Gold Raven (54 page)

He grabbed her head and ravished her mouth as the full weight of him backed his pounding thrust. A hump rounded his back
. With his hips thrusting powerfully, unrestrained, Hope pulled her thighs wider, adjusting to him, trying to move with him in a way that would lessen the discomfort of him hitting deep over and over. She could feel him pulling at her tunnel, the end of him rubbing high inside, making her wince and gasp. His grip on her tightened as his body shook and hardened, the force of his hips slapping against her with each ram within, pulling himself upward the thrusts came faster, more intense until at last, it happened, he reached the pinnacle that made him throw his head back and shout to the heavens as he spent himself deep within her.

With his heart beating rapidly, he slowly sank to cover her body with his, taking her into his arms, so overcome with joy and love for her. Tenderly he kissed her face, stroking her hair back from her brow. "I love you. I love you…I knew that it would be like this. I love you, I swear to you, I love you."

She stared up at him, overcome with emotions herself. She felt good, even with feeling such an ache – it was wonderful, new, and another part of life that she would never forget.

"You're now mine in every way." Hope closed her eyes as he stroked her hair, swallowing back her fear that he may just hold her to that. She could not help but wonder what he would do when she had to leave to find her brother and mother, because that – she
had
to do.

In the meantime, he was true to his word. Their days together were spent with him making love to her in all the ways a man did to show his woman how much he treasured her. Stopping in between to fish, hunt and eat, or to bathe in the stream together, with Hope discovering her husband's body close and intimate. Red Crow exploring hers…and all the places that required just a touch to get her started. They splashed and played, raced and competed, one challenging the other in games they’d played as young children. Hope laughed more and more as the days went by, shedding every bit of worry about all other things not right in her life. For now, she was with her husband; he needed her to give him this, just as she silently admitted that she needed it too.

Her mind and body reeled from his constant needs; he seemed to have a voracious appetite for making love, never seeming to reach an end to his passion for her. No matter how sore, she gave into him…until they were both satisfied. Upon the fourth day, it was as if an alarm alerted Hope of the time. Her family, particularly Mike, came back to stand between them. She sobered as she lay in Red Crow’s arms, feeling his fingers on her scalp, running through her hair. "I love your hair, so many curls when it dries on its own. The color, so gold…look at all these waves catching the light."

"Red Crow."

"Um hm?"

"When will we leave to go and help my brother? It's been four days now…I would like to go after my brother now."

Red Crow closed his eyes at hearing the signal to end their
tranquil peace. He thought if given a little time, she might reason out
the odds of him still being where they could find him, or for that matter, him even being alive. He thought she might have accepted what may have been her brother's fate. If alive he would be held prisoner at a military fort, one teaming with hundreds of militiamen.

So be it, he promised her; but considering the dangers, he most certainly was not going to take her along with him. He would take a large number of his braves, and she would have to accept being left behind. "When, Red Crow?" She repeated the question, feeling his reluctance to discuss the matter.

"We will leave in two days for your brother…does that please you?"

"Oh yes, it does…I can't wait, I miss him so much!" She expressed excitedly, her head popped up to look down at him, her wild mane falling to cover part of his chest.

"How long do you think it will take us to get there? Oh, I hope not long…did I tell you dear what happened? We had just returned to the camp from Webster Fields, and then Mike sent us away. We were making plans, and everything seemed to be going right…and next thing I know…he sent us off to Lake Charles to be safe. We were all crazy with the thought of leaving him-…"

"I know, so you've told me." He cut her off.

His tone and mood change was evident. Hope paused gazing down at him, "Yes…well…we are going to New York, that's where my father is, Jordan and Charles told us about his business there. When we find Mike, we can go and gather his family, and then maybe…we can all…go – to New York." She finished, noting his refusal to look at her. His hands crossed beneath his head, looking off in any direction but at her.

"Well…?"

"We will deal with that when we come to it. First I must see if he is still there and well-…"

"You mean we must see? Besides, it doesn't hurt to plan ahead. After we have him back, we can all go in search of my parents together…I know that I am married to you now-…"

"Oh so you have remembered that!" He blazed hotly.

"Yes…I do. I
need
to see my father. I
need
to find my mother. Sometimes, the need to see her again, is so overpowering, I think I will start to cry and never stop. That feeling will not change until I see her face again."

"Have you forgotten that I am a chief of my people? Do you think I can just up and leave on what may be a wild goose chase-…"

She rose quickly from the bed, hot. "My Mother is not a
goose
! My father is not a
goose
! Therefore…this cannot be compared to a wild
goose
- chase! They are my family, and I
need
them!"

"So I am…nothing." He snarled hurt and angry.

Hope stood tall with her heart hurting. She did not want to upset him, but she would not lie to him. Realizing she had to calm down, she took a deep breath and tried to re-word her declaration, hating that the emotion was overcoming her – she didn't want to cry before him. She would not beg, nor plead with any man, for anything. As her brother had taught her well, she did not need him…a man, a husband…Red Crow. What she needed, was family. Yet something within her was shifting…because the look on his face was evoking feelings she had never imagined she would experience.

"Please…you must try to understand. As hard as it might be, you have no idea what it is like, to wonder around not knowing…longing for…a finish to what was started…so long ago. There is a – hole in me – this big emptiness. I feel …as if I’ve gone to sleep, and woke up alone. I woke up wanting my mother – and until I find her – I'll continue wanting her."

"Let us not speak of this anymore. I have no wish to argue, nor add to your struggle. If I find your brother, then I will bring him to you." He spoke hastily, unable to deal with what she was trying to say. He knew what she was feeling; he'd lost his own father. No matter how many men stepped in to try to replace him, as much as he had come to love them, none could compare to him. As he stood lost in the thought of that, Hope realized what he was saying. "Bring him to me? I am going with you."

"No. You will not. It is too dangerous; I will take many braves-…"

"I'm going!"

"I said no."

"I cannot stay behind, waiting, wondering, not knowing…and I will not!"

"I am your husband! I have spoken! You will stay! You will wait! Do not fight me on this! You will not win! You will – learn to do as I say!"

All the things Mike had said to her replayed in Hope's mind.
'You see, didn't Mike tell you?! Yet here you are, trapped and married to one who will strive to control you, rule over you! You should have listened! You should have listened!'

Burning from her thoughts, her words displayed her state of mind,
"You can go right to hell! You will not control me, you goddamn savage! I may have forsaken my freedom marrying you, but not even you, mighty Chief Red Crow, will tell me what I can and cannot do!"

"You know…there are stories of maidens having their tongues removed…now I understand why." He mused.

"Oh, you can try it, certainly you can, but you'll see hell, before the task is finished, because revenge will be mine!" She threatened, with narrowed eyes.

"What kind of woman are you?"

"Bastard, of Maynard Ramsey Webster, daughter, of Princess Ceś alena…I thought you knew." She replied with disdain. He grabbed her, so angry he felt he could easily throttle her. His problem was, he was too much in love with her. He had obsessed over her for so many years, that now – he was trapped in this world of his own making. Even her maddening stubbornness, her pride and her willingness to fight to the end, made him love her more. The loyalty she demonstrated for her parents and brother, he desired for himself.

“
I have spoken. Say not, another word.” He warned.

Releasing her, he marched for the flap and left her standing there steaming. His escape timed by needing to be the one with the last word.

“
You don’t know me Chief Red Crow; you don’t know me at all.” She said aloud to the empty wigwam. With her mind devising a plan, she stomped from their dwelling, deciding to ignore him.

Hope spotted him in the stream, gloriously naked, spear raised in the process of waiting for a fish to capture for their meal. For once, choosing to be as bold as he was about being naked, she pulled her gown over her head and off. Glorying in the warmth of the sun as it shone down on her nude body. Deciding that space between them was best, she entered the stream further down from him.

A fish swam circles around Red Crow’s ankles as he watched Hope. Intently observing as she stepped gracefully towards the stream, nose high, shoulders square, displaying herself before him with all the arrogant boldness and dismissal of a queen. His breathing deepened, his nostrils flared. She was making him crazy. He hated seeming insensitive about her parents, but truth was, he was jealous of them, jealous of Michael Webster. He wanted her to love him as deeply as she loved them. He wanted her undying devotion, just as they had it. Truth was, they had it all. His conscience plagued him, because he cared so much for Ceś alena – Amber Swann – his admiration for her was great. Her spirit was strong. Strong and deeply embedded in his wife’s very soul; thus, her heart seemed – closed to him.

“
Gold Raven!”

He called to her as she bathed down the stream from him. She gave him a sideways glance to see him standing and staring, the spear forgotten in his hand. She turned her back to him, not answering, with nothing to say, taunting him as it were, with her silence, with her movements. Snubbing him while bathing seductively, nothing but wicked intent now that she was learning the power she held over him. She smiled hearing the water splash behind her, he was coming for her, heading her way hurriedly. Stopping just out of her reach, “Please, let us not have this anger between us.”

"You spiteful, mean, wicked little hellion!"

"And you love me." She declared confidently.

"That's the first thing I've done wrong, letting you know that. I've
been cursed ever since."

"If that be true, release me. Set me free, end this curse and find
your peace elsewhere." She dared him.

"Yo-o-ou, never! I would sooner find my life ended, than to set you free. I
will never let you go. You are mine, and mine you will stay."

"Then pity for you, Red Devil. You may possess my body, maybe
even my soul, as for my heart-..."

"Damn you! Even that— will be mine one day!" He growled with his heart beating painfully. He went to force a kiss on her
but she jerked away, turning to escape him.

"Enough, I want no more
of you!" She shouted trying to run for the banks of the stream. Close at her heels, he grabbed her by the waist to pull her back in, making her slip and fall to her knees. Desire hot, fast and immediate set him
on fire, his erection was instantly there.

"Let go of me — damn you! Oh!" She gasped in shock as she felt
him huge and throbbing, pushing part of the way inside of her from
behind. "Oh."

She gasped as he held onto her, forcing himself deeper within her, trying to press his full length to the limits of her vagina. “Ow! Wait – oh!” She cried, her heart taking off, unable to breathe, her nails digging into the grass and mud of the bank.

"For now — if all — I have is your body — your soul, then so be
it— I will have you, how I please — when I please — because it — is — mine!"

Stunned and trapped in the position he held her, Hope could
only grit her teeth against the slight pain of him going so deep. She
felt she was being possessed by a great beast and reveled in what he
was doing to her, touching her in places as he slammed into her, f
orcing her to take all of him. With her nails anchored into the gritty earth, her head tossed while she cried out from him
touching that spot, refusing to turn her loose until he'd made her
scream and cry in pleasure. As if the master of her body, of her
soul...he made her body split wide open and pour forth the depths of
her essence and scream out in delirious pleasure. To feel something so soul shattering was madness she never knew and soon, he too
followed right on the edge of her release.

Later that same day, Hope and Red Crow returned to his village.
Red Crow knew that Hope was much too anxious to see her brother
to have given up the argument for her going. She was up to
something, simply because she had not brought it up again. They
went straight to his mother's home first.
Where he left her, explaining that he would return soon, that he needed to gather his braves and plan the trip to the fort.

When he returned that evening, they had dinner with his mother
and Butterfly. Josey, told Hope, about her teaching and how she
should join her class to further her own knowledge, which she agreed
to do, being polite — although it was the last thing on her mind. The
conversation went from there, to Josey telling her son that he should
build a home for his wife. By the time the evening had passed, dinner
and dishes were cleared away and lighthearted conversation made
them linger a bit longer, with Josey noting a definite tension between
the two. She promised herself she would stay out of it and let them
work things out on their own; soon, they departed to their own
dwelling.

On the way back there, they were both quiet. Upon reaching the
village, they met up with many of his tribesmen; Greeneye and his
wife, Silkie Whisper and a few others.