Twelfth Moon

by Lori Villarreal

  He was watching her, his hand suspended in mid-flight, a piece of rabbit between his long fingers. His silver-burnished eyes were focused on her mouth and for a heart-stopping moment, Cadence thought he’d seen through her disguise. She nervously licked the grease from her lips, and then scrubbed them on her sleeve. He glanced away, slipping the piece of meat into his mouth. It seemed to break whatever spell hovered between them.

  He chewed slowly, as though contemplating something important. And then without really looking at her, he tossed another piece of rabbit onto her plate. “Are you from New Orleans?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  “Yes, I was born there.” Which was no secret. Cadence nibbled at the meat, a bit slower now that the edge had been taken off her hunger.

  Jonah hesitated. “Were you acquainted with my brother?”

  “I never knew him…before that night,” she whispered hoarsely, not only because of the damage to her throat, but from the emotions the topic engendered.

  It was obvious Jonah wanted to know more about what had happened that night. And it was also obvious he was caught between doing his duty as a U.S. Marshal and a brother itching to take his pain out on her.

  But instead of pressing her for more information about Robert, he changed the subject. “Do you have any family?”

  He wouldn’t know, of course, since he’d been following her trail as a boy. “I have two younger sisters.”

  “And your parents?”

  “My mother died a long time ago, but my father lives. We each do our part to take care of him – he’s almost completely blind.”

  “It must have been difficult,” Jonah said quietly. “In some ways, you must have had to be the man of the family.”

  Cadence snorted at that, earning a scowl from Jonah. “We always did what needed doing,” was all she said. There was a long pause, and then she asked, “What about you – do you have any…other brothers or sisters?” She was sorry she’d asked such a stupid question when she caught the dark look on his face.

  He was quiet for so long, she didn’t think he was going to answer, but then he said, “My parents are both still alive and I have a younger sister. She’s sixteen and quite a little imp,” he added, his lips quirking up in a wry smile.

  Cadence’s stomach dropped to her toes. He was so incredibly handsome and looked so heartbreakingly sad at the same time.

  She wanted to cry.

  She wanted to curl up in a ball and blubber like a baby for what she’d done, how it effected her father and sisters by having to leave them, to be hunted as a murderer, and for what she’d taken away from Jonah and his family. The first town she’d stopped at, she’d sent a letter to Jaelene and Kara, telling them that she was all right. She was sure they were terribly worried for her, but there was nothing she could do about it for now.

  “She sounds very sweet.” Cadence regretted her words when he gave her an odd look. A boy would probably not have said something like that. “For a girl,” she thought to add.

  Jonah just harrumphed, turning his attention to the other two rabbits. He pulled them off the spit and Cadence watched in fascination as he finished one off entirely by himself, belching loudly afterward. She couldn’t contain a small giggle, but then stifled it in case he might think it too girlish.

  He dumped the scraps into the fire and wrapped the remaining rabbit for breakfast in the morning. Then he stood, stretching, and gave a jaw-cracking yawn. “Well, I’d say it’s time to turn in.”

  Her eyes were drawn to his thick thighs, the sculpted curve of his buttocks and inexorably, to the front of his trousers. She wondered what lay behind that denim barrier, causing a languid rush of desire to flood her veins. It was hot and demanding, the distant howl of a coyote punctuating the wildness lurking inside her.

  Cadence snapped her attention back to reality, chastising herself for her loss of control. Glancing away from the object of her unholy obsession, she noticed several small logs and sticks lying in a pile near the fire. It was within her reach. If he were to—

  Jonah dropped onto one knee, reaching to straighten his bedroll.

  SHE DIDN’T STOP TO think. She just grabbed one of the thicker logs with both hands and without a second thought, whacked him on the back of the head. He grunted, but didn’t go down completely, catching himself with his other hand. Cadence didn’t take the time to check, but bolted for the darkness – and freedom, beyond the camp.

  Her heart pounded with exhilaration, while her feet took her farther and farther from Jonah. She’d need to remove her clothes, as she usually did, before shifting into the panther. As soon as she could risk it, she would stop, roll her clothes into a bundle and carry them in her teeth. The panther ran much faster and she would gain more distance that way.

  Suddenly, she saw stars as a solid force rammed into her from behind, knocking her to the ground. The air in her lungs was expelled in a loud whoosh as she hit the dirt and for what seemed an eternity, she couldn’t draw a breath. When she did, she wheezed and choked, spitting grit out of her mouth, creating clouds of dust with each breath. Tiny pebbles dug into her cheek. Every bone in her body wanted to crack under the crushing weight on top of her.

  A large hand clasped the back of her neck, fingers like a vice. Of course it was Jonah. Who else could it be? She felt his heavy breaths fanning her ear – could smell his scent.

  “You little bastard!” he rasped near her ear. He roughly crammed his knee into her back. “I oughta kick the shit out of you right now.”

  She couldn’t move. If she did, a bone would surely break, probably more than one. He held her immobile, restraining her as easily as a child with a rag doll, filling her with rage. She snarled like the animal she was.

  Jonah fisted his hand into the back of her shirt and hoisted her to her feet. Twisting one arm behind her back until it almost snapped, he literally dragged her back toward the camp, her feet barely touching the ground.

  Cadence’s heart pounded with something other than exhilaration this time – it was fear. Images of the last time a Kincaid had manhandled her flitted through her mind, and suddenly she wasn’t so sure this Kincaid could be trusted to stop before he killed her.

  But she had to control her terror, had to fight to contain the beast that was attempting to emerge in a natural instinct to survive. She would not be responsible for another man’s death – even if it meant sacrificing her own life in his place.

  When they reached camp, Jonah gave her a shove and she landed on her bedroll. She grunted in pain as her shoulder met the ground hard. She slowly inched her body so she could watch him. He was standing near the fire several feet away, bent over, his hands resting on his knees. He was breathing hard.

  She noticed a thin line of red trailing from behind his ear, which was covered mostly by his dark, thick hair. It had trickled down the side of his neck. Just that small bit of blood, the fact that she’d been the cause of it, turned her stomach. Oh, God! Cadence prayed she hadn’t hurt him too badly.

  She had to say something. “I’m sorr—”

  “Don’t,” he ground out, “say a word.”

  Jonah hung his head, closing his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath, letting it out in a harsh sigh, and then moved to pick up a length of rope. He brought it over to where Cadence lay and with jerky movements, tied her hands behind her back. When he grabbed her ankles, pulling them backward, she let out a protest. “What – what are you doing?”

  “I’m not taking any chances with you.” He secured the rope so her feet and hands were trussed behind her back.

  “I promise I won’t–”

  “Shut your mouth, kid, before I lose what little is left of my control and cram your teeth down your throat. Get some sleep. We ride hard tomorrow.”

  Jonah collapsed down onto his bedroll. He couldn’t believe his own stupidity. How long had it been since he’d allowed someone to sneak past his defenses like that?

  Years.

  But Cade had those big, g
reen eyes and he’d already been through hell. And the kid was just so scrawny, Jonah had doubted he could beat his way out of a grain sack. He’d felt sorry for him, wanted to take it easy on him. He’d let his guard down and in his arrogance, Jonah hadn’t believed the kid capable of putting one over on him.

  Now he had a goose-egg the size of his boot heel on the back of his head for his foolishness. Who would have thought the kid had it in him, had the strength to pick up that piece of wood and not only give it a good swing, but hit anything with any measure of success? Well, he did hit something – Jonah’s head. Good thing it was harder than most. Jonah snorted. It would take more than a big stick to best him.

  Maybe that was how Cade had overpowered Robert – taking him by surprise.

  Five

  CADENCE WOKE UP THE next morning to the chorus of every muscle…every bone, joint, tendon – and even her skin – screaming in agony. If it had a name, it was in pain. That late-night tumble into the sandy, gritty pit of hell called the Texas desert plain, combined with one big, heavy-as-a-boulder U.S. Marshal had come back to haunt her.

  His face came into view, looming above hers and she was sorely tempted to spit in it. “I’m going to untie you,” he said, not looking the least bit sorry that he’d done it in the first place. “Take it slow before you move too much. You need to work the circulation back.”

  When he reached toward her face, she flinched away from him. “You’ve got a few cuts there, on your cheek,” he said, gesturing with his hand.

  He cut the ropes, then, and Cadence groaned as she flexed her fingers, and stretched her arms and legs. She forced herself into a sitting position. He was still crouched in front of her, knees wide. Without following his asinine advice, she swung her fist.

  Her punch hit his jaw with a satisfying smack.

  Jonah’s head turned to one side. He’d barely flinched. It hadn’t even knocked him to his finely molded ass as she’d hoped. Cadence cursed loudly, pulling her throbbing hand into herself, cradling it in self-pity. She should have kicked him between the legs, instead!

  “I suppose I deserved that,” Jonah said mildly, and then stood up and walked away. He returned with a plate of cold rabbit meat, setting it in front of her. “Eat up. We head out in ten minutes.”

  So much for the nicer side of Jonah Kincaid, Cadence thought sullenly, her shoulders sagging. At least he hadn’t killed her. She pushed the meat around the plate, picked up a piece, and placed it in her mouth. It tasted like sawdust, her appetite completely lost. Suddenly, a wave of despair settled heavily over her. She was unable to stop the tears as they flooded her eyes, spilling onto her cheeks.

  Her situation was hopeless. Her attempt to escape had failed. It was only a matter of days before the moon was full and she would turn into the worst kind of hussy. And she was on her way back to New Orleans, where she would stand trial for murder…and probably hang.

  Maybe it would have been easier for everyone if Jonah had just killed her. But no – what a selfish thing for her to even contemplate! She could not wish Jonah to become a murderer.

  “Are you crying?”

  Cadence stared at the pair of boots that appeared in her blurry line of vision. She noted vaguely how his shiny, silver spurs contrasted sharply with the scuffed leather. Damn him for always sneaking up on her like that! It was humiliating enough that he’d so easily prevented her escape, but to have him witness her bout of tears was intolerable. “No!” She swiped the moisture away with her sleeve. “Got dust in my eyes.”

  She avoided making eye contact with him, hastily scrambling to her feet. Ignoring her aches and pains, she busied herself with rolling up her blankets.

  “Everything else is done,” Jonah said softly. “I’ll just wait over there.” He hesitated a short moment and then strode off.

  Cadence imagined he might have pointed in some direction, but hadn’t looked up to find out. She was afraid he’d see her reddened nose and eyes, and tear-spiked eyelashes. What a horror this has all turned out to be! Maybe she should just tell him the truth – tell him everything right from the beginning.

  Maybe – just maybe – he could help her.

  And maybe pigs could fly! He was a U.S. Marshal. His job was to bring in criminals like her and that was the end of it. Plus the man she’d killed happened to be Jonah’s brother. He wouldn’t help her. She would just have to find another opportunity to escape.

  She grabbed the bedroll and headed toward her horse. When she looked up, Jonah was standing next to it, waiting for her. He took her bundle, stuffing it in the saddlebags.

  “Come here.”

  She paused for only a moment, and then stepped closer to him. He reached toward her face, holding a dampened bandana. But when he tried to wipe her cheek, she swatted his hand away. “I don’t need that.”

  “It needs to be cleaned, or it could get infected.”

  “Fine.”

  Cadence held her breath, her heart beating rapidly as he placed two fingers on her chin, tilting it up. He raised the cloth in his other hand. With gentleness she wouldn’t have expected from such a large, masculine man, he wiped away the dirt.

  His touch, just those two fingers supporting her chin, sent a riot of sensations zipping through her body. She inhaled slowly through her nose, his scent intensely pleasing.

  He smelled of shaving soap, smoke from a wood fire, and the salty tang of male sweat. And it was so enticing, her knees weakened, her breasts tingled, and she felt a languid heaviness settle in her loins. She grew moist down there and had to struggle to keep her breathing even.

  She wanted to let her eyes drift shut and savor it. Instead, she studied his rugged face. Without a hat, his dark hair curled over his broad forehead, behind his ears, teasing his collar. His black eyebrows curved gently over eyes the color of frosted silver. His nose was long and straight. There was only a faint shadow where a beard would grow quickly if he didn’t keep it under control, so he must have shaved this morning.

  Then Cadence stared at his mouth. Mistake. His lips were full and supple, her own lips tingling as she imagined what it would be like to kiss him. She almost leaned in, but halted herself just in time. What a fool! Jonah would not take it too well to be kissed by a boy, or at least that’s what he’d think, before he pummeled her into the ground.

  He produced the can of ointment and she allowed him to dab some into the cuts on her cheek. But when it appeared he was going for her throat next, she’d had enough. She couldn’t take anymore contact with him or she’d leap on him. She snatched the can from him. “I’ll do it, if you don’t mind.”

  He raised his hands in surrender, stepping back. “Okay, suit yourself, kid.”

  She dipped a finger into the ointment and smeared it on her neck, but without having actually seen where the bruising was, she wasn’t sure if she was getting it in the right place.

  With a sound of impatience, Jonah pushed her hand aside and rubbed the ointment slightly above where she’d been applying it. Cadence groaned. His touch shot sparks of desire through her veins.

  Jonah snatched his hand back, suddenly feeling awkward. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “I-It’s okay.”

  Jonah waited while Cade applied the ointment to his wrists, thinking about when he’d touched the kid’s cheek. It had been soft as a baby’s belly – no sign of whiskers, not even a little peach fuzz. Cade had to be at least fifteen. The top of his head reached Jonah’s nose and Jonah was a tall man. A lad that age should be sprouting some facial hair, but Jonah had detected none at all. It was very odd.

  What was also odd and deeply disturbing was the way he felt compelled to be gentle with the kid – even after Cade had almost cracked his skull. Jonah had been angry enough to throttle the kid until his teeth rattled, and yet this morning he was back to coddling him. It must be that look of dejection he’d seen on Cade’s face earlier, and the fact that he’d been crying, even though he’d denied it.

  Cadence finished, ha
nding the tin back to Jonah. With nothing left to do but mount their horses, Jonah nodded his head toward hers. “Well, get on up there.”

  When she reached for the saddle horn, Jonah was there to assist her onto the horse. He lifted her by the waist as she swung her leg over the saddle. His hands were like hot brands and she was relieved when he quickly released her.

  When he’d helped her apply the ointment to her neck, he’d thought he’d hurt her. It had been agony – but not one of pain. She hadn’t been able to suppress her groan of pleasure. And now, the return of his kindness, the gentle way he’d helped her tend her bruises, and his solicitousness in helping her into the saddle almost brought tears to her eyes again. But she choked them back, not wanting to give herself away with a feminine display of emotion.

  They rode out, Jonah setting an easy pace. When Cadence realized there was no rope connecting them, she darted a glance in his direction.

  Obviously reading her thoughts, Jonah looked over at her. “Don’t even think of running off, or you’ll be sorrier than you’ve ever been.”

  Cadence snorted, turning her attention straight ahead. They passed the next few hours in silence, neither one of them, apparently, feeling the need for conversation. As another hour passed, she began to shift uncomfortably in her saddle.

  She cursed inwardly. She’d been so busy feeling sorry for herself back at the camp that she’d neglected to see to nature’s needs. Now, her bladder was rebelling for that oversight, and she remembered what Jonah had said about ‘doing his business’ – that he would no longer cater to her need for privacy.

  “You got bedbugs biting you in the ass, boy?” Jonah barked. “You’ve been fidgeting for the last hour.”