Born of Defiance

Talyn gripped the stylus and reminded himself that it wasn’t the secretary’s fault she served a whore queen. But really? He wanted to stab her with it. “No problem.”


He signed his name to the document and saved it. They thought they had him.

They were wrong.

Yes, he was a Batur, but more than that, he was a mighty War Hauk. So named for their willingness to bleed in battle and take the life of those who threatened their family.

This wasn’t over. He would have sucked up what they did to him and taken it.

Their mistake? Threatening his mother and Felicia. For he was a stralen War Hauk. No one, not even the fucking tadara of Andaria, threatened his family and got away with it.

That bitch was going down, and by all the gods, he was going to be the one to bind her in chains.

Or personally send her to her grave.





Chapter 17





L

orens ground his teeth as he read over Talyn’s medical report and saw what Jullien and the others had done to the poor kid. It disgusted him.

Talyn was barely older than Gavarian. At that age, Lorens had just been entering the military under his father’s direct tutelage and fierce protection.

He hadn’t been tortured for the pleasure of a demented tahrs and his court. Sadly, he hadn’t realized just how young Talyn was when they’d had dinner together. The warrior had seemed a lot older and far more worldly than he should be. That, too, said a lot about Talyn’s upbringing and past treatment.

“You summoned me, Commander?”

Lorens looked up from his files to see Colonel Anatole. In that moment, he wanted to put his fist through the bastard’s smug face. “A disturbing report has come to my attention. I want you to explain to me what happened to Major Batur.”

“Pardon?”

“Major Talyn Batur. Don’t play stupid with me, Colonel.”

More calm than anyone had a right to be, Chrisen met his gaze fearlessly. “As you know, Lieutenant Batur was transferred from my command. I know nothing about him beyond that.”

Bullshit.

“Fascinating. Your log reports show that you’ve spent weeks at the palace and not at your duty station.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. And why shouldn’t he? Chrisen thought himself above reproach and discipline. “The palace is a big place and the tahrs, my cousin, wanted extra security. Seems he feared an assassination plot from someone close to him.”

“So you know nothing about Batur’s arrest?”

“I didn’t know he was arrested at all.”

Lying sack of shit. But then, Talyn hadn’t technically been arrested. He’d been seized and tortured.

“Get out of my sight.”

Anatole paused. “You might want to rethink your tone with me, Commander. While you do outrank me in the military, you’d do well to remember that socially, I outrank you. It is my blood family that has ruled us all for thousands of years. Be a shame for your children to grow up fatherless.”

“Is that a threat?”

Anatole smirked. “Just a friendly reminder.”

Lorens ground his teeth as he watched the bastard glide out of his office. Honestly, he was sick of the Anatoles. Sick of the fact that none of them respected Andarion life or the values their civilization had been founded on. He’d suffered it for years, but as his children came into their own, new fears haunted him.

He couldn’t allow them to meet Talyn’s fate. Nor that of his brother or sister. Never mind what had been done to the two females Talyn had tried to protect and had been banished over. Not if he could stop it.

Picking up his link, he called his best friend.

As soon as Kerell answered, Lorens spoke without preamble. “I have a new member for us to consider for our club. Talyn Batur.”

“The Ring fighter?”

“Yeah. Meet me for lunch. You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you. I don’t believe it, and I’m looking at it.”

Lorens hung up and sat back in his chair while he copied Talyn’s file before it mysteriously vanished like all evidence of the Anatoles’ egregious actions always did. And why not? The tadara had made her own grandson disappear. What was the medical file of an insignificant bastard in comparison to the Andarion royal heir?

And it was time for the Anatoles to start answering for their actions. Time for them to learn that the Andarions weren’t weak-willed ants to be trod upon.

For the one truth about Andarions, they were all fierce creatures.

Even their ants and mice were fanged and poisonous.



Grimacing, Talyn pulled himself up in bed. He’d just been released from the hospital that morning and was still in enough pain that he wanted to kill the tahrs himself.

And forget what he wanted to do to Chrisen and Merrell. He’d sell his soul to have them alone for five minutes. While they wouldn’t enjoy it, he’d get his jollies and then some.

Pain sliced him as his thoughts turned to Berra and Farina. Two more innocent lives lost over their cruelty.

Payback was coming…

And he intended to shove it down their throats with both fists.