Savage Beloved

When her mother nodded to the left, where the trees grew thick along the side of the road, her eyes widened. She caught sight of several wolves racing by in the shadows of the forest, keeping up with the wagon. Among them was not only White Wolf, but also her beloved Shadow!

They had somehow known that she was in danger and how to find her. They had come to rescue her. But how could they achieve it? Albert would start shooting the wolves as soon as he saw them.

She prayed that they would stay hidden until later when camp was made. After Albert was asleep, it might be possible to escape. Albert had only one woman on his side: Gretchen, who knew how to shoot a firearm as accurately as a man and would not hesitate to kill not only wolves, but any woman who attempted to escape while Albert slept.

But Candy knew that the wolves were stealthy and could move incredibly fast.

She smiled, for she believed she would not be a captive for much longer.

Chapter Thirty-eight

My heart is quivering like a flame,

As morning dew, that in the sunbeam dies,

I am dissolving in these consuming ecstasies.

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

Candy’s heart thumped wildly as she caught a glimpse of Two Eagles riding hidden amid the trees alongside the road.

Then she saw movement behind him and recognized several of Two Eagles’s warriors.

Her pulse raced as she watched White Wolf edging closer to a clearing beside the beaten path of the road.

Then suddenly White Wolf leapt out and onto the seat of the wagon, catching Albert so off guard he didn’t have time to grab his rifle.

In a flash, White Wolf knocked Albert off the seat. The rifle was knocked off as well and landed at Candy’s feet.

She grabbed it and held it on Albert while White Wolf kept his teeth clamped on Albert’s right arm. At the same time Two Eagles and his warriors came out into the open and surrounded the two wagons.

Out of the corner of her eye, Candy saw the woman she detested grabbing for her rifle.

Two Eagles noticed, too, and took aim with his rifle. He shot Gretchen’s firearm out of her hand just as she pointed it at him.

Through all of this, Albert was screaming, begging Two Eagles to call off the wolf.

Two Eagles rode up and patted White Wolf, and the animal released Albert’s arm. He then leapt from the wagon to rejoin his pack.

The moment White Wolf let go, Albert eyed Candy and his rifle. He made a lunge for the firearm, but

Two Eagles was faster. He grabbed Albert by the throat.

When Albert tried to wrestle free, his own struggling caused his neck to crack, killing him instantly.

Two Eagles laid the dead man aside. Then he reached down and pulled Candy into his arms.

Sobbing, she twined her arms around his neck and clung to him.

After she had collected herself, and realized that all was well again with her world, she leaned away from Two Eagles. She smiled at her mother, who was still sitting in the wagon, seemingly awestruck by all that had happened.

“Two Eagles, this is my mother, Agnes,” Candy said, gesturing toward her with her free hand. “After she left Fort Hope, she ran into Albert Cohen. She thought he was a kind man offering her assistance, but soon realized how wrong she was. She became his prisoner.”

Two Eagles eyed Agnes strangely, then asked, “How could you name your child Candy?”

This broke the strain of the moment. Everyone except Gretchen laughed in unison.

Two Eagles carried Candy from the wagon and gently placed her on his steed, then mounted behind her.