Page 19 of Fire And Ice

“That’s what we finally figured out,” Amira added. “They had to have cooked up this plan, knowing I would be called home. They would follow then find me at the mountain.” Suddenly, Amira shivered and she looked up at them all, “She’s here.”

“Who is here?” Steel wanted to know.

Amira swallowed heavily. “My grandmother is back and she’s not happy.”

Just then, a knock came on the door. Before anyone could move to the entrance, the doors opened from the outside. An older woman came inside the clubhouse. She walked forward with the aid of a walking stick but showed no fear when she came to stand in front of Luther. She was followed by eight men dressed in ceremonial buckskins.

Luther slowly got to his feet.

Steel and Diesel moved to stand beside him.

The old woman nodded at him regally.

Luther nodded back.

The old woman now spoke, “I am Rissa and I lived here a long time ago. I was the leader of a lost tribe of the People and for the most part, our tribe lived here in peace. I had a daughter I called Winsome and as she grew, I taught her the ways of the people. I see you have some blood of our people and that is a good thing.” She raised a brow at Luther.

“My father is Apache and my mother is white,” Luther told her.

Risa nodded. “The Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache.”

Luther nodded.

“Your parents...Do their hearts beat as one?” Rissa asked him.

“They do indeed.” Luther nodded.

“That is good, very good.” She reached out and patted his arms that were crossed over his chest. “I knew this even though I asked. I would never allow someone to buy this land that wasn’t one of the People.” She looked around the room, found Amira, and smiled in delight. Then she looked back at Luther. “The storm brought you together, and a war will try to tear you apart.”

Luther stared at her in confusion.

Amira did the same.

The men in the room all looked at each other. They all saw that storm and what had happened during it.

Diesel shivered and rubbed at his large arms.

“As you may know by Amira’s telling, my daughter was betrayed by her lover and he abandoned her in her time of need. She carried his child and thought he would stay here with them both but this man had a secret. Well, I always knew what he was, the fool, but Winsome loved him.” She met her granddaughter’s gaze. “You have come home child. I prayed you would one day.”

The men with her finally saw Amira and they gasped at the sight of her blue hair.

Amira nodded. “I should warn you though, that my father and his father are out there. I...we were all told Milo was dead and Griffen threw me out of their pack. Then I was drawn here. The mountain called me home after so long. But I’m afraid they followed me.”

Rissa nodded. “I know they are out there in the shadows. I can feel their hatred but I can also feel their greed. They followed you here for the promise of the gold, didn’t they?”

Amira nodded. Then she looked over at the three men who’d followed her home. “These men came with me to protect me. I may have wolf blood in my veins but I can’t shift.”

Rissa walked around the table and leaned on her cane as she looked into Kinsen’s eyes, then Trent’s eyes and finally Jacks’. She seemed satisfied by what she found there and then she came around to stand in front of Luther again. “They are good men, the kind of men you want to have at your back. The men outside in the shadows are not that kind.” Rissa pulled out a chair.

The eight men with her came closer to stand behind her.

Luther lowered his head in reverence as he did whenever he was around Elders of the People. Then he carefully sat down.

Steel, Viper, Scout, and Diesel all took chairs as well.

Chapter Ten

Rissa looked around at all of them. “The Maiden Mountain on this land holds a vein of gold that is very old and it is very much in demand as it is pure with no impurities. Such gold as this has not been seen in many years and even a small amount would bring the bearer much riches. If they can find it, that is.” She glanced over at Amira. “Your father found the mountain’s secret and thought he deserved some of its riches. He tricked your mother into believing his lies. He tried to make a deal with her. He would leave you behind for a bucket of the gold from our Maiden. She tried to tell him he couldn’t take you away from here but he pushed her away from him. She fell and struck her head and he didn’t even look back nor did he help her.” She shook her head. “A moon’s cycle later, I found him right outside of his pack’s boundaries, as I had waited for two days to do so. And I cursed him. I told him he would never see the mountain again, not him or any member of his pack. I knew exactly what he was. I saw his wolf and I cursed his beast. I also told him if he harmed you, he would feel the burn of hell, and it would consume him. He would forever be caught in the flames and the gold would never be his.”

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