Dream Warrior: His Savage Kiss

by Bobbi Smith

  Ben shrugged. "I don't know and right now, it doesn't matter. What matters is finding him before something happens."

  Elliot nodded and turned in for the night. As he lay there, he found himself regretting that he didn't know more about this land. He prayed, too, that luck was on their side, that they would soon find them, and Cari would be returned to them, unharmed.

  Silver Wolf knew a posse would be after them as soon as the sheriff was found tied up in the jail, so he made certain that their trail was difficult to follow. Traveling over the roughest terrain, he backtracked as often as he could without losing too much time. He avoided all populated areas as he headed for the one place in the wilderness he knew they'd be safe—the place where his vision quest had come to him.

  Exhaustion and pain filled Silver Wolf, but he didn't let it slow him down. Guiding the horse through the trees and up the hillside, they covered the last leg of their journey to the location where he'd camped that night. It was a private spot that offered a good view of the surrounding area and protection from the elements in the small cave nearby. The trek had been arduous but worth it, for he believed they would be safe there until he'd had the time he needed to find James's killer.

  Silver Wolf had been torturously aware of the soft curve of Little Snow's body fitted perfectly against him as she rode before him. He wanted her desperately, loved her deeply, but his heart was heavy with the knowledge that though she had professed to love him, her love obviously hadn't been strong enough to withstand the attacks against him.

  Reaching the clearing, Silver Wolf drew the horse to a halt and slipped from its back. He was glad to see that little had changed since he'd been there last, and he turned to Little Snow and lifted his arms to her to help her down.

  Cari was bone-tired. The long hours in the saddle had taken their toll on her. She looked around, trying to figure out where they were, but Silver Wolf's efforts to lose those following them had also confused her and she wasn't sure.

  When Silver Wolf came to her and offered to help her down, Cari wanted to refuse him, but every inch of her body ached and she doubted that she would be able to climb down on her own. Forced to accept his offer, she braced her hands on his shoulders as his hands went to her waist.

  As Cari slid down, Silver Wolf accidentally brought her fully against him, and the contact jolted them both. Cari was stunned by the power of the feelings that swept through her, and for just an instant, frightened, too. It was that emotion that was reflected in her eyes when she looked up at Silver Wolf.

  He had meant only to help Little Snow dismount, but the moment he held her clasped against him, he knew he didn't want to let her go. He looked down at her, hoping to find that she was feeling the same way he was. But what he saw mirrored in her eyes was not burning desire, but what looked to be cold fear.

  The thought that he frightened her touched Silver Wolf deeply, and he released her abruptly, unable to bear the exquisite torture of holding her so close and not being able to love her. He wanted to see her eyes shining with love for him. He wanted her to give herself to him freely as she had when they'd been together at the stream, not look at him with terror and loathing.

  "We'll be staying here," he said in gruff tones as he moved away from her.

  "For how long?" Cari didn't know why, but she felt almost bereft now that he'd let her go.

  "For as long as it takes me to find the men who killed your father," he answered, turning his back on her. He took the reins and led the horse a short distance away.

  Once again, his words struck at the heart of her confusion. If he was unjustly accused of the murder . . . then who had done it? Caught up in her roiling thoughts, she said nothing more, but only looked on as he tended to their tired mount.

  Silver Wolf used the time bedding the horse down to work out some of his frustration. He didn't know how to prove his love to Little Snow. He wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her over and over that what they'd said about him were all lies, but he knew doing that would only make things worse. She had to come to believe in him on her own. He could only wait and pray that somehow, some way, some day, she would remember what they'd shared, and know.

  Finishing with the horse, he picked up the saddle and blanket and headed into the cave. The fear he'd seen in her expression had hurt him, and he didn't even glance in her direction as he passed her. He knew he was leaving her there unguarded with the horse and that she could take her mount and run from him—and that was precisely what he wanted her to know. He wanted her to understand that he wouldn't use force to keep her with him, that she wasn't his hostage. He realized that she might very well flee, but it was a chance he was willing to take in his quest to convince her of his love.

  Cari was stunned when he disappeared into the cave and left her alone with her horse. It would have been simple for her to escape, and she knew that he knew it. She stared at the horse, and then at the cave entrance, and in that moment a bud of truth swelled within her and she knew she had to talk to him. Following him into the darkened cavern, she found him just beyond the rim of daylight with his back to her, hunkered down building a fire.

  "Silver Wolf?" She said his name softly, half in anticipation, half in dread.

  At the sound of her voice behind him, he went still and a feeling of joy shot through him. He'd given her the chance to go and she'd stayed. . . . Forcing down the fierce emotion that welled up inside him, he glanced back over his shoulder at her.

  Anguish gripped Cari as she saw once again the bruises on his face. She tried to read his expression, but found it inscrutable. Girding herself, she forced herself to go on, knowing she was the one who had to speak.

  "Weren't you afraid that I'd take the horse and run away?" she finally managed.

  "I was afraid you'd run from me," he admitted slowly as he forgot all about starting the fire and stood up to face her, "but I was more afraid of your fear. I don't want you to be afraid of me, Little Snow . . . ever."

  "But I could have just ridden off. I could have gone for the sheriff . . ."

  His gaze was stormy and his expression was serious as he met her wide, questioning gaze without reserve. "I trust you, Little Snow," he said with quiet intensity. "I trust you with my life."

  His words were poignant, and her eyes filled with tears. "But why did you break out of jail? Why did you run?"

  "The friend who brought me the knife told me that there was talk of vigilantes breaking into the jail to lynch me last night. I'm sorry if I frightened you, Little Snow, but you were my only chance to escape. I was hoping you believed in me enough not to run from me at the jail."

  "I couldn't," she admitted, letting her gaze drop away from his.

  He cupped her chin and lifted her face to him, forcing her to look as he spoke his next words. "I love you, Little Snow. You're the only woman I've ever loved. You alone hold my heart."

  The bud of truth Cari had nurtured in her breast bloomed, and the love she felt for him filled her with happiness. This was her Silver Wolf! He was the man she loved, not some terrible stranger. He always spoke the truth to her, and she'd been wrong, so very wrong, to forget that. He would never have harmed her father, no matter what evidence had been found!

  "I'm sorry, Silver Wolf. I'm so sorry that I didn't believe you over the others," she whispered in an emotion-choked voice as she took a step toward him.

  Her one step of surrender was all he needed to break the chains of restraint that had held him at bay. He took her in his arms and held her to his heart.

  "Ah, Little Snow."

  "I love you," she told him simply, glorying in the strength of his embrace.

  At her words, he kissed her, and she welcomed him wholeheartedly. It was a deep kiss that told her of his desperate need for her, and she returned it full measure. They strained together as their lips met, then parted, then met again.

  Silver Wolf had already spread the blanket on the ground, and he lowered Little Snow onto it now, then lay with her. His body
was a searing brand upon hers.

  The feeling of holding him so intimately was exquisite. She whispered his name in a tone of wonder. "Silver Wolf . . ."

  "I know, my love . . ." he told her, barely in control.

  He wanted to savor every moment of loving her, but his need for her was a driving hunger that could no longer be denied. His mouth claimed hers in a passionate exchange as his hands freed the buttons on her blouse. He parted the fabric and brushed it aside, baring her bosom to his kisses and caresses. Cari moaned in ecstasy as his lips sought the sensitive crests of her breasts. She began to move beneath him, urging him with her body to take her and fill the aching emptiness within her.

  Unable to bear being separated from her any longer, Silver Wolf drew away only long enough to shed his clothing and to help Little Snow strip away hers. When at last she lay unclothed beneath him, he paused to gaze down at her, visually caressing her silken limbs, passion-swollen breasts, and the sweet curve of her hips. His eyes glowed with the love he felt, and he fitted himself to her, seeking the hot depths of her body with the proof of his desire. They came together in a heated rush of pleasure.

  Cari opened to him like a blossom to the sun, and she followed his lead, matching his loving movements with a hunger of her own. They moved as one, giving and taking, sharing the beauty of their love in passion's oldest and most cherished way.

  Caught up in the magic of their joining, there was only the two of them, caught up in their Elysian ecstasy.

  In the quiet, blissful aftermath of their loving, they drifted. Neither spoke, for words were not necessary. Their bodies had expressed what mere words could never describe. They loved, and nothing would ever come between them again.

  When at long last Silver Wolf felt strong enough to move, he rose above her, bracing himself on his elbows as he gazed down at her love-flushed features.

  "You're beautiful," he told her in a husky voice. "I will never tire of looking at you."

  Cari smiled up at him. "You're beautiful to me, too," she responded as she lifted her hands to tenderly caress the bruises that marred his face. Her heart ached, knowing what he'd suffered at the hands of his jailers. She vowed to herself to ease his pain and to never let him be hurt again.

  Silver Wolf's lips sought hers in a cherishing, worshipful caress. "I love you."

  "I'll never doubt you again," she promised, tears falling as she realized how close she'd come to losing him.

  He kissed her once more, with infinite tenderness and care, then shifted away to the side so he could hold her, her head nestled on his shoulder as she curled against him. She rested her hand on his chest, and he covered it with his own as they lay together, celebrating the intimacy of their love.

  Nineteen

  Silver Wolf held Little Snow in his arms and treasured having her near. Gazing down at her as she lay quietly against him, he wondered how he'd existed all those days and weeks and years without her. When she was with him, he felt whole. Without her, his life seemed empty and pointless.

  At the thought of being parted from her, Silver Wolf instinctively tightened his arms around her, as if believing that if he held her more closely, she would never slip away from him again. Little Snow stirred against him, and the movement of her satiny limbs was an unschooled caress that proved far more arousing than any learned loving. His passions soared, the heat hardening the manly center of him.

  "Little Snow . . ." he murmured as he lifted her to him, needing to kiss her.

  Cari opened her eyes as he brought her fully against him, and she gazed down at him with open, hungry desire.

  "Somehow I always knew it would be this way between us . . ." she said in a husky voice.

  She lay full-length against him, her breasts crushed against his chest and her hips fitted to his. The male heat of him seared her with the proof of his need.

  "What way?" he asked, capturing her lips in a devouring kiss.

  "Perfect," she sighed.

  Emboldened by the knowledge that he loved her, she deepened the kiss, and when she felt a shudder wrack him, she knew a tremendous sense of feminine power. Suddenly, she wanted to know his body as well as he seemed to know hers. She became daring in her loving, caressing his hard-muscled frame with an eager, fiery touch.

  When her lips followed the trail her hands had blazed, Silver Wolf could no longer control the blazing need that threatened to consume him. He clasped her to him and rolled with her, bringing her beneath him. In one sweet, powerful move, he buried himself within her. Little Snow gasped at the sensation. Silver Wolf tensed and started to pull away.

  "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, fearing he had hurt her in his frantic need to be one with her.

  She held him tightly to her. "I'm fine," she told him with a throaty chuckle. "It just feels so good to have you inside me."

  Her words turned the fire of his desire to a raging inferno, and he could no longer talk, he could only feel. He began to move, setting his passionate pace, as they sought the beauty of love's enchantment once again.

  Tall Shadow saw the look of urgency on Strong Eagle's face as he listened to Star Blossom and Calling Dove tell of meeting the posse and speaking with Ben. When the women had gone, the chief looked at his grandson's best friend.

  "You would go to him?"

  "I believe I know where he is. Whenever he wants to be alone, he returns to the place where he received his vision quest."

  "Then find him and tell him what we have heard."

  "I will," he promised. "As soon as I have gathered what I need, I will ride to the cave."

  The chief nodded. "I hope he is where you say. Tell him that my prayers are with him."

  The warrior hurried to prepare for the trip to find his friend.

  The night lark's song heralded the coming of dusk, and forced Silver Wolf back to reality from the Eden of Little Snow's embrace. His expression darkened as he realized they couldn't stay there alone in the cave forever. As much as he wanted to ignore the outside world, he couldn't. The law believed he was the murderer. He had to prove his own innocence.

  Disquiet settled over him, stripping away the peace and contentment that had soothed him while he was with Little Snow. He'd warned himself that he'd been foolish to forget himself so completely, and he knew he would have to be more cautious from now on. He started to move away from Little Snow. It was important that he go outside and check the area to make certain that no one was near.

  Little Snow felt him leaving her and roused herself from her drowsy splendor. "Where are you going?"

  He could see concern in her eyes, and he wanted to reassure her. "Right now, to find us something to eat," he answered as he donned his clothes. He stared down at the loveliness of her body, and his heart beat a heavy rhythm. The look of love in her eyes renewed his deep conviction to do everything in his power to find her father's killer.

  "Be careful," she whispered.

  They regarded each other in silent understanding for a moment, and then he was gone. Without him, Cari felt chilled. She got up and dressed. Then she set about building the fire he'd attempted to start earlier.

  Cari stayed inside the cave for as long as she could stand it, but finally, she grew restless and worried about him. When darkness settled over the land, and he still had not returned, she went outside to watch for him.

  The moon had risen and hung low on the horizon. Stars twinkled in the clear, black velvet sky, and a cool night breeze swept away the heat of the day. As she stared off into the night, she could hear a wolf howling, its night song echoing hauntingly across the land.

  "Little Snow . . ."

  The sound of Silver Wolf's voice so close by startled Cari, and she turned to find him approaching from the other direction. "You're back . . ." She smiled in warm welcome, relieved.

  "With dinner." He held up his bounty, a rabbit.

  While he'd been out checking for signs of the posse, he'd come across the hapless rabbit. He'd already skinned and cleaned it, and no
w he headed for the fire so he could cook it on the sharpened stick he'd fashioned to use as a spit. Sitting down before the fire, he put the meat on the spit and held it out over the flames to roast.

  Cari sat across the fire from him, studying him from beneath lowered lashes. The firelight bronzed him, his broad chest and wide shoulders glowing powerfully in the golden light. She remembered how hard and solid he'd felt beneath her questing hands, and a heat that had nothing to do with the fire warmed her. She forced herself to look away.

  Silver Wolf patiently waited for the meat to cook. When it was done, he tore off a chunk and handed it to Little Snow.

  She was hungry and gave no thought to her years of etiquette training as she ate it with her fingers.

  Silver Wolf sat back and tore off a piece for himself. He devoured his portion with the same eagerness as Little Snow. His hunger for food satisfied, he realized for the first time just how tired he really was.

  "I'm going to take a last look around before we bed down for the night. Do you want to come with me?" he invited.

  There was no way she was going to stay behind alone again and worry herself sick about him. She wanted to be by his side every minute she could.

  He stood and held out his hand to her. They walked from the cave. He led her to the best vantage point, and they stood together, sharing a sense of peace.

  "What are you looking for?" she asked, staring out across the darkened landscape.

  "A campfire, or anything else that seems unusual," he told her, concentrating on the distance. He was tense until he was sure that there was no one near, then he allowed himself to relax, but only a little. He drew a deep breath as he glanced down at her and smiled reassuringly. "We'll be safe until morning."

  She smiled up at him, loving him, trusting him.

  His heartbeat quickened as he saw her expression. "Little Snow . . ." He lifted a hand to tenderly caress her cheek. "As soon as this is over, I want to make you my wife . . . by white law and by Cheyenne."

  Pure ecstasy shone in her eyes, and she went into his arms and held him tight. "I love you, Silver Wolf. I want to be your wife in all ways."