DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN ANYTHING :( all recognizable characters are owned by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli all others are owned by me. I am sorry but this story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are also mine if there is anyone who wants to volunteer for the position then PM me.

A/N: Ok I will not be updating until I get at least 5 reviews per chapter this goes for the entire story :) I need the encouragement to continue this story.

Chapter 3

"Hello Haku," Chihiro said softly as she looked at the spirit she had fallen in love with many years before.

"How?" was all he could manage to get out.

"It's a long story, Kohaku but I do have some bad news too. Apparently I have been betrothed in my absence, to a river spirit I have never met and …" she was stopped by Haku pulling her into his embrace.

"Chihiro, did they say who this river spirit was?" he asked wanting to know if that was why she had shown up at the Bathhouse.

"They tried to tell me but I was so angry at them for betrothing me to him that I left before they gave his name. Why do you ask?"

"Because the spirit you have been betrothed to is me," he answered with a grin.

"But Haku…Dragons….." she was stopped by his hand against her lips.

"Yes, I know that we only have one mate, Chihiro. Do not worry about it. I am happy about the betrothal." Though he would never say that he had not been happy about it until it was revealed that it was she he was engaged too in the first place.

"But….If you have a mate Haku I can't allow you to go through with this. It would not be fair to your future mate."

"Chihiro…." he stopped not exactly sure how to tell her that she was his mate.

"May I stay here tonight?" she turned and asked Yubaba.

"Of course, your highness, I would be delighted to have you stay the night."

With that they all made their way into the Bathhouse where Chihiro was greeted joyously by all her old friends.

CHCHCHCHCHCH

Haku walked her to her room and left her there wondering how he was going to go about telling her that he was her mate. He knew that only the males of his race could sense their mates and that the females simply complied with the mating but he wanted more from his mate than that. He wanted her love. He already loved her dearly but he could not claim her as his until he knew for sure that she loved him in return.

CHCHCHCHCH

Chihiro laid in her bed wondering why he had walked away from her. She thought for a moment he was going to say something but then he just turned and walked away. It had come as a shock to find out that she was engaged to him but she could not for the life of her feel sorry about it. Yes, he may have a mate already but she could not help wanting him for herself. She loved him. She had since she had been a ten year old human girl lost in the Spirit World. He had been her rescuer and so much more. She had never forgotten him in the ten years she had been parted from him and in that ten year period he had grown even more handsome than he had been as a twelve year old spirit boy. She could not deny how he made her heart quiver in desire.

Realizing that she was not going to get any sleep, she left her room and went in search of her dragon. She walked up the stairs towards Yubaba's section of the Bathhouse in hopes that she could find him. Taking a left when she left the elevator instead of the right she would have taken to take her to Yubaba's office she came to a single door at the end of an almost endless hallway. Taking a look around she took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Haku heard the knock and growled under his breath. He was in no mood to deal with the female bath house spirits. He stormed to the door and threw it open. What he found on the other side was not what or whom he was expecting. "Chihiro! What are you doing here?" he asked pulling her into his room and shutting the door behind her.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered honestly.

"Why could you not sleep was your room not to your liking, your highness?"

"No the room was quite comfortable, thank you but I could not stop thinking about…." she stopped with a blush.

"About…?" he questioned. Probing her for an answer.

She blushed a deeper crimson not able to answer his questioning probe.

"Chihiro, you can tell me," he whispered.

"It's just I have this feeling like you are not telling me something important Haku."

He blanched inwardly at her words for he was keeping something from her but he just didn't know how to tell her.

"What is it you think I am hiding from you?" he asked.

"Well, the fact that you don't mind being forced to marry me when you know that a dragon only has one mate, for one," she answered.

"Oh, is that what has you worried?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Chihiro, I do not know exactly how to tell you this other than to just come right out and say it,"

"Say what?"

"You are my mate."