Found And Lost

by Deanna Hall

  “See, Dakota; we’re making memories right now. I actually spent more time with you than CJ or Peter. If I remember correctly, we’ve had a couple of incredible experiences I’ll never share with anyone else.” I splashed him again, starting to swim away.

  Dakota grabbed my waist, pulling me against him. While he kissed my neck, he plunged inside me in one swift stroke. One arm held me tight to him while he fondled my breasts. Desire burst through me. “I want to make another first memory with you, Nuttah.” He purred in my ear before, biting my earlobe gently.

  I wiggled my bottom against him, making him moaned. “Mia, I never knew sex would feel this incredible. I want you all the time. I can’t get enough of you. Every time we’re together, it just makes me want you more.”

  I leaned my head back against his shoulder, looping one arm around Kotah’s neck. As he talked, he slid one hand down between my legs and started rubbing his fingers against my clit as he slid slowly in and out of me. I pressed against him, closing my eyes.

  The water lapping against my super sensitive skin as he moved inside me drove me mad. I let myself go to the amazing sensations surging through me. “I wish I could just stay inside you forever. I love you so much, Mia. When we’re not touching, I feel incomplete.” Kotah told me as his rhythm increased.

  I couldn’t even answer as an orgasm tore through me powerfully. Dakota was convulsing inside me, pinching my bite mark. I cried out as the pain merged with the pleasure that drowned me in pure ecstasy. I felt Kotah’s wolf dominate and possess mine.

  I tremored against him, waiting for the sensations coursing through every nerve in my body to wind down. Eventually, the climax died down to just a warm sensation, my head cleared, and I could breathe again.

  “For a beginner, you sure are skilled,” I told him. When Dakota pulled out of me, I felt a sudden sense of loss. I clenched my stretched muscles and shivered.

  “Are you getting cold? We should get out.” Kotah asked.

  I turned in his arms, kissing him. “I’m not cold; I just miss you.”

  Dakota grinned. “Well, you're turning blue, so I think we should get you dried off. He scooped me up, carrying me out of the water.

  Now that the fire in my blood had died down, I was shivering for real. I leaned up to kiss Kotah and felt his wolf surge through me. Dakota ran for the house, setting me on the floor in front of the fire, before heading for the bathroom. When he came out, he wrapped me in a towel, then made us some hot cocoa and turned on the radio.

  We cuddled together, sipping the cocoa in front of the fire, which was very romantic. It led to a make-out session, which led to… well, let’s just say we had another memory to add to our growing list. Eventually, we made it to the bedroom, where we found the bed to be very bouncy and comfortable.

  The sun was shining brightly by the time we finally fell asleep, entwined in each other’s arms. After some early afternoon lovemaking, we got up and ate, eventually. The fridge, freezer, and cabinets were stocked full of all kinds of food. Dakota tried to show me how to make bacon and eggs. However, I found the feel of him against me while he showed me how to flip the eggs very erotic. He ended up taking me on the kitchen counter.

  After Kotah threw the burnt eggs into the garbage, he made some more. “Great Spirit, Mia, your insatiable. You’re going to give me a heart attack before I turn twenty-two.”

  I looked at him over my cup of coffee. “Don’t blame me if I can’t get enough of you. It wasn’t me that put that bite that drives me insane with need at your slightest touch there. Thanks for that, by the way. Like the way you look at me doesn’t make me crazy enough. You don’t hear me complaining, though, do you? Besides, you always seem ready when the opportunity presents itself.”

  Dakota was glowing with pride, laughing in that deep throaty way that sent shivers straight to my groin. “Trust me, Nuttah, I’m not complaining. But the horses might start if we don’t get out there soon and take care of them.”

  I was pleased to find the things I’d left at the ranch were in the dresser and closet of the bedroom. I smiled when I saw my cell phone sitting on the dresser. I turned it on to find it still had service. In all this time, Peter hadn’t canceled it.

  I punched in his name. He answered in two rings. “Hey, Sunshine, what’s up? Everything okay?”

  “Thanks for never giving up on me.”

  “I love you, Mia.”

  “Love you too, Pete.” After I hung up, I threw on some jeans, a tank top, my boots, and my cowboy hat.

  Dakota gave me an appraising look when I came out. Then he started stalking towards me. He was in just his jeans. I couldn’t take my eyes off his six-pack. He told me, “Mmm, mmm, you look good enough to eat.”

  I took a deep breath, backing up with my arm out, holding him as far away as I could. “Nope, not happening. Horses remember.” Dakota laughed again.

  The horses had plenty of good grazing since the corral had been left untouched and was overgrown over. We didn’t need to do much besides giving them a little of the grain we found in the barn. I pumped some fresh water into the water troth and hugged Cinnamon.

  We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring. Like the house, the barn was in perfect condition. It was clear, even though the ranch wasn’t used anymore, it had been lovingly maintained.

  The barn had six stalls and a hayloft full of fresh hay. There were farm tools and even a tractor, with a haying attachment. The barn even had a small washroom with a shower. Of course, we didn’t make it out of the hayloft without christening it.

  We decided to a cookout for dinner. I cleaned off and set the table, while Dakota grilled us some steaks. After dinner, we shifted and ran the property fence line.

  The ranch was enormous. Well, to us, it was anyway. Compared to CJ and Peter’s ranches, it was small. We’d found mostly fenced, overgrown grazing land with some areas of forest in-between. There was also another good-sized pond in one of the fields and a small river. It took us hours to get all the way back to the house.

  After we got back, I sat on the bank, watching the moon sparkle on the water. Dakota sat down and nuzzled me. “It’s so beautiful.” I thought.

  “You sure are.” Dakota thought back.

  We got up, leaping on each other, rolling and playing until Dakota grabbed the back of my neck, mounting me. The jolt that went through me almost took my legs out from under me; it was so powerful. Our spirits merged stronger than ever. I couldn’t tell where Kotah’s ended and mine began. I was withering and screaming in my head as he kept pounding into me.

  “Now you are mine in every way, Miakoda.” He thought fiercely. Dakota was gripping me so tight in his teeth; I felt him puncture my skin. Our wolves were in control, and this was what they both wanted. In my mind I could feel the same pleasurable sensations as always consuming me and driving me crazy. The final orgasm was just as powerful, if not more so than in human form.

  After it ended, we lay exhausted, snuggled together. “I love you, Nuttah.”

  “I love you too, Kotah.” I thought back. We were exhilarated and tired at the same time. It had been the perfect ending to the perfect day. We reluctantly shifted back before heading into the house.

  The front light had come on, giving off the same welcoming glow it had when we had first arrived. “It must be on a sensor. We’re going to have to find out who pays the electric bill, so we can get it transferred to us. I’m going to call in the morning to tell Big Chase I’m taking the job. Then I’ll see if I can transfer to San Juan U. You can go online and apply.” Dakota told me.

  “Sounds Like a plan.” I agreed.

  After a very erotic shower, we went to sleep. It was the best night’s sleep I ever had. I had no nightmares at all. When I thought about it, except for being blindsided by my past, the searching dream, and being separated from Dakota, I hadn’t had one since we’d bonded. Yet another indicator this was where I was meant to be.

  I’d been happy with Dakota all summer, yet now I wa
s happier than I ever dreamed possible. Probably because now that I had my memories, I felt whole, and all of me was happy and content, completely content. I’d had truly found my happily ever after.

  The next day while Dakota made his calls, I called everyone I knew and invited them over for a barbeque. They all accepted. After that, I got Dakota’s name added to our bank accounts.

  Things went smoothly for Dakota. He was to meet up with Big Chase and Doc Baker the following Monday. He got all the utilities changed to our name, and given his 4.0 GPA, the college was thrilled to have him. As soon as they received his transcript, he’d be able to start.

  Dakota even went online and was able to set up his classes so he would only have to go to school two days a week. Doc. Baker was on the school board, so Dakota would be able to use the time he worked with the Doc for his practical experience, getting credit for it while getting paid. It was a win, win.

  There wasn’t much else to do after we finished the dishes, leaving us with nothing to do besides christen the rest of the house, even the crawl space.

  Everyone showed up around four and brought all kinds of food. We ate, swam, and played tag like a bunch of kids. Even Paul, Chase, and Beth joined in. We had so much fun. At dusk, it was starting to get chilly, so we built a bonfire. Chase had brought his fiddle, Paul had his guitar, and they started playing. We all sang along and danced. Surrounded by family, good friends, and the man I loved, life was perfect.

  Dark Days

  Mia

  Wednesday morning, I was doing some laundry when I found the card the Texas D.A. had given me months back. I was turning it over and over in my fingers while I sipped my hot cocoa. Dakota walked in, “What’s bothering you, Nuttah?”

  “I almost forgot about what happened to Alli. How could I do that?”

  “We’ve been kind of busy since your memory came back.”

  “Kotah, I want to go to Texas and file a report against this guy. He needs to be behind bars for good. Maybe I can even find out what happened to my sisters.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  “Really, just like that?”

  Dakota hugged me. “It will eat at you until you do it. So, let’s do it. I don’t start work until Monday, so now is as good a time as any.”

  I called the D.A. She was thrilled to hear from me. We agreed to meet at the Amarillo Police station at 4 PM. Pete agreed to come over and take care of the horses since it would be a two-day trip. Being a seven-hour ride, we had a quick breakfast, fed the horses, and took off.

  Our meeting went well. I wrote down my account of what had happened that day, then signed the affidavit. Maria called shortly after we got to our hotel. With an eyewitness, the Judge had instantly issued a warrant for Snake’s arrest. He was already behind bars again.

  Though it would be months before it came to trial, if all went well, Snake would remain behind bars. Maria wasn’t pleased with the Judge’s decision to set bail. She had been hoping Snake would be held with no bail. Nonetheless, no one expected him to make the two-million-dollar bail.

  Once the media had found out I’d come forward; it was like a shark feeding frenzy. The girl who had disappeared for almost six years, after a brutal wolf attack, was big news. They’d found out where we were staying and were camped out in the parking lot the next morning.

  Maria thought a news conference would help. Dakota agreed. “We’ll have them tailing us all the way back to the ranch if we don’t get it over with now,” Dakota explained.

  I reluctantly agreed. I had a death grip on Kotah’s hand when we went out to the parking lot to meet the press.

  After Maria answered questions about the arrest, the reporters turned their questions to me. “Miss Hathaway, where have you been all this time. There was a nationwide search for you.”

  “It’s Mia Windsong; I was married on Saturday to Dakota,” I announced, smiling up at him. “As for my disappearance, I was frightened by the death of my friend after just losing my parents, so I ran away to the forest. I lived on my own for around four years. I finally sought out a family friend from Pagosa Springs, who took me in a few months ago.”

  “Congratulation on your recent marriage, Mrs. Windsong. So, you lived alone in the wild for four years. Weren’t you afraid? How did you survive?”

  “I spent most of my life camping with my parents. They taught me how to survive in the wilderness. They left me enough money to buy supplies when I needed them.”

  “What about the wild animals?” One reporter shouted out.

  “I guess you could say I have an affinity for animals. If you make friends with the mountain lions and bears, not much else will bother you.”

  Everyone laughed. “Why did you wait until now to come forward?”

  “When I ran away, I thought the man who murdered my friend was in jail. I only recently found out otherwise. I felt it was my responsibility to see he paid for his crime.”

  “This question is for Dakota.” An attractive report called out.

  Dakota leaned towards the mike. “Yes, Mam?”

  “You are the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. Do you have any brothers at home?” Everyone was really laughing now. “I have one brother, Mam, although he’s only fifteen.” With that, the D.A. put an end to the questions.

  Maria said she would be in touch when the trial came up. She thanked me for being brave enough to come forward. Even after the conference, the media was everywhere, trying to get me to answer more questions.

  Dakota shielded me until we got to the hotel room. “Wow, that was crazy.” I sighed.

  “I know. I’m starved, but we’ll never be able to go out for a meal. I’ll go get us something. What would you like?”

  “I could go for a juicy burger or any red meat.”

  “Ok, I’ll be right back.” Dakota kissed me and left.

  Despite taking a long time for Dakota to return, I wasn’t worried. With the mob outside, it wasn’t surprising. Almost an hour later, Dakota's number showed up on my phone when it rang. “Hey, Kotah, I miss you. What’s taking so long?”

  A stranger's voice answered, “Hello, Mia. Long time no see.”

  I frowned at the phone, “Who is this?”

  “Your old buddy Snake. I have someone here who would like to speak to you.” I heard him demand, “Say something!” in the background. Then a loud smack. Someone grunted in pain. “Looks like the new hubby isn’t in a talkative mood; however, if you ever want to see him alive again, you’ll come to the Oil Can on Blake Street.”

  I heard Dakota yell, “Don’t come, Mia. Whatever you do, stay away.” I heard another smacking sound. Dakota cried out.

  “Come alone, no cops. You come, he lives; if not, he dies. I see one sign of the cops, he dies. You have one hour before he’s a dead man.” Snake hung up.

  My hands were shaking, my mind was screaming, and I couldn’t breathe. I googled the location of the bar. It wasn’t far from here.

  First, I called a taxi. I told the driver to meet me in the alley behind the hotel. Then I called CJ. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “CJ, I screwed up again. Dakota’s in trouble. I have to go to him. Somehow the guy that killed my sister got out of jail. He grabbed Dakota. I only have an hour to get to this bar called the Oil Can, or Snake will kill him.”

  “Mia, you can’t go after him alone. Wait until we get there.”

  “I can’t; he’ll kill Dakota. Just come as soon as you can. Please.”

  “Mia, wait.” I hung up. My phone immediately started ringing. I turned off the sound then climbed out the bedroom window. Thankfully the taxi was already waiting. I was at the Oil can in fifteen minutes.

  When I walked into the dimly lit dive bar, every eye was on me. Ignoring their leering glances, I went up to the bartender asking for Snake. He brought me to a back room. I remembered the rattlesnake tattoo up Snakes entire arm the minute he approached me.

  Snake grabbed my face roughly. “I’ve missed you. Imagine my surprise when I found out th
e little girl who disappeared all those years ago came forward as a witness. You sure grew up to be a pretty little lady, didn’t you?”

  I jerked away angrily. “Where’s Dakota?”

  “Right there, still breathing just like I promised. He’s quite a fighter. He took down six of my guys before I had to cold cock him with a baseball bat.”

  Two huge men stepped aside, revealing my worst nightmare. Dakota was lying on the floor, tied up hand to foot. His head, mouth, and nose were bleeding; both his eyes were black and swollen. There were bruises, cuts, and blood everywhere. His leg was bent in an unnatural position. There was a bone sticking out of his arm. He wasn’t moving or conscious.

  “Great Spirit, Dakota.” I ran to him, pulling his head into my lap. I was relieved to find he was breathing, with a strong pulse. I lightly slapped his face. “Kotah. Kotah, please wake up, it’s me. Try to wake up. I’m going to get you out of here.”

  Dakota’s eyes slowly opened. When he focused on me, they widened with panic. “Mia? You shouldn’t have come.”

  “Shhh, it’s gonna be ok. I’ll get you on out of here, I promise.” Dakota was out again before I even finished speaking.

  “Ok, reunions over. Time to get down to business. Needless to say, I can’t let you testify against me. If you want loverboy to live, you’ll come with me. I won’t kill you, then again, you won’t be leaving either. Your choice.”

  I glared at Sanke. “Under one condition.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I call 911, then one of your goons takes Dakota to the alley and leaves him there. When I see the ambulance leave with him in it, I’ll come with you without a fight.”

  Snake chuckled. “Why shouldn’t I just kill him and take you anyway?”

  “There are a lot of people who saw me come in here. I’m pretty sure some of those men, whose eyes were full of lust, will come to my rescue if I start screaming.”

  “Smart girl. Guess I should have picked a less public meeting place. Here’s my counter offer. My guy will stay with your hubby, and we’ll wait by this window. When help comes, we leave, nice and peaceful, or he’ll have a fatal stab wound to go this his other injuries. You know, just in case you want to renege on our deal.”