, go. Until your loyalty to me is greater than your hatred."
"I have stepped between you and enemy rifles!"
"And now you make war on my woman. Do not test me again, cousin."
The muscles across Red Buffalo's back knotted and twitched. He stood there a moment, quivering with rage, then spun and spat in Loretta's direction, his black eyes livid with hatred. "Your woman," he sneered. "She sickens my gut. You forget your wife who died for a yellow-hair?"
With that, he stormed out.
A brittle silence settled over the lodge. A tremor shook Loretta as the aftershock set in. The snake had been planted? She stared at Hunter; he stared at the doorway. When at last he looked at her, his eyes churned darkly with emotion. He returned to his pallet and sat down, legs crossed at the ankles in front of him. With a sigh, he reclaimed his flint and bone punch, bending over the flat rock he used as a base for his work.
"You will sleep. I will watch."
The stony mask of anger that hooded his face did a poor job of concealing his pain. He loved his cousin, yet he had defended her against him. Loretta lay down, but sleep was beyond her. Seconds dragged by, mounting into minutes, and still the silence rang out, broken only by the report of bone against flint.
Loretta swallowed. "Hunter?"
His indigo gaze met hers.
"Thank you. For--defending me."
Almost imperfectibly, he inclined his head. "Sleep, Blue Eyes. It is well."
"I--I'm sorry for causing a rift--a big fight--between you. I truly am sorry." Afraid he might not understand, she placed a hand on her chest. "My heart is on the ground."
His mouth thinned, and he glanced outside. "Let your heart be glad again. The hatred came upon him long ago."
Something deep within Loretta knotted, twisted. She hugged her middle and tried desperately not to think, to deny the reality she could not accept, that Hunter, the legendary killer, was a man who thought, and felt, and loved--just like any other. He even mourned a dead wife.
He was also a man true to his word. He had promised to defend her, and he had.
"I have stepped between you and enemy rifles!"
"And now you make war on my woman. Do not test me again, cousin."
The muscles across Red Buffalo's back knotted and twitched. He stood there a moment, quivering with rage, then spun and spat in Loretta's direction, his black eyes livid with hatred. "Your woman," he sneered. "She sickens my gut. You forget your wife who died for a yellow-hair?"
With that, he stormed out.
A brittle silence settled over the lodge. A tremor shook Loretta as the aftershock set in. The snake had been planted? She stared at Hunter; he stared at the doorway. When at last he looked at her, his eyes churned darkly with emotion. He returned to his pallet and sat down, legs crossed at the ankles in front of him. With a sigh, he reclaimed his flint and bone punch, bending over the flat rock he used as a base for his work.
"You will sleep. I will watch."
The stony mask of anger that hooded his face did a poor job of concealing his pain. He loved his cousin, yet he had defended her against him. Loretta lay down, but sleep was beyond her. Seconds dragged by, mounting into minutes, and still the silence rang out, broken only by the report of bone against flint.
Loretta swallowed. "Hunter?"
His indigo gaze met hers.
"Thank you. For--defending me."
Almost imperfectibly, he inclined his head. "Sleep, Blue Eyes. It is well."
"I--I'm sorry for causing a rift--a big fight--between you. I truly am sorry." Afraid he might not understand, she placed a hand on her chest. "My heart is on the ground."
His mouth thinned, and he glanced outside. "Let your heart be glad again. The hatred came upon him long ago."
Something deep within Loretta knotted, twisted. She hugged her middle and tried desperately not to think, to deny the reality she could not accept, that Hunter, the legendary killer, was a man who thought, and felt, and loved--just like any other. He even mourned a dead wife.
He was also a man true to his word. He had promised to defend her, and he had.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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