Wild Desire (23 page)

“Sis, you can't mean that,” Adam pleaded. “I'm your brother—”

“Thank God it is in name only,” Stephanie said. “I would hate being blood kin with the likes of you, for fear that some of your ugly, scheming ways might rub off on me.”

“What about the Santa Fe Railroad shareholders, who are expecting the photographs that you took?”

“The Santa Fe and its shareholders can all go to hell,” she said, mounting her horse again. “You can all take the same train there, as far as I'm concerned.”

Ignoring his shouts, she rode away from him. She was determined to find a way to make things right with Runner. She would not allow herself to lose him this easily.

Chapter 26

As Thunder Hawk rode into his village with Sky Dancer snuggled against him, he was trying to muster up the courage to face his parents with the news that he was no longer just a son. He now had a wife. He and Sky Dancer had stopped midpoint between the two villages and had performed a simple ceremony that sealed their vows.

Now he had the task of revealing this truth to his mother and father. As his heart pounded harder the closer he came to his parents' hogan, he knew that he dreaded facing them far more than he had dreaded Chief Red Moon. He had horses as payment for what he had requested of Chief Red Moon. He had nothing to offer his parents for their approval.

Perhaps I do have something to offer them
, he quickly thought.

A daughter-in-law.

Yet that could be the prime reason they would be upset with him today. Not because he had skipped school while acquiring a wife, but he had missed
two
days of schooling in a row.
And
he had to explain about the horses that he had used for his bride price. His father had often preached against stealing horses.

A slow smile moved across his lips as he recalled the recent raid on Damon Stout's horses led by none other than his father. Surely his father could no longer condemn him for stealing horses, when he had now resorted to the same tactics himself, even if for different reasons.

Thunder Hawk held his chin high, thinking that his reason for stealing from Damon was honorable enough. In past history of the Navaho, he knew that stolen horses had paid for many brides.

He stiffened and his throat went dry when the approach of his horse brought his parents from their hogan. They stood watching now, surprised and puzzled by Sky Dancer's presence on Thunder Hawk's horse.

“Thunder Hawk, I'm frightened,” Sky Dancer said, as she offered her wide, dark eyes up to him. “What if I am not welcomed? What if they send me away? What if they send us
both
away? I wish that you would have told them of your plan to marry me. If they had disliked the idea, I would not know it. I would still be in my own village, sitting comfortably and innocently by the fire, weaving.”

“There were reasons why I could not tell them earlier,” Thunder Hawk said, tightening his grip on her waist reassuringly. He stared at his father as he talked. “I had hoped that you would be spared my parents' wrath, especially my father's. But I can see the anger building in his eyes as we approach. As for my mother? She will be stunned at first, then she will welcome you with open arms. Soon they will both be moved to love you. Who could not? You are the loveliest and sweetest maiden in the whole world.”

This caused Sky Dancer to giggle and relax once again against him. “In the whole world?” she teased, her eyes dancing into his as he looked down at her. “Something has blinded you, my husband.”

“Have you ever truly looked long enough to see your true beauty?” Thunder Hawk said thickly. “It reaches beyond the heavens. This Navaho is blessed to have claimed you as his, before anyone else had decided to.”

“You were not the first to bring horses to my father,” Sky Dancer said, reaching a soft, tiny hand to his cheek when she saw an instant anger light his eyes. “But I turned them away. Not my father. When I saw you entering my village with your horses, I could hardly believe my eyes. I had prayed often to the Great Unseen Power that you would come for me.”

“While you were praying, not only did the Great Unseen Power hear, but also Thunder Hawk,” he said, smiling down at her. “You beckoned. I came. Now we are linked together, as though one. No one can take that from us.”

Sky Dancer turned her eyes slowly around, flinching when she saw Sage as he waited for their arrival. She had been around Sage many times when her chieftain father had combined forces with Chief Sage.

Until now, she had seen Sage as a man of many smiles and courtesies. Today she was seeing a different man. She almost feared him, except that she knew that he was a most gentle, kind man at heart and would do nothing to hurt her.

As for Thunder Hawk, she was not certain about his relationship with his father. There was much she did not know about him, perhaps too much. At this moment she was wondering if she should have found out more about the man behind the handsome face and gentle smile before she had shared vows with him.

Thunder Hawk wheeled his horse to a stop a few feet from his mother and father. He paused before dismounting. Sweat beaded his brow as out of the corners of his eyes he saw the people coming from their hogans, staring. Some were coming close on both sides of him, gazing up at Sky Dancer with wonder. He knew that everyone knew her. He knew that everyone adored her.

Taking a deep breath, then slowly exhaling it, Thunder Hawk finally slipped out of his saddle. Ignoring everyone but his wife, he placed his hands at Sky Dancer's tiny waist.

“Husband, I am so nervous,” Sky Dancer whispered as Thunder Hawk helped her to the ground.

“You need not be,” he whispered back.

He took her hand, and together they turned and faced his parents, then walked toward them.

When they reached Sage and Leonida, Thunder Hawk smiled awkwardly from one to the other.

“Sky Dancer?” Leonida said as she stared at the young woman. Then she turned questioning eyes to Thunder Hawk. “Thunder Hawk, why is Sky Dancer with you?” she murmured.

Sage took a step toward them. He clasped a hand on Thunder Hawk's shoulder. “You have much to explain,” he said. “You continue to miss school. You have been gone two days.” His eyes slid over to Sky Dancer. “And now you are here with Chief Red Moon's daughter.”

He looked past them, his jaw tightening when he saw the bundles on Thunder Hawk's horse, knowing whose they had to be. They were travel bags of women, not men. They had to be Sky Dancer's. That could mean only one thing: this son, who was scarcely old enough to make his own decisions, had taken a wife.

He leveled a steady stare at Thunder Hawk again. “You paid a bride price for this young woman?” he said, his voice drawn.

Leonida paled. “Bride . . . price?” she gasped, yet saw that it must be so. She knew Chief Red Moon's reputation for watching his daughter like a hawk, not allowing any men close to her. He never would have allowed his daughter to leave the village unless he had agreed to it.

Thunder Hawk placed a possessive arm around Sky Dancer's waist. “Many horses were left at Chief Red Moon's village,” he said, lifting his chin proudly. “Fifteen in number. The bride price was enough. Sky Dancer is now my wife.”

“I see that she is,” Sage said, shifting a quick smile down at Sky Dancer, then frowning over at his son again. “This is something you do after much thought? Or was it done hastily? My son, must I remind you that you are still of school age. How do you plan to behave as a husband in all ways to your wife? Where will you lodge her? What will you feed her?”

“A certain number of sheep are mine,” Thunder Hawk said, relieved that in the wonder of him having taken a wife his father had momentarily forgotten to insist on knowing how he had acquired the horses for the bride price. His thoughts were only on the importance of schooling, not horse stealing.

“Father, only one moon ago you gave me several sheep that I could call my own,” Thunder Hawk continued. “I will see that these multiply into many. This will be my way of supporting a wife. As for lodging? Sky Dancer and I will, together, build a hogan for ourselves. Until we get this done, we will live in a tent on the edge of the village. Does this meet with your approval, Father?”

He shifted his gaze to his mother. “Do you find fault with any of this, Mother?” he said, his voice filled with caring.

Leonida sniffled as tears sprang into the corners of her eyes. And it was not from being sad over what her son had chosen to do. It was the fact that she was now a mother-in-law, and to the most precious young woman that one could ever choose to meet.

She was touched deeply inside her heart that Sky Dancer saw the side of Thunder Hawk that Leonida knew so well, which fathers never saw. The gentle, caring, loving that a man could reveal, but not in front of a father who might think it a show of weakness.

“I welcome Sky Dancer into our family,” Leonida said, flicking tears from her eyes as she went to Sky Dancer. She gave Sky Dancer a sincere, warm hug, and kissed her softly on the cheek. Then she went and stood beside Sage again.

“I love your son,” Sky Dancer quickly blurted. “My heart has been his for many moons. Since we were children and brought together when our families met on special occasions have I known that I wanted your son for my very own. As we grew older and our gazes grew bolder, I knew that, in time, he would be my husband.” She locked an arm through his. “And he
is
my husband. We spoke words between us already that make us man and wife.”

Leonida looked at Thunder Hawk wistfully. “I would have enjoyed preparing for a wedding celebration,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Sky Dancer preferred something more simple,” Thunder Hawk said, exchanging smiles with his wife.

“We will discuss schooling tomorrow,” Sage said, frowning from Thunder Hawk to Sky Dancer.

Sage saw Sky Dancer's smile fade when he looked at her, and realized that he had not yet welcomed her, so he stepped forward and took her into his embrace.

“I welcome you to my family,” he said, still disbelieving that Thunder Hawk could do anything as foolish as taking a bride while he was so young. But it was done.

There had to be some changes made to make room in their lives for Sky Dancer. But the one thing that Sage would not allow to change was his determination for Thunder Hawk to have a complete, proper schooling. If his son thought otherwise, he had a surprise coming on the morrow. Tomorrow he would be in the classroom again, wife or no wife.

But Sage would not break that news to his son until later on tonight. For now, his son's responsibilities to his wife were beginning. His first duty was to take her to his bed. He owed her a lifetime of loving.

He stepped away from Sky Dancer and faced Thunder Hawk. “My son, your mother and I will go and stay with Pure Blossom the rest of the day and tonight,” he said. “Your mother and I will give you the privacy of our hogan this one night. But after tonight, you will have to see to your own lodging.”

Thunder Hawk gasped. “You would do this for us?” he said, having never thought that his father would be this understanding, this generous. Perhaps having a wife
would
give him the excuse he needed not to have to go to school ever again.

“I do not approve of you taking a wife while you are so young,” Sage said, stepping back to slip an arm around Leonida's waist. He smiled down at Sky Dancer. “But I very much commend your choice of wives.”

“Thank you, Father,” Thunder Hawk said, beaming. Everything, absolutely everything was working out for him. He could not ask for any more than this.

“I have a pot of mutton stew cooking over the fire,” Leonida said, snuggling close to Sage. “There is fresh bread warming on the stove. Please feel free to eat your fill. We shall eat our meals with Pure Blossom today.”

“How can I thank you both?” Sky Dancer said, hugging Leonida and Sage again as Thunder Hawk went to his horse and removed Sky Dancer's satchels. He handed the reins of his horse to one of the small braves, to take and tend to it in the corral. Then he took Sky Dancer's hand and they hurried inside the hogan.

Once inside, when they finally had total privacy, Thunder Hawk set Sky Dancer's belongings aside, then drew her into his embrace. He smoothed his hands over her cheeks, then through her long, waist-length black hair.

“Do you know how long I have wanted to be with you like this?” he said huskily. “My wife, I so hunger for you.”

She moved into his arms. When their lips met, it was awkward between them at first, and then their kisses became frenzied, as did their hands as they disrobed one another.

After Sky Dancer was totally nude, Thunder Hawk stepped away from her and for the first time, ever, saw a woman fully unclothed. Because of his feelings for Sky Dancer, he had not taken another woman into his blankets with him.

And now he had her all to himself, and no midnight dreams could have been this exciting and beautiful. Her body was tiny, yet her breasts were large and firm.

His pulse racing, he reached his hands to her breasts. As he cupped them, a sensual thrill raced up and down his spine, and a fire never known to him before lit in his loins. He could feel his manhood filling with heat. It was throbbing.

Drawing her into his embrace, he lowered her onto a soft pallet of sheepskins beside the fireplace. His hands moved over her, searching and caressing her body. When he kissed her, she moaned against his lips and urged him over her.

Instinctively, she spread her legs and sucked in a wild breath when she felt the strength and the fullness of his manhood as he began probing where she throbbed at the center of her desire.

Thunder Hawk continued kissing her as he made the one last thrust that broke that wall of defense that all women had until taken that first time by a man. He kissed her pain away, his hands on her breasts, softly kneading. He moved himself endlessly deeper within her, then began his rhythmic strokes.

As she clung to him and moved her hips with his, Thunder Hawk was amazed at the skills she had at not only receiving him as a lover but also in giving herself back to him.