Blackfoot Forest All that I've been thinking of, is maybe that you might

@Minna

Leto had been in deep consideration over his and Minna's relationship, it had kept him up many nights just pacing his den and stressing. He worried mostly that he would be caught in his affection for her, such love was not allowed surely with arranged marriages. It had hit him after Kierkegaard had stepped down that he didn't owe these wolves anything. The only reason he had bothered was for Liri and Minna, to stand with them. 

If Amara and Aaron wanted to deny him his own natural inclinations, if they wanted to tell him who he was supposed to love, they could suck it. Leto sought Minna out late in the night, the moon overhead and glowing on his white pelt. The pale man's eyes scanned the forest around him, certain that there were no others nearby. Leto was in a dangerous mindset, the kind where he no longer cared about consequences and simply looking to put himself before the pack for possibly the first time. 

His steps led him to Minna's den, pausing outside it in case she was asleep. "Minna," he called out softly, a bit of nervous urgency in his tone. "Are you home?"

Her tiny form was huddled in the back of her den, rising and falling with steady breaths. She had relaxed, the tension leaving her stance after the fall of Kierkegaard. They had prepared, planned should a fight prove imminent, but the brute had stepped down without incident. But after this time with him, Minna had realized that he had not been cruel, exactly, but feral and blunt. But not especially malicious. 

She was woken from her dreamless slumber by a voice, her eyes fluttering open and her ears perked. It came again, and she recognized the owner. Leto. A sleepy smile crossed her maw, she lurched to her feet and stepped quickly to the mouth of her den, fur disheveled. She smiled, sincere and joyful at being able to see him. "Hey, charming" she said sleepily, stifling a small yawn.

It was only moments before she appeared, fur spiking up randomly from sleep and blinking tiredly. Her appearance amused him, a wide grin finding its way onto his features. "Hey beautiful," Leto murmured before moving closer. For a moment, he only stared at her in an effort to get his courage up. No matter how many women he may have been with before, Minna was different. She wasn't the same one night stand or week long fling, she made him feel.

Taking a deep breath, Leto leaned in hesitantly with plenty of room for her to deflect the kiss. Provided she didn't, it would be their first kiss. As he pulled back, Leto began to pace in agitation, a trait he shared with his sister. 

"Minna, I got to tell you something. I...I think I'm in love with you. I don't want any of the other women in this pack, I want to be with you," Leto murmured, had he been human he might have run a hand through his hair. 

"If Aaron and Amara have a problem with me loving you, then they can sod off. Fuck the rules," Leto reiterated his earlier thoughts on the rules. "Will you be my mate?" Leto paused, glancing at her with hopeful golden eyes.

plot twist! >:D

He was staring at her. Why was he doing that? Her own expression faltered a moment, worry casting a veil over her gaze. Something must be wrong; why else would he be staring like this, what had happened? She was about to voice her concerns when, to her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her. She faltered a moment, but relief filled her and she returned the motion, a smile tugging at her muzzle. Shit, he was great, wasn't he? She was the wolf she had thought him to be and more, and through their time together she had felt their bond grow closer. 

She retreated from the kiss with a smile on her features, eyes sparkling. She was about to speak again, and begun to gather her thoughts when Leto spoke her mind. And then some. Fuck da rulez. Okay, perhaps not exactly that. But it was good to know that her boyfriend had some badass in him. Perhaps a little more than "some". Perhaps another would have stumbled, hesitated, even rejected the offer. But soon after the words left his mouth, Minna tilted up her fine muzzle and met his gaze. "Yes"

She need not speak a long-winded explanation, for her love for him was plain in answering his query. Nevertheless, she leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, whispering fondly a few simple words. "I love you, Leto."

Minna didn't seem as nervous as he, agreeing to his question almost as soon as he finished speaking. Leto beamed at her, tail wagging over time as she kissed his cheek. Almost instinctively the pale man rested his head atop hers, the way they always had when they cuddled.

"I love you too," Leto answered easily, kissing the top of her head affectionately. "I think we should be alright for awhile, with McTavish gone there aren't any males besides Sam and Aaron. Mating ceremonies couldn't take place anyways," he pointed out.

"We could always stay and if they try to marry us off to others...then we could leave," Leto hated the idea of leaving Liri, not when he had just found her but for Minna he would. "Unless you want to leave now? Or we could try talking to the Alphas about it." 

His "I love you was followed by talk and worry and debate, which Minna was in no mood for. They had just become mates, in their own way, and she would not let anything tarnish the moment. "Leto. We'll speak to the alphas in a few days, if nothing else. I love you, no one is going to take that from me."

Her eyes burned a moment, steadfast in her will, before she looked to Leto once more. "But now, I just want to be with you, here. Not worry. Not now." she smiled at him, allowing him to rest his head atop hers without complaint.

Leto smiled sheepishly, reminding himself to breathe. Minna was right, they could worry later. "Sorry, got ahead of myself for a moment." 

He settled against her easily, the anxiety slipping from his shoulders like water. For now, he would enjoy this small slice of perfection.