Bound by Honor Bound by Love (7 page)

The white woman’s smile widened when
she saw Woape, and the two women hugged. Onawa’s heart warmed at
the reunion. Gary shook the man’s hand and introduced himself.
Around her, the people grew quiet so they could hear everything the
people in the center of the lodge would say.

“
Penelope explained how she
adopted Etu and Yepa from an orphan train,” the chief told
Woape.

Woape nodded at the children who clung
to Penelope’s skirt. “Yes, I remember them, and I’m sorry it was my
foolish action that caused their parents’ deaths,” she said in a
voice so low Onawa barely heard her.

“
There will not be more
sorrow,” the chief replied. “This is a day of rejoicing. We learned
that Etu and Yepa survived.”

“
You adopted them?” Woape
asked Penelope.

“
Yes.” Penelope rubbed
their shoulders in a comforting manner. “They didn’t have anyone to
care for them and I spoke their language so it was meant to
be.”

“
There are no
coincidences,” the chief agreed. “You finding Citlali and him
bringing you here while he was seeking a vision is significant. We
must not miss the meaning behind it.”

Onawa frowned, his meaning not clear
to her, but she sensed this wasn’t something the white couple had
anticipated. Her gaze went to them, and Penelope glanced at Cole
who shrugged.

“
Penelope and Cole have
been good to them,” Woape told the chief. “They are healthy and
happy.”

“
The boy has questions and
some nightmares,” Penelope commented. “We thought by coming here,
he might find answers and peace.”

“
A very good reason to be
here,” the chief replied. “You were right to bring them. They must
learn the ways of their people. A good way to start is for you to
stay with the children in the lodge belonging to their aunts. They
will want to see their lost ones.” His gaze turned to Etu and Yepa.
“Your aunts can tell you about your mother and father.”

“
We have room in our
lodge,” Woape argued. “Etu and Yepa’s aunts don’t have enough room
since they recently made a smaller lodge to inhabit.”

The chief scanned the crowd and saw
one of their aunts. He motioned for her to come forward, and she
quickly obeyed. In low tones, the chief and the aunt talked, and no
matter how much Onawa strained to hear, she couldn’t make out more
than a word here and there. She looked at Citlali. It was hard to
determine what he was thinking. She wished she could go up to him
and ask what he thought of all of this, but she’d have to wait
until they were alone.

When the chief turned back to Woape,
he spoke in a louder voice. “They will stay with you.”

Woape and Penelope smiled, and the
chief dismissed them. As the crowd filtered out of the lodge to
follow the newcomers, Onawa wondered if Citlali would remain with
the chief. If he did, then it was his right. She would find Julia
and tell her what happened since neither Julia nor Chogan were in
the crowd, probably because they decided to have as little to do
with the chief as possible.

The chief spoke to Citlali and looked
at her. Her cheeks warmed by the attention. Citlali gave the chief
a slight nod before heading in her direction. Delighted he was
going to be with her, she pulled the robe tighter around her body
to get ready to go back outside.

When he reached her, she walked beside
him. “Did you have a vision?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t had
anything to eat since I left, but the spirits didn’t
come.”

She hid her disappointment. So the
matter that bothered him wasn’t resolved. She wanted to ask him why
he sought the vision to begin with but knew it wasn’t her place.
The matter was between him and the chief. If he chose to tell her,
then she’d know. Otherwise, she would keep her questions to
herself.

When he didn’t volunteer any
information, she ventured, “Since you’ve been fasting, then you
will be happy to know it’s almost time to eat.”

“
I am glad to know that.”
After a long pause between them, he cleared his throat. “The week
was a long one.”

“
Yes, it was. I missed
you.”

Before he could respond, someone
called out to them. They turned and watched as his brother came up
to them. “Did the spirits lead the white couple with Yepa and Etu
to you?” Ukiah asked Citlali.

“
I cannot say it was the
spirits who were responsible for it,” he replied.

“
But you can’t say they
weren’t,” he countered and glanced at Onawa in excitement. “Did you
see them?”

She nodded. “Woape is friends with the
white woman.”

“
Ah, the spirits are behind
it,” Ukiah said.

“
It’s too soon to know
anything,” Citlali argued, and though his face remained impassive,
Onawa detected a slight edge to his voice.

Ukiah’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“The chief says the spirits are behind it. Are you disagreeing with
him?”

“
No, I’m not disagreeing
with him. I need more time before I can decide,” he
clarified.

“
Which sounds like you
disagree with him since he already made up his mind.”

“
Must you look for a
fight?”

Ukiah laughed. “I’m not looking for a
fight. I’m just making an observation.”

Before the two could keep going back
and forth on the matter, Onawa spoke up. “It will be interesting to
see what happens while Penelope and Cole are here. Who knows what
will come from this?”

She noted that Citlali relaxed his
clenched jaw. She wondered why she didn’t detect the subtle cues in
his moods before. Whether it was the shift in the tone of his voice
or a change in his facial expression, he did reveal his feelings.
Perhaps up to now, she’d been too nervous around him to pick up on
this.

Ukiah turned to her. “Since they are
staying with Woape, I hope you will tell us what
happens.”

“
I will say what I’m at
liberty to say,” she complied, thinking that Woape had shared some
personal information with Penelope and vice versa, and even to this
day, she didn’t know everything that happened to Woape during the
time she was away from the tribe.

“
Smart answer,” Citlali
said.

“
As long as we know what
happens to Etu and Yepa, that’s all that matters,” Ukiah replied.
“I don’t care what happens to the white couple.”

“
You said enough. We will
go.” Citlali put his hand on the small of her back and gently urged
her to walk away from his brother.

“
You shouldn’t let him
bother you,” she whispered as they made their way to their
lodge.

“
I don’t let him bother me.
I’m tired of standing out in the cold. I spent a week
outside.”

She knew his brother bothered him. She
also knew his brother didn’t think much of him and made it a habit
of mocking him if he wasn’t around. She decided not to argue with
Citlali. He’d been gone for a week, and now he was back. All she
wanted to do was spend time with him.

When they entered the lodge, she
slipped out of her robe and turned to him. “I’ll take your robe to
our room.”

Nodding, he removed his robe and
handed it to her.

Their fingers brushed as she took the
robe from him, and she felt tingles of delight shoot straight to
her feet. With a shy smile, she carried the robes to their room
while the others in the lodge greeted him. When she returned to
him, his aunts and cousins were asking about Yepa and Etu. She sat
by him on the rug in front of the fire and helped his aunt collect
food for him.

Once he received his bowl, she turned
to helping his aunt give his young cousins their food before she
gathered her own into a bowl. She listened as Citlali explained how
he found Penelope and Cole riding along the prairie. While he
talked, she couldn’t help but relish the opportunity to be next to
him. This was where she’d always wanted to be—right by his
side.

His mother and two more of his aunts
came in with his brother and joined them in eating. She glanced at
Ukiah who glared at Citlali. She looked at Citlali and noted that
he ignored his brother’s hard stare. With a sigh, she turned her
attention to her food and decided to put the matter
aside.

Chapter Six

Despite the matter that weighed
heavily on Citlali’s mind, he took comfort in being near Onawa. She
missed him while he was gone, and though he didn’t know how to tell
her he missed her, too, he figured it was just as well that his
brother interrupted them when he did.

Even as his mind urged him to remember
to keep his calm, his pulse raced with excitement just by being
near her. All he could think of was being alone with her and having
her warm his bed. The week without her next to him had been a long
and empty one, and he longed to spend the entire night with her
snuggled up to him.

When that time finally came, he worked
hard to restrain himself from throwing caution to the wind and
tearing her clothes off so he could have his way with her. He
joined her in their room and removed his clothes, once again
keeping his eyes on her as she removed hers. This time, he wouldn’t
lose control and tell her his feelings. He was fortunate she didn’t
think less of him for telling her in the first place. He didn’t
want to make the same mistake twice.

This time after they were both naked,
he waited for her to slip into bed before he joined her. Her flesh
was warm and soft next to him. He pulled her into his embrace, his
body already throbbing with desire to enjoy her. He kissed her, and
she wrapped her arms around his neck in silent encouragement for
him to continue. He deepened the kiss and traced her body with his
hands. His tongue brushed her lips, seeking permission to taste her
more intimately. She opened her mouth for him so he eagerly
interlaced his tongue with hers.

He moved back slightly so he could cup
one of her breasts in his hands. His thumb traced the nipple which
hardened for him. She let out a soft moan, notifying him that she
found his ministrations pleasurable, something that motivated him
to continue.

She brought one of her legs around his
waist, an action which allowed his arousal to settle between her
legs. Her flesh beckoned to him, and he shifted so that he was more
intimately pressed against her. Her hands felt like heaven as they
ran up and down his back. Her eagerness for him made his heart
leap, and he wanted to profess his thankfulness that he married her
instead of Woape. But he held back the sentiment and focused on
stroking her tongue with his.

His hand left her breast and traveled
down her side and over her hip. He found the moist folds of her
sensitive flesh. Her mouth left his and she moaned, wiggling so
that he had better access to her entrance. While she kissed his
neck, he slid a finger into her body and groaned at the silken wet
folds that welcomed him further into her. He slid another finger
inside her, relishing the knowledge that soon enough this part of
her body would be clenching around his erection. He sighed in
pleasure at the reminder of how wonderful it felt to be inside
her.

“
Onawa,” he whispered,
stroking her core in time with the gentle rocking of her hips. “Oh,
Onawa.”

She was accepting him willingly and
completely, and the connection he’d felt with her strengthened. The
long week from her melted into oblivion. At this moment, it was
just the two of them. No one else existed. No one else
mattered.

Her lips went up to his earlobe, and
he shuddered when she traced it with her tongue. “I need you,” he
rasped, and realizing he’d spoken just like last time, he brought
his mouth to her shoulder and focused on kissing her so he wouldn’t
reveal his tumultuous emotions anymore.

“
Yes,” she murmured, her
hips rocking faster, her flesh squeezing his fingers.

He grew harder, something he didn’t
think possible, but her unbridled excitement was quickly becoming
his undoing. He loved this side of her. Loved knowing he could
bring her mounting pleasure to the point where she climaxed and
cried out his name as her body tightened around his
fingers.

When her body relaxed, he removed his
fingers and swiftly entered her, giving out a low moan of
appreciation as she welcomed him fully into her. He rolled on top
of her and thrust deeply into her, his week away from her not
allowing him to be as patient as he wanted to be. But she didn’t
seem to mind his urgency. In fact, she grasped his bottom and
worked with him as he moved in and out of her.

He kissed her on the mouth, allowing
his tongue to brush hers for a moment before he broke the contact.
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her she completed him, but
he gritted his teeth and focused instead on getting to the peak of
their physical union. When he got there, he cried out her name,
aware that he wanted to say more but managed to restrain himself
before he looked foolish.

His body relaxed and he fell into her
arms, the words of love still wanting to be spoken. Had it not been
for her kisses on his ear distracting him, he most assuredly would
have said them. When he had the strength, he rolled off of her and
gathered her into his arms. She snuggled against him, her body
wonderfully warm. This was what he wanted more than anything else
all the time he’d been alone in that teepee. And now that he had
it, he felt complete. Well, almost complete. He couldn’t explain
it, but something seemed to be missing. What that something was, he
didn’t know, but he assured himself that in time, he’d figure out
what it was and make it right.