Born of Defiance (16 page)

More than that, he remembered why Syndrome had sent him flowers.

Anatole was seriously abusing his power and Talyn had challenged him. Apparently, this was how the royal prick answered a legitimate invitation.

With treachery.

Fine, bitch
. If Anatole didn't want to face him in the Ring like a true Andarion, Talyn would go over his head and report him.

One way or another, he'd end this.

*   *   *

Alone in his room, Talyn sneered at the news report that covered the battle against the Tavali.

“Colonel Anatole emerged as the hero of the day. With seven kills, he single-handedly saved his unit and the lives of every Andarion who fought beside him. Andaria owes a tremendous debt to the royal family member. We're lucky to have one such as he on our side.”

Talyn turned the news off before he threw up, just on principle. Ridiculous.

His link buzzed. Thinking it was his mother or Felicia checking in with him, he answered without reviewing the ID.

It was Command. “Major Batur, we have received your report and the prime commander has gone over it. We wanted to make sure that you are willing to stand by what you've written, as it seriously contradicts what Colonels Anatole and Pinara have reported.”

He scowled. “What do you mean?”

A file popped up on his link. “They claim that you are the one who has been propositioning the females in your squad, and Colonel Anatole has sworn testimony from six different females who say that you have behaved inappropriately with them. The commander is currently reviewing the rest of your file to see if a demotion is in order. So again, I ask you, do you wish to submit your report and have it as part of your record?”

Talyn couldn't breathe as those words sank in and he realized Syndrome had thrown him to the wolves for daring to help her. “What exactly did Colonel Pinara say?”

“She claims you have accosted her on two separate occasions, and that she's seen you expose yourself to other females in your squad.”

Talyn ground his teeth. So, he'd put his ass on the line for Syndrome and she'd sold him out.
Minsid
hell.

Why was he even surprised?

“Do you wish to proceed with your report, Major?”

The suicidal part of Talyn was ready to see it through, but the saner half of his brain knew better. He was a lack-Vest bastard. Without corroboration, no one would ever believe him. Not against a member of the royal family.

The nail that stands out gets hammered down.
The old Andarion proverb went through his head. And he was tired of taking those blows.

Screw this shit.

“No. Please destroy the report.”

“Very well. You should know that when you return to duty, the commander wants you to report to his office for disciplinary action.”

Of course he did. “Duly noted.” Talyn hung up and fought the urge to destroy his link.

This was bullshit.

He'd just put his link away when it rang with the armada's tone.
What fresh hell is this?
There was no way it could be good.

His gut knotted, he answered it to find Anatole on the other end.

“You think you're smart, mongrel? You're lucky I caught this. And I promise you that as bad as you think you've had it, it's nothing compared to what you're going to face when you're cleared for duty again. I swear you will regret the day you ever decided to don an Andarion uniform. End of the day, I own your sorry ass. And I intend to make you bow down to your betters and lick my boots. One way or another, you will learn your place.” Anatole hung up.

Talyn growled low in his throat as reality kicked him hard. Why had he bothered to stand up for someone else? Anyone else?

Now …

He was going down in flames and no one would be there to help him through this. No one.

Ta-lyn No-kin

Born in sin.

No matter what, you'll never win.…

In that moment, he wanted the throat of every Andarion ever born. But none more so than his own father's.

And that of every member of the Anatole bloodline.

*   *   *

“Thank the gods, you're here.”

Felicia frowned at the nurse as she left the lift and approached their station in the hallway. Her heart pounded in fear. She'd only left Talyn long enough to go to her final. Had he taken a turn for the worse during her absence?

I should have never left him.

“What's happened?”

Her face a mask of horror, the nurse gestured toward Talyn's room. “That … male is the most infuriating, surly, nasty beast to ever breathe! We're down to drawing straws to see who has to go in to check his vitals.”

Felicia gaped at the female. “What?”

“You know he signed the orders yesterday that we couldn't give him anything without his express approval?”

“Yes.”

“Well, now he's in extreme pain and he refuses to eat. He can't sleep. He takes the head off anyone who goes near him. And if we don't get food into him, we're going to have to reinsert a feeding tube. And none of us want to do that, for fear of what he'll do to us to retaliate.… The doctor's in a meeting right now, trying to overturn Batur's right to refuse treatment, or get him kicked out.”

Felicia was aghast. “Where's his mother?”

“She had to leave not long after you did. He's been impossible ever since.”

Felicia shook her head. “All right. I'll deal with him. Where's his food?”

The nurse went to her station and returned with a tray. She handed it to Felicia. “May the gods be with you.”

Unsure of what he'd do to her, she headed to his room and gently pushed the door open to find Talyn with his arm bent over his eyes.

“I told you I didn't want to be disturbed,” he snarled. “Get the fuck out!”

“Okay. If that's really what you want. I'll go.”

He immediately uncovered his eyes. “Licia?” he breathed her name like a prayer.

She stood in the doorway with the tray. “You want me to stay or go?”

“Please, stay.”

Nearing his bed, she glanced to his monitors and cringed at what she saw there. She set the tray aside. “Oh honey, you need to take something for the pain.”

“I can't. Once they release me, I can't take anything. You know that. I need it out of my system as soon as possible.”

“Tay…”

“Lis, you know I can't. Please, don't nag me. I'm in enough pain.”

She placed her hand against his cheek. “Okay. Can I use pressure points with you?”

He nodded.

Swallowing hard at the sympathetic ache she felt for him, she sat on the bed and started rubbing his temples. A single tear slid from the corner of his eye. She kissed it away before she moved down to his neck so that she could massage him. He didn't speak a single word while she worked.

Within a few minutes, she had his blood pressure almost back to a normal range.

“Breathe with me,” she whispered. “In deep. Hold. One. Two. Three. Now out.” She kept doing that until his res and heart rate were back down, too. “Good Hammer.”

He actually gave a half laugh at that.

She moved to rub his arm and shoulder while she continued to force him to breathe deeply. “Better?”

“No.” He grimaced irritably. “How much can one body hurt and not kill you?”

“A lot. But then you know that better than I do.”

He clenched his teeth.

“Breathe through it, baby.” She used the pressure point in his hand to distract his brain from whatever was hurting him.

He followed her lead.

“Now, can you eat for me? If you don't, you'll have to go back and fight in the Mean Weight Division. Think of all the puny males you'll have to go through to get back to Zoftiq.”

“You're not funny.”

“I'm funny-looking. I have big ears. It's why I keep my hair long and never wear it up.”

He lifted his hand to finger her lobe. “Your ears are perfect.”

“You're delusional from your pain.”

He laughed again.

Felicia pulled the tray stand over to the bed and uncovered his food. “Let's see what we have here. Hmm … it's got to be better than the shite you normally eat.”

“I've never heard you swear before.”

“I don't often.” She picked up the small pudding cup and fed him a bite. “How's that?”

“Tastes like shit.”

She narrowed her eyes at his surly tone before she took a bite of it.

“Hey!”

“I'm seeing for myself. And it's quite good. I think the crap you call food has destroyed your taste buds.”

Talyn stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Since Anatole's call, he'd felt like utter hell. But somehow, just her gentle presence made him feel better.

He'd give anything if he could just stay with her and forget everything else in his life.

But the gods had never been that merciful to him.

“How did your test go?”

“Pretty sure I aced it. Your mom is a great study partner. She really knows her stuff.”

“Yeah, she grew up in a hospital, with her parents.”

She fed him a bite of the soft sandwich before she ran her finger along the stubble on his chin. “They didn't shave you?”

“I wouldn't let them. I was such an ass that I feared they might slit my throat if I let them get that close to me with a razor.”

She snorted. “You shouldn't be that way.”

“I know. I was trying to be good. But it hurts so much … and I don't like them as much as I like you.”

“Yes, but you need to be nice to Andarions who give you shots.”

“If you say so.”

“Dear gods! What did you do? Perform an exorcism?”

Laughing, Felicia looked to the door to see his gaping doctor. “No. I just beat him down. I might be smaller, but I'm meaner.”

The doctor snorted as he came in to check Talyn's vitals while she continued to feed him. “It's a good thing your girlfriend came in when she did. I just went over your head to get permission to knock you unconscious if you get unmanageable again.”

“Sorry.”

The doctor gaped again. “He even apologizes. Holy Andaria.” He looked incredulously at Felicia. “That's it. I'm calling your school and telling them to send a proctor over with your exams. You're not allowed to leave until we release him. I'm dead serious. What school do you attend?”

“North Eris.”

“No wonder their tuition is so high.” The doctor scowled at Talyn's vitals. “This is the best he's been since we admitted him. Incredible. What did you do?”

“Basic trigger points. A little PT massage.”

“Keep it up. Can I get you anything else?”

She glanced to the tray. “He needs more protein than this and he likes citrus. Could you please put an order in for it?”

“Absolutely. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

“Thank you.”

Talyn pulled her hand to his lips so that he could nibble her fingertips. “Some privacy would be better.”

“You're not well enough for
that
.”

He lowered her hand to his erection. “My body totally disagrees with you.” He let out a deep, pain-filled growl. “I'm in utter misery, Felicia.”

She narrowed her gaze on him. “Have they bathed you today?”

He shook his head.

“Hold on.” Felicia went to the nurses' station for a bathing kit.

The nurse handed her one. “I put the order in for more food. Do you want it when it arrives?”

“I'll be back for it after I finish his bath.”

She nodded before she took Felicia's hand. “Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?”

“Dealing with him. You are a saint!”

“Not really. He's actually very sweet.”

The nurse snorted in denial. “You're insane if you think that.”

Then she must be insane, because he was the kindest male she'd ever known.

Felicia took the kit back into his room. She shut the door and placed the tray stand in the way to give them some warning before she went to the sink and ran warm water into the small tub. Once it was half full, she carried it and the washing implements to his bed and set them next to him.

Talyn watched her peel the blanket and sheet away from his body. “What are you doing?”

She gave him an impish grin. “Bathing you.”

His heart raced as she pushed his gown up and bared his body to her warm gaze. Her smile insidious, she wet the sponge and then carefully ran it over his skin, leaving chills in the wake of her touch.

He struggled to breathe as pleasure pushed away every bit of his pain. The only thing he felt was her delicate hands torturing him. And when she brushed against his cock, he had to bite back an ecstatic cry.

Burying his hand in her hair, he watched as she slowly bent down and took him into her sweet mouth. He arched his back and growled at how good she felt on him. Nothing was sweeter than her tongue and the gentle pressure of her lips.

And when he came a few minutes later, he saw stars from it.

With a satisfied smile, she finished bathing him and changed his gown.

“Thank you,” he breathed before he pulled her lips against his.

“You're very welcome. And every day you're nice to your nurses and doctors, I'll make sure to put that very smile on your face.”

“I will be an absolute angel.”

“Good boy.” She tucked the covers around him, then pulled the tray stand back to the bed, cracked open the door, and moved to shave his face.

Just as she was finishing, his mother joined them, carrying the other tray of food.

Setting the tray down, she gave him a chiding stare. “I hear you've been quite the pain today.”

“Sorry.”

“Umm-hmmm. Sure you are.”