A Sweet Surrender by Lena Hart Read Free Book Online

5
     
    They rode in silence for what seemed like forever.
    Siara was being torn apart by her guilt and regret. Regret for the trouble she had caused and the worry her absence would surely bring Etu. Guilt for leaving her home, her people yet wanting nothing more than to be with James.
    She leaned against him, seeking out his heat. The winds had picked up and there was a distinct chill in the air. Tightening her arms around him, she buried her face in his chest and breathed in his scent. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the top of her head. It was a subconscious action, one she didn’t think he realized he’d done, but it made her smile.
    Her headache was now reduced to a dull throb, though her cheek still stung. It was the new pain from sitting on the horse in such a position, however, that were now starting to bother her.
    By the time they stopped, the sun had completely fallen from the sky and they were shrouded in darkness. James found a small clearing deep in the forest for them to camp for the night. Because he didn’t want to risk drawing unwanted attention, they prepared their small camp under the guidance of the moonlight.
    She hesitated when she realized they would have to share the single blanket.
    “Come, love,” he said, his hands held out to her. “We’re both exhausted.”
    She slid her hand into his and he pulled her down on the blanket where he held her close. Held her as if he had no intentions of letting her go.
    Yet she woke the next morning to find that he had.
    She rose from the blanket and found him readying the horse. She freshened up at a small pond nearby then gathered their supplies and came up to him.
    “Here,” he said, handing her some of their provisions. “Eat.”
    She reached for the berries and corn bread. “Now it’s you who care for me,” she teased him at their now reversed roles.
    He didn’t return her humor. “Yes, I do,” he said quietly staring at her in a way that made her heart quiver and her face flush.
    Shortly after they finished their simple breakfast, they climbed on the horse and started their journey through the dense forest. There was a distinct chill in the air, however, that said a storm was coming. The sun had yet to peek through the clouds, and though she suspected rain had begun to fill them, the many trees above them prevented her from knowing for sure.
    “Where do we go?” she eventually asked, breaking the silence that had seemed to follow them since they’d left her village. Though she understood the need for him to remain vigilant of their surroundings as they traveled the rough terrain, there was a new stoic alertness about him that she wasn’t accustomed to.
    “We’re going north,” he explained. “To Albany. There I’m hoping to get news of the current state of the conflict and find out what happened to my men.”
    “Then what after?”
    He looked down at her, silent for a moment. “I don’t know. What would you want?”
    She stared at him, puzzled. She didn’t know either. All she knew for certain was that she loved him and wanted to be with him.
    But that could never be. Not when they lived in two separate worlds.
    Before she could respond, a fat raindrop landed on her face. Suddenly the clouds broke open and released a deluge of water. James tried to shield her from the pounding rain with his large body, but it was no use. By the time they found refuge in a shallow cavern at the base of a bluff, they were both drenched.
    “Wait here,” James shouted over the thunderous rain. He went back to find a place to tether the horse.
    Laying their blanket and supplies down, Siara stood at the wide opening of the rock shelter. Her wet, wavy hair hung down around her like a dark curtain and she watched as sheets of rain pounded the earth. She shivered from the cold wind whipping through her wet clothes and stepped further back into the cavern. She kicked off her wet moccasins, undid her wrap skirt, and wrung out the excess water. She