A/N: Jazmine better take her black ass back to Darius, that's all I have to say. 

 Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 

Language Key: No new words this chapter :-)

————————————————————

I walked into the forest not in any particular direction; I just need to get away from here. A soft wind began to pick up as I continued to walk deeper into the forest. The wind began to blow a gale and I was pushing against it trying to fight my way forward but the wind wouldn't let up.

I know it's Gaia, my mother, forcing me back to the compound. I growled, she will not make me go back.

"Get away from me!" I screamed as the wind ceased and I fell flat on my face. I quickly stood and a woman with long straight jet black hair, violet eyes wearing a long flowing white gown sat on a fallen tree looking at me with a slight smile on her face.

"Where are you going?" She asked as calm as can be with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to find Sol. I'm going to do my duty." I said eyeing her in irritation.

"You're forgetting your dejaino. You can't defeat the parasite by yourself, my child." She said as tears sprang into my eyes and I tried to blink them back.

"Yet you forget when you decided to have a child with your parasite infected dejaino that I would be born with it. So thank you mother, for giving me the parasite and giving me a dejaino who will have to kill me. So, I'm going to find my father by myself and destroy his parasite and then kill myself. Then I've done my duty and everyone can live happily fucking ever after." I said starting to walk away from her but she leveled me to the ground with a gust of wind.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled getting back up as she sighed.

"You love him don't you?" She asked smiling and I can't stop the tears from falling down my cheeks.

"Yes," I sobbed, "and I can't be with him. You made me a tool and I won't let him kill me, I won't do that to him. How could you give me a dejaino? To want me to bind my soul to Darius knowing he has to kill me! That's not going to end the parasite!" I cried as she walked over to me pulling me into her arms.

"Darius is your dejaino for a reason. You are not a tool, Jazmine; I would never do that to my own child. I want you to share your soul with Darius, to have children, to be happy. Everything will work out in the end, you'll see." She said kissing my head running her fingers through my hair. I sighed hoping she is right, but still doubting her.

"How can you be so sure everything is going to be fine? I don't want to bond with Darius if he's going to have to kill me, he'll start the parasite all over again." I said looking up at her as she smiled wiping my tears.

"Bond or no bond every dejaina and dejaino have a connection. If you don't bond with Darius right away you'll still be connected in some way, just like you two can read each other's minds already. You're already apart of one another. Which is why you walking away from him like this is killing him." She said as my eyes widened.

Fuck, she's right. I told him I would never leave and look what I'm doing? Oh God he's probably losing his mind right now. I need to stop letting my anger get the best of me!

"Oh God, I have to go back!" I gasped.

"Yes, you do. Go back and love him. It's okay to let yourself love don't be afraid." She smiled and I hugged her tight.

"Thank you, Mom." I whispered.

"Go and be with your dejaino." She smiled shooing me away as she disappeared a gust of wind pushed me back to the compound as I ran.

What the fuck was I thinking? I am the worst kind of dejaina. I've hurt him so much already. I opened my mind to him and there is nothing. His mind is completely blank. This isn't like when he's blocking his thoughts from me.

Darius! I screamed but heard nothing, not even a grumble. Just silence.

I can still feel his presence, but something is wrong.

I ran harder and faster through the forest to get to the compound. I burst through the doors and ran towards the library or the labs I'm not sure where I'm going but I'm sure I'll run into someone.

My lungs are burning by the time I reach the library to find his parents sitting on a couch reading. They looked up at me in alarm, his father standing and hurrying over to me.

"Where's...where is...Darius?" I breathed. I didn't realize how fast I had been running to get to him. I don't think I've run that fast in my life, I thought trying to steady my shaky knees.

"Jazmine! Why don't you have a seat and rest for a minute." Jack said as I shook my head.

"No please, I need to see Darius right now." I said as he looked back at Lana and she nodded.

"You can't keep a dejaina from her man, Jack. She can rest when she's with Darius." Lana said shaking her head as she and Jack walked me down the hall and up the grand staircase and down a few more halls before they opened a bedroom and I ran to the bed where Darius is sleeping or comatose rather. He has a bruise over his cheek and his lip is cut. I looked back at Jack and Lana for an explanation.

"What happened to him?" I asked as Jack chuckled a bit.

"Well, when you left, Darius went a little crazy. He kept trying to go after you but his brothers knew you needed the space to collect your thoughts. They tried to explain that to him and when that didn't calm him down, Byron punched him to knock him out to get him inside to Amerie and Samaria. They gave him a pretty strong sedative, he'll be out until morning." Lana explained as I looked back at him running my fingers through his hair. What have I done?

"May I just suggest with Darius being so mentally fragile, that you don't run off on him like that again?" Jack asked as Lana slapped him in the arm.

"Jack! She has every right to do what she pleases. Being a kue's dejaina is hard, not to mention being the daughter of Gaia and Sol. Don't listen to him Jaz, you need to do what you feel is right." Lana smiled.

"I won't leave him." I whispered as they nodded.

"Well we'll leave you alone." Jack smiled as they walked out closing the door.

I sighed holding my hand over his face and healing his bruise and cut. I need to know he's alright and sane so I pressed my hand against his forehead to wipe away the sedative and bring his mind out of the fog.

Once the sedative was gone I laid in his arms to wait for him to push himself out of the cobwebs.

Jazmine! He yelled and I rubbed my hand over his chest kissing his neck.

I'm right here. I whispered as he grabbed my hand and held me around my waist, clenching me for dear life. I felt him breathe me in to calm his nerves. I laid there and waited for him to calm his erratic heartbeat. I didn't realise how much I truly affect him.

I was scared, Jaz. He sighed kissing my hair.

I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. I thought I was protecting you. I said as he pushed me away from him just enough to see my eyes.

"You don't need to protect me. I know why you were pushing me away. I saw you and Gaia in the forest. We're in this together; I'm not going to let the parasite claim you either. Whatever happens we'll be together." He said as I sighed.

"I know that now and I'm sorry for putting you through this and being so selfish to run away from you to do this on my own. I guess this burden is ours to share."

"It's alright, litani. I would've done the same to protect you." He smiled kissing me softly. How would I survive without his love? Love? My mother is such a traitor he heard our whole conversation! I thought as he chuckled.

"Yes I heard everything. When were you going to tell me you love me?" He smiled.

"In a few centuries." I grumbled as he laughed kissing me again.

"You're terrible." He said as I smiled.

"I guess so, how are you feeling? Your parents told me what happened how Byron knocked you out and Samaria gave you a sedative." He kissed my hand and nodded.

"Yeah, I've never felt that way before. When you shut me out I went crazy and started to panic, but my brothers wouldn't let me go after you. They said I needed to let you go." He cringed, squeezing my hand.

"They meant to let you think, but I took it as letting you go forever. I could let you go and deal with the insanity but I couldn't let you go and fight Sol and the other de'mujos by yourself. So I fought them off of me and Byron finally gave me a decent punch to knock me out and I woke up with you in my arms. I feel fine now." He laughed softly and I frowned.

"You could let me go?" I asked as he nodded.

"If that's what you really wanted, I know I said I wouldn't let you before, but I couldn't keep you prisoner. If you really didn't want to bond with me I would let you go and keep fighting the parasite that would eventually consume me." He said as tears welled in my eyes again.

"How could you accept that Darius? You're a kue you should just force me to bond with you!" I said as he smiled wiping my tears.

"I told you I wouldn't force you into this."

"You are so stupid." I sighed angrily at him.

"I'd rather fight my own insanity than force you into something you don't want."

"But I want this Darius. I want this and I want you. Ev-evela'tu..." I finally admitted kissing him but he pulled away to look me in the eyes.

"I love you too Jaz, but we have to be in this together no matter what." He said as I nodded.

"Yes, we're in this together." I said kissing him again he held me tight to him as he deepened the kiss slipping his tongue inside my mouth. I moaned against his lips holding him tighter.

"We need to stop." He breathed against my lips.

"No." I said kissing him again only to have him pull away from me again.

"I'm not in the right mind to control myself. You shouldn't stay with me tonight." He said as I frowned.

"No, I'm not leaving you. I don't care if you can't control yourself. I'm tired of holding myself back from you. I just want to be right here with you." I said kissing him again and he groaned against my lips clinging to me for dear life.

"Jazmine," he groaned, "I'm not strong enough to fight myself tonight." He breathed pressing his forehead against mine. I can see the turmoil in his eyes and the struggle he's having to fight his urges and I don't care.

"Then don't fight it." I whispered.