Born of Defiance

“It’s why they call the Ring the Splatterdome and not the Land of the Pink Fluffy Bunnies.” He bit his lip before he spoke again. “What do you want me to do, Felicia? Pull guard duty in Anatole’s bedroom and watch while he violates you? ’Cause I promise you, that’s what he’s planning to do.”


She reached to touch him, then quickly pulled away. “I can’t do this, Talyn. I can’t risk your life for my freedom. My God, what if something happens to you in one of those fights?”

He turned on her with his eyes blazing. “I’d rather die than have that animal lay his hands on you. Sooner or later, death comes for us all. None of us can stop that. But I’m not going quietly to my grave. Whether it’s tomorrow or a hundred years from now, I’m checking out with blood on my fists. Fighting every step of the way into eternity.”

Wanting to kill him herself, she pulled his head down so that she could press her forehead to his. “I want to beat you so badly I can taste it. You are so infuriating!”

“And you love me for it.”

She bit his chin.

Hissing, he pulled back. “Ow!”

“You’re lucky that’s all I can bring myself to do to you. Because what I really want is to take a paddle to your butt like an angry priestess catching your hand in the temple collection bin.”

“Now you’re just trying to turn me on.”

As his mother had done, she flicked her nails at him. “Don’t even try to make this a sexual thing. You’re sleeping in another room tonight.”

“Felicia —”

“I mean it, Talyn. I’m so mad at you that I don’t trust myself to be in the same bed with you right now while you’re defenseless.”

A tic started in his jaw. He was far from defenseless. At least against anyone other than Felicia.

“Fine,” he snapped, heading for the bedroom. He grabbed his pillow from the bed. “Sleep alone. I’m a big boy. I can take it. The gods know I’ve taken worse.” He headed for a room farther down the hall.

Felicia started after him.

Don’t you dare!

You let him stew until he comes to his senses!

She forced herself to go to the bedroom and lock the door. This wasn’t about his hurt feelings. It was about saving his life. Honestly, she wanted to vomit at the mere thought of his going up against those monsters to buy her from her agency. She wished she’d never found out that was what he’d done to get her this condo and to buy her contract in the first place.

Patrons were supposed to be old males whose wives were tired of servicing them. Or widowers who wanted companions to take care of them until they could find a respectable family to pledge with. Seventy-five… that was the average age for a patron. Seventy-five. Not twenty! Her own father had been well into his fifties when he contracted with her mother. She’d never heard of a patron as young as Talyn before. Which had been part of the reason she’d agreed to meet him.

Utter curiosity.

Unless they were pledged or married, males Talyn’s age went to prostitutes. That was how their society worked.

His mother was right, he’d never done anything in his life like other Andarions did. Ugh! She could kick his —

Talyn’s link went off.

She looked over to answer it and froze as she saw the name Jayne and the picture of an incredibly beautiful female blowing a kiss.

What the hell was that?

Before she could recover from the shock, it rolled to the speaker voice mail he used whenever he was home.

“Hey, sexy baby. It’s Jaynie calling about your girl problems. As always, I’m more than happy to take care of your needs, and will be there as soon as I can. Just hold tight and stay precious, my beautiful sweet cheeks. Don’t want to see no frownie baby when I get there. I promise, I’m going to put a giant smile on that gorgeous face of yours. Love you, sexy T! See you soon.”

Her jaw slack, Felicia wasn’t sure what pissed her off the most. The woman’s looks. Her words. Or that exaggerated high-pitched sopping, sweet, sultry voice. Maybe it was all three that came together to light a fury in her so foul, she could taste the Talyn-blood she intended to let.

Oh, forget the Ring. The Splatterdome was here. Tonight. This condo. And she was going to get her pound of Iron Hammer flesh.



Snarling in aggravation, Talyn slammed his fist into the pillow as he tried to get comfortable on the bed. He still couldn’t believe Felicia had thrown him out of his room, given everything he’d done to make her happy.

Did she think he wanted to fight those animals? Did his mom? Who did his females think they were to be pissed off at him?

Everything he did, he did for his mother and Felicia.

Face it, you can’t please anyone! Andarions suck! Females most of all.

The door opened. For a second, his heart lightened at Felicia’s appearance.

Until she furiously hurled his link at him so hard that had it made contact with his body, it would have hurt.

“You rank, two-timing bastard!” Felicia seized his pillow, snatched it from under his head, and started beating him with it. “Stralen, my ass!”

Talyn lifted his arm to protect himself. Damn, for a pillow, it hurt more than it should have. “What is wrong with you?”