Oh God ... No!
Why must she go through this? Every night, the same thing. Knowing what was to come, helplessness pressed down on her, casting a shadow of fear over her.
Her hands pressed into her back. The man's foul breath fanned across her face. He reeked of malice and alcohol. She twisted her body, trying to free herself from his grasp. She had to get away. Tears clogged her throat. She could not go through this again.
He spread her knees and pressed against her, trying to gain entry. “It's too bad that beauty has been wasted on such a pathetic man as Falcon Hunter. I'm going to show you how a real man does it."
"You wouldn't know a real man if he bit you on the ass.” She gathered her courage and spat in his face.
Raring back, he backhanded her, sending a streak of pain searing across her cheek. Tears stung her eyes as the taste of copper filled her mouth. Blood dribbled down her cheek into her hair. “I want to hear you scream his name and know in your heart that he won't come to your rescue this time."
She swiped at the blood with her shoulder. “I don't know who the hell you're talking about."
He leaned down and hit her again. The pain was so fast and fierce she couldn't help the scream that tore from her lips. The tears she'd managed to hold in check leaked from the corners of her eyes.
"Your husband, bitch. Falcon Hunter! Scream for him."
She'd scream anything if it meant not being beaten anymore. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth and screamed for all she was worth.
* * * *
A scream broke through the silence of the night, startling Hunter awake. He peered through the window to see Christina tossing and turning in the bed but, because of the darkness, he couldn't tell if she was alone. He had to get in there. If there was someone in there with her, he had to stop them. The need to help her ... save her ... gripped his heart in a vice. He couldn't lose her, not in this lifetime. He lowered his head and peered through the window. Being in his bird form made it easy for him to wriggle through the small opening and squeeze inside. He flew to the bed and landed by her side. She was alone, which was a relief, but she jerked her head back and forth, mumbling.
He couldn't make out the words, and she didn't seem to be in physical danger, but her distress was obvious. What's troubling you tonight, my love? I've never known you to have nightmares this bad before. What's different tonight?
He wanted so much to be able to wrap his arms around her and offer her the comfort she needed. He stood and watched, helpless. He couldn't wake her up. It would terrify her more to find him in her bedroom. He wanted to wail at the injustice of it. How can I help you?
Christina's scream rent the night air, startling him. But it was what she yelled that almost stopped his heart.
She said my name!
All of a sudden, a spiraling darkness took over and pulled him into its murky depths. Falcon didn't understand what was happening, but he couldn't stop it. As he sank deeper into the black hole, all he could hear was Christina crying out his name.
* * * *
Christina stared wide-eyed at the evil man before her. “Please don't hurt me. I'll give you anything you want. Just leave me alone.” Her body shook with her fearful sobs.
He crooked his lips into a smile. “Oh, I'm going to hurt you all right, Running Doe. I'm going to make sure you remember forever.” As he was reaching between them to undo his pants, a loud roar filled the house, making Christina cringe.
The vile man was jerked off her and pushed out the door. Relief that he was gone came over her so strong, she went weak. If she hadn't been lying down, her legs would've buckled under her.
She stared at the door flap as it settled back into place. She could hear scuffling outside then silence. What is happening out there? She could honestly say she didn't care as long as that nasty man didn't come back.
The door flap fluttered. Someone was here. Or something was about to come in. Her terror returned in a flood. Oh, God! He's coming back! Heart racing, she looked around for a possible escape, but found none. She wiggled as far away from the door as possible just as a dark head poked inside.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to scream her head off if he tried anything. Then he raised his gaze to hers. It's him! The man who'd saved her from the fall. His amber eyes seemed to draw her in and will her to drown in them.
He came forward with his knife drawn. “It's okay, a-tsi-ye-hi. I'm not going to hurt you.” He cut her bindings free and reached his hand out to her. “Come on, take my hand."
She looked at him as she rubbed the raw skin around her wrists. “Who are you?"
He gave a slight smile as he sheathed his blade. “My name in your language is Falcon Hunter. You don't know me ... yet. But I'm always looking after you.” He glanced behind him. “Let's get out of here before someone finds us."
What the hell did he mean about watching after her? Should she go with him or stay here? She didn't know him at all, but he had saved her earlier. Or at least the real him had. It was only a dream after all, and what he offered couldn't be any worse than the other guy. She put her hand in his and let him help her out. A tingling sensation coursed through her arm straight to her heart. She tried to jerk free and check out her hand, but he held on, keeping her behind him.
What the hell is going on here?
Falcon Hunter didn't understand what was happening. He knew she'd been having a nightmare. A sense of helplessness gripped him as he'd watched her toss and turn, crying out in her sleep. But not once had he thought he'd be pulled into her dream, and he'd never imagined she'd be reliving the worst nightmare of his past life. He hoped that maybe by changing the outcome of the dream, he could somehow stop the nightmare for her.
He vividly remembered this long ago day. Black Wolf's brother, Running Bear, had sent him to find the hunting party that should've been back already. He hadn't gotten far from the village when he'd heard Running Doe's screams. He'd run at breakneck speed, following her shrieks, and found them in a small Cherokee house beside a waterfall near their village. Running Bear was on top of her, beating and trying to rape her. She'd paid dearly for being his wife and turning Running Bear down.
Rage had engulfed him at what was happening to the woman of his heart. He'd killed the man, making sure he never hurt another woman. Then he'd carried his precious wife back to their home and done his best to calm her. To reassure her that it would never happen again. Not to her, not to anyone. It had taken her days before she uttered a single word. It wasn't long afterward that Black Wolf bestowed his curse upon them. Shaking his head, he brought himself back to the present.
Christina.
He looked back at her to make sure she was okay, then turned and followed a random trail through the woods to a rippling creek he remembered from this area. The only thing he could figure out about her nightmares was that she was having repressed memories about her attempted rape from that lifetime. He hated that she was reliving it. No woman, least of all her, should have to go through life revisiting an event like that over and over.
They came out in a clearing, and he heard the sound of rushing water. “Let's sit over there by those bushes. We should be safe here. And if all else fails, there's a cave on the other side.” He tugged her over to where he indicated and sat, pulling her down by his side. He wondered if she'd remember making love here so many lifetimes ago. This had been their favorite place to come when they wanted to be alone.
Scanning her up and down, he took in her ripped clothing and the blood on her cheek. “Are you okay?” He ached to reach out and take her pain away. It took all he had to repress the urge to touch her. He didn't want to scare her further.
She tried to smile, but it came out as a wince. “My lip hurts a little, but other than that I'm okay.” She shivered.
He took off his buckskin shirt and handed it to her. “Here. Put this on. It may not be much, but it's better than your torn dress."
She stared at his chest as she accepted his shirt
. “Th-thanks, Falcon Hunter."
Turning his back to her, he tried to give her a little privacy. The way she'd gawked at his chest had almost been his undoing. He'd seen the flash of desire light up her eyes. But the last thing he wanted was to make this nightmare worse.
"Okay. I'm halfway decent now."
He faced her again and thought his heart would thud out of his chest. His shirt barely reached past her ass. Her long, lean, tanned legs stretched on forever. He couldn't help picturing those same legs wrapped around him as he plunged into her warmth, her softness. Shifting where he sat, he tried to ignore the rock hard erection in his buckskins.
"Falcon Hunter? Are you okay?” Worry infused her voice.
That was one thing he loved about her. No matter what she was going through, she always worried about herself last. He smiled through gritted teeth. “I'm fine.” He got up, moved to the stream and wet his fingers, then turned to Christina and washed the blood from her beautiful face.
Her gaze locked with his. Electricity surged between them like a current through modern day power lines. An invisible force pulled his head down toward hers. Her tongue darted out and moistened her lips.
He knew he shouldn't think about kissing her after what she'd just gone through, but he couldn't help himself. Her mouth called to his, begged him to kiss her. Maybe giving in this once would help her forget her nightmare. Maybe help her replace a bad memory with a good one.
As he lowered his head, Christina rose up and pressed her lips to his. He'd promised himself just a kiss, but once he'd tasted her, it wasn't enough. He slid his tongue across her lips, beckoning her to open to him. Her tongue darted out to mate with his, and he was lost.
Hunter delved deeper into the recesses of her mouth and explored every inch she had to offer. A small moan escaped her. He grew even harder with need. It had been too many lifetimes since he'd been with a woman. This woman. But he knew she didn't need this from him. She needed comfort. Maybe understanding. But not this.
Reining in his desire, he groaned as he pulled away from her. Her eyelids fluttered open. Her green eyes were glazed with a passion that rivaled his own.
"Falcon Hunter?"
Before his eyes, she started to fade. He reached out to her ... to keep her with him ... but his hand went through hers.
"What's happening to me?” she asked. Then she was gone.
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Chapter Three
Christina's nightmare from last night still haunted her. She'd had the dream before, but it had never been so harsh, so violent. And what had made her conjure up the man who'd saved her the day before? Had it been because she'd wanted so desperately for someone to rescue her, or was she simply that needy for a man? Tingles started in her groin and spread out as she thought about kissing Falcon Hunter by the stream. He'd been rock hard and ready to make love with her, but he'd stopped it. Then she'd had to go and wake up.
She'd tried her damnedest to go back to sleep and pick up the dream again, at least the sexy part, but she'd had no luck. Why couldn't she catch one break? If she wasn't up on the ladder so high, she'd cross her legs to help ease some of the ache remembering caused. She glanced down from her perch as she heard the bells above her grandmother's shop door jingle. Spring Rain peeked up at her from under the awning, shading her eyes from the bright sun.
"You sure are busy this morning. How long have you been up there painting?"
Christina wiped a bead of sweat off her brow with the back of her arm. “A couple hours. I'm almost done, Nana. You want to go get some breakfast when I'm finished? I'm famished."
Spring Rain smiled, making her look ten years younger. “Sounds good to me. I haven't eaten yet. Come in and let me know when you're ready to go."
"Okay. I'll see you in a bit.” Christina watched her grandmother go back inside, then turned back to her painting. She wanted to know what her grandmother thought about the strange dream she'd had, if maybe it had some hidden meaning she was unaware of.
When she'd awoken this morning, her lips had still been tingling from Falcon Hunter's passionate kiss. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel him touching her, tasting her. She groaned and wished there were something she could do to ease the ache he'd created in her. It had almost been too real to be a dream. The nightmare of almost being raped had left her somewhat chilled, though. At least she had the fantasy of being in Falcon Hunter's arms to warm her. And what a fantasy it was. Kyle's slight kiss the night before hadn't even given her a fraction of the electricity the Indian in her dream had.
She finished painting the soffet and climbed down the ladder. A loud caw from above drew her gaze upward. Her falcon soared overhead and looked down over her as he passed by. She smiled and saluted him as if he were a soldier looking out for her. Looking down at the supplies, she sighed and picked them up. Christina put the supplies back into the storage room, then went into the store to find her grandmother.
* * * *
Christina strode into her house and dropped her keys and purse on the kitchen counter. She'd told her grandmother about her dream over lunch, but without much luck. Her grandmother had said something about it sounded familiar, but she couldn't recall exactly what it was. When she'd strolled with her back to the shop, Spring Rain had promised to check into it and let her know if she found out anything. She hoped with all her heart her grandmother discovered something. She didn't know how much longer she could go on having these nightmares.
As she headed to the refrigerator to pour herself some juice, Christina noticed the red message light blinking on her answering machine. The idea that the message might be from Kyle sent a nervous ripple dancing through her. After wading through a couple of messages from telemarketers wanting her to switch her long distance service, she came to the message she'd been wanting so badly to hear.
"Hey, Christina. This is Kyle. I thought I might catch you at home, but I guess I missed you.” Disappointment clouded his words. “I really enjoyed spending time with you last night and was hoping we could get together sometime this weekend if you're free. I'll try calling you back later on tonight. Have a good day."
If she'd had a mirror at that moment, she imagined she'd look like the Cheshire Cat smiling from ear to ear. Maybe if they went out again, some of the passion she'd been flooded with in her dream last night would spill over into her budding romance with Kyle. Opening her refrigerator, she poured herself some orange juice and settled herself in the small alcove in her living room that served as a home office. She thought she might as well check her email while she waited for Kyle to call. Wading through all the spam to get to actual emails, one item stood out among the rest. An email sent from a generic address with the subject of YOU DON'T BELONG!
Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided she had to open it and see what it was all about. The body of the email consisted of a few brief sentences, but their meaning was clear.
Stop pretending to be a healer. You will never be as good as your father. You don't belong on the reservation, and you don't belong in our world. Stay away before it's too late.
Christina reread the short note again, her heart breaking at what she was reading. She'd worked so hard to earn the respect of the few people who would let her treat them. She'd known there was some animosity because she was a female healer, not to mention a half-breed, but she didn't know it was this bad. What did they mean by it being too late?
Would someone actually try to hurt her if she didn't back off? It seemed implausible. This couldn't really be happening. She didn't recognize the email address, and since it was a generic, free email account, it would be difficult for her to trace it. Shaking her head, she fought back the sorrow that threatened to wrap her in its grasp. Someday, she'd prove to them that being a healer was as much her calling as it had been her father's.
After going through all her email and answering what needed it, Christina still couldn't get the hurtful message out of her head. Surely, they weren't threateni
ng her if she didn't stop trying to help her people. Their prejudice didn't go that deep, did it? Who would want to hurt her? She loved everyone on the reservation, and it cut deeply to think that someone thought so little of her.
Walking to her kitchen, she rinsed out her glass in the sink and put it in the dishwasher. Tap, tap, tap. She looked up at her window and couldn't help smiling at the falcon as it sat on her windowsill.
"Are you lonely out there and want my attention?"
Tap, tap, tap.
"Okay, I'll come out and spend some time in the garden. I have some new seeds I need to plant, anyway.” Maybe working in my garden will keep my mind off the email. She reached under her kitchen sink and grabbed her garden shovel and the new seeds she'd purchased the other day. On the way out the door, Christina picked up the cordless phone. I don't want to miss Kyle's call. She couldn't resist humming a happy tune as she went to spend time in her garden with her falcon friend.
* * * *
He watched Christina exit her house from his hiding place across the street. He needed to make sure she stayed away from that damn falcon. He couldn't allow her to reconnect with Falcon Hunter. Everything had to be done to ensure she didn't break the curse cast so long ago. He'd have to step up his plan and make sure the curse was never broken. Falcon Hunter deserved to spend eternity in this form for what he'd done to Running Bear and his family. Like the predator he was, he eyed his prey as he made his way stealthily back to his car down the street.
* * * *
Movement from a bush across the street caught Hunter's attention. Taking his gaze from Christina's lovely backside, he searched the area with his keen eyes to see what had caused it. The wind isn't blowing. Is someone over there? When nothing out of the ordinary threw up a red flag, he chalked it up to a local pet and returned his focus to Christina.
Falcon Hunter Page 3
