"Bite her?" Xander exploded. "Why is it always about hurting her. Can't he just give her some flowers?"

"She needs to accept him as a wolf to be his Alpha. The spell won't work on an Alpha. The book has warnings." Anya stabbed her finger toward the pages.

"It won't work. Slayers are immune to the bite. I've done the research." Giles looked away.

"Slayers aren't immune. They just don't change." Anya stood up and walked over to where Oz and Buffy sat. "Bite her, make sure to get some saliva in the cut." She waved her hands at him encouragingly.

Oz looked at her and shifted Buffy even closer to him. "You said she isn't immune."

"How is it you know nothing about what you are?" Anya tossed her hands in the air. "There is only one pure human in the room, my Xander. The rest of you are freaks, a slayer, a werewolf, a watcher, and a witch."

"If you took the time to explain, it might be helpful." Giles settled into the chair while Tara and Xander sat upon the floor.

"Well, watchers have been inbreeding for a long time, marrying the potentials, and magic users too. I'd imagine there have been quite a few of those in your genealogy. It makes you stronger, faster, smarter, and more powerful than an ordinary human. If you don't die unnaturally, you'll live longer too. Everything that plays in our world has something special. Xander is an ordinary human, but brave enough to take up the sword or rocket launcher when needed. He likes women that are already of this world, like me. Our children would inherit bravery and skill and move up the power ladder. It's the way of the world." Anya smiled. "So bite her. Do you need us to turn away? Is it a privacy thing? Xander's been explaining boundaries to me."

"Not clearly enough." Giles muttered and glared at Xander for a second.

"Leave it be, G Man. I'm trying." Xander scooted back into the couch. "After all, I'm not special like you."

"Do not call me that, or denigrate yourself again." Giles took off his glasses and started polishing them furiously.

"We're getting off track. Anya still hasn't explained why she thinks the bite will work." Tara looked sternly at the others.

Oz watched the group for a moment. "Biting her won't make a difference. She's my Alpha. She accepted me."

"Was there a ceremony? Was there blood, or sex, or magic? Did the two of you actually speak binding words?" Anya frowned at Oz.

"There was dancing, and I live with her. She accepts me."

"You're easy to accept. You're strong and good-looking in your way, and you have power. She's changed a bit with the things you have done, just enough to make her vulnerable. Most things are when they're in between."

"In between?" Oz raised an eyebrow.

"Buffy is becoming an Alpha. She'd find a way to do it on her own if she could. It's what makes her so damn scary to the demon world. She thinks on her feet and her vulnerabilities become strengths. There were huge betting pools on how quickly she would die, a slayer with friends, one that loves. Most demons were sure she'd be gone in hours. Then she came back from the dead and the whole betting system was blown." Anya looked away wistfully.

"You need to explain this theory more clearly. Or what's the point in hurting her?" Tara looked up at Anya.

"Slayers are interesting creatures. I've avoided them for the most part, but I knew one, briefly." Anya smiled. "She was golden, tall, violence in motion. Her companion was a tiny man, a monk of some kind, not a watcher by title. He treated her poorly. They lived outside our village for a summer. She worked any job in the town for the things they needed. She slept on a pallet outside the hut. He beat her every morning. He said it was to purify her, but we all knew he enjoyed it." She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Ahn." Xander scooted along the floor until he rested most of his body against her legs.

"You knew one of the lost slayers. You'll have to give us as much detail as possible. It's amazing." Giles leaned towards Anya eagerly.

"Not now." Oz snarled. "Buffy's needs come first."

"One morning she didn't make it back to his hut. She was found, still breathing, but the bite marks were horrendous. It took her nine days to heal. For three months, the full moon never pulled her, but she would run through the forest on those nights laughing, fully human. Then during one of his purifications, the little monk took her eye with the whip's metal tipped lash. She howled in pain and bit him when he dumped water on her to wash away the blood. He changed with the next moon. She never changed, but she was a carrier. Look, I know it's a risk, but it's a good one."

"I think it's worth a try. It feels like a risk Buffy would choose to take." Giles rubbed his hand across his forehead.

Oz nodded. "I don't know how to do this. Should there be blood or magic, witnesses? What's best? Is there someplace I should bite her? I can feel her getting weaker. So, it's humus time I guess."

Xander snorted and Giles looked pained.

"Hummus, indeed."

"I don't think you need magic or ceremony. She's already half the way there. Let yourself feel the power and bite her where your instinct demands." Tara touched him on the shoulder for a second. "We'll wait outside."

Oz grimaced as they left. He accepted his wolf, now, but biting her in this clinical way held no appeal. He wanted her clinging to him and biting back. He ripped the halter top from around her neck and stared at the scar Angel had left behind. He closed his eyes feeling the wolf surge forward as he lowered his head to her neck to nuzzle his face against the scar. He pulled away, holding her tightly, resting his face next to hers.

"I am yours, Buffy. I will never leave you. Accept me." He whispered against her ear. Then he let the wolf take him over. He felt his teeth explode as his jaw slightly elongated and he licked along her neck, several times. He opened his mouth over the scar and rested his teeth on her skin pressing down a bit, but not breaking her skin. Thoughts of their sweet kisses pressed in on him. He thought of Angel's mark, the one he was going to obliterate. He growled and bit down, letting her blood flow on his tongue, sweet and metallic.

Buffy's good hand suddenly darted up and grabbed him. She pushed herself around on his body as he lapped at her still bleeding neck. Suddenly she thrust him back against the couch.

"You are mine, Oz." she ripped the neck of his tee shirt and bit his neck. Her human teeth were not designed for this purpose, so she pressed harder until she felt his skin give in to her onslaught.

Oz trembled and felt his whole body strain towards her, his blood flowing into her. Her scent swirled around them both, her arousal hot in his nostrils. He felt her body go over as she let his neck go and screamed her release.

They were both sweat drenched as she collapsed against him. She shook her injured hand and the bag fell to the ground. He kissed her on the lips, softly. She pushed away from him to stare into his eyes.

"I love you, Oz."

"It's entirely mutual, Buffy."