Yet as he watched her herd the kids out to their waiting parents, he knew that one day she’d look at him with resentment over the fact that staying with him would curtail everything she’d wanted to do with her future. It would limit her opportunities and taint the way others looked at her. He was nothing but a liability to her, and he knew it. And to see hatred in her eyes for him…
That would destroy him.
No, he would never taint her smile the way his father had tainted his mother’s. The last thing he would ever be was Felicia’s regret.
Two days later, Felicia wanted to cry as she saw Talyn in his uniform. She’d had him at home for so long that she’d grown accustomed to his being here. Worse, she’d enjoyed every second of the time they’d been together.
They hadn’t fought once. Not really.
“Oh, Licia, don’t.” Biting his lip, he cupped her cheek in his hand. “If you cry, I’m going to cry, too.”
That succeeded in making her laugh. As if. “I don’t think anything could make you cry.”
“That’s not true. I just cry on the inside.”
She pulled him into her arms and held him flush against her. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I wish I could stay. But I have to report in.”
She tightened her grip on his sleeve – where his rank patch was stitched. She fought the urge to rip it off and spit on it. “I know.”
Sinking his hand in her hair, he gave her a sizzling kiss. “I’ll call as soon as I can.”
She fisted her hands in his braids. “I won’t breathe until I hear from you.”
He smiled sadly at the old Andarion saying. “I could just throw you over my shoulder and take you with me. Think they’d notice?”
“I’m willing if you are.”
Talyn grinned at the serious light in her eyes. She was so incredibly precious to him. He’d never once thought anyone could mean so much to his well-being. Especially not in such a short amount of time. But every day he was with her made him crave her more. It actually hurt him to see her in pain. He felt her sadness even more deeply than he felt his own.
Dipping his head, he kissed her one last time. “Look on the bright side… I won’t be hogging your covers anymore.”
“I would give them all to you for your cocoon if you’d stay.”
“Now you say that. You didn’t feel that way last night while you were cursing me for it.” He kissed her forehead as his band went off. “I have to go, baby.”
“I know. Be careful. Stay safe.”
“You, too.” He kissed her hand before he went to the lift. He turned around to watch her until the doors closed.
Silent tears slid down her beautiful cheeks as she waved at him.
With a heavy heart and tight throat, Talyn left their building and made his way to the palace across town. At least he’d be able to see his mother more often. She’d been assigned to the palace guard for half his life. Though he didn’t know her exact duties, they weren’t particularly dangerous or taxing. She actually had a lot of liberty to come and go. Something he was looking forward to after the heavy restrictiveness of flight patrol.
Flight patrol…
Talyn ground his teeth at the memory of what Anatole and his friends had done to the females in his squad.
Against his common sense, he’d reported Anatole to Lorens for disciplinary action. They were supposed to meet for lunch so that Talyn could review and sign his statement to continue the investigation that would allow Lorens to take steps to remove Anatole from his position and rank.
If anyone ever did that to Felicia…
Screw the Ring. He’d murder them on the street.
One punch.
Bitterness stung his throat. He still couldn’t believe Anatole had all the males so cowed. It went against everything Talyn’s mother and Aunt Jayne had drilled into him. You stood up for others, especially those who couldn’t defend themselves.
And one way or another, Talyn was going to stop it.
Pulling out his link, he scrolled through his pilot contact list until he found Farina’s information. He tried to call her again to tell her what he was doing, only to have it roll to her voice mail.
Talyn had left half a dozen messages, but for whatever reason, probably fear over the lies she’d told against him, she never returned his calls. Not that it mattered. He wouldn’t