Black Horse by Veronica Blake Page A

so peaceful and easy if the Canadians would allow them to stay. But she knew that would not happen. When they were forced to return to the other side of the border, they would undoubtedly encounter the same hatred they had run away from in the first place. Meadow exhaled a burdened sigh as she tried to imagine what the future might hold for the Sioux, or even if they would have a future at all.
    “Do you think you are strong enough—brave enough—to be the woman of a war chief?” he asked as he moved up behind her.
    She was much smaller than he was, and he could almost rest his chin on the top of her head. Meadow could feel his breath touch lightly against her hair. She yearned for his arms to encircle her, to turn her around, and for him to kiss her until her lips begged for mercy. But he was waiting to hear her say the wordsthat would tell him that she truly understood what he must do, and that nothing—or no one—could stop him.
    Her buttocks were brushing against his thigh, and her knees felt almost too wobbly to hold her weight. Still, the thought of him leaving her to go into another battle with the whites dominated her thoughts. She heard him draw in a heavy breath. When he exhaled, the warmth of his breath engulfed her. She could feel the heat radiating from his body and infusing every inch of her own body with a raging wildfire. But there was so much more involved here than the immense physical attraction they felt for each other.
    She recalled a discussion she’d had with White Buffalo earlier that day, when he had paid her a visit shortly before the wedding ceremony. He had told her how proud he was to have her as his daughter. As he often did, he spoke of the hardships and pain their people had suffered, of how uncertain every day of their lives was, and of how important it was for them to live each day as if there might never be another tomorrow.
    White Buffalo also explained why he wanted her to marry Black Horse, and he had asked her to forgive him for his selfishness for wanting her to stay with the Sioux forever. As she thought about the conversation she had had with White Buffalo, her thoughts kept wandering to the handsome man who stood so close, and to the question he had just asked her: are you strong enough and brave enough to be the wife of a war chief? She wondered why she hesitated so long in answering. There was only one choice she could make. “ Sha ,” she answered as she turned to face her warrior.“You give me the courage and the strength to face anything, as long as I know that you are at my side. I love you, Black Horse, and nothing else matters.”
    For a few seconds he seemed too surprised by her admission to make another move. When his instincts took over, though, he clasped her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him. Her head tilted back and her gaze met his for just an instant before his mouth descended on her waiting mouth. Meadow’s response to his kiss was immediate. Letting him pull her tighter into his embrace, Meadow allowed her passion for this man rule all of her actions. The strict customs of their people did not enter her mind, nor would she permit them to interfere with the plans for to night. In her mind, and in her heart, she would become his woman with or without the completion of a wedding ceremony. The white blanket fell into a crumpled heap at their feet.
    Instinctively, Meadow’s arms slid up to encircle his neck. She did not resist when he crushed her body against his. The way he kissed her now was completely different from the tender kisses they had shared before, and as his mouth seemed to devour hers, she mimicked his actions with exuberance. When his tongue slipped into her mouth, she was unsure how to react, but after it began to tease and entwine with hers, she discovered she was enjoying this strange new game. She was not hesitant to let Black Horse teach her the ways of love, and she eagerly let her own tongue begin to taunt his as they continued