Born of Defiance

“Yeah, I do. Haven’t you seen the news? Five females your age have gone missing this week. It’s too late for a young one to be out alone.”


His kindness warmed her heart. “Thank you. I’ll grab Talyn’s things and be right out.” She went to the dressing room and found the small bag Talyn had carried in. Opening it, she paused. Folded neatly on top was the shirt she’d requested, along with a small red rose. Tears gathered in her eyes. He was always surprising her with such sweet, thoughtful gifts.

“Please be safe,” she whispered. She didn’t want to think about anything happening to him.



As soon as Talyn hit the base and realized they were scrambling for another Tavali attack, he rushed into the lockers to change his clothes. Emergency deployments like this were the only time he was allowed in here to change with the Vested.

Everyone’s nerves were stretched taut as friends bantered and dressed as fast as they could manage, then ran to their fighters.

Talyn accidentally brushed his empty sleeve against a female’s shoulder as he shrugged his flight suit on.

“Don’t touch me!” she growled with unwarranted hostility.

Assuming it was because of his birth status, Talyn mumbled an apology and stepped away to finish dressing. But as he pulled out his boots, he glanced at her and noticed the way her hands shook as she struggled with the buckles on her suit. The fact that her eyes were swollen and red as if she’d been crying for a while.

More than that, there was a faint bruised handprint around the skin of her throat that was peeping out above her high collar. A slight crusting of blood around her nose.

Someone had attacked her, and by the way she was acting, he figured it wasn’t in a legitimate fight.

Talyn knew better than to speak to a Vested officer, especially one with a higher rank, but she was obviously upset and shouldn’t be battling like this. Though her name was Farina Pinara, he wasn’t allowed to use it, so he defaulted to her call sign. “You okay, Syndrome?”

As expected, she glared ultimate hatred at him, then burst into tears.

Stunned, Talyn wasn’t sure what to do. Before he could stop himself, he pulled her against his chest to comfort her. “Shh, it’s okay.”

She trembled in his arms. But to her credit, and in true Andarion fashion, she pulled herself together quickly and stepped back. “Sorry, Batur.”

“No problem.”

As Anatole and his two wingmen sauntered past, Talyn caught the way Anatole smirked at Farina. He mumbled something to the asshole on his right that caused the male to laugh before he raked a salacious stare over Farina’s body. One that brought another wave of tears to her eyes.

And made her shake even more ferociously.

A bad feeling went through him. Sweeping his gaze around the room, he noted the way a number of the females reacted to Anatole and his high-caste wingmen. How fast they vacated the lockers.

Including Farina.

She went so fast, she left part of her uniform behind.

Don’t get involved. This was none of his business and there wasn’t a soldier here who would ever stand up for him. His current war record was proof of that. But he couldn’t help it. His mother had taught him better than to turn away from an Andarion in need.

To fight for right, not for power.

Grabbing her gear, he went after her.

“Syndrome?” he called as he followed her into the hallway. “You forgot your helmet and gloves.”

Tears swam in her eyes as she paused and turned back toward him. “Thank you.”

Yeah, she was tore up. Normally, she’d be acerbic and pissy with him. When she reached for the helmet, he tightened his grip on it to keep her there for a minute longer.

“Did Anatole do that to you?” He dropped his gaze to her neck.

She trembled even more. “Nothing happened.”

Bullshit, and he knew it with every instinct he possessed. Cursing, he started back for the lockers where Anatole was dressing.

Farina grabbed his arm. “Talyn, please. Don’t.”

He wasn’t sure what shocked him most. The fact she deigned to touch him or that she’d used his name. From those actions alone, one thing was clear. Anatole had shattered her spirit. In the past, she’d have never touched the likes of him. For that matter, he was stunned she knew he had a given name, other than “mongrel.” It was all any of them had ever called him. “Our females aren’t his private harem.”

Her grip tightened on his arm as her eyes widened. She lowered her gaze quickly and dropped her hand from his arm.

Talyn turned to find Anatole and his two friends drawing near.

“This isn’t a practice drill! Do I need to put both of you on report?”

Defiant to the level of stupid, Talyn curled his lip at his CO. “I challenge you to the Ring, motherfucker!” he growled.

The colonel’s friends and Farina sucked their breaths in.