Yellowstone Origins: Yellowstone Romance Series, Book 6

by Peggy L Henderson

  “Sit closer to the fire. You’ll warm up and dry faster.”

  Riley stared at him before her eyes darted uneasily toward the creek. “Skunks don’t cross water, do they?” Even as she asked, she moved closer to the flames.

  The corners of Cam’s lips twitched. “I think that skunk you scared is at least as far as those mountains by now.” He pointed to the peaks off in the distance that rose dramatically into the sky. “I’m surprised Wo’itsa didn’t run away, too, when you screamed.”

  Riley sat up straighter. Her eyes blazed with that familiar spark of anger he’d seen several times already. That same spark that heated his insides. She directed her gaze toward the Tukudeka hunter, sending an instant twinge of jealously through Cam. He’d felt it a short while ago, too, when he’d pulled Riley from the creek, and her clothes had clung to her curves.

  Irrational possessiveness had taken hold in him, and he’d quickly dragged Riley back to camp, tossed the bison robe at her, and told her to cover up so she wouldn’t be cold. A deep need to shield her from Wo’itsa’s eyes had come over him. At least she had on one of those things women in the future wore that covered their breasts. The name of the article of clothing escaped him.

  Riley continued to glare at him. “I didn’t even notice your friend until after I slipped off the log. I was more worried about getting away from that skunk.”

  “I’ve told you before. Don’t scream. Sound carries far through the forest.”

  Riley sat straighter. “You might have screamed, too, if you fell into freezing cold water.”

  Cam's attempt to keep his face impassive failed. He suppressed a grin and sniggered. He couldn't be angry with her, even if she needed to learn not to make so much noise. He glanced toward Wo'itsa, who returned his smile. Whatever had been bothering the hunter a moment ago regarding his spirit journey was gone now.

  “What’s so funny?” Riley demanded. “I don’t think you’d be too happy if I’d been sprayed by a skunk.”

  Cam directed his gaze back to the angry woman shivering by the fire. “Wo’itsa understands English. He can speak it, too, unless he’s forgotten everything I taught him.”

  He shot a hasty glance at his friend. Wo’itsa’s smirk was all he needed to know that he understood every word. Cam’s smile widened.

  “I don’t think he’s too happy to hear that you find a skunk more fearsome than him.”

  Riley studied Wo’itsa, her mind clearly working to see if he had understood her.

  “I still remember some of the words you taught me, Cameahwait.” Wo’itsa spoke in the language of his people. “I knew you’d return someday.”

  “Taipo taikwa . . . speak English, then,” Cam said, glancing at Riley. “I know what it’s like to be at a disadvantage and not understand what is being said around me.”

  Wo’itsa laughed. “Yes, but when we were boys, it was great fun to anger my mother and aunts when you and I spoke English so they couldn’t understand.”

  Riley’s face brightened in surprise. Cam’s eyes locked with hers. The pull of her thankful gaze sent a ripple of warmth through him.

  Wo’itsa cleared his throat. “The fish smells done,” he said with a clear note of amusement in his voice.

  Cam tore his eyes away from Riley and tossed another stick onto the fire. He removed the fish from the flames and handed the first piece to her. Her hand emerged from between the folds of the bison robe, and she quietly accepted the meat. Her fingers grazed his during the exchange, sending another intense feeling of awareness through him. He focused his gaze on the fish in his hand, or he might be in danger of drowning in her eyes.

  He sat beside her, then pointed at another fish, and looked at Wo’itsa. “Sit, and eat with us. I’m anxious to leave this camp.”

  “Wo’itsa.” Riley said the name slowly, looking across the campfire. “Your name means Wolf . . . something,” she guessed.

  Cam chewed his fish. It was astounding that she knew any of the language of the Tukudeka, even if she didn’t say the words correctly. He hadn’t known a single word when Naatoyita had brought him here, but learned quickly after being fully immersed in the language and culture. He didn’t have a choice at the time, just as he’d had little say in much of his life until he finally took control of his destiny and set out on his own.

  Wo’itsa grinned broadly. “The Sky People have chosen well for you, my friend,” he said in his language, then he addressed Riley. “My boyhood name was Isa – wolf. After I returned from my first spirit journey, I was granted the name Wo’itsa, Spirit Wolf. I received a vision about our people, along with my puha - my spirit medicine.”

  Riley nodded slowly. She was clearly processing the information. She turned to look at Cam.

  “Have you ever gone on a spirit journey?”

  Cam's jaw muscles tightened. He looked into her inquisitive eyes and swallowed the meat in his mouth. "The spirits don't talk to me."

  From across the fire, Wo’itsa coughed, as if he’d swallowed at the wrong time, then laughed. “Cameahwait complains that the spirits don’t talk to him, yet he is favored by the Sky People. There is no stronger puha than that. The ancient elders only reveal themselves to the most powerful shamans.”

  Riley had stopped eating. She listened with interest, and seemed to hang on every word Wo’itsa spoke. Cam stared into the fire, the muscles along his spine tense.

  “So, Cameron . . . Cameahwait, is a shaman?” Her eyes widened.

  Wo’itsa laughed some more. “Cameahwait has chosen to turn his back on the Sky People. It’s been many seasons since he left our village, so I am not the one who can answer that question. I do know that he is greatly favored by them, even if he doesn’t think so.”

  “It appears as if the Sky People favor you, my friend,” Cam said dryly. Wo’itsa wasn’t allowed to talk about his spirit journey to anyone but the shaman, but he’d received a strong name, so he must have had a powerful vision.

  Wo’itsa laughed. “No, my friend. It is you they favor. I have heard the tales told of your bravery. Just as the spirit of the wolf has been revealed to me, the spirit of the bear lives within you.”

  Cam kept quiet. If he was so important, why had the Sky People abandoned him? It was as Pikowan said. The elders had abandoned him, too, and he was now an old man. Cam turned his head to meet Riley’s wide-eyed stare.

  “Why did you leave the Sheepeaters?”

  His skin came alive as if she'd touched him with her softly spoken words. Frustration coursed through him. He gritted his teeth when he spoke.

  “The Sky People took me from my home when I was twelve years old, and brought me here, to a strange time and land. I didn’t know the language, I didn’t know the customs, and they simply left me here.” He tossed the rest of his fish into the fire. “Naatoyita filled my head with words that I was here for a reason, and that this is where I was meant to be.” He laughed bitterly. “When I asked questions, he refused to answer, and told me I would know in time.”

  Riley’s eyes roamed over his face. Cam fought the urge to walk away from the fire, and from her perusing gaze. This wasn’t the time or place to open old wounds. He ran a hand across his face, and returned her stare. Something about her soft eyes tugged at him, and soothed the anger that brewed in him every time talk of the Sky People came up. He inhaled deeply, and shot a hasty glance at Wo’itsa, who studied him in silence from across the fire.

  “We couldn’t understand your anger at us when you left, Cameahwait,” Wo’itsa said. “The shaman said that perhaps it was meant to be that you go off and seek answers on your own.”

  Cam reached for a stick and held it into the flames until it caught fire. He stared at it for a long time.

  “My anger isn’t with the Tukudeka. Perhaps it was, when I was younger, because they are the clan of the Sky People,” he said slowly. “They refused to tell me anything, so I refused to live as a Sheepeater. I left to find my own way, and take control of my life. Matunaaga went with me. He felt
as lost as I did.” He looked up. “If the Sky People have such a great purpose for us, why haven’t they come to us after all these years?”

  Frustration welled up in him again. He’d certainly learned to live and survive in this time, but what was he supposed to be doing, other than existing? Now that Riley had appeared, he had no choice but to seek out the elder.

  “You walk among powerful spirits, Cameahwait. Why else would the Sky People have brought you to us?” Wo’itsa turned his attention on Riley. “When their numbers were greater, the Sky People used to live among the clans, but they left to live in the high mountains many years ago, and haven’t returned. Then they brought Cameahwait and Matunaaga to us.” His gaze fell back on Cam. “You were a good friend to me, Cameahwait. I asked the shaman if we should go after you, and convince you to stay. He said no, that you will find out your destiny when the Sky People are ready to reveal it to you.”

  Cam continued to stare into the fire, reliving old memories. His family and teachers in the future had said that he was difficult to handle, and he’d repeatedly gotten into trouble for not conforming to how everyone thought he should act. No matter how hard he’d tried to please them, he hadn’t made anyone happy, least of all himself.

  “Perhaps it’s not too late to return.” Wo’itsa’s words pulled him from his thoughts. “You were an impatient youth when you left, but perhaps now is the time to find out what your purpose is.” He glanced toward Riley, and slipped into his native tongue. “Perhaps a message has already been sent to you.”

  Cam leaned forward, and stared across the fire at his friend. “If Naatoyita agrees to return this woman to her home, I will do what he asks of me.” He’d also responded in Shoshone. He ventured a glance at Riley. She was perceptive enough to know they were talking about her.

  Wo’itsa’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, and Cam glared at him in a silent message to keep his current thoughts to himself. He stood, and kicked dirt onto the fire.

  “I need to speak to the shaman about where to find the Sky People. And, Riley needs more suitable clothing, and time to rest before we make the journey into the high mountains. We would be glad for you to lead us to the village.”

  Wo’itsa nodded. A grin spread over his face, and his eyes sparkled with an amused gleam. He gathered his horn bow, and helped cover the fire. He led the way from camp, while Cam held his hand out to help Riley get up.

  Her soft hand in his sent a ripple of awareness up his arm that had become all too familiar. Yes, it would be good to have Wo’itsa join them. Being alone with Riley was too dangerous.

  He pulled her to her feet, but didn’t let go of her hand immediately. Her eyes grew wide when they connected with his. She stood close enough that her breath tickled his bare chest, and Cam tensed from the pleasant sensation.

  Wo’itsa’s words replayed in his mind. He shook off his friend’s idea that Riley had been sent as a sign for him from the Sky People. Her presence here was Mukua’s doing. He frowned. Even if Naatoyita returned her to the future, how would she be safe from Mukua, if he wanted her dead? The elder might try and find another way to kill her if his plan this time failed.

  Cam released Riley’s hand. He couldn’t think about it. Once she was returned to the future, she was no longer his concern. He worked the muscles along his jaw, while reaching for the bison robe that was still wrapped around Riley’s shoulders. Thankfully, her clothes had dried enough that her shirt was no longer as transparent as before. He peeled his eyes away from her, and focused them on the bison hide.

  “I’ll carry this.” Cam rolled up the robe as he spoke. He slung it over his shoulder, and followed Wo’itsa, who had already reached the top of a rise leading away from the lake.

  Riley kept pace with him for many silent moments. When her hand touched his arm, he stopped as if he’d walked into a herd of bison. Her soft touch was like the force of a strong wind, threatening to knock him over. She only touched him lightly, but her invisible hold on him became more intense the longer he was in her company, and his thoughts about her drifted to things he shouldn’t be thinking about. His gaze connected with her mesmerizing eyes, and her quiet smile.

  “You walked far yesterday. I can slow down if you need me to,” he offered, just to say something. In truth, he was already walking much slower than he would like, but for now, he’d planned to stay close to Riley. Wo’itsa would be alert to any danger. Riley shook her head.

  “I know what it’s like to feel out of place,” she said after she’d made sure he would drown in her eyes forever. Cam’s back tensed.

  “I will do whatever I can to get you sent back to your time.” His words were meant to reassure himself as much as her.

  Riley laughed softly. “No, that’s not what I mean.” She waved a hand in front of her face and shook her head. “I mean, yes, I’m out of place here, too, but I always felt like an outsider growing up at home. The only place I really belonged was inside my books.” Her smile widened. “It’s where I went to hide when other kids made fun of me because I wasn’t like them, or didn’t share their interests. I’m comfortable there.” She paused, and her eyes became more imploring. “I think you have to decide for yourself where you’re most comfortable. I get that you’re mad, but I’ve seen what you can do in this environment, Cameron, and I am simply in awe of your skills.” She laughed. “I’m having a hard time picturing you in any other time.”

  Cam studied her without a reply. No one had offered him praise like this before. In this environment, a man was simply expected to learn, or die. Growing up in the future, his parents and teachers had enforced rigid rules on him, and as a young boy, he’d simply rebelled, and been called a troublemaker as a result of his behavior.

  His Tukudeka family had been full of encouragement when he’d first come here, and when he’d had to learn the language and customs. The praise coming from Riley was different. She truly believed he belonged here. Unlike the Tukudeka, she didn't think that it was the Sky People’s doing.

  “When I left the Sheepeaters, it was to follow my own path, not what someone else forced me to do,” he growled. Anger was his best weapon at the moment to deflect the growing feelings in him for Riley. She was only here long enough until he could send her back to her time. It would do him no good to think about her any other way.

  Cam turned away from her, and focused on the Tukudeka hunter walking far ahead of them in the distance.

  “Let me know if you have trouble keeping up,” he said over his shoulder, and set off to scout the surrounding areas, as he’d done the day before.

  Chapter Twelve

  Riley glanced up at the late-afternoon sun and swiped a hand over her forehead to push some hair from her eyes. She shuddered at the grimy feel of her skin. Her clothes were dirty beyond recognition, and her hair hung in limp strands down her back. She'd given up keeping it all tied back in a ponytail two days ago.

  Her hand went to the leather pouch around her neck that Cameron had given her. He'd suggested she discard her glasses after they continued to fall from her nose. Surprisingly, they weren’t broken, yet. She’d refused, but Cameron had handed her the simple leather pouch this morning before they left camp, and told her to keep the eyewear in it when they arrived at the Tukudeka village. He’d been working on it the night before, and if she had to guess, he’d made it from more of the shirt material he’d given up to make the moccasins she wore.

  Riley’s heart had fluttered shamelessly when he gave her the gift, especially when Cameron had looked at her with his serious, dark stare until she removed the glasses and stuffed them into the pouch. Feeling self-conscious and exposed, she’d turned away from him first.

  She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Cameron’s stares didn’t mean anything. He was simply an intense guy, and there was no use reading anything else into it. Apparently her mantra that she’d never fall for his type again wasn’t valid three hundred years in the past.

  He’s not like your de
finition of an athlete in the twenty-first century. Just because he’s built like one doesn’t put him in that class of guys. He’s a really nice guy … in his own, rough-around-the-edges sort of way.

  What the hell was she thinking? If there were ever two people who came from different worlds, it was her and Cameron. Besides countless other reasons, it would be a big mistake to fall for a guy she’d never see again once she returned home.

  Riley drew in a deep breath and adjusted the water bladder she carried around her shoulder. Of course her inner voice, warning her not to get too infatuated with Cameron, was right. The last time she'd fallen for his type, she'd gotten hurt. It was best to listen to her rational voice. She nearly laughed out loud. Nothing rational had happened since her first visit to Yellowstone.

  Her silly attraction to Cameron was just part of all the craziness in her life these last few days. Exhaustion and fatigue beyond anything she’d ever endured, and knowing that she was completely dependent on him for the time being, had put those thoughts in her head. That had to be it. Once she returned to the future, she’d be able to think clearly again.

  Two days had passed since they’d left the lake and met up with Wo’itsa. If she had known then that she’d get this dirty and grimy, she would have taken better advantage of the water. Falling off a log and into the creek didn’t count as a bath. She’d had to cross several smaller, shallow streams, but those hadn’t afforded anything more than a quick splash of water on her face.

  Both Wo’itsa and Cameron had set a fast pace through more rolling hills, endless valleys, and dense forests. Sheer determination not to look like a failure in front of these guys - especially Cameron - kept her moving forward.

  “This is easy compared to the mountains we have to climb to reach the elders,” Cameron had told her when he’d pulled her up a particularly steep hill, flashing a smile. Riley had gritted her teeth and glared at him. He hadn’t said it in a way that sounded boastful or conceited. He was simply giving her ample forewarning.