Brave are the Lonely
Brave are the Lonely
Fevered Hearts Book 2
Heather Long
Contents
Brave are the Lonely
Series So Far
Kane & Morning Star Families
Acknowledgments
The Fever
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Sneak Peek at Micah & Mrs. Miller
About the Author
Also by Heather Long
Copyright © 2012 by Heather Long
Cover by Kendra Egert
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN: 978-1-4524-7260-7
Brave are the Lonely
Meet Cody. Wolf Brother. Wild Cowboy. Wicked Lover. He’s never a met a woman who can handle him.
When death seemed preferable…
Mourning his mate drove fevered wolf shifter Cody out of Texas, but a brother’s need drags him back from the brink.
…and good deeds never go unpunished…
Gypsy princess Mariska only wants to protect her people and her freedom, but a dangerous choice puts her on a collision course with an angry wolf.
When Cody touches Mariska, his wolf cannot escape the hunger that fills him. For Mariska, Cody’s touch brings her a pleasure she never imagined, but is it enough to heal his fractured soul?
As danger stalks them, they must confront who they are or risk losing Cody forever.
His wolf. His woman. His way.
Series So Far
Marshal of Hel Dorado
Brave are the Lonely
Micah & Mrs. Miller
A Fistful of Dreams
Raising Kane
Wanted: Fevered or Alive
Wild and Fevered
The Quick and the Fevered
A Man Called Wyatt
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Kane & Morning Star Families
Cody (Fevered) – When the spirit fever killed everyone around him, four year old Cody survived his illness and transformed into a wolf to survive.
Mariska - The eldest daughter of the Travelers.
Jebidiah William "Kid" Kane – Son of Jed and Molly, Kid is the youngest brother of Sam, Micah and Jason. A wild child, Kid is always in some kind of trouble.
* * *
Kane Family
The Kane family is comprised of Jebidiah, his four sons, their wives, children, and the ranch residents. Their ranch is the Flying K, located on about five thousand acres of land near Dorado, Texas. The Kanes founded Dorado before the war with Mexico.
Jebidiah "Jed" Kane – The patriarch of the family is a maverick. Husband of Molly Kane (Deceased), father of Sam, Micah, Jason and Kid.
Molly Kane – Deceased wife of Jed Kane. Mother of Sam, Micah, Jason and Kid.
Samuel "Sam" Kane – Marshal of Dorado, eldest son of Jed and Molly. Brother of Micah, Jason, and Kid. Husband of Scarlett
Scarlett Morning Star Kane (Fevered) – Adopted by Quanto as an infant, Scarlett is a firestarter and possesses the ability to control fire. Wife of Sam.
Micah Kane – Son of Jed and Molly, brother of Sam, Jason and Kid. Foreman and ranch manager for The Flying K, the family ranch.
Jason Kane – Son of Jed and Molly, brother of Sam, Micah, and Kid. A lawyer, Jason manages the family’s far flung business interests.
* * *
Miss Annabeth – Mother of Lena, and the Kane family’s housekeeper. Miss Annabeth is a surrogate mother to all the Kane boys.
Lena – Daughter of Miss Annabeth and Kane family cook. A sister to the Kane brothers, Lena helps look after the family.
* * *
Morning Star Family
Raised by the Shaman Quanto, the Morning Stars are all survivors of the spirit fever and possess special abilities. Growing up in isolation on Quanto's mountain in far west Texas, they don't always observe the social niceties, but they are loyal and they are fierce. When you take on one, you face them all.
Quanto Morning Star – Of mixed tribal descent, Quanto's gift as a shaman includes the ability to dreamwalk.
Wyatt (Fevered) – Little is known about the eldest of Quanto's 'children' except that Wyatt is extremely dangerous. He possesses one blue eye and one green.
Jimmy (Fevered) – A sharpshooter with an eagle eye, Jimmy’s gift never allows him to miss his shot.
Buck – The blood son of Quanto, Buck is a powerful dreamwalker.
Noah (Fevered) – Quanto found Noah, the lone survivor of the spirit fever that devastated his plantation home. Noah’s gift is that of powerful healing.
Ike (Fevered) – A pacifist, Ike can make anything grow.
Rudy (Fevered) – The youngest of the Morning Stars, Rudy can phase through solid objects.
For the dreamers who dare to dream, for the faithful who dare to believe and for the doers who just get it done.
Acknowledgments
Every book is a labor of love and this one is no exception. First is a heads up thank you to my mini me who put up with me writing over our Christmas vacation and is my biggest cheerleader. Thanks to Brandy Walker for all her help, encouragement, and task management and to Kendra for developing the best cover for Cody’s book! Finally to Patti, who read every single chapter hot off the presses and to Virg, who happily dished out the feedback. I am really lucky to be part of such a warm community of support.
The Fever
When the spirit fever struck a town, a village or an outpost, it left few if any survivors. The white man blamed the Indian saying they used their mojo on them. The Indians blamed the white man for angering the spirits. The survivors knew it didn’t matter. The Fevered were forever changed.
Prologue
Kid.
Padding over to the still, slumped form of the boy. He pressed a nose to his cheek. The wolf hurt. The boy waved a hand up to shove the wolf’s cold face away from his. The wolf remained undeterred. Cody shoved his nose harder against Kid.
“Dammit, Cody,” Kid slurred. “Knock it off.”
But the boy’s eyes opened and then closed at the harsh light flooding the area. The sun was halfway up the sky. Kid groaned and dragged an arm across his face. “What the hell?”
Cody growled and gave Kid another shove until the boy finally sat up. Content he wasn’t a prone target anymore, Cody spun in a slow circle, studying the area. The caravan was gone. All the wagons.
Save one.
Head cocked, Cody’s teeth bared.
Mariska stared at him, her mouth open in silent horror.
He stalked forward, tongue lolling against his teeth. He smelled no one else, just her.
She was alone.
Lashed by sturdy ropes to the back wheel of her wagon.
Face to face, he glared at her.
br /> The stink of her fear clogged his nose. The wolf arched his head, enjoying the tart scent of it.
“What the hell?” Kid stumbled to a halt next to him. A hand pressed to his head as though staving off the ache. Like the wolf, he stared at Mariska.
“Let me go.” His spitting kitten recovered from the shock stippling her features.
“I didn’t tie you up, ma’am.” Kid groaned. “And until I know who did and why the hell I feel like this, I think you can stay right there.”
Cody growled.
Agreed.
Mariska’s gaze darted back to him. His lips peeled back from his teeth.
She’d better start explaining.
Chapter 1
Late September 1850
Somewhere in the Territory of New Mexico
* * *
Kid leaned back in the saddle, the little town of Natchez turned out to be nothing more than some mud shacks strung together by family connections, loose farming and heavy Mexican Indian population. But they sold him supplies, trading him new blankets for a gold piece, fresh bread, a wineskin full of hard cider seasoned by local flavor and enough leather to repair his damaged gear. Fortunately, he had the tools back at his camp.
Equally fortunate, the town also offered the beautiful Maria.
Not intentionally, he was sure. But she’d found him tending the mare at their stable and the sweet but easily seduced woman tumbled right there atop the warmth of the straw. She’d come eagerly, too, absent any drawers beneath her skirts. Lazy pleasure rolled through his system at the memory, relieving the tension of the long few days between towns. A week had made his need damn near unbearable. Maria spoke a spattering of bastard Spanish, but one passionate kiss opened the only line of communication he needed to understand.
Her flaming hot, tight little sex milked him greedily for an hour. His flagging spirits were stoked and his only regret was that he couldn’t stay the night and take her over and over until she whimpered for relief. An hour away from Natchez, the reason he couldn’t linger leapt down from a yellow rock to pace alongside his mare. So used to the wolf’s presence, the horse didn’t even flinch.
“I picked up soap if you ever decide to bathe.” He called to the wolf by way of greeting. The flat, yellow stare barely budged his good mood. “Hey, you could have gone into town. I’m sure Maria had a friend. If not, I don’t mind sharing.”
Apparently Cody had no response for that, but that didn’t surprise Kid either. In the four weeks since they rode—well, since Kid rode and Cody followed on four feet—the wolf hadn’t shifted. Not once. Unless he did when Kid found a town, his companion remained the sandy colored wolf with sharp teeth and a bland stare.
The wolf grieved. He followed Kid halfway across Texas and across the border, a half-presence at his back, always there, but never reaching out. His agony echoed through Kid, a cold and brittle thing. The first week had been the worst. But two back-to-back nights in the camps surrounding distant army outposts helped him get through it.
The third town hosted the flame-haired Ann-Juliette, but one look at her and Kid knew he couldn’t. She reminded him of Scarlett and the mournful howls of the wolf far too close to the little border community set everyone’s hackles on edge. After that, he skirted the towns as best he could until the need for supplies and a woman couldn’t be ignored. And then he avoided any redheads.
It didn’t make the wolf happy, but it didn’t elevate his grief the way Ann-Juliette had. Kid understood. Just a little over a month before, Cody’s ‘sister’ Scarlett married Kid’s brother. The Marshal and his fire-starting bride were back at the Flying K, the Kane family ranch. Kid left the night of their wedding, not that he begrudged his brother’s happiness, but his father’s stern disapproval coupled by the wild strangeness surrounding their new family was too much for him.
Kid needed to be away, away from all of them, their needs, their judgments and their turbulent emotions. The wolf, though, the wolf needed something more. He needed to mourn the loss of his mate. As far as Kid could tell, Cody and Scarlett had never been more than brother and sister, but the man shared his existence with the wolf he became and that wolf had chosen Scarlett. It was that loss the wolf mourned.
“We’ll be in the mountains in a couple of days. We need a good campsite so I can get all the gear repaired. The town told me there’s an outpost with some fur trappers ahead. We’ll cross it before the mountains. We can finish the resupply there.” He kept Cody up to date on the direction they were headed whether the wolf gave a damn or not.
If he wanted Kid to shut up, he could damn well change and tell him so.
The mare’s bridle jingled as she tossed her head. The nights were turning cooler and the mountains meant snow. He’d get her saddle gear repaired tonight and check into a blanket for her when they got to the trapper’s outpost. A rumbling, low noise from Cody’s wolf and the great beast leapt ahead, outpacing the horse easily.
“Unless you want to grumble about buckshot, it’s your turn to catch dinner,” he called after the wolf; certain Cody could hear him even as he rapidly retreated into the distance. The wolf would find him when he set up camp. He always did.
“Guess it’s just you and me girl.”
He patted the mare’s neck and relaxed into the saddle, whistling. The absence of the wolf left him replete and peaceful. Natchez had been a fine little town and Maria, just the balm he needed.
* * *
Cody followed the curve of the wash trail Kid rode. The faint scent of water, rabbit, scrub brush and mice tickled his nose. The smaller animals went quiet in his passage and he left them be. He wasn’t hungry. Kid’s words echoed in his ears.
His turn to hunt.
The wolf’s mouth fell open, tongue lolling in the wind, sampling the air. He was ever watchful for the dangerous scent of man. Luckily, they were traveling upwind, which brought the scents to him. He would know they were there long before they appeared. Kid was safe for the time being, which meant Cody could roam.
The young man’s frequent visits to every hovel they came across left the wolf bewildered. He refused to follow him too closely, the smell of unwashed bodies, cooking food and strangeness overwhelming. But he never strayed far.
He’d ambushed one angry husband who came after Kid at their first town and frightened off another at the third town. Kid’s insatiable appetites for female companionship didn’t make him discriminating. They’d even spent one rainy night at a remote farmhouse. Cody in the barn with the horses while Kid seduced the absent farmer’s daughter. At least she didn’t have a husband.
The wolf understood the husband’s anger, the rage at Kid’s philandering. But Kid was pack. That meant Cody would protect him.
A long escarpment of rocky outcroppings beckoned. The sun-drenched stone would be warm in the air that turned progressively chilly the further west and higher up they went. Kid said they’d be in the mountains soon, but the distant peaks were closer than Kid believed. Cody grew up on a mountain, one didn’t have to go higher to find the colder air.
Home flashed through his mind. The scents of the lake, the rich pines, firs and cedars were fresh to his tongue. A familiar flame haired female splashing in the icy cold lake, heating the water at the edges until the boys could frolic there as well.
The howl tore out of his throat before he could stop it, hard, long and keening. Scarlett chose another. Cody understood that. She was happy. The man was happy for her.
The wolf missed her.
The land went silent around him, what few critters that hadn’t scrambled out of his way huddled quietly, sure that the end was near. Cody ignored them all. He’d caught the scent of deer the night before. He wanted venison, sick of rabbit, squirrel, grouse and fish. The wolf wouldn’t bother with it all, but Kid said it was his turn.
He would take care of his pack.
Evening brought the cold promise of rain on the wind. Winding his way up the path to the lashed together trees and makeshift wind brea
k Kid set up for camp, the wolf was glad for the shelter and the scent of wood smoke and crackle of fire. The doe he carried was heavy, but he’d taken her down as close to the scent of wood smoke as he could. Kid glanced up from mending the saddle, his eyebrows raised.
“Nice. You want yours cooked or uncooked?” The young man set aside the saddle and reached for the long knife he carried in his gear.
Cody deposited the doe next to the fire and sat. Kid could handle the butchering, when he was done, Cody would drag the remains far enough away that the scavengers wouldn’t bother them. He was tired. The long circuits around Kid’s path left him weary in body and mind. Once he ate, he would sleep tonight.
Dreamless, unless his brother showed up to plague him again. Buck was Quanto’s child in body and spirit. His brother possessed the gift to visit the dreams of others, to affect them and to communicate through them. He’d always had trouble with Cody’s wolf, because even in his dreams, he remained in wolf form. His brother could talk to him, but Cody refused to answer.
He could, he supposed. But Buck wanted him to come home.
The wolf wasn’t ready for that and the family was safe. Sam Kane would keep Scarlett protected, most of their brothers lingered at the Flying K and likely would winter there.
He had time.
The scent of blood drew a growl from his belly. The doe’s flavor clung to his tongue. He could have devoured her on the spot, but Kid needed to eat too. Instead of his usual chatter, the boy skinned the doe, carving off flank and muscle to spit over the fire. Kid was careful not to spill the entrails, but the coppery hints of blood would mark their campsite. When he’d carved and spit enough meat to feed them for the night and the next day, Cody lumbered over to grab the remains and haul them off.