THIS CHAPTER IS UNDER-GOING MAJOR EDITING - I'M SORRY IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IN THE MEAN TIME

My mother and I share the Genetrix bond. It is only contested in strength by the bond between two partners. As we slouch on either end of my white couch, Jared perches on the edge of the breakfast chair. His rough thumb draws smooth circles on the back of hand as he focuses on the hologram upon his lap. My gaze never leaves my mothers as she relates her stories of my childhood, her likes and dislikes and her most recent information of the Caritas ship to Jared and I.

"It is wonderful there Lara, you would love it" She sighs wistfully.

"Sadly I don't think I'd be excused to come and visit" I reply.

My mother smiles understandingly. "Maybe when we  return to Earth they'll be on display...an exhibition of some sort"

"You could be right Elizabeth" Jared notes before turning his attention back to a hologram. I notice his slight disinterest and disattachment to the prescence of my mother. He is polite and civil but aside from a few comments here and there, he is aloof. 

"Is the ship different to this one?"

"Completely" My mother nods. "For one the people are real there"

"Any other differences apart from that?" I smile. 

"This ship seems to be more like a labyrinth with all the corners and passages. The Caritas ship is levelled" My mother casts a wandering glance around the room.

"How did you gain access in the first place? I'm surprised the Rex would have willingly allowed another human onboard" I ask.

"Carlisle sent for me." She shrugs. I find my eyes squinting in confusion.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes"

"Please don't take this the wrong way but why on earth did he send for you?"

"From his message, he thinks that I can help you and your transition from normal life. I accepted his offer straight away; I couldn't wait to come and see you sweetheart" She squeezes my hand and I grin at her. Tear form within my eyes.

"I missed you mum" I whimper softly. 

"I missed you too. Lara sweetheart, how are things here?" My mother asks lowly. Her eyes flicker to Jared and then back to me. I nod in understanding.

"We're alright, we're still getting to know one another properly" I sweep my hair into a ragged ponytail tiredly before leaning against the forearm that balances on the ridge of the couch. 

"But?" My mother's eyes search mine. I immediately force a smile onto my face though I know it will not fool her. You cannnot outwit a mother's intuition.

"But what?" 

"Lara" She says sternly. I sigh and quickly glance over to Jared. He is still fully absorb in the hologram and appears to be playing a game.

"I'm not sure mum, something just isn't right here. I don't know whether it's me or Jared or even the Leto but I can feel it" I gaze over to Jared once more. "I know he isn't telling me something"

"Sweetheart people don't always need to tell you everything. Sometimes they don't tell you things because they're trying to protect you" 

"I guess your right. In any case Jared is honest" I sigh. 

"You do seem happy" My mother notes, slipping a loose stran of hair behind her ear. Her gaze suddenly becomes more intense. "If anything does happen Lara you need to remember that"

I eye her speculatively as her gaze averts mine. I feel the guilt seep from her body language as her tanned cheeks are filled with a rosy glow. My attention is immediately caught.

"Mum what do you know? Please tell me what is going on" I hiss.

"Lara I-I...cannot say much. Before I came to find you I was welcomed by the Rex. I had to agree to Jared's terms to the agreement before I was granted permission to stay" She says lowly. "From what I understand you cannot trust the Rex or his little sidekick"

"Sidekick?"

"The blond girl - Dimidium 1" My mother stifles a yawn as she fiddles with her camisole. However my attention is immediately caught. I sit bolt upright.

"Ally was there?" I urge my mother for information. My body tips forward so far that I'm dangerously close to falling forward onto my face.

"Yes. I assumed she was his partner"

"No!" I exclaim, my voice raising and expressing my horror. I feel my body relax as Jared's hand rests upon my shoulder. I sigh contentedly and lean back against the sofa end as Jared smiles at me. The sight sets my stomach churning. My sudden desire to be held in his arms reflects in his eyes.

"Hold on a second" He whispers. Placing the clear hologram on the coffee table he swiftly scoops me up and settles down where I was sitting. My body relaxes against his firm chest as he places a light kiss on my collar bone. My mother smiles.

"Elizabeth you were saying something about the Dimidium?"

"Ally" I mutter under my breath. 

"It-she was present during my meeting with the Rex. Lara are you friends with this girl?" My mother enquires.

"Much to my dismay" Jared sighs.

"She is my friend Jared, I trust her" 

"Are you sure you should though?" Jared's tone is condescending and raises my hackles. 

"You have no right to dictate my choice in friends. I trust her and I abide by my feelings" I say sternly. Jared's arms immediately tighten around my waist, preventing me from moving. He knows he's angered me.

"Lara, I must agree with Jared on this matter" My mother interjects. My head whips to face her, horrified at the idea that she is agreeing with Jared.

"Don't give me that look Lara" 

"How can I not when you know nothing about Ally. She is not partnered with the Rex and she is the only person who has been kind to me since the moment I met her" I argue furiously.

"Lara, I'm not saying that she is not kind but she cannot be a true friend towards you. From the appearance I received this morning, she will be partnered with that Rex soon." My mother says. 

"She will not! I object obstinately. 

"A Dimidium cannot be trusted Lara. She will always be under the influence of the Rex in some form" Jared says.

"Well at least she tells me the truth" I snarl back. The words slip out of my mouth before I have the opportunity to take charge of my silver tongue. The silence causes the tension to build so thickly it feels like I'm wading in treacle. I hear Jared heave a sigh before pressing a small kiss against the back of my neck.

"Elizabeth have you been introduced to Carlisle yet?" Jared asks calmly, not breaking his gaze for a second. My mother looks vaguely surprised but begins to rise. I don’t look away from Jared.

"I'll introduce you" My clenched jaw sets in determination. My mother has never been the initiative one of the family. I may as well engrave ‘I DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT WITH JARED’ with a stone chisel into my forehead.

"Where is Carlisle's room?" Mum asks.

"It's fine mum, I'll take you and show you the way"

"Elizabeth if you wouldn't mind I should like to speak with my bond-mate" Jared's fingers dance on my forearm.

"Lara, you should stay" My mother smiles empathetically. "I can find Carlisle alone. I need to talk to him in any case"

"Thank you Elizabeth. Carlisle's room is in the West wing" I feel Jared smile. I roll my eyes at his manipulatively charming deviation.

I dart out of his lap and onto the opposite side of the couch before he has the opportunity to catch me. I cross my legs and arms and cast my eyes down at the floor. My protective stance makes me smile smugly. 

"Lara we need to talk…about a lot" Jared says quietly. I nod slowly. "Can you please come here so I can straighten out my thoughts?" He asks softly.

I shake my head, my eyes nervously scanning over my manicured fingernails. 

"Princess, that wasn’t a question." He chuckles menacingly. I squeak as I feel his strong arms jerking back into his body.

"Jared get off me" I growl, desperately trying to scramble out of his lap yet his arms remain firmly grasped around my waist like a vine. 

"No." He says simply.

Grumpily, I sulk back into his chest. He lets out a breath of relief and I feel his body relax. I roll my eyes. The distant yet courteous man who was present a mere few minutes has vanished and instead I'm left with a domineering, possessive and quite possibly angry bond-mate. 

"What do you want to talk about?" I sigh. 

"The fact that you blatantly don't trust me." He says coolly.

I glanced down at my fingers once more, scratching at the now chipped indigo varnish. I feel his ragged, warm breaths on the back of my neck.

"Do you know why Carlisle summoned my mother?" I mutter.

"Don’t change the subject" He reprimands sternly. If I could see his eyes right now, I know they would be turning a few shades darker. "Why do you not trust me?"

"Because I know you're not telling me the whole truth" I say.

"Can you not accept that I will tell you when the time is right?" He asks softly.

"I thought you said you were always honest?"

"I don't want to hurt you Lara" He whispers. He pushes my ponytail to the side leaving the back of my neck exposed. I feel his soft lips press on my skin causing my blood to race through my throat and goosebumps to form.

"Does being with you mean I have to accept the half truth?" I sigh, unwilling to put up a fight.

"For the moment...yes"

"Jared that isn't even our greatest issue" I say quietly.

"Tell me what is the problem and I'll fix it" He says huskily, trailing kisses along my shoulder. For once I find the tingles an unwelcome sensation as my thoughts only become more jumbled.

"Please stop" I whimper. Heaving a sigh he obeys.

"I feel as if I forced you into being with me...with the conditions and the Auctor...you didn't have a choice" I mumble. There's a small hesistation before he replies.

"Admittedly I didn't love you when I kissed you or even when I met you - that isn't how love works. Nobody forced me to kiss you - I wanted to. I could have let you die but I just couldn't. You haven't forced me into anything Lara, I've chosen to be with you"

"Why did you try and reject me the moment you saw me?" I reply.

He pauses, nuzzling his head into my hair. "I felt odd when I first saw you. I could sense the Caritas waves coming off you and it made me want to…never mind"

"Made you want to what?" I probe cautiously. There's an an eerry silence before his lips part.

"Kill you" He whispers cynically. I scoff, brushing off the unease that settles in my stomach.

"Very funny. Can you tell me the truth?"

"Part of the agreed conditions." Jared replies swiftly. "Do you trust me?"

"Not particularly" I mumble.

"Do you still love me?" He asks nervously. His finger drums on the flat of my thigh. 

"Yes" I reply. "You can't keep this secret from me forever."

"I know" He sighs.  "However I can make my feelings towards Dimidium 1 very public" He begins as I entwine my fingers with his.

"Her name is Ally." I correct. 

"Do you really think it’s a good “person” to trust Lara? With one command, she’ll go running back to the Leto. Lara she’s one of them, her mother is one, her human side still can feel that. She will do anything the Rex asks." Jared states, his lips pressed against my ear.

I break away from him in fury. My bond with Ally tingles at the thought of her giving everything up to the Leto Rex. I shudder with horror at the memory of his perfectly sculpted face.

"She wouldn’t do that Jared. She knows the Leto Rex dislikes me." I state confidently. He sits on the other end of the couch, smirking proudly at me; it unnerves me almost as much as the Leto Rex.

"Are you completely sure about that Lara? When was the last time you saw her?" Jared leers.

My lips open and then close the way a goldfish would. I falter attempting to think back to the last time I'd seen my only female confident. 

"The ball last week"

"A lot can happen in a week" Jared says.

"I was unconcious Jared" I reason. "I've been spending time with you as well"

"Precisely what you should have been doing. You don't need that traitor when you have me" He smirks. 

"A traitor? She can't help that she was born that way!" I exclaim, suddenly angered. 

"Why do you get so defensive about her? She is just a stupid Leto" He roars. I shrink back into the couch in fright at his tone. I silently curse myself; I was idiotic to push him this far.

He suddenly reaches forward and tugs me into his chest.

"Oof" I groan as I his firm chest batters against my body.

As he turns me round to face him I can fully acknowledge his seething and fuming expression. His eyes have gone past dark and into pitch black; midnight black. His clenched jaw only reinforces his anger.

"Let me go" I choke.

"You don't need anyone else...I can provide you with anything you want or need" He seethes.

"Jared" I whimper. A tear trickles down my cheek. His eyes focus in on it and the anger suddenly dissipates. His eyes return to their normal hazel shade.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get angry" He whispers softly.

He looks up at me through his long eyelashes and I see the moisture on them.

"Why are you crying?" I gasp in horror. I hate seeing him this weak and vulnerable. I clasp my hands in his.

"Lara it hurts." He whimpers, holding his stomach. "Please don't leave me"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." I begin to sob at the sight of his pained face.

"I know I just said don't leave me but could you go and see Carlisle. I think I need to rest" He moans, clutching at his stomach.

"No, I'm staying with you." I protest.

"Lara, please go." He begs. He looks even more frightened. "I need you to go"

"Pease let me stay" I beg.

"Princess this is the final stage of my recovery." He lets out another moan.

"I thought-"

‘I will be after this. Please go and stay with Carlisle’ He cuts me off before letting out a strangled moan. My heartbeat spikes. It hurts me to see him like this.

"Lara please go." He pleads, stuffing his face in a pillow.

I place a feather-light kiss on his back and head for the door. He lets out a series of groans and I almost change my mind to go back to him.

"Please you have to leave."

A silent tear slips down my cheek as I leave my room and I leave him. I scamper down the corridors hoping desperately that I will not get too lost. I need answers and I need them now. What kind of illness or disease has Jared even contracted?

He has internal pain that varies in pain depending on whether I’m around or not. He’s had a violent mood change since I first met him. Other than that I can’t think of any of his other symptoms. Depression is a possible option however with the exception of the Caritas and Torpens, no other humans usually develop the rare condition. It is an illness of our ancestors.

Jared really is special.

"It would be very beneficial for both of us." I hear a monotonous voice drone. I search around to see if someone is speaking to me.

"Please list your reasons for this conclusion Leto Rex"

Ally?

I locate the sound of the voices to an ajar door. I sneak through to see it leads to the balcony above the throne room. Not wanting to make a sound, I crawl in on my knees. The floor is cold against my bare palms. 

"Dimidium 1, a Leto partnership between the Leto Rex and Dimidium 1 would be beneficial for both. Dimidium 1 will gain power and authority over all but the Leto Rex. The Leto Rex will obtain a suitable Leto for partnership and set an example of matrimony to the Leto. There may be advanced capabilities for breeding with possibilities that the Dimidium species may be carried on. Dimidium 1-"

The Leto Rex continues to drone on but I cannot hear the rest of his speech and the so-called 'benefits'. A Leto partnership? As in marriage? I slump down against the wall, my mind racing over the potential. Ally would never agree to it, she doesn’t love him. Her human side would never be happy with the Leto Rex. They are two different colours in a spectrum.

I hear the Rex stop talking and there is a pause.

 "Do you accept the conditions of the Leto partnership between the Leto Rex and oneself Dimidium 1?" 

I wait expectantly for Ally’s swift rejection. She won’t make it painfully slow. Time drags by. She’s actually considering it? No! Ally would never do that to herself or to me. Dimidium 1 must be in control. I turn back to my crack in the door and see Ally open her small mouth.

"I, Dimidium 1 accept the conditions of the Leto partnership"

The air leaves my lungs like I’ve been winded. They both stand there staring at each other; physically perfect but so emotionally flawed. I lean my head against the cool marble wall. How could she do this?

"Jared was right." I whisper to myself.

Now there really are only 3 people I can trust.