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jaw as he returned to Talyn’s side to wrap his hands so that Talyn couldn’t use his claws in the fight to scar his opponent. “It doesn’t. This is from his CO.”
    Felicia scowled. “I don’t understand.”
    Talyn laughed wryly. “Anatole bets against me.”
    â€œAnd has his bastard goons beat the shit out of the boy whenever he has a fight coming, to handicap him.”
    She felt sick over the news.
    Talyn brushed his wrapped hand lightly against her cheek and offered her a bashful smile. “It’s all right. Pain’s my best friend. Just makes me that much more determined to watch him cry like a bitch when he loses his pay.” Dropping his hand, he sucked his breath in sharply as his manager touched a particularly nasty bruise on his back.
    â€œHere,” she said, pushing the male aside. “Let me.”
    Ferrick arched a brow.
    She met his manager’s sneer without flinching. “I’m a licensed physical therapist and med student. I can help him.”
    Talyn took her hand and placed it against his cheek. An Andarion gesture of extreme affection. “Ferrick and Erix, meet my Felicia.”
    Ferrick moved away so that she could take over. “He has limited mobility on his right arm. If you could loosen the muscles there, we’d all be grateful.”
    â€œIs there a table he can lie down on?”
    Erix gestured past the lockers. “In back.”
    She gently tugged for Talyn to follow her to it. “Can’t you delay the fight?”
    He shook his head. “Only for death or military orders. Anything else is a forfeit.” He hesitated at the table. “Face down?”
    â€œYes.” She waited for him to lie down before she gently touched his back to evaluate what all had been done to him. It was even worse than it appeared. “Oh, Talyn.” She wanted to weep at how badly he’d been beaten already. And he hadn’t even stepped into the Ring yet.
    â€œReally, it’s okay, Felicia. Believe me, this isn’t the worst ass-kicking I’ve had. And those were just from my mom for failure to put the toilet seat down at night.”
    She rolled her eyes at his offbeat humor. Given his immense size and muscle tone, she seriously doubted his mother had ever laid a finger to him. “No one should be used to this.”
    He lifted his head to look at her. “Would you think I’m a totally sick bastard if I said I’d gladly have the shit kicked out of me to feel your hands on my skin?”
    She laid her palm against his cheek as those words brought tears to her eyes. “Yes.”
    He smiled at her. “Good. I don’t want any pretense between us.”
    She kissed his cheek before she worked on his shoulder and back, where the worst damage seemed to have been done.
    â€œTalyn! It’s time.” Ferrick joined them.
    Felicia stepped back as Talyn sat up and took the ornate leather mask from Ferrick’s hand. He slid it over his head so that all that showed of his features were his white eyes that held a tiny band of red around the outer edge of the iris.
    â€œYou look like an alien is eating your face.”
    Reaching for the hand wrap covers, he laughed at her comment. “Erix has a seat in front, reserved for you.”
    She screwed her face up at the thought of it. Okay, she totally understood now why his mother didn’t come to these things, after all. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather wait for you back here. I don’t really want to watch you get beat on. But I am here for you, if you need me.”
    Her declination didn’t seem to faze him at all as he shadowboxed to loosen his muscles. “Okay. I’ll be back in a little while.”
    She walked slowly into his arms and hugged him. “Good luck.”
    Talyn savored the sensation of being held. No one had embraced him like this since he’d been a boy.
    â€œHammer! Let’s