Alex

I look down at her, feeling my heart pound painfully in my chest. This is easily one of the most stressful moments of my entire life. She looks a little shell shocked, eyes wide and nervous as they flit over my face. It looks like she's trying to decide if she believes me or not.

"Leah...?" I say quietly and she puts her hand up to cover my mouth so I stay quiet. Her breathing becomes rapid and I start to worry I shouldn't have said that.

"Do you mean that?" She whispers. Her hand is still over my mouth so I just nod. She sits quietly for a few more minutes and I start to think I broke her. I pick my hand up and poke her in the side. This seems to pull her out of wherever her mind went because she drops her hand.

"Should I not have said that?" I ask and she looks up at me with wide, apologetic eyes.

"No it's not that. I'm glad you said it. It's just... no one has ever said that to me before." She says quietly, averting her gaze. My heart hurts at her admission and I reach my hand up to cup her face. She curls in on herself a little, making her look even smaller than usual.

Fragile.

"Oh, Leah." I say sadly. Her eyes pop up to mine, brimming with tears. I pull her into my chest and hold her as she cries against me. "If you'll let me, I'll say it to you everyday for forever." I whisper in her ear. She sobs even harder, but I get the feeling it's more therapeutic than distress at this point.

She quickly drenches my shirt but I don't falter, giving her this opportunity to feel the things I think she's kept locked inside of herself for a long time. I can't imagine experiencing what she's been through. Never having anyone who loves you. I always had my family and then my mate. Even when Julie was killed, I still had Penny and I know my pack loves me, even if it's not quite the same. But to go your whole life never once being told that you're loved? This is just another thing that proves to me that our sweet little Leah needed us just as much as we need her.

"I'm sorry. I'm screwing this up." She says through sniffles and hiccups. I smile down at her warmly and shake my head.

"You're not screwing anything up. You're perfect just the way you are." I say, my throat clogging with my own emotion. I grip her face in my hands and kiss her forehead, letting my lips linger much longer than necessary.

"I love you, too." She whispers so low I barely hear it. I pull back in surprise and look down at her. She gives me a bright smile in return, her eyes twinkling with joy.

"Really?" I ask and she nods while giggling.

"Of course, you silly wolf." She says smiling wildly.

The next moment, her mouth descends greedily on mine. I groan at the contact, the sparks that have been simmering for weeks feel stronger now, but no where near what they will if she ever lets me mark her. She moans into my mouth and threads her tongue with mine. Her hands go to the back of my head, sliding into my hair. She grips hard and pulls my head to the side, exposing my neck to her. She licks and sucks her way up, running her tongue along the sensitive part of my neck that she could mark, after I sink my venom into her, changing her DNA. I groan at the pleasureable sensation, the sparks getting stronger the more we strengthen our bond. She pulls away and smiles at me, her lips puffy from my efforts.

"You're so beautiful." I murmur, not really meaning to voice my inner thoughts. She tilts her head back and laughs, exposing her neck to me. I take my opportunity to descend on it, sucking hard on the spot I'll mark as soon as she lets me. She lets out a moan, smoky and needy that makes my cock harden.

"Are you going to mark me?" She asks quietly. I'm so surprised, I pull away from her quicky and she looks worried she said the wrong thing.

"Do you want me to?" I ask and she shrugs.

"I wouldn't tell you no." She says with a nervous smile and I chuckle, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I won't do it until you're absolutely sure, little one. It's not just a small thing and you can't change your mind. Once I mark you, you are mine. Forever." I state firmly and her smile is more dazzling this time.

"I can think of worse things to be." She says quietly, tucking her face into my neck. I wrap my arms around her and haul her into the bed with me, wrapping the blankets around us and burrowing in.

I've been so busy lately, I've been missing this simple intimacy. Having her so close to me makes my whole body relax, sinking into the bed as she snuggles up into me. I decide I need to work harder to spend more time with her. It's clear her past has left her with deep scars, insecurities. She will need reassurance, reminders of how much I care about her, how attracted I am to her, how important she is. Not just to me, but to the whole pack. They have grown so attached to her, I'd hate to imagine how we would collapse without her.

Sure we were managing before, surviving. But now we're thriving. The pack has grown closer, spending more time together. More like an actual family, the way it was when Julie was alive. Leah is a natural born Luna. As much as I hate the way she suffered, I'm kind of glad Silas didn't accept her. Now I get to keep her, cherish her and protect her. Treat her the way she deserves to be treated. She sighs a little bit, the breath snaking across my neck and pulls me back into the present.

"I know you're busy. I'm alright now you don't have to stay with me." She says quietly, but tightens her grip on me making me not believe her statement. I chuckle a little and nuzzle my nose into her hair.

"I don't have anywhere else to be. You are the most important thing to me right now." I say and she looks up at me.

"Really?" She asks and I smile while nodding.

"Yes. Helping you adjust here, making you feel important, special. Leah, I really do love you. And you were right. It's... special. More important falling in love this way. Naturally. Getting to know each other, not being thrust together by the mate bond. I'm not discounting how I felt about Julie, but if I had known how... amazing it feels to fall in love this way, I would have done the same with her. You're all I can think about. Focusing on work is very hard."

"Sorry." She interjects with a smile that makes me think she's not sorry at all. I growl playfully and nip her ear making her squeal.

"But I never want you to feel like you're not a priority to me. That I wouldn't choose you over work. Because I would, every day. If I could trap you in my office with me all day, I would. If I could take you away to an island and have you all to myself, I would." I say smiling warmly and she tucks her face shyly into chest, making me chuckle.

"I'll do whatever I can to help you." She says quietly and my heart warms with affection.

"There is something you can do." I say and she looks up at me curiously.

"And what's that?" She asks and I smile slyly at her.

"Help me run this pack. I'm not saying right now, but I want you to be my Luna. To be given the respect and authority you deserve. For you to continue what you've already started without even being asked." I say and she looks surprised.

"Really? You think I can do that?" She asks and I nod.

"Of course. That was always meant to be your destiny. It would just be with a different mate at your side." I say with a shrug.

"A better one." She says smiling and I chuckle, leaning down to kiss her chastely. She pushes me a little and I roll onto my back. She climbs up me a little, resting her forearms on my chest and tucks her chin in her hand, watching me with a warm, affectionate look on her face. She reaches out and runs her fingers through my hair. My chest rumbles and my wolf whines a little, wanting out to see his girl. I push him down a little, knowing we need to talk some more.

"So being your mate means being Luna?" She asks and I shrug.

"Not necessarily. A lot of Alpha's take on mates when theirs dies, but not all of them are gifted Lunas like you. That is what you were born for. What you were meant to be." I say and she nods in understanding. She takes a deep breath and pushes it out.

"Let me... ponder things. This is a big deal. A big decision." She says and I nod.

"Take your time. I will love you either way." I say and she smiles that dazzling smile again.