His dreams had been so pleasant. Chance in his arms, kissing him with all
the love she felt for him. He'd been thrilled when she had told him that her
feelings for him were the same as he felt for her, after telling her what
was in his heart....

Her arms were around his neck, holding his lips to hers... legs entwined.... 

But then the dream disappeared when he felt the half-hearted struggles of
the woman in his arms, and he came awake to hear her asking him to let her go. 

"Let go..."  The words made it past her lips just as it occurred to her to
open her eyes.

"You might try letting me go first..." he replied, but made no move that
would frighten her. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he could
see it there in her eyes and wanted her to know he would never hurt her.

Chance stopped moving.

"Oh, Gods..." he heard her mutter and still didn't move when he felt her
trying to remove her hands from the tight hold she had on him, but saw the
next button on her nightclothes give way under the movement, and unashamedly
took in the sight that greeted him. 

She was... so beautiful... and felt so good in his arms. He didn't want her
to move away, but wanted to continue holding her against him.

She glanced up at him as she quit trying to fiddle with her shirt,
recognizing it for the lost cause it was.  

"Good morning, Kanler." He heard her say and had to keep the smile off his
face as he recognized what she was trying to do. "You want breakfast, or
anything?"

He raised his hand up slowly so not to frighten her and tilted her head up
gently until she was forced to look him in the eye.

"Chance.. nothing happened here last night," he told her softly, but wishing
it had.

"Nothing?"

He shook his head. 

"Nothing. I came by to see how you were after everything had settled down
and you were having a nightmare so I just tried to comfort you and you
wouldn't let me go so I stayed," he grinned when her eyes moved to look at
the wrinkles where her hands had gripped his shirt. "I guess I just sort of
fell asleep."

"I'm sorry..." she started to say but he cut her off.

"I'm not. I feel honored you felt you could trust me even dead asleep as you
were," he told her. 

"I'm sure Beneka will be wondering where you were last night," she couldn't
hide the bitterness in her tone as she tried to turn her head away from him,
but he refused to allow her to hide.

"I told you once before that I would rather spend time with you," he
reminded her. "I don't care what Beneka thought, it was you I was concerned
about."

"She's in love with you, you know?" 

"She thinks she is, and because I don't feel the same has been making my
life a living hell," he sighed dramatically. "Do you know the lengths I've
had to go to, to avoid her? Why Sariss is beginning to think I don't like
living in the Warren because I keep asking him to take me away from here
just to get away from her."

<Why don't you just tell Tinka's rider the truth...that you want to mate
with her?> the fore mentioned beast asked, letting his rider feel his own
contentment as he cuddled with Tinka. 

<<Hush you!! I don't want to scare her away.>>

<Silly humans...if you just spoke what's in your heart and mind things would
be so much easier.>

<<I might if she'd give me one sign about how she felt.>>

"You don't like her?" Chance asked not quiet believing him. Beneka was a
beautiful woman, as well as rich. What man wouldn't like her.

"No Chance. I don't," he shook his head. "She's not at all like you."

"And just how am I?" she bristled a little at his comment, but had to ask.

"You are beautiful. Both here...and here..." he reached out slowly to point
his figure at first at the side of her head, and then down to a spot just
above her heart. 

He was thrilled when she didn't pull away from his touch.

"You and Beneka may come from the same sort of back ground, but that's where
the comparison ends," he braved to tell her. "She uses her status to force
people to see her as someone special... but she's not. She crams it down our
throats that she's the daughter of a great Lord and can't see how people
resent that from her."

His smile grew warm as he dared to go on.

"While you...who could say the same about herself, never use your status, or
have to remind people how rich you are constantly. They do things for you
because you have a good heart and are always doing things to help others
without asking for anything in return. People know you really care about who
they are and what they think. They know they matter to you and not just
because you want something from them."

"Your making me out to sound like a do-gooder," she frowned. 

"Nope... just someone with a heart." He replied. Then his eyes met hers.
"And someone I would really like to get to know better."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you and wonder if you could ever care for me in the
same way?" There... it was out. 

He saw her eyes open wide.

"But.. you... Beneka... " she sputtered and he put his hand up to cover her
lips. 

"There is no me and Beneka," he assured her. "Not on my part anyway. I can't
stand the girl. You're the one I want to spend time with. You're the one I
want to get to know... and I told your brother the very same thing."

"Derry? You told Derry?" she asked and saw him nod his head.

"Look... just let me just spend sometime with you.. Maybe be your friend. I
would never do anything to hurt you and if you find you don't.. feel for me
the way I do you.. I'll understand."

He asked her to come with him to the party at Saul and Shawnee's that night. 

"It's Ojean's birthday," he told her and saw her nod her head.

"Shawnee invited me."

"Will you go with me?" he asked again, hoping ...no praying she'd say yes.

"As friends?" 

He nodded, while trying hard not to look at the exposed flesh still showing
from where her night shirt gapped open. How he wished to reach out and touch
her... to pull her near and kiss those lips trembling in front of his
eyes... but he made no move towards her. He didn't want to frighten her
away. Not now... not ever.

"I'll even promise not to try to hold your hand unless you reach for mine
first," he gave her the most charming grin he could come up with.

---------  

They finally made it to Saul and Shawnee's place for the party, after the
service for B'ril. Both were more then a little sad, as the healer had been
such a wonderful person and would be missed by all who knew him.

True to his word, Kanler may no sudden moves with her, and treated her with
the utmost of respect. He took her back to her apartment afterwards and
didn't even try to steal a much wanted kiss.

That would come later.. if she agreed to him. He could wait, for he knew she
was well worth waiting for. Now... if he could just convince her brother he
really cared about Chance ass a person and not because of *who* she was...
well he did care because of who she was...

He'd seen the looks Derry had been given him all night when they had showed
up together. Somehow he'd have to convince both brother and sister his
feelings were true.

As he left her, he thought about that. He didn't care one wit if she had
money or not. He didn't want or need it. Living in the Warren, all his needs
were taken care of, and he wouldn't have it any other way. 

But Chance.... there was more to her then her money or title... there was
her heart... her spirit... and her love of life. Those were the things about
her he'd come to care about. Those were the things that drew him to her.

Those were the things he prayed she'd never lose. 

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

Barbara (a.k.a.

Kanler & Sariss 
Whiteriver Warren