Hello all, finally back. And here is a gift for my wonderful reviews, a chapter that is a bight longer then my others hope you all like it, please review and let me know.

Once again I would like to thank Mrs. Bumblebee for wonderful ideas that have helped shaped this story.

Enjoy!!!

Chapter 6

We had been walking through the freezing cold snow for almost a week and I was starting to really get sick of my fingers being numb but it wasn't all bad, my wounded chest had almost completely healed and Glalda, Caleb and I had taken to having snowball fights as we walked to make the trip more exciting; sometimes some of the other vampaneze would also join in with us but most of them watched on in amusement.

I was happy to find that all the clan now thought of me as one of the their own since they found out that I saved Glalda from being stabbed; even the brut, Zack Taylor had changed his attitude toward me.

One night as we were climbing up a mountain, we stopped at a tunnel in the side.

I saw that the tunnel was huge and I couldn't see the end of it but just standing at the entrance I could feel that the cave was abnormally warm inside.

"Why is it so warm?" I asked.

Glalda smiled down at me and said, "At the end of this cave are natural hot springs. We always stop here on our way to Vampaneze Mountain, to clean and warm up."

With that said Glalda took hold of my small hand and lead me and the clan inside.

Turning a corner I gasped as I saw that the tunnel lead to three large hot springs at the end of a cave.

Suddenly the cave was alive with the excited cries of the vampaneze and I couldn't hold back the blush that I knew was on my face as all of the vampaneze stripped naked to bath in the hot spring.

Soon Glalda and I were the only ones still in clothes.

Glalda was shaking his head at the childishness of his clan while I was trying to look at anything other then the naked men in the large hot springs.

Glalda must have noticed my discomfort because he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I know of another smaller hot spring nearby; would you be more comfortable there?" I nodded with a smile, happy to be able to have a bath alone.

Glalda quickly want to tell Caleb that we were going, and then the vampaneze leader started to lead me through a side tunnel.

It didn't take long for us to make it to the end of the tunnel but we were far enough away from the clan that we couldn't hear them anymore.

The tunnel opened up into a decent sized cave with another hot spring that was big enough to fit five people but still smaller them the others.

I turned to Glalda to find that the vampaneze was giving me a cheeky smile and had started to strip.

I blushed and was about to say 'no way in hell' but Glalda seemed to sense my protest coming and quickly said, "I was only thinking of bathing with you, thinking that you would be more comfortable bathing in here with me then in there with the whole clan. I promise not to touch you- unless you want me to."

I felt my face heat up further at that last bight but I knew that I could trust Glalda and so I started to strip too, stopping when I get to my boxers.

I turned to face Glalda, making sure that the vampaneze was not watching me, only to find that he had already gotten into the water and he had his back to me.

I couldn't help but think about how much of a gentleman Glalda could be at times, like when he would go out of his way to make me comfortable or how he never kissed or touched me with out my permission.

After I had discarded my boxers I quickly jumped into the hot water.

I couldn't help but give a sigh as my sore muscles relaxed in the steaming hot water; I put my head under so I could give my hair a bight of a wash.

When I came back up a chuckling Glalda splashed me in the face.

And that was when the water fight started.

The cave was filled with our laughter and the sound of splashing water.

Suddenly Glalda jumped on me and pushed me playfully under the water. I smirked underwater as I grabbed his legs and knocked him over so he was underwater too.

Next thing I knew we were kissing.

His tongue pushed past my lips and all I could taste was warm water and Glalda.

I would have loved to let the kiss continue but I was in serious need of air. Pulling back to part our lips I shot up and took a lung full of air.

Glalda broke through the surface next me and started to gently kiss me as he push me to the edge of the hot spring and we started a make-out session, which quickly turned into a 'him necking me' session. Suddenly I remembered that we were both naked and couldn't stop myself from going a little light headed with embarrassment and fear.

Would Glalda try and take me right here, right now? I thought to myself, hoping not because I seriously wasn't ready for that. Yes I now know for sure that I love him and kissing him is wonderful but I just wasn't ready to loose my virginity.

Pushing at Glalda's strong broad shoulders, I whispered, "Please stop." Knowing that Glalda would do as I ask.

Glalda suddenly moved his head away from my neck and I saw that he looked very horrified.

"I'm sorry Darren. I let myself get carried away. I should have realized that you weren't comfortable." Glalda said as he hugged me in apology.

I smiled up at him and replied, "I wasn't uncomfortable because I knew you would stop when I asked, I'm just not ready yet."

Glalda looked down at me in surprise and asked, "Yet! What do you mean 'yet'?"

I started to blush madly as I answered in a small voice, "Well, I know what I feel for you is love now and I know that I want to give my virginity to you but not until I'm ready."

Glalda looked like he had died and gone to heaven.

"So you will be my mate?" he asked as he held me tighter around my lean waist.

I nodded with a shy smile and Glalda moved almost to quickly for me to see as he kissed me again.

The kiss itself was slow, soft and loving, like Glalda wanted to show me that he was going to love me forever more.

-

When we made it back to the main cave everyone had set up a place to sleep.

It was morning so everyone was sleeping soundly.

Glalda and I found our blanket had been laid out for us and we thankfully layed down to sleep, Glalda on his back with me lying stomach down on his chest.

Looking down at Glalda I asked shyly, "How do we become mated?"

Glalda looked up at me in surprise then gave a deep chuckle and replied, "To be mated we must do three things; get the vampaneze court's approval, share each others blood through the same method as turning a human and… well…mate."

I gave Glalda a scared look, "We have to have sex to be mated?"

Glalda nodded and I started to feel fear clench at my heart at the thought but one look into Glalda's caring red eyes and I knew that he would look after me and would wait until I'm ready for that step.

Then I remembered what else he said and I asked suddenly, "What is the vampaneze court?"

Glalda smirked at me, "The vampaneze court is what we call all the vampaneze clan leaders. Like how you vampires have the vampire princes. I myself am one of them. Normally vampaneze can mate as they please but being one of the court members I must seek the approval of the others because when we are mated you will hold some power over the court."

I didn't know what to make of that. I really don't want any power over anything.

Suddenly something else came to my mind, "Wouldn't me being a half vampire make it hard for us to get approval?"

Glalda gave me a smile and said confidently, "I don't think so. Most of the court members are my good friends and will trust my judgement of you… and plus I'll tell them the vampires gave you to me as a gift to show they want peace." He said this last bight with a cheeky smile and I realized that he was joking.

I shock my head at his childishness and made myself comfy against the vampaneze' broad chest and started to dose off while Glalda ran his long fingers through my hair.

-

The next afternoon the clan was making its why through the freezing cold snow again.

But this time we were also fighting to get through a snowstorm too.

Despite the howling wind and snow we were doing fine and were able to stay walking at a good pace but it was becoming harder to see through the snow and wind with every passing minute.

At about midnight we had to walk in a line with everyone holding the person in front's clothing to make sure we stayed together and so no one strayed.

I was between Glalda and Caleb and I wasn't doing as well as the vampaneze.

I was the youngest and there for the shortest and with the fast pace we were doing I was tiring because of how high the snow was and it was rising as even more snow fell. It was already past my knees but not just that but my limbs were starting to numb and the cold wind felt like a cold knife cutting my throat every time I breathed in.

I knew that if I was human I would have froze to death long ago.

But I put aside my tiredness, knowing that I could still walk on and I'm sure that I wasn't the only one that was feeling the cold.

We continued to walk for hours, we were even able to walk well into the day because the snowstorm blocked out the sun.

I was starting to wonder if we would every get to Vampaneze Mountain when Glalda looked over his shoulder at me and yelled over the still howling wind, "There should be a cave up ahead that we can rest in. Can you hold out for another half an hour?"

I didn't really know if I could, the cold was making it hard for me to breath because it hurt so much and my mind was starting to become doughy with exhaustion but I still nodded my head, not wanting to seem weak.

I knew that Glalda would carry if I just asked but I refused to be so weak, I would make it to that cave on my own two legs.

About twenty minutes later and all I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. My brain had gone to sleep leaving me with only one thought 'must keep walking'.

The snow was now up to my waist and I was thankful that I had Glalda walking in front of me so I wouldn't have to push so much of it to keep walking.

Thankfully just as I was on the brink of collapsing, Glalda yelled out that he could see the cave.

I smiled and felt a bight of energy come to me at the thought of making it to the cave and resting in Glalda's warm embrace.

And I wasn't the only one that seemed to liven up at the site of the cave; all the vampaneze let go of the person in front of them and raced forward to get to the cave.

Glalda turned and took hold of my waist and we walked toward the cave together.

We ended up being the last ones to enter the cave.

I saw that Caleb and Zack Tyler were tiring to start a fire as others started to lay out blankets and food.

The instant I was inside the cave, I felt warmer. Just being out of the wind was heavenly.

But with the newfound warmth, my exhaustion seemed to intensify and suddenly my legs refused to hold me up.

Thankfully Glalda was quick to catch me, and I leaned on him letting my head fall on his broad shoulder and finally letting my mind shut down for a while.

-

When I started to wake up, I felt warm and realized that there was a strong pair of arms around me and I was leaning on a warm chest.

I smiled, not having to open my eyes to know that it was Glalda.

Glalda must have noticed my smile and figured I was awake cause he started to whisper in my ear, "Good evening little bat. Do you feel better?"

I opened my eyes and looked up at my future mate's kind smiling face and nodded.

Suddenly my stomach complained of being hungry and Glalda chuckled.

I smirked and said in amusement, "Is there any food left or did the kids eat it all?"

Glalda almost fell over with laughter as he heard me refer to the clan as children.

Calming down enough to answer me he replied, "I saved you some, don't worry."

Having said that he reached to our left and I saw him grab a bowl of soup.

After taking the bowl with a thanks I felt Glalda kiss the top of my head.

After I had finished eating I looked around to see most of the clan asleep, there were two vampaneze sitting at the entrance, keeping watch.

Turning back to face Glalda I asked, "Will we reach Vampaneze Mountain soon, Glalda?"

"We should reach it before tomorrow morning if we head out at sundown, little bat." The vampaneze leader answered.

I sighed with relief and was about to ask about what the place was like but I noticed just how tired Glalda looked and asked a bight peeved, "Have you slept at all since we got here?"

Glalda shook his head.

"Why?"

Glalda just shrugged his shoulders but I knew it was because he was making sure I was okay and I started to felt guilty.

"You should sleep. How are you supposed to lead your clan up a dangerous mountain if you fall a sleep half way there." I said.

I knew I sounded like a whining mother hen but I didn't like Glalda loosing sleep over me.

"Okay, little bat. You win. Lets get some sleep." Glalda said with a yawn.

Nodding I leaned against Glalda's chest again and waited until I could hear Glalda's breathing even out and I knew he was asleep, and then I followed him.

-

The next afternoon the snowstorm had finally blown itself out and we were able to travel much faster.

And Glalda was right; by about four in the morning we could see the Vampaneze Mountain; well to me it looked like any other mountain, I was only going off what Glalda said.

We started to climb the steep snow covered side of the mountain.

I gasped, as we got higher because the snow was starting to be more like ice and it made it very hard to get a good hold on the rough wet slippery surface of the mountain.

Thankfully, Caleb had been climbing below me and was able to stop me from slipping; I smiled down at him in thanks and kept climbing.

At about half way up the mountain we came to a small tunnel opening.

I would have never guest it was the entrance if Glalda, who was leading, hadn't crawled in on all fours.

I was thankful that I was small so I had more room to move when I followed the vampaneze leader but I still had to crawl on all fours.

When I tried to see Glalda ahead of me, I realized that it was to dark to even see past my own nose.

But I didn't complain because its not like we had room to light torches so there was no point and I could hear Glalda ahead of me so I was still able to follow him.

Thankfully as we moved forward the tunnel become bigger and I also realized that the tunnel had the same Luminous lichen fungus as the vampire mountain so I was able to see Glalda take a left turn up ahead of me.

This tunnel lead to a cave were Glalda turned and grabbed my hand to help me out of the small tunnel and stand up straight.

I smiled at him in thanks but I was becoming increasingly nervous and I may not have looked very thankfully.

"Little bat, what's wrong? You look nervous." Glalda commented as he pulled me to his chest.

Before I could reply, Caleb crawled out the small tunnel, looking very thankfully to be standing up straight and said to Glalda, "Of course the little one is nervous. I would have been worried if he wasn't. He is after all a half vampire inside a mountain full of full-blooded vampaneze."

Sometimes I really hated the way people could read me so easily.

I felt Glalda hold me tighter to his chest and said, "Don't worry little bat. You are under my protection and no one here will lay a hand on you."

I glared up at Glalda and said back, "Will you stop treating to me like a child."

Zack Tyler suddenly gave an amused snort as he pushed his way out of the tunnel and said to me, "'e an't treating ya like a child, 'e is treating ya like a woman."

I blushed as several of the vampaneze laughed but I knew that it was in good nature and I knew that Zack was only playfully teasing me, he did it to all the clan.

Glalda also looked a bit embarrassed and it made me give a little chuckle after all it wasn't often that he had a blush on his purple checks.

To cover up his embarrassment, Glalda cleared his throat and said, "No time for joking around, forward we go."

With that said he released me from his embrace but hold onto my hand and lead me forward.

Looking past Glalda I saw a large stone door and my nervousness come back.

What if Glalda can't protect me? What if the vampaneze kick me out? Where would I go? What if the Vampaneze Court won't allow Glalda and I to be together? All these horrible thoughts were running through my head and I realized at the last thought just how much I had grown to love Glalda; the very thought of never seeing him again hurt more then I could ever say. And in away that scarred me; I still wasn't use to the thought of me being gay but it was becoming easier.

Glalda and I by now had reached the heavy stone door and Glalda gave it a hard knocking with his large fist.

After a moment, a large vampaneze man opened the door; he reminded me of a bear.

The man took one look at Glalda and bowed his head saying, "Welcome back councilor Glalda."

Glalda smiled in return and replied happily, "Thank you Mac. Still pushing guard duty then?"

The man named Mac nodded and smiled back but then he court site of me behind Glalda and the smiled was quick to disappear.

"Glalda, is this a prisoner?" Mac asked as if he doubted it but still seriously hoped so.

"Nope!" Glalda laughed as he pulled me forward to stand in front of him, so I was facing the large vampaneze; much to my horror, the guy looked like he wanted nothing more then to slice my throat, "The is Darren Shan, my future mate."

At that last bit, Mac took a step back in shock and gasped, "But he is a vampire!"

Suddenly Caleb stepped forward and laughed, "Half-vampire and like something like that would stop Glalda from getting what he wants."

Next Zack came forward, "Besides big brother, the little brat has won our clan's respect."

I looked back at Zack in surprise, big brother, but really it wasn't that surprising, there was resemblance between the two.

Mac still looked at me doubtfully and I starred back at him making sure that there was no fear or doubt in my face. I wasn't going to saw this man that I was scarred.

Mac suddenly looked back at Glalda and said, "Councilor Vlad will not be happy about this."

Out the corner of my eye I saw Caleb fidget uncomfortable when he heard that name but Glalda's voice court my attention and I decided to ask Caleb about it later.

"Vlad will have to get over it." Glalda was saying, "Darren is under my protection as a court member's potential mate and now will you please let us in; it has been a long and tiring journey and we would like to get settled in before morning."

Mac sighed in defeat and stood aside to let us in.

-

Hope you all liked it. Sorry to all those who wanted Glalda's courting of Darren to last longer but I really don't like stories that take so long with the main characters to get together, were they argue for no reason and pussy-foot around each other. But don't worry all you romance types, wait until you see what I have planned for Caleb.

Review and tell me what you think, and don't worry the next chapter will be up very soon.