Darius felt like a dead man, walking back to the castle. His feet were dragging while his mind was haunted by visions of his dark twisted past. 

Could he really have betrayed his brother? Was he that selfish in keeping Deva for himself?

Darius kept trying to convince himself he couldn't have it in him to hurt his brother so. His feelings for Deva were strong. She didn't fall for his smooth talk and charming antics. He remembered wanting her so bad. She was a challenge, a race but not just that. Deva was the first to see through his tough, messed up shell. She comforted him and made him see through different eyes. 

He was captured my her wild spirit and willingness to fight and love whom she choose. Darius was helpless from the beginning against her charm and beauty. 

The feelings going through his head that treacherous night were dark hatred and selfish intent. Lucian had stolen one girl me loved before. Darius wasn't going to let that happen again. He wanted Deva, needed Deva like air to breathe.

There was no way he was going to let Lucian win and possibly destroy another life. Lucian did not do well with betrayal. He killed Lidia for wanting to go back to Darius. Darius wasn't going to let Deva share the same fate. 

Darius stopped at the castle door. Should he tell Lucian or Deva? Should be let anyone know for that matter? The past was done and over with. There was nothing he could do about it now. The halls were quiet and empty besides the butler, opening the door for him. Darius nodded and headed to his room. It was already pitch black outside. Everyone must be asleep. How long was he talking with Adamarius anyway? 

He found Deva nestled in the sheets of their king size bed. He wanted to join her and wrap her in his arms but the smell of blood caught his attention. His shirt was soaked in a mixture of his and Adamarius' blood. He quickly took it off and tossed it in the trash before getting into the shower. 

The warm water splashing down was not going to wash away his sins. Watching the blood flow down the drain made him wish it was all Adamarius'. Killing him would be the end of his problem. No one else knew. Darius regretted not killing him from the moment they met him. 

Drying his body, Darius made his way to the bed. Getting in, he wrapped his arms around her tiny body and pulled her close. The scent of her lavender essence filled his nostrils. Everything about her drew him in. He was hers from the moment they met. 

Softly, he trailed kisses down her neck. Deva stirred, a smile plastered on her face. He couldn't wait any longer. Darius devoured her lips. Clearly confused, yet willing Deva responded with her own passionate urges. 

"Darius," she whispered in the small second he pulled away. 

But his lips quickly covered hers before she could even question his unusual motive. Darius' rough touch came out of nowhere and surprisingly shocked and somewhat scared her. 

He wouldn't stop. Something was driving him to this hungry, starved behavior. 

Deva pushed his face back, with little success. Darius barely acknowledged her struggle.

"Darius?"  

He pulled away and shut his eyes. Something was bothering him. Deva pulled his face into her hands and forced him to look at her. 

"What's going on?" Her worry was inevitable.

He leaned in and kissed her; more gently this time. "Nothing. I want you. I just want my wife." 

Deva shook her head, knowing there was more. "What are you thinking about?" 

Darius unbuttoned her night shirt. "Taking off your clothes." 

She placed her hands over his to stop him. He sighed, aggravated. 

"Darius, look at me." His eyes were dark and wild almost malicious.

"What? Why?" His voice was fired. 

"Something's bothering you. Tell me," she didn't mean to sound forceful but she had to know. 

Darius quickly got up. "No," he fumed. "You don't get to do that to me. You don't get to use your ability on me. I'm your husband. Deva, I'm your HUSBAND." He said like she had forgotten it. 

"Yes, I'm very aware of that." She slowly got out of bed but when she tried to approach him he backed away. 

His retreat pained her. Why was he acting like that? Was he trying to hide something?  

"Is it such a sin to want to make love to my wife? Why much you spoil it? You know I hate it when you try to force things out of my head? "

Deva felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I was just confused. You're acting strange." 

"Am I? Perhaps that's due to the fact that my half-brother has come back to ruin everything I've work so hard for; to take away everyone I love." 

He was afraid. Now she felt she understood. "I'm right here Darius. I will never leave you for another. You're the one I love and breathe for."

He covered her lips again in a passionate kiss. "Prove it." He needed it. He needed her because he didn't know how much longer he'd have her once she found out the truth. 

Deva took the challenge even thou a part of her wanted to question him more. She could sense there was more to his distress. 

Darius woke up in a shamble. The realism in his nightmare pulled him back to reality. That was the problem with his ability. Every dream he had felt ten times more real since his imagination was so vivid to detail. 

Darius turned on his side and noted Deva's sleeping form under the covers. Her peaceful trance was something he didn't want to disturb. She needed rest after such a night. 

Darius quietly got out of bed and put some clothes on. The sun was barely coming up outside when he walked out of their room. He knew he couldn't go back to sleep. There was too much on his mind. And Deva was so close to finding out. If she pursued him and farther with her ability he knew he would have cracked.

Darius wasn't ready to tell her just yet. It was all so new; he wasn't even sure he believed it yet. Adamarius was known for lying but would he lie about this? 

Whatever happened he knew he couldn't lose Deva. Deva was his world. There was only one solution. He had to kill Adamarius because he didn't know how she would react. Would she forgive him for something horrible he did years ago? 

Darius heard girlish giggles from down the corridor then he spotted his sister with her man candy. 

"Darius, what are you doing up this early?" 

Darius rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "I can't sleep but I see you have that problem too." 

Izzy smirked. "For different reasons." She turned to the man who was following her around like a puppy. Whispering into his ear, he gave her a quick kiss after and left out of their sight. 

"Come brother. Talk to me," she said leaving him away. 

"I don't feel like talking." 

"Well I'm not giving you a choice," she stubbornly put. "Is this about Adamarius?" 

He sighed. "Among other things."

Izzy was quickly intrigued by the subject. "Don't let him have the upper hand. Everything that comes out of his mouth is lies. He doesn't deserve your grief." 

He wanted to believe it desperately. That Adamarius' whole tale was made up only to get back at him. 

"Darius he fooled us all and ruined our family." 

Was it true thou? Did Adamarius ruin his family or was it Darius from the start? 

"What is it? You're distracted. What's on your mind?" 

Darius jerked back. "Don't. Don't try and get inside my head. You know I hate it." He was already hard enough keeping his brothers out of his mind for the duration of the time. 

She frowned. "Sorry."

"There is a way you could help Iz." Her eyes grew curious as he continued. "Pursued him to leave." 

Izzy was shocked for a moment. There was a time her brothers forbid her to use her ability. 

"Darius he's much stronger than I am. He's had time to develop his powers over the years. I haven't." She looked helpless.

Darius wouldn't let his little sister feel so defenseless. "Your power was greater than any of us ever expected. All I ask is that you try." 

She was mad as any for Adamarius betrayal. "I'll try." 

A part of him felt relief and comfort at the thought. 

"I know Deva would never leave you or Alcide. She loves you too much but I will do this to ease your worry." Izzy went in for a hug. "I won't let him tear our family apart again." 

Izzy left Darius to start on her new mission. She wasn't exactly sure where to find him but she knew one of his lycan followers would. 

She decided to walk through the abandoned part of town only Lycans liked to designate. The streets were empty and dark but the buildings were presumably occupied. 

Turning the corner Izzy saw a man getting onto a motorcycle. Then she headed straight to her victim with full confidence. 

His blonde hair was slicked back matching the sleek look of his leather jacket. His bronze skin complimented his dark, warm yet cautious eyes. Izzy gave him her best smile but it was instinct for him to be suspicious and hate her.

He crossed his arms over his massive chest. "Not many vampires come through here. Is there something you're looking for?" He stared her up and down, like he was accusing her of trouble. 

"Someone actually." Her heels clicked as she moved closer. "Where's your alpha?" 

He went stiff and defensive. "What business do you have with him?" 

No matter how cute he was, his questions were getting on her nerves. "None of your concern." 

He positioned himself on the bike, getting ready to start it. "No." 

Izzy placed her hand over the handle of the bike to stop him. "Tell me where your alpha is or else I'll paralyze every fiber in your body while I slowly ripe your limbs off." She leaned in to dangerously whisper into his ear. "Even your gentle areas. Oh I know as a lycan you can grow them back but I'll make it extremely painful. I'll continue this process repeatedly. Again and again and again." 

She saw fury in his eyes but victory on her part. 

"I'll do even better," he hissed while extending his hand for her to climb up behind him. "I'll take you to him, personally." 

She seated herself behind him and five minutes later they were deep in the woods. Everything started to look the same that she wondered if he even knew where he was going. Then eventually they halted in front of a discrete cave. The man got off not even paying any attention to her and went inside. Izzy took the hint and followed. The stone walls were crafted and not just formed by rock. They were inside an old ancient stone cave Izzy only heard of as a girl. 

 They were myths back then but now they were reality. 

Walking down the narrow halls of the cave, they cave across many lycans who were giving Izzy the death stare. She wasn't intimated and it showed, making the blonde she came with really annoyed. The lycans sneered as they walked by. Then the blonde stopped in front of a wooden door, opening it to Adamarius' room. 

Adamarius was inside talking to an older woman. The conversation paused and the woman was horror stroke. 

"How dare you bring her here, to our sanctuary?" 

The blonde huffed. "She was very persuasive." 

Adamarius snickered, knowing very well what she was capable of. "I'm sure she was." 

"Adamarius, she's a royal. We can't trust her," the woman pestered on. 

He sighed, obviously irritated with the small babble. "What do you purpose we do? Kill her. Then we'd have the whole royal family on our asses." 

Adamarius stared at his half-sister and knew she wouldn't leave without talking. "Out. Everyone out." 

The woman narrowed her eyes, first at Adamarius then Izzy. The man waited a moment. 

"You can leave now Eric." Adamarius commanded.

Izzy waved sheepishly. "Bye Eric. Nice meeting you." Her teasing made him growl. She heard the door shut and started to laugh. "Charming creature, that one." 

"Not as charming as you little Izzy." Adamarius sat on his desk. "What is it you came for?" 

Calling her little Izzy brought memories of the past. "You need to leave." 

"I can't." 

She took a step forward. "Let me make it easy for you then. Leave or else my brothers and I will see to it no one hears from you again. Personally I'm surprised Darius let you live this long." 

Adamarius actually had a theory about that. "I only came back to help Deva." 

"Well if you haven't noticed we're doing quite well without you." 

"The relic moon will change that," he was determined to make her understand. 

"Deva is one of the strongest people I know. Besides she has all of us. What makes you more capable to help her than us?" 

"This curse will make her flesh boil to the point where she'll want to claw her skin off just so she won't feel the agonizing pain. I don't think you're ready for that. I know Darius isn't. But not only will she want to hurt herself, but she'll want to kill every vampire in sight." His gruesome words leaked with truth. 

"Is that how it was for you?"

Adamarius nodded. "Yes. My uncle helped me at first. He helped me embrace the pain. Eventually it got easier to endure."

"You're coming back will do her no good. Just leave." Izzy was still confident they could handle Deva's transformation. 

Adamarius understood her pursue. He was disrupting the peace within their family. "Izzy I know what I did was wrong. It's hard for you to forgive me but I promise you I never meant to hurt you." 

She couldn't believe he had the audacity to even bring it up. "You killed my father."

"A fate he chose himself. Your father had the intentions to kill Deva before I even got there. He knew who she was. He might have considered leaving her be if she choose Lucian as her King but she didn't."

She didn't want to hear it. Izzy knew her father was a difficult and head strong man but she couldn't believe he'd kill their future queen for something as simple as picking the wrong king. "You're a liar." 

"You'd like to believe so over the truth. Then use your ability on me. Persuade me to tell you the truth but I promise you my answer will be the same." 

Could it be? She refused to think so. "Leave!" Her command was loud and almost deadly. His felt it jolt through his system but he was much stronger than she was. "Izzy I'm much older than you. Your powers are no match for mine." 

She sneered. "Yes but you didn't inherit the full royal powers like I did. You have half your mutt father in your blood." 

It was true. Only his vampire half held royal powers. But even then his strength and wisdom over the years developed his ability to extremes no one could dream of. 

"That may be true but I'm still in more control than you. That's why your family locked you away for so long, isn't it? You couldn't handle the ability." 

She let it go too far. Her family was forced to shield her from society for her safety and well-being of others. She was ashamed to admit it. 

"I'm perfectly fine now." 

His eyes warmed a bit. "I don't want to fight with you. Contrary to what you may think I do care for you Izzy." 

She shook her head. "You broke our family. Now you want to do it again."

"I'm sorry." It was hard for him to say. "I'm sorry it had to be that way. I'm sorry you got hurt in the process but I'm here to stay. Deva will need me and I won't abandon her now."

She swallowed her pride. "It's all true then. She'll want to kill everyone she loves and you're only here to protect her from herself?" 

Adamarius nodded. 

"Will you leave after? When it's all over." 

He looked saddened at the thought. "Yes I'll go." 

"She loves them Adam. Darius and Alcide are her life. She would never leave them."

Adamarius knew it all too well. He could feel the love she possessed for them through their fated link. 

"I know. That's why I'll disappear after this."

"I should go now." 

Adamarius agreed. "Eric will take you back." 

She smirked.  "I'm sure he'll enjoy that."

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