by Candi Fox
He saw a blush spread across her cheeks; her eyes lowered as she shook her head in denial.
“No, I’m too tall, too dark skinned, and far too old to be beautiful.”
“Maybe the men where you come from just have bad taste.”
She smiled looking at him again. Shrugging her delicate shoulders. “Perhaps.”
“I need to barter with the chief for two horses and some supplies. Then we will be ready to go. Will you come with me?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
He offered her his arm. She gave him a smile as she slipped her arm into his. Cord led them to the chief’s teepee. They conversed in Wolf’s native language, which his friend taught him many years ago when they first met.
The two met at the age of ten, when Cord went out fishing. The native boy showed him a better technique and the two were fast friends ever since. One day after they both turned twelve, they became blood brothers, swearing an oath to protect each the other.
Twenty minutes later he, Emma, and Wolf stood among the tribe’s herd of horses. The final payment would depend on which horses were chosen.
He watched Emma wade out in the middle of the horses, aware yet unafraid. She let the horses come to her and found herself surrounded by half a dozen of them all smelling her.
Her laughter was like sunshine on a cloudy day. Cord sensed his brother next to him.
“She’s special.”
“Agreed. Do you love her?
“Do you?”
“If you do not marry her, I’m asking her to stay with me.”
“What did the Chief say?”
“He approved.”
“There’s another.”
“Three then, and she bears the mark.”
“You can’t believe in that old prophecy.”
“How can you not when the maiden stands before us? Spirit visited her dreams.”
“When?”
“Before she escaped.”
“Does the prophecy have demons?”
“Indeed.”
“I’m fairly certain Gideon Doolin is just a demon wearing a human suit.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“The third is already there.”
“Hey! Stop that.”
Emma’s raised voice brought their full attention to her. Spirit, Wolf’s stallion, made his way through the other horses. Using his hind end and teeth at the same time, the horse moved all the others out of the way. He came to stand in between them and Emma.
Chapter 32
Emma
Once she found the field of horses, she completely lost track of either man. She simply adored horses and received her first pony on her sixth birthday. When her father told her, she couldn’t bring any horses with them from England, she was heartbroken to leave her babies behind.
A large dun colored horse leaned close to smell her hair. One by one others came until she found herself surrounded by them. Each one touching or smelling her.
She closed her eyes feeling the warm sun on her face while surrounded by equine love. A perfect moment in time. It lasted all of two minutes before Spirit barged in and laid claim to her like she was some prized mare.
“What’s gotten into you?”
The horse looked at her, snorted, and nosed her away from the other horses.
“Are you saying I can’t choose my own horse? Why am I talking to you like you can answer me?”
Emma turned around, her nose smashing into Wolf’s bare chest.
“Oof.”
Strong hands grabbed her.
“Are you all right, little dove?”
“Sorry, I didn’t see you. What’s gotten into Spirit?”
“It seems he’s claiming you as his. Looks like I’ll be riding another to Warren?”
“You’re coming along? Don’t be silly, Spirit is your horse.”
Wolf lifted her chin gently, looking into her eyes. “No little dove. Spirit belongs to no man and chooses his human. I’m glad to choose another steed from the herd. Cord has already bartered and paid for two. It matters little to the Chief who rides them.”
As if the matter were settled, the massive stallion moved to stand beside them. He regarded her before bowing his head slightly. Then, to her surprise he nuzzled her, rubbing his head gently against her shoulder.
She reached up to rub his ears. “I’ve never belonged to a horse before,” she said, chuckling.
Emma spent the next several minutes with Spirit while Cord and Wolf both chose sturdy geldings. A blue roan for Wolf, while Cord chose a rawboned buckskin.
They returned to Wolf’s tent, the beautiful young woman standing outside. She looked angry and started speaking to him rapidly in their native language.
She turned to look at Cord when he chuckled.
“That’s Wolf’s sister, Aponi.”
“His sister?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Why is she angry?”
“She doesn’t like you.”
Emma chuckled. “I got that part without knowing their language.”
“Don’t worry, Emma. They will sort things out. Aponi has a fiery temper.”
“What does her name mean?”
She surprised him with her question. A small smile played upon her lips. He underestimated her again. Some of those things she’d rectify, others she’d keep to herself. She had a feeling keeping him guessing would always be part of the fun between them.
“It means butterfly.”
“She is beautiful, but gentle must have gotten lost.”
“Come on. Let’s go gather the supplies and get going. We can get half a day’s ride in, maybe more. Do you feel well enough to ride? Wolf told me you’d been ill.”
A sweet blush spread across her cheeks as she thought of Wolf’s tenderness in his care for her.
“I’m feeling better today, thank you.”
“How many days will it take to get home? Did my parents arrive?”
Cord
She waited longer than he expected to ask questions, still he hoped to get on the road, not knowing how she’d react.
“We’re heading to Warren first. Your mom should arrive the day after we do.”
He watched while a miasma of emotions played across her face. She took several deep breaths before attempting to talk. In the background he could hear his best friend dealing with his little sister.
“Why are we headed to Warren? I’m not sure where that is. Why would my mother meet us there?
“A few reasons, angel, none of them good.”
He closed the distance between them. His thumb catching the large tear spilling from her right eye. Her bright green eyes shone brighter with unshed tears.
“Your father received a bullet wound to the gut at the fort.”
Her cry broke his heart and had Wolf stepping away from Aponi and to his mate’s side. A painful thought. He’d be sharing his mate with not one but two other men.
Eventually. Until that day, he planned to make sure the rest of the world knew she belonged to him. He’d talk to his friend after Emma went to bed for the night.
Chapter 33
Emma
Her father grievously wounded, Emma’s mind roiled, the thought. Turmoil churned up her stomach. A cry escaped her lips. Cord on one side and Wolf heading toward her on another, she took the only open direction dashing behind a teepee before emptying the contents of her stomach.
Thankful she had only a few swallows of black coffee this morning.
“Chew this, little dove.”
She took the fragrant green herb from his hand, recognizing the smell of peppermint as she put it in her mouth. Closing her eyes to help, she chewed slowly, allowing the soothing results of the herb to take effect.
Two sets of hands comforted her. Cord spoke soothing words until she stood up.
“He’s alive, Emma, and in good hands. Doc Bennet may be young, but he’s the best in the state, maybe several states. He’ll have your pa good as new in no time.
”
Tears slid down her cheeks as she searched his eyes for the truth. She let out a breath when she found what she was looking for.
“There’s another reason Nora is in cahoots with the outlaws. She is unaware that I know, or for that matter that any one in town knows.”
She knew what Evanora would do without a doubt and vowed to take care of the evil woman once and for all.
“You think she’ll spread rumors to discredit me and destroy my reputation?
“My parents won’t believe her, and my friends won’t care. Not my true ones.”
Cord shook his head. “Not at first, but peer pressure has a way of changing folks’ opinion. You’re not naive enough to believe it will all be all right if you just go back?
“You were taken by robbers, then wandered in Indian territory without a chaperone.”
Damn it all. She hated to admit the truth. It weighed heavily on her conscience not but as much as the safety of her father.
“I’m sure father will know what to do. Let’s get to Warren.”
Cord
He decided to wait until Emma knew her father’s welfare before he broached the subject of marriage. She’d be marrying him or Nik, that is if she wanted to live in civilization. She could after all choose to stay with Wolf and his tribe.
Cord spent most of the ride in his head when he wasn’t trying to help Wolf keep Emma talking. They were currently talking about herbs. A sudden thought struck him.
“Emma, how did you know which herbs to use when you put the men asleep?”
“Mamit, my mother’s mother, taught me.”
“Do you know how to make other things?”
“Beside the sleeping draught, I can make a brew to help reduce fevers, salves for rashes, hives, and stings, and a few other things. Just folk medicine stuff.”
The next few hours passed swiftly with much humor. He learned a great deal more about his mate and even enjoyed watching her interact with Wolf. Camp was set up with ease, a cold dinner of pemmican and dried berries served with all the fresh water you wanted from the nearby stream.
Soon Emma slumbered near the fire, both men waiting until sleep took her to speak. Wolf handed him a butter soft rolled up skin.
Cord carefully unfurled the roll and began reading the pictographs drawn on the ancient skin. Wolf joined him beside the fire, another ancient skin unfurled. The prophecy came in three parts. They possessed two. Unfortunately, neither of them knew where the third piece lay.
They would need it to either prevent the coming cataclysmic event altogether or find a way to lessen the potential damage it would cause.
He would need to talk to his father and consult the star charts with Wolf. His friend, a shaman, had greater skill in myth and magic.
Each poured over the skin in front of them until a few hours before dawn when they decided to get some sleep. Cord had run all night, the night before to find Emma. Staying in his cat form for much longer than usual.
It had not been the first time and would not be the last time either. The ability to move fast and free in cat form outweighed the fatigue he felt now. Eyes too heavy to hold open anymore, he climbed beside Emma and drifted off into slumber.
A sudden chill woke him up. He sat up with a start, realizing Emma wasn’t nearby. Pulling his boots on, he headed toward the stream to look for her when she came back into camp, carrying water and kindling.
He took the wood from her, stirring the still warm coals. It didn’t take long to set the kindling on fire. She smiled at him before putting the coffee pot on to boil.
“I was about to come looking for you.”
“You were both asleep. I thought I’d get the fire and coffee going.”
Cord got up from stirring the fire, walking over to Emma he picked her up and crushed her to him in a fierce kiss. He poured everything he felt since he met her into it. His cat raced to the surface, purring all the way.
He pulled away slowly, watching her eyes widen in surprise but not fear when she saw cat eyes looking back at her.
“Lagahoo,” she whispered her green eyes bright with wonder.
His cat purred, apparently familiar with the term. Unfortunately, the human counterpart remained clueless as to the meaning of the word.
“I don’t know what that means. I’m a shifter. A cat shifter?”
She looked at him, a smile spreading across her face from merriment.
“Like a tabby cat?”
He threw back his head and laughed it came out husky with the edge of purr.
“Let me show you.”
The few seconds it took for her to say yes felt like an eternity. After letting out the breath he’d been holding, he stepped away from her, quickly removing his clothing.
His cat smirked when he caught her watching him with rapt attention. When all his clothes were off, he began the shift. He stepped aside allowing the cat to take over. The change was swift and easy.
Once you became used to your bones breaking, shifting, and reforming the change was a snap. Cord learned ago to give the cat his lead. The faster the human stepped aside the easier the cat took form.
He heard her gasp after his transformation completed. Not wanting to scare her, he held back. The cat, however, had other ideas.
Chapter 34
Emma
She never heard of a shifter, or even a cat shifter. Mamit told her the story of the Lagahoo, a mythical shapeshifting creature, often thought of as a monster. Mamit assured her not every lagahoo would be evil. Like all beings, good and bad ran the gamut.
A lagahoo could transform into numerous creatures and had the ability to shift in the shape of a centaur. Or rather something similar; that part of the myth was vague.
The moment he started stripping, her eyes hungrily devoured every inch of him. The soft buckskin pants hung low on his hips, and the moment the ties were loose she’d see him in all his glory.
With her father laying on his deathbed, now was not the time to give into her desires for Cord. Instead she decided to remember what her mamit said about the Lagahoo.
When the energy around her shifted, she looked back to Cord. Only a massive cat stood in his spot. The large tawny colored beast purred and moved toward her.
I should run or scream or something. Those are big teeth. Despite the cat’s lethal nature, it walked toward her with gentleness.
The cat rubbed his head across her stomach, a loud purr emitted from its throat. She dug her hands into his soft fur.
“Cord is that really you?
The cat pushed harder against her, increasing the level of its purr. She laughed, scratching behind his ear. His soft fur beckoned for her to feel more. Emma ran her hands over his head, then down his back, over his sides, and even down his tail. The cat, for his part, seemed to enjoy her exploration.
Cord
He had to shift back before the desire to mate became too strong for him to handle. With each touch he wanted another. Soon it would be too late to hold back. Instead, he pulled away from her touch and changed back to human form.
He dressed quickly then closed the distance between them. “I’m a lion shifter. My clan’s laws dictate we get permission before we tell an outsider about our identity.
“I traveled to the counsel to obtain permission. Their delayed decision kept me from being in town when the robbery took place.” He swore softly. “I should have been there for you.”
She raised a hand to touch his cheek. “You had no way of knowing the outlaws would hit Cooperstown.”
He kissed her softly, savoring the taste of her lips.
“I know things didn’t start the way either of us planned. Give me a chance, Em.”
“Let’s get to my father, then I’ll be happy to talk about us.”
“Deal.”
He had no idea where his best friend was during his morning encounter with Emma, yet he was glad for the time alone.
After coffee, they broke camp and headed down the road. They hit the edge o
f Warren. The town was neatly set up in a grid, with Main Street being the widest. Shops line one side while official businesses lined the other.
The streets were dusty and crowded as he led them down Main and to the doctor’s office. The large two-story structure built only three years ago still looked new.
People stared at them. Emma dressed in a wrap skirt and plain white shirt only looked slightly out of place; however, she rode in on a large painted stallion with no saddle.
Cord, dressed in buckskin from head to toe and Wolf, well, he’s a Native, that in and of itself was enough to get you stared at.
He ignored the stares and whispers continuing down the street to the large two-story clinic. He slid off the gelding, tying it to the post before helping Emma off Spirit.
She practically ran into the building.
Chapter 35
Emma
As soon as her feet touched the earth, she hurried inside of the clinic. An attractive man in his thirties with close cropped dark hair and electric blue eyes greeted her.
“Can I help you, miss?”
“I’m looking for my father, Phillip Monteith.”
His kind smile made her feel instantly at ease.
“Follow me. He’s resting comfortably in a room upstairs.”
She followed him up the wide staircase and down the hall. He stopped in front of the third door on the left. Opening it before standing aside and allowing her to enter.
Emma crossed the threshold, looking at the bed, her father was asleep. He wasn’t as pale as she thought he would be. In fact, his coloring was good considering the wound’s location. Many men would have bled out.
His eyes closed, his breathing even, she quietly approached the bed, taking the seat beside it. Emma put her small hand on top of her father’s as warm tears trickled down her cheeks.