"Because if you hadn't have been," she smiled a little to sweetly. 
"You wouldn't have had to worry about wraiths and rouge dragons 
getting you.... I would have killed you myself."

"Oh really?" he said, turning her around. 

She felt her breath catch at his nearness. It was always this way 
whenever he touched her. No other man had ever affected her in this 
way. Her eyes flew up to look into his. Here it comes, she thought. 

"Maybe you'd like me to be here all the time," he said, holding
her glance. A moment of silence passed, stretched.

"What are you saying?" Her heart stopped, she was afraid to take 
a breath in fear of missing his next statement. Could he mean....

"I'm saying that I want us to share an apartment, provided we
can find one that'll fit two dragons. I don't think that will be 
a problem."

"Move in together?" she dumbly repeated. To shocked to say 
anything else. 

"That's what mates do, don't they?" He paused to let that
sink in. "What do you say?"

"Mates?" she repeated after him again, praying she'd heard him 
right. He wasn't going to leave her. He wanted to stay!! Everything 
in the room faded around her. Everything but the man she loved.

"You're sure?" she asked, tears of happiness threatened to fall as 
her eyes searched his face while waiting for his answer.

"I'm sure."

"Oh B'rand!" her voice was choked with the emotions she was feeling. 
She'd been so afraid that he would want to leave after the way she 
had acted earlier. That she would lose him. But if he was asking her 
to be his mate...

<Is that all you have to say? "Oh B'rand" This is a first. You're
speechless!! I must make a note of this occasion!>

<<Oh hush!!>> Lenna told her dragon. <<He wants us to be mates!>>

<That's what the man said! Is it really that much of a surprise? 
After all he sleeps in your bed every night anyway.>

<<But he asked me to be his mate! His MATE!!>>

<You don't need to repeat it...I heard it the first...second and 
third time you said it. Now you better give him an answer before 
he thinks he made a mistake.>

"Well?" his voice held a warmth as his hand moved up to caress her 
cheek. 

Gods how she loved him!!!

"Yes! OH YES!!" she cried and threw herself into his arms. Seeking 
his lips with her own. "Oh yes...yes... yes..." she repeated between kisses.

<You're repeating yourself again my dearest.> Blanchie told her, 
but Lenna could hear how pleased the dragon was. <It will be nice 
to have a larger place to cuddle up with Rook everynight.>

Her lips moved over his cheeks, his eyes and then to nibble on his 
ears. Her hands moved to the buttons on his shirt, opening them 
slowly before slipping it from his shoulders. Her lips followed, 
teasing and tasting every inch of him she could get to. Then slowly 
she moved upwards running her hands through the soft hair that 
covered his chest to loop around his neck as her lips followed 
their path.

He picked her up in his strong arms and carried her to the bed. 
Setting her on the floor long enough to remove the things covering 
her beauty from him, then moved them both onto the bed. Then he took 
over the role of the aggressor. He knew how to drive her crazy and proceeded
to do just that.

Lenna couldn't think as his hands and lips began to wonder over her. 
She felt only the intense pleasure his caresses brought. Willingly 
she begged him to end it, knowing she couldn't take much more of his
teasing. She was wild for him...

------------

<Lenna love> Blanchie's thought broke into her dreams. <It's time 
you started thinking about getting up. We do have to meet Azure and 
her rider for morning patrols soon.>

<<Go away an bug someone else,>> Lenna muttered. She was still 
exhausted from everything she and B'rand had done together the 
night before. It had been late when he finally allowed her to 
drift off to sleep. 

Or had it been she who'd kept them awake. 

<My human, need I remind you of the trouble you almost got into 
the last time you and you 'mate' spent the night like you did last 
night... I will if it'll help get  you out of bed. Or I could just 
tell Azure to have her rider come on up!!!>

<<Don't you DARE!!>> She sent back and sat upright in the bed and 
turned to see her lover smiling up at her.

"I see you got a wake up call also?" he grinned at the expression 
on her face. 

"You could say that," she smiled back and then moved to cuddle up 
next to him, her head on the pillow next to him. It wasn't until 
he turned his head away to look across the room that she saw the 
teeth marks on the side of his neck. 

Reaching out to touch them, she nearly jumped back when B'rand's 
head suddenly turned back to face her. She couldn't understand the 
look that came over his face. As if waiting for something, but she 
pushed the thought aside and leaned up to gently kiss the spot on 
his neck.

"I must have been a little wild last night," she said ducking her 
head, her face red as she remembered just how wild he'd made her 
feel. Funny though, she didn't remember biting him hard enough to 
leave a mark like this one.... "It seems I branded you in my.. ah.. enthusiasm."

With her head bowed she didn't see the relief flash across his face. 
It was gone when she looked up again to meet his eyes. "Just as 
you've branded me with your love."

"So how soon do you think we can start looking for an apartment," 
he smiled wolfishly, as he pulled her down to lay back on the bed. 
Trapping her there when he moved over her. 

<You're going to be late if you start that up again... gees... >

"Meet me after you get back from your patrol," she said minutes 
later when the kiss ended. "We can start then." 

Suddenly she remembered her lesson with Farr'in was scheduled for 
around that time. Oh well. He'd understand, wouldn't he? If not... 
to bad. It wasn't everyday she had the man she loved ask her to be 
his mate.

B'rand's mate!! By the Gods how she loved this man.

--------------------------------------------
Speaking of being thrown for a loop *BIG GRIN*

Allen: It was so sweet I came close to crying myself... boy you 
can write!!

Well....I got around the neck bite for now.... thought poor B'rand 
needed a break... but don't count on things being rosy for long....
You never know what'll happen next.........

Kris: Lenna will be barely on time for your first patrol in the 
morning.... so be ready and waiting..

Keri...we miss you... loved your last post... I'll have something for
Farr'in & the other thing soon...next day or so.
Check out this page... it's where I got the mirc program I down loaded
you just need to find the one thats fits your computer best...win 95
WP.?... like that

<http://www.mirc.co.uk/get.html>

****Submitted by: ******

Barbara (a.k.a.

Lenna & Blanchie

Cleft Warren