Born of Defiance

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  Completely heartbroken, she headed back to her room and cursed herself with every step. What have I done?

  Consigned herself to hell.

  She was her mother's daughter, after all. Taken in by a handsome liar. She'd seen what she wanted in him, and hadn't done enough research.

  Now, she would pay for it. And if the others were to be believed, she'd pay with her life.

  CHAPTER 2

  Nervous and afraid, Felicia cringed at the sneer on the doorman's face as he stood in the elegant, ornate doorway, blocking her from entering the posh building. Maybe she should have worn something other than old shorts and a light, thin shirt....

  Since she was moving, she hadn't thought anything about it, but now she wished she had.

  Not like I'm nervous enough about being here. After her friends had left her with their dire predictions on how long she'd live before her patron killed her in bed with his enormity, or outside of it with his cruelty, she'd spent hours researching Talyn Batur.

  There was a lot written about him. None of it particularly good or personal. And nothing about his military record. In fact, she couldn't find any confirmation of his military service at all. Rather the articles she'd read only went into his bloodthirsty fighting skills in the Open Ring. She'd seen countless photos of him bloody and thrilled after a fight. It was like he had a sick sense of glee from the brutality of it all.

  Which did nothing to allay her terror.

  Every article and broadcast she'd come across confirmed the cold-blooded ferocity Fresca and Rynara had accused him of. He took pity on no one. He was savage and ruthless. Fierce and terrifying. Unstoppable. Invincible. When he entered the Ring, he dominated it.

  And no opponent walked out on two legs.

  While she couldn't find anything that said he'd actually killed anyone during a fight, all experts agreed that the Iron Hammer was the most feared and ferocious Andarion to ever enter the Splatterdome.

  And he was the first to truly own the brutal blood sport.

  Since everything she'd found had only scared her more, and her agency refused to allow her to back out of the contract, she'd finally stopped reading before she panicked and did something stupid.

  Like leave the planet forever.

  Swallowing hard, she met the doorman's glare.

  "Can I help you?" Could there be any more disdain in his tone?

  "I ... um ... I'm supposed to be moving in here today."

  The look he raked over her body called her a liar. "Are you with your parents?"

  She wanted to jump into a hole and vanish forever.

  "Felicia?"

  Standing up on her tiptoes, she looked past the doorman's shoulder to see Talyn, who must have been waiting for her in the lobby. Dressed in his major's red and black formal attire, he was breathtaking. A strange warmth flooded her at the sight of him, even though she was more afraid of him than she was the rude doorman. "Hi."

  And that one word totally changed the doorman's demeanor toward her. "Here, mu tara. Allow me to help you."

  "It's all right, Starrin. I've got it." Talyn took the box from her hands. He glanced out toward the street. "Where's the rest of your things?"

  Now it was her turn to blush. "This is everything I have."

  Instead of judging her, he smiled kindly. Something that was completely at odds with the horror stories Fresca and Rynara had filled her with.

  "Then let me take your pack and I'll show you upstairs." He gently pulled her rucksack from her shoulders and led her past a long, shiny desk of tough-looking security guards. Each of them eyed her as if they were committing her features to memory.

  A huge burly male approached them. "Is this our new tenant? Tara Orfanos?" he asked Talyn.

  "It is."

  She felt a rush of delight at the respect in his tone. Something she definitely wasn't used to or expecting. Most tended to treat her like the doorman had on her arrival. Because she was very small and woefully shy for an Andarion female, it invited others to push her around and treat her like a child.

  "Excellent. I'll make sure everyone is familiar with her." He smiled. "Welcome to the building, Tara Orfanos. If you need anything at all, my name is Aaron. I live here on the ground floor and am head of security." He inclined his head to Talyn. "I've already assured Major Batur that I will personally see to your safety, as he was quite adamant that no harm befall you, lest he make our future mobility quite impossible and painful. While I'm not as ferocious as the major, I am quite accomplished at my job, and will make sure no one bothers you."

  Felicia smiled at the male even though his words did nothing to lessen the fearful knot in her stomach. "Thank you, Aaron."

  He opened the elevator doors for them. "Good afternoon, mu tara. Welcome to your new home. I know you'll be happy here, and if you're not, let us know and we'll make sure that you are."

  Felicia bit her lip at his kindness. "Thank you, again."

  Talyn pulled a shiny black card out of his pocket. "You'll have to swipe the card to reach our floor." He showed her how then handed it to her. "After the swipe, it requires a hand scan." He pressed his hand to the panel. It lit up before the elevator moved.

  "So you don't press a button for the floor?"

  "No. It knows where you live by the handprint. As soon as you're squared away, I'll call the manager and he'll get you entered into the system. Whenever you have visitors, you'll have to notify security. Then you can either meet them in the lobby, or security will escort them up. But only if you're home. If you're not, they'll have to wait for you in the lobby. Like I said, the security here is very serious about the safety of their tenants."

  She glanced up at the camera in the corner. Not to mention the hand-carved mahogany wood and gilded ceiling. "This is much nicer than anything I expected. Thank you for letting me live here."

  He shifted the box in his hands. "No problem. Since I can't visit very often, I wanted to make sure you were completely safe. I, um, I don't know if you cook or not, but I had them stock the kitchen for you, just in case. There's a grocery across the street and I worked it out with the manager to deliver anything you need or want. All you have to do is call them with your order and they'll bring it over. Or if you pick it out, they'll deliver it and charge my account. There's also a deli and full restaurant on the first floor of the building, and a small convenience store that's open twenty-four hours, even on holidays. Just charge the condo and it'll go to my monthly bill."

  She gaped at his thoughtfulness that belied the ruthlessness she knew him capable of. Surely a beast wouldn't go to this amount of trouble for a paid companion. Would he?

  For that matter, her own father and brothers wouldn't go to this length for any of the females in their lives. Especially her. They barely acknowledged she was a member of their family, and then, only when required by law.

  "Likewise, I don't know if you drive or not, but there's a transport for you in the parking garage. The number for it corresponds with the condo address. It's yours, too. If you can't drive or don't want to, I have the number for a chauffeur service and they'll be more than happy to provide a driver for you. Also a protective detail should you have to study late at school. They just need a twenty-minute heads up to get someone to you. I'd prefer you use their service than take any chances with your safety."

  Stunned, she couldn't think as the door opened into a bright, elegant hallway.

  No, not hallway.

  Foyer.

  Holy crap ... was this really her new home? Eyes wide, she stared in awe of the palatial estate.

  Talyn led her into the condo that was finer than anything she'd ever seen in her entire life. Seriously. It even made her father's expensive home look like a dump.

  And it was huge! Open and airy, it had a breathtaking view of the city. The furniture was elegant and high end. Leather sofa, fully vided wall. Rich, hand-carved tables and expensive vases and flowers. Marbled floor, mahogany paneling, and a gilded tray ceiling.

 

She half expected some snotty female to come out and yell at her to wipe her feet.

  Or leave before she tainted it.

  Talyn smiled as he saw her gaze dancing around in appreciation. The sheer joy on her face was worth every precious credit the place had cost him. The last thing he'd wanted was for her to regret choosing him as her patron when she could have chosen anyone--even an aristo.

  He set the box down on the dining room table and placed her rucksack beside it. "This is your home, Felicia. You can have friends over whenever you like. I only ask that you keep our time for us. I'm not real big on company. Ever. No one should bother you, looking for me. If the media does track me down here, tell them to contact my manager, and if they don't go away, report them to Aaron and he'll take care of them."

  She frowned at him. "The media?"

  He felt heat creep over his face. "Yeah. They want interviews sometimes. Ferrick handles all of that."

  Before she could ask him for more details, he picked up the intercom and contacted the manager to come up and add her to the system.

  His bracelet buzzed.

  She frowned at the pulsing noise. "What's that?"

  He held his arm up to show her the black band on his left wrist. "My military tracker. It's letting me know that my lunch time is almost up, and I have to leave in order to get back to my post for check-in. Otherwise, I'm AWOL, and that's highly unpleasant."

  "Oh." The sudden sadness in her eyes touched him a lot more than it should have.

  He picked up the link from the counter and handed it to her. "My personal number is already programmed in, under three. If you need anything, day or night, call me or Aaron. He's number four. Or you can use the house system. The driver service is five. If I can't answer, leave a message and I'll call or text as soon as I'm able." He headed for the elevator.

  "Talyn?"

  He paused.

  She closed the distance between them. Looking up at him, she gave him the sweetest smile. "Thank you for everything." She stood up on her tiptoes to place her cheek against his.

  Talyn swallowed as a wave of desire tore through him and set his blood on fire. It wasn't helped by the sudden image in his mind of her in the small underpants she'd worn for her agency photos. Felicia had the sweetest ass he'd ever seen on any female, and he lived solely for the day he could peel her clothes off and sink himself deep inside her.

  The scent of her floral perfume filled his head and set his senses spinning. Worse, her soft riot of curls brushed against his skin, making him so hard that he was sure it would be obvious to anyone who glanced in his general direction. He hungered so much for her that it took everything he had to pull away.

  But if he didn't go right now, he wouldn't be able to return to her for weeks. "I'll see you in five days?"

  She gave him an adorable pout. "Is that your next liberty?"

  He nodded.

  "That seems like a long workweek."

  She wasn't kidding about that. Prior to Anatole's appearance, his life and schedule had been much easier to manage. Now it sucked to extremes.

  "Beauty of the military. They own my sorry ass." He winked at her.

  "Five days, then." She pressed a light kiss against his lips that did nothing to settle the heat in his blood.

  Hard and aching, he forced himself to leave her, even though all he wanted was to stay with her for a while longer. She would definitely be worth the write-up and punishment.

  His breathing ragged, he took one last look at her before he stepped into the elevator to return to work.

  Felicia didn't move until Talyn was gone from her sight. An inexplicable pain hit her as she felt his absence like a physical blow. How weird. She barely knew him. Had only met him twice, and not even for a total of half an hour.

  But no one had ever been so kind to her. So thoughtful or concerned. He didn't treat her like a paid whore.

  He treated her like a treasured wife. Like she mattered to him. Something that was completely at odds with what her friends had told her to expect. And it was definitely not what she'd learned from her research.

  Then again, they didn't know him. At all. The reporters were speculating, and none of her friends had ever met Talyn. They were commenting on rumors, too.

  You know better than to listen to those.

  The heartless monster they'd warned her about wouldn't have gone to this length to make her comfortable and safe.

  Tears filled her eyes as she looked around the massive condo he'd provided for her. Housing in Eris was so expensive, and that included the cheapest sections. Not even in her wildest dreams had she ever allowed herself to envision such a place as her residence. She'd expected something small, hopefully clean, and without vermin.

  This ...

  Laughing, she ran through the huge open rooms, amazed at how beautiful they were. How elegant.

  Until she came to the master bedroom.

  Her jaw went slack at the humongous bed that faced the most incredible view of the city she'd ever seen. She could even see the outline of her school from here.

  The tray ceiling above was trimmed in gold and painted to look like a celestial sky. An ebony ceiling fan was suspended over an ornate, hand-carved platform bed. A matching settee was to the right of an elaborate dresser. But more intriguing than that was a huge bouquet of flowers, and a wrapped present on the bed that had her name on it.

  Almost afraid to see what it contained, she approached the flowers first and took the card from the small envelope.

  Felicia,

  There's a wallet in the dressing room table with charge accounts for your use. If you don't like the decor of the rooms, please let the manager know and they'll redesign the condo for you. Don't hesitate to make it yours. Your happiness, safety, and comfort are my priority.

  ~T

  Her heart pounded at the beautiful, masculine script. No, he wasn't the beast they called him.

  Biting her lip, she set the card aside and opened the box to find a beautiful thick bathrobe and slippers. Along with a stuffed lorina.

  A lorina with a diamond bracelet attached to its neck. Gasping, she could tell by the workmanship that it was real. And very costly.

  Her breath caught in her throat. Before she could stop herself, she picked up the link and called Talyn.

  "Major Batur."

  She savored the rich, deep baritone of his voice. "Talyn?"

  There was a brief pause. "Is something wrong?"

  She sniffed back her tears at his honest concern for her. "No. I found the presents you left.... Thank you."

  "My pleasure. I hope you like them."

  "They're wonderful. I just wish you were here for me to thank you in person."

  "You don't have to do that. I only want you to enjoy them, not feel obligated because of them. They are freely given.... Beautiful females deserve beautiful things."

  Felicia closed her eyes as she savored those precious words. "You're very sweet."

  He snorted. "Don't say that out loud. You'll ruin my ferocious reputation."

  Laughing, she shook her head. "Ferocious, huh?"

  "Absolutely. How you think I got my rank at this age?"

  "Your sexy sweetness?"

  His warm laughter filled her ear. "Yeah, sure," he said drily. "That always works for rank advancement. You sweet-talk the enemy. They fall over, laughing at you."

  "See. I knew it." She switched on the video feed and waited for him to accept it or deny her request. To her delight, he turned it on. From the looks of it, he was riding an airbike through traffic. All she could see was his helmeted head and the sky over his shoulders, until he lightened the shield on his helmet so that his handsome face was showing through it. "Is there really no way for me to see you sooner than five days?"

  "Between training and work, no. They keep a really tight leash on me."

  Funny how that was what she'd wanted in a patron, especially after her friends had told her what a beast he was. Now ... "Can I come visit you at work?"

  "This is my normal lunch time. I have an hour and a half for it."

  "What about dinner?"

  "I only have fifteen to thirty minutes for that."

  She pouted at him. "That's not long." Barely enough time to eat anything at all.

  "It comes at shift change when I'm on duty, and the married soldiers take precedence over those of us without. The rest of the time, I have to catch something fast at the gym before practice."

  "Oh." She tried to imagine what his life was like. To protect his privacy, there hadn't been much on his profile sheet. While the agency saw the full family, psychological, and financial forms he'd submitted, they only gave companions part of the personality portion to evaluate.

  She hadn't even known his family name until they signed the contract. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

  "No. You?"

  She bit her lip. "I had three half brothers and two half sisters, but we're not close. It's mostly me and my mother."

  "Same here."

  That made sense then as to why he was so concerned for her safety. He must look after his mom like she did hers. "So what does your mother do?" she asked.

  "She's a deputy commander for the armada."

  Wow, that was impressive. "Your CO?"

  "No. I'm a fighter pilot. She works at the palace. Protective detail. I've been trying to get into a command or palace assignment for the last two years, but they keep turning me down."

  "Why?"

  "I'm a bastard, Felicia," he said simply. "In more ways than one. They don't think I'm worth much, except as Tavali fodder."

  "They would be very wrong."

  Talyn swallowed hard as those words touched him in a place he hadn't known he had. Kind of felt like a kick to his stomach. Only it hurt worse.

  Weird.

  He offered her a smile. "I appreciate the vote of confidence." He traced the line of her jaw over the screen on his bike, wishing he could have stayed longer with her. "So what does your mother do?"

  "She's a companion trainer."

  "Hey," he chided her. "Don't do that."

  "Do what?"

  "Look ashamed. Ever. You're a beautiful female, Felicia. The most beautiful one I've ever seen. More than that, you have a soul. I don't ever want to see you hold your head down again. You don't apologize to anyone for who and what you are."

  Felicia smiled as his words touched her much deeper than they should have. The one thing they'd drilled into her during training was not to fall for her patron. To keep everything professional and on a business level. But it was hard to do that with a male who made her feel like an Andarion princess. "You're not as bashful as you pretend to be, are you?"

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