Yet she found that almost as impossible to believe as her being in this dreadful cage. Although she was his captive, she had seen something in his eyes too often that told her that he felt something besides loathing for her. She had seen his silent appreciation of her, the silent need, as though he desired her as a man desires a woman.
“But if he feels anything at all for me besides hate, why would he do this to me?” Kaylene whispered, a sob escaping across her lips from the depths of her throat.
When she heard a twig break from somewhere close by, then heard the soft patter of feet moving toward her, Kaylene leaned forward and grabbed the bars. She watched and waited, hoping that it might be someone who would release her. The cold night air made the wound in her shoulder pain her even more severely.
She hoped that someone would take mercy on her and would not only release her from the cage, but would also take her away from this place, even if it meant never seeing Fire Thunder again.
She would force herself not to have feelings for a man who treated her like an animal. When thoughts of him entered her mind, she would force herself to hate him.
Her eyes widened when Little Sparrow came into view, a blanket draped across her arms.
“Little Sparrow!” Kaylene whispered, surprised to see her there, for it was in blatant disobedience of her brother.
But seeing that it was only Little Sparrow, who would not dare release her from the cage, Kaylene’s hopes were dashed. Except, oh, Lord, how she welcomed the warmth of the blanket.
She watched anxiously as Little Sparrow shoved the blanket through the bars of the cage, made the sign of friendship, then turned and fled into the darkness again.
“Thank you,” Kaylene whispered, although knowing that Little Sparrow could not hear her.
But Kaylene knew that Little Sparrow knew that she was grateful. Little Sparrow had been in a cage. She had known how cold it could get as darkness threw its mighty black shroud all around her.
As she wrapped it around her shoulders, Kaylene snuggled into the blanket. She sat against the bars at the back of the cage, then forked an eyebrow when she heard the sound of someone else approaching.
Her hopes soared again when she saw that it was Running Fawn. She knew that Running Fawn was capable of going against everyone’s wishes and might be the one to set her free.
But she soon discovered how wrong she was to assume that. Running Fawn came only to thrust another blanket through the bars of the cage. She gave Kaylene a downtrodden gaze, then moved into the darkness again, leaving Kaylene as alone as before.
But this second blanket was all that Kaylene needed to ward off the total chill of the night. She wrapped it around her legs and feet, sighing as her body absorbed the warmth of the blankets into her flesh.
Bone weary, sad, and disillusioned about life in general, Kaylene hung her head.
She must sleep. She would sleep away the awkward hours that lay ahead of her. She would try and find escape in dreams.
“But I don’t want to dream about Fire Thunder,” she whispered to herself. “Never again! I hate him!”
A sound, the familiarity of it, caused Kaylene’s eyes to fly open. She scarcely breathed as she squinted into the darkness. She understood the sound of the language of her panther’s padded footsteps.
Her insides melted as Midnight’s eyes gleamed back at her as he came toward her.
When he reached the cage and he discovered that Kaylene was not able to leave the cage and go to him, Midnight paced nervously back and forth.
He growled. He hissed. His head swung back and forth in his agitation at not being able to be with Kaylene totally.
“Midnight,” Kaylene whispered, the blankets falling from around her as she moved to her knees to reach a hand out for her panther.
Tears sprang to her eyes when he stopped pacing and went to her and fondly licked her hand.
“I’m so afraid,” Kaylene whispered to her panther. “Not only for myself, but also you. Although I am so happy to see you, my sweet pet, by coming here, you have placed yourself in danger.”
Her hand still warm from his tongue, Kaylene drew it away and gestured toward the dark shadows of the forest. “Go now, Midnight,” she softly cried. “Hide. Be safe. Don’t let the Kickapoo find you. If they can do this to me, what might they do to you?”
Midnight placed a paw through the bars of the cage and rested it on Kaylene’s lap.
Kaylene stroked his sleek fur, then lifted the paw back through the bars. “Midnight, please go,” she whispered, then tensed when from the far side of the village she heard the full roar of hooves approaching. Her eyes went wild.
“They’re returning,” she gasped.
She stared frightened at Midnight. “Oh, Lord, Midnight!”
She sighed with relief when it was obvious that Midnight also heard the thundering hoofbeats. He growled and leapt away from Kaylene, back into the dark shadows from which he had emerged.
Kaylene grabbed a blanket and tugged it around her shoulders as many horses came into view, many warriors herding them away from the village, toward the corrals on the far side.
A slight gasp rose from Kaylene when she caught sight of Fire Thunder as he broke away from the others and rode toward the cage, his eyes never leaving her.
Not knowing what to expect now that Fire Thunder had returned, unsure of whether or not she wanted him to release her, not knowing what his plans were next for her, Kaylene again cowered at the back of the cage.
When Fire Thunder drew a tight rein before the cage and dismounted, Kaylene’s eyes locked with his.
He could see her defiance in her angry stare. He smiled to himself, for he did not expect Kaylene to belittle herself by asking to be released.
Then his eyes widened when he noticed not only one blanket in the cage, but two.
“Who brought you the blankets?” Fire Thunder asked, gripping the bars with his powerful hands.
When she refused to answer him, and smiled a slow, smug smile as he again looked from blanket to blanket, he knew without pursuing the matter who had gone against his wishes. But he had no plans to punish his little sister for having done this. If anyone knew the hardships of a cage, it was she! She would sympathize with Kaylene.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement. He turned a quick gaze and found Running Fawn standing in the shadows.
His eyebrows forked. Perhaps he had been wrong to think that his sister had taken mercy on the caged woman.
Disobedience was something more like Running Fawn’s nature.
He started to go to her, to scold her, but Kaylene spoke suddenly, distracting him.
“I see you’ve been busy tonight,” Kaylene said, her eyes blazing into Fire Thunder’s as he turned her way again.
She had seen Running Fawn and she had noticed that Fire Thunder had seen her, too. She had to do something to distract him so that Running Fawn could run back to her lodge.
She forced a sarcastic laugh. “Now where on earth would you get so many horses this time of night?” she said mockingly. “I’d wager that you stole them from some Texan’s ranch.”
She glared at him. “Now I realize how you managed to have so many longhorn cattle,” she continued, not giving him the chance to respond. “You also stole them.”
She laughed bitterly. “And you took it upon yourself to condemn my father because of the life he led?” she said. “Why, you are no better. You are nothing but a horse thief and cattle rustler. You cage innocent, injured women. You have a dark heart. I loathe you. Do you hear? I loathe you.”
Stunned by her berating of him, despite his full intention of releasing her from the cage, Fire Thunder took a nervous step away from it.
He had no time to think, or to speak, for Black Hair was suddenly there, with a travois attached to the back of his horse.
Kaylene’s breath and words were stolen away when she saw the travois and could see that a small body lay in the blankets on it. She placed a hand ov
er her mouth to stifle a gasp when she realized who the child must be.
Good Bear! They had found Good Bear. And . . . he . . . was dead!
She watched silently as Black Hair dismounted and went solemnly to Good Bear’s parents’ lodge.
Eyes wide, Kaylene was touched deeply when Fire Thunder’s eyes filled with tears as he knelt down beside the travois and gently lifted the young man’s body in his arms and held him for a while, rocking him slowly in his arms, whispering something to him that Kaylene couldn’t hear.
Kaylene was taken aback by this side of Fire Thunder’s personality, proving to her that he was a vulnerable, caring man, a man with feelings.
She moved to her knees, a blanket clutched around her shoulders as Good Bear’s parents walked up to Fire Thunder and stared in disbelief at their dead son.
Kaylene jumped with alarm when Good Bear’s mother began chanting and pulling at her hair.
Kaylene’s eyes filled with tears as Fire Thunder ever so gently placed the young boy in his father’s outstretched arms, then swept his arms around the child’s mother, in an attempt to comfort her.
Gentle Song ceased pulling her hair and clung desperately to Fire Thunder for a moment longer, her body trembling as her tears wet Fire Thunder’s shirt.
Kaylene felt herself softening toward Fire Thunder. Any man who showed such a kind gentleness could not be totally mean. For certain, this man’s heart was not black. He was filled with goodness.
And although she did not wish to, Kaylene felt herself becoming intrigued with him anew, her heart blending into his as Gentle Song swept away from him and followed her husband to the large council house, where the child would be prepared for burial.
Fire Thunder stood for a moment with his face held within his hands. An involuntary shiver ran through him at the thought of the child having been found in such a way. It was apparent that the child had chosen the time of his own death, and the weapon that had taken his last breath away.
He had stolen a knife and he had plunged it deeply into his own heart.
“I am so sorry about the child,” Kaylene murmured, drawing Fire Thunder’s eyes toward her. “Truly, Fire Thunder, I am so sorry.”
Fire Thunder stared at her for a moment, then swallowed hard and turned his eyes away.
“Fire Thunder, you are not to blame,” Kaylene heard herself saying, surprised that she could be sympathetic to this man who had changed her whole life the day he had abducted both her and her father. But she could not help but be moved by him and his feelings for Good Bear. She could not help but feel his hurt deeply inside herself, which proved to her that she could never truly hate him.
That she was in love with him.
She had loved him since that very first time she had seen him. And she knew that, in time, he would forget his anger and feel free to show his true feelings for her.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Fire Thunder turned toward Kaylene.
Their eyes met and held.
He felt a deep stirring of emotion within him, to know that even though he had caged this woman, she could speak to him so sympathetically, so gently.
In one quick movement he pulled the key to the cage from his front breeches’ pocket and removed the lock. He reached inside and grabbed Kaylene into his arms and carried her gently to his lodge.
Once there, Fire Thunder walked through the living room into his bedroom, and lay Kaylene on his bed.
He then suddenly knelt down over her and again held her in his arms. Then he kissed her.
Dazed by the kiss, and the suddenness of it, Kaylene lay limp within Fire Thunder’s arms.
But as his kiss deepened, and he placed a hand over one of her breasts, sensually caressing it, Kaylene became breathless with a rush of desire, and responded to his kiss and caresses with abandon.
Closing her eyes, Kaylene recalled the dream in which Fire Thunder had kissed and held her. It was as wonderful in real life. The feelings aroused in her were washing away her anger; even her reasons for being angry with him.
All that she felt was rapture—a sweet, spinning euphoria that made her lean up into his embrace, wanting more.
As though willed to, her body arched up to meet his as he moved over her and pressed himself against her.
She was not that familiar with the male anatomy, except what she had imagined it might be.
Yet she knew enough to realize that there was something long and hard pressing against the inside of Fire Thunder’s breeches against her thighs, that she had not been aware of before.
“I need you,” Fire Thunder whispered against her parted lips. “I am sorry that I placed you in the cage. I had hoped to teach you something by it. Now . . . I . . . regret it.”
His words broke the spell that had begun to weave between him and Kaylene.
Kaylene slapped his hand away from her breast. She shoved him away from her.
“Teach?” she said, eyes wide. “You placed me in that hideous cage to teach me a lesson? Don’t you know that I already knew the horrors of your sister having been placed in such a cage? Why would you think I needed to experience it to know the horrors of it?”
Stung by her words, and how easily she slipped into her hateful personality after she had been so sweet and gentle, Fire Thunder rose quickly from the bed and stared down at her.
“Don’t look at me like it was I who committed a sin,” Kaylene said, her breast still throbbing sensually from his touch, her lips still burning from his kiss.
She yanked the blanket up to her chin and sat up against the iron headboard of the bed. “I never placed your sister in the cage,” she said bitterly. “I even fought for her release. So I was punished wrongly, wouldn’t you say?”
“I wanted you to see the depths of the humiliation of it, so that you would see the evil of your father and not always speak up in his behalf as though he were a moral man,” Fire Thunder said, sighing heavily. He hung his head. “But this is not the time for any of this. I feel responsible for Good Bear’s death. The child killed himself over Little Sparrow. Had I not expected the young lad to be as strong willed and as responsible as an adult, he would be alive today.”
His pain, his anguish, his torment, reached inside Kaylene’s heart, mellowing her once again toward him. “He killed himself?” she murmured, ashen at the thought of a young child being that desperate.
Fire Thunder started to walk away.
Kaylene moved from the bed.
Even though her shoulder pained her miserably, she caught Fire Thunder and took him by the hand.
“You are not to blame,” she murmured, as he turned and gazed down at her. “As I am not to blame for what happened to your sister. We are both blameless. Why can’t you see that?”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, then recoiled when she saw an instant anger leap into his eyes.
She took a step away from him as he turned and left the room.
Kaylene’s heart sank, thinking that now she may never reach him. He was a complex man with many moods.
But she was so glad that he was not a rogue, but instead, deep down, a caring, gentle man.
Fire Thunder went and stood over the fire. Resting his arm on the mantel, he stared at the dancing flames, his heart thumping.
He was torn with how to feel. He had wanted to teach Kaylene to love him, and felt that just perhaps he might have succeeded at doing that: by the way she had kissed him, by the way she had pleaded with him not to feel guilty.
Did that not prove that she did have warm, honest, sensual feelings for him?
But now, so close to possibly having her, he was afraid. He did not want to feel anything for this woman. She was no good for him. She was born of an evil father, which meant that she had had blood running through her veins.
Then his eyes widened as a thought sprang into his mind.
Was she John Shelton’s daughter?
Could she have been stolen as a child . . . ?
He turned and found Kaylene standing
behind him, her eyes pleading up at him.
He placed a gentle hand to her cheek. He so badly wanted to find a way to allow himself to love her.
Perhaps he had found a way to make her want to stay with him forever.
He wanted her to be free—free to love him.
Yet he knew that he must enter into his questions about her past with care. He did not want to give her cause for hurt, if the discoveries proved that she had been living a lie with the man and woman she had always known as her parents....
Chapter 11
You loved me for an hour,
But only with your eyes;
Your lips I could not capture
By storm or by surprise.
—SYDNEY KING RUSSELL
“How can you approve of a father who steals children?” Fire Thunder blurted out as he gazed down at Kaylene.
“You are accusing my father of something you only think he is guilty of,” Kaylene said in defense of her father. “My father surely took Little Sparrow in out of pity.” She swallowed hard. “And all of the others.”
“How much longer are you going to use that as a defense against not accepting the truth about your father? You have to know that Little Sparrow has told me how it truly happened, why she was there at your father’s carnival in a cage,” Fire Thunder said, placing a gentle hand on one of her shoulders. “My sister does not lie. Why should she?”
Knowing that he was right, that Little Sparrow wouldn’t lie about anything like that, Kaylene lowered her eyes. “I so badly want to believe that my father could not do such a terrible thing,” she murmured. She looked slowly up at him again. “Don’t you understand? Knowing that he did that makes me . . . feel . . . unclean. He’s my father. I am the daughter of a wicked man.”
She paled. “Oh, Lord,” she said, searching his face as she thought of something else that made her feel as though worms were crawling through her insides. “Good Bear. Please don’t tell me that you found Good Bear at my father’s carnival.”
Wild Whispers Page 11