A Wild Love

By Ruby Raynes

In the thrilling novel "A Wild Love," the legendary tale of the Spirit Rider unfolds. Accompanied by a magnificent wild stallion, a cunning cougar, and a loyal wolf, the rider stumbles upon a group of white men one fateful day. Driven by curiosity, the rider follows the men to a ranch to watch and learn. Then one day the rider is injured by a bear and the animal companions take her to the ranch. The ranch owner, Daniel, takes the nearly dead rider in, surprised to find it's a woman. Her innocence causes trouble as she struggles to be a human and not live by instinct. Love blossoms, challenges arise, and they soon realize that danger lurks in the shadows.

Daniel is accused of murdering his ex-fiance after she injured Lena. The animals are sensing danger, but they can't find it. Can they turn the tables and become the hunters instead of the hunted? It's a spiraling journey of erotic love, sacrifice, and survival for both of them as they discover a plot to destroy them both, all for greed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L R Hill
• Release date: Dec 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223556961

Ruby Raynes

     Ruby Raynes is a multifaceted woman and once a Rodeo Queen. Her diverse career entails real estate, bail bonds, and bounty hunting. During a creative writing course, she discovered her calling and realized the potential of a creative mind.      Her writing delves into contemporary romance, mystery, action, and thrilling narratives. Her stories feature robust characters who possess a sensitive side, adding depth and complexity.      She currently lives in Texas. She's also aiming for the New York Times Best Seller list. Website: www.RubyRaynes-novels.com

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Asnap of lightning shot across the sky, followed by a crackle of thunder shaking the ground below. It was giving a warning of the storm soon coming. The winter thaw has begun in the mountains and the bears are awakening out of hibernation hungry and on the prowl for food. One bear is well on his way to the lower country in search of food. It is still cold, and snow is on the ground, but the bear still travels for days. The storm would not slow him down from eating. The bear knows the man hunts him for killing what was not his normal food, but he is old and slower now. Time has come that the bear must take easier prey if possible and ranch animals were to his liking. The bear travels for many days, feeding on the littlest animals he can find and catch. As he finally gets down into the lower country, his nose picks up the scent he’s looking for. Coming upon a large ranch, the bear stalks a herd of cattle. With patience, the bear waits as he drools and then makes his kill and gorges himself. The cattle moo and make a ruckus as they scatter. The other cattle closer to the ranch bellow in fear, waking the owner of the ranch.

Rapidly, the man stands up, gets dressed, and walks out of the house with a rifle, ready to shoot the intruder. He rushes towards the cattle, and to his surprise, it was a grizzly. Quickly he takes aim, anyway, knowing the bear would now be back with the taste for cattle. He bends down on one knee and aims carefully, takes his shot, but fails to kill the beast. The bear runs back for the trees and mountains, wounded and enraged. The man turns back, worried that a grizzly was this close and knew what had to be done. As morning comes, the man walks up to Tom once he arrived for work and says, A grizzly took down a steer last night, we have to go after it so gather a few of the men and let’s head out after the bear.

This bear must be smart to come this far down. It is unusual, but I’ll get a couple of men to load up a few pack horses as well. Tom waited for a couple of other men to show up, then he spoke with them. We have to go after a grizzly that took down a steer. He’s wounded too, so we’ll be gone a week or more since he’s running.

The big man stopped in hearing Tom then turned to them. We may be gone a couple of weeks, so they need to prepare and let the family know. Tom nodded, then went to talk to the other men as they arrived for work. The men going on the trip left again and went home to gather up more clothing and weapons, then returned to the ranch. The men who did not go prepared the pack horses and planned who would stay at the ranch to keep an eye on it. By noon, everyone was ready to take off. After a few orders, the men mounted their horses. Tom looked at the footprints of the bear and set a fast pace, with the others following.

A man signaled Tom to slow up and then waited for Tom to get beside him. Did you know she called him after all this time? Surprised, Tom shook his head. Yeah, and I heard him rip her up one side and down the other. That’s why he is so solemn, so walk lightly for a few days. Tom agreed and slyly told the others to step lightly and why. The men looked at each other, feeling sorry for the big man. They all knew what happened and how she ripped his heart out. Everyone kept quiet except to report any footprints and report which direction they went. Otherwise, there was little or no chatting, and a lot of pushing to catch the bear for several days. They were hoping to beat the storm and not lose the trail of the bear.

Tom rode up next to his boss, who finally said, That bear must be moving hard, even after I wounded it. I can’t believe he got that far ahead of us without even one day’s lead.

Yeah, it must be, but look at that line of storms ahead. We need to settle down for the night boss, even the animals will hide from that storm. The big man agreed and signaled everyone to find a place for the night. Two big storms aren’t in our favor. I hope we don’t lose the bear’s tracks. His boss agreed.

The men were not the only ones watching out for the storm, either. A rider is coming down from the higher mountains. Another several days farther north was one lone person known as the Spirit Rider, who rides through the lands with companions, a horse, cougar, and a wolf. It was carrying dinner to a hidden place in the rugged mountains. Sitting quietly, blue eyes covered in bearskin for warmth, scans the landscape as it makes a fire. The companions wait for the rider to cut a piece of meat and toss the rest to them. Licking their lips, they gladly take what is tossed to them; they gobble it down then wait again for more. A hand sticks a piece of meat on a stick and sets it over the fire to cook. The smoke seeps out from under the cave, and the meat sizzles. The person tosses out the rest of the deer for the cougar and wolf to consume. They have learned to share their food over the years and, by the Spirit Riders' demanding insistence.

The next day, the storm rumbled its presence as it came in quickly with torrential rains as the one sat cuddled up in many skins. The animals gathered around and licked the one’s face in affection. Standing guard at the cave's entrance, the spotted horse watched over the area, its size barely allowing it to fit. The rider noticed the water pouring over the edge of the cave. Grabbing a large skin, the rider covers the spotted horse so the water would roll off the wild stallion. As the darkness quickly crept in, the person fell asleep next to the fire.

Day broke with a sudden sound of lightning that echoed in the far distance and it sounded like a gunshot. The Spirit Rider jumped up, grabbed the bowie knife, and stuck it in its sheath. Realizing it was the crackle of lightning, the rider settled down for another day, waiting for the storm to pass.

Down farther below, the storm held the men up for two more days. On the third day, in the land below the mountains, rode several men still on the hunt. The big man yells, Come on, we can’t let the bear get away this time! Another darn storm is coming in again, so we got to move fast. The men moved after the grizzly as fast as they could, but had to give it up several hours later. The big man pulled his horse up and pointed. There’s a cave over there. Let’s get out of the storm. We’ll go after the bear in the morning again. The men settled in and waited for the rain to stop as they slept through the night. The big man was on watch with Tom and said, There are a lot of storms early this year. It needs to quit. Watch the horses closely. They’ll let us know if a bear is around. The man agreed with him wholeheartedly.

As the evening came, the horses became restless, sensing a bear was close and another torrent of rain didn’t help anyone sleep as well this night. The big man sat up again for a while, watching the area around the cave, waiting to see if the bear would turn on them. He knew an injured beast like the bear often would turn unpredictable and become more dangerous. The men slept and then took a turn in watching the area since the horses were edgy.

As the dawn tipped its head over the hill, a man lightly touched the boss on the arm. As the big man sat up, the man pointed. It’s coming after us now. The big man smiled and grabbed his rifle. Then he moved to a suitable position and sat calmly, taking aim. The bear came out just enough to give a headshot and the big man took it. The gunshot echoed throughout the area, but the bear only took a few steps before it fell, hitting the ground hard. You got it, boss!

Check it out, but don’t get too close. Wait for us to grab everything, he ordered. The man climbed down the rocks and crept closer to the bear. He’d move and wait to see if the bear moved, then move closer again, ready to shoot it again if needed.

THIS TIME THE SPIRIT Rider jumped up, knowing that last sound was a gunshot for sure by the warning of the animals. Then the rider made sure the fire was out and jumped on the spotted horse, heading for where the gunshot came from. After a day and many miles of traveling hard and fast, another gunshot rang out. Telling the rider, they were getting much closer, and the strangers were coming their way. Slowing down the pace, the animals became more cautious as they snuck around the area. The wolf took off sniffing the area. A few hours later, he alerted the rider they were awfully close and had crossed the path of other humans. The rider followed the wolf as he led the way to the people. They stopped behind a large bush blending into the landscape. The rider watched everyone moving around an enormous bear that they had killed. The wild rider almost got upset, but knew that Indians hunted for food and clothing. That was the way of life in the wild, so they waited to see if they took the meat. The men were busy skinning the bear, which the rider recognized as a rogue that killed many ranch animals. Therefore, the one ignored the fact they killed it and began watching the strange people closer.

Their clothing was far different from that of the few Indians seen and much stranger. The wild one had met the Indians several times over many years. Occasionally, the rider dealt with them as they taught a few things about living off the land or as they passed by each other. The Spirit Rider respected the Indians and their ways. Although felt they were afraid and avoided the rider if possible. However, these people were strangers that never came this far north into this territory, and curiosity took over. Darkness came as the wild one watched the people settle down for the night, building a fire and cooking some meat for dinner. One man kept looking around frequently and said, I feel we are being watched and have been all day. The horses are restless too, boss, which means another predator may be near.

Just settle down and go to sleep. No one is out there but only animals. Most Indians no longer live the old ways except a few, and they won’t bother us. It’s just the smell of the bear bothering the horses. A deep voice said as he yawned and stretched out, then pulled his hat over his eyes. Mark, we’ll head home tomorrow, now that we got this bear, so he won’t attack the herd anymore.

Yes, sir, Mr. Norris, the horses will alert us if there’s real danger near. The men looked around cautiously, glanced at each other with a grimace. It wasn’t long before they quickly fell asleep, tired from the week of work and hunting down the bear that invaded the ranch.

The wild one waited until the people were asleep, then quietly, in stealth, eased into the camp and looked at each person closely. A couple had face hair; the one crinkled the nose at it and stared at the men. Then the deep voice person moved his hand and knocked off his hat. The wild one froze, ready to fight if he woke up, but he just slept. The Spirit Rider slowly moved closer and stared at him for the longest time. He had just a little face hair, lighter skin, a strong jawline, long muscular frame and his hair was short but full, unlike anyone ever seen before. The head of fur tilted from side to side as it bent down closer to him and carefully sniffed the surrounding air. The rider stood up quietly, pondering what kind of people this was. Then the rider walked over to the horses and patted them gently, seeing they were not mountain horses, so it had to be ranch animals. Then the fur ball went back to the companions to sit and watch the people some more from a distance. The wild one thought how different they were from the Indians who had no face hair and long black hair. Then napped lightly for the rest of the night as the animals kept watch.

Dawn came, and the men got up early, ready to leave and get out of the mountains. Mr. Norris rose slowly and looked down to see odd padded footprints next to him. He quickly signaled to the other men, and they looked the area over and pointed everywhere they saw the footprints. Horses had prints around them too, and Mr. Norris said, It’s hard to believe an Indian would be this high up yet. Normally those who live the old ways, they’re still in the lower lands, yet nothing is missing, so let’s just get out of here. His eyes roamed around the area carefully and slowly to see if he saw anyone, but he didn’t.

The wild one, full of curiosity, watched them pack up and leave for the bottomland. Keeping out of sight, the Spirit Rider followed and rested when they did. The one ate as the companions hunted and brought in the kill to share. As the rider followed the people all the way down the mountains, the rider almost turned around, never having been so low in the land. However, curiosity was more powerful than caution. The rider went on to the ranch and then the rider looked all around the area. For days, the rider hid in the trees and watched the people move about the ranch as they worked with the horses and cattle. It was very interesting to see how they did things and the clothes they wore. One night, the one sneaked up closer, looked around the barns and sniffed the air of the hay and grains. The one stared at the vehicles, seeing them move from time to time, but couldn’t figure that out. This time, the wild one made sure to erase any footprints from the ranch each time as it moved about.

Intrigued, the wild one watched the big one go in and out of the white building, and later in the day, all the other people left until the next morning. After a week, the rider finally left and went back up into the hills towards the mountains to think about this. From time to time, the rider came back to watch some more, wondering about many things of their lives. The rider of the spotted horse couldn’t help but wonder about the big one and watched him most of all. The other man kept looking around, still feeling they were being watched. Yet Tom found no signs, so he said nothing to anyone. Even though they knew it too by watching Tom search the ranch.

Once spring actually came and the snow was almost all melted, the wild one was running through the forest with the animals, enjoying the sun. Jumping over a log, the wild one accidentally landed near a bear cub that called for its mother in a panic. The wild one looked around immediately and went to run fast from the area. However, the mother bear was on them in no time with a mighty roar. The bear roared, rose with an enormous claw swinging, that sent the wild one sprawling across the field. The cougar, horse and the wolf attacked the bear and managed to ward off the mother bear, so she didn’t kill their friend.

After several minutes lying in pain gasping for a breath, the rider reached out, grabbing the skins and wrapped up again. The companions stayed close as the wild one barely rose on wobbly, hairy legs. The rider called for the horse to move closer, which he laid down for the rider to get on. In great pain, the rider slowly dragged itself onto the horse and sent him towards the bottomland, where there were fewer wild animals. The rider’s back bled profusely, making the rider grow weaker and weaker until the body slumped over onto the horse’s neck. The horse and companions took the rider to the ranch at a fast pace. Slowing only so his rider wouldn’t fall off. Once the stallion reached the ranch, he exited the trees and let out a loud, demanding neigh.

It was nighttime with a full moon shining brightly, so you could see the area in the pasture. The big man heard the noise, grabbed his gun and went outside to see why a horse was neighing so loud. He looked around and all the other animals were calm, yet he heard the neigh again. Peering into the pasture, he saw a big spotted horse shining in the moonlight, tossing its head. Then he saw the outline of a cougar and the wolf in the patchy snow. Then he bent down on one knee and carefully went to take aim until he saw something fall off the horse. He paused, lifting his rifle. Waiting, he watched the cougar and wolf come to it and look down at it. This was unusual, and then they ran off with the horse together back into the trees.

Waiting a moment, stunned by the three animals, he thought whether he should go see what it was. It looked like a bear this late at night, but it was on the horse. Giving into his own curiosity, he cautiously walked out to the pasture. He held his gun ready to shoot as he approached a ball of fur on the ground. The horse came back out of the trees with his ears back and teeth bared at the man. The man pulled his hand back and spoke softly to the horse. Easy there, I won’t hurt. The horse stopped and neighed, stomped a hoof, not wanting to let the man touch the rider. It’s okay, I’ll help. He slowly bent down and touched it, then slowly rolled the fur over, revealing more fur with two hairy human legs. Looking carefully, he saw blood all over the furs and only that it was a person with long matted hair. Sighing deeply in thought, he carefully covered the body up again. Slowly, the horse approached but did not attack and took long whiffs of the man, then backed off. The big man, Mr. Norris, slowly picked up the person in his arms and carried the mass to his house. Protective, the horse followed at a distance, then neighed softly as the fence stopped him. The one lay limp and barely breathing as Mr. Norris went inside the house and put the person on a bed. He picked up his cellphone and called Dr. Tippet, hoping he would answer this late at night.

Finally, he heard, Yeah, hello.

Dr. Tippet, this is Daniel Norris and I need you to come out immediately, please.

The doctor sat up quickly, surprised it was Daniel at all. What’s the matter Daniel?

I found someone outside, bleeding bad and barely breathing, and it looks like a bear. Well, there are claw marks on the bearskin. Hurry, please.

Okay Daniel, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes after I grab some supplies. The doctor jumped up, told his wife what happened, and she got up too. She had to see this, knowing Daniel’s reputation and that she might help as well. The doctor drove as quickly as he could on the dirt roads. His wife was nervous about going out to Daniel’s house since he didn’t like people much and always kept to himself. For years, he was known to be mean and brutish with people.

As they pulled into the yard, Daniel came outside and held his hand out to hurry them inside. They followed him and went up the steps and Daniel said, The person is in here doc, it doesn’t look good, but I didn’t want to touch it until you got here. The doctor followed Daniel and galloped up the staircase to a bedroom and looked at the ball of fur. The doctor and his wife stared at the lump, puzzled about how it came here. Daniel pulled the bearskin back, revealing claw marks across more skins. And they were covered in blood. The doctor gulped at so much blood as he sat his bag down.

Mrs. Tippet said, Daniel, we will need a bunch of clean rags, so we can clean the wounds and see how deep the cuts are. Do you have any?

Daniel thought for a second, nodded and went quickly to get the rags. He returned with rags and nice towels. Use these. It won’t hurt. I have more. He paused for a second. What else can I do?

The doctor looked up at Daniel. We need to get these dirty skins out from around the body so we can see what we have. Help me lift the body and then pull off the skins. I’ll need to wash the body to see the wounds better. Daniel went and slid his arms under the shoulders and hips, lifting gently as the doctor pulled the bearskins out from around and underneath the body. The doctor paused; he stared at a woman in a two-piece deerskin outfit. It’s a woman Daniel. He then slid some towels under her, and Daniel laid her back down. Daniel, how did she come to be here?

Daniel grunted, then said, I heard a horse neighing loudly, so I went outside to shoot an animal. She was on a large spotted horse and fell off. There was also a cougar and wolf with the horse, and they took off back into the trees. But the horse came back to protect her, then stopped when I spoke calmly to him.

Mrs. Tippet gasped at the news. I’ve heard about a wild one who lives in the Rockies. Even the Indians are cautious of her because she talks with the wild. Several states have tales of a Spirit Rider or a bear on a horse, but never have I heard the tale of her this far down the country.

Nancy, that’s just tales and you know how they get stretched out, said the doctor, somewhat perturbed at her tales.

Hon, look at her. She’s in deerskin, tangled hair and scars all over her from fighting the wild animals. Some tales are of fact, dear. Nancy pulled the woman’s hair back from her face, washed her face, then looked close at her. She’s only in her mid to late twenties and a strong, beautiful woman to have survived.

Daniel offered. I have a gown from my mother’s old stuff if you need it. It looks like that top is going to fall off being ripped up so badly.

Doc said, We can’t put anything on her. Her back needs to heal and ointment put on it daily. We can’t let anything stick to the scabs once I stitch her up. I’ll try to stitch her so there will be minimal scarring, but it won’t be easy. He kept washing the blood off as his wife kept rinsing out the towels and bringing them back. Daniel stood watching and trying to help with what he could.

Nancy said, If you don’t mind, we can cut the gown up, so the back is exposed but the front covered. Daniel agreed and went to find some of his mother’s clothing and returned with them. Then Nancy worked on them as best she could. Daniel, this will not be easy. You know if she’s as wild as she seems, she’ll be extremely dangerous.

The doctor felt of her head then around her body, then pulled out the bowie knife. You better hide this, or she may attack you with it. He handed it to Daniel. She’s got a nasty bump on her head too; I need to check her eyes. Daniel moved to help roll her over just a bit, and then the doctor shined a light into her eyes. Her eyes are not responding. The head injury is putting pressure on her eyes. There’s a cut across her throat too, the poor thing. He pulled out the bandage in his bag, pads and covered her eyes, then wrapped her head up. She will not like this when she wakes up in a strange place. You are going to have to be as gentle as possible and speak softly, Daniel. At the same time, protect yourself. He looked up at Daniel, concerned. I know this will not be easy for you, either.

Daniel’s demeanor changed; he didn’t want to go through this. It was obvious by the deep sigh and grimace. He has bitterness deep down when it comes to women, and he has stayed away from them for years. Not to mention he had an unpleasant conversation with one recently. Once the woman’s head was wrapped, they slipped a gown over her head. They cautiously pulled her arms through the armholes, then laid her back on her stomach.

Nancy took a pair of scissors and cut the back of the gown so only the wounds were exposed. The doctor began stitching up the back as best he could once the wounds were cleaned. Daniel stood back with his arms crossed, staring at her and wondered why the animals brought her here. He glanced out the window, looking for the animals, but didn’t see them.

The doctor asked, Is it okay if we stay awhile and see if she wakes up? It may be better for Nancy to be here the first time. Daniel anxiously agreed. I suggest that you only feed her something she can eat with her hands, like a sandwich, chicken, or fruit. She probably hasn’t ever used silverware. Matter of fact, she may not even talk. There is a cut across her throat, so there’s no telling what to expect.

Daniel hesitated but asked, Can’t you take her with you and watch her? Put her in a hospital or something, maybe.

Nancy said, I know it’s a small town, but if she doesn’t recognize the land or area, there’s no telling what might happen. If she has a horse and the others out there, it will give her some kind of sense of safety. Does that make sense to you?

I guess it does, since that is all she knows is the wild. A town’s noise might terrify her, not being able to see what’s going on. Daniel swallowed hard. I’d appreciate it if you come out every day to help if you could. I have too much work to do to babysit.

We both will. Nancy can help orient her to where the bathroom is and the bedroom until her bandages come off. The doctor sat back for a second and sighed. Almost done. She’s lost a lot of blood and may sleep for a couple of days if she survives at all. Her pulse is weak, and her breathing is shallow. I’ll give you some antibiotics; I already gave her a tetanus shot, with her first antibiotic to start her off. The doctor finished the stitching and wiped off her back again to look at it. Well, she won’t bleed on everything now if she stays still a few days.

Daniel sighed with the others. It’s almost dawn; I’ll make some coffee if you want some. Or you can lie down in the other room a while to rest up before coffee.

The doctor kissed his wife. Nancy, you go lie down for a while. I’ll have some coffee and listen to her breathing to see if it changes. It’s going to be touch and go for now.

Daniel went to make the coffee as the doctor followed him; he pointed at the counter. Here’s everything you need, sugar, creamer or whatever. I need to feed, then I’ll be in for coffee too. The doctor nodded his head as Daniel shook the doctor's hand, then Daniel went outside to begin his chores. Daniel kept watching the tree line and occasionally caught a glimpse of the animals looking at the ranch. Only the horse moved out of the trees to stare at the house and graze