Marcellious scrambled to his feet and stood to one side of Grey Feather while Earth Bear crossed to Grey Feather’s other side. Both men guided the elderly chief to his feet.
Before he departed, Grey Feather said, “It is good that you are here, Little Moon. We have much to talk about.”
Then, he, Marcellious, and Earth Bear lumbered away.
I turned to Roman. “Grey Feather’s right. My mind is whirling. I need answers.”
“But you won’t find them tonight, Little Moon.” A mischievous smile played at the corners of his lips. “You didn’t think to share that name with me?”
Heat flushed my cheeks. “It never occurred to me to share it. Lee gave me the name because I was born in November.”
I rolled from my feet and pushed to stand.
Roman did the same, and we started walking, our hands entwined.
“It’s a beautiful name,” Roman said.
“Thank you.” I glanced up at a star-studded sky.
The sky was a wonder when seen without the light pollution of the twenty-first century. Being able to witness the Milky Way regularly brought joy to my heart. The world was such a magical place.
“So, we have our answers about Marcellious,” I said, savoring Roman’s warmth.
“We do.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “Some of them, at least.”
“I can see why he’s so broken. He lost Theadora, the woman he loved—the woman carrying his child. She was killed by the darkness. Amara’s entire family was taken by the darkness.” A sigh left my lungs. “I feel bad for Marcellious. But…”
I turned to look at Roman’s profile. “He, in turn, killed his own darkness. How was that possible?”
Roman’s head pivoted in my direction. “Are you wondering why we haven’t managed to kill our own darkness?”
“I guess I am.”
“I think it’s the way he was raised. The Sioux probably taught him their mystical ways of dealing with energy that you and I never learned.”
“You could be right.”
We continued to walk in silence until we stood outside of my teepee. I turned to face him and placed my hands on his shoulders. “You look great in deerskin pants. I probably forgot to say that.”
A playful smile curved the corners of my lips.
“And you’re beautiful in a deerskin dress, my beloved goddess.” He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “But you’re more beautifuloutof that dress. How I wish we could make love. I long to be deeply intimate with you. It’s been too long.”
My heart pounded wildly as I took in Roman’s handsome face. Since finding him here in the Americas, I’d fallen in love with him again. I was filled with a giddy sensation of wonder and gratitude whenever I looked at him.
How did I get so lucky?
Roman stroked my cheeks with his thumbs while gazing into my eyes.
That curious and wonderful sense of intimacy we shared fell over us as we stood savoring one another. There was and would be no other man in my heart but Roman. I adored him with the kind of passion that I’d never dreamed I’d experience. He was my heart… my soul… my life. He was my everything.
“Given the circumstances….” His eyes slid back and forth, indicating our surroundings. Then he waggled his eyebrows.
“Yes?” I said, matching his playful expression.
“The best I can do right now is show you how much you mean to me with my lips.”
We inclined our heads to fit together, mouth to mouth.
