Alex

I felt Leah stiffen in my arms as I realized what I was doing. I pulled back away from her neck, already missing the closeness and the depth of her scent. She looked at me with curious eyes, but didn't seem upset or angry.

"Why are you smelling me?" She asks, her nose scrunching up adorably.

"It's calming to me. I enjoy your scent." I explain, a little embarrassed at my lack of self restraint.

“I thought only a mate’s scent would be calming. Especially to an Alpha?” She questions, and she’s completely right. I don’t want to lie to her, so I decide to have this conversation.

“Come out here and sit with me, little one. I want to talk to you.” I say with a reassuring smile, but she still looks incredibly nervous. "Relax, I'm not going to bite you."

'Yet.' My wolf supplies unhelpfully and I scowl at him making him snicker. He's enjoying this too much.

She sits down next to me on the bed, but leaves a little bit of space between us. Her brown hair is tousled from her being in bed for so long and I reach out to run my fingers through it. She closes her eyes at my touch, seemingly unaware of her actions making me smile. I firmly believe she is already experiencing the mate bond, as weak as it is, she just isn't aware of it yet. When I drop my hand, her eyes open and she blinks a few times. The light blue hoodie she's wearing makes her eyes pop and I can't help but stare at them as she wrings her fingers nervously in her hands. I reach out to grab them, smoothing them out and entwining my fingers gently with hers. It never ceases to amaze me how much smaller she is than me.

Fragile.

No wonder my wolf was so anxious to mark her. It would make her a little more robust. Not a full wolf, but she would have some healing capabilities as well as be physically stronger than the average human along with my life span. Which is finally starting to look more like a blessing than a curse. Sure we gave this little human a home, but she gave me the light to keep living, to the fullest again and opened my eyes to the beauty of the world.

I can never repay her, except maybe giving her the soul mate she deserved in the first place.

"What's going on, Alex? You're making me nervous." She asks quietly and I can tell by the tremble in her voice that she is incredibly worried. My heart rate starts to kick up and my palms begin to slick with sweat. The fact that I've never done this before hits me squarely in the chest. I'm about to make myself incredibly vulnerable to this little human.

"Leah, uh..." I start off, not entirely sure what to say. I clear my throat as she looks up at me with wide, nervous eyes. I smile at her, trying to calm her nerves, but she doesn't look like she's buying it.

"I uh... I like you." I say and watch for her reaction. A small smile flits on her face as the worry evaporates from her eyes, leaving obvious amusement.

"I like you too." She murmurs and I huff out a nervous laugh.

"Well, that's reassuring but I uh... like you as in, want to be with you. My wolf and I are... attached to you." I say hoping that makes things a little clearer. Judging by her furrowed brows and vacant expression it doesn't.

"What do you mean?" She asks, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"You're adorable when you're confused." I say and she snorts out a laugh while rolling her eyes.

"Alex, please. Just say what you want to say." She says, her patience obviously waning.

"Has anyone told you about choice mates?" I ask and I can hear her heartbeat kick up a notch as her breathing increases.

"Yes. Jon did." She says quietly and I nod.

"Yeah, that doesn't suprise me at all." I murmur more to myself, but she giggles anyway.

"He said you can choose to mark another mate if you want. And it feels like a real mate bond." She says and I nod in agreement.

"Yes, that's accurate, but the term choice mate isn't entirely truthful. While yes, we choose whether or not to mark another, our wolf has to agree. He is really the deciding factor. If he doesn't like a woman, even if I do, I can't mark her. So we don't really get as much of a choice as people make it out to be." I explain and she nods in understanding, listening intently.

"So, your wolf likes me?" She asks and I nod with a little smile.

"He does. A lot. Do you like him?" I ask nervously. She nods vehemently and smiles beautifully.

"Balto's my fave." She says, giggling and I can't help but smile. I take a deep breath and run my hand through my hair before reaching and holding her hand again.

"The real choice is yours, little one." I say quietly and her eyes widen in surprise.

"Why?" She asks and I can't stop my sigh.

"If you don't want to be my mate, you don't have to." I say quietly.

"Why would you want me, Alex? I'm just a human." She says sadly and I scoff.

"Just a human? Leah. You are so special and it kills me that we haven't shown you that." I say and she shakes her head in disbelief.

"I'm just a boring little human that you saved and brought home like a lost puppy. I'm lucky to be living here with you all." She says earnestly and I almost growl at the unflattering way she just described herself.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. You are smart, kind, and thoughtful. You have an infectious energy, a kind of joy that just seeps out of you and into everyone around you. You have brought that joy to the rest of our pack. I have never seen people smile and laugh the way they do around you. The children look forward to school again. You've given us energy, renewed our excitement for life. And you make me smile." I say, reaching out to run my fingers gently down her cheek where a sweet blush is staining her face.

"So um.. what does this choice mate thing entail?" She asks and I'm surprised by her question. I would have thought she would need more time to consider.

"We don't have to rush it, little one. I just wanted to be honest about my feelings. I figured it would help explain some of my actions, like being addicted to your scent. I believe we are already forming a bond on our own. It won't be as strong until I mark you, but I've begun feeling possessive and protective of you as well." I explain and her eyes widen again.

"You would honestly mark me?" She asks amazed.

"Of course. When we're ready and we're sure this is what we want. First though, I would like to ask if you would join me on a... date." I ask shyly and she gives me a sweet smile while blushing again.

"I'd love to go on a date with you, Alex." She says scooting a little closer to me. I scoop her up and place her gently on my lap, tucking my face in her neck again as she threads her fingers through my hair, scratching my scalp gently. My wolf rumbles in a sense of contentment he hasn't felt for over twenty years and I could cry from the pure joy this little human is bringing me. We sit quietly for awhile and I soak up her closeness. Eventually she pulls my face from her neck so she can rest her head on my shoulder. I hear her let out a little yawn and I pull away to look at her.

"Are you tired, little one?" I ask, lifting her and pulling back the blankets. She nods a little and yawns again, the sight so precious I feel my heart expand in my chest. She lays down and I hesitate before she looks up at me.

"Are you going to get in here with me?" She asks, barely able to keep her eyes open. My wolf would fist pump if he could and I slip in next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and tucking her into my side. She rests her head on my chest and I run my hand up and down her back gently. She makes a fake purring sound that makes me chuckle and she gives me a cheeky smile before nuzzling her face against me. Her breathing begins to even out when I remember what else I wanted to ask her.

"Leah? I do have one question." I say and her eyes peek up at me tiredly.

"And what's that?"

"What exactly is a date?"