by Deanna Hall
My life has been happier in the last three days than in the past seventeen years. I never dreamed I’d have a home, family, and somebody like you to love me. If you’re not ashamed of my past, then neither am I.”
“You know I’m not, Babe. I just get a little pissed off when I think about how much you were hurt.”
I commented, “I have the same problem. Thinking of Mia as a little girl struggling to survive all alone makes me want to go visit her grandfather and tear out his throat.”
“Well, we can’t change the past, but we have a terrific present. I know the future will be just as wonderful.” Makala stated. Mia agreed.
As we chatted, CJ and Dan pulled up with the horses. We all ran outside to see them. I looked over each one as they were unloaded. They were all beautiful. The mares were two and three-year old’s who had placed high in shows already. They all came from champion bloodlines. The stallion was a first-place champ at three years old. Half the horses were from Big Chase and the other from Paul.
When we released them into the corral, Cinnamon made it clear she was the queen bee. We kept the stallion in a separate corral until I could work with him and Dusk.
After a short visit over coffee, CJ said they needed to get back to work. I grabbed CJ’s arm as he started to climb into his truck. “CJ, how can we ever repay you and your family for all this?”
“By keeping Mia as happy as she is right now. I still love my Mi’amore. A big part of me always will. Her being happy is the best gift you could give me. Well, Penny and I have one other request, but I want her and Wan here when we make it. We’ll discuss it after dinner tomorrow.” After he hugged and kissed Mia good-bye, I put my arm around her, possessively, as we waved good-bye.
Even knowing they had their own mates now didn’t stop that flare of jealously when I saw how their spirit glow every time they touched. I knew they would always have a strong connection to Mia. “Does he have to kiss you on the mouth? I mean, you said Peter and CJ were like brothers now. Brothers don’t kiss their sisters on the mouth.”
Mia laughed. “Jealous? I’ll tell them not to.”
“Yes, and no, I don’t want you to do that. I’ll get used to it sooner or later.”
We walked over to the fence and watched the horses running around, getting to know each other. Our horses and our ranch. I couldn’t get used to the idea. “Do you realize if all the mares get pregnant, we’d have five fouls by spring. We’re off to an excellent start. We should get Beth to teach you showmanship; then you can show them.”
“I know Beth used to barrel race and stuff. I’d rather learn that. It would be so much fun.”
“Sounds like a great idea. It would keep you busy when I’m working.”
We had Makala and Charlie pick out horses to use for themselves, and we all went riding. Makala picked a pretty palomino, and Charlie picked a roan. Makala was just learning to ride, making it a leisurely ride. By the time we got back, Makala was getting tired. Once we had lunch, Makala took a nap. Charlie joined her, of course.
Mia and I went for a, ah, swim. Hey, we’d only made love twice so far that day. When Mia commented that she was afraid we were becoming an old married couple, I laughed my ass off. “I’m pretty sure twice a day is the exception, not the norm for most couples. I don’t think you have to worry about it. Besides, the day isn’t over yet.”
“Let’s always be the exception. I want to make sure your content. I want to fill your life with so much love you never want anyone else besides me.” Mia told me.
“That could never happen, Nuttah. Your all I’ll ever want. If you need me to prove it, follow me into the bedroom.” We left a trail of clothes on the way. Later we made burgers on the grill for supper then relaxed by the fire with Makala and Charlie.
After making love for a couple of hours that night, we were starting to drift off to sleep when Mia mentioned, “Do you realize I haven’t had a bad dream since we got married. More proof we belong together. Thank you for loving me, Dakota.”
I held Mia tight. “My pleasure.”
The next day started out hard. It was time to start living real life, which included working for a living. It meant the days of lounging around, making love to Mia whenever the urge struck me, was over. It also meant I would have to leave her alone.
Well, I knew Charlie and Makala would be there, but after what had happened in Amarillo, it was stressful just letting Mia out of my sight. Mia only shed a few tears when I left, all the while assuring me she would be fine.
“Beth is bringing the girls over to hang out for the afternoon. I’ll be so busy I probably won’t even notice your gone.” I knew she was trying to convince herself of that as much as me.
“Great, forgotten already.”
Mia gave me such a passionate kiss. I almost dragged her back into the bedroom. “You could never be forgotten, Kotah. Don’t ever think that. Now go, before I lose my resolve.”
Charlie stood on the porch with his arm around Makala. Mia was on the other side of her in the same position. They waved and watched me drive away.
Old Doc Baker was great. We hit it off right away. I had classes scheduled for Wednesdays and Thursdays, so it was decided I would work for the Doc. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays. Sundays was an on-call, emergency only day.
Doc was a jolly, older man. His easy, laidback mannerism belayed a keen mind. He’d been the only vet in town for forty years. I found him to be a treasure trove of information. He hired me on the spot, and we went off on his rounds to the local ranches. It was a long day. We’d been on the road for over ten hours. I was tired and dirty by the end of it.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, all I could think about was a long shower, a meal, and crawling into bed. Then I saw Mia sitting on the steps waiting for me. As soon as she saw the truck, she was running towards me. Mia was in my arms before my feet even hit the ground.
All my fatigue disappeared as soon as her lips pressed against mine. After we shared a long, satisfying shower, we had dinner. After this, we cuddled by the fire while I told Mia about my day.
Mia listened with rapt attention, like giving vaccinations and floating horses teeth was the most exciting thing in the world. I still couldn’t believe I had been given this beautiful girl and perfect life. I thanked the Great Spirit again.
It was getting close to the moon being at its full height. It would bring on Makala’s change. We built a fire outside and sat around it, chatting as we waited. As the evening progressed, Charlie was getting more and more nervous.
Makala, however, stayed calm despite starting to feel more and more ill. Before long, she was throwing up. I explained the vomiting was the body ridding itself of toxins and preparing for the change.
By eleven, Makala was burning up. Mia laid a blanket on the grass. Charlie sat with Makala’s head in his lap, smoothing her hair, while I put cold compresses on her forehead. She was shaking and starting to convulse. I remembered well what she was going through, but this was so much worse.
I was starting to get worried. Makala was already sick, and her spirit was fading. “Keep talking to her, Charlie, we need her to stay relaxed.”
I motioned Mia over. We walked into the shadows. “Her spirit is growing very dim; I don’t think she is going to make it through this. I’m very sorry, Mia, but we need to be ready for the worst for Charlie’s sake.”
“I know, I can see her spirit fading too. There must be something we can do; she has to be alright. She has to!” Mia stated adamantly.
“I’ve seen it many times before, Mia. We lost so many on the res. over the years. All we could do was stand by helplessly.”
“I won’t accept that! I’m not losing Makala again!” Mia declared before she went back to Makala.
Mia knelt next to Makala, who was shaking violently. She was deathly pale; her breathing was rapid and shallow. I saw tears in Charlie’s eyes; he knew it wasn’t going well. The moon was up now. The change should be happening. Makala just continue
d to convulse. Mia was desperate. She pulled Makala into her lap and cradled her in her arms.
Mia was crying, “Makala, please don’t give up, you can do this. Take my strength; I give it to you. We’ll do this together.”
I saw Mia’s spirit merge with Makala’s. Suddenly Mia started to convulse with her. Through her tremors, Mia said, “I can see her wolf in my mind, struggling. She is so weak. My wolf joined hers and is lending its strength, they became one, but it’s not enough. I need your help Kotah.”
I went to her wrapping my arms around them both. Mia called my wolf to join theirs. We all felt stronger, and the girls stopped convulsing. Makala’s breathing calmed, her heart rate slowed, beating with ours. Her body was growing stronger. Makala’s wolf surged forward.
Then we felt Makala’s body began to change. It seemed to take forever. As I felt my wolf return to me, I looked down to find a pretty brown wolf laying in Mia’s lap panting.
Charlie buried his face in her fur and cried, “You saved her. She was dying, and you saved her. I don’t know how, but I’ll owe you until I die, Mia.”
Makala got to her feet. She was a little shaky but getting stronger by the minute. She licked Charlie's face, prancing around us. We got the hint and shifted. “This is amazing; I feel so strong. I can smell everything and see so far. Everything is so clear. I want to run; let’s run.”
That was all the prompting Charlie needed, off they went. “How did you do that, Mia?” I thought.
“Do what?” She asked.
“How did you share your wolf with her? I know our spirit wolves merge when we have sex because we are a bonded pair, but I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that.”
“Well, your spirit wolf joined us, too, I felt him. How did you do it?”
“I didn’t, you did. You called him to you, and he went. I saw both your spirits struggling. I was afraid of what would happen to you if Makala died. As soon as I touched you, you drew my spirit to you. I suspected you would be able to because of our bond. Makala would have died, Mia.”
“I didn’t do anything; I just didn’t want her to die. I willed my spirit to help her, and it did. Besides, I think you were the one who saved her. I wasn’t strong enough alone.” Mia explained.
“Are you two coming? This is heavenly. I’ve never felt so strong and healthy.” Makala thought to us. We ran to catch up. We spent a couple of hours running and exploring the surrounding forest than Mia, and I headed home. I had to get up early to go to work, so I needed to get some sleep. Besides, I hadn’t gotten my fill of Mia yet.
Happiness Found and Lost, Again
Mia
Letting Dakota go off to work was hard. Even though we had left each other entirely satisfied, Monday had been pure torture. I knew today would be no better. I longed for Dakota’s touch before he was even out of the driveway.
I sat on the porch swing, watching his truck disappear, with tears welling up in my eyes. Makala came out, putting her arm around me. “We are quite a pair, aren’t we. Both lost in love with the most incredible guys.”
I wiped at the tears that had managed to escape. “Crazy, huh? I mean, this is ridiculous. Kotah’s only going to work, not leaving me for an extended trip. Yet I already miss him. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Wonderful, exhilarated, energetic. Better than ever before and I owe it all to you. I was dying. I felt it. I didn’t have the strength until you helped me. You’ve saved me twice, Mia. I owe you everything.”
“You being happy is all the payment I need. Funny, that’s what CJ and Peter always tell me. Guess it must be true because your happiness makes me very happy. I’m very thankful we found each other again, Makala.”
She hugged me. “Me too, Mia, which brings me to a question. Charlie and I like being here with you and Dakota. Would you mind if we stayed here indefinitely? Being here, with you guys, feels like home.”
“I’d love it. Naturally, I’ll have to talk to Dakota, but I’m sure he’ll feel the same way. I would have been so lonely when Dakota’s gone without you two.”
“I feel the same way about Charlie. It still amazes me how I can need someone I’ve known such a short time so completely. I was never the type to believe in love at first sight. Or love at all for that matter.”
“It’s a wolf thing I’m told. Nature provides wolves the ability to recognize their perfect lifetime mates right away. Werewolves have the same ability. It’s pretty incredible.”
Charlie came out stretching. He looked over at us. “Good morning, my lovely ladies. I could get used to waking up to my two favorite girls in the world.”
Makala got up and went into his open arms. “Mia said we could stay. She only has to run it by Dakota. I know he’ll say yes. He doesn’t like Mia here alone.”
“Thanks, Mia, we’ll earn our keep, I promise. Big Chase has more help than he needs, so he won’t have a problem with me quitting. I’m gonna steal Makala for a bit if you don’t mind. I’m going to turn the horses out; then, I’m going to teach her how to muck out a stall.”
“Before or after you show her the way around a hayloft?”
Charlie had a mischievous grin. “Probably somewhere in between. Dakota wanted me to bring the mares out to the back pasture and put them in with the stallion. I’ll have to stay out there for a few hours to keep an eye on them. You know, to make sure they all play nice. I’ll need to make sure Makala is content before I leave her alone for a long time.” Makala blushed, while I laughed.
I was emptying the dishwasher when Makala came in a few hours later. Her cheeks were rosy, she had hay in her hair, and her lips were swollen. Clearly, they had been kissed a lot. She was the picture of health. “Looks like Charlie kept his word.”
Makala grinned. “Who knew sex could be so much fun. Want some tea? I’ll make us a pot.”
“Sounds good.” We had just sat down at the table when I heard a horse whinny outside. We thought Charlie was back already. “Maybe he forgot something. I’ll go check.” Makala said as she headed for the door.
Just as I took a sip from my tea, I heard her scream. Dropping my cup, I knocked the bench I was sitting over when I bolted up. Ignoring both, I ran to the door.
In the driveway were four Indian braves. Two were on the ground; the other two were on horses. I remembered them from the Powwow. They were Ute. One of them held Makala with one hand was across her mouth. His other held a knife to her throat.
The other brave on the ground did the talking. “You will come with us, Miakoda. Your grandfather wishes a word with you.” Anger and fear for Makala hit me at the same time.
“Hasn’t he ever heard of a cell phone?”
The brave speaking didn’t seem to get the humor. “Will you come with us, or will you cause us to harm your friend?”
“I’m coming already, just let her go.”
“I saw what you did at the Powwow. I think we will keep her as leverage. I think you will be easier to control with her along.” As soon as I got close enough, the one who was doing the talking grabbed me. After putting me on his horse, he leaped up behind me. The brave holding Makala did the same.
They turned the horses, galloping down the driveway. “My husband will sense my location, and my friends will follow your tracks. You’re not going to be as cocky when they catch up with us,” I told the brave behind me.
“There are many tracks in your yard, thanks to the delivery of your horses. Besides, it is about to rain. Our tracks will be washed away. The spirits of our ancestors protect the reservation. Your mate will sense you are alive; however, your location will be obscured from him. He will only have a vague feeling of you being somewhere to the west. It will feel very distant. They will have no clue who has taken you.”
“What, have you been spying on us?”
“How else do you think we knew when you would be vulnerable?” As if on cue, the storm came. I swear life never cut me a break.
Partway down the driveway, we veered off, going across
a field that belonged to the Circle D. We rode a long time through rivers, forests, and fields before we finally arrived at a rundown house.
We were soaked to the bone and shivering by then. I was brought inside to find my grandfather waiting. Makala was dragged in behind me. She was forced into a chair. The brave who had taken her kept one hand on her shoulder and the knife in his other hand. She sat there trembling, silent tears fell down her dirt, smugged cheeks.
I asked, “Are you alright, Makala?” She nodded.
Jackson was sitting in his kitchen, eating supper. He pushed me a plate of food. “Eat, drink; I’m sure you must be hungry. It was a long ride.” I jerked out of the hold of the brave, standing defiantly, head high, despite the ache in my muscles.
“I’m fine. What did you wish to speak to me about?”
“This is your rightful place, Miakoda. I am your family, and these are your people. You will marry one of my braves, taking your place among our people as your mother was meant to.”
I looked at him like he was insane. “Do you honestly think that is going to happen? I have no intention of leaving my home and those I love to stay here with the man who killed my family. You almost destroyed my life.
Besides, I already have a husband. One I am quite content with. Now, if that is all you wanted to discuss with me, I’ll be returning to him. Next time you wish to speak with me, use a phone.”
My grandfather gave me a cruel smile. “The Windsong boy will return to his family. Whether he returns on his feet or in a box is up to you, granddaughter. Our bloodline was sullied once with Sioux blood. It will not be again.”
I felt the color drain from my face. A memory of a wolf ripping out my father’s throat came to mind. I would do anything to prevent that from happening to Dakota. Nor could I allow Makala to be hurt. Once again, my grandfather had the upper hand.
“Nastaw, take the girl. Give her to whoever wants her. She is pretty enough for a white girl; perhaps you would like her yourself.