Falcon Hunter

by Shonna Brannon

  He nodded and gave a small smile. “That's just amazing to me. I think if I were in your shoes, I probably would've quit by now."

  "I guess I'm not a quitter."

  The remainder of their meal went by uninterrupted except for the occasional visit from their waiter. Kyle cocked an eyebrow at her. “Do you want any dessert?"

  She shook her head. “I don't think I could eat another bite. Thank you, though."

  "If there's nothing else, then...” The waiter handed the bill to Kyle who stuck his credit card inside and handed it back. “I'll be back with your receipt, sir."

  Kyle looked at his watch. “The night's still young. What would you like to do when we get out of here?"

  All she wanted to do was go home, go to sleep, and hope she'd see Falcon Hunter, but she didn't want Kyle to think she wasn't enjoying his company either. “We can go on a drive around the lake if you want to. After that, I need to get home. I have an early day tomorrow."

  "Sounds good to me.” He took the receipt from the waiter when he came back. Standing up, he offered Christina his hand and strolled with her back to the car.

  * * * *

  Kyle brought her home after a quiet drive around the lake and saw her to her door. “I had a really good time tonight, Christina. I'd like to do it again sometime, if that's okay with you."

  She smiled. He was such a nice guy, but the attraction she thought had been there to begin with wasn't there now, at least not on her part. Maybe she wasn't giving him a fair chance. It had only been two dates, after all. “I had fun, too. Call me in a couple days and I'll let you know when would be a good time."

  He grinned from ear to ear. “Great.” He reached out and lightly brushed her hair behind her ear. Leaning down, he tentatively brushed his lips against hers.

  When he was about to push for a deeper kiss, she pulled back. “I'll talk to you later. Goodnight, Kyle.” Smiling at him, Christina put her key in the door, unlocked it, and went inside.

  Once the door was closed between them, she sagged against its solid support and sighed. Why can't I be happy with Kyle? What is it about my phantom savior that won't allow me to get him out of my head? It isn't like I'm ever going to see him again. But she wouldn't object if she did. So much passion and emotion had rushed through her in their brief encounter, as though an electrical storm brewed to life inside her. Even their coming together in her dream held so much more than what she'd had with Kyle. How could that be possible?

  Shaking her head, she slipped off her heels and picked them up. She covered her mouth to suppress a yawn and made her way upstairs. When she reached her room, she glanced toward her window, expecting to see her ever-present falcon. He wasn't in his usual spot. Hmm. I wonder where he is...

  Oddly enough, a sense of loneliness threatened her without him there. Shaking her head, she stripped off her dress and underwear and tossed them in the basket beside her bathroom door, then went into the bathroom to wash her face. When she set the towel down and looked into the mirror, a swirling fog drew her attention.

  She couldn't be seeing what she was seeing.

  There wasn't any hot water running in the bathroom, so that ruled out that possibility as the cause of the fog. Yet she couldn't pull her gaze away from the spinning smokiness within her mirror. From the midst of the fog, a form began to take shape. Squinting, she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

  Am I going insane? The tribe doesn't want me as their healer now. What will they think if they find out I'm seeing things?

  The mysterious shape began to take a more solid form, and she could tell it was a man. But who? Once the man came through clearly, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. It's him! The man who saved her on the street and the bronzed god from her dreams. As if seeing him in her fantasies wasn't bad enough, now she was getting visions of him during her waking hours. She hadn't drunk that much wine, had she?

  The man in the mirror stared at her as if he knew her. “Running Doe, I need you."

  Christina's eyes widened. Oh hell! Now I'm hearing things. She'd ignore it, and it would go away. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? She'd turn around and go to bed. The foggy scene in her mirror would disappear. Yeah, that's what she'd do. Turning away from the vision before her, she took a step toward her bedroom.

  "Christina!"

  She fainted.

  * * * *

  Hunter followed Christina and Kyle back to her place. When Kyle walked her to the door, Falcon flew to the backyard. There was no way he could sit by and watch another man kiss his woman. That wasn't possible. It was bad enough that he wanted to dig his claws into the man for simply taking Christina out, but it would be sheer hell to watch them make out on the front porch.

  Once he was sure Kyle had left and wasn't coming back, he flew to Christina's bedroom window and peered in. The sight before him almost stopped his heart. With baited breath, he pecked as hard as he could at the window. No movement. The window wasn't opened so he could get inside. He tried pecking again to no avail. Flying around the house, he searched for a way inside, but he couldn't find one. His fear for Christina ate away at him as he flew to her backyard. Shifting from a falcon into human form, he grabbed the handle to her French doors. He put all the strength he had into forcing the door open and was rewarded with the sound of splintering wood.

  He hated damaging her home, but he needed to make sure she was all right. Nothing could happen to her, or they would never get back together. He ran as fast as he could, stumbling on the staircase, to get to Christina. She still lay unmoving on the floor between her bathroom and bedroom. He rushed to her side. Relief flooded him and he almost sagged to the floor as well when he saw she was breathing. Running his hands over her, he couldn't find any sign of injury. There was no blood. If she wasn't hurt, why was she lying unconscious on the floor? Had she fainted? What would distress her so much that would make her pass out?

  Hunter looked around the room, but nothing appeared out of order. Careful not to hurt her, he turned her over. She moaned, but didn't awaken. He lifted her, cradling her naked body against his chest. Oh, Creator, why does she have to sleep nude? Gritting his teeth, he edged to her bedside.

  Christina wrapped her arms around his neck. “Falcon Hunter,” she said seconds before she brought his mouth down onto hers in a searing kiss.

  He knew she wasn't in control of what she was doing, but he couldn't resist the passion that ignited when her lips touched his. Easing her down onto her bed, he forked his fingers through her hair. He ran his tongue across her lips ... testing ... tasting. She opened her mouth to his gentle probing and allowed him full access to all she had to offer. The soft smell of her perfume surrounded them, bringing images of springtime to his mind. It was almost as if they were loving on each other in the middle of a field of wildflowers. His hands glided down from her hair to her breasts, her nipples pebbling instantly to his touch.

  A moan escaped her lips. He kissed his way down her neck and was about to brush his lips across one taut nipple when Christina froze. Dammit! How could I let myself get so carried away with making love to her? She can't see me like this—not yet.

  "Falcon Hunter? Am I dreaming?"

  Raising his head, he gazed into uncertain eyes. That's it! Maybe he could convince her she was dreaming and then sneak away without her knowing this really was happening. “Yes, a-tsi-ye-hi. This is a dream.” He rolled off her to lay by her side and wrapped his arms around her. “Everything is okay. Lay your head on me and rest peacefully."

  "Mmm.” Christina snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  He hoped she slept soundly enough so he could sneak out without being noticed. It wasn't long before she softly snored. Easing his arms from under her, he paused long enough to watch her smile in her sleep. At least maybe she'd rest peacefully for tonight.

  Hunter snuck out the way he had come.

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  Chapter Five

  Christina stared
at the French doors leading to her garden. What the hell happened here? It looked as if someone had forced their way into her home, except nothing was missing. The man who'd been in bed with me last night ... that was only a dream. Wasn't it? That's it. It had been just a dream, because the alternative was simply unacceptable. Falcon Hunter wasn't real, and the image in her bathroom mirror was merely a part of her dream.

  Who would break into her home? She'd never done anything to hurt anyone. When she'd first noticed the broken doorframe, she'd searched the entire house to see if she'd been robbed, but everything was where it was supposed to be. Even though nothing had been taken, she'd still called the police. An officer had come out and taken her statement, took pictures, and checked for fingerprints, but hadn't left her with much hope of figuring out what had happened. He'd said that since nothing was taken, unless the fingerprints were on file, most likely there was nothing they could do. That had made her feel so much better.

  Now she sat waiting for the repairman to come and fix her back door. He'd said he'd be there between eight and twelve. So she was stuck waiting on him while she could be doing other things. Like fantasizing about Falcon Hunter.

  She couldn't help smiling as she remembered the feeling of his arms around her last night in her dream. So safe and cared for. And when he'd kissed her ... electricity had surged to life within her. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. What she had with Kyle didn't even come close to touching what Falcon Hunter did to her. He brought her body to life with just a look. How sad that she possessed so much passion for a figment of her imagination when she had a perfectly nice guy wanting to be with her.

  Sighing, she got up from her kitchen table and went outside. Her falcon sat in his usual place on the birdbath. “I hope you're having a better morning than I am.” She headed over to the watering hose and turned it on to give her thirsty plants a drink. “I don't understand why someone would break my door down and not take anything. And how did I not hear it?” She shook her head. It didn't make sense.

  The falcon gave a low caw as if to say he were sorry. “I don't mean to take my frustration out on you. I don't really have anyone else to talk to.” Moving over to her garden table, she sat down in one of the chairs. “I have Nana, I guess, but it's not the same."

  The water from the hose began to run out of the bed, bringing Christina's attention back to what she'd been doing. She moved the hose on to her herbs. “I also don't know what to do about the dreams I've been having. They feel so real. Last night, I could've sworn I wasn't alone. That the man from my dreams was really there in bed with me."

  She reached over and tentatively ran her hand over the bird's feathers. “I still can't really explain the foggy mirror. I couldn't have really seen my dream lover in that mirror, much less heard him call my name.” She sighed and dropped her hand from the falcon.

  She turned off the water and wound the garden hose back up. She looked over at her falcon for one last time. “Who the hell is Running Doe anyway?” With that, she went back inside and closed the door.

  How does she know about Running Doe? Hunter couldn't believe she'd said her name. He didn't understand what she'd meant by the mirror. Was she having visions while she was awake now? He didn't have the answers, but he intended to find out.

  He was about to fly off in search of Christina when she came back outside with some man. Since the man was examining the door, he assumed it was the repairman.

  The man's next words confirmed it. “Whoever did this used a whole lot of force."

  "I know. How much is it going to cost me to fix this?” Christina nibbled on her bottom lip, worry creasing her brow.

  "You were lucky it didn't damage the door. All I'm going to have to replace is this side of the doorjamb."

  Falcon Hunter watched as relief washed over her face when he quoted her a relatively small number. She thanked him and told him to go ahead and fix it.

  While the man worked in the backyard, making all kinds of noise with his saw and hammer, Hunter went in search of Christina. He knew she had to be around here somewhere. If it weren't for the damned curse, he could've fixed the mess he'd done to her door himself. As it was, he'd barely made it out of there before he started changing back into his falcon form. What he wouldn't give to get rid of the albatross that kept them apart. How was he supposed to convince her of who he was? Much less make her fall in love with him? She had to know the truth and accept it, or the curse wouldn't be broken. He couldn't have her true love without acceptance. It simply wasn't possible.

  Landing on the living room windowsill, he found the object of his heart sitting at her computer playing some card game. Why the world thought they needed that infernal contraption was beyond him, but no one seemed to be able to get through the day without using one of those machines in some form or other. She must not have been doing so well with her game, because she made faces at the computer.

  She was so cute when she was frustrated. He wished he could take her upstairs and work off some of that frustration the old-fashioned way. She deserved to be shown how special a woman she was. If he had anything to say about it, he'd show her every day for the rest of his life. He had to figure out a way to convince her that he was who he really was and that she was his wife from their past life. She was the only woman to ever hold his heart. The only woman who ever would.

  * * * *

  After the repairman left and the computer solitaire game did nothing but tick her off, Christina changed into shorts and tennis shoes, locked her house up and drove to her favorite area beyond the reservation to hike. She'd always loved this area. It seemed to call to her every time she drove past it. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but it seemed so familiar to her. A sense of peace always seemed to settle over her when she came here.

  Today she thought she'd hike past the waterfall to the cliff on the other side. She'd always done some of her best thinking up there. Maybe it would give her some kind of clue as to why she was having those strange dreams and what the vision in the mirror was all about. Hell, it couldn't make it worse, that was for sure. If she didn't figure it all out soon, she was afraid she'd go crazy.

  She rechecked the locks on her SUV. The last thing she needed was someone breaking into her car after what had happened with her house. As she was about to step onto the hiking trail, her falcon alighted on the branch of a nearby tree. Watching her, he cawed as though he were welcoming her to his world.

  She smiled. “You're welcome to come with me on my hike if you want to.” Christina hit the first leg of the trail with gusto. She needed to work off some of the stress tying her up. After fifteen minutes of hiking up the trail, the rushing sound of water reached her. The waterfall pulled at her, beckoned her to come to it as though it were alive and waiting for her. She hadn't been hiking in the area in ages. She should take more time to enjoy her heritage here. This was where her people had begun. Where her ancestors had made their home. Why had she allowed herself to slip away from it? She let life and her pursuit to prove herself as a healer get in the way, she supposed.

  The trail opened to a clearing where a small waterfall flowed into a tranquil lagoon. She'd come here as a child and swam. As a teenager, she'd snuck away from her parents and gone skinny-dipping. Something about the place niggled at the back of her mind. Meandering toward the edge of the lagoon, she sat down and took her shoes off. Christina slipped her toes into the summer-warmed water.

  Her falcon flew down from the trees and landed by her side, giving a low caw as he gazed at her.

  "I'm okay.” She smoothed her hand along his soft down. “There's something about this place that makes me feel less alone."

  The bird splashed his beak in the water, getting a drink. He looked up at her with eyes so full of wisdom. As though he knew what she was going through.

  "I doubt you've ever felt like you don't belong.” Christina sighed and pulled her feet out of the water. Drying them on the soft grass, she slipped her socks and shoes b
ack on. “Come on, my friend. Let's go on up to the cliff."

  The beauty of nature surrounded her as she continued the climb upward toward the small drop off at the end of the trail. Birds chirped in harmony, and a light breeze blew through the trees, fingering her hair and ruffling her bird's feathers. Even the small animals seemed content with having her near. The apex of the trail opened up to the sky. From the cliff, she could see for miles. If she searched hard enough, she might be able to see her grandmother's store from there. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, soothing breath.

  Her falcon flew down and surprised her when he landed on her shoulder. He'd never done that before. Cautiously, she glanced over at him. He looked at her then scooted closer to her, rubbing his soft feathers against her cheek. It was almost like a lover's caress. He looked out over the scene below and seemed to take it all in.

  If only she were here with a lover ... Closing her eyes, she breathed in the fresh air. Her mind's eye flashed to another time, where her hero and a beautiful Indian maiden stood on this very spot. His fingertips grazed across her cheek in much the same way the falcon had touched hers. The man whispered to the woman before bringing his lips to hers in a gentle brush. Heads together, they looked out at the valley below.

  The vision faded, and Christina's heart clenched. Her eyes burned with unshed tears at the sense of loss the vision left her with. What would it feel like to be loved like that? Maybe it wasn't meant for her to have that kind of love, that kind of tenderness. Sighing, she cast her gaze on the valley below.

  Keeping her body very still, Christina said, “It's beautiful, isn't it? Sort of makes you feel small."

  The peace nature offered her wrapped her in its comforting embrace. It had been too long since she'd been at peace with her lot in life. She needed to find out what her visions meant. But since the elders on the reservation wanted nothing to do with her, how was she supposed to be able to ask anyone about them? She wondered if there was anyone else who would know who the people in her visions were. What made the problem so hard was her inability to find out what the visions meant if she couldn't ask someone on the reservation. Who else would know who the people in her visions were than one of the elders?