The Cry of the Wolf Chapter 54

Eagle waited in the shadows, observing the dynamics of the tribe as Chief Black Bear was buried with all the honor a great chief deserved. He didn't know much about the new chief but wasn't about to wait around. The air of unrest in the tribe was tangible.

Waiting until Raven and Strong Oak had stepped out of the longhouse, their voices low, he approached Jaira, lowering his tall frame until he was at eye level with the green-eyed young woman.

Eagle's sinewy figure didn't leave any doubt he was a force to be reckoned with if provoked, his dark eyes lethal. Should any make the unfortunate mistake to betray him, they would live to regret it.

Watching Jaira shiver as he invaded her personal space, a sinister expression flickered across his eyes and then was gone before anyone noticed, except for Jaira, that is.

"You never mentioned you had two husbands." Eagle's voice was cold.

"I never intended to lead you on…"

At Eagle's expression of confusion at her choice of words, Jaira continued, "I didn't mean to start anything between us or make you think that there could be something more than friendship." Jaira's cheeks flushed as she avoided looking at the man beside her. "Besides," her voice stammered now, "I didn't think it was important. I didn't expect to see Strong Oak ever again…"

That, at least, was the truth.

Eagle sat in silence, his expression unreadable.

Clearly flustered, Jaira continued to prattle, her voice breathless.

"Now that my husband is dead, I just want to be single. I don't want a man in my life. Romance, for me, is dead."

Again Eagle had no idea what she was talking about.

Romance?

"You belong to Strong Oak. There is nothing for me here," he looked away for a moment, his eyes gazing at the entrance to the longhouse, or the exit depending on how you looked at it.

In one fluid movement, he stood, towering over her, "You will learn to be happy. At least Strong Oak is not that man you were married to. You deserve better than that weasel."

And with that, Eagle turned his back on her, disappearing from view.

Jaira hugged her chest, a tear tumbling down her cheek.

****

Crying wouldn't bring Eagle back. Jaira knew the moment he'd left that if he walked away, she was likely to never see him again. Standing swiftly to her feet, Jaira ran for the longhouse entrance without a second thought.

"Eagle! Eagle!"

Eagle turned towards the woman frantically screaming his name, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere, the tribe mourning the recent loss of their chief.

"Jaira," Eagle frowned, clearly not impressed with the scene she was causing.

"You can't leave me here, you just can't!"

Eagle faced Jaira with his hands on his hips, his broad chest gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Jaira's knees buckled, suddenly faint. Eagle wasn't about to fall for feminine wiles. He had seen more than one woman faint on raids.

"You belong here," Eagle lowered his voice as he turned away from Jaira once more, continuing along the path that led to the treeline. A few more steps and he would disappear from view.

Clutching her skirt in clenched fists, Jaira kept her eyes on Eagle's back, running the short distance that separated them.

"I'm going with you," Jaira said more firmly between gasps for air.

"Jaira! You belong here. Your sister is here. Your husband…"

Eagle was unable to hide his emotions in the way he said "husband," the word laced with bitterness. He had no love for Strong Oak. Yes, he may have been assimilated into the tribe, but in Eagle's world, the warrior was his sworn enemy, his blood Wyandotte. Hatred ran deep - centuries old. The hatred had only intensified now that he knew Strong Oak and Jaira were married. He'd been made to look like a fool.

The truth was, he wasn't sure when he had started to develop feelings for Jaira. Was it when he carried her back to the fort after finding her limping like a battered pup after the Frenchman? The night they had spent together, Jaira clinging to him for warmth? The week he had stayed with her while Brebeuf had been tortured? He searched his memories for a brief moment, barely aware Jaira had caught up and was clinging to his wrists.

At some point, he had begun to fall in love with Jaira and open his heart to the possibility he could marry her when her husband had been killed. He would woo her, slowly winning her heart. A glimmer of hope for a future together was cut short by the appearance of his enemy who shattered any dream Eagle might have. There was no disputing the validity of their marriage. Helpless, Eagle had no choice but to turn away, forcing the realization Strong Oak was taking what he wanted. How did Jaira expect him to remain with the tribe?

Eagle narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the woman clinging to him. If things had been different… No, instead he watched her cry, masking his own emotions behind scowling features. He wasn't sure who he should be angrier with, Strong Oak or Jaira.

Jaira.

She had failed to tell him the truth. Strong Oak wasn't to blame. There was no way he would know a spark of love had developed. He was simply being the husband he was entitled to be. Eagle could only hope he would treat Jaira well.