Wolf Shadow Read Online Free

him, bribe her somehow if necessary,
maybe promise that he would bring her back here if she didn’t want to stay with
the Bryants. Hell, there was ten thousand dollars at stake, and he needed that
money.
    Later that night, lying on his back on a pile of furs,
Chance stared up at the slice of sky visible through the smoke hole of his
lodge. Before leaving town, he had sent word to Dave Dreesen, foreman of the
Double C, that he would be gone for awhile.
    He blew out a deep breath. It was good to be among his
mother’s people again. He loved the ranch and what he had accomplished there, but
this was home. His best memories, and his worst, were tied to this place, this
land.
    He smiled faintly as the lilting notes of siyotanka ,
the courting flute, were carried to him on the night wind. Somewhere in the
dark, a warrior sat near the lodge of his beloved, pouring out his heart
through a Lakota courting flute. And somewhere in a dark lodge, a maiden
smiled.
    Lakota courtship was, of necessity, carried out within the
confines of the village, though couples often managed to meet “by accident”
when the girl was gathering wood or water. Still, it was not safe for a couple
to venture far from the protection of the tribe, nor did most mothers allow
their daughters to wander away without a chaperone. To that end, when a young
man went courting, he took a big blanket with him. Standing beside the girl of
his choice, he lifted the blanket over their heads, cocooning them in a cloth
world away from prying eyes. If a girl were very popular, there might be as
many as a dozen young men waiting to spend a few minutes alone with her.
He wondered if anyone was courting the Bryants’ daughter. He closed his eyes
and her image came quickly to mind—a body as slender as a willow, brown hair so
dark it was almost black, eyes as blue as a robin’s egg beneath delicately arched
brows, a fine straight nose, lips that were pink and…
    A sharp stab of desire twisted through him. Muttering an
oath, he shoved her image aside. Pretty or ugly, it didn’t matter. He had ten
thousand good reasons to get her back home as soon as possible. Her father’s
offer couldn’t have come at a better time.
    * * * * *
    Winter Rain smiled into the darkness as the notes of Strong
Elk’s flute wafted through the night air. She had met him earlier that evening
in front of her mother’s lodge and they had stood together under a big red
courting blanket. Huddled together, the blanket had given them a measure of
privacy, though Winter Rain was well aware that her mother was nearby.
    Now, lying in her bed, she felt a little thrill of
excitement. He had been courting her openly for several months. In time, he
would bring her father many horses. If she fed them, it would mean she agreed
to be his wife. She found it odd that the thought of being courted was more
exciting than the idea of being married to Strong Elk and wondered if all
maidens felt that way. She thought of the stranger she had seen ride into the
village that afternoon. Hi stark image swept all thought of Strong Elk from her
mind. There was something about the stranger, something that called to her. She
had never spoken to him, did not know his name, yet just thinking about him
made her heart beat faster, made her wonder what it would be like to be held in
his arms…
    She frowned, confused by her chaotic emotions. She was fond
of Strong Elk. She had imagined herself falling in love with him, but he did
not stir any deep feelings within her.
    She rolled over onto her stomach and closed her eyes.
Unbidden, the stranger’s image again sprang to the forefront of her mind. He
was a tall man, perhaps even taller even than her father. And more handsome
than Strong Elk. He moved with a fluid grace that made her think of a mountain
lion hunting its prey. She didn’t remember seeing him before and she wondered
who he was and why he was here. He had gone to visit Kills-Like-a-Hawk. Were
they friends? Relatives,