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"You holding up okay?" I asked. Even in her moment of disorientation, she wore a look of unwavering determination. It was impressive.
"Just making sure your species isn't a replicator," she quipped, joking about seeing double. Then she struck out, but I easily blocked her next move. Stepping back, she took a moment to catch her breath.
"You seem surprised I can land a hit on you at all," she observed.
"I am impressed," I admitted. Making a wide swing for her head, she bent backward, letting my arm sail over her. She swiftly maneuvered underneath, attempting the sweeping kick once more, but I leaped over her leg. She scrambled across the mat and aimed two quick jabs at my kidneys, then darted back before I could reach for her. Wincing in exaggerated mock pain, I teased, "Very impressed."
“I might just surprise you if you give me a chance.”
I jabbed out toward her but she darted away, catching her breath still. “What if I don’t like surprises?”
She wiggled her hips and pursed her lips. “Some rewards are worth the risk.”
“You’re going to talk to a warlord about risks and rewards?”
She laughed and again, I found the sound more appealing that I thought I would. It wasn’t quite a bird’s melody, but it had the same quality of something that I would want to wake up to in the morning.
How is she making me feel this way?
My heart was racing, there was a new tension in my chest, and a tightening in my pants that I didn’t want to admit had to do with a heat rising between us. Confusion was playing games with my brain while my rapid breathing was playing tug-of-war in my lungs.
“I’m a life coach. That’s one of the things we help people do: determine what choices they can avoid in order to make room for the good that might benefit their life.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Right?”
I dropped my gloves and she followed me. “Is that a quote from your planet?”
“Yes. Sometimes attributed to one of our most famous scientists, Albert Einstein. Sometimes to a man named John A. Shedd.”
“And what was he famous for?”
“Not for conquering planets, that’s for sure.”
I moved in closer to her. She mimicked my movement, her hands at her sides, her hips leading her forward, breasts heaving for breath, cheeks flushed, lips full, eyes active.
“I have conquered planets…”
I was surprised by the shiver that went through my stomach as she leaned in, the glisten of sweat on her cheek making her glow seem to press into me. She was close enough to feel the whisper of her breath against my chest as she spoke. “Is that what you want to be famous for?”
“I want to be famous for leading the Prexis Empire beyond where my father ever dreamt of taking it…”Why am I telling her these things? Has she won this honesty from me by proving herself able to do a little sparring? She’s a human!
“Hmm…” Her gloves touched mine, just a gentle brush that almost felt like our skin connecting.I want our skin to be connecting.“I think you can be famous for many things, to many different people. How you value yourself won’t always determine how others value you.”
I looked down into her gold-flecked eyes. They were no longer taunting me. My fangs were threatening to lengthen as a surprising desire for her rocketed through my body.
That’s not a possibility.
Is it?
No. This is ridiculous.
I stepped back from the woman and forced the moment aside.
“Tulla, I will leave you to it.” I backed out of the ring. Surprise at my quick retreat registered on both the trainer and the woman’s face as I left the ring, undoing my boxing gloves.
What is going on with me?
Why am I aroused like this by her?
I stalked through the halls, moving faster the closer I got to my chambers. I was confused. It didn’t make sense. Humans were weak, disposable. It was a chore to have to take one as my wife. And yet, this one kept surprising me. Why did I find it so enjoyable to spar with her in the ring? Why did I find it so enjoyable that she had even landed a few blows against me? It should have made me angry, made me want to respond with even more deadly force, especially since it was against just a stupid human, but, instead, I wanted to just keep going, amp it up…
