A/N: Holy cow I have some awesome readers!!! hee hee

dreamercrys: you are awesome for reviewing so quick, it makes a writer so happy :D but this chapter should help get this moving a little bit

Shaelyn raced to her master's quarters to find not him but an altered version of himself. His eyes were so dark that they looked black. His black shaggy hair now glistened with silver highlights as two curled horns protruded from his head. His once tanned flesh seemed pale and cold, and two very large black leather wings jutted from his back. Her master was gone and this monster was in front of her. As dark as his eyes were she could still see a little gray, and she noticed the blood dripping to the floor. The broken mirror covered the floor in bloodied reflections. The monster saw her as she ran towards the bathroom. She grabbed a washcloth and dressings for the wound that had spilled so much blood on to his floor.

As she neared him he grabbed her wrists suddenly pushing her small frame against the wall. His body pressing against her and his face inches from her turned head. She could feel his warm breath against her flesh.

"Why do you reject me mate?" He whispered harshly into her ear. His tongue trailed down her now tear stained cheek. His hand gripped roughly at her wrist and the other forced her face to look at him. All gray was gone in his eyes, they were solid black holes, consuming her soul.

"Answer me!" He bellowed in her face. His eyes piercing hers. She couldn't look away no matter how hard she tried.

"I don't reject you master." Her tears freely falling as she strained to turn away from the abyss of his eyes.

"Kiss me then." He pressed his lips to hers forcefully, raping her lips of their virginity. She didn't respond to his advances which drove the beast near insanity.

"I said kiss me if you don't reject me mate!" His voice threatening her to deny him. As his lips forced themselves to find hers she complied with his words. She kissed him back, opening her mouth for him to have entry. He explored her mouth with his tongue relishing in the taste of his mate.

Shaelyn wanted to run. This wasn't what her master was. This couldn't be him. He pulled away to look into his mate's eyes, and yet for the second time they exposed all of her fear to him. The color began to return to his features, his hair dulled to its soft black. The horns receded back into his skull and his wings disappeared into his back. He released her arms and stepped away from her and collapsed to his knees, head in his hands.

"I'm sorry." His words were barely audible but Shaelyn heard them just fine. Wiping the tears from her face she returned again to the washroom and rinsed the rag out from falling on the floor and knelt next to her master. She carefully rinsed his wounds and dressed them. As Shaelyn began to rise Nathaniel grabbed her wrist to keep her next to him.

"Though I hurt you, you still dress my wounds." Confusion clouded his eyes, his beast had definitely picked the perfect mate.

"Master, please. Why did you say mate?"

"That is why you are here. That is why you are my personal servant. You are my mate young one." His voice cool like water, waiting for her to fall in and drawn in it.

"That can't be. You must be mistaken." Her voice quivered. She couldn't be sure who she believed at this point. This man was a monster, violent and dangerous, and yet she felt something deep inside her that cared for him.

"No Shaelyn, I am not mistaken. You don't understand because you are not demon, and not male, but you are my mate. There is nothing in this world I am more sure about." His head lowered inching towards her neck. "You smell amazing, mate."

"No, this isn't right. You are wrong. Just leave me alone." She pulled her arm away from his grasp and ran to her room. She sat against the door hoping her master wouldn't open it with her against it.

Why is this happening?

I told you to just take her. The beast yelled.

You couldn't take her either.

She submitted to me. It exclaimed.

But you couldn't claim her. Nathaniel lowered his head to his hands and breathed deeply. He was going to lose his mate to himself. If he couldn't control his beast around her how could he imagine to court her?

Shaelyn heard a soft knock on the door adjacent to the hallway.

"Madam, it is to my knowledge you have had a very taxing evening, may I come in?" Dunstan slipped into her door without waiting for a response.

"Why is he being so cruel?" Her tears no longer silent. She sobbed loudly into her hands.

"My dear, how is he being cruel? From my knowledge he was attempting to court you."

"Dunstan, he is so rough with me. He scares me so much. Why does he keep saying I am his mate?"

"Oh Shaelyn, you are so new to our culture. You mustn't be angry with Lord Nathaniel. He is a very lonely demon who has had to wait so long to find his mate, and he is so terribly worried he will lose you." Dunstan tried to calm Shaelyn, but to no avail.

"Well, there is little more I can do. Give him a chance Shaelyn, he isn't bad, just scared and lonely. Get your rest, I'll send up Autumn with your and Lord Nathaniel's dinner, tomorrow there is a guest coming to the estate and you will be his personal servant for his stay."

At the close of the door, Shaelyn's heart sank. Tomorrow was a new day and a new master, one that she knew nothing about. At least Lord Nathaniel opened up to her. Maybe her rejection pushed him away, she didn't know. All she knew was how scared she was about tomorrow.

A/N: Please R&R, this story is flying at the moment, things are about to start getting very serious is many ways dun dun DUN!! Thanks to all the readers out there and a triple thanks to my reviewers :D