"You are hungry again already?" Nimiwin teased. "You have much strength to regain."
He nodded and stuck a piece of dry pemmican in his mouth. Chewed. Then thought…but banished the thought. The tale was only that: a tale. A story used to scare small children into obedience.
He focused on Nimiwin again. Only she could drive the fear from his mind. She had removed the wolf-skin cape she wore from her shoulders and spread it on the ground. She reached for him, and when he held her, she lay down.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"When you were gone so long, when I was afraid you would not return, I nearly died from grief. I promised myself if you returned, we would become one. Soon we will wed anyway. Still, tonight I want to become your wife in all ways except the ceremony."
It was what he wanted, also. He wanted her body, but he wanted her to be his in all ways. Wanted children with her, a shared life forever.
Their life would start tonight….
The story was not a tale, though. Each night he met Nimiwin and they made love; each day, the hunger grew. It consumed him to the point he didn't realize Cingusi was missing — didn't know he had gone until his enemy returned, furious and demanding Cocoman be banished, if not killed.
Cingusi had found the campsite. The ravaged bodies. He insisted there were no animal tracks to explain the warriors being eaten. None of the bears had yet left hibernation. Cingusi found no puma tracks, none from wolves or wolverines, which ate flesh. Only bird and rabbit tracks marked the fallen snow.
Cocoman had eaten his friends to survive, Cingusi insisted. Cocoman would become a windigo if they did not kill him to prevent this!
Cocoman didn't even pack after he overheard Cinguisi with the Elders. He only lingered because he could not bear to leave Nimiwin without saying goodbye. But he couldn't find her, and he slipped away from camp. He waited in their meeting place. He knew she would come one last time.
She appeared at the mouth of the cave, but would not enter. He stood to face her. When he took a step, she held out a forestalling hand.
"Is it true?" she asked.
"I can explain — "
"Is it true?" she insisted.
He bowed his head. "Yes."
Surprising him, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. "I will go with you! I love you so much, I cannot bear to be without you."
He instinctively held her close, wishing with everything in him he could grant her wish. Yet the rumbling in his innards as he felt her pliant, warm flesh beneath her robe warned him once again this lore, passed down by the storytellers, was not just a moral tale. His transformation had already begun. He did not know how long it would take, but it would not be denied.
He had enough human-ness left to not allow her to be one of his prey.
He tried to push her away, but she clung to him, arms fierce around his neck. "No! No, I cannot bear it. You are my love. My life is with you, no matter how we must live."
He steeled himself and pulled her arms free, then stepped back. "You must go. Now. There is no life left for the two of us."
"Tell me that you do not love me, then!" she raged. "Tell me you want me to be Cingusi's wife!"
"No," he breathed.
"That is what will happen! They will say what Cingusi told them is true, since you would not stay and face him. Say you ran away like a yellow coward because you had no denial for what he found! My father even now says I must wed Cingusi."
"He is a weasel, Nimiwin, just as his name signifies. He will not care for you. He only wants you because I love you. He will never let you forget you were mine first."
"Then take me with you. Rescue me from this horrible fate."
"I cannot," he whispered. "I…I am already becoming what they are calling me."
"Then so will I," she said stoutly. "I know the tales. I know what will happen. I will become a windigo with you. Then we shall be together for eternity."
"Even life with Cingusi would be better than that," he said emotionlessly. "That I will not let you do."
Tears flowed down her face, and she held out her hands in a plea for him to change his mind. Instead, he evaded her grasp and walked out of the cave. He didn't look back. He continued into the darkness until her beseeching screams faded.
~~~
It stood on the ice-covered lake as Her voice died, continuing to shield Its presence. She hadn't known portions of the story — only what had survived the passage of mouth-to-mouth.
She did not know what happened afterwards. No one did, since no person had witnessed it to pass the facts down through lore.
Cocoman returned to the cave several times, as did Nimiwin. He never let her see him, though she sometimes sensed he was near. One time she was wearing her bridal dress. The dress she would wear to wed Cingusi. Months later, she was with child. His or Cingusi's? He could not tell how far along she was or determine when she might give birth.
He entered the first sleep, and a long while later, woke and consumed the moldering remains that initially fed him until he could hunt again. With his first strength, though, he didn't seek out his next meal. Instead, he returned to the cave.
She lay still and lifeless on the cave floor, already a skeleton. Her weather-worn buckskin dress was stained with dried blood from the knife she had plunged into her breast.
It — for by then, Cocoman's transformation was complete — roared in grief and pain. What had Cingusi done to her? Even It had not believed Its foe would treat her so badly she would prefer death over his bed. Had not her family tried to protect her?
It tenderly picked her up and carried her far into the cave depths. This would be Its new lair. At least she would be with It in this way.
And those who had driven her to this would pay.
Chapter 38
Scarlet whimpered in Kymbria's arms and she realized she was hugging the setter close, squeezing her. At least, she hoped that was the cause of the dog's uneasiness. She kissed the satin head and released her. Scarlet licked her face in turn before she settled down again, head on Kymbria's lap. One hand on her spirit bundle, Kymbria uneasily stared at Caleb's back. He stood in front of the fire, thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets, gaze on the flickering flames.
After a moment, she shifted on the sofa to glance out the window. While she'd related the ancient, nearly-obscure tribal lore Adam had conveyed to Niona, snow had begun to fall again. A soft layer brushed the windowsill, and heavy dark-gray clouds over the frozen lake indicated more to come. Growing tired of waiting for Caleb's response, she rose and walked towards the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" Caleb asked.
"To see if any of the snowmobiles will start," she explained.
"If I have to repeat myself, I will," he said in a grim voice. "You're not going chasing after this beast."
She sighed and ignored him. What could he do if she disobeyed him? Use his superior physical strength against her? She had quite a store of self-defense training from over the years herself, probably moves he wouldn't expect.
Caleb joined her at the back door, but instead of trying to stall her as she donned her snow boots and heavy coat, he put on his warm gear, also. After she removed the garage door opener from the countertop and exited the cabin, Scarlet at her heels, the three of them walked silently out to the garage.
Kymbria punched the appropriate button, and the garage door slid up with a groan, snow mounded at its base scattering in clumps. She switched on the overhead lights, which illuminated the four machines, two of them older and well-used, the other two fairly new. She removed the key to the newest one from a hook inside the door and went over to the sleek black machine her brother Pete had bought on sale two years earlier.
"My brother always takes care of maintenance," she murmured to Caleb. "As I recall, he drains all the gas out before he stores the machines. Oh, I left the two gas cans I had them mix for me at the station the other day on the side of the garage."
"I'll get them," Caleb said.
He returned a moment later with one of the red ten-gallon gas cans in hand. Kymbria already had the gas cap off, and Caleb filled the tank. Then Kymbria slid onto the machine, inserted the key, and crossed her fingers.
After a short, preliminary grind, the snowmobile engine roared to life, and she uncrossed her fingers to form a V sign. She backed off the throttle to allow the machine to idle for a few moments.
"I'm just going to take it down the road and back," she said to Caleb. "Make sure it's running all right."
"Wait until I get another one started and I'll go with you," he ordered.
"I can be back by the time you do that."
She gleaned his intention even before it showed in his eyes, dropped the snowmobile into gear and swerved past him when he attempted to block her path.
"Keep Scarlet with you," she called over her shoulder as she turned down the driveway. Either he disregarded her or the dog escaped Caleb's grasp. On the road at the end of the driveway, Scarlet bounded around the snowmobile in a red flash, her yips of joy at the freedom of a run resounding even over the snowmobile's engine.
Kymbria shrugged, smiled and cranked up the throttle. She passed the setter, then throttled back so the dog could pass her. They played out the race all the way to the end of the dirt road, where Kymbria pulled to a stop at the intersection and let the engine idle again.
Her coat hood had blown off during the ride, and she lifted her face to the huge, heavy snowflakes drifting down. Sticking out her tongue, she caught one and grinned in success. Scarlet barked at her, then tore off up the next road.
"No!" Kymbria yelled. "Not that way! We’re going back!"
For a second, the setter obeyed, although her downcast expression as she trotted toward Kymbria indicated her displeasure.
"Sorry, sweetie…" Kymbria began just as the doe exploded from behind a brush pile and raced away. Scarlet yipped in excitement and dashed after it.
"No!" Kymbria yelled again as she revved the throttle and went after her dog.
At least Scarlet wasn't racing up the asphalt road, she thought as she dodged trees and kept the snowmobile on the deer trail through the woods. There wasn't much traffic this time of year, but a car topping a hill might jam on its brakes and slide into the dog before she could jump out of the way. She repeated her calls for Scarlet as she followed. Finally she saw a red flash ahead and halted the snowmobile. Tongue lolling, Scarlet scampered up to her.
"Bad dog," Kymbria scolded, although hard put to inflict a firm measure of censor in her voice. The setter's eyes shone with the joy of the chase and her tail waved at full banner.
"All right," Kymbria said with a laugh, then snapped her fingers. "Up behind me. I'm not taking a chance another deer will entice you."
The setter also enjoyed riding on the machines, and she didn't hesitate. She scrambled onto the seat behind Kymbria, then laid her head on Kymbria's shoulder so she could see where they were going. Kymbria U-turned on the path and headed back the way she'd come, slower now, so the dog wouldn't fall off.
Unable to hear another machine over the noise of her own engine, she and Caleb nearly plowed into each other on a curve. Luckily, she swerved left and he went right. Instead of stopping to face what she was sure would be an angry chastisement, Kymbria sped up and kept going. Now she could hear the sound of the engine on Caleb's machine right behind her, but she didn't stop. Soon she pulled into the garage. Caleb parked beside her.
She waited until Scarlet leapt off the seat before she dismounted, then slowly turned to face Caleb. Indeed, his eyes spat green flares of exasperation, but instead of what she expected him to say, he held out one of the helmets. "You forgot this," was all he said before he strode out of the garage.
Kymbria laid the helmet on the snowmobile seat and went after him. He stood beside a huge pine tree on the far side of the cabin, staring out at the lake, shoulders tense beneath his heavy jacket and fists clenched in his gloves. As she slowly approached, she said, "Scarlet chased a deer. I had to go after her."
"I know. I saw the tracks the deer left on the trail."
"Oh. Well, at least you believe me."
He turned. "I believe you. However, that didn't help my heartbeat as I raced after you. I nearly choked on panic, thinking around each bend I'd find you face-to-face with that fucking windigo. Maybe Scarlet in its jaws and you trying to free her! Goddamn it, Kymbria! Don't ever do that again!"
He yanked her to him, and initially, his mouth bruised hers in as much punishment as an attempt to share his anger. Within seconds, his kiss softened around a sigh and he kissed her more tenderly, fingers threading into her wind-blown hair. She lifted her arms and circled his neck, returning both the embrace and the kiss as she smoothed the tension knots in his neck muscles. Caleb gripped her head as one hand crept down her back. He grasped her hips and snugged her close to his hard erection as he drew back to stare down at her with eyes now smoky-green with desire.
"Yes," she breathed.
He nodded slightly, then shifted away to take her hand. He led her back to the cabin, opened the door and called Scarlet in before he pulled her into the kitchen and closed the door, locking it firmly. Then he turned and dropped his head again to claim her lips. As he kissed her, flaring her desire to a pitch, he unzipped her jacket and dropped it to the floor.
Whimpering at the delay, she jerked his jacket from his shoulders and it joined hers. Their boots were more trouble, and they had to forego the kiss as they bent and jerked them off. The instant they both stood, Caleb's hands were under her sweater, smoothing their way up to her breasts, his mouth on her neck this time, tongue laving her skin in alteration with lips sucking as she threw back her head.
"Which bedroom?" he growled. "Or we're going to end up on the floor right here."
She laughed half-hysterically, then took his hand and led him toward her bedroom. For an instant, she recalled his earlier anger when she told him about how the windigo was actually a long-ago person of her tribe. She chased the thought away before it fully formed. Right now, there was nothing more important than their lovemaking — nothing that could dim that overpowering desire.
She walked to the bed, not bothering to close the door. Scarlet would only whine and scratch at it, distracting them. Within seconds, they were both naked and she didn't even have time to examine his body before they fell entangled onto the bedspread.
For so many months after Rick's death — indeed, up until she met Caleb — she had thought her libido buried beneath her anger, grief, and betrayal. Banked somewhere down below her new joy of motherhood. Caleb had stirred the glimmering coals, and now they exploded into wildfire frenzy. When Caleb shifted over her, she gripped his shoulders and drank in the kiss as though starved for sustenance. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she groaned and wrapped one leg around him, imitating his thrusts as she rubbed herself against an erection she hadn't thought could grow, but had.
He tore his mouth free and she cried, "No!" until his lips settled on one breast, his palm rubbing enticingly on the other nipple. Desire exploded and she shattered in orgasm against him. He cupped her hips and held her close until the throes began to subside, then he lowered his mouth down her stomach. He buried his mouth against the weakening throbs, and it only took him a few seconds to send her over the top again. She stiffened as she climaxed, then fell back against the mattress, opening herself to whatever this talented lover wanted to do next.
"Birth control." Caleb whispered. "If I can find my pants — "
"You won't need anything," she murmured, not bothering at this point to explain why.
He'd already started to leave the bed, and for a moment, he left her lying helplessly as he stared down at her. Her crinkled nipples tightened even more under his gaze, and she held out a pleading hand.
"Not yet. Just…just lie there." He ran his eyes over her body — slowly. Though he stood above her — too far for her intense yearning — heat flowed over her wherever his gaze touched. "
Gorgeous," he said. "I imagined how beautiful you would be naked, but the dreams don't even come close to the reality."
"Ditto," she said with a smile, then beckoned again with her hand.
Finally he knelt on the side of the bed. She drew him towards her, expecting him to enter her immediately. But he surprised her again, kissing her first, deep kisses that soon had her writhing against him, one leg cupped around his hips, urging. Instead, with one hand stroking her between the legs, he nibbled at her ear, then licked a path to her left breast. When he suckled the nipple deep into his mouth, his finger feathered quickly against the nub he'd been stroking and her third orgasm flared, every bit as deep and shattering as the first two.
"My god," she breathed when she could speak again. She waited for his chuckle of satisfaction before she took him by surprise. The shove sent him onto his back, and she quickly covered him with her body.
"Your turn," she whispered as she shoved his hands up over his head. "I don't want to have to stop and tie you, but I will if you don't keep your hands up. O.K.?"
Both laughter and warning in his eyes, they darkened to emerald with desire. She opened her legs and settled on his penis, rubbing back and forth, reveling in the heat of him. "O.K.?" she repeated.
He moaned more than groaned and managed to nod his head. "Whatever you want. Just don't stop."
His nipples reacted as though every bit as sensitive as hers. She sucked on one, twirled the other between her fingers. His erection throbbed in reaction, and his eyes drooped, then closed as the growl in his throat deepened. His fists curled around the headboard posts, knuckles white with strain.
Surprising her, she felt another orgasm rise. Before she could tighten her muscles, Caleb was on top, his mouth over hers, his erection deep inside her, where it belonged. She wrapped her legs around him, dug her heels into his hips, and matched his tempo. She wasn't sure who climaxed first…not that it mattered. She was only dimly aware of his face buried against her neck, his cries of her name somewhere far off, past the intense pleasure of her next orgasm.
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