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“Molly,” he murmured. “Been waiting for you, sweetheart.”
Molly stiffened against him at first, but then melted when she smelled his warm, comforting cedar and spice scent. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, cradling her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him as he stroked her hair.
Molly felt soothed and comforted—but even more she felt valued and cherished. She was in the arms of a man who would kill or die to protect her—the feelings he was sending her were proof of that.
They sat like that for a long time before she felt ready to speak.
“Torus?” she asked at last, making his name a question as she looked up at him.
“Oh, little bird,” he rumbled in a low, broken voice and she saw, to her surprise, that his silver-gray eyes were suspiciously shiny.
“You’re not…crying, are you?” she asked uncertainly.
“I’m grieving for what you went through. Your pain is my pain.” He stroked her hair and looked so worried that Molly didn’t know what to say.
“I…I’m sorry I didn’t come out right away,” she offered at last. “I kind of…got lost inside myself. That man—it was the same one from yesterday. He pretended he had a flower delivery and then he forced his way in and he wouldn’t leave.”
His eyes flashed red.
“Did he touch you? Hurt you?”
She shook her head.
“No—he never got a chance. I ran and locked myself in the bathroom. But then he was screaming at me and banging on the door, and…and…” But words failed her and her throat locked up as the black hole tried to swallow her again.
“Don’t let it, little bird.” The words came through their TET link and she saw that Torus was giving her a worried look again.
“Stay here, with me,” he said aloud. “He’s gone now—he can’t hurt you.”
“What…what did you do to him?” Molly was almost afraid to ask.
Torus’s deep voice dropped to a growl.
“Not nearly as much as I wanted to. He managed to get away in his vehicle—which was the only thing I was able to damage.”
“At least you chased him away,” Molly pointed out.
Torus shook his head.
“That’s not enough—he attacked you—he went after my Mate! I should find where he lives and end him!”
His eyes were glowing red and his hands were curling into fists.
“No, please!” Molly exclaimed. Turning around in his lap so she was facing him, she cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her. “Don’t go, Torus,” she begged softly. “I…I just came back from the bad place I was in. I need you here, with me. Please don’t leave me!”
The big Kindred took a few long, deep breaths and she could feel him willing the Rage away.
“All right,” he said at last. “I won’t promise to never go after him but for now I’ll stay here with you, sweetheart.” He shook his head. “I’m so, so sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. He should never have been able to get to you like that—I should have been here to stop him.”
“How could you know what he was planning?” Molly protested. “I’m the one who was stupid—I never should have opened the door to him.”
“It sounds like he had an effective ruse, though,” Torus pointed out. “You shouldn’t have to worry that any random male at the door might turn out to be an attacker.”
Molly sighed.
“Well, unfortunately that’s the way it is in a lot places here on Earth.”
His face hardened.
