Just as he lightly stroked her damp womanhood, he captured her parted lips and the cry caught in her throat. A moan tore from Serena as his fingers worked a new kind of magic, seeking and slowly exploring her moist depths. She was engulfed by a series of intense explosions wreaked by his caresses. Her breath was ragged as she clung to his mouth, and her hands gripped his shoulders in urgent need. Arching against him, Serena felt as if lightning were dancing up through her, each bolt striking and making her shudder with a pleasure she had never known existed. Wolf’s dark voice was close, urging her to enjoy and to surrender to her womanly ways beneath his hands and mouth.
Dazed, Serena felt Wolf move across her. Suddenly, memories from the past slammed into her, and she gave a little cry, throwing her hands outward. Her palms met the hard flesh of Wolf’s chest as she frantically tried to push him away. Mewing out cries of fear, Serena felt him move away from her.
“Easy, my woman,” Wolf cajoled thickly. He realized Cante Tinza was reacting to the past—to Kingston’s brutal rape of her. In one unbroken movement, he rolled onto his back and brought her across him so that she straddled his body. He saw the surprise in her eyes as he steadied her with his hands on her waist.
“This is the only way,” he rasped, his body an aching knot of need. “Take as much of me as you want, when you want, my woman. If there is pain or pressure, do not go further.“ He smiled gently up at her. “Let your heart guide you on this. You need to do nothing if that is what you want. There is no hurry.”
Trembling from need, and at the same time from the savage memories that had torn away the beauty of their moment, Serena gave a jerky nod. As she rested against his hard maleness, the signals were mixed, but her heart cried out that she wanted to love Wolf fully. Little by little, Wolf dissolved the memory as he caressed her, coaxing her to sink into the pleasure he had given her before. Only this time, he cupped her hips with his hands and slowly began to slide her against him. The shocking pleasure began once again, and Serena closed her eyes and rested her hands tensely against his hard, flat stomach. The intense, heated feeling began all over again; only this time, it wasn’t his fingers wreaking such magic from her body, it was him.
It was as if she were riding a horse, Serena realized in some tiny functioning part of her mind. The slick wetness conspired her to move more strongly against Wolf, and the thick member no longer seemed as hurtful as it might have been. Soon, the rocking, sliding motion made her hungry for more. She heard Wolf groan as she began to accept him into her hot, welcoming depths. When he eased upward, to capture one of her nipples with his mouth, she moaned, feeling him move more deeply within her.
The moments spun together, and Serena felt her body give away to Wolf’s presence within her. He suckled her and held her in his arms, and all she could do was weep with joy and repeat his name over and over again as her brow rested against his head. Very gradually, Wolf began to rock her against him, and Serena felt even more powerful sensations course up through her; heat and raw yearning coaxed her to meet and meld with his rhythm. She felt Wolf lie back on the robe, his hands firm and guiding against her hips. He moved with her strongly now, and she arched, throwing her head back as a powerful series of molten, fusing explosions rocked through her. She felt the heat explode from her very core and surge outward, then move rapidly up her spine into her head. In moments, she floated like a cloud in the sky.
Wolf groaned as he felt her spasms and her arching spine. He absorbed the cry of joy spilling from her lips with gratefulness. He prolonged her pleasure and watched with satisfaction as a blush covered her lovely young skin. And then, after a few motionless seconds, Wolf plunged into her once, twice, three times, before he felt the heat uncurl from his loins and his seed spill powerfully into her waiting, loving body. In those seconds as they melted into oneness, he closed his eyes and lost himself in her scent, her texture and her hands that stroked his belly. More than anything, he prayed that the Great Spirit would grant them a child from this night. A child fashioned from the love of a brave woman’s injured heart.
Chapter Ten
“Wolf, come and feel your daughter move inside me.“ Serena rested on the pillows placed against one of the lodgepoles, her hands across her swollen belly. The winter daylight was gone, and only the firelight in the tepee eased away the darkness and provided a comfortable warmth for them.
Rising from his duty of crushing dried herbs, Wolf walked over to Cante Tinza. Her face mirrored tiredness, and her skin was stretched more tightly across her bones than usual. As he knelt beside her, covering her belly with his hands, he gave her a concerned look. He felt the baby move. He held her exhausted gaze.
“You do too much,” he protested as he gently caressed her. “Your eyes are tired.“ When the baby moved again, Wolf’s mouth pulled into a pleased smile.
“Your daughter is very much awake and has three times the energy I have right now,” Serena teased as she reached up and touched Wolf’s cheek.
“In one more moon, you will deliver our daughter into the hands of the old women,” he murmured, holding her luminous gaze. How beautiful Cante Tinza had grown since the discovery of her pregnancy. There was an inner glow to her, a joy that radiated like sunlight from within her to all she touched and helped.
Serena had lost track of the months long ago. It had been easy to switch to the cycle of the seasons and move in accordance with nature. “I worry because that’s the coldest moon of the winter,” she confided, her hands covering Wolf’s, which lay protectively against her belly.
“The snow is light this season, and it is not as cold as many others,” he soothed. “Besides, our babies are always born strong and healthy.”
“I wish you could be with me to deliver our daughter.“ Serena had known she was pregnant in the third moon after she had shared Wolf’s robe. No one had been happier than Wolf over the news, and no one more angry than Deer Woman. Serena wished that the girl would stop being jealous of her, but there was little anyone could do. Once, Deer Woman had disappeared for a moon and no one knew where she had gone. When she came back, she had smiled smugly and said nothing. Even Swift Elk had given up his pursuit of her as a wife because Deer Woman spurned his sincere advances.
“Birth is the responsibility of the women,” Wolf told her as he sat down, sliding his arm around her shoulders and drawing her against him. “They have a natural knowing. A man does not give birth, so he should not attend one.”
“You help the foals and puppies birth all the time!”
“That,” Wolf chided her gently, “is different.”
“A baby is no different than a foal.”
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her wrinkled brow. “You will be surrounded with the love and care of the birthing women. I will be outside the tepee, praying for you and our child.”
She giggled and snuggled her head beneath Wolf’s jaw. “I just know it’s a girl. I’ve known from the moment I realized I was pregnant.”
Wolf nodded. He knew that, too. “She will be beautiful. She will walk in our image, Cante Tinza. You must begin to rest more, woman. If you do not, I will send you to Dreaming Bear and she will see to it you spend your last moon quiet but happy.”
Serena smiled up at his fierce countenance, knowing full well Wolf would never send her away from him. Many expectant mothers went to live in a tepee alone to rest and to commune with Mother Earth and remain peaceful. The Lakota believed the nature of the child was directly affected by the surroundings of the mother. If the mother had to endure anger, gossip and many demands upon her time, the baby would be born bad-tempered, whereas if the mother surrounded herself with only moments of peace and tranquillity, the child would be born good-tempered. So, many of the women would spend those nine moons quilling, beading, making blankets, clothes and a cradleboard for their coming baby in the tepee that sat near the edge of the village. Serena had chosen to remain with Wolf, her happiness complete being with him.
“Dreaming Bear wants to become ou
r baby’s hunka grandmother,” she reminded him.
Wolf grunted. He held up his wrist, which showed a recent white scar. “You and I shared our blood with each other. And most of my family has been killed, with the exception of Little Swallow. We are in need of an unci, grandmother, who will spoil our two daughters,” he agreed.
Laughing quietly, Serena gazed over at their first daughter, Dawn Sky. She was two summers old now, and she no longer slept in her cradleboard, but on her own pallet. Her black hair was barely visible beneath the dark brown fur of the robe under which she slept. Serena held up her wrist, which had been cut for the ceremony that had taken place three days after she agreed to marry Wolf, and stared at the long, thin scar. Her blood had mingled with Wolf’s—a promise that they were bound to each other until death.
Wolf reached over, captured her thin wrist and placed a light kiss upon the scar. “We will make Dreaming Bear our hunka grandmother soon,” he promised with a whisper.
“Good. I don’t know what I would have done without her these past few moons, Wolf. Bless her, she watches Dawn Sky most of the time so that I can attend to those who need herb medicine and help you with the doctoring ceremonies.”
“Dreaming Bear will make a fine, doting grandmother. Already, she rubs her hands in anticipation, waiting for our daughter to come from your belly.”
Laughing softly, Serena leaned up and kissed Wolf. She was never disappointed by the love he managed to convey when their mouths touched and clung to each other. Since her pregnancy, he had become even more helpful, if that was possible. He would not allow her to go with the women to collect the daily wood needed for their cooking fire, nor would he allow her to do many of her expected duties around the tepee. His mouth slid hotly across hers in silent adoration. Since her pregnancy was discovered, he had not loved her, and now, her body ached with the memory of his touch—the fire he brought to life within her. Soon, Serena reminded herself as she drowned in the splendor of his kiss, she would once again share his robe and be able to love him completely.
Easing away from her mouth, Wolf smiled down into her lustrous eyes. “I hope our daughter has green eyes as you do.”
Serena sifted her fingers through his thick, loose black hair. “And I hope she has your hair.”
“No, I want her to have fire-colored hair such as yours.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“I will love her as I love her mother.”
Contented, Serena lay against Wolf and closed her eyes. “Do you have to go on that hunting trip tomorrow? Couldn’t you stay home?”
He kissed her hair and held her gently in his embrace. “We need every man capable of hunting, to find the last of our meat before the snows come, Cante Tinza.“ He shifted away from her enough to see the disappointment on her face. “I will carry you in my heart, my woman. The days will pass quickly, and then I will be here once again. Do not look so sad.”
“I’m afraid of you leaving,” Serena admitted softly, caressing his chest with her hand. The thick elkskin shirt he wore was plain and without much quilling. She touched the wolf claw necklace that hung around his neck. “I’m just afraid.”
“I will be safe. No Crow will attack us, if that is what you think.”
With a shake of her head, Serena sighed. “No, I just have this terrible feeling, Wolf, and I can’t shake it. Something is going to happen. Something terrible.“ She sat up and shrugged.
“You dream of this?“ he asked, concerned.
“No—I, it’s nothing I can identify, Wolf. Just this feeling of doom, that’s all.”
He got to his knees and began to unbraid her fiery-colored hair as he did every night. “Many mothers become frightened just before the birth of their baby. This is natural,” he soothed as he caught and held her worried gaze.
“I just wish you didn’t have to leave so soon, Wolf.”
“We are safe.”
“Couldn’t you at least leave some warriors behind to protect us from attack?”
He smiled as he allowed the thick strands of Cante Tinza’s hair to flow through his fingers. “We are deep within our territory, so no Crow will attack us. Last week, our hunters saw wasicun miners heading north into the Paha Sapa, away from our village. We are safe, my woman.”
“Will you take Kagi with you, then? At least she will alert you if the Crow or the miners stalk the hunting party.”
Wolf nodded. “Yes, she will come with us.”
Satisfied, Serena felt a bit better. The black wolf had raised her head from where she slept each night at Dawn Sky’s side. Kagi was a fine baby-sitter, but Serena also knew that Wolf liked to take her with him on hunts because of her own hunting ability. The wolf had an eerie sense of knowing when their greatest enemy, the Crow, were nearby. She would alert them long before an attack could be initiated against them.
* * *
“There she is,” Blackjack Kingston snarled. He and his band of miners, twenty in all, hid behind the thickly forested hill that led down to the Lakota village near the river. A light covering of snow had fallen, and Blackjack pulled his buffalo coat a little more tightly around himself. His horse, a huge bay gelding with four white socks, stood quietly beneath his iron hand. His eyes narrowed as he watched Serena make her way down to the river, which was a good quarter mile away from the main village. She was dressed in Lakota clothes and she wore her red hair in braids. It was early afternoon, and the light gray color of the sky indicated that it would soon begin to snow. The wind was sharp and brisk.
“What ya gonna do, boss? Do we ride in shootin’ the hell outa dem Injuns?”
Kingston glared at the black-bearded miner to his right, Jake Gunther. “No, you dumb bastard!” Standing up in his stirrups, Kingston kept his voice in a low rasp and told the men who gathered around him in a semicircle, “No shooting! I want that red-haired witch! She’s our target. I want all of you to ride pell-mell through the village. Shout, yell, fire your rifles into the air. Create a diversion while I get her.”
“But,” Jake protested meekly, “what about all those warriors?”
“Deer Woman said they’d be gone this week on a hunting trip.“ Kingston peered intently down at the village again. “I don’t see any bucks. All I see is a couple of doddering old men and women, and the brats.”
“I kin get twenty-five dollars for a scalp,” Gunther added with a hint, hope in his voice.
“Not this time, you jackass! I want that woman back! I don’t want the whole goddamn nation up in arms and comin’ to get us. We don’t want the Sioux attacking our camp. Understand?”
“Sure, Boss.”
Blackjack settled the silver fox cap firmly on his head. His gloved hands gripped the reins more tightly and he snarled, “All right, let’s go! Once we get the woman, we leave! No killing! Just scare those Injuns back into their tepees so they leave us alone.”
* * *
The village dogs began barking loudly, and Serena, who had knelt down between the brown bulrushes to scoop up a kettle of water, raised her head. She heard the thunderous beat of many horses, and she gasped, thinking it was an attack by Crow warriors. Because she was heavy with child, her balance was poor, and she couldn’t twist or turn around in a hurry. Just as she straightened, she heard the alarm sounded by the village crier.
“Miners!” he shrilled in a high, wobbly voice. “Miners!”
Gasping, Serena jerked her chin upward. Her eyes widened as she saw at least twenty men on horseback, heavily clothed for the winter, galloping down the hill toward the village. Her heart started pounding in her chest. Instantly, her hand went for the knife she wore in her belt—but it wasn’t there. Serena had long ago stopped wearing the belt because of her bulging belly.
She saw the children and women spilling out the tepees with war clubs, spears and anything else they could get their hands on to defend themselves from the forthcoming attack. Serena picked up the kettle and lifted her elkskin skirt to carefully make her way up the slick, icy bank. Ther
e was safety in numbers. She had to get back to her tepee and retrieve Wolf’s lance that he had left behind.
As Serena made her way up to the top of the bank, she saw three miners split off from the main group. She winced as they started firing their rifles, the sounds echoing harshly through the valley. Screams of frightened children filled the air. She tried to run but the ground was slippery, and she was afraid she’d fall and hurt the baby.
The three riders bore down upon her. Serena was caught out in the open, unarmed, and too far away from the village. Clenching the kettle in her fist, she watched the three miners closing in on her at a gallop. A scream lodged in her throat when she recognized the lead rider. It was Blackjack! With a startled cry, Serena turned to try and escape. He was after her! Her mind spun with questions. How had he found her? How?
Serena ran, but it was nearly impossible to keep her balance. She heard the bay horse thundering down upon her, and at the last moment, she stopped and whirled around. Kingston’s narrow face was pale, his blue eyes were pinned on her, and his thin mouth was drawn into a sneer.
The miners jerked their horses to a halt, surrounding Serena. She held up her hand, fearing that one of the sweaty, hard-breathing horses would knock her down and trample her.
“Get up here,” Kingston ordered as he dismounted. “You’re mine, and you’re coming back with me, witch.”
“No!” Serena shrieked as he lunged for her. She tried to dodge his hand by stepping back, but she crashed into the side of another horse and rider. Kingston’s arm snaked out, and she threw the kettle at him.
“Oww!” he roared, when the kettle struck him in the shoulder.
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