Savage Courage

But now she was sure. There was no doubt!

“Storm, you are going to be a father,” she blurted out.

She saw the reaction in his eyes. His expression was one of wondrous happiness. She had known he would feel that way about her news.

He had told her how he had sworn never to marry, that he had not wanted to feel the same hurt his father had known when he lost each of his wives.

But once he’d met Shoshana, that vow had been impossible to keep. And now, not only was he married, but he was also going to be a father.

She was so happy to be the reason for these changes in his life. She knew these new roles were fulfilling a part of him that he had too long denied himself.

“You . . . are . . . with child?” he said, his eyes searching hers. “We are going to have a baby? I am going to be a father?”

His thoughts went back to his own father and the closeness they had shared. Storm had always wanted to be his father’s double in everything.

As a small child, he had often walked in his shadow, wanting even then to be as large, as powerful as he, and to be as loved by their Piñaleno River Band of Apache. He wanted now to be as loving a father as his had been.

“Yes, my love, I . . . we . . . are with child,” Shoshana said.

She moved into his embrace. She treasured this precious moment, one that would remain in her heart forever.

“You are going to be such a wonderful father,” she murmured. “Our child will adore you as much as I do.”

He drew her lips to his and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. Then he drew away from her slightly and gazed down at her belly.

He placed a hand there, then smiled up at her. “I have often watched the women in our village as their bellies grew large,” he said tenderly. “I always saw such radiance about those women, as though carrying a child gave them more grace, more—”

A noise at the back of their temporary lodge caused Storm’s words to trail off.

Shoshana could feel him tense up as he looked quickly over his shoulder, then gazed with concern into Shoshana’s eyes. “You heard it, too?” he asked, gently lifting her from his lap and placing her beside him.

“Yes, it sounded like someone . . . or . . . something moving around in the brush behind us,” Shoshana said, fear clutching her heart. “Oh, Storm, what if I killed a panther other than the one that stalks humans? What if—”

They heard the sound of breaking twigs again, and knew that they definitely were no longer alone.

“Who goes there?” Storm asked, hoping it might be one of his warriors who had come to tell him something.

When there was no reply, Shoshana and Storm questioned each other with their eyes.

“Perhaps it was no more than a beaver, or something of the sort, that has now passed by,” Shoshana murmured.

“Ho, perhaps . . .” Storm said, unconvinced.

He reached for his rifle. He crawled toward the entranceway, then stopped as all hell seemed to break loose. Something was breaking through the back of their makeshift lodge, the limbs cracking and breaking as they were forced apart.

“Oh, no, what if it is the panther?” Shoshana cried as Storm grabbed her by a hand and half dragged her from the small dwelling just as it collapsed.

Shoshana’s heart skipped a beat and her insides recoiled with a fear never known to her before when she beheld Mountain Jack standing amid the debris. He held a shotgun leveled at them.

“Drop the rifle,” Mountain Jack growled, standing shakily as he glared from Shoshana to Storm. “Shoshana, I gotcha again, and this time you won’t get away from Mountain Jack.”

Mountain Jack snickered as Storm carefully placed the rifle at his feet. “Kick the firearm away from you,” he said, his eyes narrowing angrily. “I’m gonna enjoy sendin’ you both to hell tonight. I’ll show you how little mercy I’ll pay you. You were wrong, Chief Storm, for not shooting me when you had the chance. You saved my life, and in return I shall take yours.”

Storm and Shoshana stood stiffly together.

Shoshana couldn’t believe this was happening. She hadn’t thought that Mountain Jack, with all of his injuries, could have gotten this far from the fort.

She felt sick inside as she gazed at the wounds that the panther had inflicted on him. They were still bloody and gory, especially those on his legs.