"I'd like to thank you for returning the test subject to me."

Shock had Anya frozen in place as she gaped at the Dalatrass and tried to make sense of her words. After a moment her shock gave way to fury. "Your test subject?"

She remembered the mission the salarian woman had tried to force upon her a little over a week ago. It was Thane that she'd been referring to. The whole time the Dalatrass knew about Thane, knew that he was probably alive, and she'd kept the entire thing a secret.

"I should have guessed."

The salarian gave her a demeaning look, as though Anya's ignorance was of no surprise. "Yes, well, you have my thanks, Spectre."

Anya blinked, taken aback by the blatant dismissal. She glanced back to where Thane stood behind her. His features were furrowed with his confusion. She had her own questions, but fury made her forget what they had been.

Returning her glare to the Dalatrass, Anya growled, "Keep your thanks, I'm not returning him to you." Before the salarian woman could rebuke, Anya spit out, "You knew it was him the entire time, knew what he meant to me. That's why you didn't want to give me all of the information up front."

The Dalatrass shrugged like her conniving was of little consequence. "I asked for your help; Don't forget that it was you that turned me away" Her large slanted eyes landed on Thane, a plotting smile twisting the corners of her mouth as she stared at him. She had plans for him, a lifetime worth of tests, poking and prodding. "It appears that it doesn't matter. In the end you did exactly what I wanted."

Anya stepped in front of Thane, trying to block the Dalatrass' view of her mate even if she was shorter than him. Anger was boiling hotter and hotter within her, setting her blood on fire and rimming her vision with red. She wouldn't let the Dalatrass anywhere near Thane. The salarian could try at the cost of her life.

Hackles rising, Anya became very defensive of the man standing behind her. "You can't have him," she growled, carefully eyeing the salarian as she dared her to make a move.

"Commander," the Dalatrass tsked as if she were speaking to a child. "Mr. Krios is the result of the newest advances in medical science. His life is too valuable to keep to yourself. Do you understand how many lives he can save? Or how much we can learn from him?"

Shaking her head, Anya seethed, "I don't care." When the Dalatrass glared at her in disbelief, she said, "You want me to turn him over to you so that you can treat him like a lab rat. Thane is a living, breathing, feeling person. I'm not going to let him become a prisoner to your tests."

"He has been cured from Kepral's, Commander." The Dalatrass commented as though Anya hadn't already guessed that. "Lives were lost bringing him back from the dead. More lives depend on the science we invested into him. Have you any idea how many people are praying for a cure. And there he stands, the only hope for dozens of drell. Are you truly so selfish as to stand in the way of all those lives."

When Thane made a sound like he was about to speak she raised her hand and interrupted him. "Yes," was Anya's immediate reply. "I am."

The salarian woman sighed. "I want this done with as little trouble as possible, Commander. If you won't freely return him to our custody, then I'll have to evoke my right to him." When Anya raised an eyebrow, the Dalatrass explained. "Mr. Krios donated his body to science upon his death. That is how we gained possession of it, and that is how we will get him back. That man is the property of the Salarian Task Group and you will release him to us immediately."

"No," Anya snarled between clenched teeth, a fierce lioness protecting her pride. Keeping herself in front of Thane her glare turned murderous. "You will not take him."

The Dalatrass gave Anya an exasperated look. Seeing that the human wouldn't hear reason she moved her attention over to Thane, addressing the subject of this confrontation directly. "Dozens of drell are dying from the very thing that killed you. You have a responsibility."

"To be a lab rat?" Anya countered, furious that the Dalatrass would stoop so low as to appeal to Thane's honor. "You brought him back from the dead, gave him another chance at life, just to hold him prisoner to your tests?"

"Siha," Thane intervened. "She's right. I have a responsibility."

"Bullshit," she turned on him, angry and desperate emerald eyes searching his face. She wouldn't let him do this. She'd had a taste of what life was without him. Anya would rather die a hundred deaths than to have to live through it ever again. She was never going to go through that again. He couldn't ask her to.

"You have a responsibility to your son to be his father. You have a responsibility to me to be my mate. You don't owe her shit. If anything she owes you." With a growl Anya returned her attention to the Dalatrass, her eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. "No," her scowl deepened as she spoke to the other woman. "You owe me. I've never asked the Council for anything –"

"Except to be dead in the public eye," the Dalatrass corrected. "Which is no easy task, I might add."

Anya continued like she hadn't been interrupted. "But now I have to intervene. Thane Krios is mine and you can't have him."

Thane's hand fell on Anya's shoulder, pulling her back before she charged the Dalatrass and beat her to a pulp. Turning her to face him his large black eyes stared into hers, asking that she listen to reason. As his thumb brushed the length of her cheek he said, "I have a few questions."

"And I have the answers," the Dalatrass interrupted and Thane held Anya by the chin to keep her from glowering at the salarian.

"I've had questions since waking up," he continued as though it were only the two of them in the room. Thane gently held her by the arms, reassuring her with his presence. "Let me at least get some answers."

Schooling her features to hide her displeasure, Anya forced the persistent no back down. She shut her eyes and sucked in a steadying breath. It had been well over a year since Thane woke up, and every day since then had probably been haunted by unanswerable questions. She could understand his desire to at least get his answers. Admittedly, she wouldn't mind some answers herself.

Just as Anya was about to open her mouth and consent to his request, the Dalatrass interrupted. "Return to the STG science base on Zarkesh and we'll answer every question you have."

Anya balked at the thought. Setting her jaw, she tore herself from Thane's hands and returned her glare to the woman at the other end of the room. "He isn't going anywhere with you. Thane isn't some test subject, he's a father, he's my mate, and the only way you'll ever get your slippery hands on him is over my dead body."

Swiveling around, Anya glared at Thane and growled, "Come." She stormed out of the room- frequently glancing back to make sure that no one tried to stop Thane from leaving the offices.

They made it back out to the Presidium without being stopped by the salarians or any of the C-Sec officers. Anya watched every movement and every person they passed, alert to any threat to her mate. Thane followed loyally behind her. It was easy to tell by his expression that he wanted to talk to her about what just happened, but he was smart enough to know that now wasn't the time to talk to her about it.

The elevator quickly grew suffocating with the tension radiating off of Anya. She stalked from one wall to the other, huffing and growling at the memory of the Dalatrass' infuriatingly victorious face and her high-and-mighty attitude. She thought she could get whatever she wanted, did she? Well, she had another thing coming. Anya wasn't going to let her anywhere near Thane. She dared the Dalatrass to try.

"Siha," Thane said after minute. He was brave enough to step out in front of her, forcing her to stop and face him. Placing his hands on her shoulders, Thane rubbed her arms as he gazed down at her. Love showed plain as day in those big dark eyes of his, and Anya forced herself to keep calm for whatever he'd say next. "You know that I love you."

Nodding, Anya replied, "I love you, too."

He gave her a long measured look, finding the words before daring to say them. After a moment he started, "Though I know and understand why you are refusing to come to any kind of agreement with the Dalatrass, I need you to understand that I am not some toy that you and she can fight over." He spoke over her when Anya started to argue. "The decision whether or not I go with her is mine to make. Not hers and not yours, mine."

Anya's eyes narrowed as her anger doubled then redoubled, multiplying by itself with each inhale she made. "Not my decision?"

Thane immediately recognized the hard set to Anya's emerald eyes. She took a fuming step forward, the anger in her green irises scalding in its heat. Perhaps that had not been his most tactful argument.

Poking an angry finger into his chest, Anya growled, "You are my mate, Thane. You say it's not my decision? Well it's no longer just your decision either. This no longer affects just you. It affects your son and it affects me. I don't care about the Dalatrass. I care about my family and keeping it together. And if that means fighting the very galaxy that I tried to save, then so be it. Bring it on."

The elevator dinged and the doors parted with a hiss. Giving Thane one last growl she turned on her heel and left him in the metal box. Taking in a deep breath, Thane muttered a prayer to Arashu and followed her onto the silversun strip. Maybe the lord of hunters would help him calm his snarling beast.

He easily located Anya in the crowd. People jumped out of the way as she made a path, the look on her face was a deterrent from making any kind of protest. Shaking his head, Thane followed after her and caught up as she was glowering at an elcor fiercely enough to make him take a terrified step back.

"With barely contained terror: My apologies ma'am, I did not mean to be in your way."

As Thane reclaimed his place beside her he gave the elcor an apologizing look. "Siha," he tried, even though he knew that she wouldn't listen to anything he had to say. "It's the right thing to do and you know it."

Anya scoffed. The sidelong glance she gave him burned with distaste. "The only thing that I know is that this subject is no longer open for discussion." She tore her glare from him and pointed her attention forward.

They entered a building that he assumed was hers. Anya ignored the polite attendant by the door as she stormed passed. Offering the offended woman an apologizing grimace, Thane hurried after Anya before she could insult or offend anyone else along their path.

There was only a long hall between them and the apartment, and Anya's angry steps furiously closed the distance. She quickly punched in the passcode and hurried inside before Thane could stop her outside the door.

"Hey, Banana," Michael's voice greeted them from somewhere inside of the apartment. "Who'd you have to kill to get digs like this?"

Thane stopped at the entryway, paused in his pursuit to admire the unexpected beauty of Anya's apartment. His focus returned to his mate when she snarled an answer to her brother.

"The Reapers," she seethed before running up the stairs.

Michael's expression fell as he watched his sister disappear up the stairs. Slowly, he and the others moved their confused gazes from the stairs to where Thane stood at the entrance.

"Father?" the question went unsaid in the undertones of Kolyat's voice. His brows were furrowed with concern, and his features openly inquired what everyone else was wondering.

Moving around the counter, Michael left the kitchen and finished the question Kolyat had started. "Is everything alright, Thane?"

Slightly shaking his head, Thane followed Anya's route up the stairs. Michael's mildly amused voice trailed behind with the advice, "Keep her away from the vacuum." It was an inside joke Thane wasn't yet a part of, and he ignored it as he made his way up the stairs.

Thane paused at the landing, where he would have been lost if not for the angry footfalls down the hall. Later he would have time to admire her spacious apartment, but now he had an upset woman to face. Gods help him, he would need them in order to make it out of this confrontation with his life.

He followed the grumbling and swearing until he reached her room. In the corner, the space hamster nervously watched as its master stomped to and from the closet. It appeared as though an explosion had gone off in the wardrobe.

Clothes and shoes were scattered about, chaotically thrown onto the bed and the floor as Anya cleared out her walk in closet. She would disappear into its depths only to return growling and cursing as she threw armsful of clothes out into the room.

Standing by the door, he watched the procedure for a moment; concerned and mesmerized all at the same time. Thane could feel Anya's fury like flames lapping at his scales. He knew that he needed to say something to calm his incensed mate, but for the moment he was silenced by his confusion and fascination. This wasn't the first time that he had witnessed her anger, it wasn't even the first time that he'd been on the receiving end of it. It was the first time, however, that Anya had been this infuriated.

After the moment had passed, Thane dared to ask, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing," she snarled, emerald eyes boring sharply into him like varren teeth. Grinding her teeth, Anya glared at him for another second before returning to her vehemently performed task. "I'm cleaning out the closet."

Thane watched as she returned with another armful of clothes to throw onto the bed. She went back into the closet and he asked, "Why?"

"Because I want to," a pair of boots flew from the closet with her response, several more following as she said, "What is this, twenty questions?"

Anya appeared at the closet entrance, her hands firmly clutching the door frame as she glared at him with enough anger to fillet the flesh off of Thane's bones. "You want to play twenty questions? Fine, we'll play twenty questions. My turn: why are you so eager to run off to the Dalatrass' science team and leave your family behind?"

The words were powerful enough to send him a step back. Thane's lips thinned with his distaste. Slowly, his own anger began to stir within him. She made it sound as though it were some simple thing, as though Thane was only too glad to abandon his family at the first opportunity.

Shaking his head, he replied, "I'm not eager to go anywhere. The last thing I want is to leave my family." He stared at Anya pleadingly, begging her to open her ears and listen to reason. "Why are you acting like this, Anya?"

A hand shot up at the sound of his question, demanding him to shut his mouth. "It's still my turn to ask the questions. If you want to play the game, Krios, learn the rules." The tick in her jaw intensified before she asked, "If you don't want to go with her then why even entertain conversation with that . . . demon?"

Exasperated, Thane answered, "It's not about 'wanting' to go with her, it's about doing the right thing. The Dalatrass was right; I have a responsibility to my people." He took a step towards Anya, only to be forced to stop at the razor edge that sharpened her glare. "People are dying. Families are losing loved ones to Kepral's Syndrome. I've been cured. I'm the answer to their prayers. But instead of doing everything I can to help them, you want me to hide, to run? What kind of man would that make me?"

"The kind that has a family," Anya rebuked. "It makes you the kind of man who wants to be happy."

Thane shook his head. Softly, he corrected, "It makes me selfish. It makes me a coward."

"It's not cowardice to be a little bit selfish," she argued.

Offering her a sympathizing look, Thane said, "This isn't a little selfish, Siha," he took another step towards her. "This is turning my back on hundreds of sick, hopeless, people because I couldn't think beyond me."

Anya lifted her chin in defiance. Softly she annunciated, "I don't care."

He lifted an eyebrow, challenging her to that fact. "You don't care?" When she nodded that he had heard her correctly, Thane tried again. "People are dying and I can save them, and you don't care?"

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she shook her head. "I care about you. I care about Kolyat. I've sacrificed everything for everyone countless times. I will not sacrifice you for anyone. Salarians are a resourceful people. I have the utmost confidence in their abilities to figure something else out."

"With what?" Thane asked. "All of their research was destroyed. All they have is me. Anya, are you truly going to damn dozens of families, hundreds of people, just to keep me by your side?"

A scowl grew across her lips, a fierce look shadowing her features. "I'm willing to do so much more if it means keeping you with me." Taking a furious step towards him, she continued. "And the fact that you would so easily walk away from us, from another chance to have a family, to join the Dalatrass' pursuit for scientific advancement pisses me the fuck off."

Thane narrowed his eyes. "I'm not abandoning our family by doing what is right."

"Aren't you though?" Thane flinched away from her arduous accusation.. "How great for Kolyat. After two years of thinking you're dead, I bring you back only for you to run off with the Dalatrass not even a full twenty hours later. Would you like to explain to him how you aren't abandoning him, or should I?"

He took in a steadying breath in attempt to maintain some semblance of calm. Anya was making it very difficult for him to keep his emotions in check. If she kept shouting at him the way she was, it would only be a matter of time before he started shouting back. They'd been reunited for only three days and already she was doing everything to get a rise out of him. She was scratching her way under his skin, and Thane clenched and unclenched his hands to keep from reaching out and shaking her.

"What the Dalatrass is doing is right." Thane would keep trying to use logic and rationality, knowing that Anya would ignore it and retaliate with emotion and her bruised pride. "She wants to save people, my people."

Anya rolled her eyes, turning around she stomped back into the closet to continue her momentarily forgotten task of cleaning it out. Ripping clothes from their hangers she threw them at Thane's feet, growling, "Well isn't she just a motherfucking saint?"

She furiously flung more clothes in Thane's direction. "If her holiness' intentions are so fucking pure then why has this entire thing been a secret? She came to me behind the Council's back to offer me and Lysithea the job. If this was on the up and up then the Council would already be involved; but they aren't. She's doing this in secret. The tests, the test subjects, everything they did to you was done in secret. She's a conniving, plotting, manipulative bitch and I will never trust her with the one person I value most in the entire universe."

"If she can cure Kepral's Syndrome then what does it matter how it's done?" Thane wondered, tired of this argument and the look in Anya's emerald eyes. She refused to understand. She refused to listen. That sexy set to her brows made him so angry he could hardly hold it back. How was it possible to be this angry at someone while desiring them all the while?

Her lip curled and his feverish desire to bite into her neck grew. "Now you sound like the Illusive Man. The means to the end matters, no matter the circumstance."

"Our careers were accomplished by side stepping legalities and breaking rules, Anya. So what if she broke a few rules in order to find a cure? In the end, lives will be saved, but only if I help her."

Anya set her jaw and shook her head. Crossing her arms in front of her chest she brought Thane's attention down to her generous cleavage, and spit out, "No."

"It's not your decision," it was the statement that had started this whole argument. He knew better than to take away her voice in the matter, but Thane had had enough of the dispute. He wanted to rip off Anya's clothes and settle this the old fashioned way, and if she persisted that was exactly what he was going to do.

The nerve of him! Anya's teeth ached from all the grinding she'd been putting them through. It was incredible how he knew exactly what to say to make her see red. It was like he chose the most infuriating words he knew, put them into a sentence, and then had the gall to say them aloud.

Her anger got the best of her. Anya couldn't hold herself back a moment longer. Stepping over a pile of shoes, she placed herself toe to toe with her aggravatingly handsome drell. Normally their difference in height set her heart aflutter, but now it was one more thing that pissed her off.

Getting as much in his face as she could, Anya bit out, "It's as much my decision as it is yours."

Without another word Thane's mouth descended upon Anya's, forcing her into an enragingly arousing kiss. His arms wound tightly around her when she tried to shove him back. They were in the middle of an argument, gods damnit, he didn't get to distract her with sex.

She fought against him for a grand total of two seconds before succumbing to the decadence of his passion. Anya could taste his anger on her tongue, could feel his irritation scorching her skin. His frustration spoke directly to her senses and set her insides aflame.

Thane's fingers viciously threaded through her hair, tilting her head back so that he could lap and bite at her neck. It was a task he normally performed with delightfully gentle attention. Now it was an intrusion. It was rough and angry. Thane was marking her, asserting his dominance over her, and Anya was melting despite herself.

He moved, shoving Anya back into a wall. Thane loomed over her, an imposing and arousing sight as he pressed himself against her. His hand went from her waist to her breast. Slipping his fingers through the buttons he ripped her shirt open, revealing her excitedly heaving chest to him.

Anya reached up to wrap her arms around Thane's neck in attempt to return his lips to hers, but he shrugged her off of him with a growl. Grabbing her wrists, he pinned her arms above her head and held her face in warning. His smoldering gaze branded into her flesh, leaving a trail of fire as he admired her helpless position.

Control lost, her hips started to gyrate against him, the slight motion making her groan in pleasure until he pressed himself against her, pinning her uselessly against the wall. Thane had her boxed in. She could feel his arousal against her, but could do nothing to pleasure him or herself. With her hands uselessly trapped above her head, and her lower half trapped between Thane and the wall, Anya could only glare up at her mate, silently demanding that he let her get her satisfaction.

He did nothing but stare down at her, and she recognized what he intended. Thane would be doing the touching. This was about him, what he wanted, and she was only a vessel to realize his desire. In spite of her frustration, Anya relaxed the set of her jaw and lowered her gaze to his chest.

Satisfied by her submission, Thane returned to his self-assigned task of undressing her. His scaley fingers roved over her skin, starting at her chest before slithering around her side and finding the clasp securing her bra at her back. With experienced deftness, he released the clasps and her bra loosened.

Releasing her wrists, Thane watched as she lowered her arms and let her bra and shirt fall off of her shoulders. He reclaimed her hand and placed it on his throbbing sex, his wordless instructions loud and clear. Gladly, Anya rubbed her hand over his length and harmonized her moan with Thane's at the feeling of him. Gods, she needed him so badly.

She bit her lip as she stared down at the the bulge in his pants. The fabric keeping her touch from making contact with his skin was aggravating. Anya wanted to feel him, to be burned by his heat. Curling her fingers around the waistband, she tried to slide her digits down to stroke him only to have her wrist caught by his hand.

Looking up to meet Thane's narrowed gaze, she kept her protest to herself at the sight of the scowl on his lips. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and brought his face down to hers. Quietly, Thane growled, "If you want to play the game, Siha, learn the rules."

Anya rumbled in displeasure. She didn't like when he used her words against her. Arching herself towards him, she complained, "I don't like this game."

Thane was ruthless. Unperturbed by her pout, and unmoved by her whining, he turned her around so she her back was towards him and pushed her against the wall, the sound of him unzipping his pants causing her to inhale sharply. Before she could make a noise in complaint, he ripped her pants down and arched her bottom up towards him. He pressed her against the wall as he pressed himself against her, the bulbous head of his penis feeling the slickness of her folds.

"I didn't ask if you liked the game," he hissed at the feeling of her rubbing herself against his tip. Without warning, Thane sheathed himself to the hilt. They cried out at the same time, Anya in pleasure-pain of being so suddenly invaded by him. He only waited a moment, giving her body the shortest of seconds to accommodate his size before he started thrusting.

Biting back the load moans that crowded the back of her throat, Anya pressed her face to the wall and took Thane's brutal claiming in relative silence. He wanted to play rough? Fine, then he wouldn't get the satisfaction of hearing her love every second of it.

He pulled her crimson hair, his mouth suddenly beside her ear. Taking her earlobe into his mouth, Thane commanded, "I want to hear you, Siha." When Anya clamped her mouth shut, he bit down on her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. Thane's skilled fingers crawled around her waist and found their way between her legs. The moment he touched her hyper-sensitive clit Anya cried out a curse.

"That's it," he rubbed her in unison with his punishing thrusts. "Let me hear you." Thane milked every mew and moan out of her. His free hand felt the muscles in her back and shoulders, his nails digging into her skin.

"Louder," he pounded into her.

Past clenched teeth, Anya shouted, "Oh, Thane, fuck me." She was so close, and by the rate of his body plowing into hers, she could tell that he was too. Anya was thrown over the edge and plummeted into euphoria when Thane's fingers pinched her nipples. A second later he chased after her and fell into his own foggy bliss.

Thane rested against Anya's back, catching his breath as he eased himself out of her. Gently kissing her shoulder, he stepped back and gave her enough room to straighten back up. She stayed there for a moment, propped up against the wall, and let her body come down from the orgasim.

Turning her to face him, Thane kissed her brow, her eyelids, her cheeks, and then her lips. He was handling her now with a tenderness that hadn't existed moments before. Large apologetic eyes gazed down at her as he asked, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Anya shook her head and gave her mate a reassuring smile. "Only my ego." Kicking off her pants, she walked past him to the bathroom where she turned on the shower. "You showed me who's boss," When she glanced over her shoulder she was pleased to see Thane trailing in behind her, removing what remained of his clothing as well. "It won't be a lesson I'll soon forget."

The rumble that sounded from his chest was satisfied. They slipped into the hot shower and began to clean each other off. Pouring Anya's raspberry scented body wash onto a loofa, Thane scrubbed her surface with reverent adoration. She chuckled softly to herself as she poured the same feminine body wash into her hands and used it to clean off Thane.

A soft smile eased onto Thane's lips and Anya stood on the tips of her toes to steal a kiss from him. The angry sex had been just the thing to clear her head, and now Anya felt more open to conversation. Rubbing the sweet smelling suds onto his scales, she said, "I can't be without you, Thane."

His eyes were focused on the task of massaging the soapy water onto the skin of her neck and collarbone. Without glancing up Thane observed, "We don't really know what the Dalatrass intends to do. We don't know if you even will be without me."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Anya wondered, ducking her head until she caught his gaze. When Thane looked up from her neck and looked her in the eye, she continued, "Doesn't it bother you not knowing what she's planning to do to you, or what's going to happen to us? Because it bothers me."

Returning her attention to scrubbing his scales, Anya admitted, "I've already had a taste of what life can be like without you. I won't go through that again. She can't make me, and you can't ask that of me. Please don't ask me to go through that again, Thane. I can't."

"I know, Siha." Thane wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pressed her naked body against his. Rubbing her soapy back, his silky voice assured her, "I won't ask you to go through that again. Whatever happens we will stay together, no matter the cost."

A weary smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "That's all I wanted you to say." She pulled slightly away and gazed up at the handsome drell glistening with droplets of water. With a sigh, Anya finally relented. "We can speak to the Dalatrass." At the sight of a hopeful spark brightening Thane's features, she inserted, "But only if the Council is involved. I won't stand for anymore of her sneaky bullshit. If she want's you, it's going to be under my terms, no exceptions."

"No exceptions," Thane agreed, a content grin on his face. That smile made it all worth it. Anya would do anything for that smile, even deal with the Dalatrass. The kiss he passionately placed on her lips awoke a familiar fire in the deep of her gut. When they parted for a breath Thane whispered, "Thank you, Siha."

Anya stared into the hidden green of her mate's eyes and felt the rest of the weight of her previous anger melt off. A small embarrassed smile inched across her lips and she brushed an imaginary speck from Thane's bare chest. "So maybe I should apologize for kind of losing it back there, huh?"

The smile he gave her was teasing, "It wouldn't hurt."

Sucking in a deep breath, she stated, "I, Anya Marie Shepard, hereby apologize for my stubborn, rude, juvenile and inappropriate behavior." To his growing grin she asked, "Would you please forgive me?"

Thane pursed his lips as he considered her apology, the thoughtful air about him was playful. After a moment he nodded and pressed his lips to the tip of her nose. "I think I might be able to do that."

Anya pulled from his arms. Wrapping a towel around her body she walked backwards into bedroom, making a come hither motion with her finger as she said, "Let me make it up to you, Sere Krios."

He stalked after her, a predatory smile playing on his lips. "Gladly," Thane purred as he joined her on the bed.