Oh crap! she dodged another dangerously close swipe aimed for her head.
When Rae had agreed to learn, she hadn't realized that meant now. She thought that maybe she would have time to go back inside and have a decent breakfast. It didn't have to be anything special, even a bowl of cereal would have been nice, anything to extinguish the hungry tremors that were beginning to ravish her stomach, but no. No she was to train right this instant.
After she had insisted that she climb down without his assistance, Tomak had pointed to the sand under her feet with an insistent jab of his clawed finger, silently commanding her to stay there by the rocky arch. And it wasn't like she could give her two-cents about it because he was off, running back to the house.
She blinked in astonishment as she watched him from a distance leap incredibly high to grab the handrails of her deck and haul himself over like he was posing for one of those parkour videos.
Stunned by his agility she contemplated her own abilities. She was rather proficient in climbing, but that was a pale comparison to what Tomak could clearly do. It rather annoyed her actually. She was so accustomed to beating all the boys in gym class, she was never met with someone that could actually challenge her in anything physical. How the tables had turned.
It was another couple minutes after he entered her home that she wondered just what it was he was up to and why it was so necessary for her to remain here. Her question was later answered when he had reappeared with two objects.
In his left hand was the long metallic barbell from her bench press. In his other clenched hand was a good-sized silver cylinder that with a quick movement of his wrist extended into a spear-like weapon. Holding both staffs Tomak seemed to contemplate and compare the weight between the two before holding out his weapon for her to take.
Surprised, she carefully took it from him, blown-away with the weight of it. It was pretty light, not nearly as heavy as it looked. It probably weighed in at about five or six pounds, not as light as other traditional weapons, but still light.
It made sense why Tomak gave her this instead of the barbell he was holding.
Unlike the usual barbells, Rae was aware hers was a lighter version, roughly between twenty to thirty pounds, which she usually compensated for in the weights she would hang from either side. Using it in a spar, on the other hand, it was plenty heavy, especially if he was going to swing it around like some medieval sword.
After taking a moment to adjust to its length, she looked to Tomak in question.
His response? He flexed his wrist, spinning the barbell lethally before he charged.
So much for introducing her to it. It wasn't like she had training or any expertise in this profession, if she could even call it that. In fact, it was her hope that she could actually learn something from him. Achieving some sort of mastery over this art instead of a toss up as to who was more qualified in this duel would have been satisfactory.
Or a brief introductory lesson! That would have been nice.
Now running and dodging like her life depended on it, she tried to find some way to at least make him back off enough for her to breathe, but he was making that impossible for her, as if he knew her intentions.
No matter how much she ran to put some distance between them, he was right there on top of her, refusing her any mercy.
Growing annoyed with this tiring game of cat and mouse, Rae switched tactics and did something she hoped would be unexpected. Just as he shifted his weight, giving herself a clear view of his flank, she stepped right into his path and went to deliver a blow of her own.
To her dismay and great frustration he saw it coming and simply stepped out of the way, as if her swing were too slow. Her astonished expression made him chuckle before he used the opposite end of the bar to swipe her legs right out from under her.
Landing flat on her back she went to quickly get up only to be faced with the flat end of his new makeshift weapon.
She stilled. Her eyes shot up to his with an angry glare.
Amused, he twirled the bar away from her and took a step back, returning to the stance he had taken from the start.
The fact that he was using her barbell as if it weighed like a feather was insane. However, she could see tell-tale signs that it was not without heft, his arms bulging impressively as he spun it to his side.
If he could make do with what he had, so could she.
Swallowing her hurt pride, Rae got back to her feet, dusting herself off to once again face him. No matter how many times she would fall, she was determined to improve.
Meeting his gaze, he nodded once to her, then charged.
She barely was able to exhale in disbelief before he was upon her.
As she was retreating, Rae wondered what would be worse, Tomak's silent composure as he attacked, or a more vocal approach that involved more growls, because she was quickly realizing how unnerving his silent and vigilant attention could be.
Ducking a clear swipe to her head, she thrusted the combistick forward, hoping to jab his midriff if she was lucky. But he batted it away before it could even make contact.
Puffing his chest out, he jostled his shoulders, his behavior becoming a tad more aggressive. Bringing his staff down, Rae took her chance with an angered cry to bring her own defense up, holding her ground.
The loud clang of metal on metal was deafening, but not nearly as unbearable as the violent vibrations traveling down her arms as they absorbed the brunt of his hit. It was her first block, however, and she had stared in shock seeing it, a smile of victory slowly spreading over her face.
Her momentary distraction cost her when the big beast stepped into her space, his large body slamming into her. Forced off-balance, Rae couldn't regain her footing before he used the staff once again to sweep her legs out from under her.
Her back hit the coarse sand with a heavy thud, forcing the wind out from her lungs with a cough. She groaned, staying still for a moment.
That one hurt.
Pushing the pain aside, she attempted to rise, but was stopped short of seeing the blunt end of the barbell, once again, aimed directly at her face. "What happened to teaching?" she grit her teeth as she shook the sand from her hair, glaring daggers at him while she did so.
"I am testing for your weaknesses," he removed the bar from her face, then using a strength that defied all physics, he speared it into the sand beside him.
Slower to get up this time, Rae huffed, "Well I think you found them."
"You lack basic training," he agreed.
No, you think? she wanted to retort, resisting the impulse to groan at the dull ache in her back.
She didn't need to make a sound though for him to know, his chittering signaled his amusement.
Recognizing the sound immediately, she huffed in irritation. Of all the sounds he made, this one in particular was her least favorite, as it was almost always directed at her at the expense of her dignity. The jerk.
Looking over at him with a shake of her head, she couldn't stop the small smile that came from seeing him stand there, with his arms crossed, looking all proud and tough.
Oh he was going to get it, she would make sure of it.
As soon as his hand tightened around the bar, yanking it free from the ground, she made a quick decision.
Taking her liberties, she moved swiftly on the balls of her feet to make the first move. Swiping at him, she felt the weight of the weapon as it clashed with his lightning quick block. Pulling away, she was met with a swift counter that she somehow managed to dodge, the breeze of it just barely whisking past her arm.
As they circled each other, Rae saw his eyes flash in challenge before he struck again, his long strides putting him right on top of her.
His inhuman speed had her heart slamming violently inside of her chest as she jumped back, almost losing her balance as the barbell sliced the air in front of her.
Unable to help the small triumphant laugh, she grinned up at him as she evaded another strike.
Tomak was slightly impressed with how she used her smaller size against him, managing to duck and weave away from him. It made the spar more exciting. That was up until he heard that teasing laugh of hers, quickly deciding that enough was enough, her provoking smile only adding to his incentive to finish this little dance.
Launching himself at her with a snarl, he basked in the sight of her panic-stricken face, and as she raised her staff in a poor attempt to stop him, he brought his own down.
As soon as he did, he was shocked when she suddenly cried out, immediately discarding her only defense as she dropped to her knees. Then just as fast as she went down, she hopped up with great enthusiasm and began pacing.
Standing stock still, Tomak partly wondered if he broke her by her continued display.
Breathing deeply she shook her hand out, trying to alleviate the sharp pain. When that didn't help, she shoving the inflamed knuckle in her mouth and remained utterly still resisting the urge to distract herself by moving. The throbbing sensation was not quick to go away. Squeezing her eyes shut, she hissed irritably, "Dammit Tomak!"
His massive frame overshadowed hers as he watched her baby her hand. "Did much better that time," he commented which earned him a scathing look.
"Until you decided to decommission my hand," she snapped, flexing her fingers in the offended limp, testing to see if movement was restricted. The action was stopped when Tomak's large hand firmly wrapped around her wrist. Rae was about to protest, but the words died in her throat as she looked up at the yautja.
Tomak's eyes were soft as he took her hand in, gently probing the knuckle. Satisfied with it, he turned her hand over and proceeded to inspect the other side, his touch almost a caress as he felt and examined each phalange carefully.
It was while he was holding her hand between them, that Rae got the opportunity to look at him up close. He really was a piece of work, characteristically as well as physically. The green color of his flesh was nothing like anything she had ever seen, and she was aware it felt unique to touch; not as tough as a crocodile nor as soft as the belly of a snake, but somewhere in between.
The tightening of his abdominals easily caught her attention as he traced the bones in her fingers, his concentration heightening.
The very sight made her flush, suddenly feeling very naughty for even looking at him like that. The little voice in her head told her to look away, but she ignored it, lingering, letting her eyes travel from his stacked abs to his wide chest, his pectorals swelling with each breath. As she stared, she felt her own breath hitch before slowing, matching his.
A grunt, from him ripped her eyes from his chest to his glowing eyes, unable to read his expression. And slowly she felt him release her.
Immediately she lowered her head. "Nothing broken?" she took her hand back, examining the forming red welt.
He grunted again. Affirmation.
Taking a needed breath, Rae turned her attention away from him, needing a distraction. She nodded towards the barbell he had thrown in the sand. "Who taught you how to fight like that?"
Tilting his head down to look at her, curiosity filled his gaze. "Many masters."
"Oh," her eyebrows rose, surprised. Not the answer she thought she would get, but it made more sense. "That makes me feel a little bit better 'cuz I stink at this."
Turning back to him, she watched as he tilted his head, his prominent brow lowering.
"I do not…" he growled, his shoulders rising with his annoyance of this species' puzzling speech. "I do not understand how your scent is related to the spar."
Rae busted out laughing, her hand coming up to muffle her outburst, only confusing him more.
It was too funny!
"Oh no," she wiped the tears from her eyes as she tried to calm herself for Tomak's sake. "No, not-" she started giggling again.
Folding his arms, Tomak growled, his patience running dangerously thin as he waited for her to compose herself.
"Saying I stink is another way of saying I'm terrible at something," her eyes still brimming with her barely contained mirth.
He merely stared at her bemused, finding it very difficult to understand what made that so hysterical, then quickly decided against it. Turning away with disinterest, he picked up her barbell.
"Is your father as good of a fighter as you?" her voice spoke from behind him.
"Why do you wish to know more about my bloodline?" he growled impatiently, turning around.
She shrugged, lowering her eyes. She crossed a line. "Just small talk." Silently she scolded herself for annoying him. She knew she had a tendency to be a bit of a chatter-box, something that had always been an insecurity of hers.
Taking note of her quieter manner, he lowered himself to a squat. Picking up his ki'cti-pa, he held it out for her. Oddly she bit her bottom lip, an action that still evaded his understanding. He knew it was not a sign of hunger as she did it often when she was looking at him. Perhaps it had similar meaning to when she would wring her hands.
He grunted, nudging it toward her. "Perhaps you will hit me this time," his eyes glinted, provoking.
She couldn't help her own small grin as she took the weapon from him. After that last one, she was set on giving him a good whack. "Honestly, if you even let me take a swing, there is no question that I would hit you."
He was silent for a long moment, his mandibles fluttering as he considered her confidence, finding it amusing. "You think you could land a strike?"
She folded her arms self-assuredly, not pleased with his doubt. "Absolutely."
"Are you challenging me?" he asked further, his blood running a few degrees hotter at the prospect.
Her frown deepened. "Is that a threat?"
Disregarding her question, he stood, advancing towards her only to stand half an arm's length away, wishing to see her reaction.
Clutching her only means of defense tighter and resisting the desire to retreat from him, she was forced to look up, boldly meeting his gaze. Tomak made a rumbling sound deep in his chest, admiring that fire that burned within her eyes, and with admiration came curiosity, a sudden urge to test her and witness her response to his idea.
Leaning just a fraction in her direction, his dreads now hanging in front of her face, he growled softly. "Hit me in the next five of your minutes and I will do anything you ask for one rotation."
She was taken aback, her arms falling to her side, her eyes widening. "What?"
"I am challenging you, do you accept?"
"You mean like a bet?" she questioned, unsure if she was even hearing this right.
He was familiar with the human term and nodded in agreement, "Yes, a bet."
Rae never really participated in bets, especially with Naomi, knowing the stakes were always high with her involved, but this one actually seemed winnable, and the thought of getting this large male to do whatever she wanted, made the opportunity too good to pass up.
"So you want me to try and hit you?" she began to circle him, a grin forming over her lips, warming to the idea.
He followed her movements carefully.
"And you will only be defending? Not attacking?" she clarified, pausing to give him a sideway-glance.
Another firm nod.
Her expression narrowed in suspicion. His proposal seemed almost too easy. Settling her hands on her hips, she eyed him carefully, "And what do you get out of this if I somehow lose?"
He remained passive, though his mind filled with all her past teasing remarks and facial expressions that did nothing but build his growing desire for one thing. Retribution. "I will make your punishment worth it."
That stopped her cold. "P-punishment?!" she rounded on him. "And what's that supposed to mean, Tomak?!"
Remaining still, he didn't bother elaborating for her, rather he turned his head in her general direction as she continued her circling, his whole body shuddering in eagerness.
Rae watched with rapt attention as Tomak proceeded to roll his massive shoulders as if that would help in answering her question. She continued to stare at him behind narrowed eyes. He acted as if he didn't know, but she saw a mischief in those predatory eyes and she did not like it.
He was giving her five minutes though. Five minutes, she stressed to herself. That should be plenty of time for her to hit him. Even if it was a light graze, it would count.
Jostling her phone out of her sweatshirt's front pocket, she turned it on and went straight to the stopwatch app that had come downloaded. Putting five minutes in on the clock, she looked at Tomak briefly before pressing start.
Shoving it in her pocket, she raised the alien staff offensively and without hesitation she swung it towards his arm.
Tomak stepped back out of range, not bothering to even lift his weapon to defend as she advanced to deal another blow.
Being a bit quicker she struck out and once it was blocked she countered.
The wind began to pick up.
Separating briefly she observed Tomak as he held himself steady, his shoulders hunched with his defenses up. She continually looked for a new angle, her hair waving about her as she moved.
It was annoying how composed he was. Not overly tense, or alert, he just stood there with a waiting expression, pressuring her to come on.
Inhaling sharply, she juked him out by jerking her head to the left, before lunging to the right. To her dismay, her staff was met with his and she pulled away with a frustrated growl.
Tomak trilled, finding her reaction amusing.
Wishing to wipe that look off his face, she brought the staff down hard against his, then moved to swipe at his exposed belly.
Side-stepping her, he deflected the attempt, forcing her to move to meet him again.
Throwing caution to the wind, she yelled out in exertion and struck blindly.
Low, high, it didn't matter where she aimed, each one was repelled.
The sheer force of his blocks overwhelmed her, the combistick practically bouncing off his defense. It was like he was in her head, knowing exactly what she was going to try next.
The sound of the alarm on her phone sent a new sense of adrenaline, only this was of fear.
"Really?!" Her voice was a mixture of anger, annoyance, and disbelief.
Forced to stop her charge, she wrestled the damned thing out of her pocket to stare furiously at the brightened screen. Swiping her thumb irritably across the display, she instantly turned the sound of failure off.
Heat began to surface under the skin of her neck and face, realizing what a fool she was. She lost the bet. Something that should have been easily won. Rae didn't have it in her to look at the tall beast, knowing she would see his smug pride reflecting back at her.
As if sensing her very displeasure with the turn of events, he had the audacity to chuckle.
Feeling the weight of his hand on her shoulder seemed to add to the gravity of her situation as she was forced to look up at him.
Trilling, Tomak released her and turned for the house.
His lack of words were surprising. She stood there a minute, expecting him to turn back and give a snide remark. One that didn't come.
Watching the muscles in his back shift as he walked away, Rae found herself slowly falling in step behind him, though with every passing second she felt sick to her stomach.
What exactly did he want now that he won?
After entering the house she half expected him to answer that question. He didn't.
When it continued to go unanswered after breakfast, she became worried. But when the day crept on towards the evening she had grown restless.
Part of her hoped he forgot about his prize, but all logic told her he definitely didn't forget and what's worse, she had a feeling that he was letting this linger long enough to drive her to insanity.
Well it was working.
He had said before that he fully intended on punishing her. She hated that word. She didn't know what it meant to him, but to her, punishment always involved pain. Punishment came in all sorts of forms as well.
At the age of thirteen she grew accustomed to beatings, electric shocks, suffocation, etc. They all scared her, but suffocation was the worst.
She shut her eyes at the vivid memory of Price's face as he ordered them to evacuate all the oxygen from her cell. It was a test of her lungs, to see if she could go without breathing longer than the average human.
She could not.
Seeing her vision black out had frightened her. When she had lost consciousness she didn't think she would wake back up.
But she did.
Tomak's version of punishment couldn't be similar, she argued inwardly. It couldn't.
—
After avoiding him all day she finally summoned the courage to face him.
Entering the living space, she found him sitting on the couch polishing his armor. He didn't look at her as she entered, which wasn't unusual, but it still triggered her anxiety.
Deciding against just outright asking, she went and sat down in the reclining chair opposite him. Curling her legs up, she watched his repetitive movements.
He was surprisingly gentle with each circling swipe of the cloth.
Following his hands as they slowly turned the chest piece soothed her building anxiety. His very actions were almost reverential. Every pass of the cloth, every admiring touch, she realized she was seeing the softer side of him, the one that was not stained with arrogance or pride, a side that contrasted his eagerness to fight. A mature side.
Placing the armor to the side, he reached for the next piece, and the next.
"How often do you do this?" she murmured in her arm, watching as he made another pass with the cloth.
His fluid motions hesitated before continuing. "Before and after every hunt."
She could understand after, but she partly wondered why before? "And when you're not hunting?"
He lifted his head, his glowing eyes meeting hers, "Often." Before she had the chance to ask another question he spoke up, "It is best not to lose habit."
"I suppose you're right," she agreed. "I get out of routine a lot. I used to run along the shoreline every morning and that sort of stopped."
He turned his head in her direction, "Why?"
A good question. "I dunno, lack of motivation, I guess." Seeing that he was finished with his last set of armored pieces, she sighed heavily. Just get it over with Rae. "So are we going to do this?"
"Do this?" he trilled, leaning back in his seat with his legs spread like a prominent noble.
She narrowed her eyes on him, "Don't play, you know exactly what I mean." Sitting up straighter she mirrored his cross-armed pose. "You've been awfully quiet since you won this morning and it's freaking me out. So what do you want?"
Tomak chuckled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "You are so eager to know."
She wouldn't have put it like that, but she had to know what she was dealing with. What exactly did this yautja want from her?
Scooting to the edge of the couch cushions, Rae frowned seeing him reach out and pluck the magazine that was lying on the coffee table.
It had been placed in her shopping bag by the cashier when Naomi and her had gone shopping. He seemed to be familiar with the contents because he flipped to the exact page.
"You must wear one of these." Placing it back on the table's surface nearest to her, he pointed at the woman posing in the image. "I believe you have one," his eyes glittered with dark amusement.
Rae's eyes lowered to the picture and her mouth went as dry as the Sahara. Just as she was about to protest he interrupted.
"You must wear this and," he paused in emphasis, "swim in your ocean."
"Are you insane?!" her gaze snapped up to meet his.
"I wish to make your punishment worth it."
"Punishment," she mumbled in disbelief under her breath. She was almost at the point of laughing as she turned away, though her mind was still reeling from his word usage. "And what makes me so deserving of a punishment in the first place, Tomak?"
"For challenging me."
She blinked, feeling an oncoming headache begin to form. There was no way she was going to agree to this, but the small annoying voice of reason reminded her that she already had.
"Are you not aware of how low those temperatures are out there?" It didn't matter that it had warmed up some, it was still frigid as the day waned towards the evening. "What if I catch a cold? Or worse hypothermia?!" she fired off her questions of concern, all while noting that he cared little about any of those things.
He sat there with that same arrogant look when he had initiated the bet, like he knew this was going to be the outcome, and that just about set her off. "This is one of the worst seasons in New England to wear such a thing and especially in front of the likes of you!"
"Afraid?" he trilled again. Oh he was so smug.
Rae was aware that he was purposefully goading her, pricking what little pride she had left. She grit her teeth and crossed her arms. "No."
She wasn't a sore loser.
"Good."
—
Rae grit her teeth as she slipped on the small coverings and sighed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She never owned a bikini before, mainly because she never felt comfortable walking around in one. The red skimpy garments were such a contrast to her pale skin, it stood out, making her feel so much more self conscious and exposed.
And she was! She was practically naked for heaven's sake! Even if put in a group where others were too, she would still feel too uncomfortable. People always made comparisons and she didn't need that.
She pivoted and grabbed one of her larger towels, snatching it with a frustrated huff before forcefully slamming the drawer shut. She cursed Tomak under her breath as she worked her dark hair into a single braid that fell over one shoulder.
Taking one last look in the mirror, she turned away from her reflection and crossed through her old bedroom flinging the dark towel over her shoulders as she went out the door connecting to the living space.
There, Tomak was waiting from the comfort of the couch.
Holding her breath she stepped into his line of sight, but completely avoided looking at his face. She didn't want to see his initial reaction to her degrading state.
Standing there stiffly with her eyes closed, she gasped feeling a familiar soft fur coat rub affectionately against her leg. "Chase," she chided, pushing him away.
"Mraa!" He held her gaze, purring despite her refusal to cuddle.
So focused on Chase, she hadn't heard the other male get up until he was right beside her. Jumping in her skin, she clutched the towel tighter around her, pressing it harder against her chest.
Now she wished she had grabbed a blanket instead of this useless towel! It wasn't a particularly huge towel, not as she would have preferred.
With it wrapped around her shoulders, it hardly covered the curve of her butt, and she was more than certain that it bared most of her stomach, which tightened reflexively at the thought.
After a few agonizing seconds of silence she couldn't help but peek up at him. His unique eyes held hers in that moment, causing her to swallow nervously.
How she hated this. It was humiliating and every fiber in her body wanted to shrivel up and die because of it.
Part of her expected him to do a once-over, but he appeared to be looking everywhere but her body. Weirdly, that seemed to hurt more.
Shakily taking a breath, she found her voice, her nervousness swiftly turning defensive. "Yeah, I get it. I'm not a fan of the scars either so let's just get this over with."
Moving past the gray cat and towards the door like she was on a mission, she felt a hand take hold of her free wrist, the contact making her jump. She looked back at Tomak then, uncertainty filling her eyes. Please just let me go, she silently begged him.
Tilting his head in a curious manner he trilled, "You do not like them?"
Rae knew what he was referring to and immediately dropped her gaze to a particular scar on her forearm. Just looking at it she heard his voice.
"Kid!"
She was suddenly flaunted into a hurtful memory.
Whipping around she saw the man that changed her life. He was out of breath and in a hurry. She could remember seeing a bead of sweat pass down his brow, his eyes alert and his body tense.
"Take this," she recalled him putting something in her hand, forcing her to grip it tightly. "Take it and run. No matter what you hear, don't look back, keep running."
Her eyes pricked, her lip trembling as she held back a sob. Warm tears dripped down her face as she realized the danger he was putting himself in.
He then placed a large hand on her slender shoulder. "Do you understand me?" he shook her gently, getting her to nod.
She remembered somewhere in the back of her memory of being fearful, anxious even of what the outcome would be: if they would survive or if this would be it.
"Good." She remembered his smile, his knuckle nudging her chin encouragingly. "I'll give you a head start, now get out of here."
She hesitated, her legs feeling like heavy weights, but despite her constricting fear she turned and sprinted down the dark hallway. Gunshots echoed in the background as she found a door that led to an exit. As soon as she hit it she rebounded.
Locked.
Not even hesitating, she looked to the side and saw the large window peering out to the outside world. To freedom.
The sounds of hollering pushed her to take it, take her chance.
Her hands began to glow orange as she ran towards the window and with an enraged scream, she hurtled into it, shattering the glass.
Landing roughly on her shoulder, she cried out hurriedly picking herself up as she heard the ear piercing siren go off.
She recalled in her haste plucking the large shard of glass embedded in the underside of her forearm. She was bleeding, the blood trickling in steady streams from the deep gash.
Ignoring the familiar pain, she didn't dare to even look back as she heard him.
"Run kid!"
Taking a deep breath she blinked out of it.
"No," she breathed, finally answering. There were a lot of things she didn't like about herself, and most of it revolved around the things she couldn't control. Her powers, her scars, her mistrust of people, her past relationship, it fed her doubts, her fears, and it affected her social life.
The sound of Tomak's deep, comforting purr drew her eyes back up from her bare feet to his face. His mandibles fluttered as he stared, and she wanted to believe she saw concern in his warm gaze, but it was probably just wishful thinking.
Turning away from him, she gripped the towel in her hands tighter, feeling it draw higher over her shoulders as she headed for the door. "Let's just hurry up and do this."
The warm hand moved from her wrist to wrap around her forearm, keeping her in place. She turned back slowly again to watch Tomak examine the scar there. His clawed thumb swiped over its length, instantly sending a shiver down her spine.
"Scars we bear make us stronger," he held her gaze intensely, "a testimony to our strength."
She felt her eyes prick with the threat of tears and she immediately looked away. "Maybe to your people, but for myself, my scars are a testimony to all my failures."
He cocked his head. "Is your survival failure?"
She lowered her gaze further. No but… I'm not some badass warrior like you. I didn't earn these in battle, she wanted to say, but couldn't.
Taking in her silence, Tomak could sense her self doubt. He had never met a female that was not confident in herself. All the females he knew were very dominant and independent, but seeing Rae shrink within herself, it felt unnatural.
Taking her hand more firmly in his, he pulled her toward himself, snapping her out of her spiraling daze. Her big brown eyes instantly lifted to his. He purred seeing the questions being thrown at him with her expression alone.
Letting his actions speak for him, he brought his left arm forward, rotating it before lifting her soft fingers to trace the mark just above his elbow. When her understanding shined back at him, he released her hand to explore on her own.
Emboldened by his actions, Rae felt along the edges of the raised scar tissue that curved in a perfect line over his flesh. It was a little rougher than the rest of him, but by the looks of it, it was well hidden with his natural mottling. She wouldn't have been surprised if whatever he was fighting almost severed his arm.
As if reading her mind, he growled low, "I learned a valuable lesson in my youth," gathering her undivided attention, "never play with a blooded warrior's chakt-ra."
Guessing it was a weapon, she looked back down at the scar left from the event. That thing must have been sharp to cause such damage. "You mean, you did this to yourself?"
He grunted, watching her as she touched it again.
"Wow," she breathed. Then a thought occurred to her and she chuckled, getting his attention. "Did you get in trouble?"
Seeing her tilted smirk, Tomak chuffed lightly before admitting, "Yes."
Her smile widened at his admission. The weapon itself must have been lesson enough, but it was kind of funny to imagine the scolding he received at such a young age. "Do you fear using that weapon since your injury?" She was curious.
His eyes seemed to glow at that. "Not fear, respect."
Respect. She couldn't say she felt the same about her experiences, but maybe with time she could come to accept the marks she wore. It's what her father would have wanted. Meeting the yautja's gaze once more she dipped her head in gratitude. "Thanks Tomak."
He purred lightly.
"You're not so bad," she decided, stepping back. "But you know what would make you a better friend?" she peeked up at him with a coy smile.
He silently waited for her response, but she did not miss the skeptical glow that pulsed within the depths of his glowing eyes. It almost corresponded to that of a human's eyebrow raise.
She grinned knowingly, prepared for his response. "If you didn't make me jump into the ocean with very little on."
Immediately his deep chuckle bubbled forth from his chest, the very power of it surprising her, then just like that his burly arm draped over her shoulder, all but coralding her toward her out to her impending doom.
"There is no backing out of this," he spoke deeply, amusement laced in his tone.
"It was worth a try." If she could have talked her way out, she would, but if she had come to learn anything about Tomak, it was that he was not a talker and he would most assuredly get his way whether she liked it or not.
Following her out the door and down the stairs that creaked beneath his weight, Tomak found himself exercising a lot of restraint. It had begun ever since his eyes laid on her the moment she exited the bedroom. It felt as if he was disconnected from his usual control.
Even now he was battling against the desire to zero in on the small outline of muscle on her tiny calves that flexed with each stride.
It was ridiculous! He couldn't remember a time when he was this mesmerized, not since…. His mandibles flared, his eyes burning with the unwanted intrusion of Vash'ti's face. A'dah had been correct in her assumption of her, and Kish'on only confirmed it.
He resisted a rattling growl, his fists tightening at the unwanted and uncontrolled thoughts.
If this was what was going to happen, he would have never proposed the idea of the little human wearing the dtou-di asa. It was only due to her uncomfortable reaction to it that made it the perfect punishment. It had never occurred to him that he would actually like what he saw!
Now he was left with the consequences, and he had no one to blame but himself. And worse, he had to come to accept the grudgingly distasteful conclusion that Rae was not unpleasant to look at.
It was unnatural, but he could no longer deny that there was something oddly pleasing about her size. Not as robust as a A'dah or Vash'ti, but certainly not as weak as other prey species.
He growled at that. Such thinking was dangerous.
Breathing deeply, he reminded himself of what he was, an elite yautja warrior, not a youngblood, not a pup. An elite. These uncontrolled thoughts had to stop. They were weakness, and he swore on the great goddess herself that he would purge their very existence from his mind if he had to.
Ripping his eyes away from the walking temptation, he zeroed in on the crashing waves, immensely displeased with himself.
All the while Rae tried to control her breathing. She hated how keenly sensitive she was to the air. She could feel its cool crispness, knowing that if she was unfortunate to be caught in the path of the wind, she would turn into a trembling, goose-bumped mess.
And how she hated having Tomak behind her. The thought of him looking at her while she unknowingly took the lead, made her very conscientious about how she was walking. And strangely, though it hadn't before, she noticed a tightness with the bikini bottoms, and she fought the urge to want to check to make sure they hadn't gone northbound.
Instantly she felt heat flush in her face and chest, the only source of warmth she had to brave against the cool evening.
Why did this have to happen to her?!
Continuing her exceedingly long walk to the now chilling vision of the rolling waves, she cursed Tomak again, wishing she had never accepted the bet in the first place. And she swore that she would never accept any sort of bet or challenge that had him involved ever again.
Standing where the water just missed her toes, she paused looking out at the ocean's powerful display in the distance. Imagining the freezing surf made her cringe, her extremities instinctively buzzing at the mere notion of what she was about to do.
Taking a shaky breath, she hesitantly tugged the towel that was wrapped around her shoulders, letting it fall away. She shivered, feeling her flesh prickle in a wave of goosebumps.
She half expected Tomak to make some sort of teasing remark or even a sound of pure amusement at her obvious discomfort, but he was awfully silent behind her.
Curiously, she looked up at him from over her shoulder. What she saw made her nervous. He tense. In fact she hadn't seen him this tense since the ski resort.
This wouldn't have bothered her if two things hadn't caught her attention. First, were his hands, they were clenched. And no they weren't the large fists she was used to seeing. Unlike all those other times before, the flesh around his knuckles were a pale green, like he was squeezing them tighter. Then her eyes traveled questioningly to his narrowed ones, hoping to read his mood. "Are you okay?"
Flexing his mandibles, he was slow to answer as if he was trying to control the anger that had randomly appeared. "Where did you get that mark?"
The depth of his voice made her swallow nervously. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes burned brighter in warning. "The one on your back, shaped like a Corvious Flame."
A what? She frowned, "I have no idea what that means, but if you're referring to the odd scar on my shoulder blade, all I know is it's been there for a while. I must have gotten it at some point in the labs." There really was no other explanation. His accusation that it was shaped like some odd flame was baffling, and difficult to understand. Was a Corvious Flame a bad thing where he came from? She shrugged, "I don't know what else to tell you. If it bothers you so much, don't look at it." Turning away from him, her gaze returned to the ocean with a renewed determination.
Taking a moment, she closed her eyes, inhaling deep and exhaling even deeper. Doing this a couple more times, she ignored the nervous jittering in her stomach. Opening her eyes, she steeled them on the waters beyond the waves. Not risking another second near the frustrating yautja, she bound off toward her target, her bare feet causing the water to splash as she pushed on, going further. Remembering the look in Tomak's eyes as he judged her scar made the painful stabbing in her legs' nerve-endings a little more bearable, and the slight prick in her eyes less noticeable.
Pressing on, she faced her first big obstacle. She only had so much time to brace herself before the large wave rose and clapped her in the chest. The tight control she had over her breathing was taken away as she gasped, her lungs fighting to take in more air while the frigid water stung her submerged skin, slowing her movements.
Flopping onto her stomach, she fought through another wave that hit her with more strength than the last. Utilizing her arms and legs, she pushed herself to go farther. The sound of her teeth chattering a constant reminder of her body's dropping temperatures.
She hated him.
Every cell in her body loathed that stupid yautja for doing this to her. And then he had the audacity to judge her, after he had kindly told her that scars were something to be proud of and even had her touch one of his own! That heartless, bi-polar, hypocrite!
Face to face with a monster surge, she had enough time to just barely hold her breath before she was forced underwater by the wave's unforgiving power. Momentarily trapped under it's force, she kicked and fought against the current that threatened to send her back to shore.
Then just as it came, it passed, the wave moving over her.
Pumping her legs despite the incessant burn that lingered in her muscles, she swam to the surface where her head broke through the water.
Gasping for air, she forced herself to still, taking in her surroundings, expecting another wave. Wiping at her eyes she was relieved to see that she had managed to get to the point where she could tread water without the threat of being dunked, the ocean's steady movements bobbing her up and down. Still trying to calm her ragged breathing, Rae kept her eyes fixed on the sky as she counted the seconds away as she slowly felt the sharp stinging in her body turned numb.
Watching from the shoreline, Tomak slowly got control over his anger. Seeing that mark had set him off.
She claimed it was a scar, but he knew otherwise. It's shape was too close to be coincidental. The milky white consistency of the mark made it appear scar-like, but he sensed that it was tattooed much like the black design on his arm.
There was no denying what she was now and that angered him. Her kindness, her hospitality, her eagerness to learn about him, her lack of training. All those attributes went against the very thing that she was meant to be. None of it made sense. Even her tresses were far too dark a color for it to be a true match, unless her childhood disease created the variation.
Once again, Tomak was baffled at what to make of her, and wondered what he should do about it, if anything at all. He hated ethical dilemmas and this was no different.
He crossed his arms, seeing her head bob above the water as she swam back. She was so different from the stories told by his people. If he had not witnessed her power himself, he would have considered the idea of her being the enemy, a laughable mistake.
Despite what his clan had trained him to believe, at this point he could not bring himself to kill her. He grudgingly admitted that he liked her. Besides, she had proven herself trustworthy thus far, and the code compelled him to show her honor for saving his life. Left to contemplate his remaining options, he partly wondered if she even knew.
Most likely not and perhaps that was for the best. Ignorance was bliss afterall.
Hearing the sloshing of water, he focused back on the little wet female that struggled to move once she crawled and clawed her way back to shore.
Leaning down he picked up the blanket she had dropped in the sand and shook it out.
Oblivious to his disconcertion, she walked right up to him and shivering like a wet cat she snatched the towel from his outstretched hand and pulled it roughly over her as she slowly walked back to the house on wobbly legs.
"Damn you Tomak," she cursed under her breath, not willing to risk seeing his face. He was probably as smug as she was cold. "That sucked," she chattered miserably.
A shriek escaped her as the bitter cold wind whisked down the shoreline, whipping at her bare legs, chilling her to the bone. She whimpered, gripped the towel like it was a lifeline, her movements swaying as she tried to get some feeling back in her ankles and feet before she turned into a popsicle.
Just as she was about to curse him out again, she was suddenly surrounded by a blanket of heavenly warmth. Her body instantly went rigid as her brain registered who that warmth belonged to.
"T-Tomak?"
At the utterance of his name, Rae was suddenly hoisted in the air, her shrill feminine cry shattering the stilled silence. Flailing her arms, Rae clutched onto Tomak's massive frame, expecting to be tossed or thrown like a hacky sack.
When she wasn't, she breathlessly looked up to gaze directly into Tomak's amused stare. He was carrying her.
"Ugh," she sagged against him, "you can't do that to me. You're too big and mean to pick me up without warning," she breathed, helplessly trying to calm her pounding heart. Was this some twisted joke? If not, what was the point of carrying her?
Seeming to sense her internal questions, he looked down at her with a derisive chuff. "Faster this way," he stated simply.
At a loss for words she dumbly nodded. Who was she to argue? Her legs were killing her! Besides, he felt like the amazing sensation of standing next to a fireplace on a cold winter night. Just soaking in his heat made that last bit of tension dissipate, an audible sigh of relief spiriting uncontrollably passed her lips. A girl could get used to this. Hiding her smirk against his firm shoulder, she fought the pull to just sleep.
What had caused him to want to suddenly help anyway? Was this another version of his apologies? Her smile widened at the thought. Apology accepted.
It would have been smooth sailing back to the house had he not adjusted the hand holding her leg. In that moment, she was quickly brought back down to reality, reminded of her current dress, or lack of. Holding her breath, she tried to tell herself that there thankfully was at least a towel somewhat between them, but then her eyes drew down the length of her body to her bare legs. She took note of the large green fingers clamped over the outside of her thigh, just above the knee.
Hyper-aware of where his hand was, it was as if the flesh he was touching promptly became overly sensitive. She could feel the texture of his palm, the dip where his palm met his fingers, and the blunt tip of each claw harmlessly, yet almost ticklishly hovering over her skin.
He was being quite tender with her she realized and it warmed her heart.
Capturing her lip in her mouth, she pushed the unwanted thoughts away. Tomak felt obligated to help her, that was it. He forced you to get in that water, she reminded herself bitterly. Though another side of her hoped it was more than obligation. Ignoring the fluttering in her belly, she finally succumbed to his calming presence and leaned her head against his broad chest.
In actuality, Tomak didn't know why he picked her up. It felt instinctive since she was acting as helpless as a newborn pup. And oddly there was something very enjoyable about carrying a female that was much lighter than he was, and the way her arms held on to him for support, dependent on him, it made him feel powerful. And yet, he was still unsure about it, about her.
If his brothers saw him, they would never believe the sight. The irony of the situation was overwhelming. He had no desire to stop the playful relationship that was growing between them. It didn't matter what others believed, his decision was honorable and until she gave him a reason not to trust her, he would ignore his newfound discovery.
Picking up the pace to his strides, he felt her gaze. Turning his head down to look at her, he caught her smiling at him, her face filled with soft appreciation. It was such a pathetic sight, it should have disgusted him.
Chuffing, he adjusted again, hitching her higher against his chest. That only compelled her to wrap her arms supportively around his neck.
"You know," her small voice broke up the silence, as it often did, her eyes alight with curiosity, "you can be really confusing sometimes," she looked at him thoughtfully.
He snorted in reply. She had no idea.
Admiral Harrigan reviewed the file again, his eyes scanning over every detail of the project. He never trusted Price, and after his call with Bill, it pushed him to finally finish what he started. It had been years since the incident, but everyday it grew harder not to get involved as Price got closer to his goal.
Eyeing the next document, he shook his head with a mirthless laugh. Most of the information collected from the fire was redacted, but he had already begun to form a list of everything he did know.
He had seen visible evidence of a blurred recording involving what appeared to be a person enclosed in a cell. The horrible graphics were not proof enough to make a case however. So he sent one of his most trusted men undercover to retrieve more. What he didn't expect to learn, was that the blurry individual in the video feed was in fact a young teenage girl.
That was more than enough incentive for him.
Obtaining her picture was difficult with the heavy surveillance they kept on her, but in time and with his resources he was able to find a match.
Rae Iris Veetra.
She was a bright young girl that had made the honor roll three years in a row, with surprisingly high math and reading scores for her age. She had a lot of promise in her future. The image taken of her sixth grade photo was a heartwarming sight, her cheerful expression full of innocence. She was a beautiful little girl taken from everything she knew.
Her father was an interesting case. Very little could be pulled on him, but from the records, he was part of Price's staff, a scientist with an education in biochemistry and organics. Most of his research, from what they could tell, was destroyed in the same fire that took the man's life, leaving the daughter without a father.
To add to the mystery, there were no records of a mother or any other family member that would have noticed Rae's disappearance. With no one looking for her, Price took advantage. And just like that, she vanished from society for two years, forced to endure unspeakable tests.
The only thing that appeased his blazing anger was the knowledge that she was no longer held captive. She was safe, hopefully living her life the way any young woman should. But it was wishful thinking to assume that it would stay that way indefinitely, which was why he needed to get involved.
His superiors didn't even know the girl existed. It was a safer alternative to them knowing every detail about her life. If they deemed her unsafe, it could all be stripped from her again, something no one should be able to decide. If he was to reveal Price's case, he would have to do so carefully.
"Lieutenant," he gestured to his second, never once taking his eyes off of the documents in his hands.
"Sir?" He stood before his desk, patiently awaiting orders.
"Get the car ready. We're going to be paying a little visit with Director Price."
"Is there a problem, sir?"
Was there a problem? God, he wished there wasn't, but deep down his gut told him the truth of it. After their unscheduled visit, there very well may be.
Author's Note
Long time no see! Thank you so much for all the kind and encouraging reviews. I am so sorry for the wait on this one. I have been very busy as of late, but when I got the chance I made sure to keep writing. And because you were all kind enough to wait (even if you were forced to lol), this one is by far my longest chapter yet. So you're welcome, you're welcome! And thank you!
Yep, now that song's stuck in my head. Enjoy!