“I’d originally thought that this was a last-ditch lie by a young woman – who was so in love, she’d say anything to save her Mates. Now, though, I’ve heard you corroborate the story yourselves.”
Taggar turns to us.
“So, Brennan – did you believe that Natali’s plea was to kidnap her?”
Brennan stiffens in his seat. “We knew she wanted to get away,” he said coldly. “Maybe we chose too dangerous a method to do it – but we were acting in her best interest, at her own request. This was not a kidnapping, Lieutenant. This was not a crime.”
Lieutenant Taggar slowly nods. His brows furrow. He’s making a decision right now that will be heard throughout the galaxies.
I look up at him, and he makes eye contact directly with me – not my leader, Brennan, but me.
Lieutenant Taggar sees my Bond-Changed eyes, and maybe that’s what finally pushes him over the edge.
He stands and bangs his gavel on the podium in front of him.
“I’ve heard enough. I’m ready to render my verdict.”
My heart races. Now, we will discover our fate – and whether this ruse is enough to keep us together with our Fated Mate.
“The duty of an Aurelian Warrior is a sacred one,” Lieutenant Taggar speaks. “Brennan, Otho, and Lazar – you have served the Empire with distinction, both during your hundred years of service, and beyond.”
His eyes narrow.
“But there are standards of behavior expected from those who represent our Empire. There are laws that must be upheld. What you three are accused of is a violation of every principle upheld by the Empire – and, if you were guilty of such crimes, you’d deserve nothing less than the minimum sentence I can deliver.”
Three hundred years, without our Fated Mate.
“However,” Taggar adds, “we also have a duty as Aurelians to uphold justice, and defend those who cannot defend themselves.” He looks down at the list of charges in front of him. “Ms. Carani was very clear in what she said – and because she asked you to liberate her from her father, I am forced to maintain that your actions were legal, and justifiable.”
The gavel lands on the podium with a crack.
“Charges dismissed.”
A ripple of shock and surprise passes through the crowd. I can barely believe it myself. With the crack of that gavel, Lieutenant Taggar hasn’t just shown us leniency – he’s shown us mercy.
Mr. Carani isn’t so impressed. He leaps up, charging toward us – but an Aurelian Law Enforcement agent swiftly grabs him and pulls him back. A good job, too – as I’m not sure what Natali’s old father could have hoped to accomplish, going up against three Aurelians warriors.
I turn to my battle-brothers. Lazar’s guilt has morphed first into confusion, and now wonder. He can’t understand it. He looks at me, shaking his head slowly.
“How the hell did you know what to say?”
I don’t know if I can take any credit for the words though. I just felt them. I felt that they were the only words that could make sense of this madness.
“She said that if she could go back in time,” I telepath to my battle-brothers, “she’d have asked us to take her. It was the only story that would convince Lieutenant Taggar, because it’s the truth.”
Or, a version of the truth.
In all honesty, I’m not certain how I managed to know just what to say; only that I did.
The door at the other end of the courtroom suddenly burst open.
It’s her!
It’s my life – my Natali.
I breathe a sigh of relief – but I needn’t do. I knew that Natali would choose us. I’d felt utter faith in my Fated Mate, and that faith had allowed me into her mind; to discover the one way out of our trap.
The courtroom empties as the spectators are hustled out. Even amid the crowd, though, there’s nothing that exists in this chamber except her – my perfect mate.
She runs straight toward me, jumping into my arms. I wrap her up, protecting her from everything there is in the world. I squeeze her tightly, and breath in her scent – smelling her hair, the scent of her body, and the taste of how right she is.
It’s driving me wild. I finally have something better than Natali’s aura in my mind. I have her body, too – her being, protected forever in my grasp.
I will never let anyone ever come between us again. I feel the perfection of this moment – after we’d nearly faced centuries apart – and when she looks up at me, it’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.
Natali’s eyes are wet with terrified tears – still flowing from what she’d thought was going to happen.
I kiss her, finding her lips – marking them with my own.
Yet, I’m delicate with her – tempering my burning hunger for her with the knowledge that she’s achingly vulnerable right now.
Finally, I place her down on the floor again, and Natali stands there, breathless.
Brennan kisses her next, and then Lazar – each of them tasting her like they’d thought they never would again. She’s smiling, her eyes wet – and when they’re done, she waves that cursed Orb-Ring in front of us and laughs hysterically, like it’s funny how un-funny these circumstances are.
“It’s time delayed,” Natalie explains. “I’m counting down from forty-eight hours, then I can take it off.”
Lieutenant Taggar strides up to us. We all turn to him. He fixes us with a hard stare – but there’s a trace of humanity within it, if you’re looking for it.
I can tell he’s affected by the reunion of a Fated Mate and her triad, even if he tries not to show it. Taggar knows what it means for the Empire and our species. Every Fated Mate is sacred to a true believer.
“That story of yours was hard to believe – until you said those three words in court, Otho.”
The Lieutenant clears his throat.
“I’m still not entirely convinced of your innocence, but I’m certain of your honor.
