Disclaimer: Well, as always, only Rowan and her family are my invention,
all other characters are property of Joss Whedon and Fox Co.
Spike looked over at Rowan, who lay next to him on his bed. * Well, I guess it's our bed now.* he thought. He smiled while looking at her closed eyes and sleeping face. She seemed so calm, so peaceful. He thought back to earlier, when the poof had invaded his home, trying to play at being a Master Vampire. * She called me her mate. How can I be her mate? * he questioned. The mating ceremony was a long one, and believed sacred in werewolf lore. He had only seen one during his stay at Softpaw Castle, the mating of Astrel, Rowan's sister, and a noble cousin she had fallen for, after her infatuation with Spike had blown over. Spike had loved the ceremony for its pure, unadulterated sense of the wild. He gazed at his newfound love, wondering about a million things and one thing at once.
Rowan awoke to Spike staring at her with a half-smile on his face. She leaned up and kissed that smile, which made Spike laugh. He nuzzled her neck, and licked the fang marks he had left a few days before. Her laugh startled him, a deep-throated laugh that sounded beautiful and fearful at once. Spike looked at her quizzically, raising one eyebrow and tilting his head. Rowan laughed again, and simply said, "It tickles," He smiled at her.. And then asked the one question that had been on his mind since the poofter had barged in on them. "Rowan, about what you said earlier.Why did you call me your mate?" She looked deep into his dazzling blue eyes. "I was going to ask you tonight.But Angelus ruined my surprise. Would you do my the honor of being my mate?"
Spike couldn't believe his ears. Had he still been alive, his heart would have skipped a few beats. Rowan Softpaw.She was a princess. She was royalty. How could she want him? It wasn't like human weddings, where they could be dissolved anytime. A werewolf mating was a lifelong commitment. Thoughts, emotions, and dreams were shared, through a connection that could only be broken by death. Spike never knew a wolf to mate with anyone else outside of his or her own species. * Hmm.. That brings up bestiality issues, doesn't it? * Spike joked to himself. He snapped out of La-la land, and saw Rowan staring at him, apparently waiting for an answer. "Rowan.You know I would love to be your Mate for the rest of my unlife, but how?" he asked. She smiled again, showing her happiness to look into his eyes, those deep blue pools. "We can Mate, with all the benefits as well.It just requires Willow's help for a bit, and then we can be Mated, forever," she said. Her eyes dazzled with an excited light, thinking about the future the two of them could have. Spike gazed at her, then whispered, "Hold still,". He passed the back of his hand lightly down her cheek, making the hair on the back of her arms stand on end. "I want to remember this moment for the rest of eternity," he whispered as he nuzzled her ear. She giggled again, and asked him quietly, "Well? What's your answer?"
"Of course." were the only words spoken for a few hours, and only after did they talk about how to, when to, and everything else about starting their Mating.
Spike looked over at Rowan, who lay next to him on his bed. * Well, I guess it's our bed now.* he thought. He smiled while looking at her closed eyes and sleeping face. She seemed so calm, so peaceful. He thought back to earlier, when the poof had invaded his home, trying to play at being a Master Vampire. * She called me her mate. How can I be her mate? * he questioned. The mating ceremony was a long one, and believed sacred in werewolf lore. He had only seen one during his stay at Softpaw Castle, the mating of Astrel, Rowan's sister, and a noble cousin she had fallen for, after her infatuation with Spike had blown over. Spike had loved the ceremony for its pure, unadulterated sense of the wild. He gazed at his newfound love, wondering about a million things and one thing at once.
Rowan awoke to Spike staring at her with a half-smile on his face. She leaned up and kissed that smile, which made Spike laugh. He nuzzled her neck, and licked the fang marks he had left a few days before. Her laugh startled him, a deep-throated laugh that sounded beautiful and fearful at once. Spike looked at her quizzically, raising one eyebrow and tilting his head. Rowan laughed again, and simply said, "It tickles," He smiled at her.. And then asked the one question that had been on his mind since the poofter had barged in on them. "Rowan, about what you said earlier.Why did you call me your mate?" She looked deep into his dazzling blue eyes. "I was going to ask you tonight.But Angelus ruined my surprise. Would you do my the honor of being my mate?"
Spike couldn't believe his ears. Had he still been alive, his heart would have skipped a few beats. Rowan Softpaw.She was a princess. She was royalty. How could she want him? It wasn't like human weddings, where they could be dissolved anytime. A werewolf mating was a lifelong commitment. Thoughts, emotions, and dreams were shared, through a connection that could only be broken by death. Spike never knew a wolf to mate with anyone else outside of his or her own species. * Hmm.. That brings up bestiality issues, doesn't it? * Spike joked to himself. He snapped out of La-la land, and saw Rowan staring at him, apparently waiting for an answer. "Rowan.You know I would love to be your Mate for the rest of my unlife, but how?" he asked. She smiled again, showing her happiness to look into his eyes, those deep blue pools. "We can Mate, with all the benefits as well.It just requires Willow's help for a bit, and then we can be Mated, forever," she said. Her eyes dazzled with an excited light, thinking about the future the two of them could have. Spike gazed at her, then whispered, "Hold still,". He passed the back of his hand lightly down her cheek, making the hair on the back of her arms stand on end. "I want to remember this moment for the rest of eternity," he whispered as he nuzzled her ear. She giggled again, and asked him quietly, "Well? What's your answer?"
"Of course." were the only words spoken for a few hours, and only after did they talk about how to, when to, and everything else about starting their Mating.