WINTER'S KISS (2 page)

Joseph could only pray that his father’s vision of true safety in the Yellowstone Park proved to be true. Hiding among the animals in plain sight, seemed good enough but what of the park rangers? He didn’t trust the humans, Indian or not. He was tired of being hunted and moving from place to place. He wanted to call someplace truly home, somewhere that he could be himself.

The land here was truly beautiful and he breathed in the cold air deeply. In his human form, he was six foot two with almond shaped brown eyes that were so dark, they looked almost black. His straight jet black hair, which he wore in a long braided ponytail, hung down his back, inches from his firm buttocks. His body, lean, hard and muscular, was covered in smooth light brown skin.

He was in wolf form now, running with his two brothers and a few cousins. His parents and two younger sisters were in the form of bison. All were happy to be in the park in animal form, undetected by human eyes. Then he heard a rustling sound. He looked to the trees at the foot of the hill to his right. He sniffed the air.

“
Human”, he growled. Sniffing even more, he could tell the human was female and alone. He took off in a brisk run toward the human, who lay tangled among the trees, his family following closely behind him.

Kendra stirred but didn’t awake. She’d been knocked unconscious after hitting her head on a few rocks. Her forehead was bleeding. The wolves approached her cautiously except for the larger black one that walked straight up and licked the blood from her forehead. Still, she did not awake.

“
She’s been hurt Joe, she needs our help,” Joseph’s mother, Julie, said softly.

“
Mother, stay back! Even injured you know what harm these humans can do!” he growled.

Kendra stirred; the last thing she remembered was falling. Her head ached as well as other parts of her body. She could have sworn she heard talking, maybe Johnson and Peters had found her.

The larger bison made his way to her. He sniffed the air around her and then close to her face. His breath was like warm air on her face. Kendra opened her eyes and was face to face
with a large buffalo. She screamed. The buffalo was startled and all of the animals moved back a bit. Joseph jumped back but growled fiercely, baring his teeth.

“
Ok….nice wolfie…I… mean no harm, I was j-just scared by the big bison here.” Kendra wasn’t really sure now who had been talking or maybe she just had a concussion and had been dreaming. She began to feel for her radio on her field jacket when she remembered her Swiss Army knife in her skirt pocket. However, her radio had been torn off in the fall.

“
She’s searching for a weapon, kill her!” Joseph shouted.

“
NO son! She’s just afraid, this human has a good heart, she protects the animals here, I sense it.” John Blackhorse said his voice deep and loud.

Kendra thought she was losing her mind. The animals were talking and she understood them. Now she was more afraid than ever as the wind began to pick up and the snow began to fall. “It’s alright, woman, you’ve fallen and hurt yourself. We need to get you to a safe place, the storm is here,” John spoke again.

Kendra felt the ache in her head but was too afraid to move. “Can you stand?”

Kendra swallowed hard and snapped herself out of it long enough to try as the black wolf paced nervously at her side.

“
I don’t like this father; we can’t trust her, she a human.”

“
She’s a female,” his mother said sweetly.

“
So are you mother and no less dangerous, female or not, she will tell the others.”

Kendra tried to stand, but her left ankle was sprained and she collapsed.

“
Pick her up Joseph and place her on my back, I’ll carry her to those trees over there, we’ll set up camp till the storm breaks.”

Set up camp? Animals don’t set up camp… and how will the wolf carry me?
Kendra thought.

“
How am I to do that father?”

“
You know how son.” John looked knowingly into his son’s eyes.

“
NO! We cannot trust this human! She’s a park ranger! If she dies out here by an animal, no one will suspect anything! We can live freely here.”

“
We have no choice, for I will not allow a good human to die out here when I can prevent it.” He turned to Kendra.

“
In exchange for your life, will you make a promise to keep our secret, no matter how tempting it is to tell?”

Yeah like anyone would believe me! This must be a serious bump on my head!
Kendra nodded yes. The animals remained silent, their eyes on Kendra.

“
I…promise, please, I won’t say anything, you have my word.”

The bison nodded, “Joseph, go ahead now.”

Joseph stopped growling and bowed his head. He would not defy his father. He began to change to his human form.

Kendra gasped.
So the stories are true.

“
You are the shadow people?”

“
You have heard of this how? You are not of Indian blood,” John came closer, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“
My grandmother, on my mother’s side, she is an Arapaho Indian. She married a black man and had my mother. She told me stories as a kid about the “shadow people”, shamans who could shift into animals. I just thought they were childhood stories, but now…” Kendra’s voice trailed to a whisper.

“
Now…you are the keeper of our secret and much more. Tell me child, what is your grandmother’s name?” Julie asked making her way toward Kendra.

“
Little Woman Brown, but before she was married, she was Little Woman Bull Bear. I just called her grandma Lil,” Kendra said nervously.

“
So she lived after all!” John said excitedly.

Joseph stood in his human form, naked and turned to his father. “What do you mean father?”

Kendra blushed as she caught sight of Joseph’s manhood before he turned his backside to her. A heat rushed through her body as she stared at his firm round butt cheeks for a moment before turning her full attention to John.

“
She was a member of our tribe; she left the reservation one day and never returned. We all thought she’d gotten lost or killed, none of us knew what happened to her.”

“
Was she also a shaman?” Kendra wanted to know.

“
Yes, she was, but I’m guessing your mother didn’t shift or practice shamanism.”

“
No, she didn’t as far as I know.”

“
Is it possible this young woman could possess our gifts?” Julie asked staring at Kendra.

“
If she has not been able to change, it’s because of the mixed bloodlines.”

“
But there is a possibility that if she were to mate with someone of our bloodline, that her power would no longer be dormant and maybe even have children that would be powerful?” Julie asked hopefully.

John and the others looked studiously at Kendra for a moment. His wife was a wise woman and he knew it was a possibility and since their son had not chosen anyone from their tribe, Kendra would be perfect for him.

“
Oh no, no, I said I’d keep your secret, I have no interest…” Kendra began.

“
It is not by accident that we have met you, ah what is your name?” John spoke again.

“
It’s Kendra, Kendra Jones.” She shivered against the cold, the pain in her head and ankle began to throb once more.

“
That’s a beautiful name,” Julie said softly.

“
You’re cold and the weather is getting worse. Come Joseph, help Kendra onto my back, we’ll find shelter in the forest.”

“
Yes father,” Joseph said simply. He moved toward Kendra who stiffened a little and swallowed hard as she tried not to stare at his magnificent body that seemed to glow warmly against the wind and falling snow. He seemed unaffected by the cold; there were no goose bumps on his body from what Kendra could see. To her surprise he lifted her easily and gently and placed her on his father’s back. She smelled good to him and her blood had been sweet on his tongue. She trembled and he showed a hint of a smile as he knew she was reacting to him and not the cold.

Safely riding on John’s back, they made their way into the forest. Once they choose a spot, all of the tribe members shifted into human form. They made shelter using buffalo hides and not by hand. John said a few words in a language that Kendra did not recognize and instantly several teepees or huts appeared with a fire in each one.

Julie attended to Kendra’s wounds and her sprained ankle, wrapping it securely after helping Kendra remove her brown tights and boots. Kendra thought Julie was beautiful with her dark hair that held strands of grey and her dark brown eyes. She didn’t look old enough for Joseph to be her son. Her skin was smooth and her face wrinkle free as she sat next to Kendra wearing jeans and a white v-neck long sleeve blouse.

John stood a few feet away watching them both wearing sable colored calf skin pants and boots with a black long sleeve shirt. Kendra thought John may have been in his fifties but he looked younger, even with his hair that was grey all over. It was shoulder length and looked like spun silk against his black shirt.

After a few moments, John left the teepee with his wife and Kendra and joined his son in another one. He found Joseph staring at the fire, barefoot and shirtless, wearing only a pair of faded blue jeans, his hair unbraided and hanging over one shoulder.

“
When your mother is done with Kendra, I want you to go to her.”

“
Father…”

“
No, my son, she has been sent to us. She is a descendent of our tribe. Being a park ranger here, she can protect us, this goes beyond keeping our secret. She is part of us. We were meant to be here, we have been led here. It was no accident she was out in this storm alone. Besides, you haven’t chosen a mate, maybe because
she
is the one.”

As much as Joseph wanted to disagree with his father, he had to admit there was something. He’d been afraid and he hadn’t chosen anyone but he didn’t know why. He knew his mate would be different somehow but human?

“
She is a
human
father, my magic maybe too much for her,” he protested.

“
Not fully and just maybe, your magic will be enough to bring her into her own.” John patted his son’s shoulder. They stood almost eye to eye.

“
Go to her and may your union be blessed,” he smiled.

Joseph was still unsure but nodded as he set out barefoot in the snow to Kendra’s teepee.

“
Kendra,” he called from outside her teepee, “May I come in?”

Kendra sat up suddenly. She was lying in a bed made of buffalo skin and fur, the blankets of bear skin pulled up to her chin. Julie had taken her clothes and she lay naked beneath the blankets. Should she let Joseph come in? Why was he here? After all, he did want to kill her before. Did he still?

“
Kendra?” He called again.

“
Ah yes, ok,” Kendra called back nervously.

Joseph entered; his hair hanging loosely about him. His skin glowed in the firelight and his dark eyes seemed to sparkle against flames as well. Kendra licked her lips. He was truly
handsome, not as scary as he had been in wolf form. She wondered what other forms he could take.

He stood silently for a moment. Kendra looked radiant, like a bride on her wedding night, waiting for her husband to take her. Joseph tried to banish the thought from his mind. Her hair had been brushed by his mother no doubt. None of the women in his tribe had such curly hair. He found the contrast to be very attractive. All he could see were her bare shoulders but her brown skin had a golden glow against the light of the fire and her gray eyes looked like the eyes of a wolf. She was most intriguing to him indeed. Suddenly he wanted her more than anything else. But would she let him take her, make her his?

“
Are you going to stare at me all night or did you want something?”

“
Yes, I want you,” he spoke before he could catch himself.

He was about to kick himself for saying as much when she smiled and stood up, dropping the blanket and revealing her naked body.

Joseph wanted to grab her in his arms and kiss her but restrained himself. He liked the curve of her body and her perky breasts with the large dark nipples.

Perfect for sucking
, he thought.

His eyes moved lower to her sweet shaved mound and an involuntary low growl passed from his lips as he dared to picture himself between her thick, shapely legs. Still, he stood, unmoving for fear he would frighten her away. He would let her come to him, but then he remembered her sprained ankle.

Kendra smiled appreciatively as she noticed the bulge in Joseph’s pants. She’d only been with one man in her life but the thought of Joseph inside her, someone who wasn’t exactly human, unnerved and excited her at the same time. She stood waiting for him to come to her, her hands on her hips, a nervous but welcoming smile on her lips.

“
Well wolfie, are you gonna make me hobble to you or…” she began.

Before she could finish, Joseph scooped her up in his arms within seconds, kissing her lips, her neck, and her cheeks.

Kendra could barely breathe, her heart pounded, but she felt no pain in her head, ankle or otherwise. His hair spilled over her, tickling and teasing certain parts of her body. It was if his hands were everywhere, probing, touching, and caressing her skin. She began to glow with his power as he laid her gently on the bed. She didn’t know at what point he’d taken off his
jeans but he was suddenly naked, his hardness throbbing against her as his sucked the dark points of her nipples. Her body rocked with pleasure as her nether regions grew moist with anticipation.