Free Hunting the Huntress by Ember Case Page A

had begun to wag. For the northern mountain tribes to travel this far to the great plain for a harvest could only mean they were hunting a mate. And if both powerful leaders had traveled together with no more than a small hunting party and left their tribe camped for the winter, it could only mean they searched for one single mate to bind to them both.
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    The ancient custom was seldom followed anymore, but it had once been common for renowned tribes of the Chimaga to see their chief and shaman bind their lives together with a mate. When the Great Spirit blessed such a mating, the totems involved often led their tribe to such glory as to inspire a generation. Nilana had no desire to become the leader of anything bigger than her hunting party.
    On she ran.
    She felt Tate’s gaze hot on her backside as she raced away through the night. Why had he singled her out?
    From his seat last night by the dance fires, he had watched her, his midnight-black gaze never leaving hers. For over an hour, she had danced with the unmated maidens.
    The ritualistic steps came easily to her graceful feet, her body comfortable in the ancient dance of seduction. Never in her life had she been as aware of the motions of her body as she was under his gaze. She had tried to focus on the rhythmic drums beating in the background, the chanting of the gathered shaman as they called for a successful harvest hunt. More than once, she’d met his gaze across the fire and seen the desire that heated his look.
    Her ceremonial dance tunic was brief, worn by generations of Chimaga women. Its design was simple, meant to present the nubile body of a maiden to the interested gaze of a warrior. There was no doubt he’d been watching with interest. His gaze had followed her long, bare legs, often lingering on the shadows where her short tunic ended high on her thighs.
    Approval filled his gaze when she circled near enough for the scent of her sweat and musk to mingle with the smoke from the fire. Intricate beadwork caught the flickering firelight as it wrapped across her chest, hugging the full curves of her breasts as they swayed with her movements. When her dancing brought her close to his seat, he had watched her with the stillness of a stallion standing guard over his mare.
    Awareness of everything around them had flickered over his strong features, but his brilliant gaze never left hers. His warm scent filled her nose, and when the beating drums 7

    called her back across the fire, his smell went with her; crisp evergreens overwhelmed with the heady musk of a male cougar ready to mate.
    His companion, the shaman Cheveyo, had eventually joined him and the two men had spoken briefly. And when the music ended, the warrior had given her one last searching glance before retiring to his skins alone.
    Why couldn’t I get him out of my thoughts? Instead she had gone to her solitary skins and spent a restless night dreaming of dark eyes, ebony hair, and the warrior who had watched her under the almost full moon. She dreamt of him following her to her bed, stripping her of her tunic, and spending the long night hours worshiping her with hands and mouth. Her dream warrior had loved her from head to toe. His tongue had blazed across her skin, his lips laving her breasts and nipples for long moments until she ached with need.
    But he had given her no relief, instead bringing sobs of pleasure and moans of ecstasy to her dreams as he licked a wet trail to her core. His mouth offered her only a glimpse of heaven, and her dreaming body twisted beneath him in the frenzy to find its release. She woke before dawn to find her body a throbbing mass of need, as her dream lover had brought her again and again to the peak of ecstasy, then pulled away without allowing satisfaction. Nilana was restless with unfulfilled passion when the morning sun spread its light over the valley.
    Her mind was still foggy from her night of dreams, and the day passed slowly with the other maidens. It was