It was dark by the time Lenni got back to the mansion. She wasn't going to lose her nerve. She and Beckett had never talked and she was going to remedy that now. She had thought of all the terrible things that could happen once she told him the truth. Maybe he laughed at her, or he would call her crazy, or he could tell her to leave and never come back. So what? None of it would matter once she had said her piece. She was going to do this come hell or high water.

"Where is he?" she asked Patrick when she got inside.

"He's up in his room. But I don't know if I would go and talk to him now," he warned her. "He's been in a mood ever since he got back from your house."

"There's no better time than the present for me to speak with him. I just want to get this over with."

Patrick nodded. "Whatever it is, good luck."

Lenni walked up the stairs with her head held high. No matter what happened, she was going to be true to herself. She kept telling herself over and over that it would be fine. She walked down the long carpeted hallway to Beckett's double doors. She knocked twice and got no answer.

"Beckett? It's me Lenni. Could we please talk?"

He opened the door a crack. "You don't have to thank me, it's fine."

"I don't want to thank you. I'd like to talk."

Beckett opened the door. "Come inside."

Her mouth was suddenly dry. "Can I have something to drink?"

He went to the bathroom and came back with a glass of water. "Here you go."

She gulped down half the glass. "Could you  please sit down? I have something to say and I'd feel better if you weren't looming over me when I did. Don't interrupt me either, please."

He sat on the bed. "Shoot."

"First, I actually would like to thank you for helping me today. You didn't have to and you came to help me anyway."

"It was nothing."

She smiled. "Don't interrupt."

He gave her a small smile, but his eyes still looked sad. "Sorry. I'll try to do it again."

She nodded and took a breath again. "Second, I don't know what's been going on between us, but I would like to finally give it a name. Maybe I'm the only one that was feeling this way, but I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't say something now."

She held up her hand when he looked like he wanted to say something.

"Let me finish. I didn't want to like you, but I do. This was only a job to me in the beginning. Now it's something much more. In the short time I've gotten to know you, I have developed strong feelings for you. I know it's crazy and it doesn't make much sense, but it is true."

He wasn't going to say anything, but she had to stop and steady herself. She felt like she was going to cry and she didn't want to make this worse. She wanted to get it all out before she could no longer speak. His expression was blank and she didn't know if that bad or good.

"We went to the island and I kissed you. I thought we were going to be something special. But then we got to the wedding and it was like everything had changed. Suddenly, you just wanted to be my boss again. Maybe you just wanted to get laid. Maybe I imagined the whole thing and that's fine. You don't have to love me. But I love you. I love you and your crazy paranoid self."

She didn't say anything for a few seconds but stood in front of him swaying. She was suddenly very tired. That was it.

"Are you done?" he asked finally.

She nodded. "I think so. Oh, and also I don't really need to be married. I don't know why you went on about it, but I never asked for that. I talked to my father and he said something that really was important to me. I'd much rather be with you for the rest of my life than just have a ceremony. If it's so important for you not to do it, I don't care. I just want to be with you any way you'll have me."

Beckett nodded. "Now it's my turn to say something. Can you not interrupt me?"

She nodded, heart thumping. She sat down on the bed next to him. "Say whatever you want."

He stood up. "First, you don't need to thank me for saving you. My bear would have torn itself apart from the inside if I let anything happen to you. You did not imagine all of this. I have so much more to say, but none of that really matters right now. The only thing that matters is this: I love you too. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my whole entire life. It is crazy that I feel this way about you so soon. But you're my mate. My bear told me from the minute I saw you. I just tried to ignore it, but I can't anymore."

Lenni stood up, shaking. "You better not be messing with me."

He put his arms around her and nuzzled his face in her neck. "I'm not, I love you. I still don't want to be married, but I want to be with you for all of my days. You're my mate. Thank you for coming and talking to me. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I was so sure you didn't like me. I couldn't get over myself and say anything to you."

Lenni laughed. "Thank my father. I was going to let you leave without saying anything."

"I'll be sure to give him all the access to any shifter information he needs. That should be enough right?"

Lenni kissed him. She put her hand on his face and ran her finger along his lips. "I think that'll be more than fine."

Beckett put his hand around her waist and pulled her up off her feet. He pushed her against the door of his office and growled in her ear. “Now I think it’s time we really make this official.”

Lenni could feel his cock pressing hard against her leg. “I’m not sure what you mean? Like by marking me or did you have something else in mind?”

Beckett groaned and nipped at her neck. “Oh God. I forget about the mark. Do you really want that? I mean, we haven’t even…”

“I know.” Lenni licked her lips. “But I’m your mate and I want everyone to know it.”

Beckett nodded. He took one hand from her waist and pulled her face to his. She undid his pants with shaking hands. He wasn’t the only one who’d been waiting for this to happen.

He hissed as she took him in her hands. “There’s no going back once I mark you. You’ll never be able to part from my bear.”

“Stop trying to talk me out of it.” She gave him a playful squeeze eliciting another growl.  “I’m telling you. I want you. NOW! And I want you to mark me. I’m yours Beckett.”

“And I’m yours. Forever.” He ripped her pants down and spun her so she was facing the wall.

Lenni arched her back as he pulled her shirt over her head and kissed down her spine. Once he was on his knees, he pulled her panties down and teased along her already wet lips.

She groaned. “No teasing. I can’t wait anymore.”

He stood back up and gripped her around the hips. He slid inside her and moaned as she tensed. Lenni reached back and caressed his neck. She rested her head on his shoulder as he moved inside of her.

“This might hurt a little bit.” He warned. One hand left her waist and went to her shoulder. She felt a sharp pain as he scratched her. “There.”

Lenni gasped as her body tightened. The pleasure that had been growing between her legs raced across her body. But it was more than that. She was his now. She was his mate. She could feel it deep in her soul. He would never leave her and she would never want to part from him.

“I love you,” she told him.

He kissed her wound. “I love you too.”

That was all it took. She couldn't believe it. It was done. Why had they waited so long? She would never be a coward again like this.

Next time she had to choose between fear and love she was going to choose love. She was going to tell her truth even if made her look like a total idiot. If she was herself, there was no way she could ever regret it.