Savage Courage

“I understand how you feel and how this need for vengeance must have lain heavily on your heart through the years, but things are different now,” Shoshana tried to reason. “You and I have met. We are in love. That is all that should matter.”

“It does matter, but I still cannot allow you to go back to that fort,” Storm said flatly.

“Because you are afraid they will not let me return to you?” Shoshana asked, trying to understand his reasoning.

“No, that is not my only reason,” Storm said flatly. “I have already told you the whole reason. How can you not understand it?”

“How can you not understand how I feel when you tell me what I can and cannot do?” Shoshana said, her eyes searching his. “It isn

’t right, Storm. I never want to feel imprisoned by you. Never! I will not be anyone else’s captive.”

“You should not look at it that way,” Storm said, sighing heavily.

“If you refuse to let me come and go as I please, I am no less a captive than when I was chained in Mountain Jack’s cabin,” Shoshana said. “If you love me, you will not do this to me. How can I love a man who would? I cannot.” She swallowed hard. “Do you choose vengeance . . . over . . . me?”

He didn’t respond quickly enough.

Shoshana turned and ran to her horse. Quickly mounting, she rode away at a hard gallop, tears blinding her as her heart broke.

Storm leapt on his own horse and rode after her, soon catching up with her.

“Yes, come and make sure you keep an eye on your captive!” she shouted, her heart aching over how things had suddenly changed between them.

He grabbed her horse’s reins, stopped the animal, then forced it to turn alongside his own, back in the direction of the stronghold.

Shoshana felt drained of emotion. How could this be happening! She had thought she’d found a man she could love, but he had turned into someone she did not know at all!

How could he treat her like this?

They rode silently up the steep mountain pass, each tormented by the strain that had developed between them. They both feared it might never go away.

Shoshana drew rein abruptly as Storm, with an exclamation of dismay, stopped suddenly ahead of her. Lying on the ground a little distance away was his sister, Dancing Willow. She appeared to be unconscious.

Storm dismounted and ran to her. He lifted his sister’s head onto his lap and tried to awaken her, but her eyes remained closed, and her breathing was strangely shallow.

Wanting to revive her, Storm lifted her into his arms and carried her to a stream. He bathed her face with water, yet still she did not awaken.

Dancing Willow smiled to herself. She was feigning unconsciousness in the hope that Shoshana would flee. Dancing Willow had sneaked up on Storm and Shoshana and had overheard what they were talking about. She knew how angry Shoshana was and that she would flee at her first opportunity.

Well, Dancing Willow had made a plan that would give Shoshana all the opportunity she needed. While Storm was seeing to his sister’s welfare, her rival could ride away. Surely Dancing Willow’s brother would see to his sister first and Shoshana second, giving Shoshana the chance to return to the fort. Dancing Willow wanted Shoshana to disappear from their lives forever.

Suddenly realizing that he had left Shoshana alone, Storm looked quickly over his shoulder. She had disappeared. While he was seeing to his sister, she had sneaked away. She was probably well on her way down the mountainside by now.

Then he gazed down at his sister. He was torn. His sister was apparently ill. Perhaps she had been thrown by her horse, which was nowhere to be seen.

But if he didn’t go for Shoshana, she might become injured or lost before she arrived at the fort. Two evils might befall Shoshana before she reached the fort.

Mountain Jack!

The elusive panther!

“The panther,” Storm whispered, looking quickly down at his sister. He couldn’t leave his sister alone and unconscious, not with the panther on the prowl.

Storm had no choice but to let Shoshana go while he took Dancing Willow back to safety at their stronghold. He carried her to his horse, his heart bleeding at having surely lost Shoshana forever.

With his sister on his lap, he rode up the mountain. When he reached their stronghold, he carried Dancing Willow to the shaman’s lodge.

Storm stood aside as White Moon performed a ritual over Dancing Willow. Finally her eyes slowly opened.