If possible, greater anger and hatred were now revealed in his fiery eyes and tight grimace. She hastily glanced away from White Arrow’s dark visage. If there had been the slightest doubt in her mind before, there was none now: no future hope of friendship existed.
Gray Eagle perceptively felt her odd reaction to White Arrow’s obvious emotions. He contemplated and weighed the occasional quiverings in her body and the tautness in her limbs. He called to mind their past relationship and her initial reaction to White Arrow’s reunion with her. It was almost as if his rejection was causing her physical pain. As it was an absurd deduction, he dismissed it.
When they made camp that night, Alisha obediently gathered the wood and refilled the water skins from the nearby river… just as ordered. She was angry when he casually stated they could not have a fire which might alert some nearby enemy. No doubt he was only seeking any means to antagonize her. She commanded herself to silence and calm. She could not afford to allow her husband to goad her into a dangerous outburst.
The two men ate from their pouches. Leisurely they devoured their dinner as they laughed and chatted in high spirits. Alisha waited to learn if she would be permitted any food and water. She sat on the blanket which Gray Eagle had indifferently tossed in her direction. It would not surprise her if he did refuse her such things.
Without warning, a small amount of food was casually dropped into her lap. She jumped in surprise, then slowly relaxed. She ate the food without so much as a murmured thank-you.
Later as she lay there beneath the shimmering stars and the dreamy yellow moon, she cautioned herself to give Gray Eagle time to become accustomed to finding her alive and with Jeffery Gordon. These facts must have shocked him greatly! To find her again was surprise enough, but to find her married to his sworn enemy was unforgivable. His fury at this unexpected discovery was only natural; his constant intimidation was not.
It was not her fault if his insidious plans for her death had failed. It had been many long hours since Gray Eagle’s attempt on her life. At the present, he did not hint at a new death-plot. He seemed content to allow her to worry over her fate. Yet, he somehow seemed different in an imperceptible way.
Perhaps his hatred and need for fatal revenge upon her had somewhat lessened with time and distance. Perhaps he had realized how fortunate he had been in having such a servile, talented, and loving slave! Perhaps he had been unable to pleasantly replace her! No other slave, or woman, could offer him as much as she had…for she had given him everything!
She knew she was only teasing herself. Gray Eagle had never been aware of any value she might have. He had probably replaced her within that first week of her absence! He was such a virile, demanding male; he would not deny himself for very long… if at all. Irrational jealousy and anger suffused her body. Perhaps his dire reaction to her discovery was only temporary.
Yet, there was some new emotion written within his eyes and evident in his tone; it was one she did not comprehend. She thought it wise to do as he ordered. She resolved to be obedient, respectful, pleasant—and tempting. If she could subtly worm her way into his confidence, he would not need to constantly torment her. Far better, if she could somehow remind him of that last day they had spent making passionate love. Perhaps his fury might then change into affectionate desire. If she was to be forced to become his slave again, then why not inspire a complete and rewarding relationship?
The mere thought of being with him again brought flames into her blood. Her endless desire for him, which had lain dormant for months, had been rudely awakened and suddenly refreshed. The slumber of her senses had ended with the first sight of him. He had taught her fiery passion. He had given her exquisite, unforgettable pleasures upon his mats. He had taken her as an innocent girl and molded her into a woman, his woman. He had created a fierce hunger within her heart and body which only he could satisfy. Jeffery’s magic drugs would not hold a candle to the narcotic effects of Gray Eagle’s possession.
How could she truthfully deny her intense cravings for his touch and gentleness, things which he had unforgettably revealed to her long ago? Even if her love for him was sinful, she was too enslaved to him to pray for forgiveness. She recalled what it could be like between them. How she wished their passions were as intertwined as their destinies appeared to be. When it came to this hypnotic man, her heart foolishly overruled her head.
When morning came, Gray Eagle nudged her awake with the toe of his stolen boot. He ordered her to ride. Gazing down at her, it was a struggle to keep from throwing himself down upon her. He mentally cursed this unwanted effect, this annoying hunger which gnawed viciously at his groin.
“You’re taking me back to your camp!” she said incredulously.
He glared at her, eyes like embers from hell’s fiery pit lying in a frigid snowbank. “Silence, witkowin! Do as I say!” his deep voice growled.
She whitened, then fused red in anger. “How dare you call me a whore! You raped me, remember?” she shrieked at him.
“In truth, you wear that name now. Speak no more!”
“Damn you, I will speak! I demand to know what you intend to do with me! It wasn’t enough that you tortured me and tried to kill me before, now you…”
The remainder of her sentence was halted by his hand over her mouth. “If you value your vile tongue, say no more! I will cut out the offending piece of meat!” His alert eyes said he meant every single word. He jerked his burning hand away.
She bit back her stinging reply. Her temper was gradually restored to an intelligent level. “As you wish, Master. I only wanted—”
“Silence!” he snarled, teeth bared like a ferocious beast about to attack his fragile prey. “I will hear no more of your lies!”
She gasped at his insult. Her eyes flew open wide, but she wisely held her tongue. They mounted up and rode away. The April weather was calm, clear, and invigorating. She focused her attention on Mother Nature around her. She tried to keep her mind off of things which she did not understand, such as his frequent allusions to her dishonesty.
That night, caged tempers escaped. His fierce struggle to contain his deadly mood and her fierce attempt to remain silent when her heart screamed for some explanation simmered all day. Everyone was tired and tense. When they made camp, Alisha did not make a move unless Gray Eagle verbally ordered her to.
She sat on her assigned blanket studying him. A lifelike painting which she had once viewed and admired back in England stood before her mind’s eye. He reminded her of that same golden, mountain lion: deadly, cunning, powerful, and sleek. There was not an ounce of fear in his heart or mind, nor an ounce of fat or doubt in his masterful body. He was agile and alert, lordly and magnificent. That same dauntless, self-assured aura exuded from him. He was a god in human form, but a demon in reality.
Alisha endeavored to fathom his mood and his purpose. If only she knew why he had wanted to kill her that day, then she could prevent that same deadly problem from arising anew. The longer she sat there, the more her need to know this fact became intensely overpowering. His back was now to her.
She recklessly approached him. “Why do you want me dead, Wanmdi Hota? Why is your hatred still so great after all these months? Why couldn’t you let me go free this time? Why must you take me back and torment both of us again? Surely I have paid enough for my mistakes.”
He whirled to face the woman who had dared to press him, who had dared to deceive and betray him. “One more word and you will pay far more!” he ominously informed her.
Tempers boiled over. She did not back down. “I have the right to know why you—”
He sharply cut into her argument, denying the opportunity for the truth to surface. “You have no rights but those I choose to grant you! And I grant you none, white girl. Silence!”
Alisha’s tender beauty and nearness were a powerful magic. Gray Eagle was infuriated by his undeniable craving for her. Anger was born from that unbidden desire which mated with his lingering anguish. He
wanted to hurt her as she had hurt him. No matter how difficult, he wanted to brutally reject her as she had rejected him.
She stared into his flinty features, then screamed at him, “But I have to know why you—”
Before he knew what he was doing, Gray Eagle delivered a jarring slap across her cheek, a blow which sent her reeling backwards and tumbling to the rocky ground. Petrified by his violent reaction, she gaped at him in blatant fear and astonishment. She gingerly rubbed her tender, throbbing cheekbone, hoping it was not broken by his brute strength. Her trembling hand went to her mouth to touch the salty wetness there. She stared at the bright red blood upon her fingertips. Surely this was only a ghastly nightmare, she hopefully prayed.
He had always prided himself on his rigid control. Why had her simple words so easily destroyed it? He did not want her to talk to him; that was vividly clear to her now. He had drastically changed, and she fearfully respected this new image. She stared at him inscrutably, then lifted herself from the hard ground to head for the river. Neither spoke again.
Alisha knelt by the grassy bank and gently washed away the blood which was now easing down her trembling chin. She repeatedly cupped cool water in her shaking hands and splashed it against her flaming cheek. She did not know how long she remained thus.
When she came to her senses, it was dark. Yet, the full moon reflected enough light. Alisha’s mind had journeyed a great distance along a perilous and tormenting path. White Arrow called to her and dropped some dried strips of meat into her lap.
She exploded like a volcano. She threw the food upon the ground. She screamed at him, “Keep your food to yourself! I am not some animal to be fed and watered when it suits you! I don’t need your help or your traitorous friendship! I want nothing from you, Savage! Nothing!” she shouted.
Gray Eagle came from seemingly nowhere. He roughly seized her by the shoulders and shook her violently. “Do not speak to him in this way!” he thundered his warning at her.
Driven past the point of reasonable caution, she shouted back, “Then tell him to stay away from me! I don’t want help from someone who claimed to be my friend! I don’t want his pity either! Lies and deceit are all you know! I want nothing from either of you! You are both barbaric savages without mercy or kindness! I hate you both! I hate you all…” She collapsed into hysterical sobbing, emotionally and physically drained by the horrifying ordeals which she had endured these many months.
“Hiya!” he shouted at her to halt her heart-tugging weeping. She was a vulnerable, delicate creature who was deeply wounded.
“Kill me now and end this madness! You have tormented me for months and months! I cannot take anymore! I did all you asked and it was never enough! My God, Wanmdi Hota, what more could you want from me? What?” she screamed at him, tears of anguish streaming down her cheeks.
“Obey me, that is all I want from you!” he shouted back, cursing her magnetic allure and her artless power over him.
“Obedience isn’t what you want! I gave you that and you still tormented me day and night! You forced me to be your slave and whore! Yet, that still did not satisfy you! My life is what you demand, just like before! You lied and betrayed me! You forced me to marry you! I want to be free, I want to be happy again! Why must you enslave me again? Why all of this?” she cried out in agony. Her accusations totally escaped his keen mind.
“You know why! You dared to leave with that half-breed!”
She stared at him through tear-soaked lashes, misunderstanding his meaning. “What did you expect me to do? Stay here and slowly die? I had to go; can’t you see that? I had to be free and happy again. I needed…” Her outburst spent, she halted before carelessly stripping her soul naked before his vindictive gaze. “What does it matter now? There will always be war between us, for that is what you crave,” she sadly accused.
She walked away from them. She went to her blanket and wearily dropped down onto it. She was so tired of this exacting battle. It seemed endless and persistent. No matter the outcome, she wanted it over. She rolled to her side. Her long curls slid over her face, covering it from view. She made no attempt to push them back.
For the next few days, she was very quiet and withdrawn. She mechanically obeyed Gray Eagle’s orders. Yet, she refused to look at him or to address him again. She even, refused to place her arms around his waist as they rode along. She would loop her fingers into his wide belt and hold on in that precarious way. If she fell from his horse, then so be it; but she would not endure his physical contact.
During the short nights, she would toss and turn in her light and restless slumber. She would murmur sorrowfully, but he could not decipher her inaudible words. She refused to go near White Arrow or to even acknowledge his presence. Yet, her subtle innocence and great beauty spoke loudly to both men. Her bruised cheek was a constant and irritating reminder of Gray Eagle’s brutal loss of control.
Gray Eagle soon found himself watching Alisha more closely and more frequently as the long days and cool nights sped by. His body came to hunger for hers. The memory of how it had once been between them returned countless times to plague his peace of mind and enforced celibacy since her loss. Even if it had only been a deception upon her part, no woman had ever given herself to him as she had. No woman had ever given him such pleasure or such endless hunger. Even if it had only been a deception, he would gladly endure it all again! How he wished she had not betrayed him!
He was strangely troubled by her sadness and everincreasing distance. Perhaps he had been overly cruel and demanding with her. Perhaps he had made her more aware of her enslavement to him than of her attraction to him. Yet, he could forgive her for those natural reactions. What he could not forgive was her desire for his death, her desire for Powchutu, her desire for Gordon! His heart warred with his lusty body day and night; one wanted to love her and the other wanted to painfully hurt her.
His nerves became jittery and taut. His loins raged against this unnecessary denial of his wife’s body when she was within easy reach of his power and possession. He would discover himself staring at her, planning her defeat over and over. Sometimes it was a physical victory; others, an emotional one. He argued steadily with his overpowering frailty where she was concerned. How was it possible to desire an enemy who had tried to destroy you, who had tricked you, who had betrayed you, who had shared the heights of passion with you, who had clung to you in irresistible longing, who had soared to the eagle’s domain with you? It was insane; it was tormenting; it was challenging!
Soon, his mounting agitation began to show. He began to look for ways to intimidate her or to tease her, anything which he could do to catch her attention. He was not a blind fool; she had found him virile and magnetic at one time. He would remind her of those heated nights and days which they had shared. Surely her body was just as hungry and weak as his was! He recalled those first few weeks of Alisha’s captivity when he had trained her body to respond to his mere touch, or to his mellow voice, or to the sight of him. Her innocent mind had lacked the knowledge or the skill to deny him anything. But that was before she met that half-breed scout and that murderous Gordon! That was before she knew any man but him! That was when she naïvely thought she loved him! That was before she learned what hatred, revenge, and betrayal were! That was before she turned to another man…
Gray Eagle now wanted Alisha to experience the same annoying hunger pangs which he was feeling. He wanted to take her, but dared not reveal this agonizing truth to her. He wanted to entice her to the point of her seduction of him. He teased and he taunted; he terrorized and he tempted. Nothing worked. She continued to parry each thrust. Not knowing of how deeply his wounds were cutting her, he witnessed her continued strength and resistence with rising anger.
One night when Alisha could not sleep, she walked to the nearby stream, for Gray Eagle usually camped near water. She sat down and stared at the moon’s reflection upon the impenetrable black surface before her. How she longed for a merciful reprieve from his
warfare. She drew her legs close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She propped her chin upon her raised knees.
A leather-clad leg invaded her vision. She looked up to find Gray Eagle staring down at her. Moonlight danced off her silky hair and played in her grassy eyes. She could not take her eyes from his. Smoldering flames uncontrollably leaped into a passionate wildfire.
He dropped down to one knee and studied her tempting face. Her look told him she was willing and eager to have him. He had set his trap for her; now, she appeared hopelessly ensnared in it. Seeing his victory filled him with potent desire. His breathing quickened and his groin tightened. They continued to stare into each other’s eyes, captured by the magic of that moment.
His hand came out to gently caress her cheek, the one with the purplish-yellow bruise. She was artlessly seductive, yet cautiously restrained. She was soiled, yet naively pure. He wanted her; he needed her. She belonged to him. Not a glimmer of rejection or refusal could be read in her turbulent eyes.
His dark eyes unknowingly revealed his intense desire for her. Her own heart longed to reach out to him. For the first time since he had found her, he was gazing at her with desire and tenderness in his softened gaze. God, how she wanted him! Tears glistened in her eyes. She parted her lips to speak, but found his mouth covering hers. The battle was lost to her.
Time ceased. She melted into his arms and heatedly returned his ardent advances. They sank to the moist grass, unaware of its cool dampness. His mouth took hers time and time again. She had no will or desire to resist him. She clung to him even as he deftly removed their garments. His hands travelled her entire body with fiery fingers. She was his; he was her destiny.
As she arched to meet his entry, he boasted into her ear, “You are mine, Woman. I can take you when and where I choose. Never will you whore with another man. Never will you trick me with promises of love. You are my whore alone…”
Her passion chilled instantly at his stinging barb. She shouted at him, “Get off of me, you filthy animal! I will never submit to you! I hate you! Savage! Barbarian! Beast!”
Forbidden Ecstasy Page 39