Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1)

by Constance O'Banyon

  "Mara, are you sleeping?" Sasha asked from the fur robe where she lay nearby.

  "No, it does not seem a good night for sleeping, Sasha."

  "Are you still angry with the prince?"

  Mara sighed heavily. "I am very angry. What happened today was unforgivable."

  "Mara, the prince was not responsible for Palomas's actions today. His orders come only from the king himself. He was ordered to look after you, and keep you safe, but you know this."

  "I was in no danger from Anthony; he is a friend of mine."

  "Mara, once you become the bride of the prince, no one outside the royal family will be allowed to touch you without special permission."

  "Permission from whom?"

  "The prince."

  Mara sat up quickly. "I will allow no one to treat me as a possession. It seems that if I allow it, I will have no life of my own, and be treated like some china figurine."

  "The prince loves you very much, Mara. He is very jealous of any man who would look at you."

  "Jealousy does not always mean love, Sasha. A man can be jealous of his friends or even his horse. That does not mean he loves them."

  "Mara, the prince is very miserable because you quarreled today. When I told him you would not dine with him tonight, he left the tent and walked in the rain. I have never seen him this way. Please be patient with him, for while you do not understand many things about him and his way of life, he is also learning about you and the way you think and feel. Tajarez is the prince royal. He is always obeyed, and his words are never questioned. I believe he is having a hard time understanding you. He is being very patient, for him."

  "If today is any example of his patience, I would hate to see him when he is unbending," Mara said angrily. "I cannot change and be someone who has no thoughts and opinions of my own. I was brought up to think for myself, and encouraged to express my feelings. I love Tajarez, and will compromise many things for him, but I will not become someone who "will bend to his every whim. To do so would be to become mindless, and I can assure you that will never happen."

  "Have you said this to the prince?" Sasha asked, feeling proud of the way Mara stood up for herself. It was a new idea to her that a mere woman could go against the prince. It was unheard of, and to Sasha, a little frightening. She knew she would never disagree with the prince, nor would anyone of her acquaintance. Even grown warriors would not dare displease the prince, for retribution would be swift and sure.

  "Let us talk of something else, Sasha. I do not wish to think of Tajarez tonight. I am still too angry."

  Sasha was quiet for a moment, then she spoke softly: "Mara, I am most grateful to you for standing up for me today at the trading post. I do not understand why the white woman disliked me so much."

  Mara could hear the hurt in Sasha's voice. She turned over on her stomach and propped her head on her hand. "There are cruel people in the world, Sasha, such as the woman at the trading post. They are narrow-minded and stupid. They lash out at anyone who is different from themselves."

  "I do not understand this."

  "Nor will you ever, Sasha. You have never been exposed to bigotry. Put the incident out of your mind. I will see that you never encounter such ugliness again."

  "Mara, the prince was very pleased today when I told him of your defending me to the woman."

  "Go to sleep, Sasha. Perhaps by tomorrow, you will have forgotten about the woman's cruelty." But Mara knew it would be a long time before Sasha would be able to put the incident out of her mind. She felt responsible for Sasha. Throughout the years, Mara had made many different friends, but she felt closer to Sasha than she had to any of the others. Sometimes she wished she could be more like Sasha, who was so understanding and forgiving.

  Mara had a temper, and more often than not, would become angry over something unimportant. She supposed it had been the way she had been brought up. Her parents had indulged her and had allowed her to express her views, but now Tajarez seemed to want to crush her free spirit and make her subservient to his wishes. If he had wanted a woman who would only say the things he wanted to hear, he should have chosen one of the women of his tribe, for she would never let a man dominate her thinking.

  The rain had let up by now, and Mara felt herself becoming drowsy. Maybe, she thought, she would not ask Tajarez to apologize. Perhaps she should just allow the matter to drop. She did not want to quarrel with him.

  Yes, tomorrow she would act as though nothing had gone wrong between them.

  The camp was silent. The thunderstorm had moved on, and most everyone was asleep. All the tents were darkened, except for one. Tajarez paced up and down the fur robe, while Jeffery watched.

  "How can you defend your sister, when you know she was in the wrong, Jeffery?"

  "I am saying she had every right to be angry with you. What you and Palomas did today was inexcusable. Anthony would never have harmed Mara. He is very fond of her."

  Tajarez stopped in front of Jeffery and- let out his breath. "I am aware of his feelings for Mara. Your sister will soon learn that I will not allow her to show anger toward me in front of my people. I must be obeyed. Most of my warriors witnessed her performance today. I can only guess what they are thinking. I cannot seem to appear weak in their eyes."

  "Has it never occurred to you that you could be in the wrong?" Jeffery asked.

  Tajarez raised his eyebrow, and sank down on the white cushion. He was thoughtful for a moment, as though it were a new idea to him that he might be at fault.

  "No. I was right; Mara belongs to me. I will never allow another man to touch what is mine."

  "Yet according to you, she is not yet your wife," Jeffery reminded him.

  "No, she is not yet my wife, but she belongs to me nonetheless."

  "Would you not soon become bored with a wife who would always do what you expect of her? You are surrounded with people who will say yes to anything you ask. Do you not sometimes wish for someone to have an opinion of his own?"

  "Jeffery, I like to think I am fair-minded. If someone has something worthwhile and intelligent to say to me, I will listen and consider his side of it. Am I not allowing you to speak now, even though you are mistaken? I would not want a wife who would merely echo my opinions, but Mara goes one step beyond what is allowed. She is obstinate, opinionated, and most of the time I do not know where I stand with her."

  Jeffery smiled. "You secretly like her this way, do you not?"

  Tajarez turned his dark eyes on Jeffery. "I love her, but she must learn to obey me in all things."

  "She will never learn that, Tajarez."

  "I believe she will learn; though she may not like it at first."

  Jeffery laughed and shook his head. "You do not know my sister very well. Perhaps it will be she who changes you.

  Tajarez smiled slightly. "Perhaps. If she but knew it, I am already her willing slave. She has the power within her small hand to bend me to her will. Was it not proof of it tonight when I summoned her to dine with me and allowed her to refuse my invitation? I am lenient with her. Is that not proof that I am willing to compromise?"

  "Is it not always so when one is in love, Tajarez?"

  "How can I know, I have never loved before your sister. Do you speak from experience, Jeffery?"

  Jeffery thought of Sasha and his reaction to her. "I believe myself to be halfway in love at this moment. Love is as new to me as it is to you."

  "Will this woman you fancy yourself in love with still be available to you when you return to your home?"

  "I do not know if she will ever be available to me. But we were speaking of you."

  "The subject has been talked out, Jeffery," Tajarez said, no longer wishing to discuss Mara. Standing up, Tajarez removed his headband. "Do you wish to accompany me in the morning? I am taking Anias hunting, and you, if you wish to go along." Jeffery stood up. "Yes, you can count on me." "Good. Now the hour is late. You should try to get some sleep." Tajarez dismissed him.

  Jeffery walk
ed to his tent, which was the one closest to Mara's. The more he came to know Tajarez, the more he liked him, but Tajarez would not find Mara as easy to control as he thought. There would be many battles of will before the two of them reached an understanding of one another, he thought, and if he was a betting man, he would place his wager on Mara to be the final victor.

  It took much food to sustain such a large number of people. They were moving at too fast a pace to dry the meat, and fresh game had to be killed daily because the weather was hot and the meat spoiled quickly.

  Tajarez dismounted and looked past the steep incline to the river beyond. He could see Anias coming out of the woods and noticed Jeffery was not with him. His dark eyes scanned the horizon. Dark clouds could be seen in the distance. There would be more rain tonight, he thought.

  Tajarez led his horse down the incline toward the river. He had spotted no game so far. Perhaps Anias and Jeffery had been more fortunate than himself.

  Tajarez felt his horse pull against the reins, and automatically tightened his grip. The animal reared on its hind legs, and Tajarez sensed that something had disturbed him. He tossed the reins aside and spun around, scanning the wooded area. Looking past Anias, he saw a black grizzly bearing down on his cousin, and since Anias had his back to the woods, Tajarez knew he was unaware of it.

  Tajarez raced forward, stringing his bow as he ran. He shouted to Anias, "Stand clear. There is danger, Anias."

  By this time, Anias had heard the charging animal for himself, and he watched as Tajarez jumped in front of him and aimed his silver-tipped arrow at the bear's heart. The arrow flew through the air and found its target. The animal staggered, but did not go down.

  "Get back, Anias," Tajarez ordered. "This one does not die easily."

  The sounds the wounded animal made echoed along the riverbank. The grizzly was crazy in its lust for blood. The bear charged Tajarez, whose bow and arrows were now useless to him. He was aware that Anias had run into the river.

  Anias, seeing Tajarez was in danger, automatically raised his bow and aimed it at the bear. Then it flashed through his mind that if Tajarez were dead, the rule of the Seven Cities would pass to his father and through his father to him. On his cousin's death, Mara would be free. She would be his.

  Tajarez jumped to the left of the charging animal. The sharp talons missed him by inches. The bear was in agony, and Tajarez knew it would kill anything that moved. He thought if he could make it into deep water, he could easily out-swim the wounded animal.

  The bear, however, seemed to sense Tajarez's intentions, and whirled on him. The animal was bleeding from his mouth and nostrils. Tajarez quickly threw down his bow and withdrew his knife, knowing it would now be his only defense. He wondered why Anias had not come to his aid.

  Tajarez now knew he faced death. He could smell the foul odor that came from the grizzly. The sounds that came from the animal were enough to cause the strongest man to quake in fear. Tajarez, however, did not wait for the animal to reach him, but charged forward. He felt his knife make contact with the bear as he buried it in the animal up to the hilt. He felt himself being lifted into the air, and then a gunshot rang out. For what seemed like forever, Tajarez was suspended in the air. The animal suddenly pitched forward and Tajarez hit the ground hard, and immediately jumped to his feet, unharmed.

  Jeffery reloaded his gun, then ran down the embankment. Tajarez cautiously approached the fallen animal. By the time Jeffery reached his side, Tajarez had rolled the bear over. Then he withdrew his knife. Jeffery knelt down beside him and they both examined the animal.

  "There is where I wounded him, Jeffery, with the arrow, and here is the knife wound. You shot him in the head, yet there is a fourth wound here in his chest that was made by a bullet."

  "This could be the bear Anthony told us he wounded."

  Tajarez nodded. "Most probably it is. I cannot understand a man's wounding an animal and leaving it to suffer. Your friend should have stayed to finish the job."

  "I agree. Look, your arrow penetrated the animal's heart, and still he did not die. I have never seen a bear to rival this one in size. He must weigh close to eight hundred pounds."

  Tajarez looked at Jeffery. "You saved my life. Ask what you will and it is yours."

  "I want nothing. It is no more than you would have done in my place." He smiled. "Mara would never have forgiven me if anything had happened to you. Besides, you are my friend. Are you hurt in any way?"

  "No, but I thought for a while that this day I would walk among the spirits."

  By now Anias had joined them. His eyes sought Tajarez's, wondering if his cousin would suspect that he had purposely not come to his rescue.

  Tajarez frowned. "I am glad you are not harmed, Anias."

  "The grizzly caught me unaware, Tajarez. It is because of you that I live. Next time I hope it is I who stand between you and harm. Then I can repay my debt to you.

  The fact that Tajarez had saved his life at the risk of his own only caused Anias's hate to deepen. Had it not been for the Golden One's brother, he would now have all he desired.

  Today, instead of witnessing his cousin's death, he had been made to appear the coward. Although Tajarez had not said so, Anias knew he was wondering why he had not come to his aid.

  It rained hard that night, and the next morning the rain continued to fall. As the travelers made their way westward, their progress was slowed by the driving rain as well as the strong wind that blew out of the southwest making it hard to see more than a few paces ahead of them.

  Mara felt miserable. She was soaked to the skin, and her riding habit clung to her feeling wet and heavy against her skin. She longed for the shelter of her tent. She had not seen Tajarez since the day they crossed over the river. But when they stopped at noon, Mara noticed Tajarez and Jeffery had joined them. She was determined that she would not be the one to make the first move toward reconciling their differences. He would either come to her or they would continue on as they were now.

  Jeffery walked over to her and sat down under the tree where she had sought shelter. Mara was a little put out with him for spending all of his time with Tajarez and none with her.

  "You look something like the half-drowned kitten George pulled out of the Mississippi last winter, little sister. Bet there is not a dry spot on you anywhere," he said, crossing his long legs in front of him and pulling his hat down lower over his forehead to shelter him from the driving rain.

  "Pretty words could never win me over, Jeffery," she told him angrily.

  "I thought the rain would cool down your temper and make you somewhat easier to get along with," he said, grinning.

  "Little you would care if I were drowning. You spend all of your time with Tajarez, doing God only knows what."

  He watched as she pushed a strand of golden hair that had escaped from her hat back under the brim. "I have not meant to neglect you, Mara, but I must confess I am getting a lesson in wilderness survival from Tajarez. It is an invaluable lesson, and Tajarez is a good teacher. You cannot imagine how exciting it is for me to ride beside him in the virgin wilderness and witness sights yet unseen by any other white man. After this experience, it will be difficult for me to return to the polite society of St. Louis."

  Mara turned her back to him. "Look at me, as you put it, looking like a drowned kitten. At this moment I could have been on my way to Paris."

  He turned her around to face him, and his expression was grim. "Are you having regrets, Mara?"

  Green eyes stared into green eyes, before Mara finally dropped her lashes and looked away. "No, I am having no regrets. Sometimes I wonder what I am doing here, but other times I know."

  He touched her cheek lightly. "I suspect you will feel better once the rains have stopped and the sun comes out."

  "Perhaps. Look, they are beginning to mount up. Oh, what I would give at this moment for a change of dry clothing and a shelter from this wind."

  Jeffery helped her to her feet. "Just think of it t
his way, little sister. Each mile you travel will be one less mile you will have to go."

  "That is easy for you to say; you are enjoying yourself," she quipped.

  Jeffery kissed her soundly on the cheek, then helped her to mount her horse before he left her to seek out Tajarez.

  Tajarez had not approached Mara, nor had he even looked in her direction. If he was waiting for her to make the first move, he could just wait until hell froze over, she thought bitterly.

  They had been riding only a short time when they came to a narrow mountain trail. There was a sheer drop-off of some hundred feet on one side. Mara shivered when she saw the steep ravine, thinking if one were to fall over the side it would mean sure death.

  They would have to ride single file to reach the other side of the mountain. Mara shifted her position, wishing she could ride astride as Sasha did. She thought she felt her saddle shift beneath her. Clutching tightly to Blanco's reins, she felt the saddle move once again. The movement must have spooked Blanco, because he reared up on his hind legs and pawed the air. Mara's saddle gave way underneath her, and she felt herself falling. She did not even have time to cry out as she landed near the edge of the cliff. Then she felt herself sliding over the side toward the gully below. Her hands clutched at the side of the cliff, trying to grasp something solid to hold on to, but it was muddy, and she felt her hands slipping.

  It was then she realized she was not alone. She felt Palomas's arms encircle her waist. He was holding her in such a way that his body, and not hers, was taking all of the punishment as they both rolled over the steep slope.

  All the unkind things she had said to Palomas flashed through Mara's mind, and now he was risking his life to save hers. She felt in that moment that they would both be killed.

  Suddenly their fall was broken. Palomas had grabbed on to a tree root that protruded out of the side of the cliff. He swung her around so he would have a better hold on her. Mara tried to reach for the root herself, so she could relieve him of some of her weight, but it was just out of her reach.