Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

A lex gazed into Lena's eyes, finding in them a mirror to his own emotions. The air between them was charged, a delicate dance of shadows and light that played across her features, illuminating her in a way that made his heart thud with an intensity so fierce, it shook him to the core.

At that moment something inside him cracked open and he decided to share some of himself with his mate. A part of him he didn't share with anyone.

"A pack alpha should be commanding and strong. It's what every alpha teaches their son. It's what I was raised to believe. That strength was about keeping emotions at bay," Alex confessed, his voice a low rumble in the quiet of the room. "But with you, I'm learning that there's a different kind of strength in sharing those emotions."

Lena's hand reached up to caress his cheek, a touch that sparked a fire within him. He didn't know that having a mate would involve so many feelings he wasn't used to. This deep desire to give himself fully to his tiny human and to give her all the love her heart desired.

"It's okay to let those walls down, Alex. With me, you don't always have to be the alpha, the leader. You can just be you. Just be Alex."

Her words soothed the parts of him long conditioned to equate vulnerability with weakness. In her eyes, he saw not just acceptance, but an invitation to explore the depths of what they could be together.

Leaning in, Alex captured her lips in a kiss that was a promise, a vow of shared futures and uncovered secrets. It was a kiss that spoke of moonlit confessions and whispered dreams, of shared laughter and silent understandings. As their lips moved in sync, a perfect harmony of give and take, Alex felt something shift within him—a door opening to possibilities he'd never allowed himself to consider.

Pulling away slightly, their foreheads resting together, Alex whispered, "I want a future that has you in it, Lena. I want to explore the world with you, see places we've only dreamed of."

He'd been keeping things light with Lena. Not pushing her. Not forcing the mating bond on her, but she needed to know how deep he felt for her. There would be no more Alex without Lena.

Lena's smile was luminous, a reflection of the love and desire that coursed through him. "I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights," she murmured, her breath a warm caress against his skin. "To stand beneath that celestial dance and know that, at that moment, we're exactly where we're meant to be."

The simplicity of her wish, the purity of that desire, resonated with Alex. "Then we'll go," he vowed. He'd go to the ends of the earth for Lena. With Lena.

In that moment, with Lena in his arms, Alex realized the future he envisioned was not one of solitary leadership, but one intertwined with the woman who had come to mean more to him than he could express.

There were still parts of himself he held back, emotions and fears that he grappled with in the solitude of his own mind. But with Lena, he saw a future where those walls could come down, where he could be both alpha and man, leader and lover.

And though he still grappled with the vulnerability that leadership had taught him to guard against, in Lena's presence, Alex found the courage to imagine a future where his heart was open, and his emotions were not a burden but a bridge to a deeper connection.

"Why have you been single until now?" he asked, the question floating between them, charged with unspoken implications.

Lena sighed, a wistful sound that seemed to carry with it the weight of past disappointments. "I guess I never found someone who truly understood me, my passion for my work, my need to be independent but also deeply connected. Most were intimidated or tried to change me, and I... I just couldn't compromise on being myself."

Alex felt a surge of admiration for her, for her strength and her refusal to diminish herself for the sake of companionship. It echoed his own reasons, yet his were bound by the ancient laws and expectations of his kind.

"I've been waiting," he began, his voice low, carrying the weight of his position and the solitude it often entailed. "As an alpha, there's an expectation to find a mate, someone who's not just a partner but a cornerstone for the pack. It's not just about love; it's about finding someone who completes you, who strengthens the pack."

He paused, searching her face for understanding, for acceptance of the heavy truths he was about to lay bare. "And I've waited, Lena, because none were right. A mate isn't just a woman I like. She's someone who's deeply connected to me as a man and as a shifter." He let out a sigh. "I began to wonder if perhaps my role meant sacrificing that part of my life. I thought I might have to lead alone."

The vulnerability in admitting his loneliness, the years of waiting for a connection that had seemed increasingly elusive, hung heavy in the air. But it was a weight he was willing to share with her, to show her the man behind the alpha.

"But then I met you," Alex continued, his heart beating a steady rhythm of truth. "And everything changed. You're my mate, Lena. In all the ways that matter—in heart, in spirit, in my animal's bond, and in mind. There will never be another for me but you."

The smile on her lips brightened her eyes. "Really?"

He nodded. "No one."

"That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me," she mumbled and threw her arms around him. "I know it's so soon, but I love you, Alex."

He held her tightly and let her words fill his heart. "I love you, Lena."