Tender savage (28 page)

"Back to the little house, you mean?" Erica asked excitedly, her answer to his question already plain in her delighted expression.

"Yes, or another one, if you find one you like better," Viper offered generously. "If everything is settled by spring, we can build our own house then."

Tears of happiness made Erica's eyes sparkle brightly as she threw her arms around Viper's neck. Forgetting the terror of her fears in the warmth of his embrace, she vowed fervently, "Oh, how I love you I I knew you would make everything right. I just knew you would."

While Viper was very flattered to find she had such confidence in him, he had done little other than gather intelligence and draw conclusions from what he had learned. The end of the war was near, and the aftermath was bound to bring the worst sort of confusion. He W2mted to spare her that. It would be far better for them to begin their life together now than to wait for the government to right all its wrongs, since he feared that might take more years than they had to live.

Viper lay back in the grass and pulled Erica down with him. He pressed her cheek to his bare chest and began to

comb her flowing curls through his fingers. "My aunt is jealous of every woman who is happily married. I expected too much of her. I don't blame her, but myself, that you 1 had such a difficult time today. It will not happen again." '

While Erica could understand the silent hostility Flowers of Spring had shown her, she wondered what had made Wren so mean. "And Wren? Is she merely jealous, too?"

"Oh yes, she sounds very jealous," Viper agreed without hesitation.

Laying her arms across his chest. Erica rose up slightly so she could look at him as he answered her next question. "Does she have any right to feel that way?"

Viper frowned slightly, not understanding her concern. "What do you mean? Nothing would give her that right. She is no more than the sister of a friend." Or the sister of a former friend, he reminded himself, since he and Hunted Stag hadn't spoken since their fight.

"Well, there has to be more to it than that. Does she care for you? Was she hoping to become your wife?"

"How would I know what is in the silly girl's head?" Viper protested a bit too strongly.

Seeing she was upsetting her husband needlessly. Erica ceased to pester him and rested her head upon his shoulder. "No one has ever spoken to me like that, Viper, not in my whole life. I had never seen her before today, and yet she despised me. The hatred was dripping from her mouth like venom, and I silenced her the only way I could. I slapped her, and hard, but it was her own fault she fell into the river. If there is any trouble because of it, then it was of her own making, not mine."

Viper felt he had revealed enough confidences for one day and did not tell Erica that Hunted Stag's anger may well have fed his sister's hatred. More than one brave had warned him that Claw of the Badger was looking for him, but he doubted the man could harm him in a second fight, since he had not touched him in their first. He could scarcely criticize his wife's behavior, he realized, when he settled his own arguments with either his fists or the sharp edge of a blade. "I was not there, or I would have done worse to her myself," he stated calmly. "But I will see she apologizes to you before we leave."

"Do you think that's wise? Can't we just let the matter drop?'

"No. She has insulted you, which means she has insulted my entire family. An a|X)logy is the least she owes us."

Erica was now so curious she had to sit up so they could converse face to face. "How many people are there in your family? I have met only your aunt. Are there many more?"

Viper propi^ed his hands behind his head as he ran through a lengthy mental list. "My grandfather's relatives are all in France, so I know none of them, and they do not even know I exist. My grandmother had four brothers and two sisters. Each of them had children. I was my parents' only child. My father's brother was childless, as is my mother's sister, but there was also an older brother in her family, and he had several children."

"So you have quite a few cousins, then?" Erica had tried to follow along, and thought it sounded like cousins were all he could claim. "I didn't mean to start a feud. Viper, but Wren deserved what she got. Truly she did."

"I believe you," the amused brave assured her. "You needn't worry. We are all too busy with the uprising to begin a feud."

While she adored her husband's enchanting grin. Erica did not think he should tease her about Wren when the woman's threats had been so vile. "When are we leaving?" she asked abwuptly.

"In a few days. We do not want anyone to think you are afraid to stay here."

"I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me," Erica vowed as she lifted her chin proudly.

"Not even me?" Viper asked with a quizzically raised brow.

"Oh, of course I care what you think. Don't be silly." Erica reached out to lay her hand upon her husband's chest and he drew it to his lips. He covered her palm with affectionate nibbles, then pulled her back into his arms.

"I know it will be difficult, but try not to give anyone else the opportunity to insult you. We cannot be together all day, so you must watch for trouble and avoid it. There will always be p>eople who will be eager to hate us, for an Indian is not expected to have a white wife."

"But you told me there were braves who do," Erica reminded him.

"Yes, and almost all were taken captive with their families. I will not allow anyone to make me a prisoner, nor you."

Erica tried to sit up again but Viper held her fast. "Then why must we stay here even another hour? Why can't we leave for the Cottonwood River tonight?"

"Because I do not want to be called a coward," Viper replied curtly. "Neither of us can afford to look like cowards, since that insult would haunt us forever."

"Must we stay here even though you do not want to, just so no one will talk about us after we are gone?" Such a precaution made no sense at all to her.

"Yes," Viper replied with the calm self-assurance he always displayed. "We will leave at the time we choose, and it will be soon."

Erica nibbled her lower lip thoughtfully, knowing she ou^t not to argue when Viper had already promised to take her away. She was so seldom quiet, however, that he began to worry.

"Erica?"

"Hmm?"

"You can bear to stay here a few more days, can't you?"

"I will have to," the lively blonde replied in a dreamy whisper. "I love you, so I really have no choice at all."

"Yes, you had a choice, and you chose me," Viper reminded her. With the agility for which he was well known, he rolled to his side, and in the next instant pinned her beneath him. He lowered his mouth to hers, wanting her to think only of the joy they had found together rather than the seemingly insoluble problems that confronted them at every turn. "I love you," he whispered between hungry kisses. "I will love you forever."

As Viper b^an to unbutton her dress, the thought briefly crossed Erica's mind that it was remarkable he had not scolded her for wearing it again, since it loudly proclaimed she was a white woman rather than one of his tribe. As his fingertips brushed the tips of her breasts she ceased to worry about the design of her apparel and instead let her spirit soar aloft with his. Once again she found it impossible to dwell upon her cares under his delicious

onslaught of affection. The grass was soft at her back, the hhing music of the river soothing, her husband's taste and touch so enchanting that she thought the moment perfect for making love.

Erica wound her fingers in Viper's flowing hair, pressing his face close as his lips and tongue continued to tease her nipples, until they became so sensitive the joy he imparted was of the most exquisite sort. As he continued to peel away her clothes, his kisses traced the path of his fingertips with a soft, sweet tongue of flame. Fed by the fires of his own desire, he caressed her smooth, creamy skin until he could feel the flames of her passion become an unquenchable heat that burned only for him.

His mouth slid over the flatness of her stomach, then returned to her navel where his kiss tickled and drew a throaty giggle from her lips. Enjoying her playful mood, he shoved the last of her garments aside before turning his attention to the elegant shape of her legs. His hands moved from her ankles to her waist in a gently adoring sweep before he rubbed his cheek against her thighs, parting them eagerly so he could nuzzle the pale, blond curls, which were but a soft promise of the tantalizing secrets her glorious body kept hidden still.

As he moved to lie between her legs, the sweetness of her body's own natural perfume beckoned seductively, overwhelming his senses with her fair beauty and daring him to draw closer still. Lured on by her unique fragrance, he parted her tender folds with his tongue and delved deeply mto the now unveiled cleft. He felt the first faint tremors of her response tingle within her loins, then swell until the rapture he was taking such care to create sent ripples of warmth up her spine, threatening to sweep through her limbs with a blinding heat. When she began to writhe beneath him, he pulled away for a moment to let the waves of pleasure subside before the crest so her need for him would be all the more intense. When she called out his name in a throaty whisper, her slurred words a hoarse plea for release from that torment of desire, he did not tease her. The tip of his tongue returned to caress her most sensitive nub of flesh, tenderly bestowing dazzling gifts of ecstasy, until the delectable essence of her femininity spilled forth in a welcoming rush. Knowing how deeply he had satis-

fied her thirst for love, he then sought to quench his own in the wondrous pleasure she would create for him.

As Viper's mouth covered hers, Erica could taste her own sweetness mingled with the flavor of his. She clasped his shoulders tightly, holding him close as she moved her hips in time with the deep thrusts that threatened to pierce her very soul. It was not until he had buried himself so deeply within her that she thought they would spend eternity entwined that she felt him surrender himself to ecstasy's most compelling spell. They were now lovers so finely matched, that that beauty not only shuddered through him but roared through her with a raging splendor as well. She had never dreamed making love could provide so fulfilling a glimpse of paradise, but then she had never dreamed of loving him, either.

The moon was high overhead before Viper again felt a compelling need to talk. Erica had fallen asleep in his arms, and while he hated to disturb the peace of her dreams, he did not waint to sleep by the river when they did not have to. "Erica, wake up," he called softly as he brushed her curls away from her face. He kissed her cheeks lightly, then her eyelids, hoping to wake her with thoughts of love. "Wake up."

Erica stretched languidly. They were lying on their sides and she drew her knee up over his. She wanted to make love again and again. That was the only valid reason she could see for waking, and she yawned before opening her eyes. "Let's make love all night long, Vipjer, until dawn," she suggested with an alluring smile.

Not wanting to refuse so delightful a request, Vijjer gave her an enthusiastic hug before he sat up and spoke. "At dawn, we might be embarrassed by men coming to fish, or hunt, to say nothing of women and children who might be up early to gather wood and berries, or to bathe. If you want to make love all night I will be happy to do it, but we must return to the tepee first." Before she could argue, he rose and went to the river to wash.

Hating to bring their romantic mood to a close even temporarily. Erica sighed sadly, but knowing he was undoubtedly right, she followed him to the water's ed^e. Still in a playful mood, she was tempted to push him m, but decided merely to splash him instead. As she scooped

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up a handful, she thought the water's sHght chill invigorating, but Viper did not. With an indignant howl, he grabbed her around the waist and carried her out into the river with him.

"If you want to play, then you must get wet tool" he insisted as he pushed her under. The moonlight danced on the^ater, and as Erica broke the surface her flying curls reflected the bright glow of the stars in a shimmering cascade. Her lush breasts shone with a seductive sparkle as the water trickled down her pale skin, and Viper realized that had he wanted to postp)one making love, he had chosen the wrong way to go about it. He wanted her again, right then and there. Reaching out for her hands, he pulled her so close she could not fail to understand the depth of his need. When she raised her arms to encircle his neck her kiss was as hungry as his. Breaking away for an instant, he put his hands on her waist and easily lifted her off her feet. "Wrap your legs around me," he ordered hoarsely.

Viper continually surprised her, and Erica did not object, but as she iollowed his directions she could only marvel at the ease with which he entered her. He was quite strong, and she was a slender woman, so her weight W2is no barrier to the enjoyment of making love in this new pose. Supporting her tenderly in his arms. Viper used the slow undulating rhythm of the river to create a warmth deep within her, which burned ever more brightly, until her iM'eath escaped her lips in shallow gasps. Despite the coolness of the water, her very bones seemed to melt fronci the fiery intensity of this sudden, feverish union, leaving her clinging limply to her dashing husband's powerfully built frame. It seemed to matter not at all how they made love or where, the pleasure bom of their love grew ever richer, deeper, until Erica could not imagine that any sensation more pleasurable could possibly exist. When at last Viper released her to place her upon her feet, she continued to lean against him, too enthralled with the heady magic he worked up>on her senses ever to want to let him go.

Song of the Wren brushed the hot tears of anger from her eyes as she watched the passionate scene being played out

in the water. She had wanted only to hear what the blond woman would say about her to Viper and had followed him there never dreaming there would be far more to see than to hear. She knew only one way for a man and woman to make love, and her shock at what she had seen that evening would be a deep and lasting one. "It is the woman!" she swore under her breath. "She has bewitched him, turned him into a demon who will do anything to satisfy her desires!" Horrified by the abandoned passion she had observed, and yet afraid she might miss something even more scandalous if she left, the dark-eyed maiden remained hidden in the bushes until Viper and Erica had gotten dressed and mounted his horse. When they had turned back toward the camp, she darted away. They had spoken in voices too low to overhear, but she would never, ever, forget what she had seen transpire between the fine brave she loved and his wanton white whore.

Before he left the next morning, Viper made certain his aunt understood that she was to treat Erica like a dear daughter rather than an enemy. He then had her tell him what she wanted Erica to do that day, so he could explain the task in words his wife would understand. With both women present he described the making of jjemmican, while he silently prayed that Erica would not refuse to help make it She had put on the buckskin dress without his having to ask her to, and he took that as a good sign. "My aunt will need more berries. Then you will help her mix them together and mash them up, with bits of fat and meat. That is how we make p>emmican. It makes a good food for braves to take on the trail."

Erica frowned slightly, but his words and gestures had given her a fairly clear idea of what was to be done. "I think I understand. Pemmican must be something like mincemeat. That's made with chopped apples, spices, suet, raisins, and meat, for a pie filling. It's baked, of course."

"Well, pemmican isn't cooked," Viper informed her, grateful the nourishing dish didn't sound too horribly strange to her.

Erica had another more important question, however.

"Just which braves will this pemmican be used to feed, Viper?"

Viper knew what her objertion would be without having to hear it. "We will eat it ourselves on our travels. It won't feed braves who are fighting the army. Does that please you?"

Greatly relieved, Erica rewarded him with a lovely smile. "Yes, it does. Please be careful today. I don't want you to be hurt now, or ever."

Viper leaned down to kiss her cheek lightly. "Do not worry. I am clever, and my horse is swift. I will come to no harm."

As she watched him walk away, his long, easy strides were filled with the masculine grace that marked all his actions, and Erica's heart swelled with pride. She adored her husband, but as she turned to smile at his aunt, she saw only the same aloof curiosity she had seen the previous day. Knowing she would be leaving soon. Erica refused to allow Flowers of Spring or anyone else's unfriendliness to affect her. Picking up the basket they had used to gather berries, she smiled at the woman and gestured toward the river. "Shall we go?" she said brightly, and when the woman started down the path, she followed right behind her.

Flowers of Spring had not expected Erica to show her face that day. The young woman had courage. She had to admire that quality even in a white woman, and while she could not imagine having so blond a daughter, she had given her wordf to Viper and she would try.

When he returned to camp that evening, Viper found Erica waiting in their tepee. She had been stirring the stew simmering over the coals,but she jumped up to welcome him home with an enthusiastic hug and a flurry of sweet kisses. Relived that she appeared to have passed the day without incident, he was quick to return her show of affection. "You had no problems today?"

"No, none at all. I didn't see Wren. I hope she is too embarrassed to come near me, because I certainly don't want to see her again."

"You know I meant to have her apologize to you, but when I went to her family's tepee toaay I was told she has gone to visit relatives in one of the other camps. I do not

want to take the time to look for her."

Relieved by that news. Erica was swift to agree. "I think that's a wise decision. We have trouble enough without having to search for it. Are you hungry? This is another of your aunt's dishes, and it certainly smells good. I think she was trying to be more pleasant today. It's somewhat difficult to tell, because she seldom smiles at me, but I think she was trying as hard as I was to get along well."

After she had ladled the stew into bowls and sat down to eat with him. Viper began to chuckle to himself. He thought Erica was both beautiful and charming, but he knew others might think different. "It is a good thing my friends cannot see us now, for an Indian woman prepares her husband's food and then eats her own when he is finished."

"Really? What a curious custom," Erica replied, too hungry to consider adopting such a practice herself. "Isn't that rather lonely for them to eat separately?"

When Erica looked up at him, her eyes were such a lovely shade of blue that Viper knew his world would be a desolate place without the joy her presence gave him. "I think it began as a show of respect, but yes, it would be lonely. Had I taken an Indian wife, though, I might not have noticed."

Understanding his joke. Erica laughed with him. "I know, Indian women are quiet, while I am talkative, but to whom can I talk if not to you? Perhaps it is a good thing your friends are not here, because I would not want to embarrass you."

Viper hesitated a moment, hoping he had not hurt her feelings. "I like talking with you, since you have important things to say. We have always shared our meals together, too. I follow few of the old ways, Erica, so I hope you will not find it difficult to live with me."

Surprised his mood had so suddenly turned serious. Erica reached out to caress his thigh. While his buckskins were soft, she could feel the toughness of the muscles beneath, and giving him a lovine pat, she withdrew her hand before thoughts of his sleek body made her forget what it was she had wanted to say. "These are difficult dmes. Viper, but I am very happy with you. You are a wonderful husband. Truly you are."

That the enchanting creature at his side thought so highly of him made Vij>er very proud. "Since Wren has left, we need stay here no longer. Can you be ready to leave in the morning?"

Erica was positive he was teasing her then. "I know your aunt will be disappointed, since I am such a wonderful helper, but yes, I think I can be ready to leave when you are."

"Good, because I do not want to leave you behind."

His hearty laughter gave that threat away for the joke it was, and Erica laughed again, too. "You see, you need me to eat with you. Who else would laugh at your jokes as often as I do?"

Viper put his arm around her shoulders to give her a loving hug as he replied, "If you think I need you only to laugh at my jokes, you are very wrong."

As he flashed a wicked grin, the love that shone so brightly in his eyes provided all the reassurance she would ever require that his need for her more than equaled her own for him. Tomorrow they would embark on a journey that was bound to be fraught with peril, for there would be the ever present danger they might be stopped by the army. They had managed to elude patrols on the way north, but that might prove to be far more difficult when traveling south. Yet Erica's heart was so filled with love for her handsome husband that she had little room for fear. She was certain whatever trouble they encountered, he would be able to protect them both.

While Erica's trusting smile was a delight. Viper prayed that by following his conscience he had not chosen a path that would endanger her life as well as his own. Since he had no way of knowing what the dawn would bring, he promised to make the night another they would never for^t. "Let's go down to the river," he suggested as he set their empty bowls aside, and knowing exactly what he had in mind. Erica was as eager to go as he.

In September, Mark Randall returned to Washington when General John Pope was recalled to account for the disastrous defeat the Union Army had suffered at the Second Battle of Bull Run. It was then that the conscientious lieutenant received his first news of the two-week-old uprising in Minnesota. His initial reaction was one of stunned disbelief, swiftly followed by stark horror as he realized his beloved Erica must surely be in the most terrible danger possible.

He had had his fill of the brutality of war and could not bear to think the woman he loved might have witnessed the very same senseless carnage he had been forced to view time and again since enlisting in the army. He had truly believed she would be safer living with relatives in Minnesota thain remaining alone in Delaware while he and her father were away serving in the army. All his thoughts had been focused upon protecting her from the pain of needless suffering while the war raged, but he had never dreamed the choice he had forced her to accept might cost her her life.

"How could I have been such a stubborn fool?" he cried out in an anguished sob. Erica had wanted so desperately to marry him and create a home in Wilmington, a home in which she would have been completely safe, if only he had let her impassioned pleas and tears sway him. Had she known what lay ahead? Had she had a premonition of the

danger that awaited her in Minnesota? Had any of her tears been caused by dread of the future rather than by the sorrow of their parting? Those questions pierced his heart with the pain of the sharpest of arrows, for he feared he might never be able to ask them, nor ever again hear the sweet sound of her voice as she replied.

To add to his heavy burden of g^ilt, Mark knew that in all of Minnesota Erica could not have gone to a worse

Clace than New Ulm. He read the newspaper reports of the attle there until he had memorized each gruesome phrase, for they provided a fascinating, if grim, account of the citizens' heroic defense of their city. Thirty-four had been killed and sixty wounded, but there was no list of names attached to those frightening statistics. Not knowing whether the vibrant young woman he loved was alive, dead, or gravely injured was the worst torture Mark had ever been forced to endure. Praying her father would have more information, he hurried to the army hospital where Lars Hanson had been assigned, but it took him more than an hour of combing the overcrowded wards to find the physician.

The Union's losses at the Second Battle of Bull Run had been massive. In the final days of August nearly two thousand men had been killed and more than eight thousand wounded. The injured were still being sent from field hospitals to Washington for care, and Lars was so numb from overwork and lack of sleep that he did not recognize the tall lieutenant striding down the hall until Mark was within six feet of him. He then reached into his pocket for the telegram from the Ludwigs, which his housekeeper had forwarded to him. Knowing the moment he had been dreading had finally arrived, he took the precaution of directing Mark outside where the air did not reek of the vile stench of death before he handed the young man the brief message.

"Erica was taken captive on August 23. I've received no further word from her aunt and uncle." In an attempt to judge Mark's commitment to his daughter, Lars studied the young man's expression closely as he read the wire, but he could discern little other than the same sense of horrified shock he had felt upon learning of Erica's plight. He had had several days to consider his only chila's fete,

and his voice was bitter as he continued. "There are so many wounded in need of medical care, my request for leave was denied. If you wish to go to Minnesota to search for Erica yourself, I must warn you to be prepared for what you may find."

Mark could not help but notice the change in Lars's appearance and manner since they had left Wilmington together in June. While they were both a good deal thinner, the physician's attitude had always been friendly, never bordering upon open hostility as it seemed to be that day. While the subject of Erica's survival certainly demanded a serious response, Mark was nonetheless alarmed by Lars's mood. Confused, he scanned the physician's stem expression, hoping for clues to help him identify the emotion that had prompted the unexpected warning. The intensity of Lars's dark blue gaze only puzzled him further, however. Mark had always considered Lars charming, if somewhat aloof, but there was not the slightest trace of charm in the man standing opposite him that day. Did Lars no longer turn to brandy to dull the pain of his existence? Was that what he was seeing? Mark asked himself—a man who now faced the worst life had to offer without constantly trying to escape it in the numbing warmth of alcohol?

Thinking perhaps he had never really known Lars Hanson at all, Mark refolded the telegram and returned it to him. "I'll not find the fighting there worse than what I've already seen. I'll ask for a leave within the hour. If it isn't granted, then I'll simply go without it, but I'll not leave Erica in the hands of savages a minute longer than I have to," he declared emphatically, taking his clue from the blackness of Lars's mood and allowing it to darken his own.