When Rana finally returned to the bank, she could not locate her drying blanket and garments. She glanced to her right and left to see where she had placed them, but she sighted nothing. Her wet body glistened in the moonlight, and she shuddered as a breeze swept over it. Surely she had not swum that far from where she had left her possessions and entered the water! She searched the area again, mumbling curses to herself.
“Osniyelo, Watogla Tate? Tokel oniglakin kta hwo?” a mellow voice asked from nearby. Travis chuckled as she whirled and, blushing, tried futilely to escape the perusal of the man leaning against a tree.
His amusement did not anger her, and he sensed this. She replied in English, “Yes, I am cold, White Eagle. I have nothing to say for myself. I have done no wrong. I stayed near camp, and you always camp where it is safe. My blanket, please.” She smiled as she held out her hand, trying to look calm despite the awkward circumstances. She alertly noticed that he had spoken in Lakota and had used her Oglala name. She wondered if he were feeling and thinking Indian tonight…
“It’s ‘I have done nothing wrong’ or “I have not done anything wrong,’” he mildly corrected, then grinned. “What if I had been an enemy? You would have a serious problem about now,” he teased as he dangled the blanket from one finger and her garments from the others. “And I don’t always choose safe places to camp. Remember those deserters.”
She retorted confidently, “You would not make the same mistake two times. I have no problem; you are my… grandfather’s friend. I am safe.” She made no attempt to reach for the blanket as she watched his eyes sparkle with mischief, and rapidly mounting desire. She casually removed her headband, unbraided her hair, and shook it loose to fall around her shoulders. Her eyes never left him. His sable hair was damp and wisps clung to his face and neck. His shirt was missing and his hard torso was moist; she noticed that there were wet spots on his pants and that his feet were bare, as if he had left the water quickly and recently. He seemed such a splendid, enticing male animal as he stood before her. Her heart was thudding so fiercely that simple breathing was becoming difficult.
Travis knew she was accustomed to bathing outside and around others, but, he wondered, did she feel no modesty around him? No, he told himself; it was stiff resolve and courage that kept her from fleeing or protesting over his bold intrusion. He was impressed by the way she was handling the situation. “I am your grandfather’s friend, but not yours?” he questioned in amusement, potently stimulated by her naked beauty, her close proximity, and her evocative stare.
“That is your choice, Travis Kincade. You have apologized and explained your deceit. I must try to accept your words, or I must return to my… the Oglalas. I believe that I am Rana Michaels and that Nathan Crandall is my grandfather, as Lone Wolf believed; otherwise he would not have sent me away with you. Nate must not be hurt or made sad again. If it will make him happy, I will return to his home and learn to be white once more, as I was long ago where my memory does not reach… The river is cold this moo… tonight. It was not wise to bathe so late.” She shuddered as another breeze passed over her wet flesh.
Dropping her garments, Travis stepped forward and wrapped the blanket around her, clasping the edges tightly in his balled hands just beneath her chin. As she looked into his eyes, he remarked, “No, it wasn’t wise to bathe tonight. I was swimming over there,” he informed her, pointing to a fallen tree that was half submerged in water.
“Why did you say nothing to stop me?” she asked softly.
“Because I didn’t want to startle you and have you wake Nate with screams. Both of us swimming without clothes might have looked suspicious to him. Besides, I was enjoying myself too much,” he added, grinning. “If you hadn’t been so distracted by such deep thoughts, your sharp instincts would have felt my presence. With your training and skill, I’m surprised I got past you, even underwater. You are one beautiful, tempting creature, Rana Michaels. If you weren’t Nate’s granddaughter, I would take you here and now.”
Rana laughed seductively as she placed her hands on his chest and leaned closer to him to share his body heat. “If I were not Rana, Travis Kincade would not have ridden into the Oglala camp and made trade for me and joined to me with false promises. If I were not Nate’s granddaughter, I would not be here with you tonight.”
In a voice that had grown husky Travis refuted smoothly, “Even if you weren’t Rana Michaels, I still would have traded for you, but you would be sharing my sleeping mat now instead of having your own. Frankly, I’m almost sorry I have a new sister instead of a lovely wife.” His gaze probed hers to judge how his provocative words had struck her. Her eyes were like liquid pools of blue magic that summoned him to drown in them.
“We are joined in the eyes of the Great Spirit. If you desire me so fiercely, why do you want me to be your sister and not your wife?” she reasoned bravely as her tantalizing gaze remained fused to his.
“Because I love and respect Nathan Crandall too much to seduce his granddaughter. He would despise me for taking advantage of you. I’ve told you, Rana, our marriage isn’t legal for whites.”
Rana had questioned the meaning of “legal” before; now she asked the meaning of “seduce.” When Travis explained in a mixture of Oglala and English, she tried to suppress her mirthful laughter.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, his brows knit in confusion.
“Did you tell my grandfather I tried to seduce you the night he called to us by the river? Is that why you were frightened and left me?”
“I was upset because I let things go too far between us that night and I left because I couldn’t have resisted you if I had stayed. That wasn’t the time or place for us to… get together, if we do. Now I understand why so many warriors were battling over you. You have powerful magic, woman, and you should learn when and where to use it. You’re a cunning thief who steals a man’s wisdom and control.”
“How can I steal what should be mine by law and by your word of honor? Our hearts are Indian. We are joined by Indian law. If White Eagle takes Wild Wind to his sleeping mat, Rana will not tell her grandfather,” she cunningly promised. She lifted one hand to move her forefinger over his lips. “If he discovers the truth, tell my grandfather I have powerful magic and I seduced you,” she teased playfully.
Travis frowned in dismay. He captured her enticing hand to halt its action and argued, “I would know the truth. I cannot lie to him and deceive him, Rana. To him, we are not married. He trusts me, and loves me, and needs me. He has been closer to me than my own father was. You are like his own child. Taking you could destroy the bond between us and hurt him deeply. Nothing is worth that.”
Rana smiled happily, for she saw he was a man of immeasurable honor. “I understand. I am pleased you love my grandfather so much. You are his true and loyal friend. I will do nothing to break the bond between you and Nate; it is special and rare. You must teach me all you have learned since leaving your mother’s people. I want my grandfather to be proud of me, as he is of you. Will you be my friend and help me?”
“I’ve never had a female friend before. That might prove interesting. The fact is, my luck with females has been mostly bad.”
“You tease me,” she accused merrily as she quivered with excitement. “How can a man of White Eagle’s looks and prowess not have many women chasing him? Are there some you wish me to fight off?” she jested. Snuggling closer, she murmured, “It is cold tonight. Share your warmth with me while we talk. There is much for me to learn.”
Travis shook his head to prevent himself from being mesmerized by her incredible eyes. He was all too aware of the danger in standing here with her like this. “You should dry off and get dressed. You’re cold, and it’s too late to teach you anything tonight. We don’t want Nate wondering where we are and looking for us again. He might not understand this.”
“You are afraid to be alone with your sister friend?”
“Yep,” he confessed between hearty chuckles.
&nb
sp; “You are right. There is a pull between us that should not be between brother and sister. Return to camp. I will follow soon.”
“Is that what you told Lone Wolf?” he questioned suddenly.
Baffled, she looked up at him. “I do not understand.”
“Did you tell Lone Wolf we were drawn to each other? Is that why he demanded we marry before you could leave with me?”
“I did not speak of such things with my brother. I do not know why he forced you to join to me. You should not have agreed. He is wise and kind; he would have released me without the joining. I could not believe my ears when you asked to make trade for me and be joined to me. You forget, I did not know it was a trick until five moo… days ago.”
He tapped her on the nose as he replied, “I think he wanted to make sure I would feel responsible for you. Then again, he could have seen or heard us and thought it would be wise to bind us together just in case we lost our heads one night by a river.” His eyes twinkled roguishly.
“My brother knew you were a man of honor and control. He knew the truth about me. He knew you would not touch me. There was a reason for his demand, but I do not know it.”
“One day you’ll be glad you aren’t bound to a rogue like me. You’re free to choose your own husband, not forced to accept a stranger. I want you to be careful when we get home, Rana. You’re a beautiful woman, and you’ll be a rich one. Men will be chasing you.”
After Travis explained the meaning of “rich,” Rana told him, “I cannot choose to marry another man until I no longer feel joined to White Eagle. I was raised Indian. I do not think and feel white.”
Travis stared at her regretfully. “I’m sorry I’ve made you so confused. In time you’ll accept the way things are in the white world.”
Rana had been trying to point out the fact that if he desired her so much he could marry her under white law and thereby have her without hurting Nathan. She suddenly realized that he might not want to marry her, might be glad, in fact, that the Indian ceremony was not binding. She knew it was possible for a man to desire and take a woman without loving her or wanting her as his mate. Perhaps she was reading his feelings wrong. He was always talking about her choosing and marrying another man. Maybe he did not think she was good enough for him or was the right woman for him. Nathan had said that Travis had not wanted to marry her, that he had only done so because Lone Wolf had demanded it. A painful suspicion began to gnaw at her, a suspicion that it was Nathan who wanted her, not Travis. She realized she should not be chasing him so boldly, and that realization saddened her. Quietly she informed him, “You are right, Travis Kincade. I must change or others will suffer.” She stepped away from him, gathered her things, and moved into the concealing shadows.
Travis caught the change in her mood. He wished he could admit that he felt joined to her too, but he knew it would be wrong to confuse her even more. She needed time and clarity of mind to discover who she was and to adjust to her new existence. After all, he would be close at hand at all times. Besides, the ravishing vixen just might be toying with him, trying to lead him on for tricking her! He knew about the little games women played with men, games several had tried to play on him. They used their bodies like weapons, with skills to match those of the most cunning warrior. They teased, enticed, rewarded, or punished a man if he didn’t follow their rules. They wanted to own a man and control him. They wanted him running after them as if he couldn’t survive without them. They wanted him to pet them and spoil them. They wanted him to sacrifice everything to prove his feelings and receive their attentions only. They used him to make other men jealous, or used other men to make him jealous and nervous. They wanted him to think with his loins instead of his heart or head. They could be so selfish, so predatory, so eager to possess and consume, and so damned insidious!
He knew that women like Clarissa, Pretty Rabbit, Elizabeth, and Marissa would do anything to get their way. They did not care whom they hurt or used. Maybe Marissa’s daughter was just like her mother and the others. Plenty of worthy warriors had tried to win Wild Wind as a mate, but she had rejected each of them. So why would she cast her sights on the stranger who had deceived her and had refused to acknowledge her surrender? Unless she wanted to teach him a lesson! No, he could not permit this untamed creature to come between him and Nathan. He could not allow himself to be hurt again, for he knew from experience that physical pain was nothing compared to emotional agony. No matter what Rana’s motives might be, he would have to resist her.
He would never forget his near-fatal experience with Elizabeth Lowry because he had scars to remind him. That treacherous viper had pretended to be so sweet and innocent while all the while she had been trying to snare him. He had been working for her father in St. Louis and had learned by then to be nice and polite to ladies and especially to bosses’ daughters. Beth had enticed and encouraged him for weeks before he finally agreed to partake of her charms, and she had had plenty of them. Thinking back, he realized his emotional wounds from the past had been too fresh during her siege. It had been twenty-two months since his torture and rejection by the Hunkpapas, which had come hard upon his father’s betrayal and death and his mother’s death. Maybe that nineteen-year-old, bitter, lonely, arrogant youth had needed someone to love him, to need him, to make him feel he was the most special male alive; and Beth had been an expert at such pretenses. He had been searching for something and—even knowing Beth was not it—had allowed her to distract him. Hellfire, what had really happened was he had gotten tired of making excuses not to take what she had been forcing on him!
After escaping the Hunkpapa camp, he had gone from place to place, working all kinds of jobs as he learned his way around in the white world, but never staying anywhere more than three months. He had always been careful to keep his identity and past a secret from everyone, for he knew how people felt about half-breeds. After the Hunkpapas had stopped sending warriors after him, he had slowed his pace, but he had then discovered he was merely existing from day to day. Without a home, family, identity, and purpose in life, he felt lost. Riding with a band of outlaws, he committed crimes but never got caught. As a U.S. Marshal, he fought and killed men legally. He scouted for the Army for awhile. He escorted a wagon train through Indian lands and briefly rode with fierce and cunning Apaches. He worked on a ranch, then was a bank guard for two weeks. Still he missed that sense of belonging, that feeling of pride, the stimulating adventure and thrill of being a warrior. Despite his efforts, he had been unable to find anything or anyone to fill that nagging void; and he had been unable to forget the stain on his face and honor. His father’s crimes and his own rejection had eaten away at him.
Beth had entered his life at a time when he was willing to allow himself to be used, maybe as punishment. At that time, life and people meant little to him; he was just passing the days until his head cleared and his heart stopped hurting and yearning. He had taken Indian and white women in the Hunkpapa camp, but it had always been for the purpose of assuaging his lust, or as a learning experience. He had not loved Beth or desired anything permanent with her, but she had been insistent about sharing herself completely with him. And men did have their needs, he had told himself then. Even when their brief affair first began, it had not been because he had wanted her or had pursued her.
After a barn dance and a few drinks one night, Beth had sneaked into his room and had practiced her numerous skills on him; and she hadn’t been a virgin. For a week, he had allowed her to share his bed, but he soon realized he was making a foolish mistake. He quickly became tired of her grasping ways and sorry attitudes, and finally he refused to see her again. He was willing to risk getting fired if keeping the job meant keeping the boss’s daughter happy as well.
For weeks, Beth was furious, then suddenly she mellowed. He discovered that she was using other men to make him jealous. Beth should have known it wouldn’t work, he reflected now, because he had had no feelings for her, not good ones anyway. As he continued to watch
her use her wiles, sensual skills, wealth, beauty, and position, he discovered the real Beth, and he lost all respect for her. When she allowed him to find her with a man, his indifference turned to disgust. Despite what Pretty Rabbit had done to him nearly two years earlier, he had not expected Elizabeth Lowry to have such a vengeful and utterly evil streak.
One night an Indian girl who worked in the Lowry home came to him and revealed the details of Beth’s scheme to entrap him. It seemed that Beth had told her father he had seduced her and she had become pregnant, though she had neglected to mention that she had also slept with many other men before and since her week with him. She was demanding that her father force Travis to marry her immediately. The Indian girl told him that Beth’s accusation was a lie; she knew that Beth had twice experienced her monthly flow since he had stopped seeing her. The girl then warned him to flee St. Louis. But, like a fool, he did the same thing he had done once before, after his father’s exposure; he remained to prove his innocence and courage, vowing he would not run like a guilty coward.
Beth’s father would not listen to him and threatened to hang him if he did not marry his daughter. Enraged, he shouted out the names of countless men who had enjoyed Beth’s charms, especially those who had taken her since him. He then challenged Beth’s father to question those men or to prove his guilt, and he vowed to seek the help of the authorities in his defense. That had been another mistake. Lowry immediately ordered his daughter to pack her belongings and announced he was sending her back East to a school for girls that sounded like a prison.
As for him, Lowry hired two gunslingers to torture him and kill him, not only to prevent the Lowry name from being smeared but because Lowry wanted revenge for having his child’s evil exposed to him so blatantly.
Travis vividly recalled how the ruffians had lured him into a trap with a faked note from the Indian girl who worked for Lowry, a note pleading for Travis’s help. He had gone to her aid and instead had been thoroughly beaten by the two ruffians, who had then left him to die in the wilderness after stealing nearly all of his possessions. As for the Indian girl, her help in warning him about Beth’s scheme had gotten her raped and murdered right before his eyes as he was losing consciousness.
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