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Brave Wolf placed his hands at Mary Beth’s waist and drew her closer. “You have been accepted,” he said proudly. “Soon we will be man and wife.”
He lowered his lips to hers.
She twined her arms around his neck and returned his kiss.
If David was with her, safe, ah, life would have been beautiful and perfect.
As they stepped away from each other, Brave Wolf laughed huskily. He reached a hand to her face and used his thumb to brush away some red paint that had smeared from his face to hers.
She saw the paint on his thumb, laughed, then placed a finger on his painted face. “No paint could ever hide your handsomeness,” she murmured.
If he asked whether she was ready to make love with him, she was more than ready. Her whole soul ached for it.
Suddenly Mary Beth was startled out of Brave Wolf’s arms by a chorus of coyote yelps from a nearby butte.
Brave Wolf sensed her fear and drew her close again. “You must learn to accept the coyote as a part of our lives,” he said. “You see, the coyote is more intelligent than man. Coyotes will still be around when men have killed off all the other animals. They might even outlive man. They are everywhere.”
“Do they ever come into the village?” Mary Beth asked warily.
“Very rarely do they venture too close,” Brave Wolf said, again listening to the coyotes’ songs. “They fear man even more than man fears them.”
The song and laughter of his people wafted through the air, touching Mary Beth’s soul.
“Let us talk no more about coyotes,” she said. “I would love to join your people’s fun. I feel so comfortable with them now.”
“As they do you,” Brave Wolf said, taking Midnight’s reins and leading him toward the village. “Tomorrow is not far away, so let us fully enjoy the night.”
The huskiness in his voice made Mary Beth blush, for she knew that he was not only talking of fun with his people. He had read her well—he knew what was in her heart.
Yes, soon they would be floating amid the stars as they found a wondrous love in each other’s arms.
When they reached the huge outdoor fire where the crowd was now assembled on blankets, eating, talking, and laughing, a young brave took Midnight to Brave Wolf’s corral.
Dancing Butterfly ran up to Mary Beth. All smiles, she gave Mary Beth a tray of food, which included the pemmican meatballs Mary Beth had helped prepare.
“It is such a wonderful night,” Dancing Butterfly said, her gaze darting to Pure Heart’s lodge.
Mary Beth saw why Dancing Butterfly was so radiantly happy. Night Horse lay just outside the tepee, his eyes no longer glazed with fever. He was on his way to a full recovery, and his gaze was on Dancing Butterfly.
Brave Wolf noticed the two looking at each other. He was not happy about that.
When he made Night Horse leave, what would happen to Dancing Butterfly? He knew that she loved Night Horse.
He feared for her now, feared that her love for Night Horse might lead her into making the wrong decision, one that she would regret for the rest of her life. She was too sweet to allow someone like Night Horse to dictate her future.
Chapter Fifteen
Out of the Indian approach to life
came a great freedom, an intense and
absorbing love for nature; a respect
for life.
—Luther Standing Bear,
Oglala Sioux Chief
