Born of Defiance

“I’m telling you, it’s the Talyn Batur. The Iron Hammer himself. If we call the media, we can make a fortune on this.”


Felicia saw red over another group of Vested Andarions scheming to make money from Talyn’s pain. Before she could think twice, she beelined to their table. “If you call the media —” She glanced at the female’s name tag. “— Dorea, or if anyone else in this hospital, for that matter, calls them, I’ll personally drag you down the hallway by your cheap hair extensions, and beat you every step of the way.”

She sneered at Felicia. “Who are you?”

Normally, Felicia would have backed down from that scathing glare and condescension.

But not this time. She was tired of the way everyone treated Talyn when he didn’t deserve it. Tired of the way their culture worked. Were he Vested, they wouldn’t have dared breathe a word of his name out loud.

“Talyn’s bloodthirsty female who holds his privacy sacred… your life? Not so much.”

Her face went pale.

“Yeah, remember that. He is here to be treated and to heal, and not be disturbed by money-grubbing animals out to profit from the injuries he sustained while protecting his race from off-world pirates. He’s a hero, not bonus pay for the likes of you.”

Felicia returned to the pot to grab the commander’s coffee. She cast one last threatening look at the females. “You better make sure no media shows, or I’ll report you both. And before you ask, my father happens to be Satrapehs Saren ezul Terronova. I will have both your jobs and your putrid lives the minute you walk out the door.” With that, she took the coffee back to the waiting room and handed a cup to Galene.

Her hands were shaking so badly from her anger that she was amazed she hadn’t scalded herself. She’d never before made such a stand on anyone’s behalf. And now she knew why. It was scary. They were a lot larger than her. But be damned if anyone was going to make a single credit off Talyn. The last thing he needed was a flock of vultures trying to interview him while he was fighting for his life.

While she didn’t relish the thought of speaking to her father, she would make that call and bust the ass of every medical professional in this building. No one would harm Talyn. Not after everything he’d done for her, and asked for so little in return.

She forced her breathing to calm as she realized how much of Talyn was rubbing off on her.

“Are you all right?” Galene asked.

Felicia forced a smile. “Worried about Talyn.” There was no need to upset his mother any worse. She had enough to deal with.

A tear slid down Galene’s cheek. Brushing it away, she took a sip of coffee. “He’s everything to me, Felicia. All I have in this universe. I couldn’t live if something happened to my baby.” She caught a sob. “Why didn’t he go to med school like I wanted him to? Why?” She broke off into silent sobs again.

Felicia bit her lip to keep from speaking. She wanted to answer that question, but it wasn’t her place. Talyn knew his mother much better than she did. If he’d kept the truth from her, he must have a really good reason.

She sat down beside her. “He’ll be okay, Commander. I know it. He’s too strong a fighter to go down. He won’t do that to us.”

Her lips trembling, she cupped Felicia’s face in her hand. “You are precious. I can see why Talyn chose you.”

“You only say that ’cause you haven’t met me in the morning. I promise, I’m not nice. Rather ferocious.”

Galene laughed. “Like a tiny mia.”

Felicia smiled at the word for mouse. She flashed her fangs at his mother. “Mia with a vicious bite.” At least she was finally discovering she had teeth.

Galene saluted her with the cup. “You’d have to be for my Talyn to love you.”

Uncomfortable, Felicia glanced away. His mother didn’t know she was a paid companion. Galene thought they were dating, and she didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. The last thing she wanted was for his mother to sneer at her like other Andarions did.

Especially given how much Felicia loved him.

She was just finishing her coffee when a nurse came to get them.

His mother took her hand before they followed the female to the private room where Talyn was hooked to monitors. At first, they scared her until she saw how strong his vitals were.

She tightened her hand on his mother’s. “See! I told you he’d be all right. Look at that heart rate, and his oxygen and res levels.”

“But his brain activity is low.”

Felicia studied it. “He’s still in a chemically induced coma. That’s to be expected.”

His mother frowned at her. “You’re from a medical family?”

“I’m in med school. Second year.”

A bright smile lit her beautiful face. “My mother is a leading cardiac specialist and my father’s the royal physician who delivered the tizirani Jullien and Nykyrian. What’s your primary focus?”

“It was pediatrics. But I’m now leaning toward sports medicine.”