YELLOWSTONE ORIGINS

YELLOWSTONE ROMANCE SERIES, BOOK 6

PEGGY L HENDERSON

Contents

Copyright

Introduction

To My Readers

Prologue

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

7. Chapter Seven

8. Chapter Eight

9. Chapter Nine

10. Chapter Ten

11. Chapter Eleven

12. Chapter Twelve

13. Chapter Thirteen

14. Chapter Fourteen

15. Chapter Fifteen

16. Chapter Sixteen

17. Chapter Seventeen

18. Chapter Eighteen

19. Chapter Nineteen

20. Chapter Twenty

21. Chapter Twenty-One

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

24. Chapter Twenty-Four

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

26. Chapter Twenty-Six

27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

29. Epilogue

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author.

Copyright © 2015 by Peggy L Henderson

All rights reserved

Introduction

A ll her life, Riley Bernard has felt like an outsider. Bullied and misused, she finds solace in her books and research. She comes to Yellowstone, hoping to learn about its ancient inhabitants, and unexpectedly overhears a strange tale about time travel from a couple of park rangers. When a mysterious box of artifacts arrives for her, she is thrust into field research beyond her wildest dreams.

Taken as a boy from the only family he knew, Cameahwait is thrown into an unknown world. The Sky People spoke of promises and tales that he was chosen for something great, yet they abandoned him to find his own way in a harsh and primitive land. When he finds a beautiful woman held prisoner by his enemies, he knows she may be the key to what he’s sought for twelve long years.

Cam will stop at nothing to return Riley to her own time, even if it means facing those whom he turned his back on long ago. While searching for the ancient elders, the two embark on a journey of self-discovery and understanding of each other. When attraction turns to love, and Cam finally learns the truth about his past, he and Riley must make a choice to either follow their destinies, or allow an ancient evil to destroy the future of Yellowstone.

To My Readers

"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."

~ Theodore Roosevelt

I can’t believe it’s been three years since Yellowstone Deception, the fifth (and what I thought would be the final) book in the Yellowstone Romance Series was published.

If you’ve stuck with the series, and made it to Book 6, Yellowstone Origins, I hope some of your questions from previous books will be answered. Yellowstone Origins takes place following events in Yellowstone Deception, but also after Yellowstone Promise. For better understanding and enjoyment of Origins, I recommend having read at least the following three books first: Heart Song, Deception, Promise.

If you are new to the series and are reading Origins first, I hope the story will pique your curiosity to see what came before . . .

The idea of the snakehead device, and that the “Sky People” are the guardians of the Yellowstone area and hold the power of time travel, is strictly from my imagination, and used purely for entertainment purposes in my books.

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Prologue

Los Angeles, 2036

Cameron cowered along the rough wall of the giant granite boulder and squeezed his eyes shut for a split second. It was too high to climb. He was trapped! Gritting his teeth, he gulped in a lungful of air, but it did little to take away the feeling of drowning. The air here was so thin, he hadn’t been able to take in a full breath since mysteriously ending up in this wilderness. How long had it been? Days? A week?

The low growl of the mountain lion that had stalked him into this dead end vibrated in his ears. Cam’s eyes grew wide. He shot hasty looks all around him. He picked up a rock and threw it at the predator. The cat jumped back, but turned, and growled again. It's tail swished through the air in an agitated flick.

The cat crouched, and Cameron’s heart threatened to pound out of his chest. He glanced toward the trees past the animal. Relief swept through him. The old man he’d been following stepped from behind one of the pines.

“Help me,” Cameron called, casting another nervous glance toward the cougar. The ancient Indian stood stoically. There was no emotion on his face, or in his eyes. He clutched a fur hide around his chest and watched. Surely, any second now, he’d produce some kind of weapon and come to help.

The cat crouched lower, its ears laid flat against the top of its head. All its muscles were bunched as if getting ready to leap at him. Cam whipped his head around when the sound of falling rock, reached his ear. Not a second later, a man appeared, nearly leaping over one of the many boulders in this area. He yelled, but the words were lost to Cam.

Cam’s eyes widened when the stranger raised his arm and a tomahawk flew through the air, hitting the cat squarely in the ribs. The tall man lunged forward with a loud growl of his own and threw himself at the cat, a knife blade gleaming in his hand. Cam blinked, his mouth open wide. The man rushed up to him not a second later and dropped to his knees.

“Are you all right, Cameron?”

Cam nodded, his eyes still on the cougar. The cat lay dead several yards away. Cam glanced up at the tall man. Dressed in jeans, a gray t-shirt, and hiking boots, the blond stranger still knelt in front of him. How did he know his name?

“That Indian was about to help me,” Cam said, pointing to where the old man had stood a moment ago. His forehead wrinkled.

The stranger glanced over his shoulder. “What Indian?” He didn’t sound at all surprised, but rather annoyed.

“He was just there,” Cam said, his voice shaky. “He’s gone.”

The man in front of him tensed. He chuckled slightly. “There’s no one there, Cam. Time to get you back to your scout troop, though.” The tall man grinned at him.

Cam narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Who are you?”

The man’s grin widened. “Chase Russell. I’m here to take you home.”

Cam pursed his lips and studied the man. He eyed the hand that was still held out to him, then reached for it. The stranger easily pulled him to his feet. Cam’s legs were as wobbly as jello.

“How do you know my name?”

“I’m with the park service. Search and Rescue,” he said simply.

Cam scanned the man’s clothes. He’d watched enough television to know that official search and rescue guys didn't dress in jeans and t-shirts and carry Indian knives and tomahawks.

“There was an Indian. I’ve been following him since I woke up in that meadow.”

Chase Russell shot him another grin. “I think your mind’s playing tricks on you, kid.”

Cam frowned. The guy was clearly blowing him off. His grip tightened on Cam’s hand, and he reached for something in the leather pouch hanging around his neck. Cam caught a glimpse of an object the man pulled from the pouch, the same object he’d touched when he’d ended up in an unfamiliar meadow, and separated from his scout troop. The red stones that looked like eyes gleamed eerily in the setting sun as if they were staring at him.

The stones glowed brighter and Cam squinted, looking further into those red eyes. A man and woman appeared. They were dressed in furs and animal hides and labored through deep snow. The man glanced over his shoulder and urged the woman forward. A baby in her arms cried loudly. The woman fell to the ground. She screamed, and then everything went black.

Cameron bolted upright in his bed. He held his hands to his temples, trying to catch his breath. He yanked the covers away and dragged his legs over the edge of the mattress.

Damn! Why couldn't he get those images out of his head? It all seemed so real. He'd been plagued by this dream ever since returning from his trip to Yellowstone National Park with the boy scouts a couple of months ago. He and a few friends had goofed off like they always did. It had landed him in trouble, which was nothing new. He hadn't wanted to go on the trip, but his parents thought it would be good for him and teach him some responsibility.

Hell, he didn't even want to be in scouting, but his parents had made him join. They told him camping in the great outdoors would build character. Yellowstone had been his first big outing with the scouts. He'd die before he admitted it to anyone, but the landscape and all the geysers and stuff had held his interest like nothing else ever had. He'd pretended not to care because his buddies didn't seem too interested in walking the boardwalks and looking at yet another hot spring.

Cameron had stared off at the mountains in awe, wishing he could go and explore them on his own, but that was out of the question. The scout leaders had kept them all together, herded like a bunch of cows, from one point of interest to another.

The tourist attractions had soon become boring, and he'd wished more and more that he could just run away and get lost somewhere in the endless wilderness. He hadn't so much as even left the city, and the vastness of the land fascinated him as if it was trying to draw him in. An odd feeling of familiarity had swept over him then like he should remember something about where he was, and that someone was calling him home.

Then that bizarre incident had happened. He and his friend, Julian, had been messing around at one of the picnic areas where the troop had stopped for lunch, tossing rocks into the river. They’d wandered a little too far away from the rest of the group. Julian had grabbed a weird-looking rock, something that reminded Cameron of a snake’s head, and he’d reached for his arm before Julian could throw it.

The next thing he knew, he was somewhere else. It was as if he’d fallen asleep, and then woken up in a meadow with no one else around. Julian was passed out next to him, and an old Native American man had stood a short distance away. He’d waved to him, then turned and walked away.

Cameron had followed him, leaving Julian asleep in the meadow, and kept yelling at the old man to stop and tell him where his troop was. The further he’d walked, the more disoriented and lost he’d become. He’d spent a cold and lonely night in the woods, huddling under a tree for some warmth. The sounds of animals had kept him awake, but strangely enough, he hadn’t been scared.

The following morning, he’d spotted the Indian again, and continued to follow him further into the woods. At the time, he hadn’t even thought about what he’d been taught by his scout leaders - to always stay put when lost, that it would be easier to be found if he didn’t wander away.

The mountain lion and the man who'd saved his life had been the last two things he'd remembered just before waking up with a bunch of park rangers and his scout leaders huddled around him.

He’d had to endure endless hours at the hospital being examined, even though he’d told everyone that he was fine except for being hungry. He’d even had to talk to a shrink, and everyone finally chalked up his experience to being lost in the wilderness. They’d told him that what he’d seen and experienced had all been in his head.

He’d called Julian, the coward, and had asked him what he’d remembered. Julian had always been chicken. Cameron could see it in his eyes that he knew more than he’d said. He had experienced the same thing Cameron had, but he’d let the shrinks tell him that he’d only imagined it. Or he’d been too scared to say anything.

Cameron groped for his cell phone on his nightstand. He turned on the lamp and told his phone to dial Julian's number. So what if it was three o'clock in the morning? These dreams were driving him nuts. He hadn't told anyone about them. His parents would only send him to the shrink again.

“Pick up,” he mumbled impatiently.

On the fifth ring, a raspy voice said a feeble “hello?”

“Jules, it’s me, Cam. I need to talk to you.”

Silence on the other end.

“Julian, wake up,” Cameron growled into the phone.

“It’s the middle of the night.”

Cameron rolled his eyes at the whiny voice coming through the receiver. Julian had better start growing a pair, or he’d be made fun of worse than he already was.

“Are you having weird dreams about . . . you know, what happened to us in Yellowstone?”

More silence. Cameron was about to yell into the phone, when Julian said, “No. Have you?”

“All the time,” he confessed. “Whatever happened to us just isn’t letting me go.”

“Nothing happened, Cam. We got lost, and like the rangers and the doctor said, we got disoriented.”

Cameron scoffed. “They really did brainwash you, didn’t they? Something happened, Jules. And it wasn’t disorientation. You and I both saw that Native American guy, the one who –”

A movement in the far corner of his room drew his attention away from the phone. Cameron looked up, then stared. His mouth gaped open. Right there, in his room, stood an old Native American, like the one from his dreams and experiences in Yellowstone that everyone had been trying to convince him hadn't been real. He moved his phone away from his ear and dropped it on his bed. Slowly, he stood and took a tentative step toward the old man. Julian's faint voice calling his name from the receiver faded away.

“Who are you?” Cameron raised his chin in a challenge to try and disguise the nervous beating of his heart. How had this guy gotten into his room?

A shriveled hand reached out to him. The man was dressed in tanned leather pants and a fringed shirt, and his white hair hung to his shoulders. He didn’t wear any feathers or carry a spear or other kinds of weapons like what he’d seen Indians do in the movies, or what he’d read in books. He looked rather plain and boring, and he was short. The hand opened, palm upward. Cameron gaped at the object the old man held out for him. It was the same snakehead-shaped thing that Julian had found in Yellowstone, right before they’d suddenly gotten “lost.”

The old man’s voice sounded raspy when he spoke.

“Come, Cameahwait. It is time.”

Chapter One

Yellowstone National Park - May 2011

“I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about, John. Is this your latest idea so you can fire me?”

“I don’t need an excuse to get rid of you, Osborne.”

Riley Bernard raised her brows at the loud voices drifting from inside the small cabin in front of her. She climbed the two wooden steps of the tiny park service building. Her head turned to the left, and she eyed the large sign nailed to the wall right under the only window.

Tower Ranger Station

This was the right place. There were a few other similar buildings nestled amongst the trees off this gravel lane from the main road, but this was where she’d been told she’d find Ranger Dan Osborne. And one of the voices had definitely said that name a second ago. She hesitated to open the door.

Should she knock? She shook her head. Silly. This was a public building. She didn’t have to knock.

“Did you really have to drive all the way from headquarters for this?” the first man said, sounding rather irritated. Riley’s hand froze on the door handle. Didn’t those guys realize that the window was open? Not that there were any other people around, so this might be a secluded-enough place to have an argument. Apparently they were too busy arguing that they hadn’t heard her drive up.

“Stop playing games with me, Osborne. How did we end up back in the twenty-first century? And it’s May. It’s supposed to be July. Where is the device?” a man sounding older than the other one snarled.

Riley’s eyes widened.

End up back in the twenty-first century?

She sniggered softly at the ridiculous idea. The man’s next words sent a jolt straight through her.

“I killed you,” he growled in a low tone.

Riley took a quick step back. She nearly tripped on the narrow wooden porch. The high heel of her right shoe wedged between two of the boards, twisting her ankle. Her hand darted to the wooden railing, and she caught herself just in time before she fell down the stairs. She cringed at the sound of her feet banging on the wood. What if the men inside had heard her?

“Dammit,” she hissed and straightened. She gritted her teeth at the jabbing pain in her ankle.

The deep laughter of the other man drifted through the window. “You’d better sleep off whatever you’ve been drinking. You’re not making any sense at all.”

“The time travel device . . . your journal,” the first man sputtered and roared. “It was real. We were both there, in the past. Two months from now. There were Indians . . . I was going to change history.” The man’s angry voice rose with every word he spoke.

“I don’t mean any disrespect, but are you feeling all right, John? Listen to yourself. You’re making absolutely no sense. Don’t make me go to the NPS director to file a report on you.”

Riley held her breath, her hand firmly wrapped around the wooden banister. One man seemed much too calm while the other one raged.

“I think we’re done here, or I’m calling the assistant superintendent to get his opinion on your condition,” the man with the calmer voice said. “He might recommend a psych evaluation.”

Silence, then the door yanked open unexpectedly, and a man with slightly graying hair, dressed in a ranger’s uniform, emerged. He stopped abruptly, a surprised look on his face when he saw her. Riley stared up into cold and angry eyes.

The man cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. His steely eyes roamed over her, no doubt wondering how much she’d overheard.

“Is this the backcountry office?” Riley plastered a smile on her face. She pushed her black-rimmed glasses further up her nose and raised her chin, then darted a quick glance at the nametag on the man’s uniform.

John Hastings

“I need to get some information about a camping permit,” she added to sound convincing.

The older man’s eyes traveled lower. He raised a disbelieving eyebrow when his gaze fell to her skirt and high heels. He shook his head slightly, nearly imperceptibly, and a quick flash of annoyance darkened his eyes. It vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, and he even smiled at her.

“This is the backcountry office. Ranger Osborne in there can help you.”

He stepped aside to let her pass on the narrow porch. He nodded curtly, then lifted his ranger hat to his head, and marched down the couple of stairs. Riley turned to watch him for a second, then faced the interior of the small office. Inhaling a quick breath, she expelled it through parted lips and stepped inside.

The ranger who stood on the other side of the counter ran a hand through his dark hair. He raised his head, and a fleeting look of annoyance passed through his eyes. He covered it quickly and offered a smile. Riley pushed her glasses up her nose again and stepped up to the counter. She tilted her head slightly to look the ranger in the eye. She mentally shook her head.

Broad-shouldered, he sure filled out his uniform well. His short, nearly jet-black hair was trimmed neatly, and his crisp uniform gave him the appearance of a marine, rather than a park ranger.

“We don’t usually have visitors this early in the day, this early in the season,” he said with a smile. “How can I help? I heard you say something about a camping permit?” His brows rose in the same manner as the other ranger, as he was mentally assessing her clothes.

Riley shot a hasty look over her shoulder, then turned back to the ranger. She stepped closer and leaned forward, folding her forearms on the counter.

“I’m not here for a permit,” she confessed. Her gaze darted to the nametag on his uniform.

Daniel Osborne. There couldn’t be more than one, could there?

His brows rose even higher, and he looked at her expectantly.

Riley straightened. She cocked her head slightly and pointed her finger at him. She should come right out and ask him, but her academic mind took over.

“You have an interesting last name,” she said. “Looks like we have something in common.”

"We do?" Dan Osborne leaned forward and looked her in the eye. "Is your name Osborne?"

Riley laughed and shook her head. "No, but our names have similar meaning." She reached her hand out to him. "Riley Bernard."

Dan hesitated. His eyes narrowed, then he shook it. His large hand nearly swallowed hers. He waited.

“Your name, it literally means ‘divine bear’.” She sniggered. “And my name means ‘brave, or hardy bear’. I’m not sure I can do that name justice, though.”

Dan’s brows furrowed. Yeah, he was thinking she was nuts. She waved her hand in front of her face. She was doing it again. Acting all nerdy when she was nervous, trying to impress someone with trivial knowledge.

“Why exactly did you come to the ranger station, Riley?”

“I’m sorry. I’m an anthropology grad student at the University of Montana. Linguistics and name origins are my hobbies.”

Dan's shoulders relaxed. He chuckled and pointed his thumb at his chest. "Wildlife biology. One more year and I'll be done with my masters."

Riley smiled. Well, wasn’t this her lucky day. Maybe sharing something more than a loose interpretation of their last names would break the ice.

“Small world,” she said.

Dan’s face turned serious again. “What can I do for you, Riley?”

She glanced over her shoulder again, then leaned toward him over the counter.

“I need a favor,” she whispered. “And someone mentioned your name as the person I should talk to. I don’t have any other contacts in the park service.”

“Favor?” Dan eyed her suspiciously.

Riley sucked in a deep breath. “My master’s research is based on the ancient Native Americans in Montana. Recently, I came upon an article about a sub-group of Shoshone who supposedly made the Yellowstone region their year-round home. It’s an extinct group of people, and the research on them is fairly obscure.”

She paused. Something in Dan’s facial muscles tightened, and he appeared visibly tense all of a sudden.

“I came across a claim disputing their existence,” she continued quickly. “All the literature about them mentions Yellowstone. I’ve read that there are still some ancient dwellings and wall paintings somewhere in this park, but no one will give their location.”

“There’s a reason for that,” Dan said quickly. “The park service doesn’t want those sites disturbed.” His eyes narrowed.

Riley nodded. “I understand that. The more I’ve been reading, the more intrigued I’ve become, and I’d like to do my own research. Their beliefs and culture sound too fascinating to simply ignore.” She looked him straight in the eye. “Your name came up as someone with knowledge about them.”

“Who told you that?”

She shrugged. “One of the rangers at the Old Faithful Visitor Center. He said you might be able to answer my questions better than he could.” She looked him in the eye before continuing. “I was hoping that you might know where those sites are, and you’d take me to see them.”

Dan chuckled and ran a hand along his jaw. "I can't do that, Riley. Without special permits and permission from the park service, I can't just take someone to an archaeological site that's off-limits to the public. There are other sites, outside the park, that are readily accessible."

Riley raised her chin. “I’m interested in the ones inside the park.”

Dan shook his head. “Sorry. Can’t do it, but I can give you the address where you can apply for a permit.”

Riley cursed silently. She’d been prepared for his answer, but now that he’d said it, disappointment consumed her. She’d been looking for something unique to base her research on. Once something sparked an interest, she didn’t like to simply give up and let go. Applying for a permit could take months, or longer.

“But they do exist?” she prodded, not ready to give up yet. “I’ve seen photographs of wooden structures that are said to have been Sheepeater wicciups.”

Dan glanced to the door before making eye contact again. “They exist,” he said slowly. “Whoever disputes that the Tukudeka - the Sheepeaters - were real and present in this park a long time ago doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”

Riley removed her glasses. She studied the ranger’s handsome face. His features had become too serious.

“What makes you so convinced?” she challenged, then opted to lighten the mood, and sniggered. “Unless you time traveled, like your superior claims to have done a few moments ago, how do you know?”

The color seemed to drain from Dan’s face, but he quickly recovered. He stared at the map displayed on the counter, then returned his gaze to her, and laughed. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I think he might have been watching a few too many sci-fi movies, and after last night’s staff party, he’s still a bit hung over.”

Riley laughed at Ranger Dan’s quick lie to, no doubt, cover for his superior. What she’d heard hadn’t sounded like someone suffering a hangover, but the other ranger definitely had a few screws loose. Dan Osborne would do well to carry out his threat and report him to someone with more authority, but it was really none of her business. It was indisputable that John Hastings had been certifiably crazy.

“It does sound like he needs his head examined.” She nodded. “Would be fascinating, though, don’t you think?” Her smile widened, as did her eyes.

“What would?”

“Time travel,” she said. She mentally smacked herself for where this conversation was headed. “Then we could go back and see first hand what it was like. I suppose my chosen field would become obsolete, but from an academic standpoint, the research would be absolutely fascinating.”

Dan’s eyes narrowed, and he looked rather uncomfortable for a moment. His friendly stare grew in intensity, and he studied her, no doubt thinking he needed to call for a shrink for her, too.

“I’m not crazy. Just speculating,” she said hastily. “It really is a fascinating idea, even if it’s utterly ludicrous.”

He continued to stare at her. She was about to open her mouth to change the subject when he shook his head. His easy smile returned, and his eyes softened. He chuckled.

"Okay," he said slowly, drawing out the word like he was about to humor someone who was completely nuts. "From one grad student to another, let's look at it from an academic point of view." He leaned his forearms on the counter and looked her straight in the eyes. "It's one thing to read about the past, but to actually experience it might be more than we'd want to deal with. Going back to see history for ourselves might sound fascinating, but think about how unprepared any of us would be to actually go back in time. Things we think we know may be completely different."

She tilted her head and smiled smugly. "From the way you talk, one might think you speak from experience, but thanks for playing along."

Dan laughed, a little too quickly. “I don’t need to go back in time. I have everything I want right here.”

Riley nodded. “Let me guess. You have a girlfriend who means the world to you, and you could never leave her for any reason, even for a trip back in time.”

Dan studied her, his face growing serious again. “My fiancée, and yes, she and I have been through a lot together.”

Riley chuckled. Of course he was involved with someone. Men like him were either too full of themselves to stay in a committed relationship, or the rare few nice guys were snatched up instantly. She hadn’t met too many of the latter. Painful memories of her high school years came rushing back. She’d been the accident-prone nerd whom no one noticed, except when they wanted to make fun of her. Things hadn’t seemed to change much since then.

The one guy who’d given her the time of day, who wasn’t also a member of the Astronomy or Physics Club, had turned out to be a jerk like all the others. She’d been duped by his good looks, the fact that he was an athlete, and that he seemed to take notice of her. When he’d stood her up after asking her to Prom, she’d vowed that she’d never give a second glance to another athlete again.

Her books were a safe place. She didn’t have to worry about tripping and falling, or making a fool of herself while living in a book or submersed in her research. Too bad she wasn’t remotely attracted to her current research partner, Jeffrey Callahan. He’d asked her out a few times, and she’d caught his dreamy-eyed stares more than once, but he just hadn’t sparked an interest in her other than that of a friend and lab partner.

“Are you sure I can’t change your mind about taking me to those archaeological sites?” she tried one more time.

"I'm absolutely sure." Dan scribbled something on the back of one of the camping fliers and handed it to her. "Here's my number. If you ever have any questions during your research, I'll try and find the answer. I've done a little studying of the Sheepeaters myself. One of my ancestors was a Shoshone."

Riley pressed her lips together and nodded. She took the paper and folded it in quarters. Right now, she wasn't going to get anywhere with Dan Osborne. "Thanks," she said and moved to leave.

“Riley,” Dan called, and she turned. Her eyes met his.

“If you ever want to go hiking, I’d recommend some different clothes and shoes.”

She smiled. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

Would it have made a difference if she’d come dressed for a walk in the woods, rather than looking like she was presenting a research paper to her professors?

She left the backcountry office and held on to the railing as she walked down the stairs. Her car was parked right in front of the building. She sucked in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, the smell of pine giving her a sense of peace. She was a city girl. Coming to Missoula from Los Angeles had been like a step back in time for her. She'd made the drive to Yellowstone on impulse because she'd wanted to get out of her comfort zone and try some field work rather than just academic research.

“Back to the lab, and looking at artifacts under a microscope,” she mumbled.

She fumbled for her keys in her purse and stepped up to her car. A gentle breeze touched her face. The tall lodgepoles creaked, and the wind swished loudly through their tops. She unlocked the passenger door, opened it, and ducked in to reach across the front seat. It was the only way to unlock the driver's side door. Riley shook her head. It had been silly to lock the car. Who would try and steal anything here at this ranger station? But, old habits were hard to break.

As annoying as it was to have to unlock the driver’s side door from the inside because it was broken, she hadn’t bothered to get it fixed. It was her first car, a used hand-me-down from her grandmother when she could no longer drive. It had gotten her through high school and college, and had moved her from California to Montana to start grad school. Her little Ford might be a clunker by most people’s standards, but she loved her car, and other than the issue with the door, it still got her around.

Her eyes caught movement along the edge of the clearing, where the forest began. She dropped her car keys. Pulling her glasses from her face, she blinked, then stared. Riley shook her head.

You’re losing it, Riley. You’ve been so obsessed over this Shoshone subject, you’re starting to see things.

She bent down to pick up her keys, then looked where a few seconds ago, her brain had surely played tricks on her. She'd almost been convinced that a man who looked like an old Indian dressed in native clothes had stood between a couple of trees, watching her.

Chapter Two

Riley pulled her car into the parking space on the second level of the parking structure at the university. It was Saturday, so there weren’t many cars here. She’d returned from her disappointing drive to Yellowstone late yesterday afternoon. The semester was almost over, and summer classes would start soon. Since she didn’t have a social life, what better way to spend her summer than locked in a classroom, doing academic research and teaching a lab course for her thesis advisor?

Jeffrey Callahan, her lab and research partner, had called her last evening, and said that someone had dropped off a box filled with Native American artifacts that might be of some interest to her. He'd agreed to meet her at the lab so they could go through them together. It was, no doubt, his idea of a date since she'd refused to go out with him.

Riley turned off the ignition and grabbed her purse from the passenger seat. Her eye fell on the folded piece of paper Dan Osborne had given her that she'd absent-mindedly tossed on the seat after leaving Yellowstone. Perhaps she'd find a reason to call him at some point. Even if he couldn't take her to the archaeological sites, he might have other information useful to her research.

She’d even picked up a book about camping and hiking from one of the concessioner stores before leaving the park, and started reading it last night. Dan had been right. If she wanted to do field research, she needed to learn how to hike, and wear the proper clothes. She’d read halfway through the book before finally falling asleep sometime around 2 a.m.

She smiled and shook her head. Even though she'd dismissed their banter about time travel, their strange conversation had stayed with her during her long drive back to Missoula. She'd really enjoyed talking with Dan. He certainly was an interesting guy. Maybe she'd run into him on campus later in the year. No doubt he didn't spend his summer at school. He was most likely doing his own field research while working as a ranger in the park.

Riley clutched her purse. She opened the door and pressed the lock button out of habit. The ends of her skirt dragged across the seat, the hem snagging on the lever that adjusted it. Without thinking, she slammed the car door shut, and moved to step away. A firm tug around her legs prevented her from taking a full step. Momentarily confused, she turned her head and frowned. A good portion of her skirt was stuck in the door, pinning her to the side of the car.

“Great,” she mumbled, and pulled.

The skirt didn’t budge. She glanced around to see if anyone else was nearby. The second level of the parking structure seemed eerily quiet. Only three other cars were parked there. Why was she such a creature of habit and always parked on the second level? She reached for the door handle, gritting her teeth.

Riley cursed. She tugged on her skirt again, more forcefully this time, grabbing hold of the fabric. It didn’t even matter if it tore. It might be the only way to get unstuck.

“Remind me to buy more clothes like this. They really are durable,” she uttered sarcastically.

She grabbed another handful of material and yanked. In the process, her purse dropped from her hand, spilling its contents over the concrete. Her car keys and loose change jingled loudly as they hit the ground. Not that her key would do her any good, since the lock on this door was broken. Her compact mirror slid across the ground like a hockey puck on ice, followed closely by her cellphone.

“No,” she groaned loudly. If she couldn’t get herself unstuck, at least she could have called Jeffrey, as embarrassing as that would have been, but now her phone was too far out of reach.

“Riley the klutz strikes again,” she grumbled in frustration. “What else can go wrong today?” She leaned away from the car with her hips, tugging and pulling as hard as she could.

“Why, when I need my clothes to rip, they don’t?” she called out in exasperation. No matter how hard she pulled, the skirt was stuck and would not budge. It wouldn’t even tear.

She craned her neck and looked around again, even though the likelihood of someone coming to her rescue at this moment was slim to none. She shook her head, pressed her lips together, and leaned as far away from the car as possible, against her left hip and thigh. She pushed her hands against the car. When that didn't work, she grabbed the skirt with both hands, and pulled. If the material ripped now, she'd fall hard, but it would be a small price to pay to free herself. Riley growled in frustration. The skirt acted like a sling, keeping her pinned to the car.

Expelling a loud whoosh of air through her mouth, she forced herself to relax. She turned her head and body as much as her skirt would allow, and scanned the area around her again. Still no one in sight. The owners of the few cars here were no doubt at the library for an all-day study session. Why else would they be on campus on the weekend?

“You’ve got one option left, Riley,” she mumbled.

Before she allowed herself too much time to think about it, she reached her hands behind her, and unzipped the skirt. She lost her balance when she tried to lift her left leg out of it, and hastily grabbed onto the side of the car. All she needed now was a broken ankle.

The heel of her shoe caught in the material. Impatiently, she kicked the pump from her foot, and did the same with the other one. Finally, she managed to shimmy fully out of the skirt. She lunged for her keys on the ground, and scurried around to the other side of the car. Her hands trembled when she fumbled to get the key in the lock. Giving the key a quick twist, she unlocked the door and dove onto the passenger seat. She straightened, and leaned back against the seat, sucking in several breaths of air.

“This has got to be the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done,” she muttered. “Worse than the time you walked through freshly-laid cement in the parking lot at the fast food place.” At least this time, she was alone.

Riley sat up, and reached across the driver’s seat to unlock the door. Her skirt fluttered to the ground. She leaned over, stretching as far as she could, and grabbed for it. Pulling the door shut, she shimmied back into the clothing. She had to get out of the car and stand in order to tuck her blouse back in and zip the skirt up. Breathing a sigh of relief when it was done, she brushed some strands of hair out of her face that had come loose from her ponytail, and pushed her glasses up her nose.

After scurrying around the other side of the car, she kneeled to the ground and snatched up her phone, mirror, and all the other little things that had fallen from her purse a few minutes ago. When she picked up the last nickel, she glanced up briefly, and let out a startled squeak. She stumbled to her feet, grabbing hold of her car’s side mirror to catch her balance. She looked again to where a second ago, the figure of a man – an old Native American-looking man – had stood by one of the other cars. Riley blinked. Her heart hammered in her chest. She stared at the spot again. There was no one there. On shaky legs, she stepped into her shoes, and clutched her purse firmly in her hands.

“You’re really losing your mind, Riley,” she whispered. Maybe tonight she needed to go to bed early for a change, and try for a solid eight hours of sleep.

“You finally decided to show up.”

Jeffrey Callahan greeted her with a wide smile when Riley walked into the lab.

She frowned, and waved him off. “You don’t want to know what kind of morning I’ve had,” she grumbled, tossing her purse on one of the long lab tables.

Jeffrey didn’t seem perturbed. He held out a steaming styrofoam cup to her, the delicious smell of coffee drifting to her nose.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, and took a sip.

Guilt nagged at her. Jeffrey knew she liked coffee, and he’d apparently gone to the trouble to have some ready for her. He was a nice guy, but she just didn’t feel any sparks or stirrings for him. Maybe she should give him a chance, and at least go to dinner with him if he asked again. Maybe there was a chance for something to develop. They shared the same interests, after all.

“How was your little field trip? Did you find out what you wanted to know?”

Jeffrey followed close at her side when she headed for the cardboard box sitting on the table at the far end of the room. Most likely it contained the items and artifacts that had been dropped off.

“No, it was a dead end,” she said listlessly, setting her coffee on the table. She opened the box, and peered inside.

“I would have gone with you,” Jeffrey continued. “Maybe between the two of us, we could have found the site you were looking for.”

Riley reached into the box, and pulled out a round little bowl. She held it up, and turned it.

“I think this is made from steatite.” She ran her finger along the rough edge. “One of the materials found in the Yellowstone area that the Sheepeaters used to make pots and bowls.” Her pulse increased, as it always did when she dove into her research. The idea of holding an artifact that had been used centuries ago by an ancient people was like an adrenaline rush.

She turned to Jeffrey. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

He smiled indulgently. “I said I would have gone with you to look for that site.”

Riley laughed. “The park service doesn’t allow access to the sites, even if I did know where they were.”

“It could have been an adventure,” Jeffrey continued. He stepped closer. “We could have been like the early explorers, venturing into the unknown.”

“Yes, and get lost in the process.” Riley smiled up at her friend. “Have you ever been camping, or hiking, Jeffrey?”

He shook his head.

“We’d lose our way within a hundred yards from our car.”

Riley turned her attention back to the box to avoid Jeffrey’s puppy dog eyes. She carefully set the stone bowl on the bench, and reached for another item.

“Might be kind of fun, getting lost together,” Jeffrey said, uncertainty in the tone of his voice.

Riley pressed her lips together. He was trying to sound assertive, and was probably scared to death to ask her out again. She wasn’t going to encourage him.

“I wonder who left this here?” she asked, changing the subject. “It’s highly unusual for someone to simply drop off these artifacts without an explanation.”

“I don’t know.” Jeffrey shrugged. “Professor Allan brought it to me yesterday. He said there was a note on it with your name. It wasn’t sealed, so I took a look inside and knew you’d want to see all this.”

Riley turned her head again. She’d just reached for an odd-shaped piece of stone. Holding it in her palm, she looked at Jeffrey. “My name?”

Jeffrey smiled. He reached for her free hand, and took the object from the other. He cleared his throat. “Why do you wear those glasses, Riley? I know you don’t need them.”

Riley took a step to the side, but she didn’t pull her hand from his. She shook her head slightly. “I guess they make me feel secure. Something I can hide behind.”

Jeffrey’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you need to feel insecure about? You’re smart, and pretty, and—”

“And I’m a complete nerd,” Riley finished for him.

He cocked his head to the side. “Just think of yourself as an intellectual badass.”

Riley smiled indulgently. “At least I’m a badass at something,” she mumbled.

Jeffrey’s face sobered, and he stared into her eyes.

“Brown eyes are really rare for a blonde,” he whispered, and leaned a little closer.

“Everyone in my family has brown eyes, and before you ask, I’m a natural blonde.”

Riley mentally shook her head. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She couldn’t reciprocate what she saw in his gaze. Abruptly, she broke eye contact and nodded at the artifact in Jeffrey’s hand.

“What is that?” she asked.

His lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, then his chest heaved in a resigned sigh. His smile was forced when he looked from her to the object in his hand.

“Looks like a petrified piece of wood or something,” he said, holding the ancient piece up closer to their faces.

Riley squinted to get a better look. “It almost reminds me of a snake, but without a body? Maybe an old carving?” she speculated. “Look at those red stones on either side. Those could be eyes, or is my imagination running away with me again?”

She laughed, acutely aware that Jeffrey hadn’t let go of her hand.

“I guess it sort of looks like a snakehead,” he said. “Still looks like a petrified piece of wood to me.” He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Riley, can I ask you something?”

Riley brought her free hand up, and touched a finger to the object. It was hard and solid. She slid her index finger over one of the red stones embedded in it, just as Jeffrey pulled his hand back and dropped the artifact in his lab coat pocket, no doubt to have her undivided attention.

Instantly, everything in front of her vanished, and her world tilted on its side. She fell to the ground, and called Jeffrey’s name. Blinking, she groaned at the swirls of dizziness in her head.

Her temples throbbed, but she forced her eyes open. Unfamiliar sounds surrounded her, like the chirping of insects. They seemed to be louder because of the otherwise complete silence all around. She sucked in a quick breath of crisp air that was nothing like the stale smell in the lab.

“What just happened?” she called. Her eyes widened. She moved to sit up, moisture seeping through the fabric of her skirt where she sat on the ground. Jeffrey groaned somewhere next to her.

Riley blinked again, and squinted into bright sunlight. She scrambled to stand. The heels of her pumps sank into soft and damp earth.

“What’s going on? Where are we?” she screeched, trying to stand upright. She fell forward, catching her balance just in time before landing face-first in the marshy grass.

She sucked in several quick breaths, her head turning as she gazed out on a vast meadow. Snow-capped mountains lined the horizon on one side, and hills covered in a thick blanket of pine trees rose in all directions. Crickets, cicadas and countless other bugs chirped and hissed in the grasses. She took a step forward, but her shoe remained stuck in the dirt.

“What’s going on, Riley?” Jeffrey moaned, still lying on the ground. “What happened?”

Riley shook her head, trying to clear her mind and make sense of what was going on. This had to be some sort of dream. Her research, her conversation with the ranger the other day, her bizarre glimpses of an old Native American . . . her mind was playing tricks on her. She’d done too much studying lately, staying up too late, and her brain was going into overdrive.

The area looked eerily familiar. She’d just driven through here the other day, past those columns of rhyolite that stretched into the sky a short distance away. The Tower Ranger Station should be just up ahead somewhere, but there was no paved road. Stunned, she shook her head again.

“Nothing is familiar, Riley. Lots of places look the same,” she mumbled.

That still didn’t explain where she was. How had they simply left the lab at the university?

Riley’s head snapped to Jeffrey. She glared at him. “What did you put in my coffee?” she shouted in anger.

Jeffrey stared up at her, a stunned expression on his face. He looked as confused as she was.

“I didn’t put anything but a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, the way you like it,” he retorted. He groaned, and stood on shaky legs, wiping his hands on the ends of his white lab coat. He looked at her, then at his surroundings.

“What’s happening? How did we get here?” Wide-eyed, he stared at her again.

Riley’s heart beat furiously in her chest. Her mind groped for understanding, but nothing that made sense came into focus.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know.”

A cold wave of panic rushed down her spine. Unless she woke up from a dream any moment now, this was real, and somehow she and Jeffrey had been transported from the lab to this meadow. She shook her head. Teleporting from one location to another was impossible. Her academic mind simply wouldn’t accept something so silly, just the way she’d merely joked about time travel with Dan Osborne the other day.

“Did you have coffee?” she asked, turning to Jeffrey. He nodded.

“Since we’re both experiencing this, maybe someone slipped something into the coffee, some hallucinogenic drug.” Riley spoke out loud to rationalize what was happening, even if it still didn’t make sense. “We should just sit and wait for the effects to wear off.”

Jeffrey nodded again. “I hope you’re right, and this is simply in our heads.”

Riley glared at her lab partner. “What are you seeing, Jeffrey? Where are you?”

He glanced around. “We’re standing in an open meadow. There’s forest everywhere, and hills, and over to the left is a mountain range with snow. Looks like many of the places in Montana.”

Riley nodded absently. If this was the effect of some mind-altering drug, what were the chances of her and Jeffrey experiencing the same things? Seeing the same things? It made a tiny bit of sense to her that her mind would take her to the place from where she'd just come, but Jeffrey hadn't ever been to Yellowstone. He was right that many places in Montana looked like this, but the meadow and the columns of rocks held a certain familiarity like she'd just driven through this area yesterday. The air smelled different, too. Clean, crisp, and pristine. The fragrance of the grass, the earth, and the pines in the distance, seemed almost amplified.

Without warning, Jeffrey grabbed her arm. Riley took a startled step to the side, and squealed. Her other shoe stuck in the marsh, and damp earth oozed between her toes.

“Someone’s coming,” Jeffrey whispered, and pointed into the distance.

Riley squinted. Jeffrey was right. A group of seven or eight people emerged from the tree line, moving in their direction. Slowly, she reached for her glasses, and pulled them down her nose.

“What the heck,” she whispered. Her hallucinations were becoming more outlandish by the second. Unless her eyes were failing, the group of dark-haired men looked like they wore feathers in their hair, and dressed in primitive buckskin leggings and breechcloths. A few wore shirts, the rest were bare-chested. All of them carried bows or lances, and wore quivers of arrows on their backs.

“This can’t be good,” she whispered.

Next to her, Jeffrey stood straighter, and began to wave his arm in the air. “Hey! Over here,” he called loudly.

Riley tensed. She cursed out loud. “What the hell are you doing?”

“They can help us get back to the university,” Jeffrey said, smiling.

“Are you crazy?” she hissed. “We still don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

“We need help, Riley. Probably best to get to urgent care and have some blood tests run to see what’s in our system.”

Riley frowned. Maybe he was right. Her eyes followed the movement of the men coming toward them. Their pace had increased. Some looked to have their bows drawn. She shook her head from side to side. Something was seriously wrong here, and her fight or flight response kicked into high gear.

Chapter Three

Cameahwait raised himself slowly from a crouched position and stepped out from behind the tree into the clearing. He held his bow in his left hand with a sure grip, the shaft of the arrow held in place between his left index and middle finger, notched and ready. He nudged with his chin, and raised his right hand, pointing with two fingers in front of his eyes. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that Matunaaga was right behind him and had understood. If his shot failed, Mat would be ready.

He moved further into the open, and waited, his eyes focused on his target. He raised his bow, drew the sinew string back slowly to its full extension, aimed, and released. His arrow flew straight and true and found its mark. Cam sprinted from the trees, and ran across the clearing, his hand wrapped firmly around the bow's grip. He reached his right hand over his shoulder, pulling another arrow from the quiver on his back, and strung his bow again.

Cam slowed as he approached the buck his arrow had brought down. The animal lay still, a clean shot through the heart. Had he missed, and only wounded the deer, he would have ended the creature’s suffering quickly.

Cam released the tension in his bow. He dropped to one knee, and placed his hand over the buck’s heart, giving silent thanks to the deer’s earth spirit for its sacrifice, and to the sky spirits for a successful hunt. He raised a fleeting glance at his companion. Wordlessly, he handed Mat his weapon, then dressed the deer with his knife, tossing the entrails aside. He heaved the carcass off the ground and slung it over his bare shoulders behind his head. Standing up, Cam adjusted the buck to distribute its weight more evenly across his upper back and neck, then led the way across the meadow.

A shallow stream cut through the tall grasses. Off in the distance, a small band of perhaps a hundred bison grazed the lush meadow. A group of Pronghorn kept close to the lumbering beasts, using the massive creatures to guard them against predators. Cam splashed through the stream, the cool water seeping into his moccasins. The day had been unusually warm, and he’d stripped to all but his loincloth and leggings for this hunt.

Silently, he and his companion headed in the direction of the mountains in the distance. No words were needed between him and Mat. They’d hunted as a team since they’d been brought together as young boys. Mat was like a brother to him. They understood each other, knew each other’s thoughts before they spoke them, and Cam wouldn’t hesitate to lay his life down for his friend.

They hadn't gone more than a hundred paces past the creek when he stopped. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced from the trampled grass that had caught his attention, toward the tree line to their right. It was risky to travel in the open rather than through the cover of the forest, but it would also save them time to get back to the camp they had set up the night before.

Cam looked to Matunaaga. Their eyes met briefly, then Mat stepped forward, and touched several of the bent grasses. He crouched to the ground, focusing on the signs in the dirt.

“Eight men,” Mat said. He didn’t look up.

Cam lowered the deer to the ground and followed the tracks with his eyes. "Early today," he surmised. The rain from the night before would have made the ground and vegetation damp and soft in the early morning, but the warm sun had dried everything by this time, including the soil. These tracks had been made shortly after the rain.

“They moved slow, but here they were in a hurry.” He pointed to where the strides of these men had clearly lengthened.

“Bakianee?” Mat asked.

Cam nodded. He and Mat had strayed into Bakianee – Blackfoot - hunting grounds. It had never stopped them before when following prey. A hunting party was easy to evade. An occasional confrontation was good to hone his reflexes and skills.

Mat’s lips twitched in a smile. “The Bakianee call you Kia-ayo, the most ferocious warrior in the forest. I have nothing to fear while in your company.”

Cam scoffed at his friend’s banter, and the muscles along his spine grew tense. “Perhaps I prefer that name to the one given to me by the Sky People,” he retorted drily.

He turned his attention back to the tracks in the grasses. If there was a party of Bakianee less than half a day away, it would be wise to investigate. His eyes followed the line of trampled grass. The eight men had spread out, rather than remained in a single file. Whatever had drawn their attention, they had wanted to make their presence known. This was not the behavior of a hunting party, at least that was what these tracks told him. Whatever had set them astray of their intended course had given them no cause for alarm, and possibly even made them confident of an easy kill or victory.

“If this was a hunting party, what were they hunting?” Mat put Cam’s thoughts into words.

Cam eyed the buck he’d shot. “I will follow their tracks. You take the deer back to camp.”

Mat laughed. “You will never pass up a chance to confront our enemies. Sometimes I wonder if you’d not rather be Bakianee.”

Cam glared at his friend. “I wish to be Bakianee as much as I wish to be Tukudeka.” He paused, then added, “I do not desire, however, to have my throat slit in my sleep tonight. It is wise to investigate.” He held out his hand. Mat met his hard stare, then handed him his horn bow that he’d carried, and nodded.

“I get it, Cam. We both feel the same way.”

Cam’s brows raised. Rarely did either of them speak the old language of their youth, except with Pikowan, the man who had raised them. It had been more than twelve long years since he’d been taken from the only life he’d known, and he’d forgotten a lot of the words. The Sky People had been full of promises, full of tales of how he had been chosen for great things.

“The future of the People, of the land, depends on you, Cameahwait,” they had told him. “This is where you belong. You do not understand it now, but in time it will become clear to you.”

While he couldn’t deny that the mountains, the rivers, and the valleys called to him, he hadn’t fully understood what the ancient one had meant when he’d stood in a young boy’s bedroom, held out his hand, and offered him a new life. Cam’s memories of the family he’d left behind had dimmed over the years. He’d been an ignorant youth, ready to break free of adults who’d set limits for him and told him what to do.

Mat bent forward at the waist in a mock bow and laughed. "Cameahwait - He Who Never Walks - the mighty chosen one of the Sky People, the man with powerful puha, I bow to you to keep us safe from any Bakianee ambush at our camp tonight." He had switched back to the language of the Tukudeka.

Cam’s jaw muscles hardened. His friend was much more accepting of his life, even if he’d also rejected the Sky People in favor of living with Pikowan.

“I’ll see you back at camp, Chief,” Cam said lightly to end the banter. Following the tracks would be a better use of his time. Slipping into the old language, and using Mat’s English nickname, he’d let his friend know that all was well between them.

Without a second glance at Mat, Cam set out to follow the wide tracks left by the Blackfoot. He'd covered several hundred paces, when the prints in the dirt shifted again, and came together as if the men had found their intended prey. The grasses and ground were trampled, making it impossible to tell one footprint from another. By the way the vegetation had been crushed, a struggle had taken place here. Cam knelt to the ground. There were no fresh animal tracks. Had there been other people in this meadow?

He remained in a crouched position, his haunches resting on the heel of his foot, and he tuned out the sounds of the crickets. His gaze roamed over every inch of the area until his eyes caught a small object stuck between several tufts of grass. He reached for it. It was about the length of his thumb, but no wider than his small finger. The white material, smooth and shiny, was something he hadn't touched since his early childhood, and could not be of this time. His heart sped up.

Had his pleas to the creator finally been answered? There could be no other explanation. Someone had been here, someone not of this time. What he held in his hand brought back memories of his mother and the high heels of the shoes she often wore. The more he studied the object, the more convinced he became that what he held in his hand was the broken heel of a woman's shoe, something that could not possibly exist in this time.

Cam leaped to his feet, his heart racing in his chest. He broke into a run. The tracks led further east. The Bakianee once again moved single-file, and their number had increased by two. The new sets of tracks that had joined the hunting party looked distinctly different. Moccasins had not created the larger set of prints. The smaller, distinctly female prints indicated that the woman struggled to keep up. Several times, she had fallen to her knees, and the man had helped her get back on her feet. At one point, her tracks changed from wearing her heeled shoes to being completely barefoot.

Cam didn’t bother looking for any discarded footwear. He continued until the sun had already sunk well into the horizon. The tracks had led through a swath of forest, then into the hills. The Bakianee had followed a deer trail up a steep incline, keeping a narrow, fast-flowing river just below them. At the top of the plateau, the river would end in a waterfall.

The woman had slowed the party down. She’d struggled to keep up with the pace the warriors had set, and for good reason. Her unprotected feet would have been raw by this point, climbing this mountain. Why hadn’t the Bakianee killed her for being a hindrance?

Cam’s pace didn’t slow. He kept his footfalls even as he ran to catch up with the Blackfoot party. Every now and then, the tracks indicated that the men had stopped, and a struggle had taken place, or the woman had fallen behind. Each time he came upon such an area, his pace increased. He swore that he would catch up with them before they killed the two people they had taken captive. He had to know where they had come from, and, more important, how they had ended up here. There was only one way someone could travel through time, and it required the sacred vessel created by the Sky People.

He reached the top of the plateau by the time the sun had disappeared completely. The dark sky revealed countless stars twinkling above. Cam didn’t stop to admire them. Several clouds passed overhead, but there would be no rain tonight. The scent of wood smoke reached his nose, and Cam moved silently through the stands of lodgepoles. The rushing sound of the waterfall would make it easier for him to reach the Bakianee camp undetected.

The soft glow and flickering of a fire through the trees alerted him that he'd found what he'd been tracking. Using the trees for cover, he moved closer, his bow strung and ready, if needed. He counted eight men sitting and laughing around the fire, and his muscles relaxed. They hadn't posted a sentry, at least not yet. Cam remained behind one of the closest trees. He studied each man, assessing their weapons until his eyes fell on the two people huddled in the shadows away from the fire. He might not have noticed them at all if not for the white coat the man wore.

Focusing his eyes on the prisoners, little details about the woman sitting next to the man became clearer. She wore clothing that hugged her feminine figure, her skirt bunching up around her knees to reveal bare legs. Her long, yellow hair was tied back, creating a tail. On her face, resting on the bridge of her nose, were black-rimmed . . . glasses. It took a moment for the word to come to him. There was no such word in the Tukudeka language. His pulse throbbed at his temples, and his heart leaped for joy. He'd been correct that this man and woman were from the future, and he would find out how they'd arrived in this time.

Cam unstrung the arrow from his bow and stepped out from behind the tree. Without hesitating, he strode out of the shadows into the Bakianee camp. Several men who saw him first jumped to their feet, their weapons drawn. Cam smiled, and raised his hand, holding his palm up.

“Greetings, warriors of the mighty Bakianee,” he said in their language, striding toward the men. He sought eye contact with the one he’d guessed to be the leader. “I am called Cameahwait, and I wish to share your fire.”

Several of the warriors glared at him, then turned their heads toward their leader.

“A Tukudeka does not share our fires,” the man said with bared teeth, a look of disdain on his face.

Cam ignored the weapons the warriors pointed at him. He held the leader’s glare. “I am no Tukudeka,” he said in a low tone. “I am known to the warriors of the Bakianee as Kia-ayo, because I saved your great war chief, Aatsista-Mahkan, from the mighty grizzly two summers ago.”

Several of the men murmured. The leader stepped forward. He glared at him through narrowed eyes.

“If you are who you say, you will have the mark of the bear, whose name you claim to own.”

Cam stared at the warrior, then slowly turned to reveal his back. In the light from the fire, the four deep claw marks that ran from the top of his right shoulder to the middle of his spine would be easy to see. The wounds had long healed, but the scars would always serve as a reminder that he’d nearly lost his life while confronting the most respected and revered predator in these mountains.

More murmurs erupted behind him. He kept his back turned in a silent statement that he wasn't afraid of these men and waited until the leader spoke to him.

“You are who you say,” the leader called. “I have heard that Kia-ayo walks among powerful spirits. You are welcome at our fire.”

Cam turned to face the Blackfoot warriors. Without moving his head, his gaze drifted slightly to where the two prisoners sat, still huddled together. They both looked toward the fire with fearful eyes. Not that he could blame them. The Blackfoot would make sport of these two, especially the man. The woman would face a fate much worse than death.

Cam sat with the warriors near the fire and accepted the meat offered by the leader, Cunning Fox. He listened with half an ear to their retelling of the day's hunt. When talk turned to the prisoners, he paid closer attention.

One of the men laughed. "Strange creatures, this white man, and woman. I have only seen one other white man in my life, but he did not invite me to put an arrow through his heart as these two have done. This man nearly begged us to kill him."

The others joined him in laughter. Cam glanced from one to the other. He’d waited long enough to make his move. This might be his best opportunity to get near the prisoners.

“I am a white man,” he said in a low tone.

The warriors fell silent. They all stared at him, scrutinizing him to see if he spoke the truth.

“You do not speak, dress, or behave as a white man,” Cunning Fox said. He studied him fully. “Your skin is lighter than ours, as is your hair. That is the only difference I see. In your heart, you are one with the mountains. I cannot say the same for this man and woman we found. Killing them will bring no honor.”

Cam looked again toward the prisoners. The man's head hung low, his chin resting on his chest while the woman still looked toward the fire. Her eyes, although tired, were alert. Her gaze met his. Cam didn't look away. Some invisible force kept his eyes on her. Distant memories entered his mind of young girls and women with hair the color of hers. He finally forced his eyes away and hardened the muscles along his jaw.

“What will you accept in trade for the woman?” He looked from one man to the next. “Who claims her?”

Bartering for the lives of both the prisoners would be impossible, but he could at least try and save one of them. He needed answers to his burning questions.

Cunning Fox smirked. “It is said that Kia-ayo lives with his brother and an old man. You may have use for a woman, but not this one. She is weak, and certainly not someone befitting a man of your status.”

Cam smiled slowly. He stared the Blackfoot in the eyes. “Then she isn’t worth much, and you will give her to me in trade.”

The hard expression on Cunning Fox’s face left no doubt that the warrior had realized his mistake when he’d proclaimed that the woman was useless.

“The color of her hair might bring a higher price,” the Bakianee tried to argue.

“The color of her hair won’t change that she is weak, as you say, so no one else will want her,” Cam retorted. “I think the color of her skin makes her a suitable mate for me.” He shrugged. “I give you my bow in trade for her.”

Cunning Fox's eyes lit up with eager interest. They fell to his horn bow. Cam gritted his teeth. It would take weeks to make another bow like the one he carried, but he had to claim the woman. Getting some answers, and perhaps a way to return to his former life was worth giving up his hunting weapon.

The Blackfoot warrior stared at him. Cam held his calculating gaze. Cunning Fox wanted the bow, but he couldn’t appear too eager for the trade.

“You claim you are not Tukudeka, yet you fashion your hunting weapon as they do. The Sheepeaters do not trade their bows.”

Cam scoffed. “I have told you, I am not Tukudeka. I have learned from them, yes, but I belong to no people.”

Cunning Fox seemed to be measuring his words. Finally, he nodded. “I will give you the woman in trade. You will take her as your wife tonight.”

Cam cursed silently, words he remembered from his youth that his former mother and father had frowned upon. He reached his hand out, and Cunning Fox clasped his wrist.

“Your buffalo robe and the woman for my horn bow,” he said firmly.

Cunning Fox nodded, and Cam handed him his bow. He stood, and snatched the robe up off the ground. With long strides, he walked up to the prisoners. The woman stared up at him warily and nudged at the man beside her. He raised his head, his eyes going wide in the dim light. He sat up straighter and tried to scramble backward on his haunches. The man was a coward, but no one could blame him for his fear.

Cam looked to the woman. Apprehension and confusion shone in her eyes, but there was also something else. A small glimpse of defiance sparked to life in her, along with curiosity. Cam hardened his gaze. Right now, with eight warriors watching, he could not show mercy. He reached for the woman's arm and hauled her to her feet. She barely reached his chin when she stood up so close to him. Cam inhaled the fragrance of her skin. He leaned closer and drew in a deep breath.

“Let go of me,” she demanded, her eyes wide and shimmering in the light from the fire. Some invisible current raced through him. The last time anyone other than Mat or Pikowan had spoken words to him in English had been many years ago, in a different life.

“What are you doing with her? Leave her alone,” the man called from behind them, a quiver of fear in his voice. The woman squirmed and struggled against Cam’s hold, and his grip on her tightened. He pulled her further into the shadows.

“Please tell me what’s going on here,” she cried. Her voice was strained, soft, and laced with dread, yet she fought his hold on her. The scent of her clothes, her hair, and her skin heightened all his senses.

“Doesn’t anyone here speak English?” she pleaded. “Whatever game or college prank you’re pulling, it’s gotten way out of hand.”

Cam tossed the robe to the ground. He pulled her up against his chest, and the woman sucked in a sharp breath. She brought her bound hands up to brace against him. The cool contact of her soft hands against his skin sent another ripple of awareness through him. He leaned forward, her hair tickling his nose, and he inhaled deeply.

"Numua kwana pihiyaapin," he whispered in a low tone and pushed her down onto the fur.

Chapter Four

Riley braced against the guy's firm hold on her arm when he pushed her onto the animal fur. Her effort lasted about a second. He was simply too strong, and her body too tired and sore to fight him. She folded like an accordion. Her heart pounded with both fear and anger. The words that jerk had whispered against her ear in that sensual tone sent shivers down her spine. It wasn't hard to guess what was going to happen to her. She tugged on the leather straps that tied her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut, praying for strength as tears pushed their way through her clenched eyelids.

It had become obvious a long time ago that what she and Jeffrey were experiencing was not some hallucination, but very real. Her bloody feet, and the pain from stepping on countless rocks while being dragged over rough terrain was not her mind playing tricks on her.

When those eight men had surrounded them earlier in the day, dressed like Native American warriors, pointing spears and arrows at her and Jeffrey, she’d laughed it off at first. It had become apparent real quick that they weren’t messing around, and that she and Jeffrey were being kidnapped.

No matter how often she’d tried to talk to them, they’d turned a deaf ear on her. None of them replied, or gave any indication that they spoke English, much less understood her. They communicated mostly through hand gestures, and when they spoke, it had been in some foreign language that – as much as she hated to admit it – sounded a lot like a dialect of Algonquian, a Native American language. She’d heard it spoken, but she certainly didn’t know more than a word or two without having to look at a reference book. A Native American linguistics course was high on her list of classes she’d wanted to take.

The men's clothing and weapons, and even their appearance looked as authentic as anything she'd ever seen. As the day had crawled on excruciatingly slow while she and Jeffrey were forced to go with them, her usually logical mind had turned to irrational thoughts that this was real and these men weren’t pretending. Several of them had stared at her as if they’d never seen anyone like her before. They had touched her hair, her clothes, and taken her glasses, which she’d snatched away from them again.

When her foot had gotten stuck in the dirt for the hundredth time, one of the men had removed her shoes and tossed them away after scrutinizing the one that didn't have a broken heel. He'd slashed it through the air as if testing it to see if it could be used like a knife or other weapon, but had apparently concluded that it was useless to him.

Jeffrey’s pleas and mutterings throughout the day had fallen on deaf ears, and he’d even gotten on her nerves after a while. After failing to draw these guys into some sort of communication, she’d gone along silently, as best as she could. Annoying them with constant begging wasn’t going to win her or Jeffrey any favors, and she’d told him as much. By the time they’d come to where their kidnappers set up camp, Jeffrey had finally shut up.

Riley tried to produce saliva and swallow. All it did was make her parched throat hurt more. Her stomach grumbled, but that was the least of her worries.

The campfire a short distance away cast eerie shadows on the men sitting around it. They spoke in low tones and seemed completely oblivious to what was about to happen to her.

They’re probably waiting to take their turn.

Another wave of panic raced through her, and taking a breath became painful. She’d watched this new guy walk into the camp, and for a hopeful second, she’d thought he’d come to talk some sense into these other guys. He’d almost looked as if he’d been bartering, sitting around the fire with the others. Then again, visibility hadn’t been all that great. When he’d come and pulled her roughly to her feet, then dragged her further away into the darkness, her hopes had died.

Riley let out a loud screech when the guy’s large hands clamped around her upper arms, and his warm breath tickled her ear.

“Riley?” Jeffrey’s raspy and fearful voice called from somewhere further away. Riley darted a frantic glance toward the sound. He was only visible because of his lab coat, but just slightly. “What’s going on, Riley? What’s he doing to you?”

The strong odor of sweat and dirt coming from the guy who grabbed her reached her nose when she finally did manage to suck in some air.

“Please, don’t do this,” she whimpered.

She forced more air into her lungs. Her heart pounded so hard, it was about to break through her chest. “You and your friends won’t get away with this.” Her voice croaked from lack of moisture in her throat.

The man drew in a deep breath next to her ear. His hair brushed against her cheek, and Riley shrank away. Jeffrey continued to call out to her. Another wave of dread raced through her, making her pulse pound against her temples.

“Where is it?”

Riley tensed. The words were spoken so low against her ear, they sounded more like a growl. Firm hands gripped her arms tighter.

“You speak English,” she gasped in relief. “Who are you people? What do you want?”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she smacked herself for the stupid question. Wasn’t it obvious what he wanted?

“If you are here, you must have it,” he growled again. Although he clearly spoke English, it sounded as if it wasn’t his preferred language, and he was searching for the right words.

Riley shook her head. If she could keep him talking, maybe he’d see reason and wouldn’t force himself on her.

“Have what?” she asked, her voice higher than normal.

“The vessel,” he grumbled, an almost urgent plea to his deep tone. His fingers dug into her skin through the fabric of her clothes.

“Vessel?” she echoed. “What vessel?” Riley moved to pull her arms from his grip, but the strap tying her hands together prevented her from moving them fully. Even so, the strength in his fingers alone would crush her if he wanted to.

“Were you sent by the Sky People?” His voice grew more adamant.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Riley hissed. Anger surged in her, momentarily overriding her fear. Her eyes widened, even though it was impossible to see anything in the darkness. She leaned her face away from the close proximity of this lunatic. It took another second for his question to fully sink in.

Sky People? Seriously?

Riley nearly laughed. “Okay, whose idea of a joke is this, because it’s not funny anymore. You’re all taking your role-playing a little too far.”

Had someone set up an elaborate prank to play on her? She’d often been called too serious about her work, and that she needed to get out more and loosen up. When this guy mentioned sky people, it finally all made sense.

The ancient Sheepeater Indians believed in a spirit hierarchy of sky, earth, and water people. She'd just talked about it with a few of her classmates, not more than a week ago. Someone had obviously thought to use that and play a joke on her, a joke that had gotten horribly out of hand. She tried again to pull away from this guy's crushing grip. Her arms were starting to tingle from the cutoff flow of blood.

“No, the Sky People didn’t send me,” she said, sweetly. Sarcastically. Her anger and annoyance took over. “Jeffrey and I came by ourselves.” An irrational need to throw her hands in the air hit her.

“Then where is the vessel?” the guy asked, his growl deepening.

“I don’t know anything about a vessel,” Riley retorted, expelling air through her mouth. “Maybe if you can be a bit more specific. What does it look like? And why is it so important to you?”

The guy shifted in front of her. Thankfully, he eased his grip on her, but his mounting frustration was evident in his words. “The vessel that holds the power of the Sky People was created in the shape of a pasuku . . . snake. It gives them, or anyone else who understands its power, the ability to travel through time.”

Riley squeezed her eyes shut. The image of that artifact she’d taken out of the box at the lab came to mind . . . the one she’d thought looked like a snakehead. She laughed.

“Travel through time? You’re kidding, right? This is getting better by the second. Did that ranger, Dan Osborne, set this up?” When she got back to the lab, he’d be her first phone call. The next one would be to his supervisor.

The guy’s grip on her tightened again, and he shook her roughly. Riley bit her lower lip to keep from crying out. “You are here from the future. You’ve touched the lifeblood inside the vessel . . . the red eyes.”

It was too dark to see him, but by the sound of his voice, a snarling face and bared teeth came to mind.

“You’re on drugs,” she gasped. “You need to let me and Jeffrey go, and I might consider not filing assault charges.”

A rough voice called from out of the darkness. Several other men laughed. The guy in front of Riley tensed, and he muttered words under his breath she didn’t understand.

His body shifted again, and he pushed her fully to the ground. Not a second later, he was on top of her, pinning her to the hairy animal fur underneath her.

“Get off me.” Riley squirmed beneath him, panic giving her strength. She brought her leg up in an effort to kick her knee into his groin, but he was quicker. A heavy thigh draped over her leg, immobilizing her beneath him even more. With her hands tied, she had no way to fight him off. All she could do was push her palms against his chest, but she might as well be trying to move a mountain of granite.

“Scream,” he commanded against her ear.

“What?”

Cold fear raced through her. When his weight crushed her into the ground, the sensation of drowning engulfed her, making breathing impossible.

“Scream, and continue to fight,” he said in his low voice.

“You’re a sick son of a bitch, you know that?” Riley screeched, gasping for air.

Tears of frustration raced down her face. He lifted his weight slightly, and she gulped in several quick breaths. She almost called for Jeffrey, but he was tied up. Even so, he’d be completely useless to her in this situation. Jeffrey wasn’t the knight in shining armor type to fend off a beast like this guy. He wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d already stopped calling out to her.

A warm hand slid up her thigh, groping and feeling, and she tensed. He moved higher. His hands seemed to be all over her, pulling her blouse out from the waistband of her skirt, feeling along her back, down her arms, her stomach.

He murmured more words that sounded like gibberish against her ear while he continued to explore her with his hands. When his palm grazed the top of her bra, Riley bucked beneath him in a futile effort to get him to stop. She called him every foul word that came to mind and made up a few of her own.

“Where’s the vessel?” he demanded again.

“I don’t have your damn vessel,” she shouted.

He froze. His hand pulled out from under her shirt, and his body moved to the side, and off of her. Riley gulped for air. She shook with fear and disbelief. Why had he stopped?

A cool breeze drifted over her legs. She pushed her skirt, which had bunched up around her waist, down as far as it would go, and rolled onto her side. She curled up into a fetal position and listened. The guy had stood. He called out, his angry voice sending a chill down her spine. She struggled to sit up, and strained her eyes. The men at the fire shouted excitedly now, too, and came toward her, their weapons in their hands.

They didn’t come directly at her, but scurried all around. Twigs snapped in the undergrowth of the forest. What was going on now?

“Jeffrey, are you all right?” Riley called into the darkness.

She widened her eyes, straining to see. Jeffrey’s white coat wasn’t visible where it had been a few minutes ago.

“Jeffrey?”

No answer.

“Jeffrey, where are you?” Renewed panic set in. What had happened to him? Had those lunatics done something? Hurt him? “Jeffrey!”

A firm hand grabbed her by the arm, and lifted her to her feet. She’d felt that grip enough times now to know it wasn’t one of the eight men who’d kidnapped her and Jeffrey. No doubt she’d be bruised in the morning. At least it would be evidence when she filed assault charges, if she lived through this night.

“What have they done to Jeffrey?” she demanded.

The man’s grip eased, but he continued to hold her as if he was afraid she’d try to run away. Riley scoffed. No chance of that happening. She couldn’t see a thing in the dark, and her feet throbbed.

“Your boyfriend is gone,” came the low voice.

A jolt of adrenaline and ice-cold fear surged through her. “Gone? What do you mean, ‘he’s gone’?”

“Does he have the vessel?” the man asked in a threatening tone. “It wasn’t on you.”

Riley shook her head. Her skin tingled from where his hands had been all over her a few minutes ago. He hadn’t been groping her. He’d been looking for some object? What was this guy’s fixation with that artifact?

Jeffrey had taken that snakehead from her just before all this craziness started, and dropped it in his coat pocket. Riley stared into the darkness.

“If it’s what I think you mean, then, yes, Jeffrey has it.”

“The Blackfoot won’t find him,” the man scoffed. He dropped his hold on her arm.

“Well I hope he finds a phone and calls for help,” Riley stuttered. She couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice; disappointment and anger that Jeffrey had simply left her. It was quickly replaced by more fear. Had Jeffrey really snuck off in the dark? He had to know what these men were going to do to her. Maybe he’d get away, and could call the authorities.

“There is no phone here,” the man standing next to her said with a sneer. “He left you, and returned to the future.”

Chapter Five

Cam cursed repeatedly. He squeezed his hands into tight fists at his sides, every muscle in his back taut with anger. He’d been so close. The vessel that had eluded Pikowan all these years had almost been in his hands. The moment the woman told him that she didn’t have it he’d realized that he’d bartered for the wrong prisoner.

He’d alerted the Bakianee to the coward’s disappearance the instant he’d seen that the man had vanished. Even so, suspicion might fall on him that he had something to do with the white man’s escape. The warriors would never find him. When they returned from their search, they’d take their anger for losing their captive out on the woman, even though she rightfully belonged to Cam now. It was best to leave before they returned. He couldn’t fight off eight warriors in the dark, and still keep the woman safe.

Cam turned to her. She stood next to him, her arm brushing up against his. Her body quivered. He leaned forward, reached for her, and slung her over his shoulder. She expelled a surprised breath of air, then struggled against his hold. Cam gripped her tightly by the legs.

“Put me down, you animal,” she screeched, her tied fists pounding against his back.

Cam grabbed for the buffalo robe he’d also taken in trade for his horn bow. Turning quickly in the direction of the fire, he followed the path from where he’d come.

“If you value your life, you’ll keep quiet,” he warned when she continued to protest and fight.

She might be small, and weigh not much more than the deer he’d carried earlier, but she wasn’t without spirit. Time would tell how her body would hold up to the harshness of the land. Cam’s insides heated, and he cursed his reaction to her.

He’d learned all too much about her body already. She was soft and feminine, and she smelled like honey. It was the first thing he’d told her, even if she hadn’t understood his words. It was good that she thought the worst of him while he’d been trying to find the vessel on her person.

Cunning Fox had told him he needed to take her as his wife as part of the trade. It had been the Blackfoot’s way of toying with his prisoner one final time. Cam had no intention of forcing himself on a woman, but it had been more convincing on her part if she didn’t know that.

“Where are you taking me,” she demanded. Her unnatural position, belly-down over his shoulder, thankfully gave her lungs little room to expand, and her voice wasn’t as loud.

“Keep quiet, woman, or I’ll leave you to your fate with the Bakianee,” he growled. “I’m taking you somewhere safe.”

Thankfully, she stopped her squirming and even kept her mouth shut. Cam picked his way through the woods, his ears trained on sounds in the forest, and whether the Bakianee were following him. He retraced his steps from the direction in which he'd come, following the river that rushed below the well-worn deer trail.

Since the woman didn’t know anything about the ancient object and its capabilities, the man must have overheard Cam telling her how it worked, and he’d realized what was in his possession. He’d chosen to take the coward’s way out.

Cam cursed again. He could have sent the couple back to where they came from, and they both would have been safe. A blind man could see that they had been out of their element. Why would the Sky People send two such people to this time on purpose? They guarded the vessel fiercely. No one touched it by accident.

“You need to put me down. I can’t breathe,” the woman moaned after some time, cutting into his thoughts.

She’d remained quiet for a remarkably long time. They weren’t far from where he’d set up camp with Mat the night before. He’d circled around a few times, and gone in a different direction, splashing through several creeks to throw the Blackfoot off his trail, if they decided to pursue him in daylight.

Cam continued through the darkness. It would be many hours yet before dawn. He would make better time to reach Mat without the burden of the woman, but he couldn’t leave her alone in the forest. He had to let Mat know that he was alive, but she needed rest, and she couldn’t continue to be slung over his shoulder.

Choosing a rocky outcropping hidden behind a thick swath of bushes and lodgepoles, Cam set the woman on her feet. She cried out, and he grabbed for her arm before she fell.

"You can rest here," he said. "But you need to remain still." He pulled his knife from his belt, and by feel, cut the leather ties keeping her hands bound.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice weak and spent.

Cam draped the buffalo hide more fully over her shoulders to give her some warmth.

“I want to know what’s going on. Isn’t there a town or something nearby? How far are we from the university?”

Cam shook his head. She still didn’t believe him; that she’d time traveled from the future. In daylight, things would become clear to her.

“Voices carry in the night. We will talk in the morning,” he answered in a low tone. “Rest here.”

Hopefully, she’d agree and not argue. It was already obvious that she had a mind of her own, and wouldn’t take orders quietly. To make his point, Cam pushed her to the ground. His lips twitched in a smile when she resisted at first, but then sighed heavily and sank to her knees.

“I’d better get a full explanation in the morning,” she grumbled. “And if you so much as come near me, I’ll scream so loud, you’ll go deaf.”

Cam didn’t bother with a reply. She had courage for speaking to him the way she did. She’d need that courage in the upcoming days. He stood off several paces to where she rested on the ground, and folded his arms across his chest. He stared up at the stars. Small clouds drifted across the night sky at a lazy pace, obstructing the light from the half moon.

The sounds of the night – crickets and small animals rustling in the underbrush – soothed his tension. The crisp air made the scents of the forest more pronounced, but the one scent that overrode all others was the sweet smell on the woman’s clothes, skin, and hair. When her breathing became even and rhythmic, he turned and knelt beside her. He touched the back of his hand to her cheek. She didn’t move.

Cam adjusted the buffalo hide around her, then scooped her into his arms. She moaned softly in her sleep, but exhaustion had finally won out.

“Put me down,” she mumbled weakly, but her body remained limp in his arms.

"Shhh," he whispered against her cheek and inhaled another quick breath of the intoxicating scent of her hair.

His reaction to her was the same as before, and he cursed again. Cam straightened, and settled her against his chest, then set out to meet up with Mat. Gray mist swirled in front of him, and the black night sky slowly changed color by the time he strode through the trees to his camp.

Mat instantly leaped to his feet from a sleeping position, his bow drawn, but he lowered it just as quickly. His faint outline was visible through the fog, as was the soft orange glow of embers in the fire.

“I see you kept your scalp,” Mat greeted him, then fell silent.

Cam lowered the woman to the ground near the coals. She stirred but remained asleep. Cam draped the buffalo hide over her and straightened. He rubbed his sore arms and shoulders from carrying her all night. Only then did he raise his eyes to where Mat stood. Although his friend's features were faint in the pre-dawn light, there was no doubt he was looking at the woman on the ground.

“You brought a gift, I see, from your meeting with the Bakianee,” he said after a moment of silence.

Cam scoffed. He walked a short distance away. Mat followed.

“Not so much a gift, but a burden.” He strained his eyes to look at Mat’s face. “I almost had the vessel,” he said quietly.

“What?” Mat’s body tensed, and he stepped a little closer.

Cam let his words sink in before he answered. “This woman and her companion came from the future.”

Mat glanced at the sleeping woman by the fire. “Where is her companion?”

Cam laughed. “He returned to his time . . . with the vessel.” He proceeded to explain what little he’d learned, and concluded with the question that had nagged him all night. “Why would the Sky People send them here? This woman will be dead within a week.”

“Not if you keep her safe,” Mat said quickly. “You bartered for her. She’s yours.”

Cam paced in front of his friend. "I don't need to be burdened with a woman. Besides, women aren't bartered like this in the future." Despite his foul mood, he added lightly, "Not even during the primitive time in the future you came from." He stopped pacing and looked to his friend. "What would you do with her?"

Mat shrugged. “Take her to Pikowan.”

Cam shook his head. “I need to speak to the Sky People first.”

Mat leaned toward him. “You’re going to seek out Naatoyita? The last time you spoke to him, you parted ways in anger. You said you’d never speak to him again.”

Cam worked his jaw muscles, gnashing his teeth at the same time. It had been many years since he’d even seen one of the Sky People. “I have no choice this time. I will bring him the woman. He has to send her back. She will die here.”

Mat smirked. “You already have a soft spot in your heart for her, if you care whether she lives or dies.”

Cam scowled. “I am tired of being a pawn in the Sky People’s games. They’ve told us nothing but lies.”

Mat placed a hand on Cam’s shoulder. “According to Pikowan. What if they’ve told us the truth?”

Cam pulled away. They’d had this argument many times before. “They haven’t told us anything,” he hissed in a low tone under his breath. “They speak in riddles, and only say what they want us to know, but never the truth.” His anger rose. “Why did they bring me here? Why did they bring you here? They say we will know in time, but when will that be?”

“You enjoy your life here, don’t you, Cam? The freedom the mountains bring you?” Mat retorted quietly. “Do you really think you would have been happier living with your family in the future?”

Cam shook his head. “I don’t know. I just don’t like being told I was chosen for something, but not knowing what that is.”

“You know my feelings. I prefer my life here. Whatever my path is, I know it’s not in the future.”

It was understandable that Mat would be happier here than the life he’d left behind in the future. Mat had told him that his father had been a drunk and both his parents had been users of drugs. When the Sky People had come for him, he’d been glad to be taken away.

“You would choose to stay here if I brought you the vessel that could return you to the future?” Cam had asked the question before, but this time, he’d almost had the vessel in his hands, rather than just contemplating “what ifs”.

Mat nodded. “You know I like my life here, and I know you like your life here, too, even if you’re angry and say you’re unhappy. I chose to go with you when you left the Tukudeka because I think of you as my brother, but if you could go back, I’m not sure I’d follow you to the future.”

Cam stopped pacing. He stared off into the distance. Why was he so angry? When the ancient one, Naatoyita, had come for him in his bedroom all those years ago, it had sounded like an exciting adventure to a twelve-year-old boy. He’d learned to live in this primitive world. He’d excelled at survival in the harshest of conditions, yet something was missing, and he hadn’t figured out what it was.

When Naatoyita had refused to tell him why he’d been brought to the past, and told him to be patient, Cam had rebelled. Even as a young boy, his teachers and parents had called him a hothead. He’d learned, over the years, to control his emotions, and channel his energy by honing his survival skills.

Just as he’d often wanted to run away from his family in the future because he’d felt like he didn’t fit in, he’d finally run away from the Tukudeka family that had taken him in when he’d arrived in this time. It had been Naatoyita’s wish that they raise him and teach him the ways of the Sheepeaters.

When he'd come across Pikowan, the only other white man in these mountains, he'd found an adult he could talk to and trust. Pikowan had been honest with him from the beginning and hadn't kept secrets. He, too, had been abandoned by the Sky People, and he’d lived many years alone in the wilderness with no hope of returning to his former life.

“Go back to Pikowan,” Cam finally said. “Bring him the meat, but say nothing of this woman.”

“He will want to know about her, and talk to her.” The dawning sky had lightened enough that Mat’s smile was unmistakable.

“This woman didn’t know anything about the vessel.” Cam shot his friend a meaningful stare.

Mat's teeth were visible in the graying light. He laughed and gave Cam a brotherly slap on the arm. "It is as I've said. You have a soft spot in your heart for this woman."

Cam glared at his friend in the same way he would stare at an enemy warrior. “If you go now, you can be home before the day is over,” he grumbled.

“As you wish, my friend.” He shook his head, still chuckling.

Mat gathered his weapons and slung several pouches containing meat from the butchered deer over his shoulder.

"I will leave some of the deer with you. I will tell Pikowan that you have gone on a spirit journey and don't know when you will return." He shot a meaningful look at the woman sleeping on the ground. His lips still twitched in a grin.

Cam pulled his gaze from his friend when Mat disappeared through the trees. He knelt to stoke the coals to life in the fire pit, then his eyes drifted to the sleeping woman. Yellow hair poked out from under the dark hide of the buffalo robe. Cam shook his head, and his eyes narrowed. Who had sent her, and why?

Chapter Six

Riley lay under the smelly fur robe, her eyes wide open. It was definitely no longer night. A tiny stream of gray light filtered under the gap between the dirt and the robe. The cold ground underneath her seeped straight into her bones, and she shivered.

Two men were talking nearby in hushed tones. She didn’t dare move. She strained her ears to listen, but it wouldn’t have mattered if she had heard them clearly. They didn’t speak English, and although it sounded Native American, it was distinctly different from the words spoken by those eight men who abducted her and Jeffrey. One of the voices definitely belonged to the guy who had taken her away from those others.

Riley replayed the events that had taken place over the last twenty-four or so hours, starting with the box of artifacts in the lab at the university. She’d picked up that snakehead artifact and had held it in her hand, rotated it, and commented about the red stones that had been embedded in the sides to make it look as if it had eyes. She had touched those stones, just as Jeffrey took the object from her and dropped it in his pocket. Then all the craziness had started.

You’ve touched the lifeblood of the vessel . . . the red eyes.

Was it true, as inconceivable as it sounded, that she had time traveled? Was it merely coincidence that she had overheard two rangers talking about that very idea as if it had happened to them? She'd even joked with Dan Osborne that he'd made it sound as if he'd actually done some time traveling. What on earth was going on here?

Her mind shook vigorously with denial, fighting the very idea of such a thing. However, of all the irrational things that had happened that she couldn’t explain, time travel was actually the one thing that made perfect sense, if taken in context. The wild and untamed-looking landscape with not a hint of civilization anywhere, the men who dressed, behaved, and talked like Native Americans from the nineteenth century; had she really traveled back in time? Her heart rate increased, and breathing under the stuffy robe became more difficult.

The voices faded, and things were quiet except for the loud chirping of a few birds. Wood crackled as if it was burning, and the smell of smoke drifted under her little fur cave. Riley coughed, and pulled the fur down past her nose. Cold air blasted her, but it was better than suffocating from smoke-inhalation under the cover.

She stared up at tall trees surrounding her that rose like long columns into the sky amid a haze of early-morning fog. The sun's rays penetrated through the canopies, streaming down through the mist and creating golden swirls and ribbons in the air. Riley turned her head to the left, then the right. Less than ten feet from her was the campfire. She was alone.

Tentatively, she sat up and groaned at the stiffness in her back and legs. She'd never walked as far, all at once, as she'd done yesterday, and most of it had been barefoot and uphill. She glanced at her bruised and raw feet. Dan Osborne had been right again that she needed better shoes and clothes to go hiking. Yesterday's experience, although involuntary, might have turned her off to that activity indefinitely, if not forever.

Her glasses fell from her nose into her lap. Riley swiped at a few strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Heck, most of it had come loose. She pulled the elastic band from her hair, gathered it all back together, and retied her ponytail. She glanced in all directions again. Had that guy who took her away from the other eight men abandoned her in the middle of nowhere?

Riley startled at a loud chattering noise behind her. She turned her head to see a little creature with a furry tail stare up at her. It stood on its hind legs as if it were begging. Riley shrieked in surprise, and scrambled to the side, away from the rodent.

“Shoo. Get away. I don’t have anything for you.” She waved her hand at the little thing, which had scurried off a short distance, and then stopped to look at her again.

From behind her, someone laughed loudly. Riley’s head snapped around. She struggled to stand, cringing at the pain in her raw feet. Her eyes widened, and she clamped her mouth closed, or she would have had to pick her jaw up off the ground.

Coming toward her through the trees was a man. He couldn't be real. She blinked. No one looked that rugged, and perfect. Her eyes roamed over his fringed leather leggings. He wore moccasins that were laced up his ankles and calves, and a loincloth also made of leather. That was the extent of his clothing. His torso was bare, displaying solid, sculpted abs, wide shoulders, and corded arms. His tanned skin glistened as the sun reflected off the water droplets that ran down his chest and arms from his wet hair. Riley's mouth went dry.

“Don’t let the squirrel bite you. It hurts,” he said, still laughing.

Riley stared. Despite the humor in his voice, there was a dark intensity to his eyes, and he was taking inventory of her from top to bottom just as she was doing to him. Her face flamed, and she folded her hands across her chest in a self-conscious gesture.

This was the guy whose hands and body had been all over her last night. It had been very clear to her, at the time, that he’d been solid, but she hadn’t been able to see him in the dark. He wasn’t bulky like the guys at the gym, just lean and solid in all the right places. His shoulder-length, dark-brown hair, that smile, and those intense eyes certainly completed the package.

Athletes aren’t your type, remember?

She raised her chin, and stood taller, mentally telling the voice in her head to shut up.

“Well, it startled me. I wasn’t expecting a squirrel so close behind me,” she retorted.

He grinned. “Next time, it might be something a little scarier, like a beaver, or maybe a raccoon. Even then, I don’t recommend that you scream.”

“Like you told me to do last night?” Riley’s cheeks flushed with heat. Why did words always come out of her mouth before thinking?

He came to a stop a few feet in front of her. Riley inhaled the clean scent of his skin and tilted her head to concentrate on his face rather than that chest, which was conveniently at eye level. His facial features were definitely Caucasian, not Native American, although his skin was tanned to a rich, even olive tone.

“Last night, I was trying to keep you alive.” His voice dropped to that same sultry tone he’d used then.

Riley lifted her glasses to her face. She needed something to do other than keeping her gaze from drifting lower to his naked torso, and if she continued to look him in the eyes, she’d drown in his intense stare. The sensation of melting had already taken a firm hold in her. Common sense told her she should be afraid of this guy, but she wasn’t.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he moved away first. He dropped to a kneeling position by the fire, piling more wood onto the flames. His pose gave her an enticing view of a firm upper thigh that his leggings and loincloth didn't cover. Riley clasped her burning cheeks between her cold hands. She needed a fire extinguisher right about now. She cleared her throat and looked past him into the trees, which were far less interesting.

"Yeah, about last night," she said and darted another glance at him.

He turned his head to her, his brows raised in a silent question. He waited. Riley took a step closer and sucked in a quick breath when pain shot through her soles. The guy's eyes dropped instantly to her feet, and he frowned.

“You said that Jeffrey and I time traveled,” she started, speaking slowly. She laughed quickly at her own words. Maybe he would finally tell her that it had all been a big joke.

“You did,” he said, his words clipped. He stood, then stared at her again. “You had no knowledge of the vessel?”

Riley shook her head. “A box with artifacts was dropped off at the university for me, and I was going through them. I picked up an object that looked like a snakehead with red stones for eyes. I assume that’s what you’re calling the vessel?”

The guy nodded. His intense stare eased, and he looked rather puzzled, the way his forehead scrunched.

“I think I might have touched the red stones when Jeffrey took the artifact from me and dropped it in his coat.”

“He must have held you at the same time,” he guessed.

Riley’s cheeks flushed again. “He was holding my hand. I think he was about to ask me out. That’s why he took it away from me; so that I would give him my full attention.”

The guy’s face hardened. “He didn’t know anything about the vessel?”

Riley shook her head. She laughed. “Jeffrey would never have done something like this knowingly.”

“He’s a coward for leaving you behind.”

Riley took a step back at his angry outburst and the dark scowl on his face. She’d already thought the same thing, but for some reason, needed to defend Jeffrey.

"He must have overheard what you were telling me last night, and put two and two together. He could have easily reached for it in his coat, even with his hands tied. Maybe he wanted to give it to you so that you'd leave me alone." She raised her brows at him in a meaningful stare.

The guy looked at her as if considering what she said. His frown deepened. Riley's heart rate increased. If this was all true, was she stranded in another time? She couldn't stay here. For starters, she had no shoes, and definitely not the right clothes. If Jeffrey had accidentally gone back to the lab . . . to the future, he'd come back for her. He would have figured out how that artifact worked.

“Please tell me you have another one of those snake things to get me home.”

The guy continued to stare at her. Her heart sank into the hard earth. If he had another one of those vessels, he could have sent her back last night, if he truly meant what he said and had been trying to help her. His silence spoke volumes.

“You’re telling me I can’t get home?” She squeezed the words between the growing lump in her throat. Her eyes widened. For the first time this morning, ice-cold fear raced down her spine.

The handsome hunk turned away from her and poked a stick into the fire.

“I may know of a way to return you to your time,” he said slowly. He stared into the flames.

Riley’s pulse quickened with relief. “Well, that’s a start,” she said with a quick laugh.

She waited for him to look at her again. “So, suppose I believe you, and I’ve traveled to - what I assume is the past - what year did I land in? I’m guessing somewhere in the early nineteenth century?”

She raised her brows and glanced around the camp for emphasis. Her mind was still trying to fully wrap itself around the idea of time travel, but there must, at least, be some towns and civilization here. She could make do until she could figure out how to get back to where she belonged. She had a million other questions for this guy, but she'd wait and see what his first response would be before bombarding him with more.

He turned his head to look at her. “Naatoyita, the elder who came for me, told me that he brought me 300 years into the past.”

Riley gaped at him. She fought to slow her racing thoughts down enough to make sense of it all and process what he’d said. The first thing that registered was that this guy had also time traveled.

“And what year did you come from and how long have you been here?”

His eyes held hers. “It was 2036 when I was brought here. Thirteen winters ago.”

Riley’s mouth dropped open. She did some quick math in her head. She was in 1749? Yellowstone wasn’t even on anyone’s radar at that time. Well, no one except the Native Americans who lived here. Heck, America hadn’t even become a country yet!

“You came from 2036?” She stared at him. “You’re younger than I am.” Looking at him, that thought was ridiculous. He had to be at least her age, but probably a few years older.

His mouth widened in a slow grin. “Perhaps I’m much older than you.”

She laughed. “You couldn’t have even been born yet when I supposedly time traveled. Yesterday, it was still 2011 in my world.”

The guy studied her intently. His eyes roamed over her again, a definite appreciative gleam in his gaze. There was something he wasn’t telling her. Riley inhaled a quick breath to ease the tightness in her chest. She was jittery, nervous, and yes, scared. It would take some time to process all of this, but for now, she had to go with the assumption that she had time traveled, as crazy as it sounded.

She stepped up to him, gritting her teeth at the pain in her feet. She held out her hand. “I’m Riley Bernard. I guess I owe you a thank you for getting me away from those other men last night. They weren’t exactly friendly.”

He stared at her hand, then slowly raised his and wrapped his fingers around hers. Adrenaline surged through her at the contact. His hand swallowed her much smaller one. It was warm, calloused, and no doubt could break every one of her fingers with one squeeze. She eased her hand back, and he let go.

“I am called Cameahwait,” he said, then stood and walked away from her. He opened a large leather pouch that hung from a tree branch.

Riley stared at his back as he retreated. Four long, deep scars, like someone had raked a sharp, four-pronged object across his skin, ran from the top of his right shoulder to the middle of his back. What had happened to him?

When he came back, he pierced a stick through a large chunk of meat and held it over the fire.

“We’ll eat, and be on our way,” he said.

“What happened to your back?” Riley whispered. He looked up at her while kneeling in front of the fire.

"I fought with a bear." He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"A bear?" Riley gaped at him again and glanced into the forest as if expecting a bear to walk into their camp.

“The Bakianee – Blackfoot – call me kia-ayo because of it.”

Riley pulled the buffalo robe closer to the fire, and sat. “But you’re not part of the Blackfoot tribe, are you?” she guessed. “The men yesterday, they spoke a dialect of Algonquian. Your words have a distinct Uto-Aztecan sound, but I can’t totally place it. Ca-me-ah-way translates to ‘someone who can’t walk’ or something close to that. I’m a little shaky on my linguistics.”

Riley opened her mouth to say more, when she glanced up to see him staring at her. She smiled tentatively. She was running off at the mouth again.

“My name was given to me by the Sky People. It means that I soar rather than walk, like the spirits.”

Riley shook her head. He was talking about Sky People again. Her eyes widened, and her heart rate accelerated. “You’re Shoshone? More specifically, you’re a Sheepeater? A Tukudeka?”

His jaw muscles visibly tensed, as did the rest of him. The surprise in his gaze that she had guessed correctly about his name quickly vanished.

“I belong to no people,” he growled, then stood, and walked away.

Riley stared after him. Question after question flooded her. He’d come from the future, but seemed to have been brought here by someone. He hadn’t accidentally touched some time portal like she’d done. He referred to the sky people spirits as real people. How was it possible to time travel, and would he help her get back home?

That old Native American that she’d glimpsed several times – once in Yellowstone when she’d left the ranger station, and again in the parking garage yesterday at the university – entered her mind. Had he been real, rather than a figment of her imagination?

“Riley, you’re in serious trouble,” she whispered. She darted a quick glance in the guy’s direction. “In more ways than one.”

Had her wish been fulfilled, and she was about to embark on the ultimate field study? Her conversation with Dan Osborne came rushing back.

It’s one thing to read about the past, but to actually experience it might be more than we’d want to deal with.

Cameahwait grabbed for the pouch that hung from the tree. He pulled his knife from his belt, and kept his back turned to her. Riley wasn’t going to interrupt whatever he was doing. She’d obviously said something to make him mad. The scars along his back muscles rippled with each of his movements.

This guy implied that the spirits of the Sheepeaters had brought him here and given him a highly spiritual name. Another tribe called him Bear. Dan Osborne’s smiling face flashed before her.

Your name literally means divine bear.

Riley shook her head. No. It was too far-fetched of an idea.

“What was your name in 2036?” she called, her mouth quicker than her mind again.

Chapter Seven

Cam turned to face the woman . . . Riley Bernard, when she called to him with her question. He stared. She sat by the fire, her wide eyes waiting for an answer. He hadn’t spoken his old name in years. In his hand, he clutched the pieces of hide that he’d cut from his shirt. It would have to be enough for now to make her some moccasins.

Cuts and bruises marked her bare feet. Dried blood mixed with dirt and dust. She couldn’t continue to go without foot protection. He’d use a little of the bison hide for now to insulate the moccasins he was making for her, rather than the customary rabbit fur.

Anger surged through him at the Bakianee warriors for forcing her to walk almost an entire day without shoes. He mentally shook his head to think clearly. The Blackfoot weren't known for their kindness. As much as her feet were injured, she'd gotten away easy. She could have been beaten by Cunning Fox and his warriors, or worse. She might not have lived through the night if he hadn't bartered for her.

Cam walked toward her and checked on the meat cooking over the fire. The sun's rays, streaming through the canopies of the trees and mist, bounced off her golden hair. When he'd returned to camp from washing yesterday's dirt and sweat from his body, and found her sitting by the fire, trying to scare off a squirrel, he'd been startled by her beauty. Laughing at her antics had been the best way to cover his reaction to her in daylight. The brief glimpses of her in the darkness hadn't prepared him for seeing her this morning.

Her hair, not to mention her clothing, was out of place here. It only reaffirmed his earlier thoughts that she didn’t belong in this world. She was a delicate flower, and his anger with the Sky People grew more intense, for sending her to this time, and to a certain death.

He could do little about the color of her hair, but she’d need something else to wear in order to make the journey to see Naatoyita, the Sky People elder who’d brought him to this time. It would take days to reach the high mountains where the old man made his home with his brother, Naatosi, who’d brought Mat from the future. Like all Sheepeater clans, the two Sky People elders tended to move with the seasons, and he needed to find out where they currently made their camp.

Cam glanced toward the woman again. Wherever the old men made their home, it would be a strenuous journey for anyone. Riley might not be up to such a trek. At best, she’d slow him down. At worst, he’d have to leave her behind, and convince Naatoyita to travel to the lower elevations in order to send her back to her time.

First, though, they had to reach the Tukudeka village where his adopted family lived, so he could ask them where to find the elders. He’d also trade for some tanned deer hide to make clothes more suitable for Riley, or perhaps he could barter for a finished dress.

He hadn’t seen his adoptive family in a long time, and it remained to be seen how they’d receive him, but the Tukudeka didn’t turn away visitors. Even though he and Mat no longer lived with the Sheepeaters, they still had friends among the hunters and their families. They might not welcome him with open arms for leaving the clan, but they’d be hospitable enough.

Cam knelt by the fire. He sliced his knife through the meat and handed Riley a piece. The sweet scent drifting from her hair, although faint now, mixed with the familiar smells of wood burning and cooked meat, and his heart beat faster. Thoughts and memories of what he'd done the night before overpowered him. The soft feel of her beneath him, and later carrying her through the forest, sent heat rushing through his veins. He gritted his teeth and abruptly stood. He'd been alone in the woods too long.

She looked up at him with raised eyebrows when he offered her the meat. She’d remained silent, no doubt waiting for his answer to her question about his name. Riley accepted the meat he offered, holding it between two fingers as if it would scald her. Cam’s lips twitched at her curious scrutiny of his offering. She looked so innocent, and inquisitive, like a young child making a discovery. Yet, she was far from a child.

He shook his head to refocus, and cut off a piece of venison for himself, peeling his eyes away from Riley. He tore into the meat, forcing his wayward thoughts about her elsewhere.

“You must be hungry,” he said, still chewing. He motioned at the meat in her hand. “It’s fresh deer. I shot it myself yesterday.”

Riley offered an uneasy smile and looked at the meat again with a critical eye. He shrugged and tore off another chunk with his teeth. It tasted good to him. He continued to eat, his focus on the meat. The sooner he finished, the quicker he could fashion some footwear for her, and they could be on their way.

“My former name was Cameron,” he offered when he’d swallowed his last bite, and she still hadn’t touched her food.

Riley stared at him with a curious look, but so much more. Her expressive eyes clearly conveyed that she was thinking about something.

“Cameron is a very modern name,” she finally said. “You had to have had a last name, too.” Her inquisitive gaze widened. Cam locked his eyes on her. His long-forgotten former name had never sounded better than coming from her lips.

“Cameron James.”

"James?" Her brows rose. She looked almost disappointed. Her lips pressed together, and she scrunched her forehead as if something didn't make sense to her.

Cam ate the last of his meat, then kicked some dirt onto the fire.

“There’s a creek behind those trees.” He pointed to the west. “You can clean up before we leave camp.” One thing he remembered from his former life was that women of her time liked to be clean.

Riley nibbled at her food, and stood. She let out a quick cry and sucked in a sharp breath before clamping her lips together. Pain clouded her eyes. Cam's eyes shot to her feet. He cursed his own stupidity for suggesting she go to the creek. He was still groping for the correct English words to use at times when talking to her. Obviously, he'd been unclear to tell her to wait until he made her some moccasins.

Despite the warning in his head that he was treading dangerously, he walked up to her, and hooked his arms behind her back and legs, scooping her up in his arms. He’d never ignored his instincts before, alarming him to danger. Riley Bernard was the most dangerous person he’d faced in a long time, but it didn’t matter. Some invisible force drew him to her, and his arms ached to hold her again.

He should have known last night that her companion, and not she, would be in possession of the vessel, but he’d bartered for her. He could have left her behind to face her fate with the Blackfoot. He could have told her to stay where she was just now, that he’d have some footwear made in a few minutes, rather than pick her up with the intent to carry her to the creek. He’d done none of those things.

“What are you doing?” she gasped. Her eyes grew round, locking with his.

Cam’s lips widened in a slow smile. He stared down into her brown doe-eyes through the glasses she wore. Her face was so close, he could lean down and kiss her if he wanted. He cursed silently, then straightened, and hardened his features.

He had to put an end to these crazy thoughts and feelings swirling through him before they burned out of control. He hadn’t seen a white woman, someone who gave him a connection to his former life, in more than a dozen years. That’s why he reacted so strongly to her. He hadn’t spoken this much English at one time since leaving his other life behind. The more he used the old words, the easier they were to remember.

A firm resolve took hold in him. He’d strike a bargain with Naatoyita if that’s what it would take to get the old man to send this woman back to her time. If the elder agreed, Cam would return to the Sheepeaters and do whatever was expected of him.

“I’m taking you to the creek. You can clean your feet while I get some footwear made for you. You’re going to slow me down enough as it is.”

Her brows furrowed, and anger flashed in her eyes. “Oh, am I? Well, I didn’t ask for any of this,” she hissed. “And I’m certainly not asking you to carry me, so please put me down.”

Cam released his hold around the back of her legs and dropped his arm. Riley squealed in surprise when he let go, and her hands shot up and gripped his shoulders. His other arm was still wrapped around her middle to soften her landing on her feet.

The unexpected feel of her hands on his bare skin sent an intense ripple of awareness through him, and his arm tightened around her, drawing her fully up against him. Her chest heaved against his, and she stared up at him with a mixture of annoyance, and a spark of something that reflected his own reaction to her. The smooth fabric of her shirt slid along his skin, and her soft curves pressed against his torso. Cam eased his hold around her waist, or else he might do something he couldn’t undo later.

“Why did you drop me?” she stammered. She took a step back, out of his embrace, and regretfully, removed her hands from his shoulders.

Cam plastered a grin on his face. It was time to refocus, and get this woman to safety.

He shrugged. “You told me to set you down.”

Riley narrowed her eyes. The spark he’d seen there that made his heart beat faster was gone, replaced by an annoyed glare. His grin widened. She looked even more enticing when she was mad.

“You could have warned me first, Tarzan.”

“We need to be on our way soon.” His grin faded. “If you don’t want to go to the creek, you can wait here while I make some moccasins for your feet. You can’t walk without foot covering. I’m not convinced the Blackfoot won’t track us. They might just want you back since their other prisoner vanished.”

Even with moccasins, her feet looked injured enough that he might end up carrying her most of the way.

“Well, thanks again for taking me away from them,” Riley mumbled. Her annoyance faded.

His lips twitched. "I wasn't going to leave you behind since I traded my best weapon for you."

Her eyes narrowed again instantly, making it immediately apparent that he’d said the wrong thing. She glared at him.

“You traded a weapon for me?”

Cam never backed down from anyone’s challenge, but this little woman’s angry stare sent a decidedly uncomfortable feeling through him. What had he said wrong this time? He chuckled. His words hadn’t meant to insult her, but that’s exactly what he’d done, to her way of thinking. A woman of this time would have been grateful.

She leaned toward him, then she straightened as if she'd just come to understand something. She inhaled a deep breath, by the way her chest heaved, and shook her head. The incredulous look in her eyes faded.

“I should really know this, and Dan Osborne was right,” she mumbled. “Living the past is a little different than reading about it. I suppose I should be thankful.”

“Dan Osborne?” Cam frowned. Somewhere in the back of his mind, that name sounded familiar. He’d heard it before, and not just when Riley had spoken it the previous night.

"He's a ranger I met the other day. I asked him to take me to some old Sheepeater sites within Yellowstone Park before all this craziness started." She laughed. "Maybe you can take me to see them instead."

Cam’s frown deepened. Memories came rushing back of his childhood, and his trip with the boy scouts to Yellowstone. The land had called to him then, and he’d unknowingly touched the Sky People’s ancient vessel, just as Riley had done. Only, it had sent him to an unfamiliar time and place. It definitely hadn’t been the Yellowstone region.

Of course, he’d had no idea at the time what had happened to him. He’d been told that he’d been lost in the wilderness. He’d followed an old Indian through the forest for days. A man had found him, and no doubt saved him from being killed by a cougar, and had told him he’d come to take him back to the scouts. The Indian had vanished, and Cam had no recollection how they’d returned to the area where he’d originally touched the vessel.

He’d been handed over to a ranger named Dan Osborne, who’d personally overseen his care and transport to the hospital for evaluation. Dan Osborne had told everyone that Cam had been lost in the wilderness, but Cam had always had the feeling that the ranger knew the truth of what had really happened.

Several months later, Naatoyita had come for him and brought him to the past. He and his twin, Naatosi, had explicitly warned Cam of another elder, their brother, Mukua.

“Mukua is dangerous, and cannot be trusted,” the old man had told him emphatically. “Mukua left his vessel for you to find, with the intent to send you to an unknown time and place to die.”

Naatoyita had paused, and his chest heaved. His eyes had filled with sadness, along with some fierce resolve that left Cam nodding his head. He couldn’t help but believe the old man. “Because he has found you, I was left with no choice but to come for you myself, even though you are not quite ready, so that you may follow your true path.”

Cam glanced at Riley. An almost overpowering resolve rushed through him to protect her with his life. He stared at her, and studied her like he would observe prey or an enemy, to learn their weakness and habits.

Who was this woman? She was not meant for this environment, yet she knew things about the Sheepeaters. Mukua had to be responsible for her being here. It was the only explanation. And if it had been Mukua’s doing, the elder wanted Riley dead for some reason. Cam’s muscles tensed.

He stepped away from her. He would have his answers once he spoke to Naatoyita. He gathered the leather he’d cut from his shirt, and started making some simple moccasins. If they hurried, they could get to one of the Tukudeka villages within a few days, and from there, seek out the Sky People.

“What do you know about the Sheepeaters?” Cam didn’t take his eyes off his work, but his awareness of the woman beside him was overpowering. He glanced up for a brief second. Riley sank back to the ground next to him, watching him work with fascination.

“I’m an anthropology student. My thesis was going to be on the Sheepeaters who lived in Yellowstone hundreds of years ago.” She laughed.

Cam looked up from his work. “Anthropology?”

Their eyes connected. Was he supposed to understand this word?

“It’s studying people and their culture. My area of interest is more in people that lived hundreds of years ago, rather than modern times.”

Cam didn’t look away. “Then you have to know about the Sky People.”

Riley shook her head. She removed her glasses, and pinched the bridge of her nose. Cam’s hand shot out to take them from her when she moved to put them back on. She was stunning without those glasses covering her face. He stared into her startled eyes.

“Can you see without these?”

Her forehead wrinkled. She didn’t look away from his gaze. Cam’s eyes roamed over every feature, from her rosy lips to her flushed cheeks, her pert nose, and her doe eyes. She was the loveliest thing he’d ever seen. Riley reached for her glasses that he still held.

“Yes, I can see without glasses.” She lowered her gaze.

“Then why do you wear them?”

She shook her head again. “It’s complicated,” she whispered.

Cam released the glasses. He clenched his hand into a fist. He’d fallen into her web again. Forcing his attention back to his task, he lined the moccasins he’d made with some strips he’d cut from the bison hide.

“You keep talking about the Sky People as if they’re real,” Riley said with an uneasy chuckle. “There is nothing in any of the books and literature I’ve read that would suggest that the Tukudeka thought of them as actual people. They’re merely part of their spiritual beliefs, like the earth and water spirits.”

Cam raised his eyes to her again. “Your books and literature are wrong.”

Riley gaped at him. “And they control time travel? With that snake thing?”

Cam inhaled a deep breath.

“The Sky People are the guardians of the sacred mountains. They protect this land, which is the land of the Sheepeaters and their forefathers. I only know what the elder who brought me here has told me.” Cam paused. He scoffed. “He hasn’t told me much of anything, but I do know that the Sky People are dying. There used to be many, but now there are only three left. They created the vessel that allows them to time travel, in order to make sure the lands are safe for all time. They cannot directly interfere with what people do, but they can influence.”

Riley held his gaze. Her eyes revealed an intelligent and inquisitive nature. She turned her head slightly.

“So, why were you brought here from 2036? And, are you saying that what happened to me wasn’t an accident?”

Cam’s jaw muscles twitched. His presence in this time was as much a mystery to him as Riley’s appearance. Once he sought out Naatoyita, he would finally demand answers to his own questions, as well as getting the woman sent back to her time.

“I don’t know why you were brought here, but I do know that it wasn’t by accident, and I will find out why.” He couldn’t tell her his suspicions about Mukua, and alarm her.

Her brows rose. "Find out? You mean you're going to talk to one of the Sky People?"

“Yes, and I will ask him to send you back to where you came from. You don’t belong here.” He spoke his last words with more force than necessary. He thrust the makeshift moccasins toward her. “Put these on, and we’ll be on our way.”

Chapter Eight

Riley focused on the ground in front of her, rather than on the pain jabbing at her feet with each step she took. Her jaw hurt from gritting her teeth all day. The soil beneath her was dry, hard, and uneven, and it required concentration to walk around the thick sage shrubs and through the dense tufts of grass. Large, oval prints, made by animals, were everywhere. The muscles in her legs throbbed, and her back ached. Exhaustion gripped her like never before. Running on the treadmill at the gym four days a week in an attempt to stay in shape just simply didn’t compare.

Glancing up, the sun shone bright above the horizon in front of her. Riley squinted to see better. Right now, she missed her sunglasses the most, and maybe a soak in a hot bath. The landscape hadn't changed much since this morning when she'd left the crude camp with Cameron. As far as the eye could see, hills and valleys rolled like a vast ocean in front and all around her. Massive, snow-capped mountains rose into the sky behind her. Dark forests blanketed the hills in a mosaic pattern, and the silver-green sage mixed with the dark green and brown grasses to give the landscape a mottled appearance.

When Cameron had told her to get ready to leave, she’d thought about refusing to go with him. What if someone was out looking for her? She’d be harder to find if she left the area. She was already a good distance away from the location where she and Jeffrey had arrived in this wilderness.

She’d dismissed her idea of staying put. What choice did she have but to follow this complete stranger, and put her trust in him? Except for some birds that circled the sky and the squirrel she’d tried to chase away, she hadn’t seen another living thing since her ordeal with those eight Blackfoot, if that’s what they truly were. Cameron called them Bakianee.

She laughed softly, despite the fact that she felt more like crying. Was she really in the past? The idea still hadn’t quite solidified in her mind, but Cameron had sounded convincing enough. She couldn’t deny his authentic clothing, weapons, and other paraphernalia he carried. He definitely spoke at least two Native American dialects fluently, was skilled and efficient at leatherwork, judging by the moccasins he’d made for her, and he obviously was very familiar with the terrain.

Her ears honed for any sounds that might be recognizable – a car engine speeding down a highway, or an airplane overhead. Other than the constant chirping of crickets and other bugs in the grasses, the calls of different birds, and the wind blowing through the sage, everything was eerily quiet.

Riley dropped the rolled-up, heavy buffalo robe she carried to the ground and pulled the water bladder that hung on a leather strap from her shoulder. She studied it for a second, her fingers running along the tanned hide that had been sewn around it. She'd seen and touched plenty of pouches like this in museums and at the university. They'd all been stiff, and fragile, but this one had been fashioned recently, not hundreds of years ago. Never had she imagined that she'd actually have one in her possession and use it as it had been intended. Cameron had given it to her before leaving the creek this morning.

She loosened the strip of rawhide that was tied around the tubular opening and held it to her mouth. The water was warm, and had a leathery taste to it – or maybe it was just the smell of leather in her nose – but at least it soothed her dry throat. She re-tied the strings and hung it back over her neck and shoulder, adjusting it so water wouldn't leak out.

She gazed off into the distance, and toward a nearby dense grove of aspen. A hawk screeched above her, and several ravens took to flight from the ground, making loud noises as if yelling at the predatory bird. She blew air out of her mouth and pushed back some strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Perspiration beaded on her forehead. A wave of annoyance shot through her, which only seemed to make her aching feet throb even more.

Where was Cameron? He’d led the way through this vast valley all morning, sometimes jogging in front of her, sometimes falling back. Periodically, he’d disappeared off into the trees, only to emerge hundreds of yards further up ahead. There was no doubt that she was slowing him down, just like he’d told her this morning. He could run circles around her all day with little effort, even if her feet weren’t all cut up and bruised.

Cameahwait. He Who Never Walks

No kidding! The guy hadn’t stopped running since they set out this morning, it seemed. He was relentless, and as tough and wild as his surroundings. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her, making her knees go weak, and she shook it off. Yeah, he was, without a doubt, one of the hottest guys she’d seen in a long time, if ever. His clothes, or lack of clothes, made him even more appealing.

Heat crept up her neck and into her cheeks. She was definitely not in the habit of staring at hot guys. Past experience had told her to steer clear of guys like him. The little voice in her head reminded her again that athletes weren’t her type.

Riley nearly laughed out loud. Athlete was an understatement for this guy. What kind of man would he have grown up to be in the future? Out here, in this wilderness, his upbringing had most definitely been different and had molded him into who he was now. Although there were glimpses of modern manners, growing up in a primitive world and culture certainly influenced his behavior. He was confident, proud, and fearless. There was a hint of cockiness to him, but he wasn't arrogant. Would he have been a jerk like the jocks she'd known?

Although she liked saying his Shoshone name, Riley preferred to call him by his English name, Cameron. Maybe she was simply in denial about all that had happened and needed to hold on to something familiar, even if it was simply a name.

Early this morning, when she’d seen his scars, and he’d told her that a bear had done that to him, the crazy thought had popped into her head that Cameron’s last name might be Osborne. The Blackfoot called him Bear, he talked about the spiritual sky people, and she’d overheard that strange conversation between Dan Osborne and the other ranger about time travel a few days ago. The idea that there could be a connection had made sense, among all the stuff that didn’t make sense since she’d gone to the lab yesterday morning. Disappointment had washed over her when he’d said his last name was James, which had blown her theory out of the water. Now that she’d had the day to think about it, it seemed silly.

You just don’t like to be wrong.

Riley sighed. Cameron had been gone longer than all the other times he’d simply disappeared throughout the day, and a cold wave of fear raced down her spine, mixed with a twinge of annoyance. When they’d first set out this morning, he’d handed her the bison robe and water bladder, and told her to keep walking in a straight line, pointing at a particular mountain in the distance to use as her point of focus.

“Where are you going to be?” she’d asked, a jolt of adrenaline surging through her limbs. He couldn’t simply leave her alone in this wilderness.

His faint smile had sent her heart to beating with a completely different rush.

“I’ll be nearby,” was all he’d said, and set off at a fast jog.

Throughout the day, he'd come to walk with her for a few minutes each time before setting off again on his own. After she'd been walking for at least a few hours, he'd handed her some of the meat he'd cooked that morning, and also some type of root. Riley had taken one bite of it and spit it back out.

“Are you trying to poison me?” She’d drained half the water skin in an effort to get the bitter taste out of her mouth.

Cameron had laughed, and shot her a cocky grin. “It’s called kanan. Bitterroot.”

“I can see why it’s called that,” she’d said, scrunching her face in disgust.

His smile had faded. “You’ll get used to the taste.”

Their eyes had connected. “Hopefully, I won’t be stuck here that long.”

The muscles along Cameron’s jaw had visibly tensed. A jab of worry had nagged her. He’d said he might get her home, but he hadn’t sounded completely convinced. What if she was stuck here? She shook off her apprehension. Jeffrey had that vessel. He’d come back. He wouldn’t simply leave her here.

Riley inhaled a deep breath. She hurt all over, her stomach growled, and she was alone in this vast and unforgiving wilderness. At least it seemed as if she was all alone. Her eyes stung, and she blinked away the onset of tears. She gritted her teeth. Crying wasn’t going to do her any good.

She glanced at her surroundings, but all was quiet other than the sounds of the birds, crickets, and the wind swooshing through the brush. She set one determined foot in front of the other and squinted into the distance.

It had to be late afternoon at this point, judging by the position of the sun closer to the horizon. She’d walked all day, and didn’t appear to have come any closer to that mountain she’d stared at for hours. Cameron had been gone for at least an hour since the last time he’d disappeared. She gritted her teeth and kept moving. She’d always been the laughing stock by the popular crowd in school because of her clumsiness. It was time to prove that she wasn’t a complete klutz. More importantly, she didn’t want to give Cameron a reason to think that way about her, too.

Riley scoffed. If someone had asked her back home to go hiking through the wilderness, she would have politely declined. Even when she'd asked Dan Osborne to take her to those archaeological sites, she hadn't expected to walk all day to get to them. This wasn't her cup of tea.

She gazed into the distance. Admittedly, the landscape was breathtaking, even if the terrain challenged her physically. Coming up on a rise, she squinted into the valley as it stretched out below her. A river, almost too small to make out from her vantage point, cut through the valley, and countless dark spots dotted the surrounding grassland.

Just then, movement to her right, coming from the direction of the aspen, caught her eye. Relief quickly replaced the jolt of alarm in her chest. Running straight at her at a leisurely pace was Cameron. Butterflies churned in her stomach.

Riley waited, her gaze going from the bare-chested guy heading her way to some point in the distance. When was the last time a gorgeous guy had run to her? She suppressed a laugh and forced her eyes from staring directly at him. Cameron slowed his pace to a walk when he was just a few yards away.

“There’s a good place to camp, up the hill and through those trees.” He pointed in the direction from which he’d come, talking as if they’d been carrying on a conversation, without acknowledging that he’d been gone for a long time.

“You’re not going to disappear on me again, are you?” She didn’t keep the annoyance out of her voice that he’d left her alone for an hour, or even longer.

Cameron's forehead wrinkled. He looked at her, his eyes moving over her face as if he were trying to read her mind.

“You will be safe tonight,” he said slowly, apparently choosing his words carefully. His eyes remained on her. “There are no signs of Bakianee nearby.”

Riley shifted weight from one sore foot to the other. His meaning was clear, even if he hadn’t said it. No doubt he still couldn’t find the right words to talk to her in English. He’d been out scouting their surroundings all day, making sure there was no danger, and she’d been angry about it.

She clamped her lips together. He’d been looking out for her, and she was acting as if he’d done something wrong. It was time to put her studies to some use, and remember the things she’d learned and read about. Hopefully, Dan Osborne hadn’t been too correct when he’d told her “things we think we know might be completely different,” when he’d indulged her with speculations about time travel.

She smiled tentatively. To keep from looking at Cameron, she pointed into the distance at the dust swirling into the air by the river, and the sea of dark spots that looked like ants from this far away.

“What are those?”

“Piakuittsun . . . bison.”

Riley stared, in awe. She’d seen a large herd of bison on her drive through Yellowstone several days ago, but the sheer number that stretched before her now was incomprehensible. She fingered the fur slung over her shoulder.

“Do you hunt bison?”

Cameron focused his gaze on the vast herd for a brief moment, then directed his eyes at her again.

“A few times.” He shrugged. “Other game is easier to hunt, and not as dangerous.”

Riley nodded. If this was 1749, it was likely that few of the Natives in this area had acquired horses, yet. That’s why those eight Blackfoot Indians had been on foot. The Sheepeaters had never become a horse culture. Because of their remote location, these Mountain Shoshone had continued to travel on foot, unlike the Shoshone tribes that lived on the plains.

“So, you hunt bighorn sheep, then? That has to be dangerous, too.” Any guy who had scars on his back like Cameron, and lived to tell about it, couldn’t be afraid of much.

Cameron studied her, his eyes in constant motion. “Is that what your books and literature told you?”

Riley smiled. He was emphasizing the words she’d used early this morning when she’d said her books and literature never mentioned Sky People. Smart guy. At least he paid attention.

“My books also tell me that the Shoshone who lived in this region are called Tukudeka – Sheepeaters - because they hunted bighorn sheep. So, you must have experience in hunting them, too.”

His facial features hardened, and any hint of a smile vanished. He'd been angry earlier when she'd mentioned the Tukudeka, yet with all his talk of Sky People, surely those were the natives who'd raised him.

Cameron stared off into the valley. When he directed his attention back to her, his muscles seemed more relaxed. His lips even twitched in a faint smile.

"Hunting bighorn sheep is best done in groups of several hunters and dogs," he said slowly. "My brother, Matunaaga, and I have hunted sheep on occasion, as well as bison, but elk and deer make for easier game."

Riley gaped at him. “You have a brother?”

Cameron shook his head. “He is my brother in spirit only.”

Did she dare ask? “Is he from the future, too?”

“Yes. He was brought to this time by Naatosi, shortly after Naatoyita came for me. We were raised by different families, in different clans of the Tukudeka. We met each other when our clans came together to trade and hunt.”

Riley’s forehead wrinkled. “And neither one of you knows why you are here?”

Cameron tensed again. “No,” he growled.

He reached for the bison hide Riley had carried all day, and slung it over his shoulder, then pointed to a steep-looking, pine-covered hill.

“We will camp beyond those trees,” he said, clearly changing the subject. Without looking at her, he set out in the direction he’d indicated.

Riley sucked in a deep breath and stared after him. Her shoulders slumped. She was too tired and sore to protest, and numb to everything at this point. With a determined lift of her chin, she forced her legs to move and follow Cameron into the hills.

Chapter Nine

Riley stared after Cameron with heavy-lidded eyes. He’d once again left her behind in the dust. At least he’d taken that bulky bison hide from her, so she no longer had to carry it. She’d asked him not to run off ahead of her again, but he was clearly upset about her mention of the Tukudeka. What had happened, that he was so angry with them?

He led her up an exhaustive climb through a heavily-timbered forest, and only his declaration that they were heading for a place to camp kept her from refusing to take another step.

Tears of frustration blurred her vision when she glanced upward. The hill, or, more accurately, this mountain, seemed to go on forever. There wasn't even a visible trail, and the top was impossible to see through the tall trees. She yanked her glasses from her face and brushed a hasty hand over her eyes when Cameron stopped abruptly, and turned. Riley squared her shoulders and picked up the pace to scramble after him.

Her knees and legs were scraped raw in places from yesterday’s ordeal, and she’d managed to amass several new cuts as she slipped and labored up this incline. Even her fingers and knuckles were raw from clawing at tufts of grasses and shrubs to keep from tumbling back down to the bottom. Her skirt, which had refused to rip when it was caught in her car door, had several tears in it now.

Cameron waited. He even backtracked, and held out his hand to her. She reached for it, grateful when he pulled her up the impossibly steep incline.

"I could carry you if you'd like."

The mischievous sparkle in his eyes sent butterflies straight to her stomach. Too winded to speak, Riley shook her head, both out of annoyance and because his offer sent adrenaline surging through her system. She’d been in his arms too many times already. Just having her hand in his was exhilarating enough. Gritting her teeth, she pushed past the pain and fatigue in her legs, but kept a firm grip on Cameron’s hand to ease her climb.

The forest grew denser around them, and the air cooler, a refreshing change to the open valley that had offered no shade for most of the day. Her white blouse, which was hopelessly beyond cleaning at this point, clung to her damp skin. Sweat ran uncomfortably between her breasts and down her back.

Her throat was parched, made more painful from breathing faster due to exertion. She nearly stopped, ready to give in and take Cameron up on his offer to carry her, when the soft gurgling sound of water nearby increased to a rushing sound, like a waterfall. The promise of some cool water on her face spurred her forward, grateful that she wouldn’t have to cry uncle after all.

This is a test, Riley, and when have you ever failed a test?

Hell. This was more like a pop quiz. One she wasn’t prepared for because it was in a subject she wasn’t familiar with. There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in her mind that Cameron was testing her. Why else would he pick such a strenuous trail, after an already long day? There had to be other places to camp that were more easily accessible.

This was different than academics. She couldn't fake her way through this if she wasn't prepared. These physical efforts required a whole new mindset for success than simple book knowledge. Riley gritted her teeth. Failure wasn't an option. It never had been, and she wasn't going to give up now.

The sound of water grew even louder, until finally, a narrow creek that had carved a deep channel down the mountain came into view through the trees. Riley sighed in relief. This had to be where they would stop. Long roots from trees that grew close to the water poked through the broken soil, and dense vegetation grew along the moist creek bank. The air became noticeably cooler. Unless Cameron planned to bushwhack through the foliage, however, there was no place to access the water from here.

“Are we almost there?”

Riley cringed at her question, but she simply had to know.

“Almost,” Cameron answered, without turning his head.

She gripped his hand more firmly, using it as leverage to continue moving up the hill. Had she imagined it, or had he tensed slightly? He probably had, in order to give her a better grip.

Cameron continued up the steep incline, following the tumbling creek. When the terrain started to level out not five minutes later, Riley sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank God.” She forced the words from her mouth, breathing hard. Her heart pounded up into her dry throat.

Not a moment later, the forest opened up to more rolling hills carpeted by green grass. Clusters of yellow flowers broke up the landscape. Further in the distance, more mountains rose into the sky.

Cameron finally stopped, and she came up beside him, curbing the urge to collapse against him. Riley’s eyes widened. The creek they’d been following turned out to be the outlet of a small lake.

Despite her exhaustion, a smile formed on her lips. She gazed at the raw beauty and serenity of this place, then glanced up at Cameron. Her smile faded. His eyes were on her, his stare dark and intense, and filled with an appreciative gleam. A rush of heat spread through her limbs, and she eased her hand out from his. The weight of his probing eyes left her breathless all over again.

“Rest here,” he said in that quiet tone of his, and pointed to a shaded spot along the edge of the lake.

Riley nodded, forcing her eyes away from him. She all but stumbled to the lakeshore, and lowered herself into the grass. A low moan escaped her lips when her feet no longer bore her weight. A throbbing pain in her soles pounded in time with the beating of her heart. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think her feet were on fire. A dull ache spread throughout her legs, and parts of her body hurt that she didn’t even know existed.

Her lungs expanded fully from the deep breath she inhaled, infused with the fresh scent of pine and grass. The rich smell lifted her tired spirits. Despite her exhaustion, she smiled. She hadn’t given in to the pain. She’d made it this far. Her surroundings nearly made her forget that her entire body ached with fatigue and strain.

Puffy white clouds drifted lazily above her against the azure sky. An eagle’s screech echoed through the trees, sending an inexplicable thrill through her. The wind rushed through the canopies of the tall lodgepoles, and the strong breeze played with the water, creating little ripples on the surface. Her skin cooled. She tilted her head back, and closed her eyes, the serene sounds having an almost intoxicating effect.

“Please tell me this is where we’re staying for the night.”

Riley opened her eyes when Cameron didn’t answer. She glanced over her shoulder, then abruptly sat up straighter. She twisted her body to see behind her better.

“Cameron?”

Her head darted in all directions. He’d just been behind her, and now he was gone again? Damn him! He could at least tell her when he planned to disappear like that.

No sooner had the thought passed through her mind, when he materialized from between the trees on the opposite side of the lake outlet. A log that hung over the water served as his bridge, and he balanced easily across it.

Riley’s eyes widened. He carried a long pole in one hand, and in the other was a . . . bouquet of yellow flowers? She shook her head at the absurd thought that he’d picked flowers for her.

You’re so tired, your wild fantasies are running away with you.

She stared up at him when he stopped inches in front of her. She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. Cameron eased to the ground beside her, and dropped the bouquet next to him in the dirt, along with the pole. Riley blinked. So much for this guy bringing her flowers. She mentally kicked the voice in her head that chided her for her crazy thoughts.

Wordlessly, Cameron worked a flat-looking rock loose from the dirt, and set it in front of him between his legs. He tore the abundant silvery-green leaves from the bouquet, tossing the sunflower-looking pedals aside. Using the blunt end of his ax, he began to pound the leaves into a pulp.

“Can I help?” Riley asked tentatively.

Cameron raised his head for the first time since he’d started his task, and looked at her as if he’d just realized she was even there. He held her gaze, and the butterflies returned to her belly. Riley cursed silently for her silly reaction. He was like all other good-looking guys – not interested in her.

Don’t be such an idiot, Riley. This is hardly the time or place to be attracted to some guy. Worry more about getting back to the lab.

He nudged with his chin toward her feet while resuming his pounding.

“Take off your moccasins, and rinse your feet in the water.”

Riley’s forehead scrunched. “I meant, can I help with whatever it is you’re preparing.”

He raised his eyes to her again. “It’s done.”

She blinked, then reached for the leather straps that were tied around her ankles. Maybe it was a good idea to cool off her feet in the water. She pulled the footwear off, and scooted toward the edge of the lake. The banks dropped off sharply several inches, and she dangled her feet over the sides.

As soon as the cold water touched some of the open sores on her feet, a sharp burning sensation shot through her soles. She sucked in a quick breath of air, and jerked her feet back, ready to scramble away from the lakeshore. Cameron’s hand encircled one of her ankles, effectively stopping her. Riley’s eyes shot up to his face.

“The pain will go away,” he said quietly, guiding her foot back into the water.

Riley tensed, and stared at him. He didn’t take his eyes off her, but knelt at the lake’s edge, lapping water over her sore and tender feet. His rough fingers slid over her skin, loosening the dirt that was still caked to her scrapes. Her heart sped up, and taking in a breath of air became nearly impossible past the constriction in her throat.

The burning sensation lessened as the cold lake water numbed her feet, or was it the soothing strokes of Cameron’s fingers? Those same fingers had clamped around her arms in an almost painful grip, threatening to crush her not twenty-four hours ago, but now stroked her with such gentleness. It left her dizzy with the tingles his touch evoked.

Riley shifted her eyes away from his. Combined with the touch of his hands, his penetrating, all-consuming stare made her feel both weak, euphoric, and floating as if she lived in a dream state. Any second now, she’d wake up. There was no way a guy like Cameron would ever give her a second look in the real world.

Too soon, he stopped. At a loss for words, Riley simply allowed him to lift her feet from the water, and drape them across his lap. Scraping at the green pulp he’d made from the plant leaves, he smeared the mashed-up material onto her soles, then wrapped more leaves around her feet, securing them with some twine.

Only after he was done, did he look up. Riley couldn’t force her eyes from his if her life depended on it. How could a guy, one who’d nearly assaulted her the night before, have such an effect on her, and he wasn’t even doing it deliberately? His forethought to tend to her feet, even since this morning when he’d made her footwear, contrasted sharply with his social manners, just as his gentleness belied his strength.

“Ah-kun,” he said. “It will soothe your feet.” He lifted her ankles off his lap, and set them in the grass.

“Is that what you call this plant?” she murmured. “I think it’s called Arrowleaf, or maybe Balsamroot.” She had to say something academic to refocus her mind.

Cameron’s lips widened in a quick smile. “And the roots taste sweet, not bitter.”

He stood before she could think of a reply, and reached for the pole he’d brought. He glanced down at her. “Rest your feet. I’ll come back with food.”

He turned to leave, then shot another look over his shoulder at her, a mischievous smile on his face. “This lake is home to many otters. Don’t scream if you see one.”

Riley gaped after him when he set off at a jog around the shore of the lake. Her eyes scanned the water, but she didn’t see any otters, only several ducks bobbing along on the surface. Cameron stopped nearly at the opposite side, where a stream tumbled from the hills. That must be the inlet to the lake. It soon became apparent that Cameron was going to use the pole as a fishing spear.

Fascinated, she pulled her glasses down her nose. She leaned forward to watch him jab at the water again and again, each time pulling a writhing fish from the stream, which he tossed into the grass behind him. It seemed as if he'd barely left when he returned with his catch. He'd strung enough fish on a piece of twine to feed a small army.

By the time he’d started a fire and cooked the fish, along with some of the roots from the plant he’d used to make a poultice for her feet, the sun sank into the western horizon like a giant ball of fire. The lake and surrounding hills bathed in a soft, golden glow. Riley rubbed her hands up and down her arms when a cool breeze tickled her skin.

They ate mostly in silence. After some coaxing from Cameron, she tried one of the roots. He hadn’t lied. It did have a rather sweet taste, compared to the bitterroot earlier.

Riley’s mind turned blank and numb from exhaustion, lulled into a tranquil state by the sounds of the evening. The campfire crackled, and the water lapped against the shore close by. The loud croaking of frogs and the chirping of crickets soon overpowered the gentle sounds as darkness surrounded the camp. She shivered, and tugged the buffalo robe over her shoulders.

Cameron’s form, sitting across from her, flickered in and out of focus with the shadows from the fire. His skin glowed a deep orange from the light of the flames.

“Aren’t you cold?” He had to be cold, with his bare upper body.

He shrugged. “This is warm compared to the winters here.”

“Don’t you have a shirt?” It would be so much better if he wore a shirt, and if she didn’t have to stare at his lean torso anymore.

“You’re wearing my shirt,” he said, after moments of silence.

Riley’s forehead scrunched.

“On your feet,” he added with a hint of laughter in his voice.

She gaped at him after casting a quick look at the moccasins she wore. Some indescribable emotion surged through her, something that was both warm and gave her the chills at the same time. She swallowed.

Before she could hold back the words, she said, "This bison hide is big enough for both of us if you want to share." Her pulse increased, but she was too tired to care. Maybe he'd decline her offer.

Cameron stared at her from across the fire. His eyes looked darker than before, if that was possible. Riley’s heart hammered in her chest when he stood. A chill raced down her spine, and she shivered again. It was anything but a response to the cold.

Her arm trembled when she held one end of the robe open to him. He’d sacrificed his shirt for her. It was only right that she offer him part of the covers to keep warm.

He eased himself to the ground next to her, and draped the end she offered around his shoulder. Heat seeped from his skin straight through her shirt, even though they didn’t touch. Riley shot him a hasty smile to cover up her nervousness, then stared back into the fire in a futile attempt to focus on something other than Cameron sitting so close to her. He moved to lie down.

“Sleep,” he said, almost as gruffly as when he’d told her to scream last night. Riley nodded, but remained still. Cameron raised his upper body, and stared at her.

“Do you plan to sleep sitting up?” The corners of his mouth twitched.

Riley blinked, and mentally shook her head. Exhaustion was making her light-headed. This wasn’t affecting him the way it affected her. He was cool as a cucumber.

He’s not interested in you, Riley. You offered to share the cover, and that’s all he’s doing.

“No, I … Good night.”

Riley lowered herself to the ground, turning away from him. She rested her head on her bent arm, and stared into the darkness. Why was her mouth failing her now? She tucked her knees up in a fetal position. She’d never been more aware of anyone, the way she was aware of Cameron’s warm body next to her.

She squeezed her eyes shut. With some sleep, her mind would be clear again in the morning, and end her crazy thoughts and feelings about Cameron Cameahwait James.

Chapter Ten

Cam shifted his weight, rolling further onto his left hip. The pleasant scent of honey filled his nose, and the feel of something softer than doeskin rubbed against his chest. His palm rested on a warm and smooth curve, and his fingers slowly explored along the contours of the soft body lying so close for his touch. In the deep chasm between sleep and waking, pleasant sensations coursed through him.

A quiet sigh next to him brought him fully awake. Cam stared into the darkness of the night, instantly aware of Riley lying next to him. He inhaled deeply of the scent that lingered in her hair, strands of it tickling his cheek. He cursed silently and eased his hand away from what could only be the rise of her hip. Heat seared through him. His body curved around the back of hers, and she fit snugly up against him.

Gritting his teeth as every part of him came alive, Cam moved away from her. He slipped out from under the buffalo robe, and stumbled several paces away from camp, welcoming the cold blast of air against his skin. He straightened, and raked his fingers through his hair. The fire had burned out, and only the coals glowed a soft orange. The half moon in the sky gave off enough light to make out the gentle ripples on the surface of the lake. Cam fought the urge to plunge into the cold water.

The sound of crickets surrounded him, the soothing cadence of their nightly song doing little to curb the smoldering heat inside him. Cam glanced toward the buffalo robe. If Riley had moved, he hadn’t noticed. Muttering curses under his breath, he walked toward the water’s edge. He paced along the shoreline, then, once the beating of his heart returned to a more normal pace, eased himself onto the grass and pulled his knees up to his chest. He stared out at the silvery moon reflecting on the surface of the lake. Slowly, the tension eased in him with the soft splashes from countless fish as they preyed on the bugs that swarmed the water.

What was he going to do about Riley Bernard? He plucked at the grasses around him, twisting them between his fingers. He’d had a similar reaction to her the previous night, even though his entire focus had been on finding the vessel on her. He’d known the second she’d offered to share the buffalo robe earlier that it was a bad idea, but it hadn’t stopped him from accepting her offer. Hell. Just being near her was a bad idea.

His instant attraction to her had baffled him all day. He’d been trying to shrug it off as a reaction to her blonde hair, and the modern clothes she wore, which conjured up memories of his past. The more time he’d spent in her company, however, had only increased his attraction for this woman, who was so out of place in this environment. She was pretty, smart, and most definitely determined. His former name on her lips sounded better than anything he’d heard in a long time.

What if he couldn’t convince Naatoyita to send her back to her time? His fingers made contact with a small rock in the dirt, and he flung it out into the water. He stared off into the darkness. The faint, gray light of dawn hovered behind the mountains. A pack of wolves barked somewhere in the distance, followed by a drawn-out howl.

Cam shifted his shoulders as if it would rid him of his troubling thoughts about Riley. If they traveled fast, within two or three days, they'd reach the valley where his Tukudeka family usually spent the summer months. He wasn't going to be foolish again and share the bison robe with Riley. Enduring several cold nights would be easier than the torture of sleeping in such close proximity to this woman. She did things to his mind and body without being aware of it. A simple smile, a soft word, a touch of her fingers on his skin was all it took to send his mind into a tailspin.

A slow smile passed over Cam’s lips. He’d pushed her hard, no question. He’d been prepared to carry her, if needed, to get to this lake before nightfall. To his surprise, she’d kept up a good pace all day, without complaint, despite her sore and injured feet.

He’d been vigilant all day, looking for any sign that the Bakianee might be following them. As a precaution, he’d backtracked and set some false trails to slow them down. No doubt, Cunning Fox felt cheated for losing his other prisoner, and it put Riley in danger. It would matter little to the Blackfoot that he’d given her up willingly in trade.

Cam’s smile widened. If Cunning Fox only knew what a prize the warrior had given up. Riley wasn’t weak. She might be tired, and her body was no doubt strained from being pushed to the limit, but she had an inner strength that wouldn’t let her quit.

He gnashed his teeth. Not only was she the prettiest thing he’d seen in years, she was strong and resilient. He’d been completely wrong about her, just like the Bakianee had been wrong. Trading his prized bow for her seemed like a bargain.

His smile faded. No one would question that she was his woman, but he couldn’t keep her. His Tukudeka family would consider them wed once he mentioned that he’d traded his most cherished weapon for her, but he hadn’t done it to claim her as a mate. He’d traded for her, but she didn’t belong to him.

No. These were the ways of the Newe, the People, but they were not her ways. She belonged in the future. Just as someone had come to return him to 2036 when he’d touched Makua’s vessel as a boy and had nearly been killed by a cougar, he’d make sure Riley would return safely to where she belonged. Until he found the last of the Sky People elders and demanded she be returned to where she came from, Cam would protect her and keep her safe.

Where do you belong, Cameahwait . . . Cameron?

He sat by the lakeshore until the first faint rays of the sun emerged from behind the mountains to the east. It was time to break camp and continue on to find his Tukudeka family. Riley hadn’t roused since he’d left the warmth of the covers . . . and the warmth of her lying next to him. It wasn’t something he could repeat.

Riley stirred behind him, and Cam sprang to his feet. She moved under the hide to roll onto her back, then all was quiet again. He approached to stoke the coals in the fire and bring it back to life. He knelt beside the buffalo robe instead. How could she sleep so soundly? The sun steadily climbed higher over the mountains, and the birds chirped loudly in the trees, signaling the start to a new day. He could have broken camp hours ago. She must have been more tired than he’d realized.

Cam’s gaze traveled over her, at least the parts that weren’t covered up under the bison hide. His lips twitched. Her light hair hung in disheveled strands around her head, spilling out over the grass beneath her. Her glasses dangled down one side of her face. She must have fallen asleep with them on. He hesitated, then reached out, and slowly removed the eyewear that was hooked behind her ear. She shifted slightly, and gave a soft moan, but she didn’t wake.

She had to be exhausted. He’d asked a lot of her the day before, and she’d lived through her ordeal with the Bakianee before that. Her feet would be better today, and when they made camp again tonight, he’d repeat the Ah-kun poultice.

Cam set the glasses aside. Hell, he should just toss them into the lake. She’d said she didn’t need them to see, so why would she wear them and obstruct his view of her pretty eyes?

His fingers reached out again, then he bunched them into a fist, and drew back. He studied her some more as if he had to convince himself that she was real. She had several dirt smudges on her nose, and her fair skin had been exposed to too much sun. It couldn't be helped. He smiled. What would she say if he told her to cover her entire face with mud to protect it from the sun?

His hand tentatively reached toward her face. He’d fought the urge to touch her long enough, and it was a losing battle. His fingers stroked the soft skin of her cheek. Cam’s eyes followed the contours of her chin, her mouth, her nose, and her eyes. She would be burned into his memory forever.

Riley’s head moved beneath his touch, and Cam jerked his hand away from her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open, then widened with surprise. She shrank away, then seemed to recover as if she remembered where she was, and scrambled to sit. Her hand flew to her face, swiping at her loose hair.

“I overslept, didn’t I?” Her voice was raspy from sleep.

She inched away from him, putting distance between them. Cam leaned away from her. After what he’d done the night before, she had a good reason to look apprehensive, waking up to find him leaning over her.

He cleared his throat. “It’s still early, but we should break camp soon.”

He couldn’t tell her that he would have preferred to leave camp before sunup. He stood, reluctantly, and gave his attention to the fire, something he should have done already. His muscles tensed, and he poked at the coals with a stick.

Behind him, Riley groaned and mumbled words that her entire body hurt and that she felt like an old woman. His lips twitched. Too bad there weren't any hot springs in the area. A good soak would soothe her aching muscles.

“I’m just going to…ah… I need some privacy.”

Cam turned to look over his shoulder when Riley spoke. She looked uncomfortable, standing there, and unsure of what to do. Her hand worked to adjust her skirt that had bunched up around her legs. All the more reason to get to the village quickly. She needed more suitable clothes.

He pointed with the stick in his hand toward the creek that led out of the lake.

“Across the creek, you’ll find some dense vegetation. There’s lots of privacy there.”

Riley nodded and walked off. Cam followed her with his eyes. She stopped when she reached the edge of the creek. She looked toward the lake, then downstream. The creek flowed fast in that spot. If she chose that route, it would be impossible to cross without getting wet. He stood, ready to call out and tell her what to do when she headed for the dead log that hung over the water.

His lips twitched. A warm sensation spread through him. She was smart and resourceful. No sooner had those thoughts entered his mind when he nearly broke out in laughter. She wasn’t very agile, by the looks of it. She stepped onto the log, and held both arms out at her sides, like a young eagle attempting his first flight, and took a tentative step forward. Her knees trembled visibly, and her upper body swayed to one side, but she caught her balance.

Go and help her.

Cam shook his head. Crossing a creek was a simple task. There would be greater challenges up ahead, and she needed to learn for herself. Many minutes passed by the time she finally made it across.

Several times, it looked as if she would have been better off wading through the water, and that he might have to pull her from the creek, but she didn’t give up. She made it across, and there was a distinct lift to her shoulders and head when she marched off into the foliage.

He smiled. Her tenacity and determination were admirable. Riley might not have experience in the wild, but she didn't back down from a challenge. Cam's eyes lingered on her retreating form until she disappeared into the bushes. He stood there, still smiling. He'd had plenty of encounters with females, but he'd never been this acutely attracted to one.

He left the fire and headed into the trees in the opposite direction of where he'd sent Riley. Most of the fish he'd caught last night hung high in a tree a good distance from camp. It had been foolish enough cooking the fish where they'd slept, but at least storing the rest of his catch far away minimized a bear walking into their camp. Without his bow, he was nearly defenseless.

He’d quickly cook the rest of his catch before breaking camp, then he wouldn't have to stop and find food again until tonight. Fishing at the lake inlet had been easy. This was the time of year when trout spawned in that stream, and he could have caught the fish with his bare hands if he'd wanted. His other hunting was currently limited to what he could kill with his knife or ax. Setting traps or snares while on the way to the village would take too much time.

Cam sliced his knife through the twine he’d used to hoist the passel of fish into the tree. It dropped to the ground next to him. Some ravens had taken an opportunistic nibble out of several of the fish, but for the most part, they were all still there.

He bent to pick up the passel when a scream pierced the quiet of the forest. Ravens answered loudly, and wings flapped as several of the birds took to flight from some nearby trees. Cam ripped the knife he'd just sheathed back out of his belt and bolted for the lake. His heart must have skipped a beat at the sound.

A dozen thoughts raced through his mind as he darted between trees to get to the clearing. Anything from a grizzly to a wood mouse could have made Riley scream. Even if she’d simply fallen into the creek, he had to find out. What if there were Bakianee in the area?

Cam cursed his stupidity for leaving her alone. He should have waited to collect the fish until she returned to camp. He leaped over a downed log, and sprinted from the forest, then veered to the left toward the outlet of the lake. His blood turned to ice at the sight of a figure, that was not Riley, standing near the creek.

Cam lengthened his strides, his knife firmly in his hand. By the time he reached their camp, the lake’s outlet was in full view. Riley splashed in the water, only her head and arms visible, which she flailed through the air like a young gander trying to take flight.

Cam's eyes shot to the man standing by the edge of the creek, yelling at her to stop. He slowed his strides and squinted to see better. The hunter had seen him, too. He reached for an arrow from the quiver on his back and strung his bow.

Cam sprinted forward. "I am a friend," he called in Shoshone and held up an arm.

The hunter on the other side of the water hesitated. He stared across the creek, then lowered his weapon just as Cam splashed into the water. Relieved, he ignored the man completely and rushed toward Riley, who still sputtered and tried to get a foothold on the slick creek bottom.

“Cameron,” she called, her eyes wide with worry.

Cam reached for her and lifted her from the water. She flung her arms around his neck and held on like a leech attaching itself to his skin.

“It’s okay, that man won’t harm you.”

Cam carried her to shore and set her in the grass. She shivered violently. He pried her arms from around his neck, acutely aware of how her shirt had become nearly invisible from being wet, and clung to her curves.

“There is no danger,” he said in a calm voice to convince her.

“Cameahwait?” the man on the other side of the creek called to him, disbelief in his voice.

Cam straightened to look at the Tukudeka hunter who’d called his name. He smiled in greeting. “It’s been a long time, Isa.”

The other man splashed through the water, and held out his hand, a wide grin on his face. Cam clasped his arm.

"It has been a long time." The hunter's eyes roamed over him as if trying to convince himself who stood before him. "You have been gone too many seasons, Cameahwait. My name is no longer Isa. I have been on a vision quest, and the people now call me Wo'itsa."

Cam nodded. His boyhood friend owned an impressive name, but he didn’t comment. He turned to Riley, who’d scrambled to her feet. She continued to shiver, her arms firmly wrapped around her chest. Her eyes darted from him to the man he hadn’t seen since leaving his Tukudeka family. Cam stepped to put himself between her and the hunter. Riley’s wet shirt hid very little, and he forced his eyes to remain on her face.

“There’s nothing to fear from him,” he said again. “He’s a friend.”

Riley raised her chin. She wiped a trembling hand across her face, to push some wet strands of hair from her eyes.

“It’s not him I was worried about,” she sputtered. Her eyes darted to the trees beyond the creek. She pointed a shaky finger in that direction. “There’s a skunk over there. It scared the cra… It startled me. I ran, and lost my balance coming over the log.”

Chapter Eleven

Cam added wood to the fire, sending the flames higher than preferred. At least it was dry wood and didn't give off much smoke. He glanced at Riley, who shivered visibly, even wrapped in the buffalo hide. She needed some extra warmth to recover from her plunge in the cold water.

Wo’itsa stood silently a few paces away, his gaze darting between the fire and Riley. His expression was impassive, but the slight gleam in his eyes was proof enough that his mind was trying to work out who this woman might be.

Finally, he asked, “Where is your bow, Cameahwait?”

Cam groaned silently. He couldn’t avoid the question. No respectable hunter was without his horn bow.

“I traded it for this woman,” he grumbled.

Wo’itsa’s eyes lit up like the sun shining brightly after a mountain storm. He didn’t say anything, but nodded with a wide grin on his face.

"Are you alone?" Cam asked, to give his friend's speculating mind a rest. He skewered several fish and fastened a spit over the fire.

Wo’itsa nodded. “I return from a journey into the high mountains, to seek the guidance of the spirits.”

Cam’s head lifted to his friend. “Did you receive it?”

Wo'itsa's face hardened. "No. They would not speak to me this time." His chest heaved as if he'd taken a deep breath. The smile he offered was forced. "But I see that the Sky People have favored you with a gift." He nodded toward Riley. "Perhaps you could teach her to remove her clothes first, the next time she decides to go for a swim."

Cam tensed. He shot an involuntary look at Riley, too, lingering on her light hair. Of course, Wo'itsa would assume that the Sky People had sent her. Her eyes were on both of them, following their word exchange, even though she couldn't understand what was being said. He crouched next to her.

“Sit closer to the fire. You’ll warm up and dry faster.”

Riley stared at him before her eyes darted uneasily toward the creek. “Skunks don’t cross water, do they?” Even as she asked, she moved closer to the flames.

The corners of Cam’s lips twitched. “I think that skunk you scared is at least as far as those mountains by now.” He pointed to the peaks off in the distance that rose dramatically into the sky. “I’m surprised Wo’itsa didn’t run away, too, when you screamed.”

Riley sat up straighter. Her eyes blazed with that familiar spark of anger he’d seen several times already. That same spark that heated his insides. She directed her gaze toward the Tukudeka hunter, sending an instant twinge of jealously through Cam. He’d felt it a short while ago, too, when he’d pulled Riley from the creek, and her clothes had clung to her curves.

Irrational possessiveness had taken hold in him, and he’d quickly dragged Riley back to camp, tossed the bison robe at her, and told her to cover up so she wouldn’t be cold. A deep need to shield her from Wo’itsa’s eyes had come over him. At least she had on one of those things women in the future wore that covered their breasts. The name of the article of clothing escaped him.

Riley continued to glare at him. “I didn’t even notice your friend until after I slipped off the log. I was more worried about getting away from that skunk.”

“I’ve told you before. Don’t scream. Sound carries far through the forest.”

Riley sat straighter. “You might have screamed, too, if you fell into freezing cold water.”

Cam's attempt to keep his face impassive failed. He suppressed a grin and sniggered. He couldn't be angry with her, even if she needed to learn not to make so much noise. He glanced toward Wo'itsa, who returned his smile. Whatever had been bothering the hunter a moment ago regarding his spirit journey was gone now.

“What’s so funny?” Riley demanded. “I don’t think you’d be too happy if I’d been sprayed by a skunk.”

Cam directed his gaze back to the angry woman shivering by the fire. “Wo’itsa understands English. He can speak it, too, unless he’s forgotten everything I taught him.”

He shot a hasty glance at his friend. Wo’itsa’s smirk was all he needed to know that he understood every word. Cam’s smile widened.

“I don’t think he’s too happy to hear that you find a skunk more fearsome than him.”

Riley studied Wo’itsa, her mind clearly working to see if he had understood her.

“I still remember some of the words you taught me, Cameahwait.” Wo’itsa spoke in the language of his people. “I knew you’d return someday.”

“Taipo taikwa . . . speak English, then,” Cam said, glancing at Riley. “I know what it’s like to be at a disadvantage and not understand what is being said around me.”

Wo’itsa laughed. “Yes, but when we were boys, it was great fun to anger my mother and aunts when you and I spoke English so they couldn’t understand.”

Riley’s face brightened in surprise. Cam’s eyes locked with hers. The pull of her thankful gaze sent a ripple of warmth through him.

Wo’itsa cleared his throat. “The fish smells done,” he said with a clear note of amusement in his voice.

Cam tore his eyes away from Riley and tossed another stick onto the fire. He removed the fish from the flames and handed the first piece to her. Her hand emerged from between the folds of the bison robe, and she quietly accepted the meat. Her fingers grazed his during the exchange, sending another intense feeling of awareness through him. He focused his gaze on the fish in his hand, or he might be in danger of drowning in her eyes.

He sat beside her, then pointed at another fish, and looked at Wo’itsa. “Sit, and eat with us. I’m anxious to leave this camp.”

“Wo’itsa.” Riley said the name slowly, looking across the campfire. “Your name means Wolf . . . something,” she guessed.

Cam chewed his fish. It was astounding that she knew any of the language of the Tukudeka, even if she didn’t say the words correctly. He hadn’t known a single word when Naatoyita had brought him here, but learned quickly after being fully immersed in the language and culture. He didn’t have a choice at the time, just as he’d had little say in much of his life until he finally took control of his destiny and set out on his own.

Wo’itsa grinned broadly. “The Sky People have chosen well for you, my friend,” he said in his language, then he addressed Riley. “My boyhood name was Isa – wolf. After I returned from my first spirit journey, I was granted the name Wo’itsa, Spirit Wolf. I received a vision about our people, along with my puha - my spirit medicine.”

Riley nodded slowly. She was clearly processing the information. She turned to look at Cam.

“Have you ever gone on a spirit journey?”

Cam's jaw muscles tightened. He looked into her inquisitive eyes and swallowed the meat in his mouth. "The spirits don't talk to me."

From across the fire, Wo’itsa coughed, as if he’d swallowed at the wrong time, then laughed. “Cameahwait complains that the spirits don’t talk to him, yet he is favored by the Sky People. There is no stronger puha than that. The ancient elders only reveal themselves to the most powerful shamans.”

Riley had stopped eating. She listened with interest, and seemed to hang on every word Wo’itsa spoke. Cam stared into the fire, the muscles along his spine tense.

“So, Cameron . . . Cameahwait, is a shaman?” Her eyes widened.

Wo’itsa laughed some more. “Cameahwait has chosen to turn his back on the Sky People. It’s been many seasons since he left our village, so I am not the one who can answer that question. I do know that he is greatly favored by them, even if he doesn’t think so.”

“It appears as if the Sky People favor you, my friend,” Cam said dryly. Wo’itsa wasn’t allowed to talk about his spirit journey to anyone but the shaman, but he’d received a strong name, so he must have had a powerful vision.

Wo’itsa laughed. “No, my friend. It is you they favor. I have heard the tales told of your bravery. Just as the spirit of the wolf has been revealed to me, the spirit of the bear lives within you.”

Cam kept quiet. If he was so important, why had the Sky People abandoned him? It was as Pikowan said. The elders had abandoned him, too, and he was now an old man. Cam turned his head to meet Riley’s wide-eyed stare.

“Why did you leave the Sheepeaters?”

His skin came alive as if she'd touched him with her softly spoken words. Frustration coursed through him. He gritted his teeth when he spoke.

“The Sky People took me from my home when I was twelve years old, and brought me here, to a strange time and land. I didn’t know the language, I didn’t know the customs, and they simply left me here.” He tossed the rest of his fish into the fire. “Naatoyita filled my head with words that I was here for a reason, and that this is where I was meant to be.” He laughed bitterly. “When I asked questions, he refused to answer, and told me I would know in time.”

Riley’s eyes roamed over his face. Cam fought the urge to walk away from the fire, and from her perusing gaze. This wasn’t the time or place to open old wounds. He ran a hand across his face, and returned her stare. Something about her soft eyes tugged at him, and soothed the anger that brewed in him every time talk of the Sky People came up. He inhaled deeply, and shot a hasty glance at Wo’itsa, who studied him in silence from across the fire.

“We couldn’t understand your anger at us when you left, Cameahwait,” Wo’itsa said. “The shaman said that perhaps it was meant to be that you go off and seek answers on your own.”

Cam reached for a stick and held it into the flames until it caught fire. He stared at it for a long time.

“My anger isn’t with the Tukudeka. Perhaps it was, when I was younger, because they are the clan of the Sky People,” he said slowly. “They refused to tell me anything, so I refused to live as a Sheepeater. I left to find my own way, and take control of my life. Matunaaga went with me. He felt as lost as I did.” He looked up. “If the Sky People have such a great purpose for us, why haven’t they come to us after all these years?”

Frustration welled up in him again. He’d certainly learned to live and survive in this time, but what was he supposed to be doing, other than existing? Now that Riley had appeared, he had no choice but to seek out the elder.

“You walk among powerful spirits, Cameahwait. Why else would the Sky People have brought you to us?” Wo’itsa turned his attention on Riley. “When their numbers were greater, the Sky People used to live among the clans, but they left to live in the high mountains many years ago, and haven’t returned. Then they brought Cameahwait and Matunaaga to us.” His gaze fell back on Cam. “You were a good friend to me, Cameahwait. I asked the shaman if we should go after you, and convince you to stay. He said no, that you will find out your destiny when the Sky People are ready to reveal it to you.”

Cam continued to stare into the fire, reliving old memories. His family and teachers in the future had said that he was difficult to handle, and he’d repeatedly gotten into trouble for not conforming to how everyone thought he should act. No matter how hard he’d tried to please them, he hadn’t made anyone happy, least of all himself.

“Perhaps it’s not too late to return.” Wo’itsa’s words pulled him from his thoughts. “You were an impatient youth when you left, but perhaps now is the time to find out what your purpose is.” He glanced toward Riley, and slipped into his native tongue. “Perhaps a message has already been sent to you.”

Cam leaned forward, and stared across the fire at his friend. “If Naatoyita agrees to return this woman to her home, I will do what he asks of me.” He’d also responded in Shoshone. He ventured a glance at Riley. She was perceptive enough to know they were talking about her.

Wo’itsa’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, and Cam glared at him in a silent message to keep his current thoughts to himself. He stood, and kicked dirt onto the fire.

“I need to speak to the shaman about where to find the Sky People. And, Riley needs more suitable clothing, and time to rest before we make the journey into the high mountains. We would be glad for you to lead us to the village.”

Wo’itsa nodded. A grin spread over his face, and his eyes sparkled with an amused gleam. He gathered his horn bow, and helped cover the fire. He led the way from camp, while Cam held his hand out to help Riley get up.

Her soft hand in his sent a ripple of awareness up his arm that had become all too familiar. Yes, it would be good to have Wo’itsa join them. Being alone with Riley was too dangerous.

He pulled her to her feet, but didn’t let go of her hand immediately. Her eyes grew wide when they connected with his. She stood close enough that her breath tickled his bare chest, and Cam tensed from the pleasant sensation.

Wo’itsa’s words replayed in his mind. He shook off his friend’s idea that Riley had been sent as a sign for him from the Sky People. Her presence here was Mukua’s doing. He frowned. Even if Naatoyita returned her to the future, how would she be safe from Mukua, if he wanted her dead? The elder might try and find another way to kill her if his plan this time failed.

Cam released Riley’s hand. He couldn’t think about it. Once she was returned to the future, she was no longer his concern. He worked the muscles along his jaw, while reaching for the bison robe that was still wrapped around Riley’s shoulders. Thankfully, her clothes had dried enough that her shirt was no longer as transparent as before. He peeled his eyes away from her, and focused them on the bison hide.

“I’ll carry this.” Cam rolled up the robe as he spoke. He slung it over his shoulder, and followed Wo’itsa, who had already reached the top of a rise leading away from the lake.

Riley kept pace with him for many silent moments. When her hand touched his arm, he stopped as if he’d walked into a herd of bison. Her soft touch was like the force of a strong wind, threatening to knock him over. She only touched him lightly, but her invisible hold on him became more intense the longer he was in her company, and his thoughts about her drifted to things he shouldn’t be thinking about. His gaze connected with her mesmerizing eyes, and her quiet smile.

“You walked far yesterday. I can slow down if you need me to,” he offered, just to say something. In truth, he was already walking much slower than he would like, but for now, he’d planned to stay close to Riley. Wo’itsa would be alert to any danger. Riley shook her head.

“I know what it’s like to feel out of place,” she said after she’d made sure he would drown in her eyes forever. Cam’s back tensed.

“I will do whatever I can to get you sent back to your time.” His words were meant to reassure himself as much as her.

Riley laughed softly. “No, that’s not what I mean.” She waved a hand in front of her face and shook her head. “I mean, yes, I’m out of place here, too, but I always felt like an outsider growing up at home. The only place I really belonged was inside my books.” Her smile widened. “It’s where I went to hide when other kids made fun of me because I wasn’t like them, or didn’t share their interests. I’m comfortable there.” She paused, and her eyes became more imploring. “I think you have to decide for yourself where you’re most comfortable. I get that you’re mad, but I’ve seen what you can do in this environment, Cameron, and I am simply in awe of your skills.” She laughed. “I’m having a hard time picturing you in any other time.”

Cam studied her without a reply. No one had offered him praise like this before. In this environment, a man was simply expected to learn, or die. Growing up in the future, his parents and teachers had enforced rigid rules on him, and as a young boy, he’d simply rebelled, and been called a troublemaker as a result of his behavior.

His Tukudeka family had been full of encouragement when he’d first come here, and when he’d had to learn the language and customs. The praise coming from Riley was different. She truly believed he belonged here. Unlike the Tukudeka, she didn't think that it was the Sky People’s doing.

“When I left the Sheepeaters, it was to follow my own path, not what someone else forced me to do,” he growled. Anger was his best weapon at the moment to deflect the growing feelings in him for Riley. She was only here long enough until he could send her back to her time. It would do him no good to think about her any other way.

Cam turned away from her, and focused on the Tukudeka hunter walking far ahead of them in the distance.

“Let me know if you have trouble keeping up,” he said over his shoulder, and set off to scout the surrounding areas, as he’d done the day before.

Chapter Twelve

Riley glanced up at the late-afternoon sun and swiped a hand over her forehead to push some hair from her eyes. She shuddered at the grimy feel of her skin. Her clothes were dirty beyond recognition, and her hair hung in limp strands down her back. She'd given up keeping it all tied back in a ponytail two days ago.

Her hand went to the leather pouch around her neck that Cameron had given her. He'd suggested she discard her glasses after they continued to fall from her nose. Surprisingly, they weren’t broken, yet. She’d refused, but Cameron had handed her the simple leather pouch this morning before they left camp, and told her to keep the eyewear in it when they arrived at the Tukudeka village. He’d been working on it the night before, and if she had to guess, he’d made it from more of the shirt material he’d given up to make the moccasins she wore.

Riley’s heart had fluttered shamelessly when he gave her the gift, especially when Cameron had looked at her with his serious, dark stare until she removed the glasses and stuffed them into the pouch. Feeling self-conscious and exposed, she’d turned away from him first.

She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Cameron’s stares didn’t mean anything. He was simply an intense guy, and there was no use reading anything else into it. Apparently her mantra that she’d never fall for his type again wasn’t valid three hundred years in the past.

He’s not like your definition of an athlete in the twenty-first century. Just because he’s built like one doesn’t put him in that class of guys. He’s a really nice guy … in his own, rough-around-the-edges sort of way.

What the hell was she thinking? If there were ever two people who came from different worlds, it was her and Cameron. Besides countless other reasons, it would be a big mistake to fall for a guy she’d never see again once she returned home.

Riley drew in a deep breath and adjusted the water bladder she carried around her shoulder. Of course her inner voice, warning her not to get too infatuated with Cameron, was right. The last time she'd fallen for his type, she'd gotten hurt. It was best to listen to her rational voice. She nearly laughed out loud. Nothing rational had happened since her first visit to Yellowstone.

Her silly attraction to Cameron was just part of all the craziness in her life these last few days. Exhaustion and fatigue beyond anything she’d ever endured, and knowing that she was completely dependent on him for the time being, had put those thoughts in her head. That had to be it. Once she returned to the future, she’d be able to think clearly again.

Two days had passed since they’d left the lake and met up with Wo’itsa. If she had known then that she’d get this dirty and grimy, she would have taken better advantage of the water. Falling off a log and into the creek didn’t count as a bath. She’d had to cross several smaller, shallow streams, but those hadn’t afforded anything more than a quick splash of water on her face.

Both Wo’itsa and Cameron had set a fast pace through more rolling hills, endless valleys, and dense forests. Sheer determination not to look like a failure in front of these guys - especially Cameron - kept her moving forward.

“This is easy compared to the mountains we have to climb to reach the elders,” Cameron had told her when he’d pulled her up a particularly steep hill, flashing a smile. Riley had gritted her teeth and glared at him. He hadn’t said it in a way that sounded boastful or conceited. He was simply giving her ample forewarning.

“Easy for you to say,” she’d mumbled under her breath. She might be slower than these two, but she’d die before she told them she couldn’t keep up. This was her opportunity to prove to herself that she could do something like this, and not make a fool of herself. Even so, they were, no doubt, moving at a much slower pace than they would have preferred.

Cameron’s anger from the day they left the lake hadn’t seemed to go away completely. He’d been quiet and sulky most of the time, and had only talked to her when it seemed absolutely necessary. Whether that had something to do with Wo’itsa’s presence or not, Riley couldn’t say. At least the Tukudeka hunter talked to her, and Riley had asked him endless questions about life as a Sheepeater.

This was better field research than she could have ever hoped. Too bad she couldn’t use any of it in her final thesis paper, except as speculation. She couldn’t very well cite personal interviews and experiences as her sources. Instead of her degree, she’d get a ticket to the psych ward if she even mentioned the words time travel to anyone when she returned home.

If you return home.

Adrenaline surged through her each time she thought about the prospect of being stuck in this time. Cameron didn't have to say it, but something in his facial expressions and body language told her he had his doubts whether he could find a way to get her home. She'd spent hours while setting one foot in front of the other, wracking her brain as to why she had ended up in this time. Unlike Cameron, no one had come to her, and made her an offer to travel back in time.

The more she’d thought about it, the more convinced she’d become that the artifact Cameron referred to as “the vessel,” had been left in that box for her to find. The old Native American she’d seen had to have been one of the Sky People, but he hadn’t directly talked to her. What could he possibly want from her, that he’d brought her to this time? Annoyance swept through her. Cameron’s anger with the Sky People was justified.

She’d walked for several hours along a narrow depression in the ground that was probably a dried-out creek bed, and the terrain had become rockier. The valley they were in narrowed, the hills on both sides growing taller and steeper. Off to her left, erosion had stripped the rocks of dirt and vegetation, and large boulders hung precariously from the side of the hills.

Riley stared in awe at the cliffs. Her eye caught a peculiar marking in one of the rocks, and she squinted to see better. Her pulse quickened.

"Petroglyphs," she whispered. She shot a hasty glance in the direction Cameron and Wo'itsa had gone. She didn't see either of them in the uneven terrain. She'd just caught a glimpse of Cameron, not more than a minute ago. Indecision gripped her.

Cameron had told her to keep moving in the direction of the woods ahead. Her eyes moved back to the rocks with the stone markings on them. This could be her one shot to see the ancient Sheepeater rock etchings for herself. She laughed. Maybe these were the same petroglyphs she’d wanted Dan Osborne to show her, but he’d refused.

Riley squared her shoulders and adjusted the bison hide she carried. What could be the harm to take a look? Just for a minute. The outcropping wasn't too far out of the way. She hurried over the rocks and dried grasses, keeping her eye on the ground to keep from tripping. The hills were further away than she'd first realized, but as she came closer, she smiled. Carvings into the rocks of strange-looking people, round objects, and animals became clearly visible.

"I wish I had a camera or even just a notebook," she said out loud. She'd have to commit all of this to memory.

When she finally got close enough to make out details of the petroglyphs, she dropped the bison hide and climbed over several large rocks to reach the stone wall. Her eyes traveled over the markings in wonder. She'd seen some petroglyphs before, but they'd been weathered and much of the detail had been lost over the eons. Many of these etchings looked pristine, although there were some that had been affected by erosion, indicating that the artists had been here for hundreds of years before now, or even longer.

Riley stumbled over more rocks as she followed the artwork around a slight bend. After scuffing her knee for the third time, the thought to turn around crossed her mind, but she gritted her teeth and staggered forward.

Some junipers and pines grew among the rocks, and she pushed her way through them to reach more of the exposed areas of the cliff. She’d just reached the large carving of what appeared to be a tall man surrounded by several wolves, or dogs, when twigs snapped loudly in a tree off to her left. Her head whipped around, and she caught movement in one of the trees.

Riley’s mouth went dry, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat. A black, furry thing was attached to the tree trunk with its sharp claws and made its way down to the ground. Her heart pounded in her ears. This was definitely bigger than a skunk, or a squirrel.

“It’s a bear cub,” she whispered, and a rush of dread spread through her limbs. It looked harmless enough, even cute, the way it clung to the tree, but even she knew that a mother bear wouldn’t be far away. The scars on Cameron’s back came to mind. She couldn’t imagine the size of the monster that had given him those marks.

Riley stood, rooted to the spot. She couldn’t move even if she tried. Her legs had gone weak, and her hands visibly trembled. What if she screamed? Would Cameron hear her? A painful lump had formed in her throat, and her heart pounded in her ears.

Turn around, and run!

No sooner had the thought formed in her mind, when a huge, dark shadow crashed through the foliage behind the tree. Riley’s eyes widened, and her heart dropped to her stomach.

Now’s the time to scream.

The large bear raised itself on its hind legs for a moment, then dropped back on all fours and moved toward her. Riley scrambled backward, her skirt catching in some of the shrubs. Her throat burned and had gone completely dry. Had she even screamed? A numb feeling passed over her, as if her subconscious knew that she was about to die. Her limbs wouldn’t move, and she landed on her backside against a rock.

Riley squeezed her eyes shut when the bear raised itself back up on its hind legs. Another shadow passed in front of her, and someone shouted in a loud voice.

Cameron!

Riley opened her eyes. He stood directly in front of her, putting himself between her and the bear. His hands were raised. He held his knife in one hand, and his ax in the other.

“Cameron,” she croaked, when the bear charged him. She ducked, and threw her arm over her head, as if she was about to get run over, but Cameron’s body shielded her. He stood, unmoving, his back muscles taut and his weapons in his hands. There was no way he could fend off an attack from this huge animal.

Just as quickly as the bear charged, it stopped. Only a few yards separated the black monster from Cameron. It snorted again and pawed at the ground. Cameron still hadn't moved. He kept his arms in the air as if he was commanding the bear to stop.

“Get to your feet, Riley. Slowly,” he said in a low tone, keeping his focus on the bear.

Riley blinked, and her eyes widened at his words.

“Do it,” he ordered roughly.

Riley’s arms and legs trembled, but she pushed herself to her feet.

“Now back up the way you came, but don’t run,” Cameron instructed. He sounded much too calm, and his voice was without fear.

Riley nodded, but he had his back to her, so he couldn’t see. Her throat was too dry to speak.

Cameron shifted his weight but continued to stand tall. He took a slow step back, then another, and the bear remained where it was. It continued to snort. When the cub behind it made a noise, the adult turned, and moved away.

He reached for Riley's arm and led her down the slope away from the cliffs with the petroglyphs. He moved slowly, until they’d gone several hundred yards away from the rocky outcropping and the trees. Riley’s legs still trembled, and she wobbled unsteadily on her feet as her limbs flooded with adrenaline. Without Cameron’s hand holding her arm, she would have tripped and fallen over some of the large rocks on the ground.

The instant he stopped, she fell against him, and her composure faltered. She sobbed against his chest in relief and clung to his shoulders for support. Cameron's arms gently folded around her, drawing her up against him. His strong arms trembled as he held her in a tender embrace, belying his composed outer façade. His touch gave her strength, and slowly drew out the fear that left her shaking against him.

Riley lifted her head. She sniffed, and pulled away slightly, wiping at the tears on her face. “That bear would have killed me, and you. You risked your life for me,” she croaked.

Cameron locked his eyes on her. The fierce look in his gaze softened, and he smiled. His hand came up to push some hair from her face.

“I made a promise to myself that I would keep you safe, and find a way to return you to your time,” he murmured. “How many times have I told you not to scream?” His lips twitched into a grin.

He was obviously trying to lighten the mood about what had almost happened. His eyes betrayed his composed demeanor, and so did the light trembling of his thumbs as he swiped at the tears on her cheeks. Riley tilted her head upward.

To ease her own frazzled nerves, she reminded him, “You told me to scream that first night, when you rescued me from those Blackfoot.”

Cameron’s eyes slowly passed over every inch of her face before he spoke. “But you didn’t do what you were told then, either.”

Riley lowered her gaze. “I really messed up this time, didn’t I?” she whispered. “When I saw those petroglyphs - the rock etchings – I had to go and take a look.”

Cameron clasped her face between his hands and lifted her head to look up at him. He stepped closer, and she inhaled the warm scent of his bare skin. His features turned serious, and he stared down at her. "Next time, tell me before you wander off. I can't protect you if I don't know where you are."

Cameron’s jaw muscles clenched and unclenched. His palms eased away from her when she tried to nod in agreement. She swayed toward him before realizing what she was doing and quickly straightened. Her legs were still weak, and the terrifying encounter replayed in her mind.

“Thank you, Cameron,” she whispered. “For looking out for me.”

A new burst of adrenaline shot through her limbs. Cameron had put his life on the line for her without hesitation. Her gaze drifted over his handsome face. How many guys would have done what he did? She swallowed, and her heart fluttered uncontrollably against her ribs.

“A black bear will usually back away if you stand your ground. A grizzly would have killed you.”

Riley’s eyes widened. “Is that the kind of bear that gave you those scars on your back?”

Cameron nodded wordlessly. His chest heaved, and he glanced off into the distance. Apparently, he didn’t want to talk about the experience, and now wasn’t the time to ask for details. Beyond the canopies of the trees, wisps of smoke rose in thin, gray columns into the air.

“The village is just up ahead.” Cameron pointed in the direction of the smoke, clearly ready to change the subject. “Wo’itsa already went ahead before I realized you weren’t behind us anymore. He will let them know we’re coming.”

His gaze drifted back to her, as if there was something on his mind that he hadn’t told her. Something that had nothing to do with bears. Dogs barked in the distance.

Cameron reached for her hand. Warmth radiated up her arm and through her at the contact, and her throat threatened to cut off her air supply, just as it had done during that bear encounter. This time, however, she wasn’t afraid for her life.

Riley gritted her teeth, then offered a hasty smile to conceal the butterflies raging inside her. She should be more nervous about meeting a group of people she’d only read vague accounts about in books and research papers, or the threat of being eaten by a ferocious wild animal.

All she could focus on, however, was Cameron holding her hand as if he was her boyfriend, taking her to meet his mother for the first time. Being held in Cameron’s arms minutes ago had heightened her awareness of him, even if he’d only done it to console a nearly hysterical female after a life-threatening encounter with a bear.

She blinked, as a new surge of adrenaline made her knees go weak all over again. Information surfaced that had been filed away in her brain somewhere. Cameron was taking her to meet his Sheepeater family, and not simply as a casual acquaintance.

He tugged on her hand when her strides faltered, and shot her a raised-eyebrows look.

“It’s not much further. We’ll rest at the village for a few days before we seek out the Sky People.”

Riley shook her head and glanced from him to the tree line in the distance. He'd guessed wrong why she'd stopped. Yes, she was dead tired, and still recovering from the shock of meeting that bear, but that wasn't the reason. His inquisitive look turned into a frown.

Riley pulled her hand out from his grip and faced him fully. He didn't say a word. He looked at her, waiting for her to speak. Her pulse pounded at her temples. What she needed to ask was awkward, to say the least.

“We . . . ah . . . you and I,” she stammered and swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. She rubbed her fingers against her sweaty palms, then peeled her eyes away from his, and glanced toward where the village stood, then back to him. She raised her chin and squared her shoulders. She might as well just come right out and say it. "The Sheepeaters, they are going to think that you and I are, you know . . . together. The equivalent of being married."

If the ground could swallow her up right now, she’d gladly get sucked under. Or maybe that bear could come and finish her off. She suppressed an ironic laugh. This was probably the closest she’d ever come to calling a guy like Cameron her husband.

The man in question stood still like a statue in front of her, looking at her. If anything, his eyes had darkened and that stare of his penetrated her very soul. Riley laughed nervously.

“Unlike bears, this is something I’ve actually read about. The marriage customs of the Sheepeaters are pretty uncomplicated, and two people can be considered married just by having spent time together, alone,” she clarified.

If he was surprised that she knew about the custom, he didn’t let on. Several excruciating seconds ticked by when Cameron finally stopped looking at her like she’d sprouted two heads. He worked the muscles in his jaw for a moment, and looked rather tense, but then his facial features softened, and a hint of a smile even formed on his lips.

“I’m not claiming you as my wife, Riley. We’re not following the customs of the people here. You’re merely a visitor, until I can find a way to send you back to your time.” His face hardened again for the briefest of seconds.

Adrenaline rushed straight to her stomach. Or was that disappointment at his dismissive words?

Stupid ninny. Your silly infatuation is strictly one-sided.

"Oh, well, then . . . that's a relief." She expelled her breath to calm her nerves and laughed quickly.

Cameron stepped closer to her. Riley’s eyes connected with his, and the breath caught in her throat. He was like a magnet from which she couldn’t break away. Why did he look at her like that, as if he meant to draw her into him?

He raised his hand and swiped at a tendril of her hair that the breeze had blown into her face. His touch was so unexpected, that it left her light-headed all over again. He didn't smile, but his stare held her completely captive.

“Wo’itsa thinks you’re my chosen mate, because I traded my bow for you,” he said in that low tone he’d used that first night.

Riley stood straighter. He'd saved her life that night in the Blackfoot camp, too, and from what she'd pieced together, those warriors could have easily killed him. He'd given up his prized hunting weapon for her. Butterflies danced in her stomach. She mentally shook her head. Okay, his motive that night had been to get his hands on the snakehead, but everything he'd done since that rocky first encounter had been in her best interest. He didn't have to do anything for her.

“Yes, but we both know what your real reasons were for the trade,” she retorted, failing miserably at trying to sound matter-of-fact. “I hope you set your friend straight about that.”

Cameron abruptly broke eye contact and stepped away. He casually reached for her hand again, a calm and cool presence next to her. None of this seemed to affect him. Pointing in the direction of the forest, he pulled her along beside him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and his mouth widened in a grin.

“He’s not convinced, and everyone in the village will expect to see me return with a wife, after Wo’itsa announces that we’re coming. And once they see you, it won’t matter what I tell them. Everyone will think that you were sent to me by the Sky People, and won’t accept anything else.”

Riley stumbled over a rock at his words. She would have fallen on her face if not for Cameron’s sure grip keeping her upright. What was that supposed to mean? She gaped at his words, and her mouth had gone too dry to ask.

Cameron walked into camp, bringing up the rear of the group of five hunters that had gone out in search of bighorn three days ago. His arrival at the village had caused quite a stir, and everyone seemed glad to see him return. The shaman had smiled and nodded with satisfaction. The family he'd lived with was more than happy to have him back.

“I knew you would return to us and follow your true path, Cameahwait.” The shaman’s eyes had turned to Riley, who’d stood next to him, gripping his hand. “The Sky People were wise to send this woman to you, to guide you in the right direction.”

Cam hadn’t bothered with a reply. Nothing he could have said would have convinced the Tukudeka that Riley wasn’t here for his sake. He hadn’t specifically said that she was his wife to anyone in the clan, but everyone assumed as much.

Wo’itsa had offered to help erect a wicciup for him and Riley, rather than having them share someone else’s dwelling. Sleeping in their own hut on opposite sides of the fire was far better than having to share a pallet with her under the observing eyes of the family he’d lived with before he left.

He hadn’t shared the bison robe with Riley since that night by the lake. He couldn’t be near her like that again. Every day since then, he’d found an excuse to take her hand to help her navigate a difficult section of terrain, or touch her in some other way, even when he’d told himself what a mistake it was to do so. He hadn’t wanted to let her go when he’d held her in his arms after her encounter with that black bear. The more he tried not to think of her, the more she burrowed herself firmly in his thoughts.

She was beautiful to look at, but she didn't see herself that way. Why else would she hide behind those glasses? She was exceptionally intelligent and absorbed information like a parched tuft of grass after a good rain. Her clumsiness was amusing, and it somehow made her more desirable. And, she understood him.

His attraction to her was more powerful than anything the Sky People could unleash on him, but he was at a loss as to what to do about it. Riley didn’t belong here. Her place was in the future, and he would help her get back to her own time.

She had surprised him when she’d mentioned the Sheepeater marriage custom, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words. The color had drained from her face when he’d told her that everyone would assume she was his wife. She’d seemed rather relieved when he’d told her that he didn’t plan to uphold the custom.

The urge to kiss her at that moment had been stronger than the winds blowing in the high mountains on a stormy day. He’d had sense enough to back away that day, but how much longer would his resolve hold? Perhaps he was being tested somehow, but not by the Sky People.

Dogs barked, and a half dozen children laughed and chattered excitedly long before the hunters entered the village. The children surrounded the men who walked ahead of him. The six dogs that had accompanied them on their hunt each pulled a travois heavily laden with several butchered bighorn sheep. Cam’s eyes fell on the travois that carried the ram he’d killed. The old man he’d always addressed as Toko while he lived with the clan had offered him his horn bow for the hunt.

“This bow has always brought down game for me. It will do the same for you, Cameahwait,” Toko had told him, after the shaman had announced that a group of men would go on a hunt to celebrate Cam’s return.

“I will bring back the best piece of meat for you, Grandfather.” Cameron had bowed to the hunchbacked old man. The top of his head barely reached Cam’s chest.

Although this hunt had delayed his plans to leave the camp in search of the Sky People, Cam had joined out of necessity. He needed a new bow of his own, and that required the horns of a bighorn ram. Even so, it would take several weeks or longer to make. He’d also promised Day Star, the woman who had cared for him when he lived with the clan, a new sheepskin in exchange for some tanned hide to make more suitable clothes for Riley.

Cam remained outside the circle of hunters and scanned the village. Women gathered to unpack the meat and hides from the travois. Where was Riley? Leaving her alone to go on this hunt hadn't been an easy decision, but she'd told him that he should go.

He smiled. The memory of her wide eyes when they'd arrived in the village still made the blood pump faster through his veins, just as it had run cold when he'd heard her scream in terror during her encounter with the bear. Among the clan, she'd looked like she'd found a great treasure, her eyes soaking up everything around her, from the cone-shaped dwellings to the men making arrowheads, and the women scraping hides.

Irrational annoyance had slammed him hard. He’d caught glimpses of desire for him in her eyes at times, but those had always been clouded by looks of apprehension. Maybe if he turned into a stone pot, her eyes would sparkle when she looked at him. He mentally shook his head in an unsuccessful attempt to drive thoughts of Riley from his mind. If all went as he hoped, she would be returned to her own time very soon.

The women had taken her into their fold without question, marveling at her light hair and her unusual clothes. She knew a few words to communicate, even if they sounded rather odd when she said them. Apparently women spoke a universal language, however, and the Tukudeka women had soon whisked her away before he’d fully had a chance to explain to her that he was going hunting with the men, and would be gone for days.

Cam’s eyes widened when they finally fell on the person he cared most to see. His heart skipped in his chest when she walked toward him, following Day Star.

Riley wore a simple deerskin dress, the new moccasins on her feet laced up presumably to her knees. It was more than her blonde hair, which flowed freely down her back rather than tied in her usual ponytail, that made her stand out from everyone else. She looked confident among the women, making her even more beautiful. The wide smile on her face brought a smile to his own lips, and he drank her in as she came closer.

She carried a basket under one arm and leaned toward the woman walking next to her, listening intently to what she was saying. When Riley finally looked directly at him, she stopped, and the smile froze on her face. Cam straightened. Something warm and pleasant surrounded him and wrapped itself around his heart. He gritted his teeth. It was time to talk to the shaman, and get an answer about where to find the Sky People.

Chapter Thirteen

“I  see you’ve done just fine while I was gone.”

Riley looked up at Cameron when he stopped a few inches in front of her. She adjusted the basket she carried on her hip.

“And hello to you, too.” She raised her brows, trying to act aloof while her insides fluttered with nervous excitement. She’d watched him walk into camp with the rest of the hunters, bringing up the rear with an air of confidence about him that set him apart from anyone she’d ever known. The only other guy with the same self-assured aura was Dan Osborne, but she barely knew him.

The rest of her male friends were academics, like herself, and while they were confident about their book knowledge, no one carried himself like Cameron. All the jocks she’d ever known were arrogant and full of themselves, and she didn’t consider any of them her friends.

Cameron belonged in this environment, with these people, whether he wanted to believe it or not. If not for his Caucasian parentage, he could have easily been born here and no one would know any different.

His eyes slowly, methodically, roamed over her, and his lips curved in a satisfied smile. Riley’s hand went to her face out of habit, to push her glasses up her nose, but she wasn’t wearing them. That old, familiar, self-conscious feeling swept over her at his perusal.

Day Star said something next to her, which included Cameron's name, but that was all she understood. Communication hadn't been easy over the last three days, but Riley had picked up on a few words and knew a few simple ones of her own. Part of the problem was that the dialect of Shoshone the Sheepeaters spoke was different from the modern versions of a few words she'd learned. The Tukudeka dialect seemed to have died out along with its people.

Day Star and the other women of the clan had been friendly and patient with her from the moment she’d stepped into their midst, and they’d communicated mostly with hand gestures. The people had looked at her in awe when she arrived, and once the women and children had lost their shyness, had come up to touch her hair and tattered clothes. Day Star had immediately taken charge of her.

Cameron smiled at his foster mother, who was still talking to him, then glanced back at Riley. His quiet answer seemed to have satisfied the woman. Giving a curt nod, Day Star marched off to help the other women unload the meat and hides from the travois.

“She thinks I’ll be a good provider for my wife,” he said with a mischievous grin on his face.

Riley tilted her head and narrowed her eyes to conceal the rush of adrenaline at his words.

"Well, when you have a wife someday, that could very well be true," she retorted. "I'm assuming you had a successful hunt." Her eyes darted to the six travois which were piled high with butchered bighorn sheep.

She brought her gaze back to him. It would be so easy to pretend for a while, but she’d have to face reality soon. The day they’d arrived at the village, Cameron, with Wo’itsa’s help, had arranged deadfall and long poles to form a cone-shaped hut, which they then covered with grasses. He’d left enough space on one side to act as an entry, and Wo’itsa had brought him an animal hide to hang over it.

Not that they needed their own wicciup. Cameron hadn’t spent the night in it that first night, at least not to her knowledge, and he’d left to go on the sheep hunt before dawn the following morning. Riley conceded that it had been nice to have a private place to escape to each night, rather than sleep with one of the other families. It had given her a chance to really appreciate living as the Sheepeaters did.

At a loss for words, Riley said, “I should probably go and help.” She moved to follow the Tukudeka woman.

Cameron’s hand reached out to touch her arm, keeping her from leaving. Riley raised her head. An unmistakable look of admiration and satisfaction gleamed in Cam’s eyes. She mentally shook her head. He wasn’t even back ten minutes, and her mind was a jumbled mess again.

“Day Star tells me you’ve done a lot of work while I was gone, and that you’re learning fast.”

Riley let out a short laugh, and her pulse quickened. Maybe he wouldn’t mind listening to her talk about the things she’d had to bottle up inside while he was gone. It wasn’t like her to keep new discoveries or fascinating ideas to herself, but with the language barrier, she hadn’t been able to really converse with anyone.

“It’s been great, Cameron,” she blurted, the same excitement in her voice as when she talked with her professors or friends about her research and academics. “Day Star showed me how to sew this dress. She even taught me the beginning process of how to tan a hide.” Riley fingered part of the new dress she’d made. The tip of her index finger was scabbed over from several pricks of the sharp needle made from deer bone, but learning the technique to stitch the deerskin together and even add some decorative fringes had all been worth it. Her smile widened. “I can’t believe how soft this deerskin is. I’ve read about the labor-intensive tanning methods the Sheepeaters used – I mean, use – and now I understand why they go through so much trouble.”

Riley looked up at him. She was doing it again, unable to curb her enthusiasm when she learned new things. Cameron stood quietly in front of her, listening with an amused grin on his face.

“I know how to make cakes from bitterroot powder and berries, too.” She raised her chin, encouraged that he was still listening. “It tastes a lot better when you roast the root first, and add something sweet, like the huckleberries some of the kids helped me pick the day you left.”

Cameron stepped closer. His hand came up to lightly touch her arm. “Since you’re getting along so well, maybe I should leave you here while I find Naatoyita,” he said in a low tone.

Riley’s eyes widened, as her heart sank unexpectedly to her stomach at the mention of the man who could possibly send her home. The last few days had been some of the best she’d ever experienced. She hadn’t even had time to miss her books. No one had judged her or made fun of her when she’d accidentally tipped over the bowl of water one of the women had just brought back from the creek; or when her hair had gotten tangled in a low-hanging tree branch, and it took two women to free her.

Everyone was genuinely friendly and caring, and she’d learned more about the Tukudeka culture in the few short days she’d been in the village than she’d learned in months of research. With each day, her confidence grew a little more that she could learn and do primitive things such as cook over an open flame, and make her own clothes out of animal skin, given enough time.

“I want to go with you,” she said quickly. Cameron was not going to leave her behind. As much as she would love to stay and learn more about the day-to-day lives of these people, she’d rather spend any remaining time in the past with him, as foolish as that was.

Cameron’s jaw muscles twitched, and he finally nodded. The smile vanished from his face. “I’d better talk to the shaman, then. I plan on leaving at first light tomorrow morning.”

Abruptly, he turned and walked away. Riley blinked, and stared after him. What had put him in such a foul mood all of a sudden? When he didn't turn to look at her again, she gripped her basket tighter and went to follow Day Star.

For the next few hours, she helped cut meat into strips to hang on wooden drying racks. When that messy chore was completed, the women gathered their baskets of grains, seeds, and pine nuts they'd collected earlier, and sat in the dirt to grind them into flour for the bread they planned to cook with some of the meat for the celebration later.

After rinsing the dried blood off her hands and arms, Riley joined the women in front of Day Star's hut and reached for a handful of seeds to grind. The women chattered quietly while Riley's eyes wandered through camp. She spotted Cameron by one of the other wicciups with several of the hunters, talking to the shaman and a few of the old men.

He stood a good inch taller than the other men, but she would have picked him out of any crowd. She’d read accounts that described the Sheepeaters as being fairly short in stature, but she hadn’t found that to be the case. Although none of them were as tall as Cameron, most of them were of average height.

Cameron laughed at something Wo'itsa said, and the old man who'd given him his hunting bow cackled loud enough for his voice to carry through camp. Riley absently held a stone bowl in her lap and ground at the seeds in it with a round rock.

She startled, and nearly spilled the contents of her bowl when Day Star nudged her in the arm. Riley quickly jerked her head away from staring at Cameron. The woman had a bright smile on her face, and she gestured with her chin toward the men.

“Tsaa suankan,” Day Star said, and nudged her arm again.

Riley looked at the smiling woman. Day Star pointed at her, then toward the men. When Riley ventured another glance in their direction, her heart crashed against her ribs, and butterflies churned in her stomach. Cameron still stood among the men, but he was looking directly at her. The strong pull of his stare held her paralyzed, and she couldn’t look away. Her mouth went dry instantly, and her hand trembled.

She mentally shook her head, as if it could clear away the feelings sweeping through her for the man who could hold her captive with only his eyes. He held her gaze for several magical seconds, then returned his attention to the shaman. Had she imagined that look of admiration, and attraction, in his eyes?

She glanced back at Day Star, who beamed as if she’d won the lottery. Riley’s forehead scrunched, unable to decipher the woman’s words. Day Star held her palm to Riley’s chest.

“I don’t understand.” Riley’s voice cracked when she spoke.

“Camehawait,” Day Star patted her over her heart.

Riley stared at the woman, then shot another hasty glance in Cameron's direction, but thankfully, his back was now turned to her. She laughed quickly and shook her head. Day Star's meaning had become clear.

“No, I . . .” she stammered, but stopped, and smiled. Heat crept up her neck. It wouldn’t be a good idea to deny having feelings for him. Everyone thought he was her husband.

"Tsaa suankan," the woman repeated and pressed her hand firmly against Riley's breast over her heart. "Riley," she added, in stilted English. She reinforced her words with a resolute nod of her head.

Riley’s shoulders slumped.

“Is it that obvious?” Were her looks of longing for a guy who was out of her reach so easy for others to see?

Day Star smiled in satisfaction, even though she wouldn’t have understood Riley’s words, and resumed her work.

Riley’s hands trembled when she picked up the smooth stone she’d used to grind the seeds into a fine powder. She forced her eyes on her task, although it required all her will power not to look toward Cameron again.

"Ouch." Riley jerked her hand away and stuck her little finger in her mouth. This was the third time she'd crushed it under the round rock. She poured the flour she'd managed to produce into another bowl, and stood. She couldn't sit still any longer. Her insides were a jumbled mess. Day Star smiled up at her and waved her away.

Over the last three days since she’d arrived at the village, Riley’s infatuation with Cameron had evolved into something far stronger. She’d tried to explain it away because she’d been overly fatigued during the tiring trek to get here, but she’d had plenty of rest since then.

It seemed that, with him gone, her feelings had only grown exponentially. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him – his intense stares, but also his quick smiles, and the way he’d looked out for her from the moment he’d stepped into that Blackfoot camp and traded his bow for her. When he’d saved her life from that bear, and proved that he would protect her with his life, her feelings for him had spiraled out of control. She’d fallen, and fallen hard.

The back of her eyes began to sting, and she blinked rapidly. Why was this happening? Cameron was as raw and wild as this land, and so completely opposite from anyone she should be attracted to. Yet, there was some invisible connection between them, a pull too strong for her to ignore. If Cameron felt it, too, he’d been very good at concealing it, until a few moments ago. What she’d seen in his eyes had been pure admiration, mixed with something much stronger.

Riley stumbled from the village toward the narrow creek that flowed through the forest a short distance away. Twilight descended over the mountains, and she sucked in a deep breath at the vivid beauty of the wilderness. Deep orange, purple, and red streaks painted the early evening sky as far as the eye could see, and the colors reflected off the distant peaks.

The cool evening breeze lifted some strands of hair from her neck, and she hugged her arms around her waist. Riley blinked away the moisture that pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision, and she sniffed. She tilted her head into the breeze and inhaled deeply. The fresh scent of earth, the forest, and the faint odor of campfire had never smelled better.

She laughed softly. Until recently, her entire world had revolved around academic research, books, and scientific journals, not getting her hands bloody while butchering freshly killed game, or scraping hair from a smelly animal hide. Riley smiled. She was so out of her comfort zone, and she loved every minute of it.

With a deep sigh, she stared off at the mountains again. She was falling in love with this land, a place so far removed from her world of academia, as much as she was falling in love with a guy who couldn’t be more different from all she’d ever known.

A twig snapped loudly behind her, and Riley spun around. Her eyes widened, and the familiar butterflies came to life in her belly.

“Cameron,” she stammered, as the man who’d taken over every crevice of her mind strode toward her. With each step he took, her heart rate increased.

“I didn’t see you with the women back at camp.” He stopped just in front of her.

“I just needed some alone time to think about things.”

Riley’s eyes fell to the buckskin shirt he wore . . . the shirt she’d just finished making for him before he returned to camp.

Cameron must have noticed her stare. He grinned. “Day Star handed this to me and told me to find you and thank you.”

Riley raised her chin. “Day Star helped me. It’s the least I could do since you sacrificed your other shirt for me, but you owe her a new hide.”

The sounds of crickets grew louder in the silence that followed. Cameron simply nodded.

“I might owe her more than a new hide,” he mumbled, then cleared his throat. “You should come back to camp and eat something. Tomorrow will be a long walk into the high mountains.”

“How long?”

“According to the shaman, the camp of the Sky People isn’t far. We will get half-way by tomorrow night, but we have to leave before dawn.” He paused, and added, “Are you ready to go home to your time?”

Riley stared at him. Was she ready? How would Cameron react if she asked him to postpone the trip?

“Why am I here, Cameron?” she whispered.

He stepped closer, and reached for her hand.

“I don’t know.” He looked down into her eyes with his quiet intensity. His face hardened. “But I will do everything I can to get you sent home.”

“Even give up your reason for leaving the Tukudeka many years ago?” she blurted. “I thought you were done letting others control you. You’ll go back to feeling that way for me? To get me sent home?”

The muscles along his jaw clenched, and he gripped her hand tighter.

“Yes, I’d do it for you.”

Riley smiled tentatively. Her limbs had gone numb from the warm sensations that flowed through her. He wasn’t just saying things to her because he thought it was something she might want to hear. His sincerity was as intense and genuine as the rest of him. She reached her hand up to his face, and her fingers grazed the hard lines of his jaw.

"I don't know why you'd want to make such a sacrifice for me, but I think Wo'itsa and everyone are right."

Cameron’s forehead scrunched. “Right about what?”

“That I was sent here by the Sky People.” Her gaze didn’t waver. “I was sent here to help you see exactly where you belong, and I think it’s working.”

“How is it working?” he grumbled.

"Well, because of me, you're back among the Sheepeaters, and you're going to talk to the Sky People. Two things you've turned your back on."

Riley studied the uncertainty in his eyes. She offered a smile. “Right here, in this environment, is where you belong, Cameron, and it’s time you let go of your resentment, and embrace your life in this time.”

Before he had a chance to say anything else, she leaned up and touched her lips to his for the briefest of seconds. It was an impulsive move, and the contact was over in the blink of an eye. She pulled her hand from his and took a step back. Cameron seemed to have forgotten how to move. He stood rooted to the spot, but his eyes had grown dark, and his stare was almost like a predator, hungry, and locked on its prey.

No one had ever looked at her like that before. Her stomach churned with nerves. Riley’s lips trembled when she smiled softly.

"I'll see you back at camp," she stammered and headed for the village. She walked faster than normal through the brush to get back to her hut, holding back the tears in her eyes.

Cameron planned to leave in the morning to find the man who might send her home. It was probably for the best. Her feelings for him, and what she thought she’d seen in his eyes were too much to contemplate at the moment. Falling for him was a big mistake, and her voice of reason had been right when it warned her that she’d only get hurt for letting it happen. Cameron’s life was here, and hers was in the future. Why did she have to kiss him, and complicate matters?

She wiped the tears from her face and laughed bitterly. It was time to go home to Missoula, and back to her life in the lab. Maybe she'd look up Dan Osborne, and tell him how right he'd been, that experiencing the past was nothing like reading about it. It was so much better.

She smiled. She could tell him she’d gone hiking, and under extreme conditions, and lived to tell about it – because Cameron had protected her and kept her safe. One of the first things she’d do would be trade in her collection of high heels for more suitable walking and hiking shoes, and get out of the lab more often.

She laughed softly. Who was she kidding? She may have lived through a great adventure while she was here in the past, but once it came to an end, her life at home would be the same as before, because Cameron would’nt be in it.

Chapter Fourteen

Cameron held his knife up in front of his face and rotated it to inspect the edges. It was good and sharp. The weight of the ax hanging from his belt at his hip gave him some additional comfort. These weapons would have to do until he found the time to make a new horn bow. The process would take weeks, time he didn't have right now.

He turned his head at the sound of Riley’s laughter several paces away. She nodded and smiled at Day Star, who handed her a leather pouch. Cameron's lips twitched in a slight smile. Day Star had approached him the night before and asked if there were things Riley might need other than what she'd already packed for her in a traveling pouch.

It had contained a knife, a hide scraper, a brush made from porcupine quills, a cooking bowl, and various roots, nuts, and dried berries. The one other item that would have made Riley happy was a book, but he couldn’t make that suggestion, so he’d simply told Day Star that what she’d packed was enough.

He pulled his eyes away, or he might stand and stare at Riley’s smiling face all morning. Wo’itsa and the other hunters had already called him a lovesick beaver after their return from the hunt the day before. He hadn’t been able to keep his eyes from wandering to the women - to one yellow-haired woman - who wouldn’t leave his thoughts. Apparently, the men had noticed it, too, and had seized on the chance to make jokes. He’d gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut when everyone suggested that he should leave the celebration and take his wife to his hut.

Cam stared off into the foliage surrounding the village. The sun was just starting to poke through the tallest trees and over the mountains in the east. Most of the village was still quiet, and only a few cooking fires had been lit. A thin veil of mist hovered low to the ground around the outskirts of the village, giving an almost surreal feeling to the morning.

His head was as foggy as the forest floor. His mind had been too pre-occupied with thoughts of Riley all night to get any sleep. He’d wandered along the creek for hours, searching for answers that didn’t come. If he had gone after her when she’d rushed off after kissing him, nothing would have stopped him from taking her to his sleeping blankets.

Within a few days, she would be returned to her own time. Why had she kissed him? The very brief contact of her lips on his had made him come alive in ways he’d never thought possible.

The muscles along his spine tensed. His attraction to Riley Bernard was a mystery to him, but he couldn’t shake it, no matter how hard he tried. It had been almost instant, from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her in the daylight. Matunaaga had seen it right away when he’d brought her to their camp, and so had Wo’itsa.

She was as different from him as night and day, yet some invisible force drew him to her. Riley was smart and very knowledgeable in things she’d learned from books, something he’d never had much interest in as a boy, yet she also possessed a strength of character that made her a survivor in this environment.

The pull she had on his heart had only grown stronger as time passed, and especially with that kiss if that was even possible. She'd told him to embrace his life here, and understood his anger and resentment with the Sky People. His thoughts of returning to the future, if he ever found the vessel Pikowan had been searching for all these years, had started to fade from his mind.

Riley had obviously enjoyed her time with Day Star, and learning firsthand about the Tukudeka way of life, but she hadn't said anything about wanting to stay. No doubt she was putting on a brave face but had to be terrified for being thrown into this time. How well he could remember that feeling. At first it had been a great adventure for him, too, but once he'd come to realize that he wasn't going home, the resentment had started to grow.

At least Riley wasn’t completely alone. She had him to keep her safe, and find a way to get her home. Cam frowned. According to the customs of the Sheepeaters, as well as the Bakianee, with whom he’d traded for her, Riley was his wife. He had every right to go to her, but if he did, he might not be able to let her leave. It was best to keep his distance, or regret his actions later, because she wasn’t staying in this time.

He’d come to one firm conclusion during his long and sleepless night. He couldn’t let his feelings cloud his judgment. Riley would not be another pawn in the games Mukua played, and that meant she had to return to 2011.

Her soft voice brought his head back to where she stood with Day Star.

"Thank you . . . aishun." Riley embraced his foster mother. The older woman's eyes widened with surprise at the gesture, but she smiled brightly and clasped Riley's hands between hers.

Riley's eyes fell to Cameron, just as he looked at her. He indicated with a nod of his chin that it was time to go. The only words he'd spoken to her since last evening were to wake her and tell her it was time to leave.

She adjusted her pouch around her neck and shoulder. Slung over her other shoulder, she carried a water skin and a rolled-up sheep hide tied together with rawhide. She was burdened with more items this time than when they arrived at the village, but she’d managed to carry the heavy bison robe without much complaint.

The climb into the mountains would be difficult, but she wouldn’t back away from the challenge. She’d already refused to stay behind. Riley might not have experience in the wild, but her determination and eagerness to learn set her apart. Life was different in the future. Another woman might have given in to fear and weakness, and crumbled. With each day she was here, Riley became stronger.

The shaman stood nearby, watching her with a pleased look on his face. Riley thanked Day Star a final time, waved to the rest of the people who’d gathered to watch them leave, then walked up beside him. She offered a quick, uneasy smile.

Wo’itsa walked with them in silence through the trees until the village disappeared, then stopped. Cameron faced him, his brows raised in a silent question. Wo’itsa held out his horn bow and a quiver filled with arrows.

“I expect you to return this to me, Cameahwait.”

Cameron stared at his friend, then at what he offered. He frowned. “Why are you giving me this?”

Wo’itsa’s face erupted in a wide grin. He darted a glance at Riley, and switched to speaking English. “The spirits tell me it is the right thing to do. You need a weapon to protect your woman on your journey.”

Cameron’s gaze moved to Riley. Her eyes volleyed between him and Wo’itsa, her mind clearly working out the meaning of Wo’itsa’s words. His friend liked to chalk everything up to the spirits.

“During my vision journey, the bear and the wolf were enemies,” Wo’itsa added slowly, holding Cameron’s gaze. Cam’s eyes narrowed. Wo’itsa shouldn’t be telling him about his vision. “Let this be a token that it never comes to pass.”

After he stood unmoving in front of his friend for several seconds, Cameron nodded, then accepted the weapon. To refuse his offer would be insulting. He reached out, and clasped Wo’itsa by the arm.

“I don’t think you and I could ever be enemies.” Cameron laughed, and his mouth widened in a grin. He nudged his chin at his friend in a mock challenge. “Besides, the bear is stronger than the wolf. I could beat you in a fight any day.”

“The bear might be stronger, but the wolf is more cunning and runs faster, Cameahwait.” Wo’itsa’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

Next to him, Riley scoffed. Cam glanced at her, just as she rolled her eyes. His brows rose.

“Men,” she said, looking from him to Wo’itsa. The exasperation in her eyes brought a renewed smile to Cam’s face. “Don’t you ever miss an opportunity to beat on your chests and compete with each other? Even if your words and your little metaphors are different, the meaning is timeless.”

Wo’itsa turned his attention to her with a puzzled frown. The meaning of her question was clearly lost to him. When no one elaborated, he, said, “Walk with the spirits, Riley, and guide your man on the right path.” He nodded to her, then turned abruptly and headed back toward the village.

Cam’s eyes connected with hers. He tensed. Wo’itsa was apparently still not convinced that she was leaving. Part of him was beginning to wish the same thing, but Riley didn’t consider him her man.

“We need to go.”

He continued to look at her. She was definitely thinking about what she’d done last night. It was obvious in her searching, yet uneasy, stare. Since she hadn’t brought it up, she probably regretted that kiss and wanted to pretend it hadn’t happened. Riley was not the kind of woman who would remain silent on the matter otherwise.

“I’m ready,” Riley said with a quick, bright smile that made his knees go weak. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder that held the sheep hide, and headed in the wrong direction.

Cam perused her for another second or two as she walked away from him. Her deerskin dress disguised her figure better than the clothes she’d had on before, but couldn’t hide the seductive sway of her hips. He gritted his teeth, and focused his eyes elsewhere. He had to let her go back to her time, as much as he wanted to pull her into his arms at this moment and claim her as his.

He shook his head. He couldn’t do it. For most of his life, someone else had made decisions for him. He would not do the same to Riley, and keep her here if there was a way to send her home.

His life was in this time, just as she’d told him, and hers was in the future. He tore his eyes from her, and headed into the forest, away from the village.

“I’m going this way,” he called over his shoulder. “It’s a shorter walk to reach the Sky People than where you’re going.”

Behind him, Riley inhaled a loud breath. Cameron’s lips twitched. He didn’t have to turn and look to see that she’d lengthened her strides to catch up to him.

Cam forced his attention on the hills and mountains in the distance, rather than look at her. It had been much easier with Wo’itsa along for part of their journey to the village. Before that, he’d kept his distance by scouting for Blackfoot and other dangers.

The threat from Blackfoot had passed by now. They were well outside Bakianee territory. The forest had opened up again to more meadow, and the terrain was slowly getting steeper. Mountains rose, one after the other, into the sky.

Cam kept a vigilant eye and ear out for other dangers. There was always the possibility of surprising a bear sow with cubs, as Riley had found out already, or a lone bison that might have bedded down in the tall grasses, so he opted to remain at Riley’s side. The outcome of another animal encounter might not end as well as Riley’s prior run-in with the black bear and her cub. There was no harm in simply enjoying her company, especially if they walked in companionable silence.

“Wo’itsa is such a nice and friendly guy, but he looked sad at times.” Riley’s voice broke through the quiet of the forest, beckoning to him like a hummingbird to a decadent flower. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet for much of the morning.

Cam glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t for him to talk about his friend when Wo’itsa wasn’t here to speak for himself, but Riley was expecting an answer.

“He lost the woman who would have been his wife to another man.”

Riley lifted her head to the side to stare up at him. Her brows rose, then furrowed.

“Oh,” she stammered, then dropped her gaze to look at the ground. “I suppose rejection is never easy, but maybe sometimes it’s for the best.”

Cam glanced at her, pondering her words and the expression on her face. Had someone rejected her?

“When you first met him, he was on the way back from a spirit journey to ask for guidance on how to deal with his disappointment and anger.” He scoffed. “The spirits couldn’t help him.”

“He just needs time,” Riley offered. She lifted her chin, and her eyes widened with hope. “I’m sure someone else will come along someday who’s more compatible with him. It probably wasn’t meant to be.”

Cam grunted, but didn’t say anything else. It wasn’t meant to be between him and Riley, either. Competing for her favor with another man would be easy. He wasn’t giving her up to another man, though. He would lose her to the expanse of time. Asking her to leave her life in the future in favor of staying in this time with him was impossible.

Riley leaned forward while she walked, and looked up at him again. “What? You don’t think that there’s that one special person out there just for you?”

Cam’s jaw tightened. He turned his head slightly while keeping his eyes on their path ahead. He shrugged. “I’ve never had the urge to find such a person.”

Until now, perhaps.

Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Have you found your special person?”

Riley straightened. Clearly, she hadn’t expected the question. The man she’d been with, the one who’d left her and returned to the future, came to mind. He wasn’t the man for her. Riley had courage, even if she might not see it. The man she’d been with was a coward. He wouldn’t have lived through the next day, had he remained in this time.

“I’m not really sure,” she finally answered, almost hesitantly.

“What about the man who left you behind?” Cam cursed silently for his question, but he had to know. He cast a quick glance at her.

Riley raised her eyebrows. Her lips twitched in a smile.

“Jeffrey?” She laughed quickly. “I suppose anyone who knew us would say we’re perfect for each other.”

Cam tensed, walking next to her. His hand gripped Wo'itsa's horn bow tighter than necessary. It took all the willpower in him to keep from grabbing Riley and showing her how wrong she was about this Jeffrey.

“Then I say to those people that they don’t know you well at all.”

Riley’s head snapped up to him, and their eyes connected. He nearly smiled at the astonished look on her face. Had he touched on something she was aware of herself? She straightened her shoulder to adjust the pouch she carried, then raised her chin in an almost defensive gesture.

“Jeffrey and I have a lot in common,” she muttered. “He’s smart, we share the same interests, and he’s not arrogant and full of himself.”

Cam tilted his head, and narrowed his eyes. “Full of himself?” What did that mean?

Riley nodded. “Yeah, full of himself.” She glanced away. Her shoulders slumped for a moment and she looked at the ground, then back up at him. Her chest heaved as she drew in a visible breath.

“What do you remember of your life in the future, Cameron?” Her eyes glared in a challenge. “Who were your friends? I’ll go and pet a skunk right now if you weren’t part of the group of kids who made fun of the ones who were nerdy and not into sports; the ones who liked to hang out in the library and read books for fun, and played by the rules rather than get into trouble.”

Her voice grew more adamant as she talked, with a distinct note of hurt in her tone. Cam gritted his teeth. Faint memories of his childhood surfaced. He’d always been in trouble for not following rules. Julian, the kid from boy scouts who had time traveled with him by accident, had been one of the ‘good’ kids, and had been mocked by some of the others, himself included.

“I was never much for book learning,” he said slowly. “I suppose I was too restless. I was only a boy, and made many stupid mistakes, but since coming to this time, I’ve been taught, and I’ve learned, that a group of people is only as strong as the weakest person. One man may have skills another doesn’t, and every member of the clan is important and contributes in his own ways.”

Riley stopped. Her eyes were wide as a doe’s when she stared at him, and shimmered in the sunlight. An incredulous look of hurt, mixed with disbelief, passed through those eyes, until they softened with an emotion Cameron wanted to etch into his memory forever. He reached for her arm and faced her. His own eyes narrowed.

“Who hurt you, Riley?”

She blinked several times. She shook her head, and stared up at him. It took her several moments before she inhaled deeply, and spoke again, her expression clouded with pain.

"I always wanted to be accepted by the popular kids in school, those who were part of the ‘in' crowd, but being smart, and accident-prone just weren't considered acceptable attributes. When a guy finally paid attention to me, I was too blind to see how different we really were. I was young and stupid, and just wanted to fit in." Her stare intensified, right before she dropped her chin to her chest. Her voice quieted and cracked, and Cam leaned closer to hear. "I wanted him to like me, so I let him take advantage of me in all ways, until he finally revealed his true colors."

He didn’t have to ask to know what she meant with her words, and a surge of protectiveness swept through him. Riley inhaled a deep breath, and continued. “I fell into the trap of wanting to be socially accepted, but I learned fast and hard that it’s pointless to try and fit in with people who aren’t your type.” She glanced up again, and looked him in the eye. “From then on, I decided that it was safer and okay to be among people who weren’t part of that crowd, and I hid behind my books and academics. It’s where I was accepted for who I am.” She raised her chin, and swiped at some hair in her face.

“And you believe I am like the man – the boy – who hurt you?”

A distinct rosy hue crept into her cheeks. “You look like the kind of guys I swore I’d stay away from,” she stammered.

His brows rose. “Look?”

Riley shifted weight, and almost glared at him. “Yeah, let’s face it, Cameron. If you had grown up in the future, you’re the kind of guy that would have women fawning all over you.” Then her eyes softened, and she even smiled. “I’m glad you grew up here, where arrogance isn’t a favorable attribute.”

“But I’m the kind of guy you stay away from, is that right?” he challenged. She was attracted to him, but she didn’t want those feelings because she’d judged him based on his looks? Cam shook off his annoyance at her words.

“Yes.” She nodded quickly, and averted her eyes.

“So, if we had met in the future, you would have stayed away from me, because I’m not like you, because I wouldn’t have lived a safe life inside books,” he continued to push.

“Yes, we would have been too different.” She quickly shook her head. “I mean, we are too different, but I’ve learned that you’re not arrogant, and I’m sorry for judging a book by its cover.”

Cam’s grin widened. Her answers intrigued as much as they annoyed him. At least he understood her better, just as she understood him, but this conversation also led him down a path he shouldn’t be taking. He glanced toward the mountain – Riley’s path to get home.

For the first time in many years, he cared about more than simply living each day without a clear purpose. How could he give her up?

“The shaman would say we balance each other out,” he muttered.

“What?” She gaped at him, and her forehead wrinkled, as if he’d said something incomprehensible.

“I think your words come from fear, not because it’s something you really believe.”

She laughed, a little too quickly. “Fear of what?”

Cameron reached for her hand. Her soft palm fit so well in his, and that familiar warm sensation whenever he touched her traveled up his arm. He’d told himself over and over again that she needed to return to her time, but his heart had other ideas. He could easily carry her off right now, away from the Sky People, and bind her to him.

All the anger and frustration he’d experienced over the years came rushing back, that others had controlled his life. He mentally shook his head. He couldn’t do that to Riley. He had to send her back to her time, but he could at least make her see that they weren’t so different after all. He offered a smile when she looked at him with apprehension in her eyes.

“You fear failure, so you avoid things you think you might fail at.” He caressed her palm with his thumb. “When I was brought here, it took me a long time to learn how to shoot my bow.” He chuckled. “I was ready to give up, because I could never hit my intended target. Day Star’s husband, the man who taught me, told me that I was in control of the bow, not the other way around, and that the barriers would fall away when I no longer allowed the bow to control me. I was good at everything else – my knife, the tomahawk – just as I was good in my old life playing sports.” He chuckled. “The bow gave me problems, just like the book learning in the future, so it was easier to just give up. If I simply let myself fail, I couldn’t be disappointed for trying, and still failing. When I finally did as he told me, and took control of the bow, it became easy, and I excelled.”

Cam stepped up to her. He lifted his hand to her cheek, and stroked her soft skin. “You’re smart and beautiful, Riley, but those are the least interesting things about you. Don’t you know that you have the strength in you to challenge yourself in other things besides book learning?”

Her eyes widened at his question. Cam’s fingers lingered along her cheek. He nodded, his gaze locked on hers. The longing in her eyes drew him closer.

“You’ve proven it already. How many of your friends do you think would have survived capture by the Bakianee, then endured walking without shoes for an entire day, or continue to survive in an unknown time?”

Riley stared at him, her mind clearly processing what he’d said. Was she even aware that she leaned into his touch?

“You kissed me last night,” he mumbled, unable to keep the words inside. All he had to do was dip his head slightly, and he could continue what she’d started.

Her face reddened, and she pulled away. Cam gripped his bow to keep from reaching out to her and preventing her escape.

“Yeah.” She laughed softly, and shook her head. “I don’t know what came over me. It was an impulsive mistake, and I’m sorry for – ”

Twigs snapped loudly beside them, and a deer darted from the shrubs into their path. Riley screeched. Cam grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. He’d been too pre-occupied with her to pay attention to his surroundings. Annoyance shot through him at his carelessness, as well as at her last words. She’d been sorry about her actions, just as he’d suspected. Their moment of closeness was gone.

“We’d best keep moving,” he said, releasing her. “And I need to be more vigilant. Next time it might be something other than a deer.” He shot her a hasty look, then added, “Keep walking in the same direction. I’ll be close.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re leaving me alone again? Do you remember what happened last time, with the bear?”

“Keep to a straight line, and don’t wander off again, then you won’t run into bears like last time. I won’t be far.” Cameron nodded curtly, and headed off at a jog. He had to get away before his frustration got the better of him.

When had he ever allowed his mind to become so clouded? He had put them both at risk by not paying attention to his surroundings. He was also treading on dangerous territory by having these personal discussions with Riley.

Cam was ready to run up the mountain to find Naatoyita, and demand he send Riley home this instant. He should have insisted that she stay behind at the village. How much longer could he remain in her company without telling her how she affected him, or that he was losing his heart to her?

By the time the sun started to sink in the horizon, they’d reached the base of the mountain. Cam scouted for a place to stop for the night and rest in preparation for the long ascent in the morning. They’d made good time today, but he hadn’t pushed Riley as fast as he could. She needed to conserve her strength for the steep climb the following day. A small creek cascaded through the trees, and that’s where he told Riley to make camp.

“I’ll return after I make sure there’s no danger nearby.”

Riley nodded quietly, and dropped the sheepskin and the pouch she carried. He caught her grateful smile just before he moved through the trees to find a trail they could use in the morning. It would be a steep climb, no matter what.

It was nearly dark by the time he made his way back to where he’d left her. The strong odor of burning wood sent him into a run down the slope. He was still too far away from camp to see Riley, but a blind man could see the heavy smoke from a fire.

“What did she do?” he mumbled, as his frustration from the day erupted into annoyance. The smoke would alert every Bakianee within miles.

When he reached their camp, the smoke was dense enough that it stung his eyes. Riley, enveloped in a gray cloud, coughed and waved a hand in front of her face. A small, dead pine tree, no taller than his waist, ignited in flames next to her. She cursed, and grabbed for her sheepskin, waving it at the fire. Her actions only created more smoke, and increased the size of the flames. Cam rushed up to her and pushed her out of the way. He smothered the tree with his own bedding.

“Why is there so much smoke?” She coughed again when she saw him, and pointed at the fire. “I can’t get the campfire started, but I manage to start a forest fire.” She held her arm over her face, and coughed again.

Cameron kicked dirt onto the pile of wood she’d called a campfire until the few flames suffocated completely. The smoke continued to rise into the air, and hung in a thick veil around them. He grabbed Riley’s pouch off the ground, while she clutched at her sheepskin, looking mortified.

“We need to find a different place to camp,” he said roughly, as the tension that had simmered near the surface all day exploded fully into anger. Anger at himself, because he shouldn’t have left before setting up a proper camp, and anger because Riley would be out of his life the following day. “Follow me,” he growled.

She rushed up to him, and grabbed her pouch from his hand, glaring at him. "Why are you so mad?" She rubbed at her eyes, and blinked. "I'm sorry about the fire, but I thought I could do something useful since you're always disappearing on me."

Cam turned to look at her. He gritted his teeth in frustration. “You used green wood,” he grumbled, without completely answering her question. “Let’s hope there are no Blackfoot in the area.”

“Well, if I’d had a book about the proper ways to build a fire and what kind of wood to use, this wouldn’t have happened.” Her hand flew to her hip, and her glare intensified. “Or, better yet, if you had stuck around and showed me how to do it.” She flung her pouch over her shoulder. “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that it’s not a good idea to leave an incompetent novice alone in the woods for hours at a time? Or are you trying to see how long it takes before I do something stupid enough to get killed?”

He forced his eyes from the devastated look on her face. Hadn’t she listened to a word of what he’d told her earlier? He didn’t see her as incompetent, only inexperienced, but perhaps that was the problem. He’d left her alone too many times, because she’d proven that she could hold her own.

And because you wanted to keep your distance.

She was right. She could have been killed during that bear encounter, and again today with this fire.

It wasn’t her fault that he hadn’t taught her how to properly build a campfire. Frankly, he should be surprised that she’d been able to start one on her own, and she didn’t deserve to be chastised. Her anger right now was good, though. It would keep them both on guard, and he wouldn’t have reason for his mind to stray to tender thoughts for her, like it had done all day.

Cameron stared at her, then headed into the trees. “I think I’m the incompetent one,” he mumbled under his breath. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

Chapter Fifteen

Riley shifted underneath her sheepskin cover. She was lying on one half of the hide, while the other half covered her, and cold air crept into her cocoon whenever she moved. A fire crackled nearby, and the birds chirped noisily above her in the trees, making any additional sleep impossible. She stretched to ease the stiffness in her legs.

The thick pile of fur in her hut back at the village had been the softest thing she'd slept on since coming to this time. She really missed her bed back home. She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. Her mind was foggy from lack of sleep. Another thing she missed – her morning coffee.

Last evening, Cameron had led her away from the smoky camp she’d created, and they’d walked for at least another half hour before he’d stopped along a narrow creek that seemed to trickle straight out of the ground. He’d started a new campfire, which had produced almost no smoke, and they’d eaten a cold meal of dried venison and some nuts and berries in awkward silence. Although she hadn’t asked if he’d show her how to do it right, she’d discretely watched and taken mental notes.

Riley had spread out her hide on one side of the fire and excused herself to go to sleep shortly after, even though she had really been wide awake. She'd been so full of confidence to start a fire, after everything she'd learned at the Tukudeka village. Day Star had shown her how to do it several times, and she'd been eager to try it on her own. If the Tukudeka woman had told her not to use a certain type of wood, Riley hadn't understood.

After Cameron’s little pep talk about letting go of her fears of failure, she’d been ready to prove him right. Instead, she’d nearly burned down the forest. She’d be going home the following day anyway, back to the familiarity of her books and classrooms, so what did it matter if she knew how to make a campfire that didn’t smoke out every living thing for miles around?

Tears had stung her eyes, and she’d never felt more foolish, not even when she’d stepped in wet cement in the parking lot of some fast food joint several years ago. Too absorbed in her own mind, thinking about something she’d been currently studying in school, she hadn’t paid attention and stepped into thick, wet cement of the new sidewalk that was being laid. People inside the place who’d seen what she’d done had laughed, and even clapped.

Rather than stopping to turn around, she’d kept going until she’d reached the other side of the sidewalk. The construction workers had yelled at her, a few throwing up their hands in exasperation. She’d been too embarrassed to even go in and order her food after that, and had dashed back to her car. She’d gone home to hide in her room for the rest of the afternoon. To this day, the experience still made heat rise to her face.

Cameron hadn’t laughed at her about the fire, because the situation hadn’t been funny, but he’d clearly been mad. He’d set up their new camp in silence, with a brooding look on his face. Wanting to disappear and analyze what she’d done wrong, Riley had slipped under her sheepskin covers. He'd barely raised his head to look at her when she'd quietly said good night.

She'd lain awake for hours, listening to the forest come alive with the sounds of the night. The crackling fire, and Cameron's presence had given her comfort and a feeling of security amidst this foreign world.

Could she ever get used to life here, if she had to? Cameron had been a boy when he’d come to this time, alone and unfamiliar with everything. A warm feeling spread through her chest. He’d grown up to be a remarkable man. She’d seen him stand down a fully-grown bear without flinching in order to protect her. There was nothing that scared him.

She’d told him more about her past yesterday than she’d wanted to reveal. He’d pressed her for information, and she’d talked like an open book. Hearing him tell stories about his struggles when he was a boy had fascinated her. It seemed inconceivable that he’d have trouble with anything. There were moments during their conversation when she’d even had the feeling that he’d wanted to tell her that he was attracted to her. Even if it was true, there was no point in pursuing the idea.

The kiss she'd given him the evening before had been on her mind all day, and it had made for a tense and awkward hike, especially once Cameron had brought it up. Luckily, that deer had interrupted him from probing her further, and she didn't have to explain her actions. What would she have said? That she had fallen in love with him?

She’d sobbed quietly under her sheepskin, cursing her stupid feelings. Why did she have to fall for a guy who was so far beyond her reach? Why couldn’t she be attracted to the kind of guys with whom she shared common interests?

Or guys who live in the same century as you, for starters.

Jeffrey’s face had come to mind, and the unsure glances he’d cast her way. Jeffrey was sweet, and kind. He was safe, just like her books, but he was also bland, and boring, not to mention that he’d left her to an unknown fate. Cameron was the complete opposite. Although she wouldn’t label him ‘sweet’, he was caring in his own gruff ways, and he was definitely not bland or boring, and he protected her. Everything about Cameron promised excitement and adventure. Why did she gravitate toward guys like that?

“My name means ‘brave, or hardy bear’. I’m not sure I can do that name justice, though.”

It’s what she’d told Dan Osborne. Yeah, no kidding.

“I think your words come from fear, not because it’s something you really believe.”

Her conversations with the park ranger had merged with Cameron’s words, and had followed her into a restless sleep long after the fire had burned out. Her dreams had been an odd mix of images of Cameron, Wo’itsa, and faces of the people in the Tukudeka village. Suddenly, she’d been back at the Tower Ranger Station, facing the angry ranger she’d seen when she’d met Dan Osborne. A bear had come out of the woods, followed by a wolf, and they’d both stared directly at her. Cameron had appeared, putting himself between her and the predators until they and the ranger had vanished.

Cameron had grabbed her hand, and the dream had changed again where they had stood in the middle of a wintry landscape. People dressed in thick furs had moved toward them through the snow. A pack of wolves, or perhaps it had been the Sheepeater dogs that looked just like wolves, had followed a short distance behind them. One of the figures, a woman, had stumbled to the ground, and a baby had wailed.

Riley eased her head out from under the sheepskin. She squinted against the bright light from the sun streaming through the trees. She blinked several times, trying to recall the odd dream and images, but the more awake she became, the faster they faded away. Usually, her nightmares consisted of forgetting to turn in a term paper, or getting answers wrong on tests. Dreams like that usually sent her out of bed in a hurry.

Wo’itsa had talked about bears and wolves yesterday, and it must have crept into her subconscious, especially because of her own terrifying encounter with that bear. The natural world and the animals that lived in it were a big part of the Sheepeater spiritual beliefs, so it wasn’t unusual for Wo’itsa to talk about them in metaphorical terms. As with most dreams, hers had made little sense. At least she hadn’t been chased by a calculus final with a big red letter “F” scrawled across it.

Riley pushed herself to a sitting position, and rubbed her sore back. She should be used to the hard ground by now, but it had been far easier adjusting to a softer place to sleep the last several days than sleeping on dirt. Her head turned toward the fire.

Cameron squatted nearby, dumping dirt onto the coals from last night’s campfire. He glanced her way, sending an instant surge of adrenaline through her. The hard look on his face softened, and he even cracked a smile. That was encouraging. At least he didn’t look like he was still mad at her, and they could both put yesterday behind them.

Riley pushed the covers away fully, and stood. Cameron walked around the fire and wordlessly held out his palm. A piece of leather revealed some fresh berries. If this was his idea of a peace offering, she’d take it.

“Eat these, and we’ll get going. I’m anxious to find Naatoyita, and I’m sure you’re eager to get back to your time.” He thrust his hand at her.

Riley’s heart squeezed painfully at his words. Cameron was convinced that she was going home today, but at least he seemed to have forgiven her for yesterday’s mishap. Although she was still embarrassed at her failure to demonstrate the fire starting skills she’d learned, there was no use dwelling on it. She scooped the berries into her own hand, and nudged her chin toward the fire.

"I promise I won't set any more forest fires today. If I had more time, you could teach me the right way to build a campfire, but it's kind of pointless now since I'll be going home. I think something might have gotten lost in the translation when Day Star taught me. I'll have to read about it in a book."

She raised her eyes to his, stuffed the berries in her mouth, then reached for the sheep hide. Before she could grab for it, a warm hand clamped around her arm. Riley spun around. Wide-eyed, she raised her head to Cameron’s dark stare.

"Riley, I'm sorry for getting mad at you," he said slowly and frowned as if he really wanted to say something else. "Just like making a lot of noise can be a danger in the woods, so is a smoky campfire. It alerts anyone to our presence. I told you yesterday that you've done very well so far, but I need to remember that there are things you simply don't know."

Riley’s eyes widened at his words, and her brows rose. His intense gaze bore holes right into her heart. The last thing she expected was an apology. She laughed softly to stave off her nerves.

"Well, I know I've put you in enough danger already, and I'm not sure how much more excitement I can handle unless it's in the pages of a book."

She raised her eyes to his with a quick smile. She couldn’t tell Cameron that she’d rather stay in this time a little longer and learn how to build a proper fire, and how to tan hides, and make pottery, and spend more time with . . . him. She mentally shook her head. This was crazy. Her life was in academics, and Cameron’s life was out here, in this wilderness, not to mention that 300 years separated them.

Cameron's fingers tightened around her arm, not in a painful squeeze, but more like he was struggling with telling her something else as if there was more on his mind. His eyes drifted to her mouth, and her heart exploded inside her chest. Was he thinking about kissing her?

She blinked away her insane thoughts, and shifted her shoulder slightly to move her arm back. His grip loosened instantly, and he straightened. The recent looks he'd been giving her could even mean that he might have similar feelings for her, but it was best they went their separate ways now, and back to their regularly scheduled lives. Her adventures here in the past would be a wonderful memory, something to lock up next to her heart and keep to herself because she could never share it with anyone.

Riley cleared her throat, and plastered a smile on her face, forcing her next words from her mouth. "Let's find Naatoyita."

Cameron released his hold on her arm when she stepped aside. His jaw muscles were taut as a drum. Riley clamped her mouth shut, or she might have made a fool of herself again by blurting out her feelings. What good would it do to tell him that she was in love with him hours before she might never see him again?

After tending to her morning needs, Riley rolled up her sheepskin, and reached for her pouch. Cameron already had his own belongings slung over his shoulder. Her gaze roamed over his broad back, and the confident way he carried himself. The buckskin shirt she’d made him hugged his frame, and if not for his dark-brown, rather than black hair, he looked very much like a native from behind. It wasn’t hard to imagine what he looked like without the shirt. That memory would be etched into her mind forever, just like his eyes, and his smile would always stay with her.

“Get a grip, Riley,” she sighed. Why did everything she loved and was passionate about have to be hundreds of years in the past?

She lifted her eyes to the tall mountain that loomed ahead of her. It looked impossibly steep, and the summit miles away. The timberline stopped about halfway up, replaced by bare, alpine tundra. She drew in a deep breath, and followed the object of her desire. Cameron weaved through the forest, navigating over and around deadfall, and climbed steadily uphill.

Several times over the next few hours, he stopped and waited for her to catch her breath. He’d already given her his full water skin, since she’d forgotten to fill hers back at camp. The trees were getting sparser and smaller, and even deep breaths didn’t pull enough air into her lungs.

She’d just settled into a steady rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other, mentally counting her steps, when Cameron stopped abruptly. She nearly collided with him. He didn’t look at her, but rather down the mountain from where they’d come.

“Walk ahead of me.” He moved past her several yards downhill, his eyes scanning into the distance. He stood like a sentinel, holding his bow confidently at his side.

Riley followed his gaze to look down the mountain. There was nothing but dark forest and rolling hills as far as the eye could see. It seemed impossible that she’d already climbed this far. She looked uphill, and still couldn’t see the summit.

"Is something wrong?" She tilted her head. She'd learned to read his body language enough to know when he was alert to something. Maybe he'd seen a bear or some other animal. Her heart pounded faster in her chest at the thought.

“Keep moving,” he said, and headed back up the slope.

Riley scrambled to get her momentum back to move up the steep incline. She reached for roots and tree branches to help pull her up. Cameron’s hand at her waist steadied her when she lost her footing and slid back several feet. He pushed her forward, obviously in a greater hurry than he’d been before. Something was definitely wrong, but he wasn’t telling her.

Riley reached for a low hanging pine branch, using it as a lever to heave herself over a rock protruding from the ground. She didn't release it until she was comfortably past the rock, and it snapped backward. She realized what she’d done the instant she let go of the branch as it whipped out of her hand. She gasped, and her head flew around. Cameron was right behind her, but he ducked just in time, or the branch would have hit him in the face.

“I’m so sorry,” she stammered, and her hand flew to her mouth.

Her wide eyes connected with the hard look he shot her. If he stared down an opponent like this, they’d no doubt cower in fear. Cameron’s expression softened. The corners of his lips even twitched in a smile, and he gave an indulgent shake of his head. Riley’s heart melted a little more.

“Good thing you have quick reflexes,” she said with a sheepish grin.

He didn’t reply, but slowly straightened back to his full height, and glanced over his shoulder and down the slope again.

“Can I trust you to follow this deer path up the mountain?” He hadn’t looked at her when he spoke. Something was definitely bothering him.

Riley glanced uphill. The narrow trail that had been carved by deer or mountain sheep was easier to see in some places than others.

“I think I can manage.”

She looked back at Cameron. He finally turned his head in her direction, and she added, “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

He held her gaze for a moment before he spoke in a quiet, cold tone. “We’re being followed.”

Adrenaline rushed through her at his words. “Who’s following us?”

“Bakianee.”

Riley’s heart sank to her stomach. Cameron had chastised her that every Blackfoot for miles around would have seen the smoke she’d created with her botched campfire.

“This is my fault,” she whispered. Her heart started to pound painfully against her ribs.

Cameron’s hand clamped around her arm, and he looked at her with a feral intensity that locked her eyes to his. He leaned toward her, his face inches from hers.

“I’m going to lead them off our trail,” he spoke in a low tone. “Just keep climbing up.”

A rush of adrenaline surged through her, leaving her weak with a sinking feeling in her gut. “What about you?”

“You will find the Sky People near the summit,” he continued without answering her question.

Riley shook her head. Cold fear clamped around her heart. “What if I don’t find them?” she stammered.

Cameron’s grip on her arm tightened. “They will find you.” His jaw muscles clenched. “I’m going to make sure that you’re safe. If I haven’t caught up by the time you find the elders, tell Naatoyita that I brought you here, and that it’s my wish that he sends you back to your time.”

His eyes lingered on hers, then traveled lower down her nose, across her cheeks, and to her mouth, as if he was trying to scan her into his mind. He was so close, Riley counted individual beads of perspiration over his upper lip. She inhaled his distinct masculine scent. She’d never think of anyone else but Cameron whenever she smelled pine or buckskin.

Her body trembled. Her limbs, already fatigued, weakened even more. Cameron was putting his life on the line for her again. She lifted her gaze back to his as if he'd beckoned her to look up at him. Along with his hard stare, his dark eyes revealed what she'd glimpsed the other night in the village.

“Cameron,” she protested, barely getting his name past her lips. “Cameron, I –”

“Do what I tell you,” he growled. “Remember what I said yesterday. You are strong, and you can do this. Find the Sky People.”

Abruptly, he broke eye contact, and pushed her up the trail. Before she could turn back and reach out to him, he ducked beneath the tree branch that had nearly hit him in the face, and practically ran back down the trail. Quickly, he disappeared into the forest.

Riley swallowed.

“I love you,” she whispered, still looking to see if she could catch a glimpse of him, but it was as if the mountain had swallowed him up. “Please be safe.”

What if she never saw him again? If she managed to find the elder, and he sent her back to 2011 before Cameron found her, she wouldn’t even get the chance to tell him goodbye, and thank him for all he’d done for her.

Or tell him that you love him.

Chapter Sixteen

Riley’s hands trembled when she adjusted the bulky sheep hide over her shoulder. With a determined set of her jaw, she raised her head to look up the steep slope of the mountain. She’d reached the timberline, and the rest of the climb would be over open tundra.

Cameron's words from the day before came rushing back. She blinked away the tears that stung her eyes and heaved herself upward. Throughout all her years in school, she'd allowed the teasing of others to feed her insecurities, and send her into hiding behind her academics. Even her clumsiness was a result of that. She gritted her teeth.

“I’m in control, not this mountain,” she said out loud.

The deer trail became more difficult to see over the sparse vegetation until it disappeared completely. She continued to climb at an angle rather than vertically, picking her way carefully over rocks and shrubs. The wind started to pick up, whipping her hair around her face, and sometimes the gusts threatened to blow her right off the mountain.

As far as the eye could see below her, the forest and meadows stretched in one long carpet into the horizon. Mountains rose in the distance while the peaks of others were far below her, and a wide crack in the earth was clearly visible in one direction. It ended in what looked like a vast, green valley. She'd heard of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and if she had to guess, that's what she was seeing from so high up.

Riley stopped when she reached an outcropping of boulders, seeking shelter from the wind. Even filling her lungs to capacity with the thin air was a struggle. The sensation of drowning made her dizzy and light-headed. She caught her breath and scanned into the distance down the mountain.

The timberline wasn’t too far below her. Obviously she hadn’t moved up as far as she’d thought. It looked much steeper from her vantage point than when she’d climbed up, and she grabbed hold of the rock behind her for support. The mountain dropped off in a sheer cliff. She’d never been fond of high places, and should really be looking up rather than down, but maybe she’d see Cameron.

She straightened, and was set to continue with her climb when movement down the steep slope caught her eye. She leaned forward and squinted. Her heart leaped in her chest, then dropped to her stomach. Four figures were visible just beyond the line of some trees, where the mountain leveled out slightly, and then dropped off almost vertically. She'd recognize the one man facing three others anywhere.

"Oh, no," she whispered when it became clear what was happening. Cameron looked to be in hand-to-hand combat with one of the men. He raised both arms, his bow held over his head, fending off an attack from the front, then kicked at his opponent, sending him to his knees. Faster than she could blink, he'd wheeled around and swung the bow like a club against an opponent coming at him from the side. The figures were visible one moment, then disappeared behind large boulders and shrubs, making it difficult to see what was going on.

Riley inched forward and craned her neck. She had to do something to help him. A sharp whistling sound close to her ear startled her, and she shrank back. Her head whipped around, only to come face to face with a cat-sized, furry creature that sat on the rocky outcropping. Her mouth opened in a scream, but she caught herself just in time and sucked in a quick breath instead.

“How many times have I told you not to scream?”

Cameron’s words rang in her ears. The creature disappeared, but two others darted along the rocks, making the same whistling sounds. She shot a hasty look down the mountain. The men were no longer visible. Where was Cameron?

Riley took a shaky step back when another one of the furry animals appeared. While Cameron was fending off warriors, giant rodents surrounded her.

Don’t scream. Don’t scream.

Riley scrambled backward, her foot sliding in the loose gravel. Her arm darted out to catch her balance, but the sheepskin on her back seemed to pull at her. She lost her foothold completely, stumbling over rocks until she fell and began rolling down the mountain.

Loose gravel followed her, and her momentum only increased as she groped for some kind of hold to slow her fall. Her arms and legs scraped and bounced off of sharp stones and vegetation as she continued to tumble down the steep hill. Pain shot through her hands, and all she could do was grope at anything in her path in the hopes of halting her fall.

Adrenaline flooded her limbs, and a hard jab to the ribs pushed all air from her lungs. When it seemed as if she couldn’t possibly gain any more momentum, the earth dropped out from under her, and she fell freely.

Riley screamed, just as her body collided with something that wasn’t exactly soft, but not as hard as rock, either, like she would have expected. She coughed and opened her eyes, only to stare down into the surprised face of a man with black and red paint on his forehead and cheeks. She let out another startled yell. She’d collided with a Blackfoot warrior, and judging by his shocked expression, he hadn’t expected a woman to fall out of the sky. Sprawled on top of him, Riley gulped in several frantic breaths of air and pushed against his bare chest.

He seemed to recover quickly and bared his teeth. Before she had time to react, the warrior tossed her off of him and staggered to his feet. The air left Riley's lungs when her shoulder connected with hard ground, and she cried out in pain. Rocks and debris fell all around her, and she rolled to the side, covering her head with her arms. If the Indian didn't kill her, a falling boulder would surely finish her off.

The sound of tumbling stones and gravel eased, replaced by the wind whistling over the tundra. She coughed but didn't dare raise her head. Any second now, the Indian would kill her. Her heart leaped to her throat when steely fingers clamped around her arms, and lifted her up off the ground.

“No,” she screeched. “Let go of me.” Riley kicked and thrashed, and blinked to open her eyes. Dirt in the air made it difficult to see.

“Riley.”

Riley instantly stopped her struggles at the familiar voice.

“Cameron?” she breathed.

Her eyes opened fully. Cameron held her up against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her back and middle. Her own arms flew around his neck. He set her on her feet but didn't let go. Riley gulped in some air infused with dust, and coughed. She swayed on her feet, still dizzy from the tumble down the mountain, and blinked several times to get the grit out of her eyes.

Cameron stood right in front of her, his face etched with concern.

“Tell me where you’re hurt,” he growled, his voice laced with urgency. He held her away from him, his eyes frantically roaming over every inch of her. Her head pounded, and a dull ache spread through her right shoulder. The cuts and scrapes on her arms and legs stung, and pulling in a full breath of air proved to be painful, but not unbearable.

“I think I’m okay,” she croaked. “I can move my legs and arms, so nothing’s broken.”

She darted a look past him over his shoulder. Where were the Blackfoot that had attacked him? Her heart jolted in her chest. A man’s body lay a few feet away, his head crushed by a large boulder. Cameron released her arms, his hands clasping the side of her face instead, bringing her head up to look at him rather than the gruesome sight. His thumbs swiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she stared up at him.

“The other warriors?” she rasped

“You don’t have to worry about them. I told you I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you.” Cameron’s voice had never sounded so distraught.

His eyes roamed her face. He took a step closer. Riley’s pulse pounded at her temples from the intensity of the concern in his gaze. The pain in her legs and arms vanished, and she fought for a breath of air.

"I . . . I lost my footing," she stuttered. No coherent thought came to mind. "Some furry animal startled me, and I lost my balance," she rasped. Her clumsiness had nearly killed her this time. "I did what you told me, though. I didn't scream." She sucked in a quick breath and swallowed. "Only when I . . . fell on that man."

Cameron’s hands clasped her cheeks. “You saved my life, Riley.” His sensual tone sent shivers down her spine. His fingers smoothed her hair to the back of her head in languid, sensual strokes.

Riley's eyes widened, and her forehead wrinkled. "I did what? I was clumsy, and . . . and I fell down the mountain." She sniffed and blinked back a fresh wave of tears. "You had to look out for me again when you were in the middle of fighting with those warriors."

Cameron released her face and stepped back. He looked to where the dead man lay. "If you hadn't fallen, I'd be dead right now." His eyes met hers again. There wasn't a hint in his voice or on his face that he was joking. "I was fighting off three warriors, and didn't see this man coming up behind me." He smiled. "You surprised him, Riley, and diverted his attention away from me. He was killed by a boulder that came loose during your fall."

His arms snaked around her and drew her into an embrace. “I owe you my life.” His chest rumbled with his words.

She shook her head against the buckskin of his shirt and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to understand. A man was dead because of her, but if it hadn't happened, Cameron might have died? His arms tightened around her, and he held her close. Riley trembled against him, soaking in the comfort of his embrace.

“I saw you, and the others,” she stuttered. “I was afraid you were going to get hurt, or worse,” she whispered. “When I saw that you were fighting with those men, I wanted to help somehow, but I was so far away. I didn’t know what to do. Then these big rodent-looking things started whistling and coming toward me...”

Cameron chuckled. "Marmots. They're harmless and quite tasty."

Riley stared up into his smiling face. How could he be so calm and composed right now? The smile slowly vanished from his face the longer their eyes connected.

“I’m glad you didn’t scream this time,” he said in a low tone. “But I never want you to risk your life because of me.”

Cameron leaned in closer. His hands brushed the loose hair on her face over her head, then clasped her cheeks between his palms and leaned forward. Riley forgot to breathe, looking up into his eyes. His gaze revealed what she’d seen at the Tukudeka village, and earlier when he’d sent her up the mountain alone, but it had intensified exponentially. Butterflies fluttered in her belly. There was admiration, longing, and desire, all mixed with relief and something she dared not name.

“You’re like a fire burning inside me, Riley,” he murmured. “I’ve tried, dammit, but you’re a fire I can’t put out.”

She had no time to react to his words. Cameron's lips were on hers in the next instant with the force of a lightning bolt that seared through her, pulling all the air from her lungs. One arm snaked around her waist and drew her up against his hard body.

Riley gripped his shoulders, and Cameron pulled her more firmly against him. She swayed on her feet, her knees buckling beneath her. Fear gripped her at the intensity of emotions that swept through her, and at the urgent way in which he claimed her mouth.

This was unlike any first kiss she’d ever received. There was nothing slow and languid, unsure or hesitant, in the way Cameron kissed her. It was as wild and untamed as he was, full of passion that had finally found release. And she kissed him back with equal abandon.

His arm around her tightened while his other hand still cradled her head, his fingers fisting in her hair. Sensations of drowning engulfed her and her head spun dizzily.

Cameron’s lips continued to move across hers in a primal dance, easing up for a fraction of a second as he drew in a deep breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him, every inch of her pressed up against his solid strength. Quickly, he renewed the intensity of the kiss while his fingers raked through her hair, holding her to him.

If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up. Right here, amidst the wind sweeping across the tundra, the pain subsided in her limbs from her fall down the jagged hillside, just as the terror of certain death left her. Powerful ripples of desire mixed with tender and warm emotions that wrapped around her heart as strong as Cameron’s arm wrapped around her waist, and she fell faster than her tumble down the mountain.

Cameron’s claim on her lips eased, and he drew back slightly, his chest heaving as quickly as her own, and they both panted to fill their lungs with air. Lifting his hold around her waist, he cradled her face between his hands. Riley gaped into the depths of his dark eyes when he drew his head back slightly. The raw emotions displayed there were real, a mixture of tenderness and fierce protectiveness, desire and something so deep, it took her breath away all over again.

His thumbs caressed the contours of her cheeks while he continued to hold her mesmerized with his stare. Silent tears flowed freely down her face. His thumbs swiped them away, and Riley closed her eyes to savor the tender touch of his rough fingers. Concern and longing etched his face when she opened them again, along with a sad smile.

Words failed her. There was so much to say, but she couldn't bring her mouth to speak. An eagle's screech echoed through the sky as if it was telling them their moment together was over. Her arms clasped tightly around his middle, refusing to let him go.

“Why is this happening?” she whispered, asking a question that had no rational answer.

He shook his head slightly, never wavering from her gaze. "I don't know. All I know is that I've found my purpose. I knew it the moment I saw your footprints in the dirt and realized you were not from this time," he murmured against her lips. He drew in a long breath and raised his head slightly. "But I also know that I have to let you go."

He took her mouth again in a tender kiss that melted her from the inside out. Riley parted her lips in response, and leaned into him, giving back with all her heart. With each sweet moment that he held and kissed her, reality came crashing down on her.

Tears filled her eyes and squeezed through her closed lids. Cameron was quietly telling her that their time together had come to an end in the tender way his lips moved against hers. This was not a kiss that promised a future with the most incredible guy she'd ever met. This was a goodbye kiss. No matter how much she wanted it to be so much more, it couldn't be anything else.

He eased away from her first. Riley leaned into him, her arms still wrapped around him. Her lips pulsed in tune to the erratic beating of her heart. His body tensed. He straightened, and all tenderness left his eyes when he looked at something behind her. Riley’s heart jumped in her chest, and she spun around in his embrace. An old Indian stood a short distance away. Riley stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Cameron,” she whispered. “Is that Naatoyita?”

Chapter Seventeen

Cam stepped away from Riley, his eyes on the old man standing a dozen or so paces away from them. The muscles along his spine tensed. His heart still thumped wildly in his chest, and every part of him hummed with pleasant sensations in the aftermath of holding Riley in his arms and kissing her. He cursed under his breath.

He'd seen Riley tumble down the hill, but the three Blackfoot warriors he'd been battling had stood in his way from coming to her aid. Unequaled fear had gripped him. By the time he'd fought his way past the three men, she'd already fallen on top of the warrior he hadn't seen. Rage had engulfed him when the Bakianee tossed Riley onto the ground. He'd been ready to leap at the man when a falling rock had done what he'd intended to do to the warrior.

“Cameron,” Riley whispered.

She gripped his arm, and Cam's focus returned to the elder. Cam wrapped his fingers around her hand and offered her a quiet smile. Their eyes connected for a second, her wide orbs filled with a mixture of apprehension and remnants of the passion that had ignited between them.

His heart answered the look in her eyes, beating wildly against his ribs. He’d fought the urge to kiss her for days. Hell. Since he’d first seen her. His restraint had finally faltered. He’d told himself countless times to stay a safe distance from Riley, but it was no use. The fire that had raged inside him since the moment he’d laid eyes on her wouldn’t die. He couldn’t stay away from her, any more than he could stop breathing.

How could he possibly ask Naatoyita to send her home now, after that kiss? Everything about it had felt so right, and she’d responded with equal passion.

He'd finally found a direction, a reason for finding joy in his existence again. Was he prepared to lose Riley forever? He couldn't possibly ask her to stay with him if it was within Naatoyita's power to send her back to her time. His grip on her hand tightened, but he didn’t have time to voice the thoughts in his head.

“Cameahwait, it is good to finally see you again,” the old man croaked, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face. He looked toward Riley, studying her through soulful eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of countless years.

Cam forced his legs to move, and he walked forward. He held out his hand while his heart pounded in his chest as if he was about to face a dangerous adversary. He nodded slowly, then looked the old man in the eyes.

“I’ve come to seek your council, Grandfather.”

Naatoyita clasped Cam’s wrist, the strength in the old man’s fingers belying his frail physical stature. The wrinkles on his face stretched and contorted as his smile widened.

"I see that you are ready," the old man said with a satisfied nod. His eyes appeared to look directly into Cam's soul. "I have been expecting you." He stepped to the side and pointed up the mountain. "We will talk at my camp while Naatosi will tend to this woman's injuries."

Cam’s eyes shot to Riley. Injuries? He scanned her from top to bottom. Blood trickled down her left arm, and he gritted his teeth, holding back several curse words at his own stupidity. Why hadn’t he seen it before? She’d told him she wasn’t injured, and he’d simply accepted her answer rather than check for himself.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're hurt?" He lifted Riley's arm to take a closer look at her injury. She stiffened and hissed with pain.

“I didn’t think it was bad, but it looks like I might have a cut somewhere.”

Blood soaked through a tear in the deerskin. Riley pushed the sleeve up her arm to expose a deep gash.

Cam stepped closer, and pulled his knife from his belt, intent on cutting the material away to gain better access to the wound. A bony hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Naatosi will look after her,” the elder croaked. He looked up at the sky. “She will be fine until we get to our camp, but we must go now before the weather changes.”

Riley’s eyes widened when they connected with those of the elder. She couldn’t have understood him, for he spoke in the language of the Tukudeka.

Cam glared at the old man before his gaze softened, and he nodded. There wasn’t much he could do for Riley at the moment. Unlike him, Naatosi would have the proper herbs and remedies to tend to her injury. He swiped his fingers across her cheek, and an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness coursed through him when she looked at him with trusting eyes and a soft smile.

“I must look pretty bad right about now.” She swiped her own hand over the top of her head to smooth down her hair.

Cam shook his head. “You look perfect.” Even covered in dirt and dust, and her hair a mess, she was beautiful. She lowered her gaze at his words.

He cut a strip of hide from the bottom of his shirt and wrapped it around Riley's wound to at least stop the bleeding until they reached the Sky People's camp. She flinched but didn't make a sound.

Cam sheathed his knife. Riley was hurt because of him, and if he wanted to keep her safe from the dangers here, she had to go back to her time, as impossible as it would be for him to let her go. His own wants and desires were secondary, however, to her well-being.

Cam looked toward Naatoyita, who stood patiently, his eyes locked on Riley. The old man’s expression was unreadable.

“Take us to your camp. She needs care.”

Naatoyita smiled again and headed up the mountain. Cam grabbed for Riley's belongings on the ground and slung them over his shoulder along with his own things. He took her hand in his.

“Naatoyita said that once we reach his camp, your injury will be cared for properly.”

Riley held tight to his hand and nodded. Her eyes followed the old man as he led the way to the Sky People's camp. "I can't tell whether he was the old man I saw the day I touched the vessel." She spoke softly as if she was thinking out loud rather than talking to him.

Cam stopped in mid-stride and turned to her. He frowned. "You saw an elder before you time traveled?"

Riley nodded and laughed softly. "I thought it was just my imagination running away with me, but I saw him twice. He never said anything. My memory is a bit fuzzy, and he was far enough away that I wouldn't be able to identify him, but he was old, with gray hair, and dressed in simple buckskin clothes."

Cam clamped his lips together. How was he going to keep Riley safe, even if he sent her back to the future? If Mukua had visited her, he’d do it again if his plan to do her harm had failed. He directed his gaze up the mountain. Perhaps Naatoyita had the answers.

By the time they reached the camp of the Sky People near the mountain's summit, Riley was visibly limping. Knowing her the way he did, she was too stubborn to tell him she was hurt more than she'd let on because she was trying to prove that she wasn't weak.

Wordlessly, Cam scooped her into his arms and carried her to a sheltered rocky overhang, ignoring her protests, and set her on a sheep hide that was already spread out on the ground. A wicciup made of bare poles was erected against the side of the mountain, under the overhang, which gave it protection from the wind. A fire crackled in a pit in front of the dwelling. The camp looked sparse and barely inhabitable.

“Naatosi will tend to your wound, and any others you haven’t told me about.”

Cam knelt beside her when she glanced at him. He responded with a quick grin to hide the trepidation swirling around inside him that he was about to lose her forever. His gaze lingered on her face. She was the most enticing thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Dirt smudged her nose and forehead, and a bruise had started to appear on her left cheek.

“Are you staying with me?” Her question enforced the look of fear on her face.

“I won’t leave you.” Cam touched his fingers to the discoloration on her face. Riley winced from his touch. Renewed anger that she’d gotten hurt made his muscles tense. He forced himself from leaning forward and kissing her again.

“I won’t be far. I need to speak to Naatoyita to see what he can do about sending you home to your time, then I’ll be back.” The words left a sour taste on his tongue and his heart beating fast in his chest with the impending feeling of loss.

Riley visibly swallowed, and her eyes locked on his.

“And to finally get answers to your questions,” she whispered with a weak smile. A mixture of worry and sadness marred her face.

Unspoken words hung between them when Naatosi appeared and ducked beneath the rocky overhang. He looked as old and frail as his twin brother, his clothes hanging from his skeletal body, and his long white hair whipping around his face as he entered the shelter.

“I will tend to her, Cameahwait. Naatoyita is waiting for you,” the old man said, pointing to where his brother stood overlooking the vastness all around him. Naatoyita had wrapped a sheep hide around his frail body, facing into the wind that howled strongly off the mountain.

"Go. I'll be fine." Riley motioned with her hand for him to leave and nodded a greeting to the old man.

Cam offered a final smile to Riley and squeezed her hand. "I won't be long." He straightened, and headed out into the wind to join the elder at the rim, overlooking the hills and valleys below.

“I never grow tired of gazing upon the beauty of these mountains,” Naatoyita said when Cam approached to stand beside him. “Wouldn’t you agree, Cameahwait?”

Cam’s eyes scanned the forested hills below him that stretched into the horizon. Taller mountains were covered with snow. Off in the distance, a narrow scar in the earth broke up the continuity of the endless forests, finally widening into an expansive, green valley. The sun reflected and shimmered in a golden light off the great lake further to the south.

Cam lifted his face into the wind and closed his eyes. He inhaled a deep breath, savoring nature's raw power against his skin. Exhilaration flowed through him as he braced himself against each gust. The turmoil inside him was no less fierce. When he opened his eyes again, Naatoyita stood silently next to him, gazing into the distance.

Somewhere, just as the immense canyon opened into the valley, was the place he called home with Mat and Pikowan. Had Naatoyita been keeping watch over him all these years from up here?

“You are accepting of your life now,” Naatoyita stated without looking at him. The muscles along Cam’s spine tensed.

“It would be easier to accept if I knew why you brought me here,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. He faced the old man. “Will you finally tell me my purpose?”

Naatoyita’s gaze drifted slowly from looking at the horizon to meeting Cam’s hard stare. An equally slow smile spread across his face.

“When I came to take you away from your family in the future, you were a mere boy. You weren’t ready to be told. I only took you away because I feared that Mukua would try and spirit you away again, as he has managed to do once, and I wouldn’t be able to send help in time.”

"I know that already. It's one of the few things you have told me." Cam fisted his hands at his side. He sucked in a deep breath to try and curb his mounting frustration and remain patient. This was exactly why he'd left and turned his back on Naatoyita all those years ago. The old man continued to evade direct answers to his questions.

Naatoyita tilted his head, and stared up at him, his dark eyes seeming to look straight inside him.

“Why have you come to seek me out, after all these years of carrying anger inside your heart, Cameahwait?”

Cam straightened. His pulse pounded in his ears. Something about the satisfied look on the old man’s face told him that Naatoyita already knew the answer to his own question. Cam shifted weight from one foot to the other.

“I’ve come because I would like answers from you.” He shot a hasty glance in the direction of the rock shelter, then focused his attention back to the elder. “And to ask you to send the woman I brought with me back to her own time. Surely you know that she comes from the future. It appears as if Mukua has been up to the same games as when he sent me to the past as a boy.”

Cam had never talked so fast in his life. If he didn't get the words out now, he wouldn't be able to make his request at all. The howling of the wind seemed to die around him while the pounding of his heart in his ears increased.

Naatoyita reached his arm out and placed his hand on Cam's shoulder. He smiled again, then motioned with his chin.

“Walk with me, Cameahwait. The wind is too strong here for normal conversation. There is some shelter by those rocks over there.” He pointed to a cluster of boulders that formed an almost u-shape, and would afford some protection from the wind.

Cam responded to the pressure of the old man's hand and walked beside Naatoyita to where they could talk without having to raise their voices.

“What are your thoughts about this woman?”

Cam’s brows furrowed at the unexpected question. What, exactly, did the old man mean?

Naatoyita silently met his gaze, then looked to the ground. The hide of a grizzly bear was laid out on the rocky soil. Groaning, the old man lowered himself onto the fur to a sitting position, and held out his hand, indicating that Cam should do the same.

Cam frowned but indulged the elder's request in order to have his wish fulfilled quickly. His heart was slowly tearing into pieces, and it was best that he didn't prolong his agony any longer, knowing Riley would be leaving.

“Riley Bernard isn’t suited for life here. She needs to be returned to the future.” He forced the words from his mouth, looking directly at Naatoyita. The elder calmly shook his head.

“You are mistaken, Cameahwait, but you did not answer my question.”

Cam leaned forward to hear the old man better. He scowled.

"Mistaken about what? Riley will die if she remains here. If you send her back to her time and keep her safe from Mukua, I will do anything that you ask of me."

Naatoyita’s laughter cackled through the air. Cam gritted his teeth. This was far from amusing. He was ready to leap to his feet in anger, when the old man cleared his throat, and placed a hand on Cam’s arm. He held Cam’s dark stare without flinching.

“I see that your feelings for this woman run deep.” A smile contorted his wrinkled face.

"Tell me what I must do to keep her from any more harm at Mukua's hand," Cam growled, nearly baring his teeth at the elder. His hand twitched to reach out and grab him by the shirt.

“Are you saying that you are finally willing to embrace your life in this time?” Naatoyita smiled knowingly.

“I have embraced my life here,” Cam grumbled. “I haven’t accepted that you brought me here without giving me a clear purpose, but I’ve survived.”

“You have done more than survive, Cameahwait.” Naatoyita nodded in satisfaction. “The spirit of the bear lives strong within you.”

Cam ran a hand over his face. He was growing tired of this discussion. With each minute that prolonged Riley’s return to her time, his heart shattered a little more. “Enough riddles. Tell me you will send Riley back to the future, and keep her from Mukua’s clutches.”

“Mukua cannot harm her, as long as she is with you,” Naatoyita answered calmly. “I will not deny that he might try to do her harm, once he finds out about her, but I have confidence that she will be safe with you.”

Cam shook his head and glared at Naatoyita. “What are you talking about, old man?" His pulse throbbed at his temples. Of course Riley was safe with him. He'd protect her with his life if needed, but he couldn't protect her in two different centuries.

Naatoyita's smile widened. " Mukua didn't send Riley Bernard to this time." He paused and stared directly at Cam. "I did."

Chapter Eighteen

Cam stared blankly at the elder. Naatoyita’s words rang in his ears. They made no sense. It took a moment for his mind to clear. Mukua hadn’t sent Riley? She was here because of Naatoyita? He leaped to his feet and towered over the elder, who calmly remained seated where he was.

“You sent her? For what purpose?” he shouted.

Naatoyita raised his hand, his bony fingers curling around Cam’s wrist. He tugged, and with his other hand, beckoned for Cam to sit back down.

“Sit, Cameahwait,” he said in a commanding tone. “And I will explain.”

Sitting was the last thing on Cam’s mind at the moment. All this time, he’d assumed that Mukua had sent Riley to do her harm, but Naatoyita?

Every muscle in his body was strung tighter than a drum, and he pulled away from Naatoyita’s grip.

“You’ve come for answers, Cameahwait. I want to give them to you, but not while you are consumed by rage.”

Cam gritted his teeth and drew in a lungful of mountain air. His head turned to the shelter where Riley waited for him. From where he stood, the rocks obstructed his view. Visions of her inquisitive eyes, her soft smile, and her passionate response to his kiss calmed the turmoil inside him. He took a step forward and lowered himself back onto the grizzly hide. His glare at Naatoyita deepened.

“I demand that you send Riley back to where she belongs,” he grumbled, trying to conceal the anger in his voice. If she wasn’t in danger from Mukua, all would be well for her once she returned to her time. A feeling of loneliness and dread washed through him at the thought. “I will do what you ask of me, but only if you return her to the safety of her time.”

Naatoyita lifted his chin and straightened his frail-looking body. The stern look in his eyes left no doubt that making demands was unwise, and Cam forced his muscles to relax. The elder patted Cam’s arm, a wide grin contorting the deep lines on his face.

“What do you remember of your mother and father, Cameahwait?”

Cam frowned. The elder was avoiding his request. He couldn't allow his temper to overrule him again. He'd learned a long time ago that no one made demands of the Sky People. He had to bide his time and indulge Naatoyita.

“My mother and father?” Cam echoed. He shook his head, his forehead wrinkled in concentration. His parents had been ordinary people. They’d both been soft-spoken, rarely fought, but set strict rules for him. He was their only child, but he’d never been able to truly relate to them.

"I remember feeling out of place as if I didn't belong," Cam said slowly. "I always thought I was different from them. Restless. My father never understood me, and my mother tried to enforce more rules with each one I broke." He scoffed.

Sure, he’d cared for his mother and father, but he’d never felt that close bond to them like he’d seen with some of his friends and their parents. He had felt more connected with his Tukudeka family, but something had been missing even while he’d lived with them.

He’d made his own family with Mat. The two of them had a bond that was stronger than what he’d felt for his parents, but nothing could compare to the strong feeling of connection he had to Riley. Since meeting her, the desire for a future, with a family of his own, had taken root in his mind.

Next to him, Naatoyita shook his head. “I was referring to your true parents.”

Cam’s frown deepened. The old man wasn’t making any sense. “The James’ are my true parents unless you're referring to Day Star and her husband."

The old man shook his head again. He looked directly into Cam’s eyes when he spoke. “When you were but an infant, I sent you to the future at your true parents’ request, in order to save your life. The James family adopted you.” Naatoyita coughed, clearing his throat. “I left you with people who would see to it that you would be taken in and raised by a good family. It was the only way to keep your true identity hidden.”

Cam stiffened. An uneasy feeling swept through him, as if there was something he was meant to remember, but couldn’t. “What are you talking about?” he asked slowly.

Naatoyita breathed in deeply and adjusted his seat. "It is time for you to know the truth, Cameahwait. When I took you from your home in the future when you were a boy, I knew you wouldn't be ready to understand, but Mukua left me no choice but to bring you back before you were grown. He would have come after you again--"

“I know that already,” Cam interrupted.

Naatoyita held up his hand to silence him, giving him another stern look. Cam forced his mouth shut.

"I made a promise to your mother and father that I would protect you," Naatoyita continued. "I brought you back to your time and place of birth – here - so that you could learn the ways of the Sheepeaters, and take your proper place once you were old enough." He sighed and stared off into the distance. He cackled hoarsely in a chuckle and shook his head. A pleasant memory seemed to spark in his eyes.

“You are very much like your father,” he added with a smile. “He was a restless youth, just like you, and didn’t like to follow rules. It was your mother who finally tamed him, and he accepted his rightful place as shaman of the Bear Clan among the Sky People.”

Cam squeezed his eyes together and ran his hand over his face. Nothing was making sense anymore. "My real father was a shaman among the Sky People?" His voice sounded foreign to him when he asked the question.

Naatoyita nodded. “His name was Agwai Puhagand.”

Cam shook his head with incomprehension.

Medicine Man with Bear Power.

He held out his right arm and ran the palm of his left hand over his skin. He looked up into the wrinkled face of Naatoyita. "The blood in my veins is that of a white man. How can I be the son of a shaman?"

“The color of your skin does not determine to which people you belong. It is what is in your heart. Many years ago, the Sky People came from all races.” Naatoyita’s eyes clouded with pain. “As you know, there are only three of us left. You come from a long line of strong medicine men of the Sky People. Among the white men, your father called himself Osborne.”

Osborne? There was that name again that he'd heard Riley mention. A quick memory flashed before him of the dark-haired ranger who had taken him into his care after the first time he'd time-traveled.

Cam swallowed. His throat constricted painfully. “Tell me about my parents,” he said hoarsely. “What happened to them?” The words barely left his mouth.

When a sudden gust of wind whipped up the dirt around their little shelter, Naatoyita wrapped the sheepskin hide more firmly around his shoulders. He coughed, and cleared his throat.

"Years ago, the Sky People were many. We lived among the Tukudeka and their relatives and taught them to honor the earth – everything in the sky, and on the ground, and in the waters. Everything is connected, and it was important for all to do their part to protect the land of our ancestors.

“What happened?” Cam’s question was barely a whisper.

Naatoyita’s eyes seemed to cloud over even more. “Fighting broke out among the two Sky People clans.” His bony fingers trembled when he brushed his hand over his eyes. “There was much senseless death and killing. Naatosi, Mukua, and I, as the strongest elders with the most powerful puha, couldn’t stop what was happening. Your parents came to us to find a way to keep the few children of the Bear Clan safe from harm. Combining everyone’s spirit medicine, we forged a vessel that would enable us to send you through time to keep you safe.”

Naatoyita paused and inhaled a raspy breath. He looked out into the distance, then back at Cam.

“Mukua wanted us to send his wife to the future for safety, too, but the rest of us refused. Three infants had recently been born into the clan. It was decided that only those three would be sent.” He gave a sad laugh. “The plan was to bring you back once there was peace again. Naatosi and I would take you and the other two infant children to a safer time. When we returned, everyone was dead, except for Mukua.”

Naatoyita's voice cracked. He coughed some more and adjusted his robe around his shoulders.

"Mukua's anger turned to hatred, and he turned his back on his family, announcing that he was no longer part of the clan. He blamed the death of his wife on your father and us, and vowed revenge."

“Let me guess,” Cam interrupted. “By killing me.”

The old man nodded. “Naatosi and I found out later that he’d forged his own vessel, but not before his wife was killed. He started traveling through time to find you and the other children in order to wipe out the clan’s line.”

Cam rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. It would take some time before everything that Naatoyita had told him made any sense.

“You abandoned me twice,” he murmured, looking at the ground, not really seeing anything except years of confusion, feeling out of place, and even fear. He slowly raised his head to stare up at the old man. Familiar anger and frustration welled up inside him.

“You took me to a time I didn’t belong. I understand now why I always felt so out of place in the future,” Cam continued. He laughed scornfully. “All my life, I searched for something familiar, some connection to the people I believed were my parents. When you came for me, I went with you willingly because I thought I was finally going to find what I’d been seeking, but instead, you abandoned me again.” His eyes narrowed, staring at the unwavering gaze of the elder.

“You were never abandoned,” Naatoyita rasped.

Cam's spine tensed. He leaned forward, glaring at the old man. "Then what would you call it? You left me with a family in the future, then you brought me to another family when I was a twelve-year-old boy, to an unfamiliar place and time. I didn't know the language or the customs of the people you left me with. I had to struggle again to fit in, and understand what was expected of me. Why have you never told me the truth? Rather than let me wander like a blind man, not knowing who I am. Why couldn't you tell me?" Cam's voice rose with each word.

“You were too young to understand when I brought you back to your place of birth. You carry a heavy responsibility, Cameahwait. I had to be sure that you were ready before I revealed all of this to you.”

“What responsibility?” Cam forced the question from his mouth.

“Naatosi and I are old men. Not even the Sky People live forever. Our time is coming to an end. It falls on you to protect these lands.”

Cam stared at the elder, then laughed again. “You’re asking the impossible. How am I supposed to protect the lands?”

“Your family line will be instrumental to protecting these mountains, and making sure they are preserved for generations. You were born to the Sky People, but because of your upbringing, your life is that of an ordinary man. You are now the origin of the Osborne line. The name will carry through the generations to ensure the preservation of our sacred mountains.”

Cam swallowed. What he was hearing was incomprehensible. He ran a hand over his face again. He’d wanted answers for so long, and now that he had them, it seemed overwhelming. Not once had it entered his mind that he was a descendant of the Sky People. He’d always thought of Kevin James as his father, even if he didn’t feel connected to him. His real father’s name had been Osborne. Just Osborne, or Agwai Puhagand to the Tukudeka.

“Why hasn’t Mukua killed me, or Mat? Surely he knows that you’ve brought us back.”

“A Sky People elder cannot kill another man. We can influence the actions of others, but not directly interfere. Mukua can put you in situations that might cause your death, as he has already tried to do, but he cannot kill you by his own hand.”

Cam sat straighter. It would take time to take in all of this information. Right now, he needed to see to Riley's safety. A sudden thought entered his mind. His eyes darted to Naatoyita, and his heart sped up. Part of him dreaded the answer to the question he needed to ask while another part of him hoped it might be true. Was she one of them?

“Why did you bring Riley here?”

The deep furrows in Naatoyita’s forehead wrinkled even more. He cackled loudly, and his eyes sparkled.

"I thought it would be important for you to get a taste of what it means to truly feel connected to someone so that you would be ready to accept your place here. That is why I sent Riley Bernard to you, Cameahwait. She is a distant descendant of the Tukudeka. That is why I've chosen her for you."

Cam glared at the old man, and a sinking feeling engulfed him, just as renewed anger tore through him. Riley was here because of him?

“You chose her?” he sneered. “But did you give her a choice? I ask that you send her back to her time.” It took every effort to keep his voice even.

Naatoyita shook his head. “It isn’t possible.”

“Why not?” Cam growled.

“Riley Bernard is well suited for a life here, with some guidance. She understands the ways of this time. She lives in the past in her own time.” He paused, then added, “She is well-matched to you.”

Cam sprang to his feet. “It is not for you to decide whether she and I are well-matched,” he said heatedly. “I don’t want her here because of me. You’ve decided my life for me since I was born. I will not allow you to decide Riley’s life for her. I demand that you send her back.”

Naatoyita groaned, and slowly, almost painfully, rose to his feet. He calmly stepped up to Cam, and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes.

“I cannot send her back. My vessel is with the man in the future.”

“You have another. You told me once that the man you sent to save me brought Mukua’s vessel to you.”

The elder’s head moved from side to side. “I am no longer in possession of Mukua’s vessel.”

Cam cursed, and his stomach twisted in a painful knot. “Who has it?”

Naatoyita met his hard stare. "Mukua stole his vessel back from me.

Chapter Nineteen

Cam swiped a hand across his face when something tickled his cheek. He brushed the offending strand of hair from his face and opened his eyes. Wide awake now, he bolted to a sitting position. The sheep hide covering him fell away, sending a chill through him. He glanced around the drafty wicciup, and his eyes fell to the empty pallet beside him.

Riley

Where was she?

Cam scrambled to his feet and pushed aside the hide that covered the opening of the crude dwelling. The bright rays of the sun blinded him momentarily, and he held his hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the glare. Had he really slept past sunrise?

He and Naatoyita had talked late into the night, and Naatosi had joined them after tending to Riley.

"She is asleep, Cameahwait," Naatosi had told him when he'd jumped to his feet to see her. "Her body is bruised from her fall, but other than her arm, she has no serious injuries. I gave her some tea for pain, and it will make her sleep through the night."

Relieved to hear that she was all right, Cam had gone to check on her, hoping to talk to her. Like the elder had said, she’d been asleep. Naatosi had dressed the wound on her arm with an herbal poultice, and she slept peacefully inside the wicciup under the rocky overhang. Cam had sat beside her and watched her until his legs had gone numb.

Everything he’d learned so far from Naatoyita had swirled through his mind while keeping his eyes on Riley. His emotions had gone from seething anger about his past, to confusion and uncertainty about his future. He’d stared at Riley’s peaceful face. Right there, in front of him, was his future.

Naatoyita had been right. Riley was well-matched to him. He’d felt it right from the start. They had both dealt with the feeling of insecurities and finding acceptance, and had persevered. She understood him, and he was learning to understand her. Cam had already hinted to her that they complemented each other.

While his future was a murky mystery to him, he'd been sure of one thing. He would not force Riley to remain here. Until he found Mukua and took the vessel from him somehow, she was stuck in this time, but there was always the slim chance that her cowardly companion, Jeffrey, would come back for her. That thought sent an irrational wave of jealousy through him, but as sure as he breathed, it would be her choice whether she remained with him or went home to her time.

Once the sun had set, he’d made a pallet next to her, the first time he’d done so since sharing the buffalo hide with her. He’d left to join the elders by their fire, and they had talked late into the night.

Cam had asked countless questions about his real family, curiosity getting the better of him. He’d wanted to learn what he could about his mother and father, two people he would never meet. He couldn’t deny that learning about them gave him a sense of connection, and by the time the fire had burned to glowing coals, he’d felt as if he knew them, at least a little.

Naatoyita and Naatosi had spoken fondly of the old days, and of Cam’s father, as well as Matunaaga’s father, when the Sky People lived in peace, and alongside the Tukudeka.

"There were two clans of the Sky People – those whose spirit guide was the bear, and those whose guide was the wolf," Naatosi had said. "We lived in peace for hundreds of years until there was disagreement among the clans about our sacred mountains. It was foretold that the land would not remain as it was, that people would come, and plunder and alter it as they saw fit. The Wolf Clan didn't believe such a thing would come to pass, and didn't share in our beliefs for the preservations of the sacred mountains."

“The days of the Sky People have come to an end,” Naatoyita chimed in. “Soon, there will be no more. Naatosi and I will have done all we can to see to the future of the sacred mountains.”

Cam’s eyes had volleyed between the elders as they told their tale.

“Mukua, in his anger and grief over the death of his wife, told us he was no longer part of the Bear Clan, but had adopted the beliefs of the Wolf Clan,” Naatoyita had continued. “He remains a problem as long as he possesses his vessel. He is consumed with anger and hate, and continues to make trouble.”

"I plan to find him and take the vessel from him," Cam had said adamantly. "I need it to return Riley to her time if she wishes to go." His gaze had locked with Naatoyita. "It will be her choice," he added with unwavering finality to his tone.

Cam’s eyes had narrowed when the two brothers had exchanged a quick look, but Naatoyita had turned his eyes back on him and nodded.

“You have learned much today, Cameahwait,” Naatosi had said, changing the direction of the conversation. “It is now up to you what you do with this knowledge. Once Naatoyita and I, and Mukua, are gone, we will become mere memories, legends to be told around the campfires of the Tukudeka. My brother and I are confident that you will make the right decision.” Naatosi smiled a toothless smile at him. “You and Matunaaga have grown into respectable hunters.”

“What about Matunaaga?” Cam had glanced from one elder to the other. Surely, Mat was here for the same reasons as he.

“Matunaaga will find out his purpose soon. His legacy will cross with yours, but he will travel a different path than you.”

Cam had frowned, but didn’t ask the elder to elaborate on what he meant. He was accustomed to them speaking in riddles, but one question did beg for an answer.

“You said there were three of us. Where is the third?”

Naatoyita’s face had turned serious. “Safe for now. Mukua has no knowledge of the third survivor’s whereabouts.”

There had been another quick exchange of looks between the two elders. There was something they hadn’t told him. Cam had shrugged it off, as much as he’d wanted to know. He should have known that he wasn’t going to receive a clear answer. What he’d already learned was enough information to process for the time being.

Dawn was nearly ready to break through the darkness of the night, when Naatosi had patted Cam’s arm, and announced that it was time to get some sleep.

“When the sun rises, take your woman to the valley you call home. Deliver a message to Matunaaga that I wish to see him.”

His woman.

“Riley is not to know about any of this,” Cam had said firmly, staring from one elder to the other. “It will be her decision, and hers alone, whether she chooses me, or her life in the future.”

He’d nodded at the two men and headed for the wicciup, putting an end to the discussion. Without making a sound, he’d lain next to Riley, and had closed his eyes. Sleep hadn’t come quickly, and the few hours he did get hadn’t refreshed his mind, but Cam shook off the tired feeling, and scanned the camp. There was only a slight breeze this morning, which would, no doubt, pick up again by the afternoon, but he planned to be well off the mountain by then.

A warm sensation doused him from head to foot at the sight of Riley sitting on a large boulder overlooking the vast valley to the south. The valley he called home. Her loose hair danced around her face in the breeze, and she held the small pouch he’d given her in her hands.

She looked up when he approached, her eyes wide and full of questions. He sat beside her, his mind blank regarding what to say to her first.

"My glasses." Her quiet voice cracked, and there was a forced smile on her face. She reached into the pouch, pulled out her eyewear, and held it up to him. It looked as if a bison had stepped on it. The glass piece on one side was missing while the other one was cracked in several places, making it look like a spider web. The frame was completely bent.

“They’re broken,” she whispered the obvious.

Cam reached out, and took the mangled glasses from her.

“It must have happened during my tumble down the mountain.”

Cam took the pouch from her hand, and stuffed the eyewear back into it.

“You don’t need them,” he murmured. “I’m still not clear why you have a need to hide behind glasses.”

Riley glanced up, and their eyes met. “It defines who I am,” she said softly.

Cam frowned, and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

Riley sniffed. She swiped a hand over her eyes, and laughed. Her smile was genuine this time, and Cam’s heart squeezed in his chest. Her gaze drifted from looking off into the distance to him.

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t understand.” She shifted on her haunches, and faced him more fully. “Imagine yourself without your bow, or your other weapons. You need them to hunt, right? Your bow defines you as a hunter. It makes you feel safe.”

Cam nodded, not really clear about the comparison. “How do your glasses keep you safe?”

Riley raised her chin. "Well, they define me as a . . ." she hesitated, then her smile brightened. She shook her head, sat up, and squared her shoulders as if something had finally occurred to her. "They define me as an intellectual badass."

Cam’s brows rose. He laughed when she did. “I still don’t think I understand.”

If her glasses defined her in her society for being an intelligent woman the way his bow defined him as a hunter, then he was sorry that her glasses had broken, and there was no way to fix them or replace them, at least not in this time.

Riley held out the pouch to him. “You’re right, Cameron. You’ve made me see that I don’t need them. I hid behind my glasses so that people outside my social circle didn’t approach me. I used them as a barrier, to keep myself from getting hurt again.” She raised her chin, and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you for helping me find my confidence.”

“Once I teach you how to make a proper campfire, you’ll be well on your way to being a badass at more than knowing what’s written in your books.”

He cringed at his words. His intent had been to keep the conversation light, but this was a hell of a way to tell her that she wasn’t going to be going home, at least not yet. Riley’s smile faded slightly, and she scrutinized him with her inquisitive eyes.

“Here,” Cam placed the pouch back in her palm. “Free yourself.”

She tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. “How?”

Cam shrugged, then glanced off into the distance. “Throw the pouch off this mountain.”

Riley stood. She leaned forward, looking down the steep incline. She hesitated for only a moment. Nodding, she reached her hand back, then hurled the pouch through the air. It landed somewhere among the rocks, becoming nearly invisible.

"Some poor anthropology or archaeology student will come across that pouch someday three hundred years in the future, and not know what to make of it." She laughed, then stepped back, swaying on her feet. Cam caught her before she would have fallen. His arms wrapped around her, drawing her up close to him. Riley stared up into his eyes, and her face sobered.

"I don't know what Naatosi gave me to drink, but boy, it sure made me sleep like a baby. Either that or I'm getting used to sleeping on leaves and dirt." She gave a quick, nervous laugh. "Looks like I'm still not over the effects."

Cam loosened his hold when she found her balance, and put a little distance between them. This was neither the time nor the place to kiss her again, with the two elders nearby, probably watching them with satisfaction. He hesitated, then touched her injured arm. Her eyes met his when his fingers grazed her soft skin.

“How’s your wound?” He leaned forward slightly, and peered down at her.

Riley’s smile was forced, and she moved her gaze to her arm, where his fingers still caressed her in slow motion.

“It’s, ah … good.” Her voice cracked, and her chest heaved in a visible intake of breath.

Cam pulled his hand back.

She knows she’s not going home.

Every part of him screamed to pull her back into his arms. He wanted – no, needed - to kiss and hold her again, and tell her that she had nothing to fear. He would get her home somehow, no matter how much he wanted to keep her with him.

She’s yours.

He stood straighter. Clearly, there was something troubling on her mind, judging by her body language. This was not how she’d reacted to his touch the day before. Perhaps she had regrets about what had happened between them, now that the shock of falling down the mountain had worn off. He reached out, covering her hand with his. She didn’t pull away.

“Naatoyita doesn’t have the ability to send you back to your time without his vessel.”

There. He’d come right out and said it. He held her gaze, every part of him in tune to her reaction to his words. She nodded.

“I know. Naatosi told me,” she mumbled.

Cam tensed. What else had the elder revealed to her?

“There is another elder, Mukua, who has a vessel. I will find him.”

His grip on her hand tightened. Her eyes widened, locked on his as if she were trying to read his mind. If that were possible, she’d see that sending her home would be the hardest thing he would ever have to do. He released her hand, and stood.

“There’s still a chance that Jeffrey will come back,” she said, a question in her voice. “Maybe he’s already here, and looking for me.”

Cam held back a laugh. If that coward had returned, he wouldn’t last a day. He kept those thoughts to himself.

“Maybe,” he said instead. He glanced off into the distance.

"So, what's the plan now?" Riley cleared her throat, and stood. She placed a hand on his arm. "Are you going to take me back to where you found me so that we can look for Jeffrey?"

Cam’s spine tensed. He shook his head. “I can take you back to the Tukudeka village if you’d like, or – ” He broke off his thought. It was better if she returned to the village.

“Or, what?” Her brows rose.

Cam frowned, and inhaled deeply. He should have kept his mouth shut. “Or you can come with me to my home. I have to deliver a message to Mat. From there, I plan to search for Mukua.”

“Your home?” Riley’s face lit up. “Where do you live, when you’re not out roaming through the woods?”

“Matunaaga and I built a cabin along the river that will someday be called the Yellowstone. We live with a man who was also brought here from the future.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed. “You never told me that. How many more people are here from the future?”

Cam chuckled. “I don’t know. To the best of my knowledge, it’s just the four of us.”

“Well, it’ll be like a reunion from the future, then,” she retorted sarcastically. “How far is it to your place?”

Cam narrowed his eyes, and pretended to think. He deliberately allowed his gaze to roam over her. “Three or four days,” he said, unable to suppress a grin.

Riley glared at him, but her lips twitched. She jutted her chin out at him. “Okay, how long would it take you to get there?”

Cam laughed. She was too smart for her own good. “A day, perhaps two.”

“I see. You still think I slow you down that much?”

His face sobered. “Yes, after your fall yesterday, I won’t push you any faster.”

Riley made a noise in her throat, then shook her head. “Fine, four days, and then what?”

“I find Mukua. Once I convince him to send you home, he can also send Pikowan back to his time.”

“Pikowan?” Riley echoed. “Does he have another name, other than ‘old man’?”

Cam shook his head. “If he does, he’s never told us. It’s what he called himself when Mat and I met him.”

Riley’s face suddenly clouded over with apprehension. “He’s been here for a long time? And hasn’t been able to get home?”

Cam grabbed her upper arms. She winced when his hand made contact with her injury, and he let go, staring into her eyes. He leaned forward. "I will find Mukua and his vessel so that you can go home."

"Naatosi told me a lot about the Sky People and their mission for guarding the lands that will someday encompass Yellowstone. He mentioned Mukua, that he's dangerous, and might want to harm me," she murmured. She smiled up at him. "He told me that you'd be my protector."

“I will keep you safe. He won’t harm you.”

Cam hesitated. Riley gave no indication that she was aware of the reason she was here, that she’d been sent for him. It sounded as if Naatosi had simply given her a lesson about the Sky People, but left out the important details. How much should he tell her, without alarming her about Mukua? Naatoyita had hinted that Riley’s life might be in danger if Mukua found out about her presence.

“Mukua once sent me to the past when I was a boy, with the intent to kill me,” he confessed. “I believe it’s the reason he brought Pikowan to this time, too, but no one came to rescue him.”

Riley’s eyes widened. Apprehension clouded her features, but her gaze didn’t waver. “I don’t know what threat I could possibly be to an elder of the Sky People, but if he’s got it in for me, maybe I’d be the perfect bait to draw him out.”

Cam glared at her. “Out of the question.”

Riley grabbed for his arm. “It’s my choice, Cameron. If I can help in any way to get that time travel vessel away from him, then it’s the perfect plan.”

Cam scoffed. She was right that it was her decision, dammit, but he wasn’t about to risk her safety. He also wanted her to make a choice about him, but how could he possibly ask her to stay and give up her life in the future? He would die first before he forced Riley to stay in this time.

Chapter Twenty

Riley’s stomach lurched, and the ground tilted precariously when she glanced downward, even though she was on fairly even terrain. Putting one foot in front of the other had become almost mechanical over the last few hours. The soreness in her hip that had caused her to limp the night before was mostly gone, and she ignored what little discomfort was left.

Naatosi’s tea had worked wonders on her stiff and bruised body, but it had also left her with a hangover-like feeling all day. He’d given her a pouch full of the herbs to brew more if she needed it, but she’d suffer through a few aches and pains in favor of staying alert.

Cameron had stayed by her side during the entire descent down the steepest parts of the mountain. Going down had gone much faster than when they’d hiked up.

Tumbling down would be even quicker.

Nope. She shook her head. That was one experience she'd gladly never repeat. Now that the terrain had flattened out, and they were once again in the lower foothills, and walking through a shaded forest, Cameron led the way to find the easiest path through the trees' thick undergrowth. Deadfall was everywhere, which they either climbed over or had to go around.

The chirping of birds, the creaking of the tall lodgepoles as they swayed in the afternoon breeze, and the gurgling of a stream through the grasses had lulled her into a serene sense of calm. She should be much more upset over what had happened yesterday, and especially disturbed about what she’d found out, but she wasn’t. It was either the lingering effects of the tea, or she really did enjoy being here.

Riley stared up at the tall trees. The sun’s rays spilled through the gaps in the canopies, and thin, golden ribbons of light streamed to the forest floor. Her eyes drifted to Cameron’s broad back. Even facing away from her, there was no question that he was ever-alert to everything around him. He looked at ease, but nothing would jump out at them that he hadn’t already seen or was aware of. He held his bow in his left hand, and his right rested on top of the ax that hung from his belt.

An unexpected shiver passed through her, followed by a tingling in her extremities. Cameron's kiss and her response to him was in her thoughts as much, if not more, than all the things she'd learned from Naatosi yesterday. She'd never been kissed before the way Cameron had kissed her. It had been raw and intense, but communicated so much to her, and she'd responded like she'd never responded to anyone. Not that she'd been kissed a whole lot in her life. At times, while fighting off the sedative effects of the tea, she'd almost convinced herself that it hadn't even happened – that it had all been in her mind.

“I’ve found my purpose, but I also know that I have to let you go.”

Those tender words had stayed with her, hearing them over and over again during the night. Had he been telling her that he cared for her, perhaps even loved her? He’d given her the courage to let go of her fears and embrace who she was. She’d had no problem calling herself an intellectual badass, or throwing away her glasses. It had been surprisingly easy to let go, with him standing next to her.

The last remnants of any reservations she might have had that Cameron had feelings for her had been removed with the way he’d looked at her this morning, held her when she nearly fell from dizziness, and talked to her. She blinked rapidly at the sudden sting behind her eyes. What was she going to do about him? About her own feelings?

For the time being, she was stuck in the eighteenth-century wilderness. That thought alone should leave her terrified, but again, she wasn't. Cameron was with her, and there wasn't a shred of doubt in her mind that he would protect her, as Naatosi had said. He'd already put her life before his on several occasions.

He’d also been very adamant this morning about finding a way to get her back to the future.

Riley laughed softly. She shook her head. Naatosi had been full of questions about her thoughts regarding being in this time. It had almost felt as if he was quizzing her like she was standing in front of one of her professors, reciting things she'd been researching. The old man had smiled and nodded in satisfaction most of the time. Apparently her answers had been to his liking.

Her heart had nearly dropped to her stomach when the elder informed her that she wasn’t going to be returning to her time, not unless the second time travel vessel could be recovered, or Jeffrey came back. After the initial shock had worn off, a sense of calm had spread through her. She’d actually been relieved that she wouldn’t be leaving right away. The thought still gave her pause.

You like it here, Riley. Regardless of everything that’s happened to you.

For the first time ever, as inconceivable as it seemed, she was comfortable with her setting outside of academics, and the people around her accepted her. She was still accident prone, but not nearly as much as before, and each day gave her new confidence.

It was as if everything she’d studied in school had prepared her for this, even though she had no first-hand experience. The primitiveness didn’t bother her, for the most part. Perhaps she just hadn’t had enough time to miss things from home – her skirts and business suits, her high heels, and the comforts of a hot shower or a soft bed. Her books.

Learning hands-on was far more exhilarating than reading about it in a book. This wild land, with all its raw beauty, harshness, and dangers, drew her in, just like the man who’d made it his home and had conquered the wilderness. Could she choose him over her life in her own time? Give up everything she knew?

Her gaze focused on Cameron. He hadn’t turned, or spoken, in quite a while. Apparently he was stuck in his own thoughts, and intent on making his way through the forest. How did Cameron feel about her staying longer than he’d thought? He’d been rather adamant that he’d find a way to get her home.

Riley shook her head to clear away the cobwebs that still lingered from Naatosi's tea. What if the choice had been made for her if she could never get home? Maybe Jeffrey wouldn't come back. Even if he did, there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to locate her. Cameron would find him if Jeffrey returned. There was no question about that.

Riley sucked in a deep breath. This was all happening so fast. Her overpowering feelings for Cameron scared her more than being stuck in this primitive world. She was irresistibly drawn to him, more than she’d ever been drawn to any of her books or academics.

The consequences of what would happen if she gave in to her feelings swirled heavily in her mind. She was already a hopeless goner, and if Cameron kissed her again, she’d be completely lost. If she allowed herself to get closer to him, and the opportunity to return home came, then what?

Are you ready to make such a choice, Riley? What if you tell him you want to stay here?

Was she ready to leave everything she knew behind, and follow her heart? It was the craziest idea she’d ever had, and her pulse increased at the thought. She shook her head. Cameron hadn’t said he wanted her to stay. Quite the opposite.

You’re in love with him. Now you just have to find the courage to tell him.

Riley blinked, and focused her attention on the path ahead. Why was that thought so scary? Images burned in her mind of the guy who’d used her and made a laughingstock out of her to his friends. She shut the door on those memories. Cameron wasn’t like that. He hadn’t taken advantage of her, even though he’d had plenty of opportunities.

No sooner had her thoughts come back from floating in her wild fantasies, when she walked straight into a solid wall of muscle. Startled, she shrieked, and nearly lost her balance. Strong hands instantly clamped around her upper arms to steady her.

“Is the tea still affecting you this much?”

Riley stared up into Cameron’s amused face, the lump in her throat keeping her from answering. She shook her head instead.

“It’ll get dark soon,” he said, looking around the clearing where he’d led them. “This is a good place to stop and camp.”

“Okay,” she managed to squeeze between her lips, mentally kicking herself for acting like a ninny. Maybe he was right, and the tea was still keeping her mind foggy.

“I’d like to help get a fire started,” she blurted. “Guess now I really do need to learn how to do it right.”

Cameron’s immediate grin sent a current of adrenaline through her, originating where he still held onto her arm. The languid perusal of his eyes along her face left her dry-mouthed all over again.

“You can start by collecting wood,” he finally said. His grin widened. “Dry wood, the kind that’s been on the ground a while.”

Riley nodded and dropped her pouch from around her neck.

Cameron glanced at the pile of wood she brought back not fifteen minutes later. He showed her how to use a small bundle of dry grasses or leaves to make a nest, and used the sharp end of his knife against a piece of flint to create a spark. Once a thin wisp of smoke smoldered from the kindling, he blew on it until a flame erupted.

“It’s important to feed small pieces of wood at first, so you don’t choke out the fire and create smoke,” he instructed. He continued to build the fire with larger pieces of the wood she’d gathered, arranging them in a tent shape. The flames crackled as the fire consumed the wood, but there was hardly any smoke.

“Tomorrow, you’ll do it on your own,” he said.

Riley spread out her sheepskin. She suppressed a yawn, her eyelids growing heavy. Hopefully by morning, the effects of the tea would all be gone. The first stars twinkled in the evening sky when Cameron handed her a piece of jerky, and cake made from pine nuts and seeds.

The food was bland, reminding her immediately that she hadn't sunk her teeth into a juicy hamburger in quite a while. She closed her eyes and chewed on the cake. The rich scent of the forest around her, and the faint odor of the campfire, not to mention the company, made up for the lack of taste in the food. She opened her eyes again to find Cameron looking at her.

Adrenaline instantly surged through her at the searching look in his eyes. Riley reached for her water skin and fumbled to untie the opening. She took a hasty sip before she met Cameron's stare.

“Did you get your questions answered?” It was the first thing that came to mind, other than the constant memory of his kiss. They hadn’t spoken of his meeting with Naatoyita at all.

Cameron studied her for the longest time as if he was looking for something. Riley was ready to repeat her question when he nodded.

“Yes, I have my answers,” he grumbled.

Riley’s brows rose. “And? You don’t look too happy about it.” She placed her hand on his arm. Cameron tensed under her touch.

“What is it?” Apprehension grew in her the longer he just sat there, as if deciding what he wanted to say.

“Everything I knew about myself was a lie.” He tossed another log into the fire.

Riley tilted her head to look up at him. Pain, anger, and confusion gleamed in his eyes in the firelight. How well she could relate to those emotions. Her intense feelings of connection to Cameron deepened in response to that look. She waited, not wanting to push him into telling her more about his meeting with the Sky People elder. He’d been angry with them for so long, it would have been nice if something positive had happened to him during their talks.

Cameron ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "I was born here, in this time."

Riley’s eyes widened, and her forehead wrinkled, but she kept her questions to herself, waiting for him to elaborate.

“My father was a shaman of the Sky People. He and the elders sent me away to the future, along with two other children. Naatoyita brought me back here when I was twelve.”

Riley stared in stunned silence. Something Wo’itsa had said rang in her ears.

“The Sky People only reveal themselves to the most powerful shamans.”

“You must be very important, Cameron,” she whispered. Obviously, there was a lot more to the story, but it would be up to him to tell her.

“All my life, I’ve been abandoned,” he said bitterly. “When I was an infant, I was abandoned in the future. When I was just a boy, I was brought back here, when I thought I belonged in 2036. I was never given a choice.”

Riley offered a smile. “But you let everything that’s happened to you define you, not destroy you. Look at who you’ve become, not at what might have been. You’re happier here in this time, aren’t you? You didn’t fit in in the future, you told me that. And I’ve told you before that I am in awe of your capabilities here in this time.” Her words came fast, trying to convince him that he was right where he belonged.

Cameron’s intense stare deepened. He leaned in closer to her. Riley swallowed, the butterflies churning in her stomach. The tea made her head spin.

"And where do you belong, Riley?" he asked, his voice low. His hand reached out to cup her cheek. An intense rush of pleasure surged through her at his touch, and the breath caught in her throat. She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds, savoring the touch of his calloused fingers brushing against her skin.

“I don’t know”, she whispered, opening her eyes to look up into his. If he asked her right now to stay with him, she’d say yes in a heartbeat. Riley mentally shook her head.

“Naatosi told me that I was a distant descendant of the Tukudeka,” she continued, to ward off her jumbled nerves. She laughed. “No wonder I was so drawn to them in my research. I never knew I had any Native American blood in me.”

“You asked me once about my name,” Cameron said, his dark gaze pulling her in. “I told you that it was James. Turns out that my real father’s name was Osborne.” His eyes were on her as if he was looking for her reaction to his comment. Riley’s heart sped up. His words sent a surge of adrenaline through her.

“He was a shaman among the Bear Clan of the Sky People,” he added.

“Bear Clan?” Riley’s mind raced. She couldn’t suppress a triumphant smile. She’d been correct after all in her initial assumption that Cameron was somehow related to Dan Osborne. He had to be.

“Osborne means ‘divine bear,’” she said. “It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the scars on your back. Dan Osborne, the ranger I met in my time, told me that one of his ancestors was Shoshone. Cameron, I think you’re his ancestor.”

He shook his head. “I have no Shoshone blood in me. I’m a white man.”

“Well, somewhere along his ancestry line was a Shoshone. It didn’t have to be you, but I’m telling you, you are his ancestor.”

Cameron smiled for the first time since he’d told her to collect dry firewood. “And you don’t like to be wrong, do you?”

Riley raised her chin. “Not when the evidence is staring me right in the face.” She laughed again. “If I had access to a computer and the internet, we could do a genealogy search, and I could prove my theory.”

Cameron’s thumb stroked along her cheek. Abruptly, his hand fell away. The smile faded from his eyes, and he stood and moved away from her.

Riley stared after him. There had to be a connection between Cameron and the ranger she’d met in the future. All doubt faded from her mind that Dan Osborne knew about time travel.

"I think your entire family, past and future, has a strong connection to this area; to Yellowstone," she speculated. "Your parents protected these lands, and even three hundred years from now, there is an Osborne protecting the park." Cameron stopped but didn't turn around.

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” she called to his back when he didn’t respond. He instantly tensed.

"I think it's time you get some sleep. You still need to recover from your fall," he answered without looking at her. He spread his bedding close to hers and reached for his bow. Only then did his eyes drift to her.

“Get some rest, Riley. I have to make sure we’re safe for the night. I’ll be back in a while.”

With those words, he disappeared into the forest.

Riley sighed. What wasn’t he telling her? He’d looked at her with such intensity, raising her hopes that he might tell her he had feelings for her, and might even ask if she’d consider staying in this time, but something was holding him back.

She yawned, and lowered herself onto her sheepskin. Her eyelids grew heavy, lulled from staring at the campfire. Her head still spun a little from the effects of Naatosi’s tea. Tomorrow would be another day to try and get some more answers. For now, she wrapped her head around the fact that she’d been right, and Cameron was, in fact, an Osborne.

Riley closed her eyes, her mind drifting into a restless sleep. Images of Cameron mixed with those of Dan Osborne, bears, wolves, and the two Sky People elders. Sometime in the night, she rolled against a warm body, and a strong arm drew her in closer. Only then did she drift into a dreamless sleep, comforted in an embrace that made her feel safe and . . . loved.

Chapter Twenty-One

Riley stirred. Cold air seeped under her sheepskin cover, and she shivered. Fully awake, she opened her eyes to the gray mist that swirled around her. Faint sunlight made an effort to reach the forest floor, but the fog was still too dense. Her hand slid over her waist, where a tingling sensation lingered as if someone had just touched her.

A soft smile formed on her lips. Had Cameron really wrapped his arm around her, and held her close to him during the night, or was that simply her mind and wishful thinking toying with her?

Bracing for the cold air, she peeled her cover away and stood. She raked her fingers through her hair in an effort to untangle her long strands and glanced around. Cameron wasn't in camp.

Riley sighed. He’d better not be sulky again today. The effects of Naatosi’s tea had worn off, and her head was clear. Time to get to the bottom of Cameron’s closed-off mood from yesterday. Since his meeting with Naatoyita, something about him had changed, and it had gotten more noticeable as the day wore on. It was becoming apparent he was trying to come to some sort of decision he didn’t want to make.

The more she’d thought about him and his connection to both the Sky People and to people in the future, the more intrigued she’d become. Cameron was the key to something in the Sky People’s grand scheme, and she was going to find out what that was. If she had to guess, he already knew the details, and he didn't like what he'd been told.

The soft gurgling of the nearby creek beckoned, and she headed for it. Riley splashed water on her face, sucking in a quick breath when the icy water hit her skin. She rinsed her mouth, then stood. Her eyes drifted around camp. Loud birdsong filled the solitude of the clearing.

Where was Cameron? He certainly was a stubborn guy. If he had feelings for her, why couldn’t he come right out and say it? He’d already told her, in a roundabout way, the other day when he’d kissed her, but something had definitely changed. He’d told her he’d found his purpose – implying she was his purpose - but also that he had to let her go. The pain in his eyes, as if his words had been tearing him apart, still haunted her now.

Riley stood straighter and scanned the area. She had to talk to him. Whatever he'd learned from Naatoyita had created a rift between them. Even if there was no hope for a lasting relationship with Cameron, he could at least communicate with her.

Thoughts of staying in the past weighed heavily on her mind. She had her familiar life at home - her studies, her books, and her friends.

Riley sniggered. She had friends in academia, but outside of that, she never got together with any of them. If she wasn’t at school, she went home alone, to her quiet apartment, and her quiet life. It had always been that way.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head upward. Other than school and her research, what did she have in the future? Even her research would be mundane from now on, after all she'd learned and experienced so far in the past. If she stayed here, it would be painful to never see her grandmother again, but her aunt was there to take care of her.

Riley had been the result of a teenage pregnancy, and her grandmother had raised her from an infant. She'd only once met her birth mother, who'd left her and her grandmother a few weeks after giving birth. Granny was in a nursing facility with Alzheimer's and didn't even recognize her most of the times she'd gone to visit.

She inhaled a deep breath. Time to find Cameron and talk to him. He was usually in a hurry to leave camp in the morning, so where had he gone?

Riley followed the creek out of the clearing and through the trees. The forest was dense in areas and opened up into small patches of grassland in others. She hadn't gone far when movement at the edge of one these open sections caught her attention. Three deer grazed close to the trees. One raised its head, its long ears twitching back and forth. Riley stood still. If they noticed her, they'd no doubt run away.

When the deer dropped its head again into the tall grasses, she moved behind some trees to give the animals space. She looked into the forest. Her eyes widened when she spotted Cameron standing behind a young lodgepole. His hand reached over his back, slowly pulled an arrow from its quiver, and strung his bow. He clearly hadn’t noticed her, his focus on the deer in the meadow.

Fascinated by what he was doing, Riley didn’t dare move. She even held her breath. He stood still as a statue, only moving those muscles that absolutely needed to move. Slowly, with absolute precision, he drew back on the bow.

A slight breeze lifted the hair from the back of Riley's neck. Cameron's body shifted slightly, and his head tilted toward her a fraction of an inch. His concentration seemed to falter. He released the arrow, but it missed its mark. All three deer darted into the trees and quickly disappeared.

Cameron took a step back and lowered his bow. When his gaze met hers, he frowned. She hadn't moved while he was concentrating on the deer, and from where she stood behind him, he couldn't have seen her.

“There went breakfast,” he grumbled, striding toward her. The look of appreciation in his eyes as they traveled over her in an almost possessive way belied his foul mood.

Riley straightened. Surely he wasn’t blaming her that he’d missed his shot?

“Better luck next time,” she offered.

Cameron stopped inches in front of her. “I was hoping for some fresh meat this morning, but you distracted me.”

Riley’s brows rose, and she stared up at him. “I distracted you?” she echoed. “You couldn’t have seen me.” She squared her shoulders. “In fact, those deer didn’t even notice me.”

"I notice everything about you when you're nearby." His voice had dropped to a low, sultry tone that sent a shiver up her spine. His hand lifted to her face like he meant to touch her cheek, but he quickly dropped it.

Cameron abruptly broke eye contact, and turned away from her. Riley’s hand shot forward, and she grabbed for his arm. His muscles tensed beneath her touch, even through his buckskin shirt.

“What’s happened that you’re so sulky since yesterday?” Riley took a step closer. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Cameron tensed even more. His frown deepened.

“Do you regret kissing me?” she blurted. She had to know where she stood with him. Apprehension about his answer made the butterflies churn in her stomach. She touched tentative fingers to his cheek.

Cameron dropped his bow, and grabbed her hand, his fingers closing over hers. Riley didn’t waver from his dark stare that bore straight into her as he leaned down. Her heart hammered against the lump that formed in her throat as his eyes locked on hers.

“I have no regrets about kissing you,” he said slowly. “But I won’t hurt you like someone else has done.”

Riley’s brows scrunched. “What are you talking about?” she breathed.

“You told me someone took advantage of you once, then left you. I won’t do that, or force a decision on you that you’re not willing to make.”

She shook her head. How could he compare himself to that jerk she wanted to erase from her memory? And what did he mean, force a decision on her?

“You’re nothing like him,” she whispered.

Cameron's stare intensified. Riley raised her other hand to his face and leaned toward him.

“Cameron, I –”

Before she could finish her thought, his mouth was on hers. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her up against him before her brain had time to register what was happening. Riley's heart leaped to life in her chest the moment his lips touched hers. She leaned into him, her hands reaching behind his head to draw him closer, her fingers entwining in his hair. A soft moan escaped her mouth, and Cameron tightened his hold around her.

She was meant to be right here, in his arms, in this time. Nothing had ever felt more right like she'd finally found where she belonged. Whatever Cameron was trying to deny, or fight off between them, dissolved in the intensity of his kiss.

She drew back slightly to catch her breath, and Cameron abruptly pulled away from her. Reluctantly, Riley eased her hold around his neck, and he stepped away, releasing her completely. His dark, smoldering stare was filled with undeniable longing. He broke eye contact and reached for the bow he'd dropped before he kissed her.

Riley swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her lips pulsed in time with the pounding of her heart. Her chest heaved, and she opened her mouth to speak, but the force of his stare when their eyes met again stopped her. He took a step closer. His hand reached up to cup her cheek, tilting her head up to him.

“The next time I kiss you, I won’t stop at just a kiss, Riley. Be absolutely sure if you want me to kiss you again, because when I do, you’ll belong to me, and I keep what’s mine.”

With those words, he backed away from her and set off at a jog into the forest. Riley stared after him, her mind a jumbled mess and her throat too constricted to call after him. His sultry words, in the aftermath of his kiss, left her alive all over as if they seeped straight into her.

By the time Cameron disappeared from view, her heart had returned to a more normal pace, but the sensations still lingered of being wrapped in his arms and held against him. Her chest heaved, pulling in a lungful of air. She forced her eyes away from staring into the forest and headed back toward camp on shaky legs.

What had just happened?

She smiled and touched her fingers to her lips. Cameron was afraid that she thought he was taking advantage of her? Her stride lengthened. When he came back from his hunt, she'd set his mind at ease, and tell him she loved him. Her decision to stay in this time solidified.

He didn’t have to say the words to convince her he felt the same way about her. His parting words sent ripples of delight down her spine, with their intensity and conviction, and their implication. She’d have to be a complete fool to let a guy like him go.

When she reached camp, Riley knelt by the coals from last night’s campfire. She poked at them with a stick, until she found a few that still smoldered and glowed orange when she blew air on them. Gathering some dry grasses and twigs, she sprinkled a few over the coals and continued to blow on them until they erupted in a flame.

Laughing out loud at her success, Riley added more twigs, then larger pieces of wood as she’d seen Cameron do last night, until her fire was a respectable size. She nodded, and rubbed her hands together, satisfied that there was minimal smoke. It was a small victory, but she was making progress in learning survival skills.

To kill time, Riley gathered more wood and rummaged through the leather pouch Day Star had given her. She used the porcupine brush to untangle her hair and pulled out the stone bowl and a smaller pouch that contained dried berries and some flour. If Cameron was going to bring back meat, she’d make some fresh cakes to go with it. It would be better than the dried cakes Naatosi had sent with them yesterday.

She reached for the knife in the pouch, and the water skin, and headed for the creek. Hopefully, Cameron would be back soon. It was still early in the morning, but apparently he’d planned to stay here for part of the day, if he’d decided to go game hunting.

Riley knelt by the creek, filling her water skin, when something moved a short distance away. Adrenaline raced through her. Was Cameron back? She raised her head, and nearly fell backward on her haunches. Staring at her from across the creek was a large, silver-gray dog. She mentally shook her head. It wasn’t a dog. It had to be a wolf. He stopped when she looked at him, probably equally startled.

“Good dog,” she murmured, keeping her eye on the big animal.

He looked large enough that he could leap across the creek in one stride and sink his teeth into her without any problems. The urge to scream increased with the pounding of her heart, but she forced her mouth to remain shut.

Her hand gripped the handle of her knife, and she rose to her feet. She’d never be able to defend herself if this animal attacked her, but she could at least try and do some damage if he did. The wolf crouched, the sun’s rays making his silvery-gray fur shimmer, and his ears lowered against his head. Riley’s eyes widened when the animal abruptly veered and sprang into the forest away from her.

"And don't come back," Riley called after him, standing taller. She breathed a sigh of relief.

She glanced at the knife in her hand. Had she really stood up against this predator, and he’d backed off? A wave of pride and accomplishment washed over her, and she smiled. Her newfound confidence dissolved at the sound of rustling leaves and twigs snapping behind her. Riley spun around.

The back of a hand connected like a club against her cheek. Her head snapped to the side from the force of the impact and sent her stumbling backward. She fell into the creek with a loud splash. Riley gulped in a breath of air when the cold water hit her skin. Her arms flailed, and she scrambled to the creek bank. She blinked, and her eyes focused on the man charging at her.

“No,” she screeched. The man’s menacing snarl looked eerily familiar. It was the same face she’s stared at when she and Jeffrey arrived in this time. Cunning Fox, the leader of the band of Blackfoot who had kidnapped her, and traded her for Cameron’s horn bow.

Riley scrambled backward up the creek bank in an effort to regain her footing. The warrior smiled triumphantly and snarled something she didn't understand. He reached for her, grabbing her by the front of her dress, and hauled her to her feet.

Riley gritted her teeth and gripped her knife firmly in her hand. She swung her arm back, then forward, the blade slicing through the Blackfoot's arm. He released her, a startled expression on his face that turned murderous in the next instant.

She ran, but her escape was cut short when a painful yank on her hair pulled her backward and to the ground. She cried out when her already-bruised hip connected with hard earth. Riley rolled to her stomach, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Gulping in air became painful.

An agonizing scream pierced through the air, and she raised her head in time to see another Blackfoot fall to the ground, an arrow sticking from his chest. A few feet away, a body already lay dead in the dirt.

Cunning Fox growled behind her, and Riley scrambled to get a foothold. The warrior yanked at her hair a second time, then pushed her out of his way. A familiar voice called out using unfamiliar words.

“Cameron,” she croaked, lifting her head off the ground.

A third warrior ran at Cameron, his war club raised. Cameron wheeled around, and in one fluid movement, pulled an arrow from his quiver, strung his bow, and aimed. The arrow found its mark, sending the Blackfoot falling face first into the dirt.

Cunning Fox pulled his war club from his belt and ran at Cameron with a loud roar. There was no time for Cameron to react with his bow. He tossed the weapon aside and met the warrior, his knife in hand. The two clashed like a couple of gladiators.

“No.” Riley gulped in air. Her lungs didn’t want to cooperate. Wide-eyed, she stared at the two men locked in a sheer battle of strength. Her limbs shook like leaves on a windy day when she pushed herself off the ground. Helpless to do anything, she scrambled to get out of the way.

Cameron grabbed for the warrior’s arm when Cunning Fox raised his ax, intent to bring it down on Cameron’s head. Both men bared their teeth, the muscles in their faces and necks taut and straining. Cameron braced his body, bent forward, and in one swift motion, hurled the Indian over his shoulder.

Cunning Fox landed with a thud on his back and appeared momentarily dazed, giving Cameron time to kick the weapon from his opponent's hand. Cunning Fox grabbed Cameron's leg, pulling him to the ground.

Riley gasped. Seeing what was going on became impossible, as both men rolled on the ground in a tangle of legs and arms. An eternity seemed to have gone by when one man suddenly stopped moving. Riley’s breath caught in her throat.

Cameron stumbled to his feet, his chest heaving. Overwhelming relief such as she’d never felt rushed through her. Riley forced her legs to move, and she ran at him, calling his name. Cameron looked up just as she collided with him, throwing her arms around her neck. Trembling arms wrapped her in a tight embrace, and she cried against his chest.

“He could have killed you,” she sobbed.

Cameron stroked her back, holding her head to his chest. “Cunning Fox won’t bother you again,” he whispered. Abruptly, he held her away from him, his eyes roaming over her with the same concern he’d shown when she fell down the mountain.

“Did he hurt you?”

Riley shook her head. Her scalp was sore from where the Blackfoot had roughly yanked on her hair, but relief that Cameron was all right overshadowed any pain. Cameron swiped a hand across her cheek, pushing her hair out of her face. Relief shone in his eyes. She laughed softly.

“Other than being wet and dirty, this was nothing compared to my fall down the mountain.”

Her attempt at lightening the mood failed miserably. In truth, she’d stared death in the face again, and her body shook at the thought. Cameron stared at her. He abruptly moved away, gathered his horn bow and their belongings, kicked dirt onto her campfire, then strode back to her. Wordlessly, he scooped her up in his arms.

“What are you doing?” Riley’s forehead scrunched. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Taking you somewhere else, away from here.” He glanced at Cunning Fox’s body a few feet away.

Riley averted her eyes. She nodded, and another shudder passed through her. “I didn’t even notice him come into camp,” she whispered, and buried her head against his neck. Right here, in his arms, everything was right, and she was safe.

Cameron didn't reply but carried her away from camp. Riley closed her eyes, pushing aside the fear that had raced through her a few moments ago. Her body trembled, and her limbs had gone completely weak in the aftermath of the ordeal she'd just lived through and witnessed. Cameron's battle with Cunning Fox, and the lifeless bodies on the ground, haunted her.

A shiver passed through her. This was life here in this primitive world. She’d survived everything that had been tossed at her so far. Granted, Cameron had come to her rescue each time, but she hadn’t fallen apart, and this time, she’d even found the courage to fight back. Naatosi had told her nothing would harm her as long as she was with Cameron.

Her arms around his neck tightened, and she settled against him. This time, she wasn’t going to protest that he carried her.

Cameron splashed through the creek and followed it along the opposite bank. By the time it widened into a small lake, steaming along its edges, the tension from her frightening ordeal with Cunning Fox had eased. Her pulse quickened for an entirely different reason. She glanced around the forest, then met Cameron's gaze when he stopped.

Riley swallowed past the dryness in her throat. She stared up at him. Her past flashed before her, as her future stared her in the face, and everything became crystal clear.

“Cameron, I want you to kiss me again,” she whispered.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Cam’s chest heaved. He set Riley on her feet for fear of dropping her in response to what she’d just said. Soft, brown eyes stared up at him, imploring him with her request. He studied those eyes that had turned his world upside down, or rather, had made his world right again. He’d told her the truth earlier – if he kissed her again, he wouldn’t be able to let her go.

He’d lain awake next to her, holding her all night, telling himself over and over again that it would be just this once. His kiss earlier hadn’t been planned, but her question whether he regretted his actions from several days before had caught him off guard. He’d wanted her to know how he felt about her, and that he would never do what someone else had done to her. If he let things get out of control, he’d be no better than the man who had used and left her.

Cam’s heart twisted painfully. Naatoyita had known exactly what he was doing when he’d arranged for Riley to come in contact with the vessel and sent her here. Letting her go would tear him apart. He’d been firm in his conviction that, once he tracked down Mukua and the other vessel, it would be her choice, and hers alone, whether to stay in this time or return home.

Staring into her soft eyes, his resolve crumbled with her simple request.

How could she ask him to kiss her again, after what he’d said to her? Once he crossed the line, he couldn’t let her go. His self-control had been tested to the limit already. He couldn’t do it again without truly claiming her as his. According to the traditions of the Tukudeka, she was his wife. Would she accept him, choose him, in favor of returning to the future?

His hands eased their grip on her arms, and he stroked his fingers along her cheek. He’d almost lost her today. While tracking the deer, he’d come across the prints of four men, and he’d instantly abandoned his hunt. An icy fear had gripped him, and he’d never run faster in his life. Dread at what he would find when he reached his camp, and anger with himself that he hadn’t been protecting the woman he loved, had spurred him forward, but he hadn’t been fast enough. The Blackfoot had reached his camp first.

Blind rage had consumed him when he’d seen Cunning Fox backhand Riley, and he’d thrown all caution to the wind. Rushing into camp, he’d killed the first two warriors who’d stood in his way before they’d even noticed him, then the third without hesitation. His aim had never been more accurate, but he hadn’t shot Cunning Fox with an arrow for fear of hitting the woman of his heart.

When Cunning Fox grabbed her, and when she’d fought back with her knife, a wave of pride for her bravery coursed through him. His jaw clenched. Had he been a moment too late, the Blackfoot would have killed her.

Pain ripped through his chest at the thought. He couldn’t lose Riley. He couldn’t give her up to the future. His gaze locked on her expectant eyes.

“Riley,” he murmured. “Do you know what you’re asking?”

She offered a soft smile, and nodded. “I know exactly what I’m asking,” she whispered.

She hadn’t released her arms around his neck, and her grip tightened, tugging his head downward. Cam’s heart crashed against the walls of his chest.

“I don’t think you understand what you’re doing to me,” he rasped, resisting the pull of her hands. “You can’t ask me to kiss you again, and expect me to not want more.”

“You’re not the only one who wants more, Cameron. I’ve found where I belong.” Her smile widened, as did her eyes, which were filled with hope, and . . .

Cam’s muscles tensed, even as his heart skipped in exhilaration at her words. Did he dare believe she was choosing him?

She unclasped her hold from the back of his neck, her soft hands coming around to touch his face. Her warm stare continued to draw him closer, and his tension eased. She pulled in a deep breath, and locked her gaze with his, her warm eyes drawing him in.

“I never thought I would be noticed by someone like you, and I know that you’ve been slowing down for me since day one and saving me at every turn, but it's made me realize how much I love it here, and that you’re so different from anyone I’ve ever met, and since I’ve been here, I’ve grown closer to you than I ever thought I would, and if it weren't for you, I might not have ever found a guy I’d want to spend my life with, and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I’ve decided that I don’t want to go back to 2011.” Each word she spoke came out faster than the other, and she finally stopped for a quick breath. “I love you, Cameron. I want to stay with –”

Cam tugged her toward him, his lips on hers to silence her confession. One arm wrapped around her waist, crushing her up against him, while his other hand reached behind her head, his fingers burrowing through her hair, holding her to him. Every part of him came alive when she moaned, and melted into him. Her hands found their way around to his back, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

A hot surge of awareness rushed through him. She’d said the words he’d wanted to say to her, but hadn’t been able to, for fear of her reaction. The frustration that had grown steadily worse since his meeting with Naatoyita dissolved away in her arms, with that kiss.

He didn’t hold back. His kiss ignited a fierce hunger in him for the woman who was so willing in his arms. His woman. Riley belonged with him. She always had.

His embrace lifted her off her feet, the feel of her body molded to his stoking the fire inside him that he'd only let smolder until now. Her words and her response to him ignited an inferno.

Cam’s mouth explored her lips, her cheeks, along her jaw, and down her neck. Like a raging forest fire fueled by strong winds, love for Riley raced through him, and her response left him breathless.

“You are my purpose, Riley, and I’ll protect, and love you, always,” he murmured against her ear. “I’ll never give you reason to regret your choice.”

He cradled her head between his palms, gazing into the love-filled eyes staring back at him. An incredulous look passed over her face. She smiled.

“I know where I belong,” she whispered. “Meeting you was meant to be. Mukua isn’t responsible for me being here, is he?”

Cam stared at her. How did she know the truth?

He slowly shook his head. “No.”

Riley’s smile widened. “I truly do belong with you, don’t I?”

He leaned down and kissed her again. His hand stroked her face while his arm wrapped more firmly around her.

“How do you know you belong with me?” he mumbled against her lips, then drew back to watch her response.

"Because this feels right." She leaned up and kissed him fully. She smiled. "And the way Naatosi was feeling me out. The questions he asked, and the fact that he and Naatoyita weren't more upset that I was here. I would have expected them to be more helpful in trying to send me home, but they seemed rather pleased with me being here. It was their plan all along, wasn't it?"

Cam gazed at her, and the smile vanished from his face. “Riley, the Sky People have controlled my life since my birth. I wasn’t going to let them control yours, and not give you a choice about returning home to everything you’ve known.” His hand stroked along the small of her back, burning the feel of her in his arms into his mind.

“If you stay here, it will be forever. It’s not something you can do for a while, and then decide you want to go back when you grow tired of the harsh winters, or days when food is scarce, or when you might have to kill someone in order to save yourself.”

Cam’s stare grew more intense with his words. He couldn’t lie to her about the kind of life she’d be facing.

Riley's grip around him tightened. "But I'll be with you," she whispered. "And that's more than I have in the future." She laughed softly. "Why do you think I chose to study anthropology? I've always been fascinated with how people lived in the past. Granted, I've lived a very modern life, but I have to say, I don't miss it, at least not much of it. And the things I do miss, I'll get over them because there are far better things here. If you're giving me a choice, I choose you."

Cam stared at her, then he smiled. "Cunning Fox told me you were weak, and I believed it myself, at first." He gazed at her and leaned in for another kiss.

“You still think that about me?” She tilted her head.

“How could I? You’ve survived everything that’s happened to you, and you’re more resilient for it each time. You’ve turned out to be quite a bargain.” Cam grinned.

Riley’s eyes narrowed. “A bargain? You’d better be careful what you say about your wife, Cameahwait, or I might have to toss your belongings out of our tipi . . . once we have one.” The corners of her lips rose in a smile.

Cam snorted. “Did you read that in one of your books?”

He laughed when she nodded. He reached for her waist and pulled her up against him. "I've heard that's what the Bakianee or Absaroka women do to divorce their husbands, but it doesn't work that way with the Sheepeaters," he murmured. He lowered his head to brush his lips against her neck, eliciting a shudder from her.

“Then how does a Tukudeka woman divorce from her man?” she challenged, leaning into him.

The feel of her soft body molded to his, teasing him, sent a wave of desire through him to rival the strongest forces of nature.

“She doesn’t,” he growled, and sought her mouth again.

Riley melted against him, her arms reaching around his neck, drawing him closer. Cam’s hands slid down her back, following the indentation of her spine to the curve of her backside. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, sending a new surge of desire through him.

The back of her dress was still damp from falling into the creek. Cam curbed the rising anger at the reason she’d fallen, relieved that she was unharmed, and concentrated instead on the woman in his arms. His woman.

She clung to him, her dress bunching up around her thighs. He didn’t break his kiss as he carried her to the edge of the creek that had formed a deep pool in this area as it curved around a bend. He’d come here often over the years, taking advantage of the warm water that was the result of some thermal vents near the banks.

The faint odor of sulfur lingered in the air, mixed with the sweet smell of damp grasses and pine from the forest. Nothing compared to the scent of Riley’s skin, and he inhaled deeply before letting her go.

Reluctantly, Cam set her on her feet, even as his heart beat wildly in his chest, and the rest of him had other ideas. Riley’s passion-filled eyes connected with his, and he fought to keep from pulling her back into his arms.

“I meant to bring you here today, so you could clean up before you meet Mat and Pikowan.”

“Do I smell and look that bad?” she teased.

“Your scent was the first thing I noticed about you.”

Riley's eyes remained on him while her hands reached up to untie the stings that held her dress together at the shoulders. Cam's mouth went dry while her slow and deliberate movements pulled the ties apart. His jaw muscles tightened and unclenched repeatedly.

“What do I smell like?” she whispered.

“Honey,” he answered without thinking. “You will always smell like honey to me.”

Riley’s fingers came to a halt. She raised her brows. “Honey? How do you know what honey smells like? Unless you liked it when you were a boy. There were no honeybees in this part of the country until well into the 1800’s. In fact, they were only introduced on the continent when the first white settlers arrived in the New World in 1622. The Native Americans called them White Man’s flies, because –”

Cam pulled her back into his arms and stopped her rambling with his mouth on hers. A history lesson about bees was the last thing on his mind at the moment. His fingers worked the ties to her dress loose, until the doeskin dropped from her shoulders, and bunched around her waist before falling past her hips and to the ground.

He cracked a smile at the unexpected sight before him. Riley still wore her undergarments from the future.

“These aren’t the clothes of a proper Tukudeka woman,” he smirked, his eyes on the satiny, brightly colored material covering her breasts.

Riley smiled up at him, unabashed. “I was expecting to go back to the future when I started wearing this dress,” she defended. “I burned my other clothes back at the village, but I wasn’t going to burn my bra and panties.” She leaned toward him, whispering in his ear. “Why don’t you show me what’s beneath a proper Tukudeka hunter’s buckskins?”

Cam’s brows rose, and his heart fluttered in his chest. A wide grin spread across his face. Riley’s playful side was most unexpected. Without further prodding, he loosened the ties of his shirt at the neck, and pulled it over his head. Riley’s appreciative stare met his when he dropped the clothes to the ground. His leggings followed, until he stood before her in only his breechcloth.

“Now we’re evenly matched.” He winked, his eyes taking in the rosy color of her cheeks.

“You’re a beautiful man,” she whispered. She placed her hand over his pounding heart, her eyes dark with desire. “You’re my beautiful man.”

Cam swept her up in his arms with one swift motion, and carried her into the water. Her teasing was going to drive him mad. Riley screeched when he submersed them both up to their necks. The water was warmer than most lakes due to the thermal activity, but it was probably still colder than what she was used to. He held her to him while treading water.

“I didn’t ask if you could swim.” He grinned. “Can you?”

“Yes, I can swim, but warn me first next time.” She splashed water at him, and pushed away from him, heading back to shore.

Cam followed her with his eyes, his mind still working out the unexpected turn of events this day had taken, and the lightness that had come to his heart. Riley scrambled up the embankment, water dripping off her curves. She shivered, and wrapped her arms around her middle as she made her way to the pile of sheep hides he’d dropped to the ground.

Two swift strokes with his arms brought Cam to the edge of the pool, and he was behind her in the next instant, pulling her back into his arms. She squealed in surprise, but wrapped her arms around him, and he eased her to the ground onto one of the hides. Her chest heaved against his, and the bright smile on her face took away any chill that lingered in the air. Water dripped from his hair onto the swell of her breasts, then rolled down to disappear beneath the fabric of her bra.

Cam pushed the straps down her shoulders while watching her reaction. She arched her spine when his hands snaked behind her back and fumbled with the hooks. Vague memories filled his mind of huddling with his friends, watching things on computers or leafing through magazines; things they ought not to have been looking at. He smiled sheepishly. When the clasp gave way, Cam tossed the article to the side.

“What’s that smug look for? You look like a young adolescent boy who got past the parental control on his mother’s computer.”

Riley squirmed beneath him, her wet hair spilling around her face. His smug look increased. She was way too perceptive for her own good.

“The real thing is much better,” he answered, leaning over her.

She met his kiss with a soft purr and pulled him closer. Cam covered her with his body to shield her from the chill in the air. Somehow he managed to pull the second sheep hide over them without losing his mind when Riley removed the belt that held his breechcloth.

His hands slid along the curves of her waist, hips, and thighs, pulling the last article of clothing Riley wore down her legs. His fingers returned to her face, stroking and caressing, then cupped the back of her neck. He braced on his elbows and brought his mouth back to hers.

Riley’s lips parted under his tender assault. Her arms wound more firmly around his neck, pulling him fully on top of her.

"I can't stop at just a kiss," he murmured against her lips, then moved to tease her neck, and nuzzled her ear.

Riley sucked in a quick breath, and her fingers traced along the indentations of the scars that ran down his back.

“Neither can I,” she breathed.

Cam explored her slowly, his hand sliding along the curve of her hip, lingering at her waist when a slight shudder passed through her. He moved further along her outer thigh, and back up until she writhed beneath him.

His mouth tasted her lips, her neck, lingering at her breasts, and lower along her abdomen, then back to her mouth. To keep from crushing her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to a sitting position. Riley squealed, and gripped his shoulders. Her eyes were dark, glazed over with passion for him, and her wet hair framed her face, water droplets running down her chest.

“This is one time I don’t mind you making noise.” He grinned.

Cam raised his hand to brush her hair behind her ears. He’d never tire of looking at her, seeing her like this. Her swollen lips glistened in the sunlight, forming a soft smile that was for him alone. His hand cupped her cheek, and a fierce surge of protectiveness washed over him.

“I love you, Riley,” he rasped. The words flowed easily from his mouth.

He brought her head toward him for another kiss, his hand sliding along her neck, down her back, and up her arms. He cupped her breast, his thumb stroking across her nipple. Riley leaned into his touch and moaned softly. She shifted slightly, and Cam lowered her onto her back again, bracing on his elbows.

“I know now what my destiny is,” she whispered.

Her smile, and the trust and love in her eyes, drove him over the edge. She wrapped her arms around his back, tugging him closer. As he eased himself inside her, Riley raised her hips, and his strokes deepened. She rocked in time with him, driving him past the point of any endurance he may have had.

“Most of my life, I’ve cursed the Sky People for bringing me here,” he murmured against her ear, trying to prolong their joining. “Now I thank them for the gift they’ve sent me.”

His mouth came down on hers, taking what Riley offered. In this woman’s arms, his future was set.

Riley raked her fingers through his hair, and gripped tight to his shoulders, arching her back to meet his thrusts. Her release came seconds before his own, and Cam collapsed on top of her. He rolled to the side, pulling her with him, her skin as slick and covered in sweat as his. He pulled the sheep hide over her that had fallen to the side, and held her head against his pounding heart.

She sighed, and stroked her palms along his shoulder. Cam slowed his breathing, his body alive and aware of every inch of Riley next to him. He kissed the top of her head, raking his fingers through her hair.

She raised her head slightly, resting her chin on his chest, and stared at him. The satisfied look in her eyes brought a grin to his face.

“What should I call myself now?” she asked.

Cam’s brows furrowed.

“What do you want to be called?” His hand stroked absently along her lower back, eliciting a quiet moan from her. His grin widened. “Woman Who Screams at Squirrels?” he suggested.

Riley shifted her weight slightly, and raised up on her elbow, looking down at him. She didn’t play along with his teasing.

“Am I now Mrs. Cameahwait, or who am I?”

Cam laughed. He reached behind her neck to draw her down for a kiss. “You’ve been Mrs. Cameahwait from the moment I traded my bow for you.”

He winked, then his face sobered. His fingers caressed her cheek. The answer to her question had come to him the moment she’d said she loved him, and had chosen him over a life in the future.

“From now on, you’re going to be Mrs. Osborne. Mrs. Cameron Osborne.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“What do you remember about your life in the future?”

Riley traced the outlines of Cameron’s scars with her index finger, standing over him while he knelt by their campfire. A sage grouse roasted over a spit, making her mouth water. Her stomach growled in response to the hissing of fat droplets as they hit the hot coals. Food had been the furthest from her mind, and no doubt Cameron’s mind, since yesterday.

They’d eaten the last of their provisions late in the afternoon the day before, just as the sun had gone down, and then been content in each other’s arms for the rest of the night. The sun shone through the trees, bringing with it a new day.

A whole new life for you.

Riley smiled. Today was the first day of a new life for her. Happiness flowed through her, overshadowing the fleeting moments of insecurity about what she had done. Yesterday she’d made a life-changing decision, and there could be no regrets. There were no regrets. With Cameron, she was complete. There was nothing in the future for her that was worth giving him up.

Cameron looked over his shoulder, smiling up at her.

“I used to miss pizza,” he said, turning the meat over the fire. “It’s the one thing I really longed for when I first came here. That, and not being able to instantly communicate with my friends. But the desire for these things goes away after time.” He shot her a thoroughly wicked grin, and his eyes smoldered. “They get replaced with new desires.”

Riley returned his smile. “I’ll be too busy learning everything here to really miss much about my old life.”

Cameron stood, and pulled her into his arms. “There’s still time to change your mind,” he mumbled against her ear, stroking the back of her head.

Riley leaned away from him. “You’re willing to give me up that easily already?” Her brows raised. “That’s not what you said yesterday.”

“I keep what’s mine.” He stared at her, the depth of emotions clearly written in his eyes. “But I can’t hold you against your will.”

“And you’ll never have to.” Riley stood on her toes, and kissed him.

Cameron held her against him, and Riley leaned into his embrace. This was right where she belonged. She breathed in deeply of the masculine scent coming off his skin. She tilted her head to look him in the eyes.

“I love you, Cameron, and I won’t abandon you.”

“You won’t regret your decision.” His hands slid up and down her back, rubbing the doeskin of her dress against her skin. “Today, I’m going to show you the place I call home, but first . . .”

Cameron grinned at her without finishing his thought, scooped her in his arms, and carried her to their hides. By the time they returned to the fire, the grouse was burned, nearly too crispy to eat, but Riley had worked up enough of an appetite that she finished her share.

Cameron reached for her hand when it was time to leave, and gave it a squeeze. He kicked dirt onto the fire and glanced around their camp, the place where she’d truly become his wife, one last time to make sure they left nothing behind, and led her through the forest.

“Are we going to be anywhere near the canyon?” Riley asked after several hours of navigating through dense forest. “I didn’t get to see it on my one and only quick trip to Yellowstone, but I heard it’s spectacular.”

“If you listen closely, you can hear the roar of the falls, the lower falls of the canyon. The falls further upriver are not as tall, but just as beautiful.”

Riley tilted her head. The gentle rush of wind through the trees wasn't the sound of wind at all, but the rumbling of water. Twenty minutes later, a gaping crack in the earth forced her to stop abruptly. She stepped out of the forest, and her eyes widened while her jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Cameron grabbed her arm.

“Just in case you decide to go for another tumble.” He winked at her, a wide grin on his face.

Before her yawned a spectacular canyon, its sheer sides dropping hundreds of feet to the bottom, where a turquoise river carved its way through the rocks. The walls shimmered in multiple hues of yellow, gold, and red colors as if an artist had painted the rocks with long, sweeping strokes of his brush.

The roar of water grew louder, and Cameron pointed to the left. A massive waterfall plunged to the bottom of the canyon, the spray from the force of the water creating a dense mist, through which shone a colorful rainbow.

“It’s absolutely breathtaking,” Riley whispered. “There are so many reasons this place has to be protected in the future, and this is one of them.”

Cameron led her along the edge of the canyon, until the roar of the waterfall grew loud enough that they had to raise their voices to be heard. Riley spent hours sitting in different spots along the edge, just staring in both directions. Wherever they stopped, there was something new to see, or the colors changed with the movement of the sun. No two moments seemed to produce the same colors.

By the time she’d had her fill of looking at the falls at the upper end of the canyon, Cameron hurried her along.

“We have a lifetime to come back and look at its beauty,” he told her.

“How far from here is your home?”

“Not far. A few more miles.”

A short distance past the upper falls, the canyon widened into an expansive valley. The rolling green hills seemed to go on forever, like waves on the ocean. The Yellowstone River, which had plunged deep into the canyon on two occasions, then roared through the narrow gap, flowed peacefully in this valley, giving a serene and tranquil feel to the area.

Several tributaries created shallow marshlands teeming with waterfowl, otters, and beaver, around which Cameron navigated to reach a large stand of aspen, willow, and cottonwoods.

“The river looks so tranquil here,” Riley remarked, her eyes drifting to the wide body of water, as it meandered through the valley. A large herd of bison grazed in the distance.

“It may look peaceful and calm, but it can be deadly,” Cameron warned. “The current is strong, and even a seasoned swimmer will get swept down river. No one survives going over the falls.”

“No, I can’t imagine anyone would survive that.”

Riley shuddered at the thought. While the falls were an awesome spectacle to look at, the sheer force and volume of the water would crush a person instantly.

Cameron pointed to a gentle slope in the distance, overlooking a bend in the river. Aspens and cottonwoods swayed in the breeze, and nestled between them stood a small cabin. The first structure of civilization, other than the Tukudeka village, she’d seen here looked oddly out of place amid the spectacular natural splendor of this valley.

“That’s your home?” Riley’s eyes lit up. She met Cameron’s gaze, and smiled.

“And now yours.” He returned her smile. “Although, I won’t want to share that particular cabin with Mat and Pikowan any longer.” His arm snaked around her waist, and rested at her hip. “I’ll build us our own cabin before winter sets in. Until then, we’ll make do somehow.”

“I won’t mind a wicciup. The one I had at the Tukudeka village was quite comfortable.”

Cameron nodded. “Only for a short while, until I build you a cabin.”

A man with long, unkempt hair sat cross-legged on the ground a short distance from the front of the cabin. He looked up as they approached, but didn’t move otherwise. As she and Cameron came closer, more details about the crude structure came into focus. The cabin didn’t look much bigger than her college dorm room when she was an undergrad.

There was a door, but no windows, at least none in the front. A stone chimney rose from the left side of the dwelling, and the roof appeared to be made mostly from thatch and dirt. Moss and green grasses even grew in spots. Over the door hung an impressive set of bleached moose antlers. It looked exactly as she would expect an eighteenth-century settler or trapper's cabin to look.

By modern standards, it might be less than impressive, but Riley smiled. This, or one just like it, would be her home from now on. Hers and Cameron’s home, and this beautiful, expansive valley would be her front and backyard. Her heart sped up with excitement. She would be spending the rest of her life here.

How different from what she’d thought her future would hold for her all these years. Her plan had always been to get her doctorate in anthropology, then teach and do research. Instead, she might be the subject of someone else’s research hundreds of years from now.

The man sitting on the ground rose to his feet. He stuck a knife in the belt at his hip, and headed toward them.

“Mat,” Cameron called, and held out his hand. The other man clasped his wrist, and they shook hands like good friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while would do.

Mat nodded, his eyes darting to Riley. He said something in Shoshone, then switched to stilted English. “I had a feeling you’d return with her as your wife.”

"My good friend and brother in spirit, Matunaaga," Cameron introduced the friend he'd often talked about with great fondness. "We call him Mat, or Chief."

“Chief? Why Chief?” Riley’s eyes went from Mat to Cameron. “I’m afraid I don’t know what Matunaaga means.”

Cameron grinned, and glanced at his friend. “Chief, because he used to be bossy, and always tried to tell me what to do when we were boys. His name means fighter, or warrior, and he will live up to it when needed. I trust him with my life.”

Riley stepped up to him. “Cameron’s told me a lot about you.” She held out her hand. Mat took it, but didn’t hold her hand any longer than necessary to give it a quick shake.

She studied the two men. Although Cameron was a good inch taller than Mat, they were matched in physique, and, no doubt, strength. Mat’s dirty blond, nearly light brown hair hung in thick strands well past his shoulders, and looked as if it hadn’t seen a comb in ages. His eyes were a startling blue. He looked as if he belonged in this environment as much as Cameron did, but with his hair and eye color, he must stick out as much as she did among the natives.

His gaze held hers for only a moment, the look in his eyes intelligent and warm. He was dressed nearly identically to Cameron, in buckskin leggings, breechcloth, and a long-sleeved hunting shirt that went well past his waist. A necklace made of teeth and shells hung around his neck.

"Did you meet with Naatoyita?" Mat's eyes darted to Riley. There was a slight twitch to his lips and a knowing look in his gaze.

“I did, and I will share with you what I’ve learned, but perhaps it would be good if you went to see Naatosi. He asked to see you.”

If Mat was surprised that the Sky People elder wanted to see him, he didn’t let on. He simply nodded. What a difference between the two. Cameron would have stubbornly refused to honor the request.

“So, you have forgiven Naatoyita?”

Cameron shook his head at the question. “It’ll take me some time to fully forgive him, but I understand now what he did, and why. I think you’ll find the answers to your own questions when you meet with Naatosi.”

“I’ll leave as soon as Pikowan returns. He’s been gone for several days.” Mat gazed off into the distance.

Cameron frowned. “Where did he go?”

Mat shrugged. “He told me he was heading out to set some traps. I went looking for him two days ago when he didn’t come home. I found his traps, but not Pikowan. His tracks led further into the hills.”

“If he’s not back in three days, we’ll look for him again. He’s gone off by himself before.” Cameron said. A fleeting worried look passed through his eyes.

“You’re very fond of Pikowan, aren’t you?” Riley glanced from one man to the other, and rested on Cameron.

“Mat and I came upon him shortly after we left the Tukudeka. Since we all shared a common past, and a common dislike for the Sky People, it made sense that we stayed together. He’s the one who built this cabin, and we’ve lived with him ever since.”

“I look forward to meeting him.”

She’d had her answer about Cameron’s presence in the past, but why had Pikowan been brought here, and simply been abandoned? Her inquisitive mind was eager to find the answers.

Days passed. Cameron and Mat gathered poles to erect a wicciup a short distance from the cabin, similar in structure to the one in which Riley had stayed in the Tukudeka village. Eager to help, she’d thrown herself into the work. Her days were filled with making the simple dwelling a home, lining the gaps between the logs with grasses to keep out the draft, and putting together a sleeping pallet for her and Cameron.

Time passed incredibly quickly. When Mat brought home an elk carcass, she put into practice what she’d learned from Day Star about scraping hides. With Cameron’s guidance, she’d started the process of tanning the hide, letting it dry in the sun, scraping the hair from it until it was smooth, and soaking it in the river.

Soon it would be ready for the first application of elk brains to soften the stiff leather. After that, she’d have to pound at it with a rock, a process that would take the better part of a day; backbreaking work she wasn’t particularly looking forward to. After another soaking, the hide would be ready for a final scraping, and another application of brains to soften it into material that rivaled anything she’d worn in the twenty-first century.

Riley dried strips of meat in the sun, wove baskets from reeds near the river, and gathered seeds and roots. She’d had no time to miss her books. She was living them.

Evenings were spent relaxing outside her simple dwelling with the man she loved more with each day that passed. She and Cameron took long walks along the riverbank, talked about fond memories from the future, and spent a lot of time in each other’s arms.

Mat usually stayed by himself, and was often gone during the day. He ate meals with her and Cameron, but he was quiet and reserved around her. Riley had learned that he’d come from the 1970’s, which left him at a disadvantage when she or Cameron talked about computers and other technology.

Not that he liked to join in their discussions about the future. Cameron had told her that Mat had been more than happy to leave the future behind. His family had been into drugs and alcohol, and he’d been mostly neglected and on his own as a boy.

That same air of confidence drifted around Mat as what she’d always detected in Cam, but his eyes didn’t hold that same intense glare. His blue eyes were much softer. They didn’t harbor the anger and frustration that Cameron had bottled up inside for so many years. Mat appeared content with his life, and if she asked him, he’d no doubt affirm that he hadn’t held the same strong grudge against the Sky People as Cameron had done.

“Mat and I are heading out to look for suitable trees for when I build our cabin,” Cameron said on the morning of her fourth day in the valley.

She was still snuggled under her sleeping furs, reluctant to face the day after spending the night in Cameron’s arms. He leaned over her, his hands working their way under the covers to caress her bare skin. A satisfied grin spread over his face when his actions elicited a quick intake of breath from her.

“Don’t waste the day away in bed, or Mat will tell me my wife is lazy.”

Riley glared up at him. “If you hadn’t kept me awake half the night, I might not be so tired this morning.”

She worked her arms free of the furs and snaked them around his neck, drawing him down to meet her lips. Cameron’s kiss melted her into the furs, leaving her breathless and flushed enough to want to brave the cool early morning air.

“We’ll continue this later,” he whispered in her ear, then gathered his bow, and left their dwelling.

Riley pulled her dress on, and stepped outside. A warm broth with meat and roots was waiting for her by the fire, and she ate her breakfast while the sun rose in the distance, slowly lifting the veil of mist that hovered over the valley.

The next time her gaze drifted to the sun, it had traveled more than halfway across the sky, and the elk hide lay spread out at her feet, freshly coated with elk brains. Riley wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, smiling at her work. Soon, it would be ready and she could make a new dress.

“I’ll never complain about the price of a new outfit ever again.” She laughed at her own joke. A wave of pride and satisfaction passed through her at her accomplishments so far.

She glanced toward the river, where the outline of three people heading toward the cabin became visible. A surge of adrenaline shot through her, and she scrambled to find her knife. She didn’t have another weapon, and had been meaning to ask Cameron to teach her how to shoot the bow. Her body relaxed as the men came closer. She’d recognize one of them anywhere, by the way he walked and carried himself, and Mat’s figure was becoming familiar, too. The third man with them had to be Pikowan. He wasn’t as tall as the other two, walked with a slight limp, and had a pole he used as a walking stick. Slowly, she headed for the three.

Cameron walked faster, and met her before the others caught up to them. He pulled her into his arms, and kissed her in front of his friends.

“Sorry we were gone so long. I want you to meet someone.” He released her, his hand still at her waist, and stepped to the side to face Mat and the other man. “Pikowan, this is the woman I told you about, my wife, Riley.”

Riley’s gaze lifted to the elderly man wearing a fur cap with the ears of the animal it had once belonged to still attached. His silvery hair framed his face, and a bushy beard covered the rest of it from the nose down, leaving only his steely gray stare visible. Looking into those eyes, an inexplicable shiver passed through her. Somewhere, she’d seen those eyes before.

Chapter Twenty-Four

T  he old man stared at her. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly. A quick flash of surprise, and then uncertainty, were the only indications he gave that he might have recognized her, too. His beard moved slightly, revealing his lips and teeth, indicating he was smiling at her. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, however. Riley blinked. Had there been a brief spark of anger in his stare?

"Well, now, isn't this a surprise?" he said heartily, and she shrugged off her feeling of unease. He laughed and held out his hand.

Riley tilted her head. Where had she seen him before? No one she knew at the university had a beard like this man. She'd encountered plenty of men with beards but didn't know too many personally.

She slowly held out her hand, and he clasped it between rough fingers. He squeezed a little too tight, and Riley pulled her hand back. She shot a hasty glance at Cameron, who looked at her with pride.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pikowan,” she said, shaking off her unease. She was better at remembering names than faces. He could simply look similar to someone she’d passed on the street or stood beside in line at the convenience store. Then again, she hadn’t been in the habit of looking at people close enough to remember their eyes.

“Cameron’s told me a lot about you.”

The man’s bushy brows rose. “Well, I hope he didn’t tell you any false tales about me.”

“Not at all.” She forced a smile, trying to act genuine. Her intuition hadn’t failed her often. “He holds you in very high regard.”

Pikowan looked at Cameron and Mat. “They’re fine boys,” he said. “Been through a lot, they have.” He scoffed. “The three of us have a kinship, what with them Sky People doing what they’ve done to us. I see that those bastards have been at it again, bringing you here.”

“The Sky People have explained to me why I’m here,” Cameron said calmly. “I won’t stop looking for Mukua, to help you find a way home, but Riley chose to stay.”

Pikowan laughed again. “I’ve told you for years, boy, those Sky People are nothing but liars. Whatever they’ve told you, don’t believe a word of it. Can’t trust any of them. You’re best to stay away from them. They don’t have your best interest in mind.”

Cameron and Mat exchanged a quick glance, but neither one of them spoke. Pikowan cleared his throat.

“Well, I’ve been gone too many days, and I’m tired. This old man needs to get some rest.” He turned his attention to Riley. “We’ll have a lot to talk about, I’m sure, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

He nodded curtly, then headed for the cabin.

“You’ll get used to him.” Cameron took her hand. “He’s been bitter with the Sky People for a lot longer than I have. I should have asked Naatoyita about him, if he knows why Mukua abandoned him in this time.”

“Where did he come from?” Riley asked, staring after the old man.

“He’s never talked about his life in the future, even when we’ve asked.”

Mat shifted weight. “Now that Pikowan is back, I’m going to visit Naatosi. It’s a good thing I didn’t mention it to Pikowan that I plan to visit the Sky People.” He grinned.

“You’re leaving now?” Cameron led the way away from the river toward the cabin and their wicciup.

“There’s still some daylight left. It’s best if I go now, while Pikowan sleeps, rather than in the morning. That way, I avoid an argument. I can save it for when I come back.” Mat’s grin widened.

"I've got meat cooking, if you'd like to take some with you," Riley offered. Mat looked at her and nodded.

“As Cam says, don’t let the old man intimidate you. He might be gruff like an old grizzly, but he’s harmless.”

“I’m sure he is,” Riley said absently, staring to where Pikowan disappeared inside the cabin.

She grabbed a piece of hide, wrapped up some meat she’d been roasting over the fire, and handed it to Mat.

“Safe journey.” Cameron clasped his friend’s hand. “The elders said our paths were linked. Perhaps Naatosi has a woman waiting for you when you get to their camp.” He grinned broadly, looking from Mat to Riley.

Riley rolled her eyes and stepped up to the quiet man. She embraced him for a quick hug. "If he does have a woman waiting for you, take my advice and make sure you do something about your hair," she whispered in his ear and stepped back with a smile.

Mat glared from her to Cameron. He stuffed the meat into his traveling pouch.

“Since I’m the son of a chieftain, as you told me, I’m sure I’ll be granted more than one woman.” He returned her smile by wiggling his eyebrows, nodded at her, and headed toward the hills in the direction of the canyon.

“Well, if he comes back with a woman on each arm, you’ll have gotten a raw deal.” Riley wrapped her arms around Cameron’s waist.

He pulled her to him and tilted her head up to meet his kiss. "There will only be one woman in my life. Besides, providing for two would be a lot harder, and much more work." He winked, and Riley swatted his arm.

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you along the river closer to the canyon. There are lots of downed logs that would be perfect for our home, and I’d like your help to pick out the ones we bring back. Once Mat returns, we’ll be ready to build the cabin.”

“Sounds nice. I’d like to see the falls again.”

Riley’s eyes drifted to the little cabin. Pikowan hadn’t come back out, and the valley was already bathed in the golden glow of early evening. No doubt he was tired, as he said, and would sleep until morning. Those gray eyes continued to haunt her, and the more she thought about it, the more it aggravated her that her memory was failing her, and couldn’t remember who he looked like.

“As long as you don’t plan on going for a swim.” Cameron’s words interrupted her thoughts. He pulled her fully into his arms, and dragged her toward their wicciup, leaving all speculation about the strange old man behind to ponder later.

Riley walked along the banks of the wide Yellowstone, mesmerized by the pull of the water as it flowed steadily toward the canyon. The river had looked almost still less than a mile further upstream, but here, where the forest grew denser along the banks, leaving the vast valley behind, the current swept quickly past her. The Upper Falls, the first plunge the river made into the mighty canyon, were at least another mile downstream, but the roar of the water was easily distinguishable from the rush of the wind through the trees.

Cameron had told her to sit and rest for a while, after she’d helped him for the better part of the morning, sorting and piling logs he’d deemed suitable for their cabin. It was backbreaking work, and would require everyone, including Mat and Pikowan, to pitch in once it was time to take them back to the valley, which was devoid of lodgepole pines. Aspen and cottonwood would not be suitable building materials.

Three pelicans floated past her, bobbing on the water. They simultaneously took flight, and headed upstream, only to land in the middle of the river again, and let the current sweep them away. They repeated their game several times before finally remaining airborne, flying in the direction of the valley.

“You guys look like you’re having fun.” Riley smiled.

She’d never noticed, much less observed, wildlife before. Here in the wilderness, it became a necessity to know the habits of all the creatures that inhabited the same space she did, and she marveled at how each animal adapted to its surroundings. Cameron would have to teach her to read animal tracks and other signs. With time and his guidance, she’d hopefully become adept enough to avoid encounters with dangerous creatures.

She leaned against a lodgepole, and closed her eyes, pulling in a deep breath of the fragrant air around her. The river had its own distinct scent, along with the pine-infused air of the forest. The valley smelled more of sage, mixed with the odor of bison, which reminded her of cows.

“Hello, Riley.”

Riley's eyes snapped open, and her heart hammered against her ribs at the sound of her name. She pushed away from the tree and turned her head in the direction from where the harsh voice had come. Walking toward her was the man Cameron and Mat had lived with for many years – Pikowan.

Her muscles relaxed slightly. She offered a welcoming smile.

“Sorry. You startled me,” she stammered. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. If you’re looking for Cameron, he’s somewhere in the woods.”

Her eyes darted around to look for Cameron. No doubt he was out of earshot.

Pikowan approached, his eyes traveling over her. A slight shudder passed down her spine in response to his perusing glare.

“Actually, I was looking for you.” He smiled.

Riley’s brows drew together. “I’m sorry, but have we met? You look very familiar, but I can’t figure out where I might have seen you before.” Her voice sounded even enough, while adrenaline made her limbs go weak. The nagging thought that something wasn’t quite right started to fester in her mind. She mentally shook her head.

"Is that so?" The old man stopped in front of her. "Maybe I just have the kind of face everyone seems to have seen before."

He moved away and lowered himself onto a fallen log with a loud groan. He patted the spot next to him. “Come and sit a spell.”

Riley hesitated. Her eyes darted into the forest again. There was nothing threatening about his demeanor, yet some inner sense told her to be careful. Cameron and Mat had lived with this man for years. Why did he give her such an uneasy feeling? She shook it off. This was silly. She lowered herself onto the log next to him and stared out at the river. The peaceful, steady flow of the water calmed her nerves.

Pikowan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Are you sure this is where you want to be, Miss Bernard? In this time?”

Riley blinked at the unexpected question. “What do you mean?”

“This is a harsh, and unforgiving life in an even harsher land and climate. Not really suitable for a woman like you.”

He stroked his beard, which reached well past his chin. "I must admit, Miss Bernard, you look a lot different than you did before, and you seem to have gained some confidence that you were clearly lacking in 2011."

Riley gaped at him. Butterflies churned in her belly at his use of her former surname. Her intuition hadn’t been wrong. She narrowed her eyes and studied him some more. Why couldn’t she place him? He obviously knew who she was.

“I don’t consider myself stuck here, as you put it,” she answered slowly, studying his reaction.

He shifted his body to look at her fully. Her gaze remained on his eyes. They were what she recognized about him. The rest of his features were out of place.

“By the way,” she added, shaking some hair out of her face, and forcing a nervous smile. “My name isn’t Bernard. I’ve taken my husband’s name, and Cameron has chosen to take his father’s name. You can either call me Riley, or… Mrs. Osborne.”

The old man visibly tensed next to her. Something gleamed in his eyes, the icy stare turning hateful. In that instant, it came to her. Those same cold and angry eyes had glared at her the day this man had walked out of the Tower Ranger Station, and nearly collided with her. He’d been years younger then, well-groomed, and dressed in a ranger’s uniform.

“John Hastings?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”

The man’s eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his face that she’d finally recognized him.

“I could ask the same thing of you, Miss Bernard.” His voice was saccharine sweet. “I’m pretty sure Dan Osborne didn’t say anything to you about time travel.” He laughed. “Luckily, or maybe unluckily for me, after our encounter, I was approached by a Native American who called himself Mukua. He said he was an elder of the Sky People, and told me that he needed me to do something for him in the past.”

“And he sent you here?” Riley stood, and took several steps away from him. Her pulse pounded at her temples. What was keeping Cameron so long?

“Why would you want to take him up on such an offer?” Riley’s mind worked to remember the conversation she’d overheard between John Hastings and Dan Osborne at the ranger station. Hastings had been extremely angry.

She studied him. He was a lot older than when she’d seen him just recently. For him, it had been years since their encounter. How could he possibly remember her?

“You were already in the past once, before Mukua sent you,” she guessed.

John Hastings studied her through narrowed eyes. “You’re smart, Miss Bernard, and very perceptive. Yes, I was in the past with Dan Osborne, but he played dumb with me after we came back to 2011, as if it hadn’t happened.”

He scoffed, and shook his head, slowly getting to his feet. He came closer and leaned forward. Riley took a step back and pressed her back against the tree she'd been leaning against earlier. Her eyes darted around for any sign of Cameron.

“He’s a liar,” Hastings spat, color rising to the parts of his face that weren’t covered in hair. “He can’t be trusted. I was in the process of terminating his employment in the park. He had no business being a ranger, but he had ambitions, with grand plans to rise to the top.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Riley blurted, chuckling nervously. “What does that have to do with time travel? How did Dan even know about it?”

John Hastings seemed as volatile now as she remembered him from before. He scoffed, his gray eyes blazing. His far-off stare made it appear as if he were reliving the events in his head. If they were still so fresh in his mind after so many years, he’d had plenty of time to build up his resentment.

“He deceived a young woman into helping him find that snakehead, so he could come to the past.”

Riley shook her head. She blinked away her confusion.

“How did he even know about the snakehead? And who was this woman?”

“Her name was Jana Evans. He met her in Yellowstone, and she apparently told him a story of how her friend had time traveled to the past, stayed there, and married a trapper named Daniel Osborne. Her friend left a journal that detailed her life in the past, and Jana Evans gave that journal to Dan, because she assumed he was their descendant.”

Riley blinked. “There was certainly a lot of time traveling going on without anyone realizing it.” She didn’t disguise the note of sarcasm in her voice to alleviate the tension in the air.

Keep him talking, Riley.

“Why did Dan want to go to the past?”

“There was information in that journal that impacted Dan and his future.” Hastings sniggered. With every word, the anger in him grew. “He’s always been ambitious. Never liked authority, or following orders. Always outspoken against my policies in the park. He was going to go to the past and kill one of his own ancestors, so that his future in the park was secure.”

“What? That makes no sense.”

Riley mentally shook her head. That was far from the impression she’d gotten from Dan Osborne. He wasn’t a killer. This man, John Hastings, on the other hand… a cold chill raced down her spine.

I killed you.

Those were the words John Hastings had said to Dan Osborne in that ranger station. Or had she been mistaken in assuming it was Hastings? Had Dan said those words?

“And what was your involvement? What did you gain by going to the past?” she blurted.

Hastings cackled, his laugh raspy and cold. “Suffice to say, it would have been easy to change the future by altering the past. When my plan failed, I was more than happy to try again when that elder, Mukua offered me the chance.”

Riley’s fingers inched toward the knife in the belt at her hip, and her hand closed over the handle.

“And what did you have to do for him in return? Surely this elder didn’t just come to you and make that offer out of the blue?”

Hastings smiled, his cold eyes turning even more hateful.

“He explained to me about the Sky People. He sent me to the past to kill a shaman and a leader of, what he called, the Bear Clan, along with their families. He promised me that all my plans for the future would be secure.” He ran a hand over his face. “The Osborne name has been a thorn to my family for generations, always interfering with management of the Yellowstone Park, and apparently, Mukua hates them, too.”

Hastings glanced off into the distance for a second, before his eyes returned to her. A wave of sadness passed through his eyes, and his features changed, making him look even older.

“When I failed to find and kill several of the children that were left, he didn’t send me back home. He got angry, and told me I was stuck here forever for my failure.” Hate and anger blazed in his eyes again, replacing the loneliness she’d glimpsed.

"When I found Cam and Mat after years of wandering alone through this wilderness, I thought they might hold the answer to getting home, but it turned out that Cameron was just as frustrated as I was."

He laughed bitterly, then his face broke out in a triumphant smile. “Not until a few days ago had it even occurred to me that they were the kids I was supposed to kill.”

Hastings paused, his eyes studying her with a calculating stare.

"Mukua came to me a few days ago, the first time I'd seen him in twenty-five years. Imagine my surprise when he said he was giving me one final chance."

“What chance?” She had to keep him talking, even though the answer was obvious. Where was Cameron?

“You arrived, and for some reason, you’re a threat to him,” Hastings leered. “He told me to kill you, and he’d send me back to the future, for a do-over of the life I had, and of the life I’d wanted. He said if I eliminated you, Dan Osborne would no longer stand in my way of achieving my goals in the park.”

He grabbed for her arm before she had a chance to react, faster than she gave him credit for as an old man. Riley squirmed, but his hand clamped around her wrist, and the knife she’d pulled from her belt fell to the ground. Hastings kicked it a safe distance away.

“I understand now what he meant.” His eyes gleamed like a predator going in for the kill.

Riley pushed her back against the tree, as far away from his leering face as possible.

“I was unaware that Cameron was an Osborne. And with you here, that starts the family line through the generations, doesn’t it? Without you, there won’t be future Osbornes as history knows it. You and Cameron are the origin of the family line that sets everything in motion for the future of Yellowstone. That’s why Mukua wants you dead.” He looked almost giddy at his revelation.

“My husband won’t let you get away with this.” Riley struggled against his hold, her eyes darting around for any sign of Cameron. Her knife was too far out of reach. “Even if you kill me, you’re not going to be alive to see your plans come to fruition in the future.”

Hastings laughed. “Husband? Is that what he has you believing? That he loves you? I’ve lived with Cameron for many years, Miss Bernard, and I can tell you, he’s consumed with bitterness and hate, and if he married you, it’s not out of love.”

“I don’t believe a word you’re telling me, Mr. Hastings.”

“It makes no difference whether you believe me or not. You’re going to die either way.”

Riley yanked on her arm. Although he was old, he still had a lot of strength, and his fingers bit painfully into her skin. She caught her breath, while her mind frantically searched for a way out of her predicament. There was no reasoning with a madman.

She raised her foot to kick out at him, when movement behind Hastings caught her eye. A gasp escaped her mouth when her eyes fell to the figure of another old man, standing near a tree close to the riverbank, calmly observing her struggles. A few steps closer, and she could reach out and touch him.

“Is that your pal, Mukua, come to watch you finish me off?” she asked between gritted teeth.

Hastings must not have seen the Indian, until she asked her question. It had obviously startled him, and his hold on her eased. Riley seized the chance and kicked at the old man’s shin, eliciting a loud curse from him. He eased his grip in surprise, and her elbow came up, catching him in the nose.

Wasting no time, Riley tore her arms away from his grasp, then darted away from him. In her haste, she tripped over a tree root and fell, her head hitting a hard object on the ground. She cried out, struggling to remain conscious. Blackness swirled before her eyes, and she blinked to stay awake.

Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.

She rolled to the side when her eye caught Hastings lunging at her, his knife raised above his head. The ground suddenly gave way, and she fell over the riverbank into the frigid water. Grasping for anything - a tree root or some grasses - she struggled against the swift current.

“Riley,” a familiar voice yelled from what seemed like far away, at the same moment she lost her hold on a feeble tree root. A strong arm reached for her, and pulled her from the water, just as the force of the river was about to sweep her away.

“Cameron,” she gasped.

He dropped her to the ground a safe distance away from the river’s edge, but didn’t linger. Riley raised her head, holding her hand against her throbbing temple. Her fingers were stained crimson when she pulled them away.

Cameron lunged at Mukua, who, by the wide-eyed look on his face, hadn’t expected the attack.

“You’ve harmed enough members of my family,” Cameron growled, and hauled the feeble-looking old man off his feet, grabbing the front of the elder’s shirt. In the process, he tore away a pouch that hung around Mukua’s neck. Hastings charged at Cameron.

“No,” he roared.

The momentum of Hastings’ impact sent both him and Cameron into the river. Riley struggled to her feet, calling Cameron’s name. She staggered toward the water, which quickly swept the two men downstream.

“Cameron,” she called again, her heart racing wildly. Ignoring the pain in her head, she stumbled along the riverbank, tripping over rocks and trees to keep up with the swift current of the water, which only seemed to be getting stronger. The roar of the nearby Upper Falls grew louder.

Cameron and Hastings continued to struggle in the water, apparently oblivious to the upcoming danger. Cameron appeared to be battling the current, trying to pull Hastings toward shore.

“Cameron,” Riley continued to call out to him. “You can make it. Please, you can make it.” Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t keep up with the force of the river as it swept the man she loved to a certain death. She reached an area of the riverbank, just before the falls, where the trees and vegetation were too dense for her to continue on.

Dizziness threatened to overtake her. She blinked away the sensation of passing out, and caught one final glimpse of the two men, just as the river flowed around a bend for its first plunge into the Yellowstone Canyon.

“No,” she called, her voice drowned out by the roar of the water. “No, Cameron. Please. . . God, no!”

Frantically, Riley’s eyes darted around, searching for any possible way to get to the bottom of the canyon, but it was futile. The rocks were too jagged and steep, and would only get steeper, when the Yellowstone plunged a second time down an even longer waterfall into the heart of this grand canyon.

No one survives a plunge over the falls.

After what seemed like an eternity, she sank to her knees along a rocky stretch of river, exhausted and breathing hard. She sobbed uncontrollably, her body shivering from cold and fear. Her head pounded from when she’d hit it on a rock after breaking free of Hastings’ grasp.

She stared out at the river, the mighty roar of the falls sounding surreal. Repeatedly, she called Cameron’s name into the wind. The world tilted, and blackness threatened to overtake her. Her fingers dug into the ground, scraped raw along the rocks. She threw several into the water in her grief and anger.

“You can’t leave me, Cameron. You said you’d always be with me.” Riley cried until no more tears came. The dizziness finally won out, and she lay down along the rocks.

Time stopped while she cried uncontrollably, until she finally gave in to the swirling in her brain. She rested her head on a hard stone, and her last glimpse before she closed her eyes was of Mukua, standing over her with a satisfied smile on his face.

“Riley?”

A faint voice echoed in her head, as if it came through a tunnel.

"Riley? Oh, thank goodness I found you."

Someone lifted her awkwardly off the ground, and shifted her roughly, as if he wasn’t strong enough to fully pick her up. Her eyes fluttered open.

“Jeffrey?” she mumbled, guessing at the voice, and blinked to focus. Jeffrey’s familiar face swirled in and out of focus.

“I’m going to take you home, Riley. Just hang on, and I’ll get you to a hospital.”

“No,” she sobbed. “I’m not leaving. I can’t leave. I have to find Cameron.” The image of him going over the falls, together with Hastings, came back full force, sending a sharp jab of pain to her heart, and she shuddered with grief. Cameron was dead. No one survived being swept over the falls.

“I belong here. Don’t make me go back.”

“Riley, you’re talking nonsense. Hang on. We’ll be safe in just a moment.”

Riley pushed against Jeffrey’s chest, but her world was unfocused, and his image swirled in and out of view. Jeffrey fumbled with an object in his hand; a snakehead with red eyes.

“No, please. No,” she begged, and then everything went black again.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“I t’s a miracle that you found her, Mr. Callahan. Missing hikers in the wilderness don’t always make it out alive.”

“Will she be all right?”

Riley forced her eyes open. The bright lights overhead seemed unnatural. Jeffrey’s words blended with someone else’s unfamiliar voice. She moved her head to the side, straining her eyes to focus. Everything around her was white, and the steady beeping in the background made her head pound even more.

“The nurse reported that she’s been talking incoherently in her sleep. Last night she fought us so much that she pulled out her IV, so we had to start a new one. The nurses had a heck of a time calming her down. We couldn’t give her a sedative because of her head injury. We still need to contact her next of kin.”

“She only has me,” Jeffrey said quickly. “Her next of kin is her grandmother, who is in a nursing home in California. She has Alzheimer’s.”

“And what’s your relationship to the patient?”

“I’m a close friend,” came the quick reply. “I’d like to be informed about her condition. I’m all she has.”

Riley shook her head, but it was too much of an effort. Everything around her moved in slow motion, and the voices drifted in and out of her subconscious. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What was going on?

"She's got a concussion and several other injuries in various stages of healing. How long did you say she was missing?"

There was a slight hesitation before Jeffrey spoke again. “She . . . ah, left to go on a research trip to Yellowstone. When I didn’t hear from her after a few days, I went looking for her.”

“Did you notify the park service?”

“She didn’t file a hiking permit. I didn’t want her to get in trouble, so I looked for her myself.”

Riley squirmed on the bed. “No,” she rasped. Why was Jeffrey lying to the other man?

It was clear that she was in a hospital bed. Jeffrey had brought her back from the past, even though she’d insisted that he leave her alone. How had he even found her?

Tears filled her eyes and spilled down the sides of her head. She raised a heavy hand to swipe at one that tickled her ear, but her hands were in restraints, tied to the bed. Riley cursed under her breath.

Cameron

The voices close to her faded away, replaced by the roaring sound of a mighty waterfall. John Hastings’ face flashed before her eyes, then Mukua’s, and finally the one face she’d lost forever.

The events that had happened played over and over in her mind. Hastings had been ready to kill her, then she’d fallen into the river, and Cameron had saved her life again.

Riley shuddered. He’d saved her, but she hadn’t been able to save him. No one could have saved him. Her eyes flooded with tears, pain and despair filled her heart, and breathing became difficult. She squeezed her lids shut.

“She’s awake, Dr. Armin,” a woman called, her voice drumming in Riley’s ears, making her head pound.

She opened her eyes to stare up at two strangers. A light shone in her eyes, momentarily blinding her.

“I want to go home,” she mumbled weakly. Had anyone even heard her words?

“You took quite a hit to the head, Miss Bernard. As soon as you’re fully awake, we can assess you better. Then we can talk about releasing you.”

The doctor turned to the nurse in the room. “She seems calm enough. You can remove her restraints.”

Riley sucked in a deep breath. Her body tensed, and she raised her arm once she was free, ready to grab the man’s white lab coat, and demand that he release her. She dropped it again. No. It wouldn’t do any good to act disagreeable. She couldn’t risk being tied to the bed again.

“Can I see Jeffrey?” she croaked. “I need to talk to him.”

“Are you in any pain right now?” the doctor asked, and touched her tender forehead, ignoring her request.

“No,” she lied quickly. “I don’t want any drugs.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Riley gritted her teeth. She fought to keep the tears from falling again. This doctor didn’t need to see the pain she was in – not the physical pain, but her broken heart.

“I was hiking, and I slipped and fell. Jeffrey found me, and brought me here,” she responded mechanically. It was best to keep her story similar to what she’d heard Jeffrey tell this man.

“How long were you out in the woods?”

“A few days. I was doing research for a project.” She stared up at the doctor. “I’m fine, really. I had a mishap, that’s all. I’ll be all right.”

The doctor patted her arm and smiled indulgently. "You're a lucky young lady, and obviously you have a lot of grit, but we just want to make sure you'll be a hundred percent well before we send you home."

Riley bit back the retort she wanted to throw at this man, but she pressed her lips together to keep quiet.

“I’ll send in your friend. He’s been very worried about you.”

As soon as the doctor left, Riley glanced around and pushed the button on her bed to raise it into a sitting position. Not a second later, Jeffrey walked in the room. Riley sat up, ignoring the dizziness in her head.

"I'm so glad to see you're all right." Jeffrey rushed to the bed and gave her hand a squeeze.

“What did you do, Jeffrey? Why did you bring me here?” Riley hissed. She shot a quick glance to the door.

Jeffrey frowned, but seemed to take her cue, and went to close it.

“I couldn’t leave you in that wilderness, Riley,” he sputtered. “I don’t even know exactly what happened, but I was afraid that you might be dead.”

“You should have left me.” Fresh tears spilled from Riley’s eyes.

Jeffrey looked around the room, then pulled the only chair up next to her bed. He sat, and reached for her hand.

"I'm still not clear about what happened, or what that artifact is, Riley. When that guy dragged you off and mentioned that snakehead, I reached into my coat pocket, and the next thing I knew, I was back at the lab. I was afraid to even touch it for a while after that. It's like it sent us into the past or something."

Riley glared past the tears. “It did send us to the past. And I want to go back. Why didn’t you listen when I told you to leave me there?”

“You’re sounding crazy, Riley. This isn’t like you.”

"And why are you telling those doctors a bunch of lies?" Riley's voice rose as her anger, frustration, and grief grew.

“What did you want me to tell them? That some magical object sent you to another time? They would lock us both in the psych ward. I’m trying to protect you.”

Riley reached out her hand. “Then give me the vessel so I can get back to where I really belong.”

Jeffrey’s face contorted into a confused and incredulous stare. “I’m your friend, Riley. I care about you. I’m not going to give you some unexplainable object so you can go and kill yourself.”

“My life is in the past. I finally found myself while I was there,” she rasped, unable to hold back the tears.

She'd found herself, and so much more. And the man she loved was dead. There was nothing for her in either world. Jeffrey stared at her as if she'd sprouted horns. He shook his head and laughed uneasily.

“You can’t be serious. You were assaulted . . . some lunatic attacked you.”

“He saved my life.” Her voice cracked. “He saved my life over and over again, and I love him.”

Jeffrey’s eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open. “You’re suffering from post-traumatic stress, Riley.”

“I’m not suffering from anything but the need to get back to where I belong. Give me that snakehead, Jeffrey.” Riley stared at him.

Jeffrey released her hand and pushed the chair away from the bed. “Absolutely not. Out of the question. That thing is dangerous.”

Riley shifted on the bed, sitting straighter. She grabbed for Jeffrey’s arm. “You have to give it to me,” she hissed, blinking away the dark swirls in front of her eyes.

Jeffrey placed his hand over hers. “I’m not going to give it to you. I can’t even tell anyone about it,” he said adamantly. “And neither can you. The whole idea is crazy. I can’t risk my degree, my future, like that.”

“Just give it to me, and no one will know.” Riley forced her voice to remain even as anger surged through her. Why did he have to be so stubborn?

“Riley,” Jeffrey laughed again, definitely unsure about what to say to her. “What’s come over you? You obviously hit your head harder than we all thought. “Three days ago, you were as scared as I was when we were transported to that wilderness, and those Indians attacked us.”

“Three days?” she echoed. “I’ve been gone for weeks. I can’t be here, even though he’s dead,” she added absently.

“Dead? Who’s dead?”

“Cameron,” she whispered. Just saying his name brought a crushing ache to her chest. “I can’t stay here. There’s nothing more for me in this time. I need to go back.”

Jeffrey glanced toward the hospital room door. “You’d better not talk like this around the nurses and doctors, Riley. I can see that you’re upset, and the trauma of what happened to you is obviously affecting you. When you’re all healed, you’ll come back to school, and things will be back to the way they were before.”

“I don’t want to come back to school, Jeffrey,” she said between gritted teeth. There was no way to make him understand, but he was right. If she lost her temper, or started saying things that would sound like nonsense to everyone else, she’d never get out of here.

She inhaled deeply and forced a smile. She would get the vessel back, but now was not the time to push the issue.

“Did you put it in a safe place, at least, where no one can find it?” she asked.

“It’s safe for now, until I figure out how to dispose of it so this won’t happen to someone else.” He smiled at her, apparently satisfied that she seemed rational again. “If it makes you feel better, I saved that box of artifacts you were looking at when . . . when all this weird stuff started to happen.”

Riley slumped back against her pillow. Maybe if she cooperated, they’d release her. They couldn’t hold her against her will, but she needed to sound sane and rational.

“I brought you here in your car. The box is in the trunk, so whenever you want to pass the time and go through it again, just let me know.” He gave her an appeasing look.

Riley stared at Jeffrey, but didn’t really see him. The scene along the river replayed in her mind. How long had she been unconscious?

“How did you find me, Jeffrey?” How had it been possible for him to track her down? “Along the river,” she clarified.

Jeffrey sat in the chair again and shook his head. "I didn't know what to do when I came back to the lab. I was scared, Riley. Scared for you, and about what happened. I tried to remember everything that bastard said to you about that snake - what it was, and how it worked."

Riley winced at Jeffrey's harsh word in reference to Cameron but clamped her mouth shut.

“I couldn’t sleep that night. I didn’t know whether to go to the police. I waited a day before I touched that thing again. I have no idea where I ended up, but it was somewhere along a river. An old man - an Indian - came to me, and told me you needed my help.” Jeffrey shook his head, as if he didn’t believe what he was saying.

“An old Indian?” Riley frowned. It could have only been one person.

“Thankfully, he spoke English. He knew your name, and said you were in trouble, so I followed him. He brought me to where you were unconscious along the river. I don’t know how long you were there, but you were hypothermic and in shock, from what the doctors said when I brought you to the hospital.”

He leaned forward in his chair, and squeezed her hand. “I had to come back for you,” he whispered, smiling at her with a hopeful look.

Riley ignored the infatuation in his eyes. Jeffrey meant well, but her life was elsewhere. Her heart would always be in another time, and would never belong to any man but Cameron.

She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to force out the pain. What was she going to do? She couldn’t tell anyone about her experience. She had no desire to go back to school, or her research. It held no meaning for her anymore. Cameron was dead, and she had no one to turn to. Even if she returned to the past, she was as good as dead. She lacked the skills to survive on her own.

Her eyes shot open.

Dan Osborne

“Did you say you brought my car?” She sat up, looking intently at Jeffrey. Her heart rate increased. If anyone could help her, it would be Dan. She had his phone number.

“Yes,” Jeffrey said slowly, studying her as if he realized she was up to something.

“There was a flyer on the passenger seat. I’d like to take a look at it.”

Jeffrey’s forehead scrunched. “I think I tossed it in the trunk, along with the artifacts.”

“Could you please bring it to me?”

Jeffrey smiled indulgently. “Sure, Riley.” He stood, and moved to the door. “It’s good to see the old you. You’ve obviously got something swirling through your head.”

Riley forced a smile of her own. “Yes,” she said, “I sure do.”

Jeffrey was gone no more than twenty minutes. He carried the cardboard box under one arm when he entered the hospital room. He smiled, and handed her the piece of folded paper that Dan had given her when she’d seen him at the ranger station.

“Thank you, Jeffrey.”

She tucked the paper under her blanket.

Jeffrey set the box on the tray near her bed, and sat in the chair. Riley groaned silently. She needed him to leave. She held her hand to her bandaged head, feigned a yawn. “My head hurts. I think I should get some rest.”

Jeffrey looked at her, then stood. He smiled uneasily. “Well, ah . . . I think I should probably go. I’ll come by and see you tomorrow?”

He turned to leave, stopped, and looked over his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re all right. We can talk more about what happened when you feel up to it.”

She nodded, and smiled.

As soon as Jeffrey left, Riley sat up in her bed. She unfolded the paper, and looked at the phone number Dan had scribbled on the back of the informational flyer. There was nothing he could do to help her get back to the past, or make up for the fact that Cameron was gone, but she might find a kindred spirit in him, someone with whom she could talk about what had happened. Maybe he could convince Jeffrey to hand over the vessel.

Riley slid off the bed, adjusting the hospital gown around her back. The phone sat on the tray where Jeffrey had put the box. She took a tentative step forward, careful not to pull on her IV line. Her head pounded.

Reaching for the phone, her eye fell to the box. Her pulse increased when she touched it, and lifted the lid off. What did she expect to find? Jeffrey surely hadn’t put the snakehead back in this box.

She reached inside, just as she’d done the first time at the lab, and removed the same stone pot she’d analyzed the first time. She blinked, and held it up to her face.

“No,” she whispered, and turned the artifact in her hands. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she hastily blinked them away.

The pot held a familiarity that hadn’t been there the first time she’d touched it. She’d cooked with that pot over an open flame just a few days ago. With trembling hands, she set the stoneware aside, and peered into the box.

A large leather pouch, a brush made from porcupine quills, a skinning knife. She sobbed when her eyes fell on the familiar objects. One by one, she removed them from the box. They were aged, hundreds of years old, but these were the items Day Star had given to her when she’d left the Tukudeka village. She gasped when she reached for the final item; a small leather pouch, a gift from the man she loved above all else.

Something was inside the pouch. She didn’t have to open it to know that it contained her broken glasses.

“Cameron,” she whispered, and held the article against her heart. She stumbled backward, and slid to the floor when her legs made contact with the hospital bed. Her limbs had gone too weak to support her, and her body shook with grief. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears found their way down her cheeks anyway.

Free yourself.

“I am free, Cameron,” she whispered. “I love you.”

The beeping of a monitor brought her back to reality, and she pulled herself to stand, catching her breath. She swiped the back of her hand over her eyes and face, still clutching the pouch in the other. It was weathered and old, the leather no longer soft and pliable, but she’d restore it somehow. It was all she had left of Cameron. That, and her memories.

She sniffed, then reached for the phone. Her heart pounded in her ear when she dialed Dan’s number.

“Hello.” A woman’s voice answered on the fourth ring, and Riley tensed.

“I’m trying to reach Dan Osborne.” Riley cleared her raspy throat. Her voice trembled as much as the rest of her.

“He’s not here right now. Can I take a message?” the woman on the other end asked, her voice kind and quiet.

“Who am I speaking with?” Riley asked.

“This is Jana Evans. I’m Dan’s fiancée.”

Riley’s heart lurched in her chest.

“Jana Evans,” she whispered. The woman whose friend had gone to live in the past? “I . . . I need to speak to you, and . . . Dan.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Riley startled awake when someone knocked on the hospital room door, even though it was open. The privacy curtain prevented her from seeing who it was. Dreams of Cameron faded into darkness, and she sat up, a little too quickly. Her head throbbed painfully. What time was it? Faint light streamed in from between the blinds that covered the window.

"Come in," she called and cleared the raspiness from her throat.

A woman who couldn't be more than a year or two older than she walked into the room. She was tall, slim in her form-fitting jeans, and wore a hesitant smile. The light in the room accented her auburn hair, making it shine like a copper penny. She carried a plastic bag in one hand, and a small purse hung from her other shoulder. Riley's heart sped up.

“Jana Evans?” she guessed.

The woman nodded, and rushed to the bed. Her eyes swept through the room, and lingered on the monitor and IV lines with an expert eye, then met her gaze.

"Riley?" She leaned over the bed and embraced Riley like a long-lost friend.

"Thank you for coming." Riley sat up fully and tossed her legs over the side of the mattress.

“I came as fast as I could. I know I told you on the phone I’d drive up to Missoula first thing in the morning, but the truth is I couldn’t sleep after your call. I hope you don’t mind that I’m here at the crack of dawn. I brought you some clothes.” She set the plastic bag at the foot of the bed.

Riley laughed softly. “Not at all. I haven’t slept much, either.”

She bit back the sting in the back of her eyes, brought on by the reason she hadn’t slept. Her chest tightened in that familiar painful squeeze that sent fear and absolute anguish through her.

Jana watched her, her eyes roaming over her. She shook her head, and blinked, disbelief in her gaze.

“I can’t believe this time travel business is still happening,” she whispered, and sat next to Riley.

“I know it all sounds crazy, but you believe me, don’t you?” Riley stuttered, her voice faltering.

Jana gave a quick laugh. “Oh, I absolutely believe you. I just experienced time travel myself. Well, not quite like what you’ve gone through, but –” her voice broke off, and she glanced toward the door. “I want to hear your story, from start to finish, but we can’t talk here.”

“Then get me the hell out of here.” Riley gripped her arm.

“I’ll see what I can do. Are you sure you’re well enough, though? Looks like you took a hit to the head from something.”

“I tripped and fell. I hit my head on a rock. I’ve endured much worse, and I’m fine. I just need to get out of here.” Her eyes pooled with tears. “I need to get out of this century.”

Jana’s arms were instantly around her, tugging her head against her shoulder. “Riley, this is like déjà vu for me,” she whispered. “You look like my friend, Aimee, when she came back from . . . the past against her will. She was just as desperate and heartbroken.” Her voice cracked slightly.

“The man I love is dead,” Riley sobbed. “I watched him die.”

Jana’s arms tightened around her. She rocked her like a mother would rock a child.

“How did he die?” Jana asked softly, once Riley’s sobs quieted.

“He was swept over the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River. No one survives that.”

Jana’s body stiffened. “Aimee said those exact words to me once, but she was referring to the Lower Falls at the time.”

Riley eased away from Jana and stared at her through tear-filled eyes. "I have to get out of here. Sitting in this hospital bed is driving me mad."

Jana studied her for several moments, then stood. "I'll talk to the charge nurse, and let her know that you want to be discharged. You'll have to sign a release that you're leaving against doctor's advice."

“I’ll sign anything to get out of here.”

Several hours later, after a few heated discussions with doctors about whether she was ready to go home, Riley climbed into Jana’s car, clutching her box of artifacts. Jana had told the doctors she was a registered nurse, and had assured them that Riley would be staying with her and wouldn’t be left alone.

Jana pulled away from the hospital. “We can stop and pick up some of your things at your place, but you’re coming with me back to Gardiner, unless you really want to stay in Missoula. Once Dan finds out about you, he’ll definitely want to talk to you.”

Riley adjusted her seatbelt, and glanced at Jana. “You haven’t told him?”

“He’s out in the field. I won’t be able to get hold of him for at least another day. He’s with a group doing search and rescue training.”

Riley grabbed some clothes and other necessities once Jana stopped at her apartment. She paid no attention to the laptop sitting on her small kitchen table, or the piles of scientific journals and textbooks. Quietly, she closed the door on her former life.

During the long ride from Missoula to the small town of Gardiner, which sat just outside the north entrance to Yellowstone, Riley recounted her story. From meeting Dan Osborne, to how she’d seen Naatoyita before she’d touched the vessel, and everything that had happened during her time in the past and what she’d learned from the Sky People.

“I always knew there was a greater purpose to Aimee’s time travel,” Jana said. “It was just meant to be for her. The first time I came back to Yellowstone after she returned to 1810, I was looking for Aimee’s journal that she told me she’d leave behind. When I saw Dan, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He looks so much like his ancestor, Daniel.”

Jana shot her a quick glance, before her eyes focused back on the road ahead of them. “I know this is painful, but what happened with Cameron in the river?”

Riley swallowed, her throat constricting. Anger surged through her, along with the pain of losing him.

“John Hastings attacked me, and I ended up in the river. Cameron pulled me out, then he went after Mukua, the elder I told you about. Somehow Cam and Hastings ended up in the water.”

“John Hastings?” Jana looked at her again, her eyes wide. “He was in the past again?”

Riley nodded. She related the story Hastings had told her. “Hastings said that Dan wanted to kill one of his ancestors in the past.”

Jana scoffed. “Of course John Hastings would say that.” She kept her eye on Riley for a second before facing straight ahead again.

“I know I only met and spoke to Dan for a few minutes, but I never got the impression that he could do something like that,” Riley reassured her.

Jana smiled.

“Dan made a bad choice. He was letting Hastings blackmail him into doing something in the past that would benefit Hastings in the future. In exchange, Hastings was going to guarantee that Dan kept his job in the park.”

Riley’s forehead scrunched, and she winced at the pain the action caused to her injured head. “Why does Hastings have such a hatred for the Osbornes?”

Jana sighed, then pulled in a deep breath. “John Hastings was trying to change laws about concessioners, and bring big business into Yellowstone. He proposed deals that would be bad for the future of this park. Apparently, in the eighteen hundreds, when legislation was first passed, Hastings’ and Dan’s relatives had been at odds over what was best for the park.”

“How did you and Dan end up time traveling?”

“Dan had a change of heart about doing what Hastings wanted him to do in the past, but Hastings changed his plan. He tried to take the time travel device from Dan, and in the process, it hurled Dan and me to the past, but the device stayed with John. He planned to kill Dan’s direct ancestor, Matthew Osborne, whose son, Robert, was responsible for passing legislation to regulate concessioners in the park. He figured if he could wipe out the family tree near the beginning, his future would be set.”

Riley stared out the window, not seeing much of anything. What Jana said sounded a lot like Mukua’s plan.

“Crazy,” She whispered. “Mukua came for him to wipe out the family line even further back in time.”

“He was a madman. Obviously, he still is.” Jana shook her head. “I can’t believe he ended up back in the past.”

"The day I went to Yellowstone to ask Dan about showing me some archaeological sites in the park was the day I first saw one of the Sky People." Riley sniggered. "I thought my overactive imagination was running away with me."

“I saw an old Indian when Dan and I were trying to figure out where Aimee had hidden the snakehead,” Jana reminisced.

Riley sighed. Anger and annoyance consumed her again. If only Jeffrey would tell her what he’d done with the vessel. She hadn’t even called to tell him that she’d left the hospital, and was heading back to Yellowstone.

“Turns out Aimee tossed it over the brink of the Lower Falls,” Jana continued. “Before I figured that out, Dan and I thought we’d never find it.”

“But you did. How?”

“I had a dream . . . or a vision, I suppose, where an ancient Indian showed me where it was.” She chuckled, as if the thought made her uneasy.

A vision seemed perfectly reasonable. Wo’itsa had gone on vision quests and brought back stories of what he’d experienced. A quiet shudder passed through Riley. The day she and Cameron had left the village, Wo’itsa had made mention to Cameron about his vision, that the wolf and the bear were enemies. Had his vision been about the time the clans had fought? She shook off a sudden uneasy feeling.

“The old Indian led me right to it in that dream.” Jana shrugged, redirecting Riley’s thoughts. “Well, not me, but in the vision. I was able to tell Dan exactly where that snakehead was. I was skeptical, and it was a long shot, but we had to try.”

Riley looked at her again. “That day I was at the ranger station, Hastings said something disturbing when I overheard the conversation between him and Dan.” She hesitated. “He said he’d killed Dan.”

Jana sucked in a deep breath. It took her a minute to respond.

“Since Hastings still had the snakehead, he followed us into the past - and killed Dan. When I returned to the future, alone and heartbroken, the device brought me back to the time just before I met Dan, and it was as if none of the events we'd lived through ever happened. Dan was alive. We got a do-over somehow.”

Riley shuddered. There would be no do-over for her and Cameron.

“The Sky People control everything about that vessel,” Riley murmured. “I think they can’t change things that happened already, otherwise Mukua would have simply time traveled to save his wife, but they determine when and where it takes them, or us.”

She put her thoughts into words, trying to reason out why Cameron’s death couldn’t be prevented. “I think they can only alter or influence things that are yet to happen. If Dan died in the past, but you were sent to a time just before the events in the present, he was still alive in the present. He didn’t simply come back from the dead. He was just never dead in this time.”

Jana remained quiet for some time. “If that’s true, I don’t see how he could have the memories of what we experienced. It just all seems so impossible.”

Riley chuckled. “Yeah, just like time travel is impossible. I’ve stopped trying to think about it rationally.”

Jana shrugged, and shook her head, no doubt thinking and trying to reason what Riley had said.

“I’ve tried to put this whole thing behind us,” Jana finally said. “It was an ordeal, being in the past. Unlike Aimee, it wasn’t a life for me, but Dan and I fell in love during all we went through. We had to completely rely on each other for survival.” She glanced at Riley. “We’re getting married in a few weeks, or at least married by modern standards.” She paused. “We sort of already are married in the Sheepeater traditions.”

Riley smiled, but tears threatened behind her eyes.

“Cameron’s my husband. It feels more real than holding a piece of legal paper in my hand.” Her voice cracked. “I suppose in a way, you and I will be related when you marry Dan.”

Jana shot her an incredulous stare. “How do you figure that?”

“Cameron chose to take his father’s name, Osborne, as his last name.”

Jana’s eyes widened. Her stare locked with Riley’s, and the realization of what she’d said hit her with such force, the breath left her lungs.

“Dan is Cameron’s descendant,” they said simultaneously.

“But…how, if he’s dead?” Jana stuttered. She shot a quick look to the road, then one to Riley. “Are you . . . are you pregnant, Riley?”

Riley blinked. Adrenaline raced through her. She shook her head. “I have no idea,” she whispered. “I . . . I don’t think so.”

Jana’s hand left the steering wheel, and she gripped Riley’s arm. “Think about it. How else could Dan be here, if Cameron is dead before he had a son?”

Hope sprang in Riley’s chest. Was she expecting Cameron’s child, and she didn’t even know it?

“Either you’re pregnant, or Cameron is alive, Riley.” Jana’s face lit up like a little kid at Christmas.

Riley’s heart hammered in her chest. “I have to get the vessel away from Jeffrey,” she mumbled. “I have to get back to the past.”

“I’m sure Dan can help,” Jana said excitedly. “He’s a big teddy bear, but he can be very persuasive when he wants to be. We just have to wait until he gets back from his training.”

A spark of hope ignited in Riley’s chest. For the first time since waking up in the hospital, the tightness in her chest eased. Could it be possible that Cameron was alive, that he had survived? What Jana had said made perfect sense. If Cameron’s line led to Dan, he had to be alive.

Once she and Jana arrived at her small apartment in Gardiner, Riley slept most of the day, and into the next. Dan lived at the ranger barracks in the park, and Jana had given up her nursing job in California to be near him until their wedding.

Cameron was instantly on her mind when she woke. She smiled, and dared to hope. He had to be alive. She had to get back to him. Dan was her one hope to get Jeffrey to give up the vessel.

She sat up in Jana’s bed, which her new friend had insisted she use to get some rest.

“Nurse’s orders,” she’d said adamantly.

The pain in her head was mostly gone now, and there was no more dizziness when she stood. Riley glanced around the small bedroom. Several pictures were displayed on the dresser. One was of Dan and Jana, a wide smile on his face, and his arm around Jana’s waist. Riley smiled. They looked very much in love.

A different photo showed Jana and another girl. They looked to be in their early teens, standing with a man, posing in front of a camping tent. The shorter, blonde girl, held up a passel of fish. Her wide grin was infectious. Riley picked up the photograph. The man stood next to the girl, looking proud.

Riley blinked, and shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder when the door opened behind her, and Jana walked in.

“You look a hundred percent better already,” Jana beamed.

Riley nodded.

“Who is this?” she asked, her eyes going back to the picture in her hand.

A sad look replaced the bright smile on Jana’s face. Her chest heaved when she inhaled.

“That’s Aimee and me, with Aimee’s dad.” She paused. “Matt Donovan.” She smiled wistfully. “I think her mom, Kayla, took this picture. Aimee’s parents used to take us camping all the time. Her dad took us into the woods, and taught us survival skills. He was a true outdoorsman.”

“Was?” Riley swallowed.

“Yeah. Aimee’s parents were killed about six years ago. They died in a car crash.” Jana laughed softly. “I suppose, in a way, it’s because of that tragedy that Aimee threw herself into her studies to become a nurse, and moved from New York to California, and from there, she met Zach Osborne, who offered her the chance to go back in time, and she met his son, Daniel.” She sighed. “Funny how things fall into place like that. You alter one piece of the puzzle, and everything else falls apart.”

Riley set the picture down. “Yeah,” she said absently, ignoring the lump in her throat, and turned away from the photo.

The front door opened and shut with a loud bang, echoing down the hall.

“Jana, are you home?”

A man’s voice droned into the room.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cam groaned and lifted his head. The loud roar of the waterfall droned in his ears, and water sprayed his face. He braced his hands against the sharp rocks under him and raised his upper body. He opened his eyes, staring at dark rocks, roots, and lodgepoles that clung to the steep canyon.

His legs dangled in the churning water, threatening to pull him into the rushing river. From where he lay, an outcropping of boulders obscured his view of the falls, but the thick spray and deafening sound of water told him that it was just around the sharp bend in the river.

How the hell had he survived going over those falls? He should be dead. If the weight and force of the water hadn’t killed him, being crushed against the rocks at the bottom surely would have.

Cam dragged himself away from the river's edge, clawing at roots to pull his body up the steep incline. There was no riverbank here. The canyon climbed almost vertically several hundred feet before it flattened out at the top. He pushed damp strands of hair out of his face and stared upward. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, it was late in the day.

How long had he lain along the river? He glanced around. Where was Pikowan? Had he survived the plunge over the falls, too? There was no sign of the man he’d trusted and called a friend for nearly ten years. Seeing the old man threaten Riley with a knife had shocked and confused him, and made the blood run cold in his veins. When his eyes had caught Mukua standing close by, a murderous rage had consumed him.

“Riley,” he murmured.

He had to get to her. He’d pulled her from a certain death in the river, but hadn’t checked to make sure she was all right before he’d lunged at the Sky People elder. Anger and even hatred had overtaken any rational thought. He hadn’t seen Pikowan rushing toward him. He’d reacted too late, and they’d both ended up in the water. Pikowan had struggled against Cam, after losing his weapon.

“Give it to me,” Pikowan had demanded frantically.

“What has gotten into you, old man?” Cam had growled at him, trying to keep them both afloat and get them to shore. Pikowan had fought and clawed at Cam, several times dragging them both under the churning waves of the river.

Almost too late, Cam had realized what Pikowan wanted. When Cam had grabbed Mukua by the shirt, he'd yanked the medicine pouch from the elder's neck. The pouch’s leather straps had wrapped around Cam’s arm, and Pikowan had tried to get his hands on it.

Just as the strength of the river had gotten stronger, and Cam had felt the force of being towed under, he'd pulled the pouch free, and Pikowan had grabbed for it. He’d reached inside, unmindful of the fast-approaching falls, just as they were both dragged under water. Cam had known that there was little hope for either one of them surviving this plunge. When the crushing force of the water claimed him, it was Riley’s smiling face that stared at him. Her eyes were filled with love, telling him that she loved him.

Cameron smiled, despite the anguish Riley must have felt when he’d gone over the falls. Knowing her, she’d be frantic with worry for him. She probably even thought he was dead. Hadn’t he thought the same thing? He should be dead. An icy chill passed through him. Riley was in danger, and he had to get to her.

Mukua cannot harm her as long as she is with you.

Naatoyita’s words echoed in his mind. What if Mukua had hurt her while he’d been unconscious by the river? It would be futile to try and call out to her. There was no way for her to reach him at this point. She would have come to a dead end just before the river plunged into the canyon.

She’s just stubborn enough that she would have tried to find a way.

Hopefully, she’d been smart enough not to try a descent along the falls, but how could she possibly defend herself against Mukua? The elder wouldn’t physically hurt her. He couldn’t. The Sky People couldn’t harm another. Mukua needed someone else to hurt her, or lure her into danger, but Riley was too smart to fall for any of his tricks.

Why had Pikowan been trying to protect Mukua? It didn’t make any sense. Cam pulled himself up the steep canyon face, using tree branches and roots to help him up the incline. He glanced behind him, where the river churned and roared. It made a sweeping bend, and would plunge again over the lower falls just ahead.

Had he remained in the water and not been washed ashore somehow, he wouldn’t have survived the second waterfall. It was nearly twice as tall as the first, and even deadlier. His climb to the top of the canyon from here would be shorter than further downstream, where the colors of the rocks changed from dark gray to yellow. At least they weren’t as brittle here than deeper in the canyon.

Cam worked his way closer to the top of the canyon when strange sounds mixed with the roar of the river. He tilted his head slightly to hone in on the sound. It faded away. He heaved himself over a bare boulder, and grabbed hold of some low-hanging lodgepole branches when the sound came again. This time, it grew louder before fading away again.

The higher he climbed, the more frequently he heard the noise, like a swarm of angry hornets that buzzed nearby, and then swarmed out of earshot. Cam froze when the faint sound of laughter and voices talking reached his ear.

An icy sensation made its way down his spine, colder than the frigid river water. Flashes passed before him of Pikowan’s frantic demand while the current swept them both to a certain death. He’d desperately wanted Mukua’s medicine pouch.

Cam cursed repeatedly. He glanced upward, toward the movement of people dressed in all sorts of clothing in colors that spanned the spectrum of a rainbow. It had been thirteen years since he’d seen this many people all at once, dressed similarly. He was in the future.

Either he or Pikowan had touched Mukua's vessel. Why the hell hadn't he realized it himself? He'd been too consumed with anger at Mukua and Pikowan for wanting to do harm to his wife, that he hadn't even thought about the vessel.

A jab of fear pierced his heart. Riley was alone in the past, and he was in the future. He was completely cut off from her, and she was vulnerable and alone. He cursed Mukua like he’d never cursed anyone. The elder had planned it this way. He’d set a trap for him, and for Riley. If killing her had failed, he’d made sure she was separated from him in a different way.

What the hell was he going to do now? He had to get back to her somehow. She was completely alone. Mat had left to meet with Naatosi. Cam gritted his teeth at his helplessness. Anger and fear shot through him. Anger at the Sky People elder who had done so much harm to his family, and fear for Riley.

Would she know what to do? She’d learned fast, and was more than capable of being by herself for a short while, but she wasn’t ready to survive completely on her own.

“Hey, there’s someone down there,” a female voice called excitedly. More voices joined in, calling to him, asking if he was all right, and yelling that they were going to get help.

Cam gritted his teeth. He didn’t need help climbing out of the canyon, and what the hell was he going to say to people in the future? He’d been seen, but he had nowhere else to go but up at the moment. Once he reached the top, and the obvious trail these people were on, he could lose them in the forest.

By the time Cam hauled himself fully up onto level ground, a small crowd had formed. He met the eyes of men, women, and children, who all looked at him with gaping mouths, some speaking at once, so that he couldn’t understand anything that was said.

Vague memories came back of his former life, and how crowded it was with people everywhere. The clothes looked oddly familiar, even similar to what he’d remembered. Had Mukua’s vessel sent him back to 2036, or some other time?

He backed away, but the narrow trail offered little room to avoid the dozens of people who had gathered. Some carried long poles in their hands, others had packs on their backs. A couple of young children sniggered, and pointed at his buckskins, which no doubt looked foreign to them. He eyed a small gap between several people. Before he could move, a man shouted at him.

“Stay where you are.”

Cam’s first instinct was to reach for his knife and tomahawk. He spun around, ready to face his opponent, his weapons in his hand. The sight of a man in a tanned shirt and dark green pants – the uniform of a park ranger - pointing a gun at him, stopped him from defending himself. He had enough memories from his childhood to know about guns, and it would be foolish to act in a threatening manner right now.

Cam lowered his hands, sheathing his knife in his belt.

“Drop your weapons, and put your hands over your head,” the ranger commanded.

Gritting his teeth, every muscle in his body was tense and itching to fight back. This was different than facing a war party of Blackfoot. He curbed the primal need to defend himself, but here, in the future, fighting was not the best course of action. In this world, he had a distinct disadvantage.

Cam tossed his knife and ax on the ground. Slowly, he raised his hands over his head as he’d seen done countless times on television as a boy. The ranger stepped up to him, and cuffed his hands behind his back. Three more rangers pushed their way through the small crowd of people.

“Nice work, Cole,” one of them said, then looked at Cam with curious eyes.

“We got a call about someone climbing in the canyon, and that he was armed with a knife,” the ranger who held him prisoner said to the others, then looked at Cam. “You understand it’s illegal to climb in the canyon, or to threaten someone with a weapon? You’re gonna have to come with us.”

“What year am I in?” Cam asked through gritted teeth. He could easily kick the weapon out of the man’s hand, but he restrained his impulse to fight.

Two of the other rangers told the crowd to move away, that the situation was under control.

“Year?”

The ranger grabbed his arm, and nudged him to move. Cam tensed, but complied. A short distance away, the trail opened into a wide parking area. The cars looked different than what he remembered, and instead of solar panels making up the road, this lot was still paved with asphalt. He was definitely not in 2036.

There was only one person who could possibly help him in this time. Dan Osborne had been a ranger in Yellowstone in 2036, and Riley had met him in 2011. If he was somewhere between those years, there was a chance that Dan was here. With his help, Cam could track down the man who’d used Naatoyita's vessel to come back to the future, the one who’d been with Riley. It was his only hope of getting back to the past.

The ranger hadn’t answered his question, and led him to one of several white vehicles with a green stripe, and the park service emblem along the sides. Bright red lights flashed from the top of the vehicles.

He vaguely remembered cars such as these, even though they looked slightly different. He’d seen plenty of them when he’d been brought back from the past as a boy. Dan Osborne had been at his side the entire time. Cam smirked. He would need his help again, this time to track down the man Riley called Jeffrey.

The ranger made him stand against the vehicle, and patted at his clothes, his arms, and down his legs. He babbled on about his rights not to speak and other things Cam didn’t understand, then told him to get in the car. Cam’s only thoughts were of Riley, of protecting her, and keeping her safe, otherwise he would not have cooperated. He couldn’t protect her if he was dead, or in a different century.

Cam sat back against the seat. He looked out the car window, at the small crowd of people that still stood around, staring back at him, some taking pictures with devices much larger than what he remembered from 2036.

Several rangers were obviously trying to get the people to disperse. The sounds and voices coming from the communication radio in the car grated on Cam’s nerves. He’d forgotten how loud everything was in the future.

One thing was for certain. He was definitely in a time prior to 2036. The rangers would have scanned his eyes to obtain personal information on him by now otherwise, and these cars ran on fuel, not solar electricity, judging by their stench and loud engines.

The vehicle began to move, and Cam leaned forward slightly.

“What year is this?” he asked again. “I need to speak to Dan Osborne.”

The two rangers in the front seats exchanged quick looks, but Cam couldn’t make out their facial expressions. The man who sat in the passenger seat directly in front of him shifted slightly, and glanced over his shoulder.

“You’ve landed in 2011, and you’ve got some explaining to do. We’ve had our share of crazies over the years, trying to prove something by climbing down to the falls, but I think dressing in buckskins, and going native while doing it is a first.” Both men chuckled.

Cam gritted his teeth. His pulse sped up. He was in the year from which Riley had time traveled.

“Where are you taking me?” He forced his voice to remain even.

“Justice Center at Mammoth,” the ranger answered.

Cam shook his head. He clamped his mouth shut, even though his entire body tensed. He stared out the window, glancing at cars that passed them, and off into the forest. This was how he’d first seen Yellowstone as a boy. He now knew the mountains and valleys intimately.

An hour or more must have passed by the time the rangers led him into a large stone building. He was told to sit in a chair opposite a heavyset ranger with a protruding belly. They asked him countless questions. His name. His identification. What he’d been doing in the canyon. Did he know it was illegal to climb to the bottom of the canyon? Cam didn’t answer any of them, except for one.

“My name is Cameron Osborne, and I refuse to speak to anyone but Dan Osborne.” He glared at the man interrogating him. “He’s a ranger in this park.”

The man tilted his head, studying him. “Osborne? You two related?”

Cam hesitated. “Yes, we’re . . . cousins. I need to see him.”

“Well,” the man sighed. “Since you’re not going to cooperate, we’re gonna have to lock you up, and let the judge decide what to do with you.”

A different ranger took his arm, intent to lead him away. Cam stood, but didn’t move. He stared at the man who’d been asking him questions. “Tell Dan Osborne that Riley . . . Osb . . .Bernard is in the past, and she’s in danger,” he pleaded. Being at these people’s mercy went against all his ingrained instincts.

He held the man’s confused stare, and yanked his arm free from the other ranger’s grip. He stepped up to the desk, leaning forward. He braced his cuffed hands on the smooth desktop. “I need his help to get back to her, or she will die,” he said adamantly.

Cam paced like a caged animal after the ranger locked him in a holding cell, frustration building as the minutes and hours ticked away. What if these men didn’t notify Dan? It was obvious that they thought he was out of his mind. He couldn’t blame them. No one had believed him thirteen years ago, either.

He sat on the bunk against the wall, and leaned his elbows on his knees, staring at the ground. Helplessness, despair, and even grief, consumed him. He couldn’t fail Riley. She’d chosen to stay with him in the past, and now she was stuck there, alone.

He’d ignored the tray of food someone brought him. He’d never refused a meal before. Growing up in the wilderness, food was scarce at times, and it was an insult to refuse it, but he had no desire to eat. His wife, the woman he loved, was in danger, and he wasn’t there to protect her.

A sleepless night passed, and with morning came the faint voices of people in the building. Cam sprang from the bunk when the lock turned on the door of his cell.

“You have a visitor,” the ranger greeted him.

Cam glanced past the man’s shoulders. The urge to escape grew stronger, but where would he go? In his buckskins, he stood out like a bison in a herd of pronghorn. He had no weapons, and no means to find Dan Osborne. Cam allowed the ranger to lead him to a different room, where another ranger sat, waiting at a table.

Cam’s eyes met the dark-haired man’s gaze. He stood, looking him up and down with curious eyes. The expression on the ranger’s face was unreadable, but there was no doubt about whom he was facing. Dan Osborne looked decades younger, but he was the same man Cam had encountered in 2036.

“Here’s the guy who says he’s your long-lost cousin, Osborne,” the ranger who’d led him to this room said with a chuckle. He left, closing the door behind him.

Cam stared into familiar eyes; Riley’s brown eyes. Hope ignited in him, and for the first time in his life, he stood face to face with a member of his true family. His bloodline.

“Cameron . . . Osborne?” Dan said, a slight hitch of disbelief in his voice.

Cam nodded.

“If you’re my cousin, it’s from many generations ago.” His eyes lingered on Cam’s clothes. He shook his head, and ran a hand along his jaw. His voice lowered to a whisper. “I just came back from a trip to 1811, and I know Daniel didn’t have any siblings, so where do you fit into the family?”

“1811?” Cam echoed. Relief swept through him. Dan knew all about time travel. He smiled. “1749,” he said, then his face sobered. “I need your help to get back to my time. My wife is in danger. You know her as Riley Bernard.”

Dan’s eyes widened. He blinked, and shook his head again, then sat in his chair. “Riley Bernard? Cute blonde, wears dresses and high heels? The one who came to see me at the ranger station and asked for help with some field research? That Riley Bernard?”

Cam nearly laughed at the incredulous look on Dan’s face. He nodded. “She’s no longer the woman you describe.”

“I imagine she’s not, after traveling to . . . after traveling such a great distance.” He leaned forward, and his eyes moved around the room as if people were listening, then stared back at Cam. “I’m going to get you out of here, and then you can tell me everything from the beginning.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“When I was a boy, I always wanted to ride in a gasoline-powered car. It was considered old-fashioned.”

“Old-fashioned?” Dan’s eyes widened.

“Yeah. I remember electric cars, and solar roads, from when I was a boy.”

Cam stepped out of the park service vehicle, this time without handcuffs. Dan walked around the car, a smile on his face.

“I shouldn’t be asking questions about the future, but the technological advances sure sound exciting. I just hope I’m still around here in Yellowstone to help make a difference. My superior, John Hastings, seems to have other ideas, though. At least he hasn’t harassed me since that day I met Riley.”

“I have a good feeling that you’ll be here for a long time,” Cam said. “You’re an Osborne, and it’s your calling to protect this land.”

Dan paused, and their eyes met. Cam held his stare. He wouldn’t mention that he’d already met Dan in the future, and he’d become a ranger with a lot of authority in the park.

Dan nodded wordlessly and led the way to the building where his future wife lived. He and Cam had talked for a long time after leaving the Justice Center. Now all they had to do was find Jeffrey and get the vessel back from him.

“Jana, are you home?”

Dan opened the door to the apartment, and Cam followed him inside.

“Dan?” A woman’s voice called from another room. “I’m so glad you’re back. I have some incredible news to –”

A woman with copper hair rushed down the hall. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes going wide when she glimpsed Cam. Her mouth gaped open, then a wide smile formed on her lips.

“I have some incredible news to tell you,” she finished, almost breathless.

Dan embraced her. “So do I.”

He kissed her, sending an unexpected twinge of longing and loneliness through Cam. The ache to hold Riley in his arms again squeezed his heart almost painfully.

Jana’s eyes never left Cam when she pulled away from Dan’s embrace. She stepped around Dan, her eyes roaming over Cam from top to bottom.

“Cameron,” she said, nodding with a satisfied smile on her face. She glanced over her shoulder and down the hall to where she’d come from moments ago.

Cam's forehead scrunched. How could she know him? Dan looked equally perplexed. Movement from the darkened corridor grabbed Cam's attention. His heart slammed against his ribs. He pushed past the two people who stood between him and the narrow hall behind them. Some indescribable sensation passed through him before he even saw the person emerging from the room.

“Cameron?”

The sound of Riley’s familiar voice, his name on her lips, was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. He rushed to her in three strides, his arms lifting her to him off the ground. Warmth spread throughout his limbs, and his lips sought hers. Relief, joy, and love filled him, and he pulled her further into his embrace, afraid to let her go.

Riley’s body trembled against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, nearly cutting off his air supply.

“I thought you were dead,” she sobbed against his lips, kissing him over and over again. “I thought I lost you.”

“I will always come back to you,” he murmured against her cheek, inhaling deeply of the sweet scent of her skin. “You and I won’t ever be pulled apart.”

Cam set her on her feet, reluctant to let her go. He held her tight in his arms until Riley eased away from him. He lifted his hand to her face, swiping away the moisture on her cheeks. The look of pure love shone in her eyes, reflecting the emotions in his heart.

After some time, he straightened and faced the two people who silently stood there. Dan had his arm around Jana’s waist, and they both wore wide smiles on their faces. A few tears rolled down Jana’s face, and she hastily swiped them away.

“How?” Riley croaked. She stared up at Cam, her mind working as it always did, no doubt trying to figure out the answer to her own question.

"Let's all sit down, and we can fill each other in on everything," Dan suggested and led the way to a small table in the kitchen.

“Is there anything I can get you to eat, or drink?” Jana offered. “Since you’re in the future for the first time in many years, is there anything you’ve missed? Something you’d like to try?”

“Pizza,” Cam said at the same time as Riley. His eyes sought hers, and he cupped the side of her face in his palm. “But other than you, there’s nothing the future has that I want,” he mumbled.

“It’s a little early in the day for pizza, but . . . what the heck. Pizza it is.” Jana laughed.

Cam held Riley on his lap, unwilling to let her go, even when Jana returned from picking up several large pizzas. He savored the taste, but it wasn’t the same as what he remembered as a boy. The flavors were too rich and salty for his palate, having developed a taste for the variety of plants and animals he hunted and foraged in the wilderness.

"I can't believe the man I trusted all these years would have killed me if he'd known who I was," Cam said.

He’d listened when Riley informed him that Pikowan’s real name had been John Hastings, and why Mukua had abandoned him in the wilderness. Dan and Jana confirmed that the man had an evil heart.

“I didn’t realize I had Mukua’s vessel when Pikowan . . . John Hastings and I were swept downriver. He knew it was in the pouch I pulled from Mukua’s neck.” He glanced at Riley. “The vessel was the furthest thing from my mind at the time.” Their eyes locked in silent communication. He’d only thought of her, and keeping her safe.

“We struggled in the water,” he continued. “I must have touched the vessel at some point. Now it might be lost forever.” He glanced around at two other sets of eyes watching him.

“I don’t know if Pikowan traveled with me or not, but I didn’t see him when I woke up at the bottom of the falls. If he remained in the past, he’s dead. The only thing that saved me was touching the vessel at the exact moment I was swept under the water. It is most likely at the bottom of the falls now.”

Dan scoffed. “Yeah, we’ve heard that before. That device makes an appearance whenever it’s convenient for one of the Sky People, it seems.”

Riley’s arms tightened around his neck, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

“We have to get the other device . . . vessel, back.” Jana glanced from Cam to Riley.

Riley lifted her head. “Jeffrey wasn’t very cooperative when I asked him to give it to me in the hospital. He’s adamant that he’s going to hide it away, so no one else can find it. And,” she inhaled deeply, “he’s determined that I need to stay here.”

Cam’s hand at her waist tightened. Riley shot him a quick glance.

“I’ll call him, and tell him he has to give it back.”

She slid from his lap and headed for the back room. Minutes later, she returned with a phone and stood outside the kitchen while she made her call.

“If he’s uncooperative, we’ll just have to pay him a visit in Missoula,” Dan said, shrugging. It earned him a quick glare from Jana.

Riley walked back into the room. “He’s agreed to meet me. He wasn’t happy that I left the hospital, but is eager to see me. He should be here in about four hours.”

Her eyes were on Cam.

“He wanted to meet in a public place, so I suggested the parking lot at the Lower Falls.”

Jana frowned. “Why in a public place?”

"I think he's worried someone might hurt him. I told him that you were here, Cam. All he remembers is that night you came into the Blackfoot camp and made it appear as if you were assaulting me. He's afraid of you." She smiled.

Cam kept his thoughts to himself. This man had reason to be afraid. If he didn’t hand over the vessel willingly, he’d take it by force.

“We’ll meet him along the Yellowstone, then,” he said instead.

Jana joined them when Dan drove through the park to reach the canyon.

“It’s different, seeing the park from a car instead of hiking through wilderness, isn’t it?” Riley smiled, sitting next to Cam in the back seat.

“Would you rather have this life back?” He reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. He searched her eyes for the answer, but only love for him shone in their depths. This was her chance to stay in her time.

“I wouldn’t trade my life with you in the past for anything, you silly caveman.” She leaned over, and kissed him, emphasizing her words.

The parking lot near the canyon was filled with cars, and people walked along the rim trail. Dan parked the vehicle, and people stared at them when they headed for the rim. Dan was dressed in his ranger uniform while Cam wore his buckskins. His knife and tomahawk hung from his belt. Dan had managed to get the weapons back when he'd secured his release from the Justice Center.

Riley would need a new deer or sheepskin dress when they returned to the past. According to her, Jeffrey had dressed her in modern clothes before taking her to the hospital. Cam had kept his annoyance with the cowardly man to himself. No one touched his wife, but in a way, Jeffrey had saved Riley, even if he’d brought her back to this time against her will. He would have to be dealt with discreetly if he refused to give up the vessel.

“There he is.” Riley nodded with her chin toward a thin man, standing by an overlook to the canyon, his eyes darting around nervously. He wore light tan pants, a blue shirt, and white shoes, which made him stick out from other people around him. He was clearly out of his element here, and it was obvious that being outdoors didn’t suit him.

When he saw Riley, Jeffrey’s body tensed, and his stance straightened.

“Stay here.” She placed her hand on Cam’s chest. “Let me talk to him first.”

Cam looked at her, about to refuse, but the pleading look in her eyes held him back. He nodded, but his muscles remained tense. Riley waved, and walked up to Jeffrey. They conversed, and she smiled, while he looked rather nervous. He cast glances toward Cam every few seconds. It quickly became apparent that they were arguing. Riley had one hand on her hip, leaning toward him while he shook his head.

“Doesn’t look like it’s going so well,” Jana remarked.

Cam didn’t wait. He walked toward them. He was going to get the vessel back. It belonged to the Sky People, not to this cowardly man.

“Why would I give it back to you?” Jeffrey said adamantly. “So you can ruin and waste your life, to go back to the past to be with some Indian?” The note of anger in his voice was apparent.

“You can’t make that choice for me, Jeffrey,” Riley replied.

She sounded pleasant, but there was a distinct note of annoyance in her voice. No doubt she was trying hard to control her temper. Jeffrey’s eyes darted to Cam at that moment, and his eyes widened. He obviously hadn’t noticed that Cam had moved closer, and now stood just a few feet away. How had this man survived even a day as a captive of the Bakianee?

“I love you, Riley. Don’t you know that?” he stammered, his voice taking on a pleading, desperate tone. “I love you. We’re perfect for each other.”

Riley shook her head. “I don’t feel the same about you, Jeffrey,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry. You’ve always been such a good friend to me. Don’t ruin that, for both of us.”

Jeffrey backed away, stumbling over a rock that was part of a barrier to prevent people from getting too close to the canyon rim.

“Please, give me the artifact, Jeffrey.” Riley stepped closer, holding out her hand. “If you truly care for me, you’ll let me be happy.”

Cam moved toward him. Jeffrey was getting too close to the rim.

“Don’t be a fool,” Cam growled. He couldn’t hide his annoyance. “You can’t keep what doesn’t belong to you.”

"Don't come any closer," Jeffrey warned, holding up his own trembling hand. "Riley was perfectly happy with her life until she touched that thing." His hand went to his waist. "I'm going to make sure no one touches it again." His voice cracked with uncertainty.

“What are you doing, Jeffrey?”

He reached into his pocket.

“I wasn’t going to bring it with me.” His eyes lingered on Riley. “But then I realized the irony of it. This is the best place to get rid of that artifact. No one’s going to find it down in that canyon, in the river.” Jeffrey sniggered.

A raven fluttered and landed on a rock several feet away, calling loudly. Jeffrey ducked, startled by the bird, and backed away. His foot slipped in the loose gravel, and he lost his balance. His upper body tilted backward, and he flailed his arms through the air.

Cam sprung forward. People called out, some gasping loudly. Jeffrey fell, and Cam lunged for him, his hands fisting in Jeffrey’s shirt. Cam dropped to his knees, and grabbed the terrified man’s arm.

“Don’t let me fall,” he yelled, his feet desperately scrambling against the brittle rocks. His actions only loosened more gravel.

Cam gritted his teeth, and pulled him toward the rim. The shirt in his grip was about to give way, but he couldn’t let go of Jeffrey’s arm with the other hand. At that moment, Dan was beside him, and together they hauled the frantic man to safety.

Riley rushed up, her arms around Cam’s neck when he’d backed a safe distance from the rim. Dan had a firm grip on Jeffrey’s arm.

“I could arrest you, for not following park regulations about staying behind the barrier.” Dan’s threatening voice droned in a low tone. “Give this man the snakehead, and we’ll forget this whole thing ever happened. It rightfully belongs to him.”

Several people cheered, and congratulated them on their rescue, even while they cast odd glances at Cam’s clothing.

Jeffrey’s terror-filled eyes clung to Riley. She walked up to him once he found his feet again. She embraced him in the same way she’d embraced Mat.

“I love you, but only as a friend,” she whispered. “You have a wonderful future ahead of you, and so do I. I found my purpose in the past. Don’t deny me my happiness.”

Slowly, Jeffrey nodded. He looked from Dan to Riley, then his fearful eyes met Cam’s.

“Take care of her,” he said. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the vessel. He stared at it for a moment, then dropped it into Cam’s open palm.

Cam nodded. “She will be well taken care of.”

Jeffrey forced a smile.

“Unless I’m under arrest, I’ll be going back to the university now.” He looked at Dan.

“As long as none of this ends up in one of your research papers or in the tabloids, you’re free to go.”

Jeffrey scoffed. “I’m not going to ruin my future by mentioning any of this, you can be assured of that.”

Dan stepped aside, and Jeffrey walked away on unsteady legs. The people dispersed, some shaking Dan’s hand and thanking him for the job he was doing as a ranger.

Next to him, Jana cleared her throat. “Well, does this mean we’re saying goodbye?” She nodded toward the vessel in Cam’s palm.

Cam reached for Riley’s hand. “This needs to be returned to its rightful owners.” He held up the vessel.

Jana sniffed. Riley stepped up to her, and the two women embraced.

“This is déjà vu all over again,” Jana sobbed. “I had to do this once already, with Aimee and Daniel.” She swiped at her eyes, and smiled, glancing from Cam to Riley. “I see a little of both of you in Dan, but more so in Daniel.”

Cam scrunched his forehead. “Who is Daniel, exactly?”

Dan chuckled. “If my math is correct, I think he’s your future grandson.”

Cam’s brows rose. His eyes connected with Riley, who smiled.

“The park needs you, both of you,” Dan said, and reached out his hand.

Cam clasped Dan’s wrist. “This vessel will be returned to the Sky People. Somehow, we will see to it that Mukua is stopped, and can’t do any more harm to anyone in our family. The Osborne name will always be around to protect this park.” He locked his gaze with Dan’s, who nodded.

“We’ll be around for a long time.” The ranger grinned. He looked from Riley to Cam. “But you two are the origin, the start of it all.”

Riley slipped her hand in Cameron’s. Together, they headed for the treeline, out of sight of the crowds, and Cam held his thumb over the gleaming eyes of the vessel.

Epilogue

“You should not be here, Cameahwait. You will anger the Sky People.”

Day Star emerged from the wicciup, a stern and disapproving frown on her face. Cam walked toward her despite the woman’s warning.

“I’ve been on a hunt. Every bighorn sheep I brought back has been distributed among the village. There’s a special piece of meat, and the hide of a fine ram waiting for you at your hut.”

Day Star’s eyes softened slightly, but she jabbed a finger at his chest when he moved closer to the wicciup.

“Your wife is resting. You should be with the men. She will let me know when she needs something.”

“Riley has followed the traditions of the Tukudeka, Mother.” Cam placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “But she is also from a place where there are different customs, as am I. The Sky People won’t mind that I break tradition to be with my wife. I have fulfilled my obligation to the village, but now I wish to be with her.”

Day Star glanced around, an uneasy smile on her face. The wicciup was erected a short distance away from the rest of the huts. A cold wind lifted the older woman’s hair from her back, and she wrapped her arms around her middle.

“There may be snow tonight,” she remarked, in an obvious attempt to prevent him from seeing Riley.

“Cameahwait.”

Cam groaned at the sound of his name. He turned his head to where Wo’itsa strode toward him with a wide grin on his face.

“I see that the hunt has gone well,” Wo’itsa said.

“You weren’t in the village when Riley and I arrived weeks ago, or I would have asked you to join me.” Cam held out his hand in greeting, and Wo’itsa clasped his wrist.

“You’ve done well on your own. The shaman looks pleased with your gifts to the village. With the weather remaining cold, hunting has been difficult.”

“I have something for you.” Cam held out the horn bow he’d carried for nearly a year. “This belongs to you, and I am fulfilling my obligation to return it.”

Wo'itsa stared at the bow and smiled at Cam. "I have since made a new bow, but I thank you for returning it. I hope it has served you well."

"It has kept me safe from harm, and provided for my wife and me. I, too, have a new bow."

Wo’itsa nodded. “Then let this bow be a symbol of our friendship.” He slapped Cam’s back. “Come, and we will join the other men in celebration of your good fortune.”

Cam shook his head. “I’m going to be with my wife.”

Wo’itsa frowned. “You would break tradition?”

“Yes. I consider you and the Tukudeka my friends, but I also have my own traditions I wish to uphold, and so does Riley.”

Day Star expelled a loud huff, but the faint smile on her face belied her disapproval.

Wo’itsa shook his head, but smiled. He slapped Cam’s back again. “You will always walk a different path than the rest of us, Cameahwait. Even when you left us, the Sky People did not abandon you. They will not abandon you now, if you stray from tradition again.”

Cam raised his eyes to his foster mother, a triumphant smile on his face. “See? Even Wo’itsa says it’s all right for me to break tradition.”

Day Star scoffed. She waved a dismissive hand at the hunter. “What does he know? He is merely a hunter, not a shaman. He has not been granted a vision from the Sky People in many years. How would he know whether they approve of what you are doing or not?”

Wo'itsa's grin widened. "My puha is as strong as ever. I may not have been granted a new vision, but the Sky People will talk to me again, in time." He raised his chin and headed toward the other side of the village to join some of the hunters and old men around their fire.

Day Star glared at him again. Her lips pursed, then she smiled. She shook her head. “Go, and be with your wife. It is as Wo’itsa says. You and she walk a different path from the rest of us.”

Cam nodded, and she walked away. He glanced from her to the wicciup and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Wiping a hand across his forehead, he lifted the flap and entered the dim dwelling.

A fire burned low in the center, and it was noticeably warmer in here than outside. Cam’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and traveled to where a pallet was set up against the opposite wall. Someone stirred under the furs.

“Cameron?”

“I’m here.” He dropped to his knees by the pallet. “I was afraid I’d have to fight Day Star in order to be with you.”

He brought his hand around the back of her head, and pulled her closer for a kiss.

“Meet your son,” Riley whispered. She lifted the fur that covered her, and exposed a tiny, dark-haired child.

Cam swallowed, and he touched tentative fingers to the small face. The baby’s fingers curled around his outstretched one. Cam’s heart swelled with love and pride. His eyes lifted to his wife, and he smiled.

“He’s a strong boy,” he murmured.

“Just like his father.” She returned his smile, her gaze full of love for him, and for their newborn child.

“He needs a name,” Riley said.

Cam eased himself onto his haunches on the pallet next to Riley, and she leaned against him.

“You do know that it’s against tradition for a mother to name her child before his first smile, don’t you?”

Riley laughed. “Yes, and I also know it’s against tradition for the father to see his baby for the first month of his life, but here you are.”

“We will make our own traditions.” Cameron leaned over, and kissed her again. “Do you have a name in mind?”

Riley lifted the baby from her chest, and placed the squiggly bundle in Cam’s arms. He awkwardly supported the infant, and his heart swelled with love.

“Do you have a preference?” she asked.

Cam shook his head. “I don’t have a preference.”

Riley glanced at him. “If you don’t mind, then, I would like to name him Zachariah, after my grandfather. He died when I was little, and my grandma raised me on her own.”

"Zach it is." Cam stared at his little son, then at the baby's mother. "We'll stay here at the village as long as you need to recover before we return home to the valley."

Riley laughed softly. “I’ll stay for as long as you can put up with Day Star, but if she makes me sit in this wicciup for an entire month, I may want to go home next week.”

Cam smiled. The baby squirmed in the crook of his arm, and he handed the infant back to Riley.

“Maybe when we get back to the cabin, Mat will have returned from his visit with Naatosi.”

Riley touched his arm. “I know you miss him. He has been gone for a very long time.”

“Naatoyita assured me that Naatosi sent Mat on a spirit journey, and he is where he needs to be.”

“At least we haven’t seen or heard from Mukua,” Riley smirked. “Or Hastings.”

Cam tensed at the mention of both the elder and the man he’d trusted all these years. “Hastings is dead, but I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Mukua. He will cause trouble again. We have to be vigilant.”

He glanced at his sleeping son, and touched the baby’s cheek. “It’s time we put all that’s happened behind us. Our son will grow up to lead a normal life, free to choose his own path, and not fall under the influence of the Sky People.”

Riley rested her head against Cam’s chest, and he wrapped his arm around her. A content smile formed on his lips. He and Riley had come far since the Sky People had brought them together. He was no longer angry and lost, but at peace with his life. Riley had grown into a confident woman, and her abilities in the wilderness continued to improve.

When she was recovered from the birth, he would take his family home to the valley along the Yellowstone, eager to begin a new chapter in their lives. He’d put his past behind him, and his son was proof that the future of the Yellowstone would be secure, just as his father and ancestors had envisioned.

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If you enjoyed Yellowstone Origins, please help others discover the book, and consider leaving a short review on Amazon.

The adventure continues with Book 7 in the Yellowstone Romance Series, Yellowstone Legacy, coming in 2016 (scroll down for a short excerpt). Currently, there are six full-length novels, three novellas, and a short story in this series. For a full list the books in this series, as well as my other time travel and historical romances, please visit my Amazon Author Page

Yellowstone Romance Series:

(in recommended reading order)

Yellowstone Heart Song

A Yellowstone Christmas (novella)

Yellowstone Redemption

Yellowstone Homecoming (novella)

Yellowstone Awakening

Yellowstone Dawn

A Yellowstone Season of Giving (short Story)

Yellowstone Deception

A Yellowstone Promise (novella)

Yellowstone Origins

Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series

Come Home to Me

Ain’t No Angel

Diamond in the Dust

Teton Romance Trilogy

Teton Sunrise

Teton Splendor

Teton Sunset

Blemished Brides Western Historical Romance

In His Eyes

In His Touch

In His Arms

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www.peggylhenderson.com

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I’m always happy to hear from my readers. Tell me what you liked, or didn’t like in the story. I can be reached via email here: ynpdreamer@gmail.com

Dear Reader

I hope you enjoyed Book 6 in the Yellowstone Romance Series, Yellowstone Origins. Book 7 is in development, and is titled Yellowstone Legacy. (Please enjoy the prologue at the end of this letter)

It’s been three years (September, 2012) since Yellowstone Deception was published. I honestly thought the series had come full circle with that book. Other than a few novellas to revisit some of the characters and see what’s going on in their lives, I didn’t think I’d be writing more books in the Yellowstone Series.

Well, it seems that you, the readers, had other ideas. You wanted more. When I wrote the novella, A Yellowstone Promise, I opened the door to really explore the backstory behind the series, stuff that I had in my author notes, but took out of the final versions of Heart Song and Redemption. I hinted at it in Deception, then brought it further into the story in Promise.

I still wasn’t sure, after finishing Promise, that I was going to write any more stories that deal with the time travel aspect of the series, but I had readers begging me to keep it going. I finally relented.

After a year of story mapping and planning, I’ve come up with three new stories in the Yellowstone Series, which will fully expand on all the backstory I have in my notes. Yellowstone Origins is the first of those three.

The Tukudeka - Eaters of Sheep - a group of Mountain Shoshone who inhabited regions of the greater Yellowstone area for thousands of years before the first white man laid eyes on the area, play a prominent part throughout the Yellowstone Romance Series. My idea for the time travel element as used in the series originated with the Sheepeaters’ beliefs in a hierarchy of spirits they called sky, earth, and water people.

The idea of the snakehead device, and that the “Sky People” are the guardians of the Yellowstone area and hold the power of time travel, is strictly from my imagination, and used purely for entertainment purposes in my books.

My main source of information about the Sheepeaters, their customs, beliefs, and way of life, comes from a book titled Mountain Spirit – The Sheepeater Indians of Yellowstone, written by Lawrence L. Loendorf and Nancy Medaris Stone.

Cameahwait was an actual historical figure, but in this story, I used the name fictitiously. It does translate to “He Who Never Walks,” but that’s as far as the comparison goes. Cameahwait was a Lemhi Shoshone chief ( Akaideka, or salmon eater), and he was the brother of Sacajawea.

As always, I couldn’t do it without the help of Barbara Ouradnik, my developmental, copy, and line editor

And my team of beta readers: Heather Belleguelle, Lisa Bynum, Sonja Carroll, Shirl Deems, Becky Fetzer, Cissie Patterson, Hillarie Smith, and Renee York

Cover by: Collin Henderson

Yellowstone Legacy Prologue

Matunaaga ran through the snow, as fast as anyone could run through deep powder. He sank in the drifts, calling out to the old man repeatedly. Why was he out in this weather? He would die.

Naatosi, dressed in a layer of ragged furs, labored through the deep snow. He stumbled several times, and it became harder for him to get back on his feet each time. Mat tried to close the distance between them to come to his aid, but it was futile. Naatosi remained just outside his reach.

The wind blew fiercely all around him, sending the snow blowing sideways. He leaned heavily into the gale, keeping his head down, and continued to move forward with each determined step.

Through the howling of the wind, a different sound echoed through the mountains. Mat’s hair whipped around his face. The old man had heard it, too, and glanced over his shoulder. He set his mouth in a determined line. His feeble hand reached for something around his neck, clutching it tightly. He stared off into the distance, squinting his eyes, and continued on his mission.

The howls grew louder, and he hastened his steps.

“You’re an old fool,” Mat called out to him. “You’re going to die.”

The drifts became deeper, and the elder’s frail body sank nearly to his waist in the white powder. He stumbled, his body sinking deeper into the frigid snow. A low moan escaped his lips, and he struggled to stand. The effort proved futile.

Mat cursed, and labored through the snow to reach him.

“What is so important that you have to be out in this weather?” he called, his voice full of anger.

The wind made his words impossible to hear. With every breath, the frigid air stung like the blades of a knife in his chest. Naatosi was dressed in far fewer layers than he. Surely, he felt the bite of the cold even more.

Ragged breaths escaped the elder’s mouth, and he gave in to the forces of the winter storm, dropping deeper to a certain death. He seemed to be determined that the snow would be his grave. He glanced up and over his shoulder again, as if he was expecting someone to be following him.

Mat reached for him, but he couldn’t get any closer. The old man moaned.

“I’ve failed what I’ve set out to do.”

Mat strained his ears to hear. Despair was evident in the old man’s eyes. A shadow passed above him, and Mat straightened. He strung his bow in defense. A man, dressed in thick layers of furs and hides, leaned over Naatosi.

The man knelt beside him, staring down at him. A faint smile passed over Naatosi’s face.

“All is not lost,” he whispered. “I may yet complete my mission.”

Mat shook his head. Why could he hear him so well, even over the howling wind? The other man’s gloved hands hastily swiped away the layer of snow that had fallen on the elder. He was able to do what Mat couldn’t.

“Help me,” Naatosi rasped in the language of the Tukudeka.

“I will do what I can for you, Grandfather,” the other man said, lifting the old man’s body out of the snow.

His rescuer bent over him, and hoisted him onto his shoulder. The old man clung to him while his helper trudged through the snow, following along the banks of a nearly-frozen river. Mat followed on their heels. Neither the white man nor Naatosi had seen him. After what seemed like an eternity, a small cabin came into view.

When they reached the cabin, the door swung open almost immediately, and a woman’s relieved voice greeted the man. A long, dark braid dangled down her back, and her belly was swollen heavy with child. Her face lit up at the sight of the man, and her arms reached out to give him a welcoming embrace.

Mat followed them inside. Naatosi was gently lowered to the ground next to a fire, and it seemed to slowly thaw his frozen body. Mat glanced at the man and his wife. The man spoke to her, his voice filled with concern. She lay on the only bunk in the cabin, her face flushed with sweat, and her swollen abdomen rising and falling with each rapid breath she took.

Naatosi struggled to a sitting position, and looked at the couple. He smiled. Mat tilted his head. Naatosi spoke, but his lips didn’t move.

Yes, I am not too late. I will finish what I set out to do, and all will be as it should. My role to save the sacred mountains will be complete.

Mat frowned. “What are you talking about, Naatosi?”

“You have saved this old man’s life,” Naatosi croaked, this time talking to the man who’d come to his aid. He fumbled with the pouch hanging around his neck. “This holds the key to saving your child. If you do what I tell you, perhaps one life can be saved.”

The man looked incredulously at Naatosi. “What help can you give me that will save my wife and child,” he asked in disbelief. Naatosi removed an object from the pouch. Mat eyed the object in Naatosi’s hand, the sacred vessel. The elder held it out to the younger man.

“This is one of the Sky People’s most powerful magical objects,” Naatosi spoke slowly. “It must be kept secret. It may save your child’s life.”

“How is a snake head going to save my wife and child?” the man wondered again. “The freezing temperature must have affected your head.”

“This snake has magical powers.” Naatosi stared at the object in his hand. “It has the ability to transport you to another time and place. It can only take you forward in time and bring you back to your own time. It will not change your past unless it is the will of the Sky People, but it can help you with your future. Touch the snake’s right eye, and you will travel forward in time by two-hundred years. When you want to return to this time, touch the left eye. It is very simple.”

The woman cried out in agony at that moment. Naatosi slowly stood and hobbled to her side. Her husband gently wiped her sweat-soaked face with a damp cloth.

“She has but little time left, I fear,” Naatosi said quietly. “Listen to me, my son, and listen carefully. I know you do not believe me, and I understand. It is not an easy thing to comprehend unless you have experienced it yourself. The future holds nothing good for my people. I have seen what the coming of the white man will do. The sacred mountains of the Tukudeka must be protected. Your child is the key to saving our lands. I have seen some of the miraculous things that the white man has accomplished. The white man’s medicine in the future is very powerful. It will help your child be born safely into this world. You must believe this and have faith in this old man.”

He handed the object to the younger man, careful not to touch the red eyes.

“Why don’t you use it yourself then, and get healed?” The younger man sounded skeptical.

“I am an old man, and my life is coming to an end. Even the white man’s medicine in the future cannot cure that. Your son must be born into this world.”

“What do I need to do?” He reached for the object, his voice filled with despair. He undoubtedly knew, that his wife was dying.

“Remember, the right eye moves you forward in time, the left eye brings you back. Hold on to your wife, and she will travel with you. It will take but only a moment. When you get to the future, the people will know what to do. Do not let anyone know this secret. You do not believe me, and no one in the future will believe you. Go now, your wife cannot hold out much longer. “

The man gathered his wife into his arms, and touched the snakehead as he’d been told. They vanished instantly, leaving Naatosi behind. He lay on the ground, a faint smile on his face, and stared at the ceiling. Not a moment later, the door to the cabin burst open, sending in a cold blast of air, along with a dusting of snow.

Mat spun around, his bow ready. Naatosi sat up, and faced the intruder.

“You are too late, Mukua. It is done, and you cannot stop it from happening.”

The other man’s eyes blazed with anger. He rushed at the old man, his teeth bared. Mat sprang between them, but it was as if he hadn’t moved.

“You will not stop me forever, Naatosi. There will come a time when I will gain the upper hand, and you and Naatoyita will fail.”

“As long as we live, Mukua, we will undo whatever evil you create. You cannot stop me.”

“Then perhaps it is time that you die.” Hatred spewed from the man’s eyes, and he raised his arm, the blade of a knife gleaming in the firelight. With one swift stroke, he brought the knife down, and thrust it deep into the other man’s heart.

Wide-eyed, Naatosi stared at Mukua. “You will not win. You will never win,” he rasped. He collapsed to the ground, and moved no more.

“No,” Mat cried out, reaching out his hand, trying to reach the dying man. Sweat covered his face and his clothes clung to his body. His breathing came fast, as if he’d already exerted himself. He swallowed, but his mouth was dry.

Mukua had killed Naatosi. He’d broken one of the most sacred laws of the Sky People. One elder could not directly do harm to another person, especially another elder.

Mat glared at Mukua, ready to lunge himself at the old man, but Mukua didn’t see him. Mat ran, trying to reach Naatosi to see if he was still alive. The faster his legs moved, the further away the cabin became, until it disappeared altogether. Suddenly, the scene in front of him changed.

Bright lights blinded him momentarily, and the loud noises everywhere were deafening. People moved frantically all around him. Mat moved aside and twisted on his heels to stay out of their way. He glanced up. The man Naatosi had sent to the future stood in the middle of the chaos, looking lost and scared. His eyes darted around, until someone, dressed completely in blue clothing, led him away and to a quiet corner.

Mat looked at the man dressed in furs. He seemed completely out of place in this environment. A faint memory lingered in his head of places and objects like this. He’d been in a place such as this before. It was a hospital, something that could only be in the future.

After what seemed like an eternity, the loud wails of a baby mixed with all the other unnatural noises. The man looked up in the direction of the sound. He sprang up from the chair where he’d been sitting, and rushed toward the sound. Mat followed close behind, but no one saw him.

A woman emerged from behind the curtain that separated the mountain man from his wife. She held a bundle wrapped in white cloth in her arms, and stopped in front of the man. Mat stared at the woman. Her soft smile held him mesmerized. Her dark hair, the color of a beaver pelt, shone under the bright lights. He moved closer, to hear her speak.

“You have a beautiful baby boy,” she said with a big smile on her face, and held the bundle out for the man to see. A red-faced, black-haired infant was swaddled in a white and blue-striped blanket.

The man looked at his little son, his eyes filled with wonder. Tears pooled in his eyes. Suddenly, the beeping noises behind the curtain changed to a steady drawn-out beep. The woman quickly turned her head in the direction of the curtain. Mat strained his ear to hear her quiet words.

“Oh, no.” Sadness clouded her pretty face.

“Time of death, 12:33 pm," someone said from behind the curtain.

The man stood motionless, staring. His eyes moved to his son cradled in the woman’s arms.

“I wish to see my wife.”

The young woman turned sad eyes from him to the curtain behind her.

"They'll let you see her in a moment," she said softly, offering a faint smile.

“Can I hold my son?” he asked, his voice cracking.

“Of course,” the young woman said solemnly, and gently placed the bundle in his arms.

He gazed at the infant, and whispered, “You will be called Daniel, for your mother’s name was Marie Daniella. You will grow up to be a mighty hunter and trapper someday, this I swear to you. It is what your mother would have wanted.”

The pretty young woman remained by his side when several people emerged from behind the curtain, surrounding the man. Mat moved when someone obstructed his view of her. He pushed his way between two other women to get to her. She turned, and walked away.

“No, come back,” Mat shouted.

She disappeared completely, and the sounds faded away.

Mat bolted to a sitting position. He blinked, wiping away sweat that dripped down his forehead and into his eyes. An eagle’s screech echoed above him. He moved to stand, his limbs weak and shaky.

A fire crackled close by, and an old Indian sat on the ground, feeding more logs to the hungry flames.

“Naatosi,” Mat whispered. He stumbled toward the elder.

The old man smiled. “I see that you have received a vision, Matunaaga.”

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

To My Readers

Prologue

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

7. Chapter Seven

8. Chapter Eight

9. Chapter Nine

10. Chapter Ten

11. Chapter Eleven

12. Chapter Twelve

13. Chapter Thirteen

14. Chapter Fourteen

15. Chapter Fifteen

16. Chapter Sixteen

17. Chapter Seventeen

18. Chapter Eighteen

19. Chapter Nineteen

20. Chapter Twenty

21. Chapter Twenty-One

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

24. Chapter Twenty-Four

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

26. Chapter Twenty-Six

27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

29. Epilogue