with you I wouldn’t have had otherwise.” He pressed her hand to his cheek. “Trust me, you’re worth it.”
“You are one sick Andarion, Talyn Batur.”
“And you are one sexy tara.”
Felicia kissed him. In that moment, she knew she was going to make the last call she’d ever thought to make. Yes, it would be painful and degrading, but she couldn’t stand by and let Talyn be hurt. Not if she could help it.
Her pride was a small price to pay for his safety.
Felicia frowned as she saw Talyn’s mother sitting alone in the waiting room. She’d only left his side to take the tray back to the nurses’ station while the doctor evaluated him.
“Commander?”
His mother dabbed at her eyes before she looked up. “Is he okay?”
She nodded. “The doctor’s with him. Are you all right?”
Galene drew a ragged breath. “I was trying to get ahold of myself before I went back in.”
Felicia sat down beside her. “What is it?”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.”
Galene bit her lip. “I’m the reason his CO is attacking him.”
Felicia went cold. “I don’t understand.”
“Years ago, when I was in school, Chrisen’s older brother wanted to pledge with me. But I was pledged at the time to Talyn’s father.”
Oh… that explained why his mother was so incredibly young.
“After his father left me and was disinherited for it, Merrell still wanted me… but only if I agreed to abort my baby.”
“You chose to keep him.”
Galene nodded. “I wanted to hang on to that bit of his father that only I had. Stupid and selfish, I know, but I loved his father, Felicia. More than you can imagine. Sadly, I still do. Don’t get me wrong… I’d give anything to gut the bastard for what he did to us. But deep inside…”
“I know. Feelings are so frustrating. I hate my father with a vengeance for things he’s done, and yet I still love him terribly.”
Galene sighed and folded up her tissue. “It pains me that Chrisen was transferred to Talyn’s base. He was always vindictive and cold. Like his brother, he truly hates Talyn’s entire paternal family. I wouldn’t have pledged with Merrell even if I hadn’t been pregnant. He always made my flesh crawl.”
“Is there any way we can get Talyn away from him?”
She handed her link to Felicia. “That’s why I was crying. Chrisen’s set Talyn’s career back by a decade with what he’s done to him. On paper, Talyn is nothing but a disciplinary nightmare. No commander will touch him with that file. He’s lucky his rank hasn’t been busted because of it all.” More tears fell. “What am I going to do?” She pointed to the screen. “Look how they treat my baby. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I had no idea all that was going on. He’s never said anything to me about it. Whenever I ask about his welfare, all I get out of him is that he’s fine. Not to worry so much.”
Felicia choked on her own tears as she read all the times he’d been punished for Anatole’s vendetta. It sickened her to see it. Especially what had been done to him since they met.
Like his mother had said, he never once breathed a word of it. To anyone.
She held Galene against her. “It’ll be okay.”
“How?”
“My half brother is a commander and my father is one of the advisors to the tadara.”
Galene pulled back with a gasp. “What?”
Felicia nodded. “We’re not really close and they’re both obnoxious snots, but I’m going to call in a favor.”
Her jaw slack, Galene stared at her. “Are you sure?”
“I don’t know if they’ll do anything, if they can do anything, but I’m going to try my best. I’ll start with my brother and if that gets me nowhere, I’ll call my father. Surely, between the two of them, we can get Talyn transferred away from Anatole.”
“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.