Captive Travelers by Candace Smith Page A

of hay. She turned to leave the barn, and froze. A half naked man stood in the doorway. She watched his long black hair and the fringe on his pants waving in the breeze. His black stare silently followed her path around the barn. His eyes were alert, and Aubrey thought that he was waiting to see if she would scream or run.
    Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Be calm. Clara told us what to do. She gripped the basket with both hands to try to keep from shaking. “I think Henry and Clara are in the house.” Aubrey tried to sound casual, but her mouth and throat were dry and she sounded hoarse. She put her head down so he could not see the fear in her eyes, and brushed by him to walk to the cabin. Her knees were knocking and she had to force herself not to run and to walk at a normal pace.
    Kayla and Cici had been peeling vegetables, but they had both put their knives on the table. Clara had warned them about holding weapons if the Indians showed up. The men were spread out and leaning against the wall with the door. The Indian from the barn had followed Aubrey back, and he stopped in the open doorway.
    Nashoba and his men had walked in without knocking. He stood in the center of the room, and his men automatically spread along the wall offering escape. He sent Ahiga to see if anyone was in one of the outbuildings. If someone in the cabin caused a commotion, the missing captive would not have time to try to hide.
    Nashoba’s flashing black eyes studied the two girls at the table. They were trying to look calm, but there was fear and strain on their faces. He was looking at the cow and the one with raven hair. She was pretty, and his cock stirred slightly at the thought of keeping her. He wondered if the one that was missing would be the true raven.
    A golden haired girl walked into the cabin with a basket clenched in her hands and Ahiga following her. Nashoba’s dark eyes followed her while she walked over to her friends. Her eyes were soft green and darting around the room in fear, but she did not cry out. Her breasts pushed against her apron while she breathed in quick, nervous breaths. Nashoba could see that his white woman was very frightened. He studied her, silently staring and letting his eyes travel the length of her body. With her golden hair, she was much more beautiful than the raven. Nashoba’s cock thickened and brushed against his breechclout.
    He turned to look at the warriors. He could see their contempt for the raven building in their eyes. It was far worse for one of alluring looks to seduce a warrior and then rebuke him. Nashoba knew that the raven had already tried to use her beauty on him. Her punishment would be severe.
    Clara’s voice quivered slightly when she spoke up, “They are from the east. They are not…” Clara’s words stuck in her throat when Tocho strode over to her and glared down at her. She began trembling and trying to shrink into Henry’s protection.
    Nashoba stared at his frightened white woman. “You are travelers.”
    His deep voice broached no argument, and Aubrey wanted to run and hide from the Indian’s gaze. He kept staring at her with no expression, and she grasped her basket tighter, the denial frozen in her throat and unable to be spoken. Aubrey could tell by his eyes that he knew the truth. There was no way this man was going to fall for an inept attempt at a ruse. A sinking feeling swirled the contents of her breakfast in her stomach, and seemed to drop it as a solid, cramping lump. She forgot all the plans she made with Kayla to fight them, kicking, screaming, and hitting them with heavy wooden bowls.
    Oh my god. He’s huge. Aubrey stared back at the man. He was well over six feet tall, with rippled bronzed muscles tightened under the skin of his arms and chest. Shining black hair… as black as his eyes… waved like a sheet down his back and almost touched the top of his buckskin breechclout. There was not a wasted inch on the Indian that was not sinewy strength… and there