Never Surrender (22 page)

Taima brought the ring to his lips and kissed the
stones. “I will treasure it always, as I do you.”

A faint blush moved over her cheeks and Taima embraced
her; Kate’s arms hugged his waist. “Our bath is waiting.”

On their way to the river, Taima watched Kate, the
setting sun casting a warm glow onto her skin. He didn’t understand the mood
changes she’d been going through this past week. Normally, she was shy, not
bold and aggressive as she was earlier today, although he would prefer her that
way at times. Now, she quietly walked beside him, her gaze downcast, carrying
clean clothes for them.

“Kate, you look tired after such a hard day.”

She glanced up. The glow in her green eyes made his
heart skip.

“I’ll feel better after bathing. The cool water will
revive my spirit.”

He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her
close to kiss the top of her head.

“Oh Taima, I smell awful, please . . .”

“Please what, woman?” Suddenly he picked her up,
cradling her in his arms. “Put down your bundle of clothing, or they will also
get wet.”

Kate tossed the bundle to land beneath the pines where
they would change later, and reached to remove her knee-high moccasins. “You
mean to wet these clothes?”

Taima kicked off his own moccasins. “You won’t be
wearing them long enough to notice they’re wet,” he said, striding into the
waist-deep water. He let go of her legs and quickly grasped the bottom of her
doeskin dress, pulling it up over her head then tossed it ashore. Just as
quick, Kate slipped a small medicine pouch over her head and tossed it to
shore.

His groin tightened with desire as she stood naked
before him, her full breasts begging for his touch. “You are so beautiful.”

With a finger beneath her chin, he tipped her face to
his. Slowly, she raised her dark lashes to reveal the emerald sparkle in her
eyes. Her lips tempted him and he could no longer resist. Taking Kate into his
embrace, his mouth hungrily covered hers, their tongues meeting in a passionate
kiss. Her breasts pressed against his chest.

Taima never wanted to release her, knowing she was
beginning to mean more to him than he wanted to admit even to himself. Kate’s
hands lightly moved over his waist and ribs, igniting a burning desire within
him despite the cool water they stood in. He deepened the kiss, his tongue
searching for a need as strong as his own.

Her tongue tangled with his. A moan of passion escaped
her throat. Sharp nails lightly caressed down his back, pressing into his
flesh, making his heart race. His groin hardened as he held her tight, still
kissing, exploring, and devouring.

Kate pulled back from their kiss only to move her lips
to his chest. Her heated kisses made him want to take her here in the water.
Taima inhaled sharply and rested his chin atop her head. Water trickled down
his back, then again.

Taima scooped handfuls of water over the back of her
hair and shoulders, then stepped away to do the same to her breasts. Droplets
of water caused her nipples to pucker and he bent to taste one, his tongue
circling the hardened tip.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips. She tipped her head
back and breathed deeper, as though she attempted to calm herself.

“Before we go further, husband, I would like to wash.”

He stood and met her gaze. A pink flush rose in her
neck and cheeks, then she smiled and looked away.

Icy water splashed over his face and Kate giggled
before disappearing beneath the water. Emerging, she vigorously scrubbed her
hair and rinsed it. Taima did the same, mainly to douse his rising desire
before he made love to Kate. With handfuls of sand, he washed his arms and
chest, watching Kate’s hands roam over her slender body, scrubbing with the
sand to cleanse her flesh.

She lowered herself into the water to rinse away the
sand and wet her hair again, as did Taima. Then he stood in the waist-deep
stream. Rivulets of water trailed from his shoulders down his back and chest.
The muscles of his upper body tightened as he clenched his fists, waiting for
Kate to finish.

* * * * *

Scrubbing the last remains of sand from her skin, Kate
stood and twisted water from her long hair. The rush of water against the rocks
near shore made her listen more intently.

She didn’t hear Taima splashing about in the water.

Slowly, she turned. The last rays of the setting sun
caught the blue glint of Taima’s gaze, bringing a smile to her face.

“Do you feel clean enough at last, woman? I grow tired
of waiting.”

The hunger in his eyes made her stomach flutter and
her toes curl. Blood flowed through her veins like molten lava, heating every
inch of her body. A shiver ran the length of her spine in anticipation of his
warm hands caressing her flesh. Thoughts of doing the same to Taima weakened
her knees.

She walked through the water toward him, her gaze
moving to his mouth as she drew in a calming breath. Taima’s tongue moistened
his lips and his bronze chest expanded with a deep breath, the muscles
sculpting firm, beautiful contours. On a cord around his neck, her emerald ring
sparkled below the hollow of his throat. The leather bands he wore just above
the biceps of his arms, although one was missing now, accentuated the unleashed
strength which lay beneath the surface.

“Some things are worth waiting for,” Kate said,
narrowing her eyes.

A trickle of water dripped from his hair onto his
chest. Kate reached out and lightly traced the path with her finger, trailing
over the hard muscle. His chest swelled with a quick intake of breath.

“Do you realize how your touch affects me?”

The deep timbre of his voice made her heart skip. She
met his blue gaze, the large, dark pupils of his eyes telling her what she
already knew.

Taima wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Kate traced the water-trail down his stomach and
lower. “Possibly the same affect your touch has on me. My heart races when
you’re this close; I can’t seem to breathe.”

Taima’s hand moved over her hip, up her waist, then
cupped a breast, the warmth of his hand nearly burning her skin. His thumb
lightly flicked over her hardened nipple. His gaze left hers and moved lower
while his other arm pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and
his mouth covered hers. Warm lips coerced hers apart. His tongue aggressively
met hers; feelings of desire swirled through her. Taima deepened the kiss, his
tongue probing further, sweeping the inside of her mouth.

Feeling more confident in the affect she was having on
Taima, Kate drew his tongue in, tangling with her own. A moan escaped her throat,
which she’d tried unsuccessfully to contain.

Taima broke the kiss and cradled her in his arms. “I
love you to need me, woman...and know that I cannot wait to please you and
soothe your needs.”

His hand moved along her rib to tilt a breast upward
as he lifted her to his mouth. Taima’s warm lips closed over the pert tip, his
tongue laved it, circling, flicking, tasting. She rested her head on his
shoulder as he strode ashore toward a grassy area beneath the trees. The light
breeze against her wet skin did little to cool the heated response Taima had
ignited within her.

“I want you,” she said, watching his eyes.

Taima stopped; smoldering desire looked back at her
through his heated gaze. “To hear you say that is important to me. My need for
you has increased with each day we spend together.”

Kate’s heart sank. His need increases, yet he doesn’t
love me. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. At least she had the
moment...and him.

He knelt and laid her in the grass, then his gaze
torched every inch of her naked body from her shoulders to her toes. The sound
of her racing heart beat steadily in her ears as she forced herself to lie
still beneath Taima’s scrutiny. She felt so sensual knowing he wanted her with
a desire that nearly equaled her own.

The warmth of his hand against her abdomen startled
her from her reverie.

“You are so beautiful, but what is this small scar?”

His finger traced the area near her right hipbone. “I
had surgery several years ago.”

“The cut and stitch are perfect. It must have been done
with a sharp quill.”

She ignored his comment as he moved to lie between her
thighs, his hands on either side of her waist. Excitement spiraled through her,
swirling from her woman’s center up to her head with every breath she took.
Resting his elbows near her waist, Taima cupped each breast. His mouth covered
one nipple, then the other, his tongue circling the hardened tips. Kate grasped
handfuls of grass and closed her eyes, but couldn’t stop the moan of pleasure
that escaped her parted lips.

“Hearing your desire deepens my own,” Taima said,
kissing a path between her breasts, moving to her neck, over her jaw until his
mouth covered hers.

Kate curled her toes, her abdomen tightened with
anticipation of their lovemaking. She caressed his sides, still careful of his
wound, then gently raked her nails down his back. Sinewy hips met her fingers
as she pressed into the taut muscles, pulling him into her, eliciting another
groan from him.

“Your heat consumes me,” he whispered, his fingers
threading through her hair, his breath moist against her cheek. Kate raised her
hips, taking in the length of him and wrapping her legs about his hips.

The groan that escaped his throat satisfied her
questions of whether she could please him again. Raising himself onto his hands,
Taima moved deeper within her, slowly thrusting to tease and tantalize. She
tightened her inner muscles around him. Suddenly, the hungry look in his blue
eyes touched every fiber of her being. Kate stroked the length of each of his
calves with her toes, stretching beneath him, moving her hips in sensuous
circular movements.

“Woman, continue with this behavior and you will still
be awake to see the sun rise.”

“Then it will be a beautiful morning.” Kate threaded
her fingers into Taima’s hair and hungrily pulled his mouth to hers. She drew
his tongue deep into her mouth for a kiss that lasted the entire night.

Taima woke to sunlight filtering through the spaces
around the hide that covered the lean-to entrance. Kelee slept facing the wall.
The warmth of Kate’s body reminded Taima again of last night beside the river.
They’d made love until well into the wee hours of the morning before returning
to his lean-to. Her dark lashes dusted her tawny cheeks. A leather cord around
her neck caught his attention and he lifted it to find a small pouch attached.
Holding it in the palm of his hand, he turned the pouch over several times,
until it was suddenly snatched from his grasp.

Shocked, he looked into Kate’s face. Eyes darker than
he’d ever remembered stared back at him with contempt. Icy fingers gripped his
heart, nearly squeezing the very life and breath from his body.

Kate sat abruptly, shameless of the fact that she wore
only the pouch around her neck, clutched desperately within her hand. Short,
angry breaths seethed between her clenched teeth.

“Kate?” Taima asked, his eyes wide.

She tipped her head back as she laughed wickedly, the
sound filling the lean-to. Then she slowly crawled toward him, a smile curving
menacingly on her lips. “Kate is nearly lost to you forever, Taima. I am taking
her place and you
will
love me from now on. Her empty soul begged for my
takeover. It was easier than I thought. She will soon belong to me, body and
soul...and so will you.”

Her heated mouth covered his, and she pressed him onto
his back, her nails painfully digging into the flesh of his biceps.

Just as abruptly, she sat up again, her icy gaze
drawing him in. “Don’t interfere...or you will never see Kate’s lovely green
eyes again, nor touch her silky flesh. I
will
see her devoured by the
claws of a grizzly first. Her ring you wear around your neck may soon be all
you will have left of her.”

Taima sprang forward and gripped the woman’s bare
shoulders. Now his fingers dug deep into her flesh. “Mai? I know it’s you!”

The woman smiled and glanced down at his hands. “Yes!
Mark her flesh. That is more than I am able to do to her right now. But in
time, my work will be done and this body will be mine. Your desire for her will
not be sated just because I will inhabit her soul. Because you want her so
badly, you will crave and seek me out!”

He released her, tossing the stranger backward onto
the furs and stood over her. “NEVER! You will never succeed!”

“Your anger helps me take control. Let it out...yes!
My magic is nearly complete.” With the pouch clutched in her hand, she shook it
and stated, “If you try to remove this from Kate’s fragile neck, her neck will
break, rendering her useless...to you or Kelee. Heed my words, Taima. You will
be mine.”

Taima spun on his toes and left the lean-to. The cold
morning cleared his mind as he drew in deep, cleansing breaths. Standing in
only his breechcloth, he raked his fingers through his long hair; his heart
raced.

There had to be a way to end this evil madness. As
Taima caressed Kate’s ring at his throat, ice settled around his heart. His
breath caught in his lungs. He could feel the evil all around him. When he
looked up, Mai stood before her lean-to across the meadow. Even at this
distance, her dark gaze held him motionless where he stood. Unable to look
away, he stared into her eyes, hoping to overpower the madness that consumed
her.

Wicked laughter filled the valley. “You will never
win,” she called out, then stepped behind the hide at the entrance of her
shelter.

Taima strode toward her, clenching his fists. If the
source of evil no longer lived, Kate would be safe. Taima entered Mai’s
lean-to, nearly tearing the hide from where it hung. He allowed his eyes to
adjust to the darkness and noticed the lean-to was empty. Tossing furs aside,
he searched the small hut, then stepped back outside.

The caw of a blue-black raven drew his attention.
Perched upon a huge boulder, the bird cocked its head to one side, then cawed
several more times. Its screech echoed against the surrounding mountains, as
though laughing at him. Taima stealthily made his way toward the bird...or was
it actually Mai? Skin walkers were also known to be shape shifters. His fingers
itched to strangle the raven, whose dark eyes could easily be Mai’s.

The raven tipped its beak up in a mocking gesture,
cawed one last time, and flew into the wind before Taima reached the boulder.
He leaned against the rock and watched the bird ascend toward the red painted
mountains.

Could the Great Spirit help him in his plight against
the evilness of skin walkers? Sakima would have to be told. Perhaps he would
have a solution.

Sensing the approach of another, Taima spun around.
Kate had taken a step backward and stopped some distance from him. He held up a
hand to ward her off, unsure of whom she might be at the moment. Staring at her
bright emerald eyes, he waited for the drastic change to an evil black gaze.

He continued to wait.

No change occurred.

“Taima? Are you all right? What’s happened?”

Still he didn’t trust her. Or rather, he didn’t trust
Mai to stay out of Kate’s body. Taima could see the pouch where it hung between
her breasts beneath the doeskin dress.

She took a step toward him. He took a step back.

“Taima, what’s happened?”

“Nothing,” was his curt reply.

“Why were you chasing that beautiful raven? I was
feeding her bits of dried meat yesterday. It’s amazing the way a raven makes
eye contact with humans. Almost scary. The bird’s eyes were so black they
nearly hypnotized me.” Her gaze searched out the raven as it glided on the wind.

Taima turned her around, and with his arm about her
shoulder, led her toward his lean-to. “Do not feed another raven! Don’t even go
near one.”

She laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. They’re harmless.”

“Trust me. They are considered evil by my people and
bring bad luck.” He would tell Kate anything to keep her away from the shape
shifter if indeed that’s what the bird was. Taima prayed there would be more
time to get to Mai.

Kate’s eyebrows drew together. “Fine. If that’s what
you wish, though I don’t understand.”

He kissed the top of her sage-scented hair, wishing
their problems gone. “You don’t need to understand. Just obey me on this.”

She didn’t object and placed her arm about his waist.
Taima knew he had to figure a way to get that pouch from around her neck.

“Noshi!” With his bow in hand, Kelee came running
toward Taima. Excitement lit his bright blue eyes.

Taima bent to lift Kelee into his arms. “Nechan, you
are nearly too big for me to pick up anymore.”

“I know,” he said proudly. “I’m growing fast.”

The sound of Kate’s laughter mixing with his touched
Taima’s heart.

“Can we go hunting with Ahanu and his son today,
Noshi?”

Taima glanced at Kate the same time Kelee did.

“What do I have to do with your decision?” she asked
and laughed.

“We don’t want to leave you by yourself,” Kelee said.
“Aiyana wants to take you to the waterfall today. You’ll love it there.”

Taima tried to calm a squirming, excited Kelee in his
arms. “Now Nechan, perhaps Kate would rather hunt with us.”

Kelee tipped his head back and let out a deep laugh.
“Noshi...she is a girl!”

“I bet I can hunt as well as you,” she said and
teasingly poked her finger at Kelee’s stomach.

Taima couldn’t help but laugh as he held tight to
Kelee so he wouldn’t fall from his arms.

Kelee’s eyes widened. “But Aiyana wants to show you
the waterfall. You can’t go with us.”

Laughing, Kate teased, “How ‘bout I hunt at the
waterfall and we’ll see who brings back the best meal?”

Still worried, Kelee stared at Kate as Taima carried
him back to the lean-to.

“Nechan, she is only teasing.”

“But Noshi, she thinks girls hunt.”

“Some girls do hunt, my son.”

Kate smiled and gave in to Kelee. “Today, I will go to
see the waterfall with Aiyana. Okay?”

Taima ruffled Kelee’s hair and set him down, watching
him run toward Ahanu with the news. The clear sky overhead promised a warm day
for their hunt.

Taima looked at Kate. Her green eyes melted his heart,
and he hugged her close; her warm hands caressed his bare back. Dare he let her
out of his sight today? Especially after what had just happened with Mai. His
heart still beat heavily in his chest.

Threading his fingers into Kate’s soft hair, he
breathed in her sagebrush scent. Memories drifted back of their lovemaking last
night, and he tightened his embrace, never wanting to lose her. Something had
to be done about Mai...today. He would speak with Ahanu and Sakima later.

Kate’s lips pressed against his chest, and he closed
his eyes, wanting more. She molded so well to his body, her warmth penetrated
his flesh.

“I wish you luck in your hunt today.”

“I would rather be hunting you, woman. Wild animals on
two legs present more of a challenge.” He released Kate enough to look into her
eyes; eyes he dreamed about, eyes he got lost in. “Besides, wild animals on two
legs are more fun to take down.”

Her nails playfully raked over his back. “But we can
be dangerous if not taken down properly.”

A beautiful smile curved her lips, igniting embers
that would only distract him later today. “When I return, I will take great
care in taking you down, woman. Until then, have fun with Aiyana.” He playfully
patted her bottom, then turned toward a smiling Ahanu and Aiyana who watched
them as they strode closer to the lean-to.

“It is good for my heart to see you two enjoying each
other instead of arguing constantly,” Ahanu said, hugging his wife beside him.

Aiyana’s face beamed with happiness. “Kelee tells me
you would like to visit the waterfall near the lake today. We can go as soon as
we break our fast,” she said.

Taima glanced around one last time for any sign of
Mai, but she didn’t show her face again...nor her wings.

* * * * *

Kate watched as Taima and Kelee rode away with Ahanu
and his son. The restless horse beneath her took a step sideways and she patted
his neck. She hated being away from Taima, but knew they needed to replenish
the food supply.

“Are you sure your daughter will be all right while
we’re gone?”

“She plays often with the other children. Going to the
waterfall doesn’t interest her yet.”

Kate nudged her horse forward to follow Aiyana along
the narrow Wind River, shading her eyes from the morning sun. The valley they
lived in was protected from the mountains on all sides, the river meandering
lazily though the valley.

“The waterfall is at the north end of the valley, over
that ridge.”

“Past the lake?” Kate asked.

“No, just before the lake, to the left.”

Kate marveled at the peacefulness that surrounded
them. Three elk drank at the stream up ahead, not caring a wit about the two of
them riding nearby.

She thought of people bustling through crowded city
streets, cars rushing past one another, buses taking on new passengers. A
twinge of pain settled in her temple and traveled to the back of her head. She
closed her eyes for just a second and shook off the lurking city life. Opening
her eyes, the bright sun only worsened the pain. Another memory; more pain.
When would the headaches cease? Perhaps being at the waterfall would take her
mind off the ache in her temples.

Atop the ridge, Kate turned to look behind her.
Lean-tos dotted the area along the water. The winding river only added to the
beauty of the valley, the snow-capped mountain ranges, and the painted
mountains at the south end.

“It gives our people the same joy to sit up here and
look over the valley,” Aiyana said. “Come. There is more.”

Eager to see the rest of the valley, Kate directed her
horse with the leather reins. Riding bare back certainly differed from riding
with a saddle.

“You are not the only one who has found peace in this
valley.” Aiyana’s friendly dark eyes met Kate’s as she turned to glance at
Kate. “Taima has finally found peace in loving you.”

Kate gasped at Aiyana’s mistake. “Taima doesn’t love
me. I am merely a replacement. Something he needs, as does every man.”

“There, your thinking ends. You must pay closer
attention to the way he watches you. Even from a distance, regardless of the
activity he’s doing, he knows where you are. The look in his eyes softens when
his gaze captures you. He watches you for long periods of time. Ahanu has even
had to nudge Taima to get back his attention.”

Aiyana’s warm laughter drifted to Kate as she
continued, “I’ve told Ahanu he should not tease Taima, but it has been so long
since Taima has shown interest in a woman that Ahanu says he cannot help
himself.”