Dakota Dreams (Historical Romance) (32 page)

With a forwardness that came from the wine, she walked her fingers up his arm to his bare chest and brazenly ran her hand over the mat of black hair that covered his chest. "But I know how to make you enjoy yourself," she said, leaning forward with parted lips.

Dakota didn't want her this way. He wanted to push her away, but the sparkle in her golden eyes drew him to her, while the softness of her caress held him spellbound.

Gently taking her in his arms, very aware of her injured shoulder, he held her so tightly she could scarcely speak, but she didn't care. She moved forward and caught his bottom lip with her teeth and nipped playfully at it.

With a muttered oath, he grabbed her chemise and ripped it down the front, exposing her body to his gaze. In a frenzy, he disposed of his own confining clothing, but he was tender when he pulled his wife under him.

"You asked for this, Breanna," he said in a thick voice. He spread her legs and gently plunged into her, driving against her again and again, trying to expel the demon that had hold of him. His lips bruised hers with savage kisses.

When he tasted the saltiness of her tears, Dakota softened his movements. Ashamed of his brutality, he started to withdraw, but she touched his cheek.

"Love me, Dakota," she whispered in a pleading voice. "Please love me."

With an unquenchable ache in his heart, he used her body, while allowing her to use his. He did not like the taste of wine on her lips, and he mistakenly interpreted her cry for love as a sign that he was hurting her, so he gentled his motions even more.

The only sound in the night, besides the wind rippling against the canvas tent, was Breanna's soft breathing.

Dakota held his sleeping wife in his arms, loving her with all his heart. He realized his fear for her today had caused him to speak sharply to her, when all he really wanted to do was hold her, assuring himself that she was alive. Here in the darkness, he also admitted to himself that he had wronged John. How could he be angry with John, when he admired the very beauty that Dakota admired in Breanna.

"I love you, my heart," he whispered against her ear. "I am only alive when you are with me."

Breanna smiled in her sleep, unaware that her husband had just confessed his love for her. She did not see the look of pain in his eyes that was brought on by the knowledge that they must soon be parted.

Dakota now realized he could no longer keep her with him. Today she had almost been killed by the landslide, and yesterday she had almost been abducted by the Sioux warrior. There was no telling what new danger tomorrow would bring.

He thought of Black Otter, and what he must do. It was tearing at him because he was being forced to go against his promise to his father. But Black Otter had to be stopped.

Dakota rested his lips against Breanna's temple.

Black Otter was nearby. He could feel it. He knew Levi would have posted a guard, but still he would sleep lightly. When Black Otter learned that Dakota had returned, it would only be a matter of time before they met in battle—and one of them would die!

32

Breanna awoke with sunlight streaming into the tent. When she tried to move, pain reminded her of her injured shoulder. When she turned her head, her stomach churned and she felt as if she was going to be sick.

"Ohhh," she moaned, knowing the amount of wine she had consumed the night before had made her nauseous and made the inside of her mouth feel like straw. •

"Good morning, my lady," Baxley's voice called out just outside her tent. "I have your morning coffee."

"I don't want any coffee," she called out weakly.

"Very good, my lady. Will you require anything to eat?"

She clamped her hand over her mouth. "No, nothing."

"Can I come in?" Levi called out. "I need to talk to you."

Breanna pulled the covers over her and called for him to enter.

When Levi stepped inside, his eyes were wide with concern. "You're feeling rough this morning, aren't you?" he asked.

"Oh, Levi, I don't know which is the worse, my shoulder or the symptoms of too much wine."

He propped his foot on a camp stool. "I suspect you will battle both of them for most of the morning. If you want my advice, I'd say don't move about too much until the sickness leaves."

"I won't have any trouble doing just that. I couldn't move if my life depended on it."

"I don't suppose you want any coffee?"

She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Please, don't say that word."

"Dakota wanted me to tell you that he had to leave you."

"He's not here?"

"No. He left about midnight. When you are feeling up to it, I'm suppose to take you to Murphy's Trading Post to await Dakota's return."

Breanna felt hurt and betrayed. "Why didn't he tell me himself?"

"You should know by now that he doesn't like good-byes."

Breanna closed her eyes, but not before a tear rolled down her cheek. "Can you tell me where he's gone?"

Levi's eyes grew sad. "I think it's time someone told you something. I'm going to take it upon myself to do just that."

"I know he's come to kill a man, Levi. He admitted that much to me."

"Did he tell you who the man is?"

"No."

"He is being forced to face his brother, Black Otter, and it's tearing him apart on the inside. You will have to understand that the two of them grew up together. There was a time when they were very close, until the time Black Otter became jealous of Dakota."

Fear for Dakota tightened her nerves. "But why? I do not understand."

Levi looked inward, searching his mind. "Actually, it goes back a long way. Did Dakota ever tell you how he got that scar on his chest?"

"He said something about a bear."

"Yes, but did he tell you that he battled that bear when he was ten years old, with nothing but a hunting knife, to save his mother and Running Deer?"

"No, he did not," she admitted.

"That's just like him, he's never been one to brag. He almost lost his life fighting that bear. He was honored by his father and the whole Arapaho tribe, and Black Otter was shamed that day because he acted like a coward. That's when things began to go wrong between them."

"Did both of them love Running Deer?"

Levi hesitated. "That's not for me to say. But it was Black Otter who killed Running Deer in a jealous rage, and she died in Dakota's arms."

Breanna felt her heart ache at the picture Levi drew. "How tragic," she said. Breanna now thought she knew why Dakota could not love her—he loved a dead woman. "Why must Dakota be the one who faces Black Otter? Is there no law to punish him for his crime?"

"Not any law as you know it. However, Black Otter was supposed to die for slaying Running Deer, but he escaped. He has been terrorizing the countryside, making sure word got back to Murphy so he would pass it on to Dakota."

Breanna gasped. "He wanted Dakota to come back?"

"Yes, Black Otter is eaten up with jealousy and anger. He will not be satisfied until either he or Dakota is dead."

Breanna tried to rise, but pain prevented it. "Why didn't you go with Dakota, Levi? He needs you."

"Because where he goes, he must go alone—what he has to do, he must do alone."

"I am frightened for him, Levi. Can he defeat this Black Otter?"

"Dakota is stronger and braver, but Black Otter is cunning and deceitful. When they come together, to most folks' thinking, both white and Indian, it will be like good battling evil."

"You didn't answer my question. Can Dakota defeat Black Otter?"

Levi looked her in the eye. "I can only hope—that's all any of us can do. As his wife, I thought you should know how things are."

Helpless tears rolled down Breanna's cheeks; she feared for the man she loved. "I wish I could help him, Levi."

"You can't, though. None of us can."

She rolled her head from side to side. "How will I be able to exist, not knowing if he is alive or dead?"

"You will live each day one at a time, because he would expect it of you."

Her eyes were swimming with tears. "He is the most wonderful man I know."

"You love him a lot, don't you?"

"Yes, but he doesn't seem to want my love."

Levi stood up. "I'll tell you something you aren't going to believe. Dakota doesn't believe that you love him."

"That's because I have tried very hard to disguise my feelings."

Levi shook his head, wondering why neither of them was aware of the other's feelings when it was so apparent to everyone else. "I've said enough for one day. Try to get some rest. Tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it, we'll go on to Murphy's Trading Post.”

***

Breanna rode beside John and Baxley, wishing they would soon reach the trading post. They had been riding since early morning, and according to Levi, they would arrive before sundown. Her shoulder was aching, and she just wanted a soft bed where she could lie down.

When they topped a rise, she looked down at the green valley which was surrounded by mountains and green pine forests. The land around Murphy's Trading Post had been cleared of trees, and a stockade wall built around a fort-like structure. Breanna saw the tepees outside the walls, and glanced at Levi questioningly.

"They would be Sioux," he told her. "Murphy is a friend to them, and most always you will find whole families of the tribe camped nearby."

As they descended into the valley, Breanna wondered if there was anywhere so beautiful. When they reached the gates, she encountered her first glimpse of Indian women and children. She smiled at the dark-eyed children, who stared at her with equal curiosity.

Murphy turned out to be a wiry little Irishman, whose beard was as red as his shaggy head. His eyes sparkled with welcome as he approached Levi. "I never thought to lay eyes on you again, Levi Gunther. I thought some English woman would wrap you up and take you home with her."

"Nope, they didn't seem inclined to take me in."

Murphy glanced at Breanna with curiosity. "Breanna, this Irishman is a friend and longtime acquaintance," said Levi. "Murphy, this is Lady Breanna, Dakota's wife, and John Donegal, Dakota's cousin."

Murphy's eyes widened in appreciation. "I welcome you, my lady," he said respectfully. "We've been expecting you for over a week. My missus has made everything ready for you. She has been buzzing around like a bee, happy to be welcoming another white woman."

After Levi helped Breanna dismount, she smiled at the Irishman. "How did you know we were coming, Mr. Murphy?"

He scratched his red beard. "We have ways of knowing everything out here. Sometimes our lives depend on it. Our sources are very reliable, too. We had even heard that Dakota's woman was very beautiful. A certain Sioux warrior couldn't say enough about your charms."

Breanna's face reddened, and Levi gave Murphy a warning glance.

The redhead cleared his throat and moved on to another subject. "Black Otter knows that Dakota has returned. He was here day before yesterday. Killed a Sioux woman and an old man. His way of leaving his calling card, I guess."

Breanna's eyes widened with fear. "Will Dakota know about this?"

"He knows," Levi assured her.

***

Breanna was seated beneath a wide oak tree, having tea with Henrietta Murphy, while John and Baxley made a tour of the fort with Mr. Murphy. The last anyone had seen of Levi, he was conversing with a Sioux warrior.

Henrietta was a woman in her early forties with soft gray hair that waved around her face, and there were permanent laugh lines that fanned out around her blue eyes. She had come to this country twenty years ago with her father, who had worked for the London Fur Company. She had met and married Murphy, and she told Breanna that she had never regretted it for a moment.

Henrietta saw the worried frown that etched Breanna's lovely face, and she noted the way her guest absently traced the handle of the porcelain tea cup. "Does your shoulder pain you, my lady?" the woman asked solicitously.

"No, it's much better, thank you."

"Then you are worried about Dakota, aren't you, my lady?" the older woman asked in her soft English accent.

The golden eyes that Breanna raised to Henrietta were troubled. "Yes, I am. It's difficult for me to sit here, drinking tea and acting as if nothing is amiss, all the while knowing that my husband is in danger."

"I know your Dakota. I've known him since he was but a boy. Levi used to order books for him to read, and they would be shipped to us here. Your husband is something of a legend in these parts, my lady. He is revered by the Arapaho. The tales of his valor and strength lose nothing in the telling. I would put my mind at rest if I were you. Dakota . . . er . . . I mean, his lordship, can take care of himself."

"Mrs. Murphy, I see no sense in standing on ceremony. Please call me Breanna." She looked to the older woman to allay her fears for Dakota. "Tell me what you have heard about Dakota."

"Well," Henrietta said reflectively. "It was known by everyone that Dakota was the pride of his father. Two Moons was an extraordinary man who believed in honor."

"Dakota has not told me very much about his Indian father. I do know that he respected him a great deal."

"Yes. Two Moons was a powerful war chief, and his name is still honored among his people. It was plain to everyone that he favored Dakota over his own son, and perhaps therein lay the tragedy. As a young man, Dakota was well loved and excelled in everything he attempted. But Black Otter was treacherous and unlovable. As he grew to manhood, his hatred and anger became directed toward Dakota."

"I cannot understand how anyone could hate my husband. He is a remarkable man."

"That would be one of the reasons Black Otter hates him. Of course, Black Otter hates everyone now, and he has murdered and pillaged Indian villages as well as white settlements to revenge the wrongs that he thinks have been done to him. Black Otter did much of this so Dakota would hear about his deeds and be forced to return. His whole reason for living is to see Dakota dead."

"But why?" Breanna asked with growing uneasiness.

"I cannot say, but it is said by the Arapaho that the day will come when the two brothers will face one another, and one of them must die."

Breanna trembled with fear. "I do not understand why Dakota has allowed Black Otter to pull him back. He is tormented, and I have seen this thing tearing him apart inside."

The older woman pursed her lips. "He feels responsible for Black Otter's actions. You will have to understand that he looks on Black Otter as his own brother. Black Otter knows that Dakota promised their dying father that blood would not flow between them. He also knows that forcing Dakota to break his word to Two Moons would be the greatest revenge of all. Can you see now why Dakota is tormented?"

Breanna closed her eyes, aching deep inside for the man she loved. "Yes, I can see. I see no way out for Dakota."

"If he slays his brother, he will have broken his word to his father. If he does nothing, he will feel as if he were betraying the Arapaho, for they are the ones who will pay for Black Otter's rampages. The soldiers blame all the Arapaho for the raids, and Washington has threatened to send troops to corral Black Otter. If that happens, innocent Arapaho men, women, and children will die."

Breanna felt tears gathering in her eyes. How would this ever reach a happy conclusion? Even if Dakota won, he would never be able to forget he had slain his brother and broken a vow he had made to his Indian father. Now she could understand the torment he had been living with. Oh, how she wished she had known earlier. Perhaps she could have been more of a comfort to him.

Suddenly Breanna felt someone staring at her, and she glanced up to see the silhouette of a man lurking near the corner of the house. She drew in her breath as the man moved forward and she saw he was an Indian!

Dark eyes swept over her face as the near-naked warrior boldly approached.

"Wh—who is that?" Breanna asked, fearing it might be Black Otter.

Henrietta smiled and came to her feet. "You do not need to fear this Arapaho warrior, Breanna. He is Dakota's boyhood friend, Shadow Walker."