20. Molly
Molly felt like she was in a dream as she floated down the aisle, hand-in-hand with the big Kindred. Her friends from work were cheering and clapping and the tall Jorgen Kindred, who were Torus’s friends, were grinning and congratulating him on winning such a beautiful bride.
What would they think if they knew all this was fake? Molly wondered. But it didn’t feel fake. The emotions she’d shared with Torus as they said their vows had felt real—and she had really meant hers. He had meant his vows too—she had felt the sincerity coming from him in waves as he agreed to everything the priestess demanded.
And that kiss…well, she was still lightheaded from it. Zach had never kissed her like that—no one had ever kissed her like that. So soft and yet so urgent—the big Kindred’s desire seemed to flow into her and make her want him when they touched so intimately.
Molly wondered if this was what a Soul Bond was like for the Kindred and their wives who were Bonded? If so, it must be even more amazing than Lana had described it to her.
She also wondered what was going to happen when they were alone together on their honeymoon. She couldn’t help remembering how Torus had said he wanted to kiss her everywhere. The thought made her face get hot and she tried to push it away and concentrate on the present—they still had the reception and the cake-cutting to get through before she had to worry about anything like that.
The reception was being held in the parklands which surrounded the Sacred Grove. Kat had set up lots of clear glass, waist-high bar tables and servers were coming around with tall, fluted glasses of champagne and a pale blue drink called “Woo punch.”
“Be careful with that one,” Kat warned them as she put two glasses in front of them. “It really packs a punch! So if you don’t want to be too drunk to cut the cake, just take one or two sips.”
Molly was mindful of Kat’s warning and only took a single sip of the fizzy punch before putting her fluted glass back on the table where she and Torus were standing. Or rather, she was standing and he was sitting in a special armchair that had been provided by Kat.
“So you two can be on the same level during the reception,” she said, smiling as she showed them to their places.
But Torus didn’t seem to like the arrangement.
“Come here,” he rumbled, motioning for her. “You’re too far away, little bird. We can still be on the same level if you sit here.” And he patted the broad leather arm of the chair.
“Okay.” Molly sat and Torus put one long, muscular arm loosely around her waist. She liked being so close to him but she felt a little surge of worry when it came time to cut the cake.
“What’s wrong, little bird?” she heard Torus send through their TET link as two servers wheeled a many-layered wedding cake out and placed it right in front of them.
“Oh, nothing,” Molly sent back hurriedly.
Secretly, though, she was remembering her first wedding with Zach. She hadn’t had a proper ceremony or a very nice dress—he had refused to pay for any of that. But Molly had put her foot down and demanded a wedding cake—that wasn’t too much to ask, she’d thought.
Zach had sulkily agreed to buy the cake—which he got from a grocery-store bakery—and they had brought it with them to their “reception” at Chipotle. But when it came time to cut the cake and feed each other a piece, her new husband had smashed a whole slice in her face. He and his stupid gamer friends had laughed trollishly as Molly wiped the frosting off her face and tried not to cry. He?—
“Did he really do that to you?” Torus’s eyes were fierce and she realized that she’d projected the whole awful cake-cutting ceremony through their link.
“Oh, I didn’t mean for you to see that…I’m sorry,” she tried to apologize. God, how humiliating! She hadn’t wanted him to know all the awful things Zach had done to her! He might think differently of her if he did. Some things were better kept secret—she had to work on her mental shields!
“It’s all right, little bird.” Torus pulled her closer and stroked her back and shoulders with one big, warm hand. “You never have to be ashamed with me,” he murmured through the TET link. “I’m just sorry that happened to you—but I swear it won’t happen again. Why would he do that with the cake in the first place?”
“He thought it was funny,” Molly admitted. Her ex had thought a lot of mean little jokes or pranks were funny. His trollish sense of humor meant that even when he wasn’t angry and screaming at her, she’d lived in fear of him.
“You never have to fear me, that way,” Torus told her. “I’ll never hurt you—I swear it.”
“I know you won’t.” Molly looked at him shyly. “Um…should we cut the cake now?”
“Yes, let’s do it together,” he agreed out loud. Both of them got up and Torus stood behind her and leaned over so that he was looking over her shoulder. Molly picked up the ornamental silver knife and he put his hand over hers. Together they carved out a slice of the bottom layer of the cake—which was chocolate with raspberry filling—Molly’s favorite.
“Now what?” she heard him murmur in her ear.
“Now, we feed each other a little piece of cake,” she told him. Breaking off a small chunk, she turned to face him. Torus leaned down obligingly so she could put it in his mouth.
His eyes widened as he chewed.
“Mmm! This is delicious! What flavor is this?”he sent through their link, since his mouth was full.
Molly laughed.
“Haven’t you ever had chocolate before?”she asked.
“No, I guess not. Here—let me give you some.”
Carefully, he put a piece of cake in her mouth and Molly smiled at him as the luscious chocolate melted on her tongue. She suddenly wished desperately that this wasn’t fake—that it was a real ceremony and reception. This was exactly how she had imagined things going when she dreamed of her wedding as a little girl. She’d always pictured a kind, handsome husband who looked into her eyes lovingly as they celebrated their love together…
“Hey, you slut!”
The strident words hissed in Molly’s ear made her jump with surprise. When she looked around, Karen Geners was standing there.
Karen had a glass of the woo punch in one hand and a belligerent look on her pretty, pouty face. Molly was sure she must have misheard her but then Karen pointed at her again and said,
“Slut! You only got him because you sent him that dirty video!”
“What did you say to my Mate?” Torus’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl and he was glaring at Karen.
“I only said the truth—that you wouldn’t even have wanted her if she hadn’t sent you that dirty video.” Karen’s voice turned plaintive and self-pitying. “I’m the one you should be married to! I’m way prettier than Molly!”
“I don’t find that to be so at all,” Torus said coldly. “Molly is beautiful both inside and out. Whereas your inner ugliness negates any outer beauty you might hope to possess.”
Karen’s china blue eyes went wide for a moment as she digested this remark, then narrowed in anger.
“You’re a liar—I’m the pretty one!” she shouted, waving her glass of Woo punch until it sloshed all over her dress, leaving a pale blue stain. She pointed at Molly. “You’re just a fat, freckled little freak!”
“That’s enough!” Torus growled. He motioned for one of his huge Jorgen friends, who came over at once. “You are extremely lucky you’re a female,” he said to Karen. “If you were male, your life wouldn’t last past your next breath.” Then he turned to his friend. “Take her away. She insulted my mate—she is no longer welcome here.”
“But I’m the pretty one!” Karen howled as the other Jorgen Kindred heaved her easily over one of his broad shoulders and simply walked away with her. “I’m the pretty ooooooooone!”
“Oh my goodness, Molly—are you all right?” Lana was suddenly there at her side with her two Twin Kindred husbands right behind her.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Molly tried to smile, but inside she felt like crying. Hadn’t she just been thinking how this wedding was so much better than her first one? And now Karen Geners had to go and ruin it…
“I’m so sorry,” Lana said, looking worried. “I could see her getting drunker and drunker but when I tried to stop her from getting more of that blue punch, she just ignored me!”
“It’s okay,” Molly said quickly. “Really, I’m fine. What’s a wedding reception without a little drama, right?” she added, and tried to laugh.
“Well…okay. If you’re sure you’re all right…” Lana still had the anxious look on her face.
“She isn’t at the moment, but she will be,” Torus assured her. “Listen, as acting head of the department while I’m gone, I would like you to make sure that Karen Geners gets transferred out of the Kindred Information Division,” he added. “I never want to see her again. And I don’t want Molly to have to see her either,” he added, putting an arm around Molly protectively.
Lana’s eyes widened but she nodded.
“You got it, Boss.”
“Oh, Torus—you don’t have to do that!” Molly protested. “She was drunk, after all.”
“She insulted you. Also, I’m tired of having to constantly avoid her advances,” Torus told her with a frown. “That female has no shame and no ability to understand when someone has no interest in her!”
“That’s probably because she’s so pretty and thin,” Molly pointed out. “She can’t understand it when a guy doesn’t like her because it’s never happened to her before.”
Torus gave her a confused look.
“You think she’s pretty?”
“Don’t you?” Molly asked.
He shook his head.
“No, not really. I’ve always found her extremely unattractive. Besides being rude and overbearing, she’s too skinnyfor my tastes.”
Lana, who was still standing by listening, smothered a laugh.
“I bet that’s a first for Karen!”
“Just see that she’s gone from our department when Molly and I get back,” Torus told her. “Right now, I want to talk with my wife.”
He took Molly’s hand in his and led her away from the cake table, where other guests were beginning to gather. He stopped under the shadow of one of the tall sacred trees with dark purple bark and green and purple leaves. Heedless of the immaculate black tux he was wearing, he sat under it and then patted his knee.
“Come here, little bird.”
Hesitantly, Molly settled on his lap.
“Yes?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Are you all right?” Torus asked her. He cupped her cheek in his big hand. “Please don’t let that drunk female ruin our special day together.”
Molly looked down at her hands.
“I’ll try not to. It’s just…she said out loud the things I think about myself sometimes,” she admitted in a rush. “I mean, that I’m not thin enough and that I have too many freckles…”
“Your curves are beautiful!” Torus protested. “You’re an Elite—a goddess! And as for your freekles…er, freckles—I love them.” Lifting her hand, he pressed it to his mouth, placing many little kisses on it. “Every…last…one of them,” he murmured as he kissed.
Molly felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush.
“Really? I’ve always been kind of self-conscious about them.”
“Do you know what we Kindred call them? Goddess kisses,” he told her. “They make you special and perfect and beautiful, Molly. The most beautiful female I’ve ever seen.”
Molly blushed harder but couldn’t help smiling.
“Thank you,” she murmured, looking down.
She couldn’t help wondering why her Kindred boss—who was now her husband—seemed to feel so much for her, (though she was careful to keep her wondering behind the mental wall she’d built.) If anyone had asked her a few days ago what Commander Torus thought of her, she would have said he didn’t think of her at all. But she couldn’t doubt his sincerity—she could feel it coming through their TET link when he spoke to her.
She supposed it was just a mystery she might never understand…