Holly and I Only!!!

"You and me... Years from now, I think. You were on top of me, kissing me. Then you went down to my neck, kissing two scars of your fangs. Then you kissed my elbow. Then my stomach which looked pregnant. If I wasn't having a nighmare I was having that dream." She said, looking up at him.

He looked down at her gently. "Is that what you want," he asked her softly. "Do you want to be mates?"

"I don't know. That dream made me feel better and made me want to go feed you. But I don't know..." she sighed, beginning to pull away from him.

He felt a pang in his heart as he let her go. "Before I left, I was planning on asking you to be my mate," he murmured. "I felt - still feel - overprotective of you. It kills me to know that I've hurt you, Lilli," he murmured gently.

She hadn't shown him the inside of her elbow, knowing that it would make him feel worse and she didn't want to do that do him. "I don't know what to do."

"Do you want me to leave you alone so you can think," he asked her softly.

"I don't know..." She mumbled, turning and hiding her face in the pillows. If Ryder looked, he could see the scar on the inside of her left elbow.

Discoloration on her arm made Ryder look towards the scar he'd left. "Oh, Lilli," he murmured in a pained voice. He gently lifted her arm and examined her scar. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. He'd give anything to go back and time and stop himself.

She moved onto her back and looked at him. He was her gentle Ryder once again. Slowly, she sat up and looked at him. "I think I do wish to become your mate."

He looked up at her, into her eyes. Slowly, so she knew it was coming, he kissed her gently. "I will always protect you," he whispered.

Lilli's eyes closed as he kissed her and she kissed back. "I hope so. I don't want to go through this pain again."

He stroked her cheek gently, kissing her tenderly. "You won't," he whispered. "I'll be careful from now on. I won't go out alone."

"And you should listen to me. I told you not to go." she said.

"You did," he nodded, remembering. "I will listen to you," he agreed.

"Good." she half smiled.

"You have to be sure about taking me as your mate," he told her gently. "It's irreversible. It will make each of us want each other, past the point of need. You will be able to sense what I'm feeling. You will feel my pain, as I feel yours now," he explained, not wanting her to regret anything later.

"For some reason, I can't stand the thought of someone else feeling me." she said softly, completely confused by the feeling.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to her. "It comes with sharing blood. A piece of you is in me. I feel your heart beat within mine."

"I don't know what to do." she mumbled, sighing.

"Do you want me to leave you alone so you can think," he asked her softly, stroking her cheek gently.

She shook her head. "No."

"Alright, I'll stay," he murmured. He became quiet so she could decide without his influence, though he couldn't stop stroking her cheek or her hair.

"I don't want to do it tonight but I feel like it will happen eventually." she said after a while of thinking.

He nodded. "Alright. We'll wait until you're ready," he told her gently.

She nodded, shifting and laying her head on his chest.