Alex rolled up into one of the furs, turning her back on the exhibitionist woman. Scandalous.
The tent flap rustled and Who-na-nay entered. He paused and smiled as the naked woman sashayed over to him, her hips and buttocks swaying provocatively.
Obviously heathens had no sense of dignity. Alex squeezed her eyes as Who-na-nay bent to take a flavored nipple in his mouth. Disgusting. She tried to block out unsuccessfully, the groans and moans the two made, their pleasure causing her cheeks to heat. The noises stopped and the pile of furs shifted. She opened her eyes as the smirking squaw lay on the robes beside her. Alex looked up. Who-na-nay stood looking down at her as naked as the day of his birth. She sucked in a deep breath. Who knew a man’s, even a heathen’s body could be so pleasing to the eye? His bronzed skin stretched taut over thick bands of muscle. Her eyes traveled of their own accord down his broad chest, past his ribbed stomach to the member that stood in rigid attention rising from a patch of curly black hair on his groin. Oh my, God. Is this what a naked man looks like? Ripping her eyes from the sinful sight she met his gaze.
His eyes twinkled in the firelight as if he found her reaction to his body amusing. He lowered himself to the fur on the opposite side of the squaw.
Alex closed her eyes as he reached out to fondle Oh-nem-ie’s breast. Did they mean to make love right here beside her? Opening her eyes Alex sat up intending to leave. Who-na-nay placed a hand on her chest, pushing her back down. It appeared she was not allowed to leave. Her first thought was to run, but he would drag her back as before. She was too tired to out run him. Rolling over she pressed herself against the side of the teepee to put as much distance between her and them as possible. Closing her eyes and plugging her ears with her fingers she tried to ignore the indecent act taking place beside her. Humming she blocked out the grunts and groans of pleasure, hoping it would not last long. A horrifying thought slithered into her mind. Would he seek to rape her when he was done with Oh-nem-ie? Her hands trembled at the thought. She had no hope she could fight him off. Perhaps he would be satisfied with his squaw, after all he couldn’t possible enjoy raping a woman compared to a willing one in his bed...could he?
It seemed like hours before the noises and movement stopped and all was quiet. Alex relaxed and cradled her head in the crook of her arm. It appeared she had been spared, and for that she was grateful.
Chapter Nineteen
Something poked her in the ribs. She brushed it away and rolled over. Again something jabbed her.
“Ay eee!”
Alex opened her eyes.
Oh-nem-ie swatted her and pointed to the door. “Ay eee!”
She scrambled to her feet before the squaw could smack her again. “All right, I’m up.”
The squaw shook her head and stalked from the teepee.
Alex followed the woman. The sun was barely poking above the horizon yet the camp was buzzing with activity. Shelters were being disassembled and strapped onto ponies. To all intents and purposes it appeared the encampment was preparing to move. How would Weston find her, if he was even still alive? Shaking the thought from her mind she hurried to help Oh-nem-ie strike the shelter and pack the belongings before she incurred the woman’s wrath. Within fifteen minutes the whole camp was packed and ready to go.
Who-na-nay rode forward on his prancing black and white spotted horse and gave her a nod of approval. Alex looked away and fell into line with the other women as they walked behind the mounted warriors. They had only walked for a few minutes when the brave who watched her the day before at the stream rode abreast of her on a dapple gray horse sporting a shock of eagle feathers in its mane. The brave smiled at her and held out his hand. She stopped walking. Was he offering her a ride while the other women walked? He reined in his horse and leaned down, opening his hand. A shiny white shell on a piece of thin leather cord lay nestled against his bronze palm.
She hesitated before accepting the offered gift, turning it over in her hand to examine it. The smooth shell glistened in the sunlight. Looking up she smiled her thanks. The brave nodded and made a motion indicating she should put it around her neck. When she complied he smiled, showing a bright set of straight teeth. Alex smiled back. No man had ever given her a gift before. The Indian rode off, glancing over his shoulder with a smile.
Oh-nem-ie jabbed her and shook her head.
“What? Was I supposed to refuse the gift?” Alex lifted her palms.
The squaw snorted, shook her head, and pointed to Who-na-nay. “Who-na-nay wee now ya tee.”
Alex shrugged. So what if Who-na-nay got jealous. She didn’t belong to him. Raising her hand to shield her eyes from the sun she scanned the group of riders for the brave who had given her the gift. Upon spying him she poked Oh-nem-ie and pointed to him. “Who is he?”
The squaw glanced at him and frowned. “A-jin-way.”
“A-jin-way,” Alex rolled the name on her tongue. Maybe A-jin-way would help her escape. With a smile she trudged on. Despite the soft moccasins Oh-nem-ie supplied, Alex’s feet were raw and blistered by midday. Legs aching and feet throbbing, she struggled to keep up with the tribe. Every time she sat down intending to just be left behind the squaw would kick her until she got up.
“Ta-wan-knee.”
Alex looked up to find the brave was back. He reined in his horse beside her and held out his hand as she limped along.
Another gift? She smiled and reached for his hand. This time he gripped her wrist and pulled her up behind him on the horse. With a startled squeal she wrapped her arms around his bare waist and settled on the horse’s soft loins. Oh-nem-ie scowled at her and shook her head. Alex scowled back, tossing her head as A-jin-way nudged the horse back to a walk. Well, at least one savage had some sense of decorum she thought as she rested her head against his warm back. The steady plodding of the horse, the sun beating down and her lack of sleep the night before made her yawn. She closed her eyes and dozed.
“Ya too! Ya too, Ta-wan-knee!”
Alex straightened and opened her eyes. She had no idea how long she had been asleep but the tribe had stopped in a large cleaning by a small lake.
Who-na-nay glowered at her from his horse, lips pinched in a thin line of anger. “Ya too!”
She slid down from behind the brave, wincing as she put her weight on her raw, blistered feet. Placing her hands on her hips she stared him down. “What? Why are you angry with me now? I simply accepted a ride. My feet were sore.”
He reached down and slapped her with so much forced she stumbled backward and fell to the ground.
Alex glared up at him, tears running down her face as she cradled her bruised cheek.
A-jin-way pointed to her feet. “Nay oh too a way na.”
Who-na-nay shook his head, anger flashing in his dark eyes and pointed to where Oh-nem-ie stood.
“No!” Alex crossed her arms and glared at him. “No! I am not yours to command.”
His eyes narrowed and he pointed again.
Stubbornly, she refused to move. “No.”
A-jin-way turned his horse and rode away. Perhaps such a gesture should have warned Alex she had pressed her point too far, but she kept her gaze locked on Who-na-nay. He slid down from his horse, dropping the braided reins to the ground and stalked purposefully in her direction.
She shrank back as he grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her to her feet. Pain made her cry out as he towed her along to the lake. She dug in her heels at the edge of the water despite his grip on her hair. With a grunt he picked her up, carried her in, and dropped her. Cold water rushed over her head as she floundered to get her feet under her. When she managed to find purchase she stood, pushing her wet hair from her face and gasping for air.
Who-na-nay grasped the front of her buckskin dress, ripping it from her body with one quick jerk before wading from the water.
“Wait! What are you doing?” Alex crossed her arms to shield her nakedness from the rest of the tribe.
The Indian stalked back to h
is horse, mounted, and rode off with the dress, without looking back.
She sank into the water until it came to her chin as the tribe turned away and set about making camp. What was she supposed to do now? Her teeth began to chatter. She couldn’t very well sit here. On the other hand she wasn’t about to get out so all could see her nakedness. Would Who-na-nay come back with another dress? Perhaps A-jin-way would take pity on her again. She bit her lip. That was how she had gotten into this mess in the first place.
By the time camp was established it was dark. The smell of roasting meat drifted down to where Alex crouched in the water, now shaking so badly from the cold that she had no choice except to get out. Slowly she inched from the lake. No one paid any attention as she crept to Who-na-nay’s teepee. She slunk inside and dug in the clothing pile until she found another beaded dress and a pair of leggings. After putting them on she curled up in a fur robe to warm herself. Damn heathen. Is he trying to give me pneumonia?
She was still shivering when she heard Who-na-nay and Oh-nem-ie enter the teepee sometime later. Rolling up against the side she pretended to be asleep when she heard the squaw giggle. Within minutes the sighs and groans of their coupling filled the tent. Alex grimaced and plugged her ears. Good Lord, did heathens fornicate like rabbits?
Chapter Twenty
A swift kick from Oh-nem-ie sent Alex scrambling out from under the furs the next morning. Like the day before she helped prepare the morning meal and pack up the camp. Didn’t these people ever stay in one place she wondered bitterly as she fell in line behind the other squaws. A rumble of thunder made her look at the darkening sky. Would they stop and take shelter from the coming storm? The first splatters of rain sprinkled her face and she frowned as Oh-nem-ie and the others continued to walk on oblivious to the weather. Smothering her groan of disappointment she continued to trudge along on her tender feet.
As the day lengthened her limp grew more pronounced. She flinched as Oh-nem-ie slapped her for failing to keep up, slipping in the thick mud beneath her feet.
“Too ay.” Oh-nem-ie rolled her eyes.
Alex shot her a dirty look. “You would be slow too if your feet were sore.”
Oh-nem-ie snorted.
“You understand most of what I say, I can tell.” Alex glared at her, quickening her pace.
The squaw shrugged and returned her attention to the trail.
Alex caught her arm. “Where are we going?”
Oh-nem-ie slid a covert glance at her. “Home.”
“Home? Where is that?”
“Where grass grow. River run to mountains.” The squaw pointed east.
“To the plains?”
Oh-nem-ie shrugged.
She pondered that for a few moments. “Why was your tribe so close to Fort Washington?”
“Who-na-nay watch man with shiny chest.”
Man with shiny chest? The general. Alex winced as a sharp stone poked her blistered heel. “Why?”
The squaw turned on her, eyes flashing. “You! You and man with shiny chest make loud fire shooter, kill all the people.”
“I didn’t know General Madden intended to use the war machine on your people. He told me he wanted it to defend America against the British.”
“Hurmph.” Oh-nem-ie shook off her hand and stalked ahead on the trail.
Alex shivered, partly from her damp clothing and partly at the idea the whole tribe thought she intended to murder them. Is that why the redskins treated her worse than the mangy mutts that trotted alongside the horses? There had to be some way to straighten this out and get them to return her to Washington.
Ignoring her tender feet she jogged ahead looking for Who-na-nay. Before long she spotted him astride his black and white horse talking to another brave. Running forward she grasped his beaded buckskins and tugged on them to get his attention.
Reining in his horse with the slightest touch, he glared at her.
“Who-na-nay, I did not build the war machine to kill your people. I built it to keep the British from invading America.”
He slid down from his horse, his expression angry. “You build loud fire shooter. I take you. No fire shooter now.”
She shook her head. “No. The general will still use the war machine without me. Take me back and I will stop it.”
“Lie. No you, loud fire shooter not work.” Pushing her away he vaulted back onto his horse and trotted away.
Alex stared at his back. There had to be a way to convince him. She spied A-jin-way riding close by. Maybe he would help her. Limping closer she hailed him. He paused looking away. “A-jin-way.”
He glanced back at her over his shoulder and then looked to where Who-na-nay rode. Who-na-nay leaned down to speak to a young boy, seemingly oblivious to all else. A-jin-way wheeled his horse around and trotted over to her. When abreast of her he swung the horse to block her from Who-na-nay’s sight and gave her a questioning look.
“Who-na-nay will not listen. The general will still send the war machine against your people. If you return me to the fort I might be able to stop it.” She gave him a pleading look.
His dark eyes stared at her blankly for a moment. “Loud fire shooter come?”
“Yes, it will still come, without me.”
“You stop fire shooter?” He frowned and glanced at Who-na-nay’s back.
“Yes.”
He nodded and kicked his horse to catch up with Who-na-nay. He greeted the other man and gestured to Alex. She watched their mouths and hands move as they argued with each other. Did A-jin-nay have any say in what went on in the tribe? Other braves pulled up their mounts to listen to the conversation, many casting suspicious glances her way. She sat on a wet rock to rest, wishing she could understand what the two men were saying. Massaging her feet she waited.
Who-na-nay jerked his horse around causing the animal to rear and cantered toward her. She stood as he slid his horse to a halt in front of her, eyes flat, lips pressed into a thin line. “Ya too!”
With reluctance she stepped up to the side of his horse and glared up at him. His hand shot out catching her jaw with a force that sent her tumbling into the mud at his horse’s feet. “Lie! No speak.”
Scrambling to her feet she advanced on him, her jaw throbbing. All reason fled her mind as she launched a verbal tirade. “I do not lie! I am Alexandra Evans, daughter of one of the greatest inventors of all time. I will not be treated like a criminal or abused by a savage. If you will not return me to Washington then I will find my way on my own!” Turning on her heel she marched back in the direction she had come, trying to keep her limping to a minimum.
She heard the horse a scant moment before she was lifted off her feet and flung face down across his lap. Kicking and screaming she fought to get down. With a grunt Who-na-nay brought the flat of his hand down on her bottom not once but twice, the sound ringing across the quiet clearing. Shock stilled her struggles and she turned her head to scowl at him. How dare he? When he raised his hand again she cringed and he nodded, dropping it back to his reins. Fuming, she lay there glad at least she would not have to walk. When she wiggled to make herself more comfortable he shot her a warning look. Folding her arms she rested her head against them and watched the ground go by under the horse’s feet. Highly undignified. He could at least let me sit astride. Heathen savage. Weston would never have hit me or humiliated me in such a way. She shivered as rain trickled down the neck of her dress, the musky smell of wet horse making her sneeze.
If Weston and the general were still alive they would be coming for her. Well, Weston would. The general would still be under the influence of the mind control helmet, unless of course it failed or his men figured out what the device really was. What if they never found her? Would she be stuck here with the savages for the rest of her life? She had to think of a way to escape.
It was still raining and almost dark when Who-na-nay finally let her down from the horse to help set up camp for the night.
Chapter Twenty-One
A
lex shivered and pulled the fur over her head as Oh-nem-ie giggled. Not again. Must I be subjected to their fornicating every night? How does the squaw have the energy for sexual adventures every night after walking miles and working like a slave all day? She rolled closer to the tent flap as an errant hand caressed her arm. Once the moaning and groaning grew in volume, suggesting that the couple were deeply involved in each other, Alex eased from the fur and crawled out the flap. She crouched there in the drizzle, letting her eyes adjust to the dark. Somewhere nearby an owl hooted but other than that all was quiet. Should she try to escape tonight? She looked down at her bare feet, cold mud oozing between her toes. Her moccasins were back in the teepee. What should she do? Where should she go? The thought of returning to the teepee was daunting to say the least but she couldn’t very well stand out here in the rain.
A shadow by the campfire caught her attention. A-jin-nay shifted under a heavy robe and added another piece of wood to the fire. Was he standing guard? She wandered over and stood by the fire to warm her chilled limbs.
A-jin-nay shifted over slightly and patted the robe underneath him. Alex smiled shyly and sat beside him. He folded the robe around her.
“Thank you.” Alex huddled there savoring the warmth of his body and the thick hide.
A-jin-nay nodded and turned his gaze to the flames dancing in the shallow pit. “Who-na-nay good brave. Protect people.”
“He is trying to, but he will fail against the war machine.” She sighed. “I don’t know how to make him believe me.”
“You stop fire shooter?”
“Yes, I wish I had never invented it.”
He nodded. “I see truth in your soul, Ta-wan-knee.”
Alex pushed a soggy curl behind her ear. “Why can’t Who-na-nay see it?”
Inventing Love Page 10
