chapter 22

A/N: Brace yourselves! This chapter comes with a rating of MATURE.  ;-)

Black Wolf walked with purpose as he moved through the village. His long strides eating up the ground as he made his way towards the woods. He knew White Swan was out there with several other slaves collecting wood for many of the villagers, but this was the only chance he would have to talk to her before he left for the Danasga raid the following morning.

It had been two days since the council had announced that they were going to put together a raiding party to send to the Danasga tribe. That party was ordered to take as many women and slaves into their custody as they could in order to leave the remaining Danasga with as little as possible.

The party was also ordered to make sure there was as much damage as possible to the weapons and other things the Danasga needed to survive. While they hadn’t outright said that the Danasga were to be killed, there was an unspoken pact that the Quedeyona party could do what they felt was right to teach the Danasga a lesson.

Once the council had announced their decision, they put together the raiding party which meant that the members of that party were busy with preparations for the next two days. Since Black Wolf had been chosen as one of the warriors for the party, he didn’t have any time to talk to White Swan except for those few moments alone the day that Fighting Dog had asked for Porcupine Smiles’ hand.

Fighting Dog had been luckier with his time, even though he too was chosen to go on the raid. The very next day after he had asked Porcupine Smiles, right before the council had announced their decision, he and Porcupine Smiles had been hand-fasted. Just like that, he’d gone from lone warrior to part of a hand-fasted couple since the council had allowed it.

However, Porcupine Smiles wasn’t moving her things into his home until he returned from the raid so that Gentle Otter would have her company until then. Still, it was obvious that Porcupine Smiles had spent every night sleeping at Fighting Dog’s side since they had been hand-fasted.

As Black Wolf entered the area where White Swan and the other slaves were gathering wood, he spotted the braves that had been chosen to watch over them. He walked over to where they stood, informing them that he was taking White Swan away. Then he walked to her side where he leaned over to tell her to gather her belongings and follow him.

White Swan quickly gathered up her things, leaving the rest of the wood there for the other slaves to take back with them. Black Wolf led the way as they left the area to begin walking down a small trail. They followed the trail until they reached the secluded area Black Wolf had chosen which wasn’t too far from a small pond.

The pond itself was rarely used by either man or beast since it was still water instead of running water. It was also not as clear as some of the other water ways in the area since it was covered in moss, lily pads and some water plants deemed toxic to both humans and some animals if ingested. Still, the greenery on the pond made it look rather lovely, especially when flowers bloomed on the lily pads.

The secluded area Black Wolf had chosen allowed them to see the slightly frozen pond if that was what they wanted, but anything or anyone near the pond wouldn’t be able to see them. Even though winter had arrived in full force, the pond still wasn’t too frozen and there was still plenty of greenery around the pond to provide some shelter. That was why it was a good spot for Black Wolf to have a private talk with White Swan. He was hoping this time, they could settle things without being interrupted.

As soon as he made sure no one else was around, Black Wolf took the baskets from White Swan, setting them down nearby. Then he gathered some foliage into a low pile, covering them with the furs he had stashed there earlier to make a soft place for the two of them to sit down. The moment they were seated comfortably, Black Wolf wasted no time in saying what he wanted to tell White Swan.

“Bells, I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to finish our talk a few days ago.”

White Swan nodded as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “It’s okay Jake. I understand. You wanted to know what the council had decided. We all did.”

“Yes, but I tried to get some time to talk to you again..”

“I was busy helping Blue Raven prepare to go on the raid anyway. You wouldn’t have been able to talk to me.” She admitted.

Then she looked up at him with a sad smile. “Porcupine Smiles told me Fighting Dog was chosen to go on the raid too. That’s why they had the hand-fasting ceremony the day after he asked you for permission.”

Black Wolf nodded. “Yes, he was chosen to go. As was Mountain Lion Guides.”

“Oh?” said White Swan softly, “I haven’t had the chance to talk to Owl Sees Truth or Mouse Daydreams, so I didn’t know.”

Black Wolf sighed as he reached out to take her hand in his. “I am going too, Bells.”

She didn’t look up at him as he said that. She had known that was probably why he wanted to talk to her now, even though deep down inside she had hoped that the council would have said no. After all, he was to take his father’s place as the chief of the tribe as well as becoming the top negotiator, which meant he wasn’t supposed to be at the forefront of any fighting.

Alas, the Great Spirit hadn’t been listening to her silent prayers.

“Emmett is going with me too,” he suddenly added.

White Swan tensed as Black Wolf’s words sunk in. “Why?”

“He’s my slave, but he’s good at fighting. The council believes we will have need of his skills.” He didn’t tell her that Emmett was also getting paid to fight with them.

White Swan frowned. “So both you and Emmett are leaving then. And once more I will remain here to wonder how you both will fare! Just when I finally have the chance to be close to you both, you are leaving again!”

“Bells…”

She shook her head as she pulled her hand out of his and rose from her seat. She stalked a few feet away, folding her arms over her chest as she glared at the bushes in front of her. Hot tears of frustration and worry burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Black Wolf remained seated for a few moments, thinking she needed that time before he finally rose to go to her. Standing behind her, he lightly placed his hands on her arms.

“You knew I would try to go if I could,” he said, his voice pitched low.

She gave a jerky nod, but didn’t turn to look at him.

“It wasn’t my choice to take Emmett, but the council…”

White Swan moved out of his grasp as she whirled around to face him. “That’s not the point, Jake!”

Black Wolf saw the tears shining in her eyes, but when he tried to reach up to touch her face, she batted his hand away.

“Just go,” she whispered.

Black Wolf curled his hand into a fist as it fell by his side. “Bells…you know that I couldn’t leave without telling you that I love you.”

She closed her eyes against the words, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Jake…please. Go before it gets any harder.”

He didn’t move. He stared as she stood there with her eyes closed, her lips trembling slightly. He knew he wasn’t leaving until they finally settled things between them.

It was now or never.

Grasping her face in his hands, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard. It caught White Swan off-guard, making her stumble into him so that their bodies crashed into each others. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, then nipped at it. Her reaction was to part her lips with a gasp, allowing him to slip his tongue inside of her mouth.

The feel of his tongue teasing hers made her melt into his arms. As their kiss intensified, she lifted her arms to slide them over the hard muscles of his shoulders that lay beneath the buckskin shirt he wore. Black Wolf tightened his hold around her waist, pulling her so close that not even a breath of air could come between them.

Just as a soft moan began to rise from inside of her, Black Wolf pulled away for some air. White Swan opened her eyes to see that he looked just as disappointed as she did. However, a tender smile spread over his lips as he lifted a hand to cup her cheek.

“I love you,” he whispered.

She couldn’t help but respond to that. “I love you too, Jake.”

His eyes darkened at her words just before he lowered his hand from her face so that he could take her hand in his. Holding her hand between both of his, he didn’t waste another moment.

Going down on one knee the way he had been told was the way of the white man, he gave White Swan a look full of hope. “Isabella Marie White Swan, would you allow the Great Spirit to bless a marriage between us?”

White Swan’s eyes went wide at those words, then the tears returned to her eyes as she recognized the way Black Wolf had blended her people’s traditions with his. “Oh Jake,” she said, in a choked-up voice.

Black Wolf’s smile faltered. “Bells…”

She quickly nodded before he got the wrong idea. “Yes! Yes, Black Wolf, I will!”

His smile returned to dazzle her. “Really?”

She bit her bottom lip as she fervently nodded again. The tears were now threatening to spill.

Black Wolf rose to his feet, pulling her back into his arms for another kiss. This time it was more tender, but he soon stopped as he realized the tears were trailing down her face.

Worried, he pulled away to look into her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head in negation, but her trembling lips gave her away. At his prodding, she finally answered him.

“I’m just afraid for you, Jake. For us.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t be. It’s going to be okay, you’ll see.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He grinned at her before he pulled her back into his arms for yet another kiss. This time she willingly leaned against him as she slid her arms around his shoulders once more. Parting her lips in invitation, she sighed when Black Wolf slid his tongue in to dance with hers.

She ran one hand up the back of his neck while the other hand slid down his leather-covered chest, feeling the strength and warmth of the body beneath it. Black Wolf moved his lips to kiss the corner of her mouth before making his way across her cheek.

White Swan tilted her head to the side, giving him more access to her skin as her fingers began to burrow into his hair. He responded by trailing kisses down her neck, just as leisurely as her other hand trailed down his ribs to his waist.

When he slid his tongue over her pulse, White Swan moaned as she dug her fingers into both his hair and waist. “Oh Jake!”

Unable to stop himself, he slid his hands down to the small of her back to bring her closer to his body as his lips returned to hers. It didn’t take much longer for their kiss to turn hungry and for White Swan to began running her hands underneath his buckskin shirt.

As her hands began to wander over the expanse of his smooth chest, Black Wolf let one of his hands move from her back around to her front. He moaned when White Swan’s nails scraped over one of his nipples as his own hand dipped beneath her dress.

As his fingers trailed up her thigh to the skin of her hip, White Swan slid her hands up over his shirt until they reached his biceps. She enjoyed caressing them, feeling the muscles flex as his fingers continued their journey over her ribs. The moment his fingers brushed against the underside of her breast, she moaned and arched into his touch.

“Yes…Jake!”

The needy sound in her husky voice penetrated Black Wolf’s hazy mind, making him go still as he realized what was happening. The moment he began to pull away, a sound of protest issued from White Swan’s lips.

When he didn’t respond to her attempt to pull him back into her embrace, she looked up at him with a frown. “Jake? Why did you stop?”

He sighed as he slowly shook his head. “We should stop. It’s getting late and I should walk you back to your home soon.”

“But Jake…”

“Bells, we can’t.”

He could see the determined look in her eyes as she began to resist his words. “I’m not afraid.”

“I know but…”

She lifted her fingers to his lips, silencing him. “Jake, I want to.”

He stared into her eyes for a few moments after she’d lowered her hand from his lips. Then with a sigh, he took both of her hands in his. “Ko’nali, what you want…it must wait until I’ve gotten permission from the council and after the hand-fasting. To do so before any of that is frowned upon by the laws of our tribe.”

She nodded. “Frowned upon, but it still happens.”

When he began to shake his head, she continued. “We love each other and you are leaving in the morning! I just want to be close to you tonight, before you leave me for who knows how long.”

She reached up to trail fingers along his jaw. Her eyes followed their journey for a few moments before she looked back into his eyes longingly. The feel of her hands on his skin, as well as the look she gave him was enough to make Black Wolf lose his will to resist.

“You’re sure?” he asked as he walked backwards, leading her to the place where they had been sitting.

She nodded with a smile. “Yes.”

Black Wolf stopped to pull his jerkin off, tossing it besides the soft bed he had made for them. Then he took White Swan’s hands again, pulling her close to him. He trailed his fingers up her arms, over her cheeks and into her hair as his gaze bored into hers.

He was giving her time to back out before he went any further. When she closed her eyes and parted her lips as she tilted her head back, Black Wolf lowered his mouth to hers. Once more sliding his tongue into her mouth, he enjoyed the taste of her while her hands roamed over the warm, smooth skin of his chest and back.

He soon maneuvered her until she was standing on the pile of furs with him. Then, he slid his hands down to the edge of her skirt and slowly began to lift it up. Trailing his fingers along her skin, he pushed the dress up to expose her body to the air.

As his fingers caressed the sides of her breasts, White Swan moaned into his mouth while lifting her arms up so he could remove the dress. Their lips parted only long enough for him to lift it over her head before tossing it to the ground. Then her bare chest pressed against his, making them both moan in satisfaction.

Black Wolf held her in his arms, enjoying the feel of her soft, creamy skin against his own before he began to caress her bare back with his hands. Soon, his lips moved from her intoxicating mouth to nuzzle her cheek. Then he was leaving lingering kisses down her neck which was turning her breathing into short, ragged gasps.

White Swan’s hands buried themselves in his hair as she arched into him, encouraging him in his exploring. He swirled his tongue over her pulse, smiling at the way she shivered in his arms before he nibbled his way across her collarbone. From there, he kissed a trail down her chest between her breasts.

A whimper escaped from White Swan, letting Black Wolf know she wanted more than he was giving her. Still, he took his time brushing his lips through the valley of her breasts until he decided he had teased her enough. Turning his head to the side, he finally took one tightening bud into his mouth and gently suckled.

It was enough to make White Swan cry out, then moan in pleasure as her arms tightened around his shoulders. She arched her back some more, offering herself up to his greedy mouth, which he gratefully accepted. He swirled his tongue around the outside of her nipple, then nipped the bud with his teeth before laving it with his tongue.

White Swan shuddered in his arms as she pressed her hips against his in an attempt to alleviate the ache that was steadily growing at the apex of her thighs. His arms tightened their hold on her as he eased her down to lay on top of the furs. Stretching his body over hers, he balanced himself on his hands as he let his mouth trail over her skin until he was savoring her other breast the way he had savored the first one.

Soon White Swan was writhing and moaning beneath him, her fingers insistently tugging at his leggings to remove them. Black Wolf lifted his hips, giving her room to do so as his lips returned to hers. Balancing himself on one arm, he helped her remove his leggings until they lay discarded on the ground.

Even as a faint blush stole over her skin, White Swan wrapped her arms around his torso, letting her hands move over his back as he continued to kiss her. They both knew there was no time to dwell on embarrassment or modesty since their first time together was too short. Slowly, he lowered his hips to hers, pressing his groin against her heat, letting her feel how much he wanted her.

At the feel of his bulge against her cloth-covered mound, White Swan hissed before running her hands down to his partially covered backside. Gripping his bottom in her hands, she pulled him closer to her even as she lifted her own hips to grind against him.

Black Wolf couldn’t hide the growl that escaped him as he nibbled along her jaw while he felt her body against his, so eager for him. Quickly, he slid a hand down her stomach towards her loincloth, bypassing it to lay his hand against her knee.

He waited a moment, stroking her tongue with his before his hand began to caress his way up the inside of her thigh, feeling the skin quiver beneath his touch. Her fingers were still gripping his behind even as she spread her legs for him. He didn’t hesitate to push past the loincloth that covered her womanhood to dip his fingers into her hot, slick center.

She was already wet and ready for him, but he didn’t want to rush things, didn’t want their first time together to be any more awkward than it already felt. He let his fingers caress her folds as he continued to nibble the skin of her neck, moving up behind her ears. White Swan’s hands were now busy moving over his back and shoulders, but she suddenly gripped his biceps when his fingers brushed over the hardening nub that was just above her entrance.

Realizing that this was a sensitive spot for her, Black Wolf began circling the tiny nub with his finger. With each pass, he made the circles smaller and smaller until he was once more brushing over the sensitive area. When he added more pressure, White Swan’s hips bucked as a small cry escaped her lips.

Black Wolf couldn’t help but lift his head to look down at her as he continued to add pressure with his fingers. The look of wonder on her face was enough to tell him that he was doing it right, but when she began to whimper, he knew she needed more.

He slid his finger away from the nub to began circling her entrance. Once more the circles got smaller until he finally slid his finger inside of her. Watching her features to make sure he didn’t hurt her, he smiled when he saw her gasp as he felt her walls grip his finger as her hips bucked against his hand.

The more he slid his finger in and out of her, the more she moved her hips to meet him. She was panting now and Black Wolf was amazed she could even open her eyes to look up at him when he inserted a second finger into her.

“Black Wolf…please,” she begged him.

Lowering his lips to hers again, he kissed her as he began to rub her nub with his thumb even while his fingers continued to slide in and out of her slippery depths. She moaned into his mouth, sliding her tongue into his mouth to tease him until he slid a third finger inside of her.

The moment he did, White Swan tossed her head back, crying out as her body found some release. Black Wolf groaned at the feel of her liquid heat coating his fingers and knew he couldn’t wait any longer. Finding the ties to her loincloth, Black Wolf removed it, tossed it to the side, then did the same with his own loincloth.

Before White Swan’s body had a chance to completely come down from its high, Black Wolf positioned himself over her entrance and slowly began to slide inside. He could feel the way her walls seemed to close around him, as if welcoming him inside. White Swan immediately lifted her legs to wrap around his thighs, but Black Wolf pulled back out before she could completely do so.

This time instead of a gentle slide, Black Wolf surged into her body breaking through her barrier in one swift move. He felt White Swan tense beneath him as a hiss of pain escaped her lips. That was enough to make him go completely still for a few moments, allowing her to get used to him.

When she seemed to relax a bit, he began to move his hips slowly. As her legs wrapped tighter around his, he picked up the pace. Lifting himself up on his elbows, he looked down at White Swan’s face. Her eyes opened to meet his, gifting him with a smile as a single tear slid down her cheek.

“Oh Jake,” she moaned.

He gently brushed the tear away as he returned her smile, then picked up his pace even more, making sure to rub against her pleasure spot when he pushed back into her. It served to stir her passion as she lifted her legs higher to wrap around his hips.

That shift in position made him go even deeper, making him moan at the way her body felt wrapped around his. He nearly lost it when she gave a long, serrated moan which made her walls vibrate around him. Gritting his teeth, he willed his body to wait a little longer.

He wanted to continue to feel her soft warmth around him while enjoying the sounds of pleasure she made as he moved inside of her. Even as he tried to prolong their pleasure, he hoped that every time they came together after this, it would always feel as good as it did the first time.

Unfortunately the thought of loving her like that over and over again in the future, plus the way her hips were lifting to meet his every thrust was almost more than he could take. As her walls tightened around him, he could feel her liquid heat beginning to bathe his shaft. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she let out a cry of his name, signaling her ultimate release.

The sound of his Quedeyona name pouring from her lips was what pushed him over the edge. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and gave a shout as his body emptied itself inside of hers. Even then, he could feel the way her body clung to his as her walls continued to flutter around him as if encouraging him for more.

When he was spent, he lowered himself onto her body carefully to keep from crushing her despite the fact that his arms were trembling. White Swan didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his torso, pulling him down against her, letting her body cradle the weight of his sweat-slicked one.

She turned her head to press soft kisses against his shoulder while Black Wolf tried to catch his breath. When he could breathe a little easier, he rolled onto his side, pulling her with him. Taking her lips into his, he gave her a tender kiss before nuzzling her cheek.

“I love you,” he whispered.

She lifted her eyes to meet his, giving him a sleepy smile. “I love you too, Black Wolf.”

He returned her smile before rolling onto his back, cradling her against his side as he covered them both with a few of the furs, allowing their bodies to rest for a while before they would have to return to the village.