Wild Dawn by Cait London

Author:Cait London [London, Cait]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: L.E. Kleinsasser
Published: 2011-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

In the lambing quarters, Maude’s new lamb stood shakily and wagged his tail. Delighted with the newborn animal, Regina laughed and hugged Laddie. “What a lovely sight! Shh. Maude won’t want us around now with her baby so near.”

The other ewes nestled in the warm, dry cave blocked from the weather by a wall of lodgepole pine. MacGregor had built the shelter while in his scowling mood, muttering darkly about “females and babies underfoot.”

Yet he’d helped with the ewes, soothing them with whispers and petting. Hercules followed MacGregor now, pulling the sled loaded with wild grass foraged from the heavy snow. Strapped to MacGregor’s back on the short trips, Jack slept comfortably in his furry nest. Regina watched over the lambing, often sleeping in the warm shed.

The cave was protected by a door fashioned from pine limbs lashed together by leather thongs. Laddie barked furiously as the door slid aside, and a man stated, “MacGregor Two Hearts does have a woman spending the winter with him.”

Moving through the shadowy space, a huge man draped in a buffalo robe loomed over Regina. “I’m”—she searched for a name warily; the man could be Covington’s envoy— “Violet,” she announced firmly, as though announcing a title.

“Aye, sure you are, sweet tail.” The man’s hand, grimy and foul-smelling, reached out to touch her breast beneath the leather jerkin. “Full-growed Injun gal, if’n I ever saw one,” he rasped coarsely, moving a step nearer and squinting down at her face.

“Ah... Mr.—” Regina backed against the rock wall.

“Old One Ear Mose, they call me. See?” He lifted a flap of the pelt covering his head to reveal a missing ear. “I’m not purty. But I know how to take care of females. I’m asking you nice to lay with me now. You’ll get a piece of nice foofaraw and me to boot.”

Taking a step aside, Regina fitted her palm over the knife handle at her waist. Before she could move, the man’s huge paw reached out and snatched her wrist. “There now. You don’t want to stick old Mose, do you, gal?”

Drawing her steadily to him, Mose bent over her, leering. “Won’t hurt MacGregor none if we play a bit, gal.”

Regina’s kick to Mose’s belly struck low, and the mountain man doubled over as Laddie bit his thigh. With a sweep of his hand the man rolled the dog aside. When Laddie yelped, Regina slid through the opening.

She hit MacGregor’s tall hard body at a run and almost fell before he lifted her by the nape of her neck. Mose roared, rushing through the opening after her.

“She’s my woman, Mose,” MacGregor said too softly, almost purring. Placing her behind him, MacGregor patted Laddie’s head gently.

“A little rough on my livestock, aren’t you, Mose?” he asked as the huge man started around him toward Regina.

“Don’t like getting kicked in my privates,” Mose snarled, jerking a long, wide blade from his belt. “Back off, MacGregor. I mean to have the woman.”

MacGregor’s long legs locked at the knee, and he hooked his thumbs in his gun belt.

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