Claimed: Unchartered Territory (15 page)

Chapter Twelve

After the initial shock at seeing his mate’s attire wore off Remar could only give a slight disapproving shake of his head before turning to leave the room. He wondered if he would ever get accustomed to her antics. A Chezarian female would have taken his silence and automatic retreat as immediate displeasure and worked immediately to correct the error.

Not his
Dal’las
.

“You said you wanted to know everything about me. Well this is a part of who I am, but if you’d rather I have one of your guardsmen give me a good workout…” she called after him.

Instant anger flashed through him at the suggestion, but he suspected it was her purpose.

Remar turned to regard her again. He gave her fitted leg coverings, snug sleeveless top and bare feet a long look, then quick grudging ones at the free bar rods she held in each of her hands.  “You will not spar with any of the men,” he said with deliberate slowness.

Her shoulder shrug illustrated Dallas’ disinterest in his command. “Either you or them.”

“You truly wish to vex me at any opportunity woman? I thought we had come to a peaceful accord.”

“We have. And part of that agreement was getting to know each other better. This is my way. It’s only sparring, not an actual battle.”

“And should I injure you? How do you expect me to live with that knowledge?”

“Aww, how sweet. But I think you should be more worried about me hurting you.”

“Your baiting will not work on me.” Only, it was.

“Who’s baiting, just stating a simple truth? Its classic really, you’re projecting your own fear back on me. I think on a subconscious level you realize I could’ve taken you on my ship if you didn’t have your little taser thingy.”

He shook his head. “Your logic is completely delusional.”

“Really?” She twirled one free bar in front of her before sending it slicing on a perfect arc through the air towards him.

He eyed her while easily catching the fast moving object in a one handed grip. For good measure he mimicked her same hand twirling movements before setting the free bar to rest at his side.

“Good reflexes, I was worried after the challenge you might be a little slow.”

“I have not heard you express concern in other areas.”

She cocked a brow at him “Maybe I was just being nice.”

“I think not,” he said.

“Believe what you like, just as I’ll continue to believe you’re a big giant fraidy cat.”

He was uncertain of the type of animal she referred to but recognized the insult in her words. From his short experience he felt his
Dal’las
would only persist until she was awarded a favorable outcome. Seeing no other course of action short of a regression in the progress they had achieved, he shrugged one arm at a time out of his loose fitting vest.

“If this is really what you desire.”

“Don’t sound like a sour puss, you might actually enjoy it.”

“Trust me when I say there will be no enjoyment found in besting you.”

“How about if we make things interesting?” She began a slow twirl of her free bar rod. Its speed increasing until it whistled in the air around her.

Impressive
, he silently admitted as she maneuvered the free bar around her slight form with expertise he had not seen in any warrior.

“Interesting, how?” he asked but judging from the slow smile spreading across her lips he had a feeling whatever her suggestion it would be mutually satisfying to them both.

“We could place a little wager on it. I win and I get something I want and vice versa.”

“And what exactly would you seek in restitution?”

She shook her head. “The mystery is all part of the challenge, that way we’re both equally motivated to win.”

“You will not best me,” Remar repeated as he moved into a defensive posture. His plan was clear, tire her without any physical contact

How difficult could it be?

***

Only minutes into the match and Dallas could see from the stunned way he stared up at her Remar hadn’t expected the move which now left him flat on his back.

“How did you accomplish that?” he asked unmoving.

“Pure unadulterated skill,” she boasted while extending a hand to help him up.

“Skill? I will display for you skill,” he said leaping to his feet in one single movement of ductile agility.

Dallas jumped out of his way for good measure and landed on the balls of her feet. He might have started as a reluctant partner bus she could tell from the gleam in his eyes he was fully engaged.

“Extraordinary, now how about you show some of that in your sparing, you could at least try to make it challenging for a girl.”

Remar’s lip curled into a predatory smile.

“I will see what I can do to accommodate you.”

“Less talky, more fighty.” She crooked an index finger at him in summons. “Bring it on.”

***

Dallas smiled to herself at the memory of their sparring. Although a clear victory wasn’t established she considered them both to be winners. Remar put her through the paces but she could tell he held back from making the same contact she didn’t hesitate at with him. It didn’t matter much, she’d gotten a great workout on several levels. The physical brawling got their hearts racing on more than one level.

It all started with a swift movement by Remar which dislodged her free bar and knocked it several feet out of her range. Remar demanded she concede her defeat to him and of course Dallas stubbornly refused with a swift drop, tuck and roll that had her coming up with the weapon in hand. Her moment of triumph was short lived. Remar responded with his own fleetness and dislodged the rod again, only this time knocking it clearly across the room. His watchful gaze dared her to make a move toward it. Excited tension mounted as they both waited for her reaction. He braced the rod perpendicular to his body, both ends extending beyond him on either side with enough reach to easily stop a target. She took a step back and watched a smug smirk spread across his lips.

She could tell he thought she was conceding.

Not frackin’ likely. With all the energy she could muster Dallas burst forward picking up some speed in the short distance as she ran straight at Remar who planted himself firmly on the ground as if to brace for impact.

He thought she was going to try and ram him.

Good.

Her speed wasn’t much but it was enough to accomplish her goal. Palms out she let out a primal cry and at the last moment latched on to the middle of the free bar and used her weight and momentum to swing between his legs and launch herself into the air behind him. By the time he turned she was crouched with her own rod in hand and a satisfied grin firmly plastered on her face.

“Perhaps I was wrong in assuming you required a guard detail,” amusement etched his voice.

“You think? So does this mean you’ll call off your goons?”

“If your question is whether I will remove your guards the answer remains no.”

“Figures. Come on, I haven’t even worked up a proper sweat yet.”

“No? What is that moisture I see trickling down the sides of your face my dear
Dal’las
?”

She swiped at the wetness. “That’s just my hair crying over the hurting you’re about to experience.”

“Then let us commence.”

Dallas was the aggressor each time and Remar quickly acclimated to her fighting style. No longer underestimating her ability she discovered it was harder to find openings and she had to make sure not to lose her rod or get backed into a corner again which seemed to be his main objective.

“You’re not so bad, big guy, but you have a few tells. I could give you a couple of pointers on masking,” she huffed. As they circled each other she tried not to sound winded but was in desperate need of a little breather. Her goading was nothing more than a stall tactic.

“You have advice for me?” he said easily.

She nodded trying to take not so obvious deep breaths through her nose and expelling them through her mouth.

“Do tell?”

She’d only noted one or two seemingly imperceptible habits but she’d been trained to hone in on an opponent’s weakness. Exploit it. If it were a real fight it could mean the difference between life or death.

“Well you drop your left shoulder slightly before a swing and your nostrils flare before you lunge.”

“Hmm…very astute of you to notice. I will definitely have to make the right adjustments for our future matches.”

She paused. “You mean we can-”

And that was when he attacked, catching Dallas completely unawares. This time there was no flaring of the nostrils, no indicator at all.

The fall should have knocked the wind out of her but Remar had taken care to reduce the impact by moving to brace his arms beneath her back and head.

Dallas stared up at him through narrowed eyes. “You tricked me, no one could adapt themselves so quickly to change natural habits.”

“No my
Dal’las
you tricked yourself. You were deceived by the illusion of a
tell
, as you call it, but you never considered it was something I wanted you to notice.”

He was right. She quickly latched on to what she thought were strategic giveaways without once considering they were false.

“Fine, I concede in this round, but I won’t be so easily fooled in the future.”

“I look forward to your improvements.”

“So that means we will continue to do this, right?” She needed confirmation.

“If it will make you happy. I am willing to compromise on this matter too.”

“So sparring with a female wasn’t so bad?”

“No, it was not, but you are not an average female
Dal’las
.”

“Yes, I know the earth thing and all.”

“I believe you to be unique not only because of your planet of origin. I have no doubt that even on
E’rth
you are a rare find.”

Dal’las
heart fluttered at the simple compliment.

“Who knew you would be such a sweet talker Remar?”

His brows furrowed. “I only speak the truth without ulterior intentions.”

“Really? So that hefty sized free bar rod I’m feeling pressed between my legs must be a figment of my imagination?”

Remar made a sound she could only identify as a chuckle…well sort of.

“I can assure you, I conceal no free bar. What you feel is designed for providing pleasure not pain.”

“Talk is cheap.”

“Then perhaps it’s time for action.”

She hoped he would say that….

***

It was time to call a truce.

Dallas had never been one to hold a grudge and since she was open to giving Remar a chance then she could end her silent treatment with Rabika. The best way she could think of extending an olive branch was by allowing the curious young woman to accompany her to the science labs.

It seemed like Christmas for Rabika or whatever the equivalent holiday was on Chezar.

After professing her heart felt apologies repeatedly Rabika was in full chatty force. Almost everything she saw seemed to be a wonder to the younger woman which was surprising to Dallas who hadn’t expected her to be so ignorant of the simplest bit of mechanics which contributed to life on Chezar.

“Don’t they teach you the rudimentary working of things in school?”

“Tech instruction is for Chezarian males,” Rabika offered up matter-of-factly.

Dallas rolled her eyes. Of course. It didn’t really come as a surprise since there wasn’t a female tech in the bunch of engineers she’d encountered

“What instruction do women receive?”

“All kinds of things.” Rabika beamed. “I have mastered culinary artistry, musicology, rudimentary
E’rther
…” she paused to look around with a hint of youthful embarrassment, before whispering “and whelping.”

Dallas stopped herself from groaning aloud. Chezarians might not value educating women in more useful skill sets but that was all about to change.

“How about I give you your first of many lessons in engineering?”

Rabika’s eyes rounded. “But that is a study for males.”

“Do I look like a male to you?”

The younger woman shook her head vigorously.

“Well I’m glad you recognize that,” she tried to make light knowing Rabika was about embark on what would probably be Chezar’s first outward act of long overdue feminism.

“Besides there’s no law against women studying other subject’s, is there?” She hoped not, because she would have to go about her mini-revolution in an entirely different way.

“No, of course no such law exists,” Rabika confirmed.