CHAPTER 5

As Vayn brought Roxie down the hallway he gently prodded along conversation and smiled as she spoke back kindly.

"You know you really are a very nice girl." Vayn said a hint of sadness in his voice.

"And you are a nice guy." Roxie said her voice still strained with nervousness.

Vayn chuckled and stopped, leaning up against the maroon wall he examined the confused Roxie.

"Why are you afraid of me?" He asked gently the genuine smile still on his lips.

"I'm not…" Roxie said looking away then with a sigh, "sure."

"I take you into my home and you fear me. I offer you food and shelter from a storm and you still fear me. Why?" Vayn asked kindly.

"Its stupid but there is something predatory about you and your brother." Roxie said looking up at Vayn hoping she didn't offend him.

He just laughed and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "You may be right but I promise not to hurt you."

"Where is Kristy? Vayn I know you know what happened to her." Roxie said finally asking the question that had been chewing away at her.

Vayn sighed and gently placed his hand on her soft cheek. His eyes suddenly pleaded for forgiveness of a sin Roxie hadn't known. Then his whole body tensed as rage twisted his features.

"ADRIAN!" He roared as his arm locked around Roxie's waist and the two blurred out of the hallway in a black mist.

Vayn landed on the table in a low crouch as he gently pushed Roxie down making her stumble to the wall. His hands clenched almost claw like as he stared into the eyes of Adrian as blood dripped down his chin. Max lay on the table unconscious her neck bleeding, a small pool of blood around her head.

"HOW COULD YOU!?" Vayn roared launching from the table to slam Adrian to the thick glass windows by his neck. "You know it is forbidden to make half demons!"

"Get off of me Vayn." Adrian growled slamming his feet into Vayn's chest throwing him to land on his feet back on the long table.

"Why did you do it Adrian? Now she can only be killed by a demon?!" Vayn asked in more of an order.

"I care for this human Vayn! You don't understand it, brother." Adrian growled looking towards Max.

"I don't?! Oh but I do. You're not the only one with a soft spot for a human." Vayn said suddenly soft, his eyes landing on Roxie for a moment. "You don't have to break our sacred law!"

Adrian growled as he jumped forward slamming Vayn through the thick glass and out into the grass outside. Vayn spun backwards launching Adrian away as he jumped to his feet. With a groan Vayn jerked a shard of glass from his shoulder as the storm grew worse above, the rain stopped suddenly as Vayn glanced at the sky.

"Fine Adrian! You wish for a battle then I'd be happy to oblige a traitor." Vayn growled as ram horns spun out of the side of his head coiling.

"I made a mistake brother." Adrian yelled as the ring of horns grew out of his head.

Vayn stared at his brother sadness in his eyes as the gash in his shoulder sealed.

"They could have lived human." Vayn said softly as he looked down at the muddy ground.

Roxie leaned over Max a sob in her throat as she sat down to put Max's head in her lap. The scene outside was grim as the two brothers circled each other there eyes saddened and locked on each other. A drizzle came down as the clouds let loose some held back rain. Suddenly Max's eyes shot open red and enraged she blurred to her feet and zeroed in on Vayn.

With a growl she slammed herself into him her claws at the back of his throat.

"Do not threaten my mate!" She growled through her sharp teeth.

"Max get away from him!" Adrian ordered too late.

Vayn spun from underneath her and slammed his fist into her stomach sending her high into the air.

"You've gone to far Adrian!" Vayn growled as she came back down.

Vayn slammed his fist into her stomach sending her into a nearby tree. The tree fell backwards away from Max as Adrian ran to her side. Vayn looked away from Adrian as he knelt down beside Max.

"Adrian you have broken sacred law. You have attacked your brother. And you have mated with your abomination." Vayn said sadly as the horns retreated to his skull his being looking stretched and aged. "Why?"

"Vayn you…you are no longer my brother." Adrian said standing as he let Max's head fall back to the soft ground unconscious.

"You…you turn your back on your brother?" Vayn asked as though he had been slapped.

"Leave. Take your pure human and leave." Adrian growled the horns around his head glinting deadly in the torch light from the hole in the castle wall.

Vayn stepped back like a human that had been shot by a friend. With a shake of his head he turned to the hole in the wall and let his eyes land upon Roxie. His voice sounded old as he spoke.

"You can come with me but trust me, when a demon threatens another demons mate they don't stop until they get blood payment."

"Blood payment?" Roxie asked her voice an octave high.

"Yes. Once Max wakes up her and Adrian will be after us." Vayn said looking back at Adrian who knelt over Max.

"What? Us? Why am I in this?" Roxie asked staring intently at Vayn.

"I have…kinda…made you my mate," Vayn said a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "If you agree."

"What? When?" Roxie asked her arms flailing in her confusion.

A groan sounded from behind the two making them turn to see Max roll to her side.

"Either come with me and be in danger or reject my mating offer and be safe." Vayn said now urgent, and then suddenly his eyes became soft more human showing in the silver eyes than before. "I have to leave for good. I don't want to kill my brother."

"Roxie will you step in between me and him?" Max asked standing her eyes a deep red.

Roxie looked to Vayn as Adrian stood beside his half demon mate ready for a fight. Vayn stepped in front of Roxie and stood ready but not threatening.

"Would you hurt me?" Roxie asked from behind Vayn.

"If you get between me and my prey." Max answered cold and hard.

"You were my friend." Roxie said tears coming to her eyes.

"I will follow him to hell." Max growled staring at Vayn.

"You were my friend." Roxie realized as she stepped to put her arms around Vayn…her new mate.

Black mist enveloped them as Max screeched with anger, then the crisp mountain air of the morning kissed their faces. Vayn opened his eyes to look off the cliff down into the green canopy of the trees below. Vayn turned to his new mate and stared down at her a new loving feeling for her in his eyes. Roxie looked up at him from his chest then off into the horizon as the sun began to rise in east.

"Where are we?" She asked looking up at him.

"The Demon's domain." Vayn answered as Roxie looked off at the beautiful landscape confusion growing in her eyes what did this new world have to offer?