Chapter 4

Kiowa Village, Oklahoma 1870

"Son of a..." Halona hissed, jerking her hand back as the dull blade snagged her blistered finger, leaving a bead of crimson in its wake. She squeezed the wound tight, letting the blood wash away the caked-on grime as a slew of frustrated curses slipped out.

This whole damn situation still felt like some twisted, never-ending nightmare straight out of the depths of her subconscious. One where no amount of pleading or pinching herself would rouse her back to reality. A peal of laughter rippled across the camp from the group of women huddled around the nearby firepit. Halona risked a glance their way only to find them not-so-subtly pointing and gawking in her direction like she was the main attraction at a freakshow.

Rolling her eyes, she refocused on hacking the tough meat into manageable chunks for the simmering stew pot. Her gaze drifted to her hands - once meticulously manicured and softened with expensive cream, now calloused and cracked from weeks of nonstop labor. What was left of her manicure had been picked away ages ago.

The prickle on the back of her neck warned her a moment before she turned to find HIM - the one she'd mockingly dubbed "Dances with Wolves" early on - boring holes into her with that intense stare of his. He'd been watching her more blatantly these past few days, and a shiver of unease rippled through Halona as she quickly averted her eyes.

"Em á̱!" In a flash, his iron grip clamped around her forearm as he barked out that same harsh order again.

Fear detonated like a bomb in Halona's chest as he started dragging her across the dirt, straight for the entrance of the massive teepee looming before them. "No! Get off me!" She dug her heels in, clutching at the rough canvas with her free hand to anchor herself. "Keep your grubby paws to yourself, asshole!"

A guttural snarl rumbled from the man's chest as he leveled a finger toward the pile of furs sprawled inside the teepee. The realization of his intentions ignited a fresh spark of defiance within her.

"Go fuck yourself!" She spat the words directly in his face, punctuating them with a vicious shove.

Snarling again, the man launched himself at her, pinning her against the teepee's back wall with his body weight. His hot, rancid breath fanned over her face as he leaned in closer - Which was when Halona clamped her teeth down hard on his bottom lip, filling her mouth with the metallic tang of blood.

A feral roar exploded from the man as he recoiled, one hand flying to clutch his torn, gushing lip. Rage contorted his features in an instant, the other hand rearing back to deliver a vicious backhand that rocked Halona's head sideways with its force. She couldn't muffled the cry of pain as he grabbed a fistful of her dress, ripping the material down the back in one violent motion.

Oh FUCK! This was really happening!

Just then, a booming voice sliced through the chaos like a thunderbolt. The man recoiled, spitting out a venomous phrase before shoving her roughly to the ground and stalking off. She clutched the tattered remains of her dress to her chest as the teepee flap opened again to reveal... Red Bear.

Relief instantly flooded her body at the familiar, solemn face as he and the man exchanged a heated volley of harsh words. Whatever was unfolding, tensions were running molten hot. At last, Red Bear emerged victorious. Nodding in solemn understanding, Halona fell into step behind Red Bear as he led them away from the crackling fires and prying eyes of the camp. They walked in tense silence until reaching a small group of braves already mounted on horseback, their stern expressions doing nothing to ease Halona's gnawing dread.

Next thing she knew, Red Bear was hoisting her up onto one of the massive beasts. With a series of barked orders and subtle cues, their small party set off at a brisk pace, soon leaving the teepee village behind in a billowing cloud of dust.

As the distance stretched between them and that wretched camp, a million worried thoughts spiraled through Halona's mind about where they could possibly be headed now. Were they planning to straight-up abandon her out here to die of exposure? Or did these men have something even more sinister in mind?

She wet her dry lips, mustering her nerve to break the heavy silence. "So... any chance you can tell me where we're going?"

From his mount beside her, Red Bear angled an unreadable look her way before simply rumbling, "Do not fear. You are safe."

Halona blew out a shaky breath, shooting a sidelong glance at the array of bows and long rifles slung across the men's backs. For better or worse, she was along for this ride.

Red Bear's gruff voice carried on the wind as he barked orders at a young warrior, then urged his horse forward at a leisurely pace. Ever since his warriors first found the strange woman alone in the wilderness those moons ago, she'd been a source of ceaseless consternation and unrest within the tribe. Her bizarre style of dress, erratic mannerisms, and those strange black tears she cried marked her as an outright outsider to be gawked at with deep suspicion.

The elders had fiercely debated her fate at great contentious length - some convinced she was an evil omen to be avoided at all costs, whilst others insisted she was blessed by powerful spirits. Red Bear kept his own counsel on the matter, though he knew in his heart she was fundamentally kind and tender of spirit.

He'd witnessed the stranger, cradling a young girl who tumbled in the dirt, offering the child a comforting embrace. From that moment on, his mind was made up about the outsider's fate. Now, with the situation escalating and hunting parties preparing for the hunt, the elders had reconvened to decide her fate once and for all. Banishment to the harsh plains was deemed too cruel, though taking her to the white cavalry's fort would surely mean death for any warrior foolish enough to approach it.

As the day waned, Red Bear pondered a new strategy. One that would safeguard the woman, shield his people, and extricate him from this unexpected situation. A subtle smile touched his lips. With a determined nod, he turned his horse west, into the fading sunlight.