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She continued watching Brave Wolf, touched by his gentleness and caring toward his brother.
She could not help thinking of David and wondering if her son was being treated kindly by his captors, or being mistreated, possibly abused. . . .
That last thought filled her with such dread, she turned and ran away from Brave Wolf. Her face in her hands, she stopped and let the tears flood from her eyes. She sobbed.
And then she felt strong arms surround her.
“Why are you crying? Have I treated you so terribly?”
She recognized the voice and knew who was holding her so tenderly.
Brave Wolf.
He had left his brother to see to her welfare. At that moment, she knew that he would never do anything to harm her.
He did care for her.
Touched deeply by his tenderness, she made a snap decision to trust him. She turned quickly and gazed up into his eyes.
“No, it is not you,” she sobbed out. She wiped the tears with the palms of her hands. “It is my son. I am so afraid for my son! Seeing your brother lying there so ill reminds me of how things might be for my little boy.”
“Your son?” Brave Wolf said. “You have not spoken of a son before.”
He was seized by jealousy, for if there was a son, surely there was a husband.
Then where was the husband?
Why had he not protected her better? If she were Brave Wolf’s woman, he would have guarded her with his life.
“I didn’t tell you because . . . because . . . I wasn’t sure if I could trust you with such information,” she murmured. She wiped her eyes dry.
“And now you can?” Brave Wolf asked softly. He placed his hands at her cheeks, causing her to gaze into his eyes again. “Why do you trust me now when you would not before?”
“Because, oh, because . . .” she began, then sighed heavily. “Just because.”
She looked past him at his brother, then looked into Brave Wolf’s eyes again. “Because you left your brother and came to me when you heard me crying,” she blurted out. “That proves that you care, truly care for me.”
“I handed my brother over to a friend so I could come to you, and, yes, it was because I care for you that I momentarily put you first over my brother,” he said thickly. “Now tell me about your son. Where is he?”
She explained as quickly as she could, for she knew by the way he kept glancing at his brother that he wished to be there with him.
When she was through, she saw a strange sort of relief in his eyes.
“Your husband died in the battle that killed Yellow Hair,” Brave Wolf said thickly. “I am sorry for your loss.”
But he was also glad, for he knew now that he would do anything to win this woman for his own.
She was free to love. And he would make sure that she loved him.
“Yes, he died,” Mary Beth said, lowering her eyes.
Then she looked quickly up at him again. “But when I last saw my son, he was very much alive,” she said. “I need to find him. Can . . . you . . . help me?”
He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “I will get my brother home as quickly as possible, and then my warriors and I will search for your son.”
“Why would you do this?” she asked, searching his eyes and finding emotion there that told her the answer to her question without his even saying it.
She knew that he would do this because he cared as deeply for her as she now allowed herself to feel for him.
