Cheyenne Dreams: Cheyenne Series, #4

By Rea Renee

Josephine Currie has had enough of civilian city life. She longs for adventure and to spend more than the summer months with her mother's Cheyenne tribe. Both her father, a retired calvary captain, and her half-Cheyenne mother, fight the injustice of the Native Americans through court and politics. Josephine longs for adventure and to live with her ancestors. When she hears about the massacre at Sand Creek, she sneaks out to find her Cheyenne relatives.

Smoke has been an outcast since he was born. His father was an enemy Cheyenne warrior who raped his Crow mother. Then, when he reached puberty, he transformed into an animal and was shunned by his tribe when they discovered the truth. Now he lives in the wilderness hunting Cheyenne and military soldiers. 

When he spots Josephine, he thinks she's just a white woman he can ransom. But the truth will make him chose between vengeance and love. Can he forgive the past and move onto a future?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rea Renee
• Release date: Jun 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386030140

Rea Renee

Rea Renee is pen name of self-published author of historical romance. Always love, but sometimes history is darker than sugar-coated stories.  Rea's stories are dark, adventurous, and captivating. Sign up for her newsletter and receive advance notice of sales, contests, new releases and more:  http://eepurl.com/brhxVb

Book preview

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cheyenne Dreams

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Copyright © 2017 Rea Renee

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Cover art design: Safari Heat

Dedication

To my husband, who loved me even when I burned dinner and let the kids run amok so I could finish one more chapter, I love you.

My children, don’t give up on your dreams. Reach for them, always.

To my readers, thank you for your wonderful support and encouragement. May the sun always shine on you, the rain water your garden, and the birds singing lift your spirits.

Chapter One

Smoke

SMOKE STOOD NEXT TO his mother as their Crow Chief Iron Nose glared at the two cougars lying motionless in front of the fire pit. The tepee flap opened up to the twinkling stars.

The Crow leader shrugged and sat across from the flickering flames. This is not enough to repay your way back into our tribe.

What? Smoke took a step toward Iron Nose, but his mom pulled him back. I’ve done as you’ve requested. These two slew several of our young children. You said I could return if I found the culprits responsible for—

No! Iron Nose voice shouted inside the tepee. I will not allow a bastard Cheyenne to live among our people. An abomination.

Inside his chest, Smoke’s wolf growled. A gift from his father who raped his mother over eighteen years ago. It was only his mother’s constant pleading with the Chief that Smoke had been allowed to remain in the village this long. Last moon, he’d been cast out. Told not to return until he found and exterminated the murderer of their young ones.

But he’s done as you’ve asked. Smoke’s mother protested.

With using his wolf. Not the Crow way of fighting with our own hands and weapons.

I didn’t shift. Smoke squared his shoulders. Why did he think Iron Nose would ever want him back? Iron Nose bedded his mother, beat her, and made both their lives miserable to make them both pay for the past.

We all know you used your wolf to do this. Iron Nose waved a hand out and many elders squatting around the inside edge of the tepee nodded and whispered among themselves.

Then tell me what task I must fulfill to pay for my mother’s freedom from you. Smoke clenched his fists to keep from attacking the chief. Because of him, none of the Crow had ever accepted Smoke. Never friended him. His mother had been an outcast along with him, begging for their portion of food by pleasing Iron Nose in any way he wished.

The leader’s face colored. You have until the Full Cold Moon to bring me one thousand Cheyenne scalps.

Less than a year to complete that many? Impossible. But he would do anything to save his mother. Even if it meant killing dozens every day.

Beside him, his mother wept and shook her head. Smoke, don’t. I—

Chief Iron Nose, Smoke inclined his head slightly, I accept.

Good! Their leader smirked. And if you return without the exact number of our enemy’s scalps, you will be executed.

Smoke squeezed his mom’s hand and whispered, I will see you again. I promise. Then he stormed out of the tepee without waiting for her reply. He couldn’t watch her cry and see the pain he had caused her for being born from his father’s sin and changing into a wolf. Running away wouldn’t have helped her, the Chief would still demand payment for Smoke even being conceived. At least with Smoke gone, maybe his mother would have a reprieve. He hoped some of the other women would have pity on her and share their food.

He shook his head. No, Chief Iron Nose would keep her tethered to him until Smoke could free her from him. Outside the tepee, Smoke cringed at his mother’s wails. He rubbed his shoulder, old wounds reopened from when he fought the mountain lions and kept marching forward. The wounds on his back reminding him of his numerous failures to keep Iron Nose from harming his mother. The last time had been a year ago when he and his mother ran away. In three days, the warriors had found them and dragged them back. Iron Nose beat them both but lashed Smoke so long and hard it was only Smoke’s mother throwing her body over his bloody and broken one had saved his life.

Everyone followed the Chief’s orders. Which included picking and fighting with Smoke since he could walk. And he wasn’t allowed to possess any weapons. At least with most of the warriors inside with Iron Nose, there would be empty tepees. Smoke raided four before finding a bow, quiver of arrows, and two knives.

He would bring back the scalps, then the chief would have to free his mother, and one day he’d kill Iron Nose.

SMOKE’S HEART HAMMERED as he crouched at the edge of the river and washed the blood off his arms. The metallic scent clung to him permanently now. But he had another two scalps to add to his atonement. Only nine hundred and forty-seven to go. To help ease the guilt parading through his mind every time he took a life, he imagined that each Cheyenne warrior was his father. The one who had raped his mother and brought their shunning within the Crow. That and seeing Iron Nose’s shock when he dropped all the scalps at the man’s feet. As bile rushed into his throat, he pushed aside the thought of what the chief was doing to his mother. What depravity he had in store for her now that Smoke wasn’t there to try and stop it.

A rustle sounded nearby. Smoke stilled, listening for a moment. Pushing aside the sound of the river gurgling before him, the birds singing their morning songs several feet away, and the wind dancing through the trees.

He inhaled. The scent of fear hit him and his wolf snarled deep inside him. No one else in his tribe shape-shifted. Smoke scratched the childhood injury on his thigh. The welcome he received from his people when he had first shifted at a celebration dance when he was seven.