by Haley Weir
~*~
Two months later...
Silver Fox Ranch
Sam watched an owl fly over the moon. The curtains fluttered, washing his face in silver light and striking shadows. The sweet girl in his arms cooed softly. Mary Ann had given him a beautiful baby girl. Some of his painful memories threatened to surface, but Sam kept them at bay just by looking into the eyes of his daughter. She looked so much like Mary Ann that it dang near broke his heart. “Ain’t nobody in the world that’ll love you more than me, little angel.”
Her eyes blinked open, and she gave him a gummy smile that touched his heart.
Sam brushed his hand over the thin strands of light hair. Talia’s glacier stare had a ring of crimson around her pupil. He could not believe that anyone would ever want to hurt his precious daughter, but the darkness beyond the ranch sought to take her away from him. “Never again.”
His family was all that mattered to Sam. If anything happened to them, he would prove them all right and become the thing they feared most. Sam kissed her cheek and tucked Talia into her bassinet. He made sure to say hello to his nephew, who slept beside his daughter before hurrying into the corridor. Ruth sat with the children now that Jesse was well enough to look after himself. “Goodnight, Ruth.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Cassady.”
Sam ducked into his bedchamber and slipped beneath the covers. Little did he know that Mary Ann had been watching him out the corner of her eye. "How often do you sneak into the nursery to see our daughter, Samuel? I won't scold you for being a lovin' father," she chuckled. Sam had frozen in place like a deer that sensed a hunter. "Caught you red-handed, though?"
He bopped her with his pillow and settled in beside her. Mary Ann often complained about the warmth of his body during the hotter days, but the night was chilly, and she snuggled up against his chest. "To answer your question, I visit her whenever I have a moment free. It might sound strange, but I don't ever want her to question whether or not I love her."
"It ain't strange. I find it sweet. There's a lot of things that can cause a girl to despise her father, and neglect is one of them." Mary Ann kissed his neck. "She'll think you're smotherin' her as she gets older and she'll complain, but inside, she'll know you can always protect her."
"I'll protect both of you, Mary. You never have to worry about that." Sam ran his fingers through Mary Ann's hair as he thought of how far his life had come because of her.
"What's on your mind, Sam?"
"You," he answered simply. "I used to think I was cursed. I used to think this world was doin' everythin' in its power to make my life a livin' hell. And for a long time, I was right. But then I stopped one day, and I looked at you...suddenly, things weren't so bad anymore."
“When you think of the future, what do you imagine?”
“I imagine you and I in a house of our own. Ranchin’ ain’t for me. Boone knows that, so I have no interest in gettin’ involved in the legacy of our family. I see us with lots of sons and daughters runnin’ around a nice plot of land. What about you?”
Mary Ann chewed her lip for a minute before she answered. “I want us to be happy. Even if we’re livin’ in the forest like Itsá. I just want us to be happy.”
Sam nodded his head. “So do I, sweetheart. So do I.”
~*~
Mary Ann stormed into the dining room. Her bare feet slapped against the floor loudly, causing folks to peek their heads out their doors as she passed. Her life was miserable, and yet Sam sat at the table putting together his guns like nothing was the matter. She stood right in front of him and waited until he looked up at her. “Samuel, I want to make love,” Mary Ann said. She watched his face turn the same shade of red as his eyes, but there was no backing down. “I mean it, Sam. I want you to make love to me.”
Itsá smothered his laughter into the palm of his hand, but Gabriel shamelessly chortled until Beth covered his mouth.
Jesse and Wesley cleared their throats, looking away awkwardly.
Sam jumped to his feet, biting back a smile, and led her upstairs to their room.
“Do you really love me, Samuel?” she shouted. Sam chuckled, and those tempting dimples appeared on his perfect face. His laugh was like warm honey and bourbon. It stole the air from her lungs and rendered her speechless. Mary Ann bit her bottom lip to keep from kissing him...and failed miserably. She pressed up on her toes and kissed him with all the hunger she felt in her body. He laughed into the kiss, causing vibrations to tickle her lips, and soon, she followed in his lead. She was still laughing when he pulled away.
“I still ain’t makin’ love to you, Mary,” he said with a shake of his head. “You had a baby less than a month ago. I want to make sure that you’re all right—
“But I’m fine! Charlotte, Itsá, and Abigail all agreed.”
“But I thought…”
Mary Ann dropped her robe to the floor and stood before him with a scarlet flush on her cheeks. She wanted to know that Sam still found her desirable after having a baby. “Please, Sam...I need it. Not just to feel pleasure, but to feel beautiful.”
“Mary Ann, you’re my wife. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he confessed. “I love Savannah, and she was a beautiful, wonderful woman. But I know the difference between lovin’ a woman and lovin’ my mate.”
“Then make love to me, Samuel. I need you.”
She saw the moment he succumbed to their bond.
Sam stole a quick kiss. “Meet me in the stables. We’ve got a date in the grazin’ pastures.”
“Grazin’ pastures?” she chuckled.
“Soft grass, shade, warm breeze, and a blanket to—”
Mary Ann ran over to the wardrobe to get changed before he finished.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Colorado Territory
Sam and Mary Ann rode to the grazing pastures to get away from the house. They were used to having their own space, and Sam didn’t like the idea of making love to his wife while other males could scent her or hear her moans. He jumped from the saddle and helped her down. The slide of her breasts against his chest made him shiver. Mary Ann licked her lips and stepped out of his arms. She grabbed the rolled-up blanket and placed it beneath the lone tree in the pasture.
The cattle roamed the open field below.
Sam tied up the horse beside the lake and walked back to his beautiful wife. The hill allowed them to watch the land in all directions while they enjoyed one another’s company without being seen. Mary Ann sat upon the blanket and beckoned him closer with a crook of her finger. The dress she wore was light and colored with hues of lilac. Sam dropped to his knees and unbuttoned his shirt slowly. He watched her expression, wondering if she was going to change her mind about doing something so daring.
Mary Ann was no coward. Her eyes snapped with excitement, trailing her gaze along his muscled chest and abdomen. Sam dropped his shirt to the blanket and reached for his belt. Mary Ann swatted his hands away. "Let me," she whispered. Sam felt the tickle of her fingertips grazing his shaft as she unbuttoned his trousers. His breath was punched out of his lungs when she wrapped her fingers around his member and held it in her warm hand.
"Mary…"
"For once, you're the breathless one," she said with a smirk of her own. Mary Ann licked her lips and lowered her head. Sam placed his palm flat against the tree and held on for dear life. His other hand tilted her chin up a bit so that he could look into her eyes. In her gaze, he saw love and acceptance, peace and unfettered joy. Mary Ann’s desire to please him was so genuine that Sam didn’t know what else to do but bask in the pleasure she offered.
“Beautiful. So beautiful, Mary.”
Her efforts increased. The sound of her mouth sucking and moaning caused a crackle of lightning to race down his spine. Sam pulled her away before he lost control. He kissed Mary Ann and lowered her to the blanket, pushing up her skirts until her creamy thighs were bared to his hands. Sam backed off long enough to kick off his boots and trousers. M
ary Ann pulled him back down to her level and Sam petted between her silken folds to watch her tremble.
“Please.”
Sam felt her cover his hand in a rush of fluid that made him ache to be inside of her. He gripped himself to stave off his release. It had been far too long since he claimed her. Sam placed his rigid flesh at her entrance and dove into the pool of liquid heat at the apex of her thighs. She framed his face with her hands. “There you are.”
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere, darlin’.” He picked up speed for a moment, stretching her around his girth before hitting her depths in one smooth thrust. His lips ghosted across her skin. “Is this what you wanted, Mary? You wanted me to show you how I love you with my body? Everything between us is beautiful. There ain’t no sin in this.”
Mary Ann flattened her feet against the ground and pushed her hips up. She met his thrusts, squeezing him so tight that it was nearly uncomfortable. Sam licked her neck and pounded into her in thrusts that were sure to bruise. Neither of them seemed to care. Mary Ann cried out for more. Her voice echoed through the pastures. The sun covered them in warm light, causing sweat to bead up on their flesh.
Sam rolled over, placing Mary Ann on top of him. He shot her one of his cocky grins and crossed his arms behind his head. “There you go, baby. Ride me.”
Mary Ann giggled and reached for his hat. She plopped it on her head and unlaced the front of her dress, allowing her bountiful breasts to spring forth. Sam supported them with his hands, feeling her heartbeat with every touch. Mary Ann smiled down at him and rocked her hips. Her mouth opened in an expression of pleasant surprise. She rose on her knees before dropping down again. Red blotches appeared on her skin where he had marked her with the stubble on his jaw.
When Mary Ann took too long to drop back down, Sam thrust upward. He hit that spot inside of her that made her eyes go wide. With a devilish laugh, his hips bucked over and over. He zeroed in on that spot until her thighs quaked. Mary Ann placed her hands on his chest and began to ride him towards the brink of pleasure. Sam licked his fingers and toyed with her most sensitive places. “Take what you need. Come on, Mary. I’m right here with you, love.”
Sam saw the frustration set in.
He stood up in a flash, never once leaving her body, and slammed her against the tree. She clawed his back and let out a scream that caused his ears to ring. Sam’s hips moved with rapid-fire motions, forcing her body to give her what she needed. Mary Ann praised him with her lips as she kissed her way up his neck. She sank her teeth into him, marking him as her mate. Sam was saddened that the wound would heal like all the others, but there was something to look forward to if he ever asked her to do it again.
Mary Ann was lost to the sensations. Sam gave one last heaving thrust and felt his release trickle down her thighs. He breathed raggedly into the crook of her neck. “You’re killin’ me…”
She kissed his cheek. “But what a way to go.”
~*~
Silver Fox Ranch
The kitchen smelled of fresh-baked bread and honey cake. A cloud of flour wafted into the air each time the dough hit the table. Mary Ann shaped each bun and biscuit by hand, laughing as Talia giggled happily in the basket nearby. She shook her little fists and squealed. "Havin' some fun, darlin'?"
She clapped her hands as if she knew what Mary Ann had said.
A shadow fell through the open door. Mary Ann's smile fell. She set down the dough and crept across the floor. Acting on instinct alone, Mary Ann slammed the door and snatched up Talia. She ran up the stairs and locked herself in the room with the babies. Talia screamed at the top of her lungs.
Boone's son, Blake, played peacefully on the floor with his toy horse, unaware of the possible danger. Mary Ann closed the shutters and locked them tight, washing the nursery in darkness. She limped over to the dresser and grabbed the matches from the top. Her hands shook as she lit the lamps and sconces.
In the faint light, Talia settled down, and her tears stopped falling. Mary Ann set her daughter in the bassinet. After checking on Blake, she peeked through a crack in the shutters. Wendigo. In daylight. They moved slower and uncoordinated, but their hunger for flesh was still unmatched by any other predator in the region. She wished she had been smart enough to keep a weapon in the nursery in case of emergencies.
By the grace of the heavens, Sam and Boone came down the road in time to see the wendigo. They pulled out their revolvers and shot the creature dead. Mary Ann didn’t know how many there were. She grabbed the children into her arms. Blake and Talia rocked gently from side to side as Mary Ann remained completely silent. Boots came down the corridor, and Sam broke the handle off the door. He sagged to the floor and held his arms out. Mary Ann crawled over to him with the children. “I thought it got to you.”
“I had to get to the children.”
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”
“Where are the others?” Mary Ann asked. “I didn’t see them…”
“Beth and Abigail were with us. Ruth went into town with Ariel to help her find a new home. Itsá is with them. Gabriel and Charlotte are in the forest searching for any sign of the ghost witch. Jesse was supposed to be here.”
Mary Ann brushed a lock of overgrown hair from his face and shook her head. “Don’t be upset with Jesse. We’re fine. He must have gotten busy with something. Go make sure he’s all right. He hasn’t been the same since he was attacked in the caves.”
“I should kill him.”
She handed him Talia and handed Blake to Boone. Mary Ann left the brothers with the children and walked down to the body of the wendigo that laid upon the dirt road. She knelt beside the dead creature with rapt fascination. “It looks...almost human. Not like the others.”
“It’s only half turned,” Wesley said. “We’ve been killin’ a lot of them lately. Maybe they’re getting more desperate. Ethan hasn’t shown his face since we saw him at the caves.”
“Whatever it is, it got too damn close to my daughter.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I say we follow the track this thing left behind and we retaliate,” she replied. “You and Boone can handle the explosives. Sam and I can take the guns. We box them in and blast them away. Whatever come crawlin’ out of the wreckage gets gunned down.”
“Cold-blooded.”
“You call it cold-blooded; I call it bein’ a mother.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Colorado Territory
Fog still hovered above the ground as Sam and Mary Ann rode along the path. He stopped for a moment and crouched down, brushing his hand against the dirt. It was loose despite the overgrown nature of the area and the damp air. "Someone has been through here. They brushed the trail to obscure the tracks. I smell bear on the wind, but no shifters. This was a human."
"One of Ethan's people?"
"Most likely," Sam answered. He climbed back into the saddle and smiled at the rifle strapped to his wife's back, as well as the modified revolver at her hip. "You ain't got to come along, Mary. The fellas and I could handle it on our own."
"Doubtful. The four of you miss a lot on your own. Itsá and Gabriel too, for that matter," she countered. "Besides, it was my plan to do this, and I need to keep sharp after givin' birth to Talia."
Sam reached out for Mary Ann. "Ethan implied that the Daoi may not need me no more now that Malia is here. I don't want our daughter to fight this on her own—”
Mary Ann snatched her hand out of his grasp. "If you're askin' me to leave you behind, the answer is no."
"Mary Ann, think about our little girl. She needs you." Sam trotted ahead, leaving her to her thoughts. He couldn't blame Mary Ann for how she felt. Sam doubted he could cope well if she ever got hurt on the mission. Talia could grow up happily with Marry Ann as her mother without him in her life, but without Mary Ann, Sam wouldn't survive on his own, much less with a child.
He eased them around the corner and saw fresh-looking tracks. Instead of speaking, Sam pointed them
out to Mary Ann. She dismounted from her horse, walking beside the tracks until a strange opening was discovered nestled among the stones. He dropped in first before she could argue him down like Jesse had before getting hurt.
The walls were covered with the same thick mucus that the wendigo themselves wore all over their flesh. Mary Ann grimaced and curled in on herself. "How many do you think there are down there?" she whispered.
"I can sense so many. It's impossible to tell like this. They’re all blendin’ together.”
Sam’s instincts kicked in, and he spun the revolver out of its holster, firing a shot into the darkness. A body fell at his feet. The mangled face of a half wendigo stared up at him. Mary Ann grabbed her rifle and cocked back the hammer. She aimed down the sights. “Do you hear that?” she asked. “We should push back.”
A chorus of screeching voices blared in their ears. Wesley jumped down into the tunnels and helped them up. He unclipped the modified grenade from his belt and ran towards the main chamber of the tunnel system. Mary Ann dove behind a felled tree. Sam hid behind an outcrop. Only seconds after he cleared the blast area, a rumble shook the earth.
~*~
Shards of fiery wood flew past her face. Mary Ann peeked from around her cover. Wesley barely made it out in one piece. He limped over to the tree beside hers. Sam called out a warning, but it was too late. Gunfire rained down upon them like a violent hailstorm of bullets. Outlaws surrounded the tunnels. A bullet grazed Wesley’s shoulder, and he cursed under his breath. “Sam! They’re using the tainted bullets!”
Mary Ann saw Boone stumbling over with three bullets in his arm. He used his strength to expel them. He would live, but it would hurt like hell.