUR MATE
To their credit, Ben’s parents sit silently for the twenty-three minutes he waxes poetic about the perfection that is his newly discovered mate.
The fact that she is also his mother’s newest employee and lives just five minutes from his house is even more proof that she is meant to be his.
Rey Niima, her name is. She sparkles just as brightly as her name implies, and Ben hopes to whatever Gods there are that their children inherit her lustrous eyes and those adorable dimples.
Her smile alone probably can light up the Rockefeller Tree.
When he finally finishes, panting just a tad, Leia has a fond smile on her face and his dad just looks a bit constipated.
“Sooo.” Han Solo drawls, his scent tinged with exasperation. “First off, I’m glad that you’ve found your mate. Congratulations, pup. But...forgive me if I’m wrong...have you - have you talked to this girl?”
Ben nods, slightly offended. “Of course I did! She told me she was new in town and everyone said she should come to the bakery. She asked me what I recommended, and I packed her two blueberry scones, two jumbo cinnamon rolls, and two bearclaws. Plus a large coffee.”
Han looks upwards. “And did you manage to get her number? Or you know - do more than your job?”
“What do you mean?”
His father pinches his brow. “Ben, you own a bakery. You have customers. You make the best fucking pastries anyone has ever eaten, and you sell them. Your interaction with your mate wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary.”
It was to me! He fumes, not willing to acknowledge that the older wolf is right. From the second she’d walked in, some part of Ben that had been dormant sprang to life. He swore there was a mob of angels singing in his ear when the woman with the most adorable freckles he had ever seen, attached to a truly divine face had walked up to the counter, tucked a lock of chestnut brown hair behind a dainty ear, and began to speak in an accent that made him very glad he had an apron covering his front.
And her scent!
Gods above!
Amidst the sweetness all around him, she stuck out as a mouthwatering treat.
He still can’t begin to describe her scent. The crispness of a winter’s morning, the warmth of a campfire, the musky sweetness of jasmine...just thinking about it makes his jaw clench.
(Ben doesn’t see how Han wrinkles his nose)
True, they’d only spoken for maybe two or three minutes, but those precious few moments had rearranged his entire life forever.
“Benjamin!” Han snaps. The age old instinct in him to listen to his sire forces him to look at his father. “Listen to me pup. I know how excited you must be right now, believe me.” Ben chooses to ignore the look thrown his mother’s way. “But you have to be clear with your mate. Tell her exactly who she is to you as soon as possible, and go from there.”
“She’s a witch.” His mother adds - like he hadn’t been able to smell her power. “So it’s not like she’s unaware of what it means to be a werewolf’s mate.”
“But she’s a witch.” Han smirks. “Which means she’s going to be stubborn as hell and probably a little annoyed that she’s stuck with you.” He doesn’t even flinch when Leia elbows him in the gut. “So rip the bandaid off as quickly as possible, and start to get to know her. Don’t take too long though. We’re getting older. Some grandpups would be much appreciated.”
He swallows tightly at the thought of creating those grandpups with the woman.
Inside of him, his wolf growls - sending an image that makes his temperature rise in a way it shouldn’t in front of his parents.
“You’re stinking up my house.” Han growls. “It’s like you’re a teenager again.”
Ben bares his teeth, but dutifully blinks away the visions behind his eyes - vowing to revisit them once he’s alone in his own house.
And so he does, taking himself in hand over and over again once he’s home - imagining plump pink lips wrapped around his shaft, those small hands touching him much more gently than he is doing to himself. He wonders how slick and tight she will be, and just knows that she will taste just as sweet as she looks.
The temptation to shift and run over to her house is rife, but he manages to reign himself in.
An early morning romp through the forest clears most of his excess energy before he needs to open the bakery, all but buzzing at the thought of seeing Rey again.
And he does see her.
Every day for the three weeks, she comes in and samples his sweet treats. But the second he sees her, rational thought leaves his mind. Not even his primal side is able to do anything but purr whenever his mate is in sight.
His attempts at conversation are awkward at best. It’s like he can’t even string two words together in front of her!
Ben wasn’t exactly suave before, but he did know how to talk to people. And sure, the wolf inside of him hadn’t allowed for female interaction after he reached adulthood because the instinct to only be with his mate trumped all else, but Ben wasn’t the type to blush when talking to a woman.
Which he did. All the damn time around Rey.
Finally, when he’s reaching near a month of acting like a lovestruck pup (which he is), Ben manages to do more than ask Rey how she’s doing and what she wants.
Be clear with your intentions, his father’s voice rings through his ears. He can do this. He has to do this.
So pretty. His wolf whines, letting out a morose huff. Mine.
“Rey.” Ben hates how his voice cracks. The bakery is empty, as it’s a Sunday and she came in at the tail-end of the morning rush.
Her tan neck tilts to one side in a motion that has him tensing. With her hair tied up in three buns - each more pullable than the last - her neck is completely bare to his hungry eyes. Coupled with the running tank and criminally short shorts she’s wearing, he has to bite his lip from letting out a growl.
It’s a good thing she can’t smell his arousal, otherwise he might just die of shame.
“Yes Ben?” Her smile is light and kind. She has her pastries and coffee in to-go containers, but he really needs her to stay.
“Would you…” Ben clears his throat. “Would you please sit down.” He gestures to one of the empty tables. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her scent thickens somewhat - out of anxiety. Though he wishes to soothe her, he can’t do that until he gets it all out of his system.
A part of him is oddly pleased when she does as he asks without fighting him.
“I won’t keep you long.” He rushes to reassure her. “It’s just - “ you’re my mate and I think I love you even though I don’t know you at all.
This ‘love at first sight’ shit was great for shitty romance novels, but in reality - it sounds absolutely insane.
“Hey.” Her hand reaches out almost in slow motion, descending on his clenched fist. The second her palm encloses his curled fingers, every nerve ending inside of him awakens.
Rey’s eyes widen as well, her magic buzzing around her. The barest hint of pink fills the apples of her cheeks.
She feels it too! He crows, trying very hard not to seem like a simple touch is driving him insane.
Her hand withdraws, moving to her lap. He mourns the loss of her warmth, opting instead to focus on the words he has to say.
“So - you probably know that I’m a wolf.”
Not the most eloquent of introductions, but it’ll have to do.
She glances up at him, smiling ever so slightly. “I do. It’s kind of hard to miss.”
Takodana is home to quite the array of magical creatures, but wolves - true wolves like himself and his father - are born. Not made like lycanthropes. They can shift into their lupine forms regardless of the moon's phase, and aren’t some monstrous human-wolf hybrid. They are a rarity in the world, no more than a few thousand around. Ben and Han are the only wolves in town - a sad little pack with a couple witches, warlocks, and one burly Sasquatch thrown in the mix.
One more witch would be a welcome addition.
He inhales deeply, taking in a bit of her intoxicating scent. It calms him enough to let him look her in the eyes, noting how green they look under the light.
Tell her. His wolf snarls.
“Your eyes…” Rey breathes in sharply. “They’re golden now.”
“Sorry.” He rasps, trying to get himself under control. “I...okay. Will you promise not to freak out? If I tell you what I’m about to tell you?”
Ben immediately knows he’s said the wrong thing, because he can literally smell her slight panic.
“It’s not bad! Or at least, I don’t think it is.” Ben amends, ears reddening. “I just - “
DO IT.
“You’re my mate!” He blurts out, cringing at that oh-so-suave declaration.
The words linger in the air as Rey gasps, her pretty pink mouth falling open.
“What?”
She looks horrified. She's not supposed to look horrified.
Fuck.
“My mate.” Ben says lamely, running a hand through his rumpled hair. “I - my kind - we know right away when we’ve met the one.”
He scents her anger before he saw it.
“Is this a joke?” Rey hisses, standing up so quickly that her chair clatters to the ground. “Are you messing with me?”
“What? No!” Ben stands as well, keeping his hands up placatingly. “No Rey, I swear it’s not. You’re my mate! I would never lie to you.”
Something flashes in her eyes - too quick for even him to see. But he can smell her wariness - and her sorrow. Though for what, he doesn’t know.
“What does this mean?” She asks quietly, not looking at him. He tries not to be disheartened, knowing full well what a shock this must be. “What do you expect from me?”
What does he expect?
He expects to love and cherish her for the rest of their lives, to provide for her and make her happy, to fuck and pup her for as long as she’ll let him, But he definitely can’t tell her that part. Not when she’s clearly reluctant to even look his way.
“Until you’re ready - nothing.” Ben tells her honestly. “I just wanted you to know.”
“And what if I’m never ready?” Rey backs away with her food, something akin to fear floating on her lovely features. “What if I’m not interested in you? What if I’m already taken?”
The pain that lances through him is as acute as any physical blow.
He staggers back, his wolf’s mournful howl ringing in his ears.
Ben’s vision blurs, and for the first time in his adult life - he’s blinking back tears.
“Then nothing will ever happen.” He chokes out thickly. “I can’t - and I won’t - pressure you into doing something you obviously don’t want.”
“I never said that.” Rey bites out - but her tone is somewhat softer. “I’m….I’m sorry Ben. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” The genuine tinge to her scent has him relaxing somewhat. “For the record, I’m painfully single. It’s just...this is a lot to take in.”
A seed of hope plants itself in his gut. “I know that. I really do.”
Her shoulders slump. He defies every instinct inside of him to comfort mate. Right now, she doesn’t want his touch. She may never. And Ben has to learn to live with that if that’s what she wants. Because part of being someone’s mate - is respecting their choices.
Even if those choices tear him apart.
“Show me.” She says after several moments of tense silence. When she looks at him, her eyes shine brightly.
“Pardon?”
“Show me what it means to be Ben Solo’s mate.”
Tell her to turn around so that I can -
“What do you mean?” His voice quavers just a tad, filled with yearning that he hopes she doesn’t hear.
Her features are gentle now, having lost some of the harshness over the past few minutes. “What I mean is, I don’t have this thing inside of me that tells me who I’m destined for.”
I am not a THING.
“But…” She bites her lip, unaware of how Ben watches her hungrily. “But I can’t deny that there is something here.” She gestures between them. “Something that could become solid and clear. It’s not there though. Not yet.”
Yet. She had said. Implying so much.
She straightens her posture, her spine strengthened by steel that belays her slender form. “I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. Sure, I know you’re Leia and Han’s son, a werewolf, and your hands create a bit of heaven in pastry form - “
There’s no way Rey doesn’t see his furious blush.
“ - but aside from that, we’re basically strangers.”
“Ah.”
“So let’s fix that.”
His head snaps to her. “How?”
The look she gives him is equally annoyed and exasperated. “Like how normal people do it, Ben! Even witches and warlocks.”
His blank look must annoy her even more, but she just sighs. “By dating. Courting. Show me what life would be like as Ben Solo’s mate. Show me what you’re made of.”
What he wants to say is yes of course, my love! What actually comes out is - “I’ve never dated anyone before.”
Fantastic words to the woman he’s now supposed to win over.
But to his surprise, Rey just smiles - soft and sincere. “That’s good to know. Because I really haven't either.”
The fierce, possessive side of him growls with approval - even though Ben tries to clamp down on it.
“Let me just clarify.” He swallows. “You want me to wine and dine you, take you out to places, show you who I am, and get you to fall in love with me?”
If this is the case, then it might just be hopeless.
We’ll NEVER have pups with our mate at this rate!
There’s a pretty flush to her cheeks that has him stiffening in his pants at 11:04 on a Sunday morning.
But when her hazel eyes meet his, he sees nothing but clarity. “Yes.”
His heart skips a beat. And really, what can he say to her except -
“Okay.”
Fuck. He is so screwed, isn’t he?
“Okay?”
Ben clears his throat, knowing that now his cheeks are red. “I’ll try my best. I can’t promise I’ll be as polished as other guys, but…” He scrapes a hand over his jaw. “I - you’re my destiny, Rey. Our story...I don’t want it to end. You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’ll do just about anything for you.”
He knows he’s coming on too strong, knows that though magic runs in her veins - it doesn’t drive her every action like it does for him. She is a being that is connected to nature - grounded by the earth. He is a slave to his own instincts - for better or worse.
However, Rey doesn’t run in the other direction. Her eyes do widen a bit, and she smells...scared….for some reason - but she doesn’t move.
When she speaks again, there’s a tremor to her words that he’s never heard before. “You….you won’t leave me?”
I couldn’t even if I tried.
“Never.” He says instead, growling out those two syllables. They seem to echo in the silence of his store, resonating in the air. “You’re my mate, Rey. I could never hurt you.”
There’s a dissonance in the sudden jubilation of her scent, and the wariness of her features.
And it occurs to him in that moment that Rey is absolutely right for wanting to get to know him. Because he wants to know everything about her.
Before he can say anything, she speaks for him. “Seven o’clock. Tuesday night. You pick the venue, and pick me up too. I’m assuming you know where I live?” One brow arches imperiously, leaving his throat dry and palms sweating.
“Yeah.” He rasps out. “Yeah I do.”
Rey gives him a long look - one that rakes over his entire body. He feels a bit like a piece of meat, but if he’s going to be devoured by anyone - it’ll be by his mate.
“Good. Get my number from your mother.” When she sucks her lower lip into his mouth, he’s wildly jealous that he’s not the one doing it for her. “I’ll see you at seven on Tuesday.”
Ben can barely hear anything over the yip of the wolf’s delight, and his own racing heartbeat. He lets out what is probably somewhere between a whimper and a squeak. Very manly. “See you.”
He watches her ass as she leaves, unashamed in his appreciation. His beast purrs with satisfaction as well.
But the lust-filled cloud around him bursts when he realizes that he now has a little over forty-eight hours to plan a date. Something that he’s never done before.
Panic makes him do stupid things.
Like call his mother.
Leia picks up on the first ring, not even letting him back out at the last minute.
“Hello? Ben? Is everything okay?”
He debates lying and decides he doesn’t particularly feel like dying when the truth will inevitably come out. “I told Rey.” Ben says, wincing at his mother’s squeal.
“You did? Oh kid, I’m so proud of you! What did she say? What are you doing now? Hang on - let me get your - HAN!”
His poor ears can’t take the abuse any longer, so he puts the phone on speaker and sets it a good five feet away from him.
“ What?” He hears his dad grumble in the background, along with his mother’s frantic explanation. Ben doesn’t have to see his dad’s face to know he’s smirking judging by Han’s manic cackle.
“Alright pup.” His father clears his throat. “Lay it on us. Do we have a daughter-in-law yet?”
Scratching the back of his neck, it pains him to admit that - “No. Not yet.”
“Ben - “
“She wants to date first!” He cuts off his mother, already annoyed at the disappointment he hears in her tone. “And that’s reasonable, right? Because we’re essentially strangers - even though I know she’s mine! So it makes sense.”
The silence on the other end is only broken by Han breaking down into a series of hacking coughs that sound like barks of laughter.
“And there goes our hope for grandchildren.” The elder Solo wheezes. “You, and dating? Have you ever done that before?”
“Well, no but - “
“Do know what you’re going to do?”
“Again, no...but I - “
“Get your ass over here. Pronto. I think it’s time your mother and I give you the talk.”
He blanches. “I’m pretty sure you gave it to me when I was a teenager.”
But Han just sighs. “Yeah, well considering you’re...you...I think you need a refresher.”
“Dad!”
“Close the bakery and come home, kid. Trust me when I say there’s some things I need to let you know.”
He’s confused and more than a little nervous. At the age of fifteen, Han had sat him down and explained a bit about his unusual biology - talking about knots and knotted orgasms and what it all meant.
The wolf inside of him - Kylo - as he likes to be called, hasn’t let Ben even entertain the possibility of starting a physical relationship since becoming an adult. Which means Ben has been living a celibate life for about a decade, and he now fully appreciates his wolf’s discretion... even though he’s woefully inexperienced for someone with his kind of libido. Because the thought of touching another woman who is not Rey - his mate - makes him want to vomit.
“I’m coming.” Ben reassures his father. “I’ll be home in a few minutes.” At least now he has an excuse to stretch his muscles and burn off some frustration.
“No detours.” Han warns before hanging up, probably all too aware of how much Ben wants to mark Rey’s property. And Rey.
Just thinking of that woman makes him want to track her down, bend her over, and rut into her like the fucking savage beast he is.
But he can’t do that.
Why not? Kylo whines grumpily. Want mate.
Yeah buddy, me too.
“Be patient.” He mutters out loud. “She’ll be mine soon enough.”
Ours. The wolf snarls. We’re one in the same.
Human psychologists would have a field day with the duality of his mind. He understands where Kylo is coming from though. And agrees.
Ours.
He finishes up a few chores, proofs some dough, and closes shop for the day. It is incredibly tempting to run towards Rey’s house, but he somehow talks himself out of it.
He’s done the hard part. He’s told Rey that she’s his.
Not in such possessive terms, but that’s what she is. Just as he is hers.
Things can only go uphill from here. How hard can it be to get someone to fall in love with you if that person is your destined mate?
It can’t be that bad?
Right?