"You would do that for him?"
Felicia touched the heart necklace Talyn had sent to her. "Absolutely."
Galene pulled her in for another tight hug. "I would be forever in your debt."
"Think nothing of it. Just promise me that you'll never tell Talyn what I've done. I don't want him to be angry at me or to feel obligated in any way."
"But--"
"I'm serious, Commander. You gave me your secret. I'm giving you mine. Win, lose, or draw, I never want him to know."
"Okay. I'll take it to my grave." Galene pulled back as the doctor left Talyn's room and came over to them.
He inclined his head to them. "Good news. Barring infection or fever, I'll release him day after tomorrow."
"For home or duty?" his mother asked before Felicia had a chance.
"Home. He still needs to recuperate before he's ready to return to active duty. I trust he won't be left alone?"
Felicia smiled. "I'll stay with him."
"In a week, he'll need to start therapy. I have the number for a therapist--"
"I'm a licensed therapist. Can I do it?"
He glanced back toward Talyn's room. "Given what I've seen here, I think you're an excellent choice. The best we could have. I'll write everything up and e-mail you with the instructions on what I want him to do."
As he walked away, Galene laughed. "Talyn was always a very stubborn beast. Hardheaded like his father ... ah! The stories I could tell you about that aggravating male! The more you try to tell him what to do, the more he digs his heels in."
That was definitely the truth.
"Who's his father?"
Deep agonized pain descended over Galene's face. "It doesn't matter. But if you ever see his father, you'll know. He looks and acts just like him." And with that, she headed back toward Talyn's room.
Felicia frowned at what Galene had just said. If his father was just like Talyn in actions as well as looks, then there was a lot to the story of why his father had left them. As protective and loving as Talyn was, he'd never abandon his family.
Not without a damn good reason. And not without one hell of a battle.
CHAPTER 8
At their condo, Felicia helped Talyn into bed. It was his first day out of the hospital and the ride home had taken its toll on him. His features pale, he struggled to breathe against the pain as she peeled his uniform off while he lay on the mattress.
She covered him with the blanket.
"What's that look for?" Talyn asked as she tucked him in.
"What look?"
"That little pouty face you just made. I know this kind of care isn't part of our contract. If you want, I can return to the barracks to recoup, instead of here."
"Oh, keramon, don't you dare! I doubt you'd make it to the lobby before you collapsed. And that's not why I pouted, anyway." She grinned at him. "I was just thinking that my plan had been to rip your uniform off you the next time I had you alone in my bed, and ravish you until you were senseless from it. Unfortunately, I don't want to hurt you."
Relaxing, he laughed. "Ravish me, then. At least I'd die happy and sated."
"Ummm-hmmm. You say that now, but I'm pretty sure you'd be crying like a baby if I tried."
He winked at her. "I'm willing to go for it, if you are."
She kissed the tip of his nose. "I just got you home. Last thing I want to do right now is break you, again."
"You're a cruel female, Felicia. Heartless!"
She snuggled against his back and spooned him. "Am I?"
Talyn closed his eyes as he savored the warmth of her body pressed against his. "Maybe?"
Kissing his shoulder, she buried her hand in his braids. "I'm so glad to have you here, finally." She draped her arm over his waist and cuddled him, taking care to not put any pressure on any of his healing wounds. "At night, I go to sleep while trying to figure out which of the rooms is your favorite."
"How do you mean?"
She gently caressed his muscled arm. "Before I moved in. Where did you spend the most time?"
"Oh ... I didn't. I only saw the condo once before you got here. And then, only long enough to make sure it was safe and furnished before I bought it for you."
Felicia froze at what he was saying. Now that she thought about it, she vaguely remembered them mentioning that, but once she was here, she'd assumed her agency had to be wrong. That Talyn wouldn't have done such a thing. "This really wasn't your home before you contracted me?"
He turned to look at her over his shoulder. "No. Your terms stipulated that you wanted a place within walking distance of your school."
"I thought it was just luck that your place was so close to it."
Snorting, he shook his head. "Since I'm required to live in the barracks, I didn't need another place. This is the first property I've ever owned."
"Well, that explains why there aren't any personal items of yours here. I'd wondered about that.... You really bought this just for me?"
He nodded.
"Why would you spend so much on a companion?"
Rolling over to face her, he caressed her cheek in his hand. The sincerity in his gaze scorched her. "I know you had your choice of males, Felicia. I didn't want you to regret picking me."
Yeah, right. They hadn't exactly lined up for her. She'd only had two other interviews. Not to mention ... "Talyn, keramon, why would you think that? I wasn't even your first choice."
He scowled at her. "That's not true. You were the only reason I went to your agency. Any agency, for that matter. I saw your profile online and when I contacted them about applying to adopt you, they said I was too late. That you were in negotiations with someone else. It devastated me that I'd missed out."
Felicia wanted to believe that, but she knew better. "My friend Rynara told me that you'd tried to contract with her before me."
"No, I didn't. When you weren't available, they submitted my application to her without my consent or knowledge and pissed me off to no end."
"Really?"
"How else would I know you were in negotiations with another male?"
She narrowed her gaze at him. "You really didn't ask for Nara?"
"God, no. Check with the agency. I had a fit that they did that without consulting me. Hell, I'll show you the e-mails. Even if she'd said yes, I would have turned her down. I didn't like the way any of the others looked, and I was highly offended they pitched me to her without asking first. You were the only female I was interested in."
"Oh, honey!" Tears filled her eyes as she hugged him close and laughed. "I'm so glad I was a bitch to Rynara."
He arched his brow. "What'd you do?"
"She kept being a snot. Telling me how the only reason I had you was because she found you completely unacceptable. To get back at her, I showed off condo photos and rubbed her nose in what she'd said no to. Told her that I was eternally grateful she was an idiot."
Talyn laughed. "So what happened to your other contract, anyway?"
"He wasn't you."
Rolling his eyes, he gave her a droll stare. "You didn't know me then."
"True. But he was a beast when we met. I didn't like him at all. You, on the other hand, looked at me and I melted on the spot. Best of all, you seemed to respect me even though I'm a--"
"Don't you dare insult yourself."
She smiled at him. "That right there is why I chose you. And one day, I hope we can actually have sex."
He laughed again. "It would be nice...." He glanced down, then wagged his brows at her. "I'm up for it if you are."
She tsked at him. "Not today. I can tell by the jagged way you're breathing how much pain you're in. I wasn't kidding. I don't want you back in the hospital. But if you're a good boy..."
He dutifully closed his eyes and feigned a soft snore. She kissed his forehead.
There was a light knock on the bedroom door. Dimming the lights, Felicia went to answer it.
Galene peeped around her to look at the bed. "How's he doing?"
<
"He's always been that way. I used to get so frustrated at him when he was a boy. There were times I thought I'd have to stun-blast him to get him to settle down."
"And she would threaten my pudding if I didn't obey," he said sullenly.
"That's because spanking never mattered to you. I should have known then you'd grow up to be a fighter."
"Only because you numbed my ass from all the beatings I got as a kid." He grinned at her.
Galene scoffed at him. She met Felicia's curious gaze. "The lies my boy tells. I rarely ever got onto him. Honestly, he was an angel and a joy ... when he wasn't literally climbing up walls, furniture, and countertops. He took much better care of me than I ever did of him."
"Now who's lying?"
His mother ruffled his hair. "Can I get you anything?"
"I'm good. I've got my pillow. My bed. And best of all, my two taras. Life couldn't be better."
His mother kissed his cheek. "Good night, baby. Love you."
"You, too."
She paused in front of Felicia. "I'll head back and leave the two of you alone."
Felicia stopped her. "If you want, please feel free to stay. Not like we don't have plenty of room here for you."
She glanced back at Talyn.
"I really don't mind," Felicia said sincerely. "You're his mother. I get it."
"Talyn? What do you want me to do?"
Talyn pressed his lips together. "The Andarion symbol for war is two females under one roof. My mother didn't raise no fool. Honestly, it makes no difference to me, but I don't want either of you to feel weird or uncomfortable."
"I really, truly don't mind," Felicia reiterated. "If you want to be close by in case something happens, I'd rather have you down the hall than across town. You can even sleep in here and I'll take one of the other bedrooms, if you want."
Galene smiled. "Now that I'm sure he'd object to." She patted Felicia's arm. "I'll take the room at the end of the hall. And I'll make dinner tonight for both of you."
"Thank you."
"Thanks, Mum."
Inclining her head, she left them.
Talyn bent his arm under his head. "I'm glad you get along with my mother."
"I adore her. She's very sweet."
"Don't know if sweet's the word I'd go with. She can be scary when stirred. But while I might doubt her sanity at times, I've never doubted her love for me."
Felicia laughed. "You know she can probably hear you."
"Yeah, but she raised me. It's not like she doesn't know I'm an irritable ass. Contrary to what she claims, I haven't exactly hidden it."
"I don't think you're irritable."
"What can I say? You bring out the best in me."
Felicia felt weepy over that. "You need to rest."
"Fine." He stuck his tongue out at her before he rolled over.
Laughing again, she closed the door and went to help his mother in the kitchen.
Galene was washing vegetables as Felicia entered the room. "What can I do to help?"
The commander shook her head. "Chop an onion?"
"Sure." She grabbed a chopping block and knife. As she started, the hair on the back of her neck raised. She looked up to catch Galene staring at her. "Is something wrong?"
"If I asked you something very personal, would you be offended?"
"Depends. Is it offensive?"
"It might be. But I don't mean it that way. It's more nosy than anything else."
"Then ask."
"Why are you a companion?"
Felicia's face heated up at the extremely personal question. Not to mention the fact that it was coming from the mother of her patron, which only made it worse. "I needed the money for school."
"Didn't your mother try to talk you out of it?"
"A little, but she quickly came around, once I pointed out my reasons and the benefits of it. Ultimately, she's the one who trained me."
"Why would she agree to such a thing?"
"Well ... given my options for a husband and the terms I'd have been forced to agree to for marriage, it seemed the better choice. And I didn't want to put either her or myself through the embarrassment of another female acting like she was doing a magnanimous favor by allowing her son to mix blood with us. Both my parents are very high-lineaged. My mother only became a companion because she met and fell in love with my father after he was already married. Granted, she was young and stupid, but it was the only way she could legally be with him. She'd have never done it otherwise."
"Really?"
Felicia nodded. "Besides, I wasn't planning to do it forever. Just until I got through school and passed my physician's license."
"What if you get pregnant?"
"Then I will have a beautiful baby to love." She returned to chopping. "You've done well on your own."
Galene snorted as she returned to prepping the meat. "I wouldn't wish my life on anyone. Talyn deserved much better than what I was able to give him, and I hate myself for what I've done to him by being so selfish."
"You shouldn't. He seems much happier and better adjusted than my siblings who come from a married couple. A very high-ranking married couple, no less. I've never met a kinder or more decent male in my life. You did an incredible job with him."
"Thank you. Now that you mention it, he is a much better individual than any of my siblings. Still, I hate how much time he spent alone when he was young ... how isolated he is as an adult."
"Friends are overrated."
Galene arched a brow at Felicia's comment. "What makes you say that?"
"Just that I've had a few stab me pretty hard over the years. I'm a little skittish now."
"You're too young to be so jaded."
Felicia held the knife up. "You haven't seen how many of these I have embedded in my spine and heart."
Galene nodded in sympathy. "I'm sorry. I've had more than my share of them, too."
Felicia gave her a grim, determined smile. "Here's to better days for all of us."
"Here, here."
As she finished chopping the onion, Talyn's link buzzed. Felicia picked it up from the counter to check the ID. "It's his base. Should I take it to him?"
"Answer it. It should be nothing."
Switching on the speaker, she did. "Major Batur."
"Funny, you don't sound like the major. Did they cut off your dick while you were in the hospital?"
Felicia screwed her face up at the male's condescending tone. "Major Batur is resting. Can I take a message?"
"Yes. This is his CO, Colonel Anatole. You can tell that mongrel bastard that he failed to check in on his release, and I shall be reporting him for this. That is, unless you wish to discuss the matter with me? You and I might be able to come to an arrangement on his behalf."
Her eyes snapping fire, Galene snatched the link up. "Colonel, this is Deputy Commander Batur. And I will be expecting you to forward to me the company manual that dictates your policy, as it is one I'm unfamiliar with. Especially the one that allows a civ to discuss military procedure and discipline with a senior officer."
He sputtered in response.
"Have you something you wish to say to me, Chrisen?"
"Major Batur is well aware that, given his record, he is to report his location in, any time he's away from base or post."
"I do believe that that is the primary function of his locator bracelet and tracking device that's embedded in his body. Or do you wish to go on record by claiming both are malfunctioning, simultaneously?"
"With all due respect, Commander, you're not the one he reports to. Nor do you work in this division. Fighter pilots have their own procedures. Protocols the major is more than familiar with and has chosen to blatantly disregard. Again. I have no choice but to write him up for it." And with that, he hung up.
Galene slammed the link down as frustrated tears gathered in her eyes. "It's not fair that I protect the tizirahie and heir, while no one protects my son."
"This stops!" Felicia pulled her link out and dialed for her brother before she could rethink it.
Or chicken out again.
"Lieutenant Commander ezul Terronova."
Galene gasped at the name.
Felicia cringed over the fact that she'd forgotten the speaker was on. Switching to video, she waited for him to accept. "Lorens? It's Felicia."
His handsome face appeared instantly. He was the spitting image of their father, except for his hair. While their father wore the short style of his political station, Lorens, like Talyn, had warrior braids that he pulled back from his face with a red band. "Felicia? Really? Who died?"
Rolling her eyes at his droll tone, she blinked away her tears. "Are you still a giant Ring fan?"
"Always. Why?"
"Do you know who the Iron Hammer is?"
"Oh hell, yeah. Of course." Now he sounded a little more normal and not the snot he was around her. "Am I breathing? Everyone knows who he is. The fact you know his name says it all. Why do you ask?"
"How would you like to have dinner with him?"
Her brother gaped. Then he turned deadly serious. "Who do you want me to kill?"
She laughed, even though she actually considered it. "Colonel Chrisen Anatole."
"Done. Spill-kill. Quick-kill. What are we talking? You want his head as a trophy? Penis? Just tell me what body part you want delivered, how many pieces to cut him into, and it's done."
Snorting, she wiped at her eyes. "Talyn is a fighter pilot stationed at Anatole Base with a major's rank and Anatole is his CO. Can you get Talyn transferred to another post, out from under the beast?"
Lorens arched a brow. "I don't have to really kill Anatole?"
"Not unless you can't get Talyn transferred. Then I want his head on a platter or pike ... I'm not that picky."
Lorens nodded thoughtfully. "Transfer's easy. I don't have to risk jail time or court-martial for that. Where do you want me to assign Batur?"
Felicia hesitated. This was entirely too easy and way out of character for her eldest half brother. "Why are you being so cooperative? You're scaring me."
"You're offering me dinner with the Hammer, Felicia. There's really nothing I wouldn't do for that. Are you kidding? That male is my one true hero. I'd sacrifice my young to meet him. Even a testicle. Maybe both."
Still, it seemed so weird to her. "He's an Andarion soldier. You could just order him to eat with you."
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