Sam looked up and down the hall before entering the classroom. He shut the door behind him.
“Does he know why I visited?”
“He knows you didn’t see the kids.” Kimi heard the sarcasm in her voice. As much as she tried not to be affected by Sam’s indifference to their children, it infuriated her. He was their father and he would rather brush their marriage and children under the rug. He wanted to pretend it never happened. No matter how much she convinced herself it was for the best, she couldn’t understand it. What kind of man walked away from his children?
She had married the man.
What did that say about her?
Kimi blew the hair away from her eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s what Moira wants.”
“You never did what I asked when we were married.”
Kimi couldn’t resist the dig. The truth was that Sam was seldom around when they were married. He was off exploring the world and building his career as a journalist. She had provided a comfortable landing point when he returned.
Sam pulled on the collar of his shirt. “I know I wasn’t a great husband. I don’t want to make the same mistake.”
Kimi stood. “We were kids in college when we married. Someone should have stopped us.”
Sam grinned. “Where was your brother then?”
“It’s too bad he was in the Forces.” Kimi leaned against her desk. “He would have tried to interfere, but I don’t think we would have listened.”
“No.” Sam pulled a folder out from under his arm. “We were crazy in love back then.”
“Crazy is the word.” Kimi smiled. “That’s until reality stepped in.”
“I want my new marriage to work.” Sam put the folder on the desk. “I know this seems like the coward’s way out, but right now I just can’t afford child support. I still have student loans. Moira and the new baby are more than I can handle.”
“You haven’t paid support for years.”
Kimi opened the file. A number of legal papers were inside with highlights where her signature was needed. She rifled through them. Words like disintegration, dissolution, and desertion, jumped out at her. Her stomach twisted at the finality of it.
Sam held his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “I’m the first to admit I’ve not been a good father.”
“What makes you think you’ll do better with your new son?”
“Moira won’t have it any other way.” Sam cleared his throat. “You let me slide at being a husband and a father. You never complained.”
Kimi crossed her arms. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“What?” Sam frowned.
“You just blamed me for our marriage falling apart.”
“It’s true. You were too self-reliant. You had to control everything about the kids, and somehow I didn’t measure up. I wasn’t Blackfeet.”
“When we married you were all enthused about living the traditional life of my people.”
“That’s before I understood what it would entail.” Sam waved his arms around the room. “I can’t bury myself in this place. There’s nothing here for a journalist.”
These were the same arguments she had heard throughout her marriage. Sam was still handsome, with his dark hair and eyes, but that’s all she saw now. There was no feeling left for him. He was a weak man, who would always take the easy way out. She shuddered to think what life would have been like if the marriage hadn’t ended.
She grabbed a pen and started signing the papers. She flipped through all of them twice to make certain she hadn’t missed a spot. This was the last time she wanted to see Sam. He was out of her life forever.
She pushed the folder toward him. “You’re free. What do you want me to tell the kids when they ask?”
“I’m still their father.” Sam picked up the folder. “I care.”
“You’ve been absent for most of their lives. Those are not the actions of a loving father.” Kimi sat down and grabbed a paper to mark.
“That’s not fair.” Sam tucked the folder under his arm. “You know I love them, but you’re the one who wants them raised in your traditions. I would only interfere.”
“A visit now and then isn’t going to corrupt them.” Kimi shook her head. “You haven’t seen them since Wil was a baby.”
“This isn’t ideal, but I am trying my best.” Sam walked to the door. “They’re too young to understand our situation. I think it’s best to leave things as they are.”
“They’re children. All they want to know is that you love them.”
“They know that. Thank you for this.” Sam motioned to the folder. “It’ll be a great help to me.”
“Goodbye.” Kimi winced as the door shut.
There was nothing left to say.
Sam was out of her life for good.
She looked down at the test papers with unseeing eyes. She had been young and a fool. She had believed that love was all that was needed to make a person happy. She doubted Sam would ever mature enough to make a good father. It was his loss. He was gone. She could close the door on that part of her life now.
Kimi continued to work for another half hour. The bell rang and she packed up the papers and slid them into her drawer. The school day was over. It was Friday and the weekend promised rest.
Then she remembered the man sleeping in her guest room.
Kimi stood and stretched just as a dark-haired woman wearing jeans and a blue blazer walked into the room
“I heard you had a visitor last night.”
Kimi grinned at her friend, and fellow teacher, Ann. “News travels fast.”
“Is he cute?”
Kimi gathered her books together. “Why don’t you come by and see for yourself?”
“That bad huh?”
“He’s pretty mixed up.” Kimi frowned. “I almost lost him last night.”
It had been touch and go at first. Bobby had helped drag him into the bed and then left. The stranger’s shirt was torn and the rest of his clothes were in no better shape. She had been too busy wrestling his garments off and tending to his numerous wounds to observe much about him. It wasn’t until later that she had noticed the man.
What a man.
He was a giant in comparison to the men she knew. It wasn’t just his height, which was at least six feet and a half. He had muscles on muscles. He had jet black hair and when he had opened his eyes, they were dark obsidian. Then there was the matter of his tattoo. He wore a number of symbols that her grandfather claimed were from the Star People.
That might not mean anything, though. Anyone could have found those symbols on the internet, and had them tattooed on them. No, there was something else about the man that was mesmerizing.
He wasn’t right in the head of course. His contention that he was a hunter, but didn’t hunt animals was just silly. If the tribe had found him poaching they might have roughed him up a bit, or called the police. They certainly wouldn’t have beat him to within an inch of his life and left him for dead.
“How did he get to your place?” Ann’s voice brought her back to the present.
“Bobby brought him.” Kimi shook her head. “The man has tattoos on his arm that look like Star People symbols. My grandfather’s out of town, so of course he delivered him to me.”
Ann grinned. “You can always trust Bobby to blow something out of proportion. Did you tell Jake about him?”
“Are you crazy?” Kimi’s fingers clenched her books. “He would hit the roof if he knew.”
Ann opened the classroom door and held it until they were both in the hallway.
“He only wants what’s right for you.”
“True, but he doesn’t trust me to make my own decisions.”
They walked outside and Ann stopped beside her blue compact. The clouds hung low in the sky and promised rain. Kimi moved her books to her other arm.
“At least your brother cares.” Ann unlocked her door. “I haven’t spoken to mine in
years.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Kimi glanced at the playground and waved her children over.
Ann threw her books in the back seat of her car and then got in. “Let me know if you need help with the stranger.”
“I will.”
Kimi waved goodbye and then met her kids at her battered, red truck. It had a king cab and could hold several people. She could have afforded a newer model, but this one moved around the back roads with ease. It suited her needs.
“Let’s get home.”
She opened the truck door. Peta and Wil jumped in and settled as she put her books on the back seat. The ride home was filled with the children’s chatter about their day. The time passed quickly. A flutter of excitement settled in her lower belly when she pulled the truck to a stop in her driveway.
“I hope Niail is still here.” Wil unbuckled his seatbelt. “I want him to tell me about Hunters.”
Peta jumped down from the truck. “He’s a man. He probably left.”
Kimi’s heart constricted. Peta thought all men were like her father, Sam. He had left without a word of goodbye. Despite her guest’s injuries, she should never have let him stay. When he moved on, he would only confirmed Peta’s beliefs about men.
The house was quiet when they walked in. Everything in the kitchen was how she had left it. Surely he didn’t have enough strength to leave? She dumped her books on the table and then opened the guest room door.
He was there.
He was magnificent.
Niail was asleep, sprawled out on the bed with the bedcovers thrown off. He slept on his back, and except for a pair of briefs, he was nude. Her breath stilled as she stared at him. She had never seen such raw beauty in a man before.
Every part of him was massive. Her eyes skittered away from his lower body, but not before she had noted how well-endowed he was. Sam had been average in that department. Size wasn’t supposed to matter, but a fleeting curiosity had her wondering if that were true. It took her a second to realize that the kids were pushing behind her.
“Is he here?” Wil’s voice was excited. “I need to show him my painting.”
Before she could stop him, Wil had squeezed past her, and was at the bedside. He touched Niail’s arm and started to shake him awake.
“Let him sleep,” Peta ordered from beside her.
Niail jolted and his body tensed. The size and definition of his muscles could have only been accomplished through years of body building. A shock wave went through Kimi, and for a second, she was frozen in place. Whoever this guy was, he healed quickly. His bruises had lightened so that they were almost imperceptible.
Niail’s eyes locked with hers and everything faded. She was lost in his dark gaze. She felt her cheeks heat and her breathing slow as the awareness of his strength and masculinity overwhelmed her. She had never been attracted to muscular men before, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Niail.
She inhaled a quick breath, and broke the connection.
She needed to keep her distance from this man. He would leave once he was better. She couldn’t risk having her heart broken again. The next man she invited into her life would have the same traditions, and heritage as her. He would be Blackfeet.
“Look at the painting I did of you today.” Wil shoved his artwork into Niail’s face. “The teacher didn’t believe me when I said you were a superhero.”
Niail pulled his sheets back over his body and then took the painting from Wil. “It shows me with a cape.”
“Most superheroes have them.” Wil looked about the room. “Mom must have washed yours.”
“I’m not the kind of superhero who wears one.” Niail handed the painting back. “You have talent.”
Peta pushed in beside her brother. “Are you staying for supper?”
Niail looked up at Kimi. “You will have to ask your mother.”
“You’re in no condition to leave for a few days yet.” She opened the door wider. “You guys go and start your homework. Our guest needs quiet.”
When the kids had left the room, Kimi walked to Niail’s bed. “How’s your head?”
“It’s still foggy.” He grimaced. “Every time I try to focus I end up feeling worse.”
“Bobby thought you were thrown from a truck.” She pulled up a chair and sat down. “Your head hit a rock on the road. He didn’t think anyone could survive a blow like that.”
“Where did he find me?”
“You were on the southeastern edge of the reservation. He had been out stargazing when he heard the roar of engines. There were gun shots and that’s when he ran to see who it was.”
“Most would have run in the opposite direction. Bobby must be a brave man.” Niail cleared his throat. “Did he see who did this to me?”
She shook her head. “All he saw was the dust of the vehicles, and you lying on the road. He ran after them, but there was no hope of him catching up.”
“I’m grateful he tried.”
“Bobby is my grandfather’s apprentice. My grandfather, Eluwilussit, is a healer.” Kimi clasped her hands together. “Bobby said a normal man would have died, but other than the near miss we had last night, you seem to be in perfect condition.”
“I’m far from it.” Niail’s voice was wry. “My head aches, my brain is muddled, I cannot remember anything about the attack, and I don’t know how to contact help.”
“Time will heal most of that.”
“I hope so.” Niail gave her an unwavering stare. “Why did he bring me to you?”
“He saw the markings.”
“That is what Peta said.” Niail glanced at his arm. “Why should they be important?”
“Bobby thought they made you special.” Kimi smiled. “I wouldn’t let that go to your head. He thinks everybody is special.”
“So you are the person who knows about these symbols?”
“My grandfather is the expert. He’s in Billings right now, so Bobby loaded you onto his old pickup and drove you here.”
Niail looked straight ahead for a few seconds, and then turned back to her. “I’m grateful, but that doesn’t explain why you agreed to take me in.”
“I could hardly leave you in Bobby’s truck. You would have been dead before sunrise.”
“It’s not that easy to kill me.” Niail’s voice was dry. “Many have tried.”
“I did notice quite a few scars. I don’t know what line of work you’re in, but you might think about changing careers.”
“There is only one life for a Hunter.”
Niail’s words were spoken without emotion. There was no eagerness or enthusiasm in his voice, just acceptance. It was almost as if there was no other choice for him. She had never run across that from a hunter before. It was a sport that they enjoyed.
He was awake, and aside from a bad headache, there didn’t seem to be any signs of confusion. It was obvious they were talking about two different things.
“What does a Hunter do?”
Niail looked at her without blinking for several seconds. His chin lifted. “We are an ancient warrior race.”
For a second, Kimi thought he was joking, but his face and voice were serious. “How old would that be?”
“We have existed since the start of civilization. The Kaladin forefathers altered and modified us to be warriors beyond compare.”
Kimi pursed her mouth. It sounded like a fantasy, but who was she to question it? The man believed what he said. Given the number of traditions and stories of her own people, she dare not judge too quickly. He wore the Star People markings. The symbols were considered ancient time by the Blackfeet.
“Where did you get the tattoos?”
“They are tokens of my campaigns and achievements.”
“Do you know what this symbol means?” She pointed to what looked like two mountain tops with two circles below them.”
“Shield.”
“Why do you have it?”
“It is the symbol of my clan.” Niail rubbed the smal
l tattoo. “I am clan Giath. We are the first to enter a battle. Our aim is perfect.”
“My people were given a similar symbol, but it means Protection.” Kimi cleared her throat. “Our legends say the Star People came from the heavens and gave us universal laws. The law of protection was one of them.”
“So this is why I was brought to you.” Niail leaned back against his pillows. “Here I would be accepted.”
Kimi nodded. “Bobby was afraid to take you to the hospital. He thought if you were one of the Star People it would be dangerous. The government might take you away.”
Niail’s dark eyes didn’t leave hers. A shiver raced across her head and goose bumps raised on her arms. His eyes spoke of knowledge that she was afraid to know, and yet intuitively, she knew it was necessary.
The truth was in his gaze.
“Bobby is very astute.”
Kim looked closer at his arm. There was another symbol she recognized and she pointed to it. It was a circle split in two by a vertical line. “What does this one mean?”
Niail looked at where her finger pointed. “It is a reminder that all Hunters are brothers.”
Kimi bit her lip. It was uncanny how similar, yet different, the symbols were. “It means the law of equality for us.”
There was one other symbol she thought was familiar. It was the very first marking on his arm and looked like a lower case letter d. It meant the law of creation. “What does this one mean?”
“It was the day I was brought into the world.”
Kimi inhaled. “The day you were born?”
“We are birthed outside of women.”
A chill went through her.
He spoke as if he were a machine.
She had seen his blood and injuries. He was a man.
“That’s a strange way of putting it.”
“Since time began, Hunters have been altered and bred to be the best warriors. We do not have parents. We are created.”
Kimi looked back at his arm and pointed at the symbols after the sign. “Is this the date?”
“Yes.”
“How old are you?”
“I have seen twenty-eight years.”
“How long have you been a warrior?
“I was born a Hunter.” Niail’s voice was low. “I have seen battle for over fifteen years.”
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