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Her chin came up at the same time her cheeks flushed becomingly.“I am rather, aren’t I?”

“The best.”

“Don’t mock me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,”he assured her. Focusing all his attention on their telepathic ability, he asked,“Are you okay? Like truly okay? When I think of what Damian said…”

She leaned into him and allowed him to hold her. God, he neededto,so much.

“Yes.Hearrived in time to stop you. Your father reversed the damage, and Jordan healed my throat.”

“Throat? What are you saying? I tried to strangle you?”

“I’m positive Deni compelled you with enchanted perfume.”Soleil shuddered with remembered horror, and that emotion traveled throughout his body, becoming his own.“You only had one solitary thought, Trev.”

He picked the word from her mind.“Obliterate.”

It now made sense why Damian ripped away his abilities. After what had happened, Trevor wasn’t sorry for the loss. The idea of hurting her ever again was unimaginable, and he’d rather die than cause her a moment’s pain.

“Jesus, Dalli! I don’t know how to apologize for this. The magnitude…”Words failed him.

It sank in the people around them were arguing, or more accurately, Draven and Captain Ellis were. She was giving him what for, and the Guardian grinneddownat her furious face.

“Those two should boink and get it over with.”

Trevor sputtered a laugh as he gave Soleil an incredulous look.“Who says words like boink?”

“I didn’tsayit!”she retorted.

“You thought it, and with our link, it’s much the same thing.”

“Link?”Deni, who had been unnaturally quiet and watchful until that moment, glared at the two of them.“You’re fated mates?”

Her disbelief was insulting.

Soleil thought so, too, and lifted her fisted hand to flip Deni the bird.“Fuck all the way off, Skankzilla!”

Trevor about busted a gut laughing when she promptly apologized to Sabrina for her language.

“Don’t ever say things like that, sweetie. It’s not nice.”

“Uncle Trevor likes it.”

He stopped laughing.“You’ve got to stop calling me that, kid.”

The girl’s elfin face turned sly.“Don’t you want to be Aunt Soleil’s boyfriend?”

She’d neatly trapped him.

“Checkmate, kid. Checkmate.”

With a quick curtsy, she faced her father.“I don’t want to go to the Council meeting, Papa. May I go back to Lily’s house?”

“Not alone, Beastie.Neveralone. And I have to be present at the meeting.”

“Uncle Alex can take me.”

They all turned to view Castor, holding up a wall with his broad shoulders and studying his nails.