Dawned (Circle of the Red Scorpion Book 3) Read online

  "Excellent, the Shaman will be pleased," her father said and frowned, his cocking his head sideways. "Is that all you been up to?"

  Elise blushed slightly and smiled. "Of course, Papa."

  He continued to frown and said nothing as he studied her with penetrating eyes. She held her breath expectantly, fearing he would discover the truth mirrored on her face. Thankfully, her mother tugged at his arm, and his intense perusal ended.

  "Stuart, let's go inside so I can cook lunch. You need to eat. It will settle your nerves."

  Elise let out a breath as she watched her parents disappear in the front door. She thanked the Great Moon Spirit and her mother for the reprieve, and she promised to dance more exuberantly during the celebration tonight and followed her parents inside.

  Chapter 4

  The hours Broderick spent waiting for night to fall were excruciating. He took that cold shower, but it did little to relieve his desire. In frustration, he pulled out the few case files he'd brought with him and checked his emails, but neither held his attention for long. His thoughts burst with images of the exotic beauty with whom he'd spent the glorious morning. He remembered her intoxicating taste and the satiny feel of her skin under his hands. His body clenched with need. The image of her dancing naked under the illumination of the full moon, her long dark hair twirling around her caused him to harden, and he groaned as he shifted in his chair. And the thought of other men seeing her dance so intimately drove him mad. He doubted her parents would allow her to participate in anything so carnal. But how could he be sure when he knew nothing of her culture or her tribe’s rituals? Was it just his dirty mind working overtime because he wanted to see her naked? He was determined to find the location of the celebration, so he could see for himself. He didn’t know where her village was, but his jaguar would be able to follow her scent. It was seared into his senses.

  The sun was sliding from the sky when he left his room and headed for the forest. He was well away from the Lodge, and he was sure no one was in the area before he removed his clothes and placed them in a waterproof tote bag that he stashed in a nearby tree stump and covered it with leaves. He looked around one more time before he quickly shifted.

  The jaguar’s ears perked up to listen. With his acute hearing, he heard the drums in the distance and padded in that direction. He hadn't gone far when he picked up Elise's scent and knew he was going the right way. As he drew nearer, he could smell the roasting meat and feel the drumbeats reverberate under his paws. The celebration was in full swing, and he grew impatient to see her.

  He ventured as close as he could, taking refuge behind a large mound of firewood well away from the gathering. He peered around the corner to see a dozen women dancing under the huge branches of a massive Madrone tree. The women dressed in white full-length loose-fitting dresses adorned with flat copper beads at the collar and the hem. Intricately braided vines and ribbons formed belts tied at their waists. The same braided vines and ribbons twined around white flowers fashioned into crowns they wore on their heads. Their long hair swirled around them as they moved to the drumbeats. The members of the village sat in a semi-circle behind the elders to watch the dancers. The elders wore white tunic adorned with the same beads as the dancers. They passed a long-carved pipe among them and chanted words the jaguar could not understand.

  When the moon was directly overhead, the drumbeats quickened and grew louder as the chanting increased. The moonlight filtered through the Madrone tree and illuminated the dancing women, whose rhythm picked up momentum.

  Broderick immediately found Elise, swaying to the melodic beating of the drums. Her beautiful face looked upward and her delicate hands extended in the air towards the full moon. Although the skirt of the dress was loose around her legs, the bodice clung to her and the outline of her breasts pressed against the thin material. He could see her hard nipples straining against the dress, and he growled low in his throat. She was stunning, and he was mesmerized. The thought of how her naked body undulated underneath the dress drove him crazy with heat. He wanted to jump into the cluster of dancing women and steal her away, but he knew the presence of a large black jaguar would definitely disrupt the celebration. All he needed was for the tribesmen to turn the Celebration of the Moon into a hunting party. It took every ounce of his survival instincts to quell his baser animal need to claim her.

  Elise unexpectedly turned in his direction and stopped, staring into the darkness. Fearing she might see him, the jaguar retreated deeper into the shadows. She stared for a few more seconds before one of the young women pulled her back into the throng of dancing women. She laughed and began to dance again, her sudden distraction forgotten. He let out a slow breath as the drum beats, and the chanting stopped abruptly. The women took their place in front of the elders. Her father laid down the pipe and began to tell the story of Moon in a gentle, melodious voice. He used his hands as he told the tale, his voice growing louder in some parts and lower on others. He was a skilled storyteller, and the crowd was quiet around him, caught up in the centuries-old story that defined them as a people.

  Reluctantly, Broderick decided it was time to take his leave and head to their meeting place. He ran back through the forest until he was at the spot where he stashed the tote bag in the tree stump. He shimmered back to his human form. He quickly dressed and walked back toward the Lodge.

  It was late, and there was no one around. Broderick went to his room to retrieve a soft blue blanket from the closet and headed out of the lodge and into the maze of raised flower beds located at the rear of the property. On the hill above the gardens stood the large white gazebo with an intricate single-tiered roof. He followed the stone path to it and walked up the wooden stairs. A pair of white rattan chairs and a matching side table was the only furniture in the gazebo. He moved the furniture aside and spread the blanket on the gazebo floor.

  The lights inside the gazebo were off. No lights were needed. The full moon cast magical slivers of light through the trellised walls bathing the interior of the gazebo a soft afterglow. The view of the lodge and the massive waterfall below was spectacular from that vantage point. He sat in one the rattan chairs enjoying the view and the pounding sound of the waterfall as he waited with rapt anticipation for Elise to arrive, wondering where the night would lead them.

  Elise mentally willed her father to hurry and finish the story, but he continued in his slow, methodical way. She always enjoyed hearing the story retold but tonight she wanted to be somewhere else, with someone else and she grew impatient. Once the story ended and the people of her village were busy eating and drinking, she would be able to slip away. The celebration would go on for hours. The women, the teenagers, and younger children would retire after dinner, and the tribesmen and the elders would swap stories and drink into the wee hours of the night.

  An hour later, Elise watched her mother, the tribeswomen, and their children make their way from the town center and down the road towards their homes, laughing and talking among themselves. She quickly went in the other direction and entered the community building to change into a black tee shirt and blue jeans. She wished she could have dressed in something sexy, but she didn’t own anything like that.

  When she finished dressing, she tucked her ceremonial dress in a cabinet and opened the side door to peer outside. She didn’t see anyone. She sighed with relief and stepped into the night, closing the door behind her.

  “Where are you going?” A male voice said behind her.

  Elise spun around to see Billy White Dove watching her as he leaned against the building wall, his arms folded across his chest, his tall, lean figure illuminated in the moonlight. His long black hair was pulled into a ponytail, and a gold hoop earring hung from his right ear. He was wearing blue jeans and a rawhide vest that left his smooth chest bare.

  “Billy! You scared me.”

  “Didn’t mean to, honey.”

  She looked around. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be
back at the celebration with your father and your brothers?”

  A lazy smile spread across Billy’s face. He shrugged. “Yeah, but I saw you slip away from the celebration and thought we could talk. It’s long overdue.”

  Elise closed her eyes in the darkness. Damn, she thought, why now? Billy’s father Lukas had been in discussions with her father to arrange a marriage between the two of them. Billy was a handsome, hardworking brave who would make a good husband to one of the young women in the village, but he was not for her. He was too deeply entrenched in the ways of their people. It would be like marrying a younger version of her father, and that was something she couldn’t tolerate.

  “I’m sorry, Billy. Another time. I found some evening primrose along one of the trails not too far from here. Since there’s a full moon tonight, I told the Shaman I’d picked some for him. His supply is low. It’s hard to find it since it only blooms at night.”

  Billy pushed off the building and walked toward her. “I’ll go with you.”

  “There’s no need. I won’t be long.”

  Billy took her hand when he reached her. “I want to come, Elise. We need to talk.”

  Elise politely removed her hand. “Billy, I know what you want to say, and I’m just not ready. I need time.”

  “Dammit, Elise. How much time?” He shoved his hands into his jean pockets in frustration. “Our fathers have been discussing us getting married for months. If you were any other girl in the village, we’d be married already, and you’d be pregnant with my child. I can’t wait for you much longer. The other braves are already mocking me about your refusal to commit. They told me I’m not much of a man if I can’t get one little squaw to marry me. You and I have known each other since we were infants. Played together whenever you’d let me. I haven’t ever looked at another girl. You are the one for me, Elise.”

  She winced. That was exactly why she didn’t want to have this discussion. Billy had liked her since they were kids. She thought of him as a brother, nothing more. She’d ignored his romantic overtures for years. Their fathers have been pushing for them to marry, but she had not wavered. Her father had not yet put his foot down and forced her to make a decision, but he would soon. She stalwartly refused to allow her father to force her into a marriage with someone she didn’t love.

  “Billy, please…not right now. Go back to the celebration. Your father and your brothers will be looking for you.”

  “Elise…”

  “Tomorrow,” Elise answered. “We’ll talk tomorrow. I promise.”

  Billy nodded. “I’ll be over after breakfast. We’ll go for a walk and have that talk.”

  She exhaled, letting out the breath she was holding. She bought a little time. Time enough for her to see Broderick before he disappeared from her life.

  “Thanks, Billy,” she said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek before walking away from the community center and through the trees, hoping he didn’t have a change of heart and followed her.

  Elise stopped and listened. She didn’t hear Billy’s footsteps behind her, she hurried through the darkness, instinctively knowing which direction she needed to go. How many times had she gone to the gazebo on the resort property to see the world outside of her small, restrictive one? During the day, the lodge and the surrounding property was swarming with tourists and the lodge employees. She knew the head gardener by name, and he often found her in the gazebo. He never accused her of trespassing but greeted her warmly as he went about his day. It was their little secret. She often brought her sketchbook with her and drew. Besides her magazines, it was her only other way to glimpse life on the other side.

  As she grew closer to the gazebo, she wondered if Broderick would be waiting there for her or had he changed his mind. Did he think this tryst was foolhardy? Was she fooling herself? The only way she would know was to step inside and find out.

  Broderick heard her footsteps in the distance and stood up. The scent of lavender invaded his senses and his body tensed as she drew nearer.

  "Elise?" he whispered.

  "It's me,” she softly answered as she mounted the stairs.

  When she reached him, he drew her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, savoring the scent and feel of her. "I was afraid you would not come," he said into her hair.

  "Nothing could have kept me away."

  He was elated by her words. He lifted his head to look at her. "I know we just met, but there is a connection between us. It’s something I can’t explain. I've never felt it with anyone else. Despite the differences in our lives, we belong together. I feel it deep in my soul." So, does my jaguar, he thought but didn't say aloud. He wasn't sure she could handle that little revelation.

  "I feel it too, Broderick," she breathlessly replied as she buried her hands in his short black hair. "Kiss me."

  He brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her hungrily. He feasted on her lips, relishing their softness, his tongue probing and licking until she opened her mouth and let his tongue inside. He pulled her tightly against him, molding her body to his.

  "I want you so much, angel, I hurt. Tonight is all we have. Please let me make love to you. I've thought of nothing else since I first saw you."

  "Yes, I want that too," she whispered, thrilled at his bold words, as he kissed her again.

  He laid her gently down on the blanket. He released her long enough to pull off his polo shirt. The moonlight cast muted light on his face. The hunger he felt for her reflected in his eyes. She was smiling at him, and he could see there was no fear in hers, just the same longing he felt. He pulled off her tee shirt and was delightfully surprised she wasn't wearing a bra. There was nothing between him and those luscious breasts and her dark cherry nipples. His cock hardened at the sight of them. His large hand encircled one breast as he bent down and took the tip into his mouth. His tongue lathed and sucked the hardening bud. He gently squeezed the nipple of her other breast until she cried out, her back arching up and her hands clinging to his muscled biceps.

  "Your body is so beautiful," he murmured as he blazed a trail of hot kisses over the globes of her breasts and down her quivering stomach. His hunger for her grew with every kiss, every lick. He was moving way too fast he knew but god he had to taste her. His mouth watered at the prospect.

  Elise was on fire from the searing contact of his lips on her skin. A delicious ache radiated between her legs. She heard other women in the village talking about sex but what they described paled in comparison to Broderick's soul stealing kisses and talented hands.

  He stopped just below her navel. He released the button of her jeans and unzipped them. He kissed the skin just above her panties. She moaned and lifted her hips as he pulled off her jeans and panties and removed her sandals. He shifted and spread her legs, settling between them. The scent of her arousal made his nostrils flare. He had to taste her now, or he would go mad. His mouth was inches from the dark triangle of her sex. She was all natural, not shaved like so many women. He liked it. He slid a finger over her cleft and into her slightly, moving it gently in and out.

  "You are wet, and I want to taste you, to savor every drop of your sweet cream on my tongue."

  Her sex clenched at his words and she groaned as his finger circled her clit. She opened her legs wider. "Broderick, please,” she panted, not knowing what to ask for but feeling the overwhelming need deep in her core.

  "Tell me what you want, angel," he whispered against her thigh as he slid his finger inside her then added another finger. God, she so tight. He slid them a little deeper and met resistance. He stopped and withdrew his fingers. Damn, she is a virgin, he thought. He was hoping he was wrong, but he wasn’t surprised. He guessed it this morning. Part of him was happy about it. No other man had been with her. He would be the first. But the other part, the saner, practical part knew he couldn’t do this. To take her virginity and walk away was beyond low. It was selfish and cruel.

  Elise lifted her head and looke
d down at him. "Why did you stop?" She moaned. So, aroused by her heady scent, he was nearly beyond the point of no return.

  “Once I take your virginity, you can never get it back. It will be lost forever. You should save it for the man you marry,” he said calmly knowing if she said no now, he would die – literally.

  Elise clutched the blanket, twisting handfuls of it in her fists as she writhed. "I don’t care about that," she sharply inhaled as she felt Broderick’s hot breath on her sex. "I want you."

  Thank god, Broderick thought as he dipped his head and slid his tongue over her. His fingers, wet from her arousal, bared her clit to him and his mouth fastened on the sensitive bundle of nerves, sucking and teasing it with the tip of his tongue. His fingers entered her again, stroking, probing, exploring as he sucked. She tasted exquisite. His jaguar growled and pawed at him, trying to emerge and join the fun. She’s mine, old friend. You have to go, he sternly chastised the restless feline, and the jaguar reluctantly retreated, snarling and yapping his displeasure.

  Elise raised her fist to her mouth, and her eyes nearly rolled back in her head as the sexual tension built. She released the blanket to grip Broderick's hair with her other hand as his mouth worked feverishly. A firestorm spread through her, and she was convinced it would consume her. Pleasure blasted through her as she shattered into a thousand pieces.

  Her muscles tightened around his fingers as he felt the explosive force of her orgasm. His eager tongue replaced his fingers, and he thrust the tip into her. She tasted so sweet. His cock throbbed and strained against his jeans. He had to get inside her.

  He stood up to strip out of his jeans. His erection sprung out and bobbed in the air as he turned back to her.