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“My own mate, Sophia, experienced an assault before I met her. I went and took revenge on her behalf.”
“Then you understand the situation I was in,” Torus said earnestly.
“Of course I do—though I’m not sure that you do.” Commander Sylvan said, giving him a sharp glance. “You wouldn’t be Dream-Sharing with Molly and going into Rage for her if you truly had no feelings for her other than those of a boss for a subordinate.”
Torus felt his heart squeeze in his chest as he remembered how soft and warm Molly had felt in his arms. How he longed to hug her and hold her again… and heal her—the little bird with the broken wing. But no—he would only hurt her if they got too close. Resolutely, he shook his head.
“Believe me, Commander, I’m not trying to Bond her to me. In fact, I don’t want to Bond with any human female. I think maybe the Goddess just sent me those dreams so I could take vengeance for Molly and end the harassment she’s been enduring from her ex-Mate for years.” He shrugged. “So now my job is done.”
“Not quite, I’m afraid,” Sylvan told him. “Because we still have to deal with the lawsuit her ex-Mate is bringing against the Kindred.”
Torus lifted his head.
“I’m willing to testify in the human court if I have to.”
“Good, because you might be called to do just that,” Sylvan told him. “But first we have to find a way for Councilor Paige to argue the case and win it. Come on—let’s go back.”
15
MOLLY
Molly looked up as the door slid open and the two big Kindred came back into Commander Sylvan’s office. Commander Torus settled beside her in his chair again and gave her a nod. She wanted to ask if everything was all right, but she didn’t dare with Commander Sylvan and Councilor Paige sitting right there.
“All right, thank you for waiting for us,” Commander Sylvan said, settling back behind his desk.
“Oh, we weren’t waiting—I think I’ve come up with an idea,” Lizabeth said, giving him an arch smile. “But first, is there anything else I should know?”
“Nothing except that I believe that Commander Torus was firmly in the right,” Commander Sylvan said. “After what he witnessed, he had no choice but to act as he did. And as a Kindred warrior, I would have done the same thing.”
Molly’s eyes widened. What had Commander Torus told his boss to make him side so firmly with him?
“As it happens, I agree with you,” Lizabeth said mildly. “Putting it simply, Molly’s ex is a complete bastard who got what he had coming to him. The question is, how do we sell that to a jury?”
“I thought you said you had an idea?” Commander Sylvan asked.
“I do.” The lawyer leaned forward. “But it’s going to take everyone’s cooperation and a little bit of subterfuge.”
“Subterfuge?” Torus frowned. “How do you mean?”
“Look—I told you we needed to establish two things to use the Rage defense. One—Molly had to be in danger of imminent harm. Now she has confessed to me, while the two of you were talking, that her ex’s harassment in sending the video made her feel suicidal. When she expressed those feelings to Commander Torus, that’s when he went into Rage.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Molly nodded and Commander Torus did as well, though he also got a pained expression on his face. Reaching down, he took Molly’s hand and squeezed it.
She felt a warm glow suffuse her and she looked up at him and smiled.
“Okay, good.” Lizabeth looked briefly at their clasped hands and nodded. “And two, we needed to establish some kind of romantic connection between the two of you—some reason that Commander Torus would go into a protective Rage for the woman he loves.”
“What?” Molly’s mouth was suddenly dry. “But he doesn’t—I mean, Commander Torus is my boss.”
“Well from now on, he’s going to be more than that. Or at least, appear to be more,” the lawyer said. “As of now, the two of you are getting engaged and tomorrow you’re getting married—or as the Kindred say, ‘Joined.’”
16
TORUS
Torus wasn’t sure what to think. He was still holding Molly’s hand in his but his brain was momentarily blank. Joined to a human? Wasn’t that exactly what he’d been trying to avoid?
“I don’t understand,” he said slowly. “Why would Molly and I get Joined?”
