Never Surrender (12 page)

Quickly, he had them out of the water and strode
ashore toward a secluded copse of trees just beyond the pond. He knelt to lay
her on the grass, then lay next to her, his arm possessively draped across her
waist. Scrambled thoughts darted through her mind. The two of them could not
become intimate when Taima had no intention of making her his future wife.

His head descended and his mouth captured hers with a
deep intensity. A burning desire to know his intimate touch intensified her
yearning though thoughts of this other woman nagged at the back of her mind.

A warning.

A betrayal.

Something she did not want to think about right now.
The other woman would surely find out and set out to destroy her for
interfering.

Kate kissed Taima with equal fervor, yet knew she
needed to stop this heated exchange before she ended up being the one hurt.

A deep groan escaped Taima’s throat as he pressed his
arousal against her thigh. His warm hands roamed her body, a body he likely
envisioned as the woman he craved.

Kate pushed against the hard muscles of Taima’s damp
chest and broke the kiss. “Taima…” she whispered, “I can’t do this knowing you
think of another woman.”

Instantly, he straddled her thighs. He cupped her face
with tender hands. “You think I would be here, loving you, if I cared for
another woman?” he rasped.

Kate touched her temples, wanting to dig her fingers
into her head to stop the sudden returning throb. She knew not to care, not to
lower the wall around her heart. People in her life died every time she did.

Dizziness enveloped her, and she squeezed her eyes
shut. She tipped her head back, massaging the pain, wanting relief. Then a
handsome, dark-haired man in a snug tee shirt loomed in her mind. Whiskey-brown
eyes gazed back at her.

Steve.
She’d
loved him; now she remembered, they were going to be married.

Suddenly, a burning car replaced Steve’s image.
Screams of pain bounced off the walls of her brain, echoing painfully; then the
image of a bloodied body appeared.

Kate screamed.

Heavy hands gripped her shoulders tightened and she
struggled against them, urgently trying to escape. She struck out with her
fists, and became free. She set out at a run, not knowing where she went, only
knowing that she had to be alone.

But she only went a few feet when something hit her.
Her feet left the ground and she was scooped into a man’s arms, her own limbs
being restrained.

“Stop this,” a deep voice with angry eyes demanded.

Taima.

Defeated and confused, reality returning, Kate dropped
her forehead to his shoulder and cried. How could she live in two worlds at the
same time? Love two men at the same time? She needed to find out where she was
and why.

Taima lowered her to the ground and sat before her.
His hands cupped her face. “Look at me.” Slowly, she obeyed. Concern filled his
gaze. “You had another vision, didn’t you?”

She only nodded.

“What is it about? I want the truth...now.”

His eyes were perfect, like the blue of the sky. He
wouldn’t let go of her face, and she covered his hands with her own. “You
wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Just tell me. We will decide afterward how to deal
with it.”

Biting her lower lip between her teeth, tremors swept
through her jaw. Kate pulled Taima’s hands from her face to her lap and held
them tight, looking at the scars from long ago battles. “Sakima knows I’m from
the future. I don’t belong in your time.” Uncertain, she glanced up for his
reaction, but received none. He listened intently. “I have visions, as he does.
That’s why he understands.”

“What do you see in these visions?”

“It’s hard to explain. Things from the future, not yet
invented in your time, nor even thought of by your people. Warm showers, hot
saunas, fast cars.” She paused, wishing he could understand.

Looking confused, Taima drew his brows together. “Go
on,” he urged.

“I also see people I know from the future, dressed in
clothes different from yours. I...loved those I see and realize some are now
dead. Just now, I saw a car burning and the bloodied body of the man I was to
marry. My heart aches when I see these things.” She paused, a warm tear
slipping down her cheek. “I don’t know how I arrived in your time, nor how I
will return to the future or if I will. And I don’t know why I’m here.”

Taima’s thumb gently wiped the tear from her cheek.
“What does my father say about these visions?”

“That in his own visions, he sees me with you and
Kelee. He says there is a reason I’m here, though he doesn’t know why.”

“But, considering the way you feel about me, how can
there be a future for us?” Taima asked.

The breeze blew his long dark hair across his face,
and Kate reached out to brush it back, stroking his cheek as she did. “I...no
longer hate you. But, I don’t want you and Kelee to get hurt, only to be happy.
That’s why you must forget about me and go to the woman you love, the woman who
dwells among your own people.”

He didn’t answer right away, but stared at her a
moment, then said, “I will never forget our time together today.”

Kate rose and walked toward the water, gazing at the
wooded area beyond the pond. Sunshine warmed her back as she tried to deal with
her feelings. Taima made her feel loved. Something she hadn’t wanted to feel
again because those she loved back always died.

Assuming she had traveled back in time, loving Taima
would be a betrayal for him. And was it wise to lower the wall around her
heart?
Dare she care?
Dare she take the chance, for their sake? People
died when she cared too much.

She moved a cool stone with her bare toe, revealing
new earth, maybe new answers. Taima had stated this other woman cared not for
him, only for Kelee. Kate shook her head. She didn’t understand how this woman
could not love Taima.

His gentle hands upon her shoulders turned her toward
him. He tipped her face up. “I’m sorry you feel confused. We will take one
sunrise at a time, but I want to be with you.”

“We shouldn’t do this,” she answered, unable to let go
of her feelings even though Taima didn’t want to marry her, even though it was
not her he loved.

He held out his arms and she stepped into his warm
embrace. Into security. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she placed her lips
against his skin, felt the rapid pulse near his throat, and stroked his flesh
with her tongue.

Taima’s chest expanded with the sudden breath he took.
Though she kissed his throat, he moved her face to look into her eyes. His gaze
moved to her lips, only to be captured by his mouth with more tenderness than
she thought he possessed. She wanted to care; she couldn’t help it. The
deepness of his kiss tingled to her toes, then the sensation radiated
throughout her body as she molded herself to him and kissed him back.

Twigs snapped in the woods behind her.

Taima’s body stiffened beneath her fingers. He broke
away from her, his eyes scanning the area like those of a cougar before the
attack. His hand moved to the knife sheathed at his waist. She turned to see
what had caused the noise, but saw nothing.

Taima’s arm quickly scooped her behind him.

A scarred Blackfoot boldly stepped from the forest.
Dressed in a fringed leather shirt and leggings, his tight-fisted hands hung at
his sides. Braids trailed past his shoulders.

“Oh, my God!” she gasped.

He exchanged words with Taima in a Native tongue,
provoking an angry response.

Taima drew his blade, gripping it securely before him,
ready for an attack. “Back away from us,” he told her. “He thinks you belong to
him, that I stole you away during the raid, and plans to take you back to his
village. He says we will fight to the death if I don’t release you to him.”

Kate lowered the hand covering her mouth, and said, “I
knew something like this would happen if I dared to care for you.”

“Washaki warned me he might try this.”

Taima stood poised for attack wearing only his
breechcloth. The bronzed flesh of his shoulders rippled in the sun as the
muscles beneath moved with ease. Sinewy thighs supported his powerful body as
the Blackfoot approached.

Another of the savage’s guttural comments evoked a
scathing remark from Taima, causing the other man to bare his blade. The sun
reflected off the metal of each knife. Step by step, the two closed in, but
Taima stayed closest to Kate at all times.

Kate stood motionless, watching the scene unfold. She
couldn’t believe her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Biting her lower lip,
the two men continued to stalk each other, ready to kill at the first
opportunity. The Blackfoot’s blade thrust forward before Taima could escape
injury.

She gasped and covered her mouth. Her heart pounded
beneath her ribs, fearing for Taima’s safety.

Blood immediately appeared on Taima’s chest from a
five-inch-long gash. He seemed unaware of it as his gaze stayed on his enemy.

Kate looked around for a weapon. A stick, thick enough
to do damage lay at the edge of the woods. Running forward, she picked it up,
determined to disable the Blackfoot. She ran at him, but was suddenly halted by
strong restraining arms. The heavy stick seemed to fly from her fingers and a
hand blocked her scream.

Obviously, Taima’s enemy had not come alone.

Instantly, Kate knew she’d made a mistake by trying to
help. She’d distracted Taima and possibly cost him his life. When he glanced in
her direction, she read the regret in his eyes that he hadn’t kept her safe.
She hoped her eyes conveyed her own sorrow.

His opponent took advantage of his distraction.

A knife protruded from Taima’s side. An agonizing
breath caught in Kate’s throat as Taima crumpled to the ground.

“Nooo!” she screamed, trying to rush forward, but the
laughing warriors restrained her.

Tears blurred her vision.

Standing over Taima’s fallen body, their Blackfoot
leader yanked out his bloody blade. Kate’s heart ached to think Taima had died
defending her.

Her instinct had warned her not to care, not to
endanger his life, but she’d ignored it. She might as well have been the one to
sink the deadly weapon into his side.

Desperation weakened her knees and she collapsed,
momentarily slipping from the warrior’s arms. She tried to crawl toward Taima’s
lifeless body, but was hauled back to her feet. The scarred enemy said
something to Taima she couldn’t hear, but the resounding “Noooo” from Taima’s
lips echoed through the small area between the tall, jagged rocks near the
pond.

“Taaiima...” Kate called out, reaching toward him with
a free hand as tears streamed down her cheeks. The murdering warrior looked at
her, then nodded his head toward the trees.

Quickly, the other Blackfoot warriors forced her into
the woods. She tried to look behind her several times to get a glimpse of Taima,
but her captors dragged her along, nearly breaking her wrists.

He had to be alive, he just had to be, echoed in her
mind. Their waiting horses stood tethered ahead.

Kate looked back one last time, and through the trees,
she saw he lay upon the ground, unmoving, as still as death itself.

Taima’s killer stood before Kate. She bit back an
outburst from the excruciating pain in her shoulders as his warriors held her
arms behind her. Tipping her head back, she defiantly glared into his ruthless
dark eyes, too angry to be afraid.

Her abductor’s lust-filled gaze lowered to her chest,
down to her toes and slowly returned to her chest then met her eyes again. His
lips curved into a sneer; his fist pounded his chest. “Now you belong to me.
You will bring good price at next Green River Rendezvous.”

His fingers dug into the hair at her nape, yanking her
head back even farther. She tried to turn her face to the side as his head
descended, but his fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to face him. Kate
continued to struggle against the hands that restrained her arms.

Tight-lipped, Kate stared into her attacker’s dark,
laughing eyes as they lowered toward hers. His hard mouth captured her lips,
but she tried to pull away from the grip he had on her chin.

His teeth painfully bit into her upper lip.

Two can play this game, she mused, wincing, then bit
into his lip, hard. The tin-taste of his blood seeped over her tongue.

His head jerked away. He touched his hand to his mouth
and glanced at the red stain on his fingers.

“You will pay for this!” He wiped at the bleeding cut
with the back of his hand, growled an order to his warriors, then turned to
walk away.

Kate was pushed forward. She dropped to her knees,
hoping to hinder the warriors who held her, but they simply lifted her by the
arms and followed their leader. He turned, holding a rope in his fingers. Of
course they’d bind her.

He gave another order, pointing at her moccasins on
the rock. Meeting her gaze, stretching out the rope, he said, “You will need
them.”

The curve of his lips pulled at the scar on his cheek,
turning the length of it white. Scar Face. A good nickname for him, she
thought, as she watched him through narrowed eyes.

His grip on her wrist held her arm steady as he
secured the rope around one wrist, then tied the other to it. She wiggled her
fingers. Immediately, the tight restraint began cutting off her circulation.

Her moccasins--the pair she’d received from
Aiyana--were thrown at her feet. Besides never seeing Taima again, it was likely
she’d never see any of his people again.

Taima.

His virile image appeared in her mind. They had argued
so often and now she regretted each and every angry word.

“You won’t be riding, you might want to put those on,”
Scar Face said.

Kate snapped her head up at her captor’s words. The
warriors who sat atop their horses behind her burst into laughter. Holding in
his hand the other end of the rope that bound her, Scar Face mounted his horse.

She quickly bent and put on her moccasins; she had no
desire to walk barefoot. As she finished donning the last one, her arms were
nearly wrenched from her shoulders. She landed on the ground with a thudding
impact. Again the warriors laughed. Slowly, Kate lifted her head and glared at
their leader, wondering if the same trick would work that she’d used on Taima
the time he tried to do this to her. Her eyes followed the length of rope, but
she decided against it. There were three of them and only one of her. She would
get even later.

Before they could drag her along, Kate got to her feet
and began walking as they moved ahead, knowing if she kept the rope slack by
walking fast, her arms wouldn’t be constantly yanked on.

They headed in Taima’s direction. Kate’s heart nearly
stopped.

Why couldn’t they just leave him be? Seeing Taima
lying on the ground would be too much for her to bear, but they pulled her
forward. She stared at his lifeless body sprawled upon the ground and prayed
things could be otherwise. She choked back a sob, but her eyes welled with
tears, her heart broke, and her hopes for the future shattered.

Taima’s long hair laid spread around him, hiding his
face. Blood covered his side and pooled on the ground. Those strong arms would
never comfort her again, she would never hear his deep voice against her ear.
Only recently had she learned his savage touch could be so tender.

A warm tear slipped down her cheek as her vision
blurred.

From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the
warriors ready his bow. Fear she’d never experienced before shot through her
body. “Nooooo!” she screamed.

The warrior poised with his arrow aimed at Taima and
waited for an order to release it. Words were spoken, but she didn’t understand
why the warrior now stared in disbelief at his leader. Slowly, he released the
tension on his bow and replaced the arrow in its quiver, then yanked his
horse’s mane angrily, prodding it forward ahead of the others.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and momentarily closed
her eyes.

“Come!” The rope tugged at her arms. “We have many
miles ahead of us,” Scar Face called back to her. Kate stumbled a few steps,
then she saw huge, black birds circling overhead. Bile rose in her throat at
the thought of what those birds would do to Taima’s dead body.

She moved forward with one last glance at Taima.
Thoughts of him would be with her forever. From deep within the corners of her
mind, memories of other deaths settled in like a heavy fog, reminding her of
why she hadn’t wanted to love Taima.

Trudging along behind her captors, Kate stumbled over
rocks in her path, but kept her balance. The sharper edge of smaller stones
poked into the soles of her moccasins, but she felt nothing, no pain, no
hate--only blessed numbness. She dodged sagebrush, but some of the small bushes
tore at her legs. The rope chafed her wrists, cutting into her skin, making her
fingers go numb. The Indians hadn’t let her rest at all in the last couple of
hours if her estimation of the sun was correct.

Dust covered her face while perspiration trickled down
her back, rewetting the damp doeskin dress. The bright sun beat down upon her,
depleting her body of much needed fluids. She touched her parched, cracked lips
with her tongue. The dryness of her throat made it impossible to swallow
without difficulty. Not once had she been offered water, though the warriors
had drank several times from the skins they carried.

Kate guessed the sun would shine another hour before
dusk settled upon them and hoped she could finally rest for the night. She
glanced toward the jagged, snow-capped mountains on her right. A river snaked
along the base of these mountains. They’d likely travel along its edge.
Trudging through the brush, Kate longed to be allowed a few minutes in the cool
water.

Burning pain in her arms turned her thoughts from the
shallow river. The rope that pulled her along now cut deeper into her raw
wrists. Exhausted and thirsty, she had barely enough energy to lift her feet
over the decayed logs and stones in her path. She fell, for the third time.
Kate cringed when the bushes and stones cut at her legs as she was dragged
along behind her captor’s horse. Knowing she should try to stand, her weakened
body refused to cooperate. She couldn’t pull herself up this time.

Pain in her shoulders numbed her mind. If she died
now, her soul could join Taima’s. She prayed for the release.

Suddenly, she lay still in the dirt. She resented her
gratitude for the reprieve. Too tired to stand, she looked up at Taima’s
killer. The white facial scar appeared more prominent. Kate glared at him as he
sipped from the water skin; still he did not offer her a drink. Re-plugging the
water, he dismounted and approached her. Kate closed her eyes, afraid of what
he would do, yet not caring.

She waited.

Water trickled from her hair onto her face and wet her
parched lips. Hardly enough to quench her thirst, but it moistened her tongue
as she retrieved the few salty drops on her lips.

Fingers dug into her hair and she was lifted painfully
to her feet, her scalp screaming. He tipped her face up to his. Tired of
fighting for her life, she slowly opened her eyes.

“Don’t die white eyes; you are worthless to me dead!”

Kate wanted to spit in his face, but didn’t have the
energy, or saliva, to do it. When he finally released her, she stumbled
backward and onto the ground.

He threw a piece of dried meat into the dirt at her
feet. “Eat. Rest. We move soon.”

Gratefully, she sat down and dusted off the meat
before she bit into it. She ate quickly, not sure how long they would give her
to rest. The throbbing in her feet kept time with her pulse. She knew tomorrow
her feet would meet the same torture again.

Time seemed to fly by as she rested, but when she saw
Scar Face mount his horse, she stood and began walking before he could yank on
the rope. She strode behind the warriors, trying hard not to show the weariness
that quickly crept through her muscles.

The sun dipped toward the pink horizon. Before total
darkness closed in around her, Scar Face stopped for the night in a rocky cove.
One of his two warriors continued to leer at her while he prepared a small
fire. Although he was careful not to let his chief notice he watched her, Kate
feared what might happen later.

The lust in his dark eyes touched her as easily as if
it were his hands.

She shivered with revulsion and turned her back to
him. At least then she didn’t have to watch the way he licked his lips as his
gaze roved over her body. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against a
boulder. Weariness cloaked her, and the rope around her wrists had long ago
rubbed the skin raw.

God, why did Taima have to be killed before she
decided to quit being so stubborn and allow him to know how she really felt?
He’d died not knowing.

Although she’d traveled back through time, the curse
had followed her. He’d died because she’d fallen in love with him even after
she tried to prevent it. Somehow, Taima had torn down the wall around her heart
and hadn’t even known it. He was gone...and Kelee no longer had a father.

All because of her.

Kate’s heart ached for Kelee, but Aiyana would take
good care of him, she knew. He’d never again be able to laugh with Taima, nor
prove to his father how well he’d learned to hunt. Kate remembered the joyful
gazes father and son had shared, how Taima would tousle Kelee’s hair, then send
him off to play.

Taima’s face appeared behind her closed eyelids.
Memories formed of the tender way he’d kissed her, caressed her, and made her
feel like a woman. A warm tear slipped down her cheek. Never again would she
feel his touch upon her face.

Kate choked back a sob. Opening her eyes, she sat up
straight. The day had grown dark. She wiggled her fingers. If she could only
have her wrists untied for a while.

Again, the scarred warrior dropped a piece of dried
meat in her lap, then strode toward the river with one of his warriors, the two
disappearing into the darkness.

As if an alarm had sounded, Kate spun around to look
for the lecherous warrior who remained behind near the fire. His legs blocked
her view, though he stood with his feet shoulder-width apart. Her fear
stiffened every fiber in her body. They were alone together.

Through widened eyes, Kate stared into the face of the
man she least wanted to see. She inhaled and her breath caught in her throat.
Thoughts of escape darted through her mind. A single warrior and her. She could
handle him.

An idea formed. Her confidence returned.

A low chuckle sounded deep within his chest. Quickly,
Kate laced her fingers together, rose to her knees, and with swift agility,
swung her hands up between his thighs, rendering him helpless.

Panic nearly stopped her heart from beating. His
weight crushed her lungs when he fell forward on top of her. Kate rolled away,
rose to her feet, and ran in the opposite direction. Desperation boosted her
adrenaline. Racing from the rocky cove, she slipped around the corner, when
suddenly an arm snaked around her waist and her feet left the ground.

Tears sprang to her eyes.
Oh God, Taima. I need
you!

She couldn’t help the sob that caught in her throat.
Rough fingers dug into her side as she was carried back to the cove. She landed
like a rock onto the ground.

Scar Face stood over her, and time stopped.

He glanced at his brave still lying there holding
himself. “White eyes...you will be traded. You’re too much trouble,” Scar Face
said, then returned to the fire with his brave.

She scooted back against the rock so she could keep
watch on both men as they prepared for the night. The two warriors sat near the
fire, glancing at her periodically while their leader rested.

Suddenly, the scarred warrior rose from his blanket
and strode in her direction. She inched closer to the rock. When he bent toward
her, she moved back further, but he only grabbed her rope. Without a word, he
strode toward his blanket and she immediately rose, not wanting to be dragged.

He sat down, tied the end of her rope around his ankle
and lay on his back. Kate stared at him, then glanced at the other warriors.
Their gazes moved over her and she turned away, walking as far as her
eight-foot rope would allow.