Wolf watched the alpha pacing back and forth beside the lake. The alpha had not slept much the night before after leaving the female and the two-legged wolf that smelled bad. Wolf stretched out in the sunshine on his favorite rock as his eyes followed the alpha back and forth.

"Wolf this is bad." the alpha said and Wolf raised his head. He didn't understand what the words meant but he could tell that his alpha was upset over something and so he was going to pay attention.

"I don't understand my own thoughts and feelings right now. She is his wife and yet it feels like she is my woman. I want her to be with me and I want to keep her safe. I want to make all that fear and sadness disappear from her eyes."

Wolf laid his head back down on his paws as the alpha quit talking and began pacing even faster. Wolf didn't understand these two leggers sometimes. It was clear to him that the alpha and the female were mates and should be together so why did the alpha allow her to stay with the evil one? If wolf were to find his mate he would never let her stay with another male. He would fight and kill to have his mate.

"Time to go to dinner." Hawke said suddenly. Wolf jumped to his feet. He understood the words go and dinner and he was hungry.

Wolf regretted coming along once he realized they were going to the evil ones house but he knew his alpha needed him and so he stayed by his side.

888

Lily was just placing the venison steaks, bread and beans on the table when she heard Nathan's voice come from outside the cabin.

"Hawke! I'm glad you could make it." Lily felt her heart beat faster in her chest. How was she going to do this? How was she going to hide her attraction for Hawke from Nathan when both men were sitting at her kitchen table?

"Can the uh…wolf stay outside?" Nathan asked with nervousness in his voice. Lily had never heard Nathan sound nervous before and it made her happy to know that there was at least one thing he was afraid of.

"Stay Wolf." Hawke's strong, deep voice reached her ears and nearly made her heart pound right out of her chest. She was definitely in trouble. Nathan and Hawke walked into the cabin and Lily was overwhelmed by the way Hawke's large framed seemed to fill every inch of space.

"Good evening, ma'am." Hawke said. He noticed she was wearing another dress that had long sleeves and a neckline that came up to her chin. It was hot inside the cabin and she looked overheated. Her dark hair was pulled up tight on her head and she refused to meet his gaze.

"Good evening. Why don't you both sit down and I'll dish out your plates." she said politely. Hawke could hear the tension in her voice and he longed to take her into his arms and kiss away every bit of tension and fear she was feeling. With him she would always be safe. With him she would be cherished. But, he reminded himself, she was not with him. She was another mans wife.

"I can get my own food." Hawke said matter of factly as he sat down and reached for the spoon to put some beans on his plate. Lily looked tired enough and he did not want her having to do things for him that he could very easily do for himself.

"No she can do it." Nathan stated as he grabbed Hawke's arm to stop him. Lily gasped at the anger that flashed across Hawke's face as he looked down at Nathan's hand on his arm. Nathan noticed it too and he quickly let go.

"Do not ever grab me like that." Hawke growled in a voice so low that Nathan and Lily both had to strain to hear him. Nathan swallowed hard.

"I didn't mean to make you angry. You are a guest and it is Lily's duty to serve you." Nathan gave Lily a pointed look and she quickly put some beans and steak on both his and Hawke's plates.

She was realizing that Miranda Wallace had been being honest when she had told her that Hawke was dangerous. She could feel his power and strength from across the table but oddly enough she was no longer afraid of him… She did not think that he would hurt her. She yawned into her hand as she made her own plate and picked at her food.

She was too nauseous to eat. She had not told Nathan but she was nearly three weeks late for her bleeding. The thought of having a baby should make her happier than she had ever been but the thought of having Nathan's baby filled her with dread. Nathan was not the father that she wanted for her children.

888

Hawke looked at Lily as she washed up the dinner dishes and he knew something was wrong with her. She was dead on her feet and had hardly touched her dinner. Nathan did not seem to notice as he and Hawke sat at the table and talked… Well Nathan talked and Hawke grunted now and then and gave one word responses in order to fake interest in what the other man had to say.

Nathan was angry with Hawke. He didn't like looking weak in front of his wife and when he had grabbed Hawke's arm earlier he had been afraid for his own safety and he knew that Lily had noticed. Nathan wanted to put Hawke in his place and he knew just how to do it.

"Lily." he called. Lily turned from the sink and wiped her hands on her apron.

"What?" she asked.

"Bring me the whiskey. Hawke and I deserve to have a couple drinks after all the work we've been doing the last few weeks." Nathan smiled as Lily brought over the bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He had heard tell that savages could not hold their liquor and Nathan was proud of how well he could handle the stuff. He would prove he was better than Hawke at something… Perhaps Hawke would even make a fool of himself.

"I am not a drinker." Hawke said as Nathan filled his glass and handed it to him.

"Come on. Just a few won't hurt." Nathan replied filling his own glass. Hawke shrugged and downed the liquor in one quick toss of his head. Nathan smiled and did the same.

Hawke couldn't help but smile as Nathan tried to rise from his seat several hours later and collapsed back into it with a thud.

"Damn, this is some good stuff." Nathan said eyeing the whiskey bottle with wide eyes and then letting out a loud belch.

"Yes. Very strong." Hawke agreed as he sat his half empty glass back down. Unfortunately for Nathan, in his attempt to prove that he was better than Hawke he had drunk nearly the entire bottle of whiskey himself. Hawke was still sipping at his second glass.

"I like you, Hawke." Nathan slurred. "For a savage you're okay. I feel like I can trust you and I feel like I can be myself around you." Hawke rolled his eyes and looked toward the closed bedroom door where Lily had retreated nearly an hour ago.

"Do you want to know the real reason I moved my wife out here?" Nathan asked leaning toward him. Hawke leaned back in his chair, stretched out his long legs and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You told me why." he said. Nathan shook his head and chuckled.

"No, I lied." he said smiling like he thought it was funny. Hawke realized that the man was nearly too drunk to be conscious. He would probably be passing out soon.

"You see my wife and I aren't your average couple. I took her as payment for a debt owed to me and lets just say that she is not nearly as obedient as I had hoped she would be. I'm a firm believer that a wife needs to be taught her place with a hard hand and I have been working hard to teach Lily her place. Of course in the city they are getting stricter about what a husband can do to his wife. It's a bunch of horseshit if you ask me seeing as how she belongs to me! I moved her out here so that I could treat her as I see fit and not have anyone trying to interfere." Nathan tried to pour himself another glass of whiskey only to discover the bottle was empty.

"Why are you telling me this?" Hawke asked, barely managing to keep his hand from closing around the bastards skinny neck.

"Because we're friends." Nathan replied matter of factly as he patted Hawke on the back and nearly fell out of his chair. "Plus I knew you would approve of the way I keep my wife under control. Your kind and I have a lot in common when it comes to our beliefs about strict punishment for disobedience."

"Yes I suppose we do." Hawke replied though right now he was thinking more along the lines of punishing Nathan… Nathan smiled a sloppy drunk smile and pushed himself up out of his chair.

"I guess I should get myself to bed. I'm sure Lily is feeling quite lonely without me." Hawke felt rage fill him. He didn't care if there was a piece of paper saying that Lily belonged to Nathan.. Hawke had never been one to care about rules or laws. As far as he was concerned Lily belonged to him. He stood up and grabbed a stumbling Nathan by the back of the shirt. Before Nathan could ask what was going on, Hawke slammed his head down onto the kitchen table and Nathan fell unconscious to the floor.

Lily came running out of her room at the sound and she looked at the scene in horror.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded putting her hand over her chest. Hawke saw that she changed into her sleeping gown and that even it had long sleeves and a high neckline. He wondered why she hid her body so carefully at all times and then his blood boiled when the answer came to him.

"I did nothing." Hawke replied with a shrug. "He drank too much and when he stood he lost his balance and fell, hitting his head on the table." Hawke was not worried about being caught in the lie because he knew Nathan had been too drunk to remember anything that happened tonight.

"Is he dead?" Lily asked and Hawke raised his eyebrow. She almost sounded hopeful.

"No. He's breathing."

"Oh." Lily said and her face fell.

"Walk outside with me." Hawke said and then without another word he walked out of the cabin. Lily watched the now empty doorway and wondered if she should follow. If Nathan woke up and found her alone with another man there was a good chance he would kill her but then again he did seem to be out cold…. And she longed to talk to someone. Nathan did not allow her to have friends or even acquaintances. Of course given the way her body responded to Hawke the situation could prove dangerous. She decided to take her chances and walked outside into the darkness. She saw Hawke standing a few feet away from the cabin looking up at the stars.

"I wanted to thank you, Hawke." she said stopping on the porch steps instead of walking all the way to him. He didn't look away from the sky when he replied.

"For what?"

"For not telling Nathan that it was my fault the horse died. He would have been very angry. And for not telling him that we rode your horse together." Lily felt a warmth fill her body and an overwhelming, tingling sensation came low in her belly as she remembered how it had felt being pressed against him on that horse.

"I told you I would not tell him. You can trust me." Hawke replied quietly.

"Can I ask you something?" she said smoothing out the bottom of her gown.

"Yes."

"Why do you help Nathan? He isn't paying you much and your hatred of him is obvious to me even if he seems clueless. Why do you keep coming around?" Hawke sighed and looked at her for the first time since she had walked outside. Her dark hair was loose and hanging over her shoulders and the moonlight was shining on her white gown, making her seem to glow.

"Because I want something that is not mine to have." he replied simply. Lily let out a tired sigh at his vague answer and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the porch banister.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked. She wanted to refuse but knew that she could not so she nodded. "Why are you married to a man you hate? Why are you married to a man who sees you as a possession?"

"That was two questions." she said and then her heart nearly stopped beating when Hawke flashed her a smile. It was the first time she had seen him smile and it gave his sharp features a softer edge. His skin crinkled around the sides of his mouth when he smiled and his perfect teeth shown in the moonlight.

"Pick which one you want to answer." he said.

"Why do you care?" she asked. She longed to be able to tell him all her troubles and let him save her but what could he do? She was living every day of her life in her own personal hell and there was no way to escape it.

"Nathan loves me in his own way." she lied. Hawke shook his head.

"No he does not. When a man loves a woman he treats her like a treasure, like a gift, because that is what she is." Lily felt her breath catch in her throat. His tone was not soft and the words were not spoken with tenderness but the intensity shining out of his green eyes was speaking volumes.

"I really should go in and you need to leave. If Nathan wakes up…." Hawke began walking toward her and she stopped talking.

"He won't be waking up any time soon."

"What exactly is it that he has that you want?" Lily asked breathlessly as he came to a stop less than a foot from her and she felt the heat from his body warming her blood.

"This." Hawke said and then he laid a large, gentle hand on her cheek and tilted her head up toward his. He lowered his lips to hers and Lily felt her blood turn to fire. The kiss was passionate but gentle and tender at the same time and Lily had never felt anything like it.

Somewhere in the woods an owl hooted and a coyote yipped and still they stayed lost in each others arms. Hawke buried his hand in her dark hair, careful not to touch the large lump from where she had fallen off the mare. He felt his heart swelling as he urged her mouth open and tasted her with his tongue.

Hawke had been taught by his father that every person had one other person that was made just for them and that when those two people found each other the love was instant and intense… As a boy Hawke had laughed at this idea but standing here in the moonlight with this woman wrapped tight in his arms and her soft, moist lips against his own he was suddenly a believer.

"Lily, kitsiikakomimmo." Hawke whispered huskily as he pulled away from her and looked deep into her eyes.

"I don't know what that means." Lily said finding that hearing those exotic sounds coming from his mouth made her knees weak and made her very grateful that his arm was still wrapped tight around her and that her body was pressed so closely to his or she probably would have fallen.

"One day you will." he replied, smoothing her hair from her face and running his knuckle along her jaw. Lily raised her own hand to his smooth cheek and her wedding ring shown in the moonlight and snapped her out of the trance that his kiss has put her in. She pulled away from him and shook her head.

"You need to leave." she said feeling her heart break.

"Come with me." Hawke replied. He did not want to leave her here with Nathan… Marriage be damned this woman belonged to him. Lily shook her head and took a step away.

"No!" she said more loudly then she had intended. She saw Hawke raise one sculpted eyebrow and he tilted his head.

"What are you so afraid of? Nathan?" Hawke shook his head. "Don't be afraid of him. I can keep you safe."

"No, I can't make him mad…" Lily said thinking about innocent Allie and the threat that Nathan made perfectly clear to her everyday.

"You can trust me. Why are you so afraid of him?" Hawke asked. How could he make her understand that he would protect her from anyone or anything who would do her harm.

"Please just go and forget that anything ever happened between us." she pleaded although even she could hear the regret and sadness in her voice.

"I will go." Hawke said taking a step closer to her and running his hand through her satiny hair. "But I can promise you I will not forget about anything that has happened here tonight." Hawke pressed his lips against hers again in a feather light touch that left her wanting more before turning and walking away.

Lily touched her fingers to her tingling lips and watched him unhitch Trigger and jump into the saddle in one swift, fluid motion that had her wondering what it would feel like to lay with him at night instead of her husband. Wolf rose from where he had been lying beside the porch and walked out to join Hawke.

"If you need anything, you can come to me." Hawke said and then he rode away. Lily walked back into the house with unshed tears burning her eyes. She decided right then that fate must hate her. She had finally met the man who she knew was her soul mate and she could not be with him because she was already married (against her will) to the man currently snoring on the kitchen floor.

She stepped over him and went back to the bedroom, though she knew that after Hawke's fiery touches, passionate kiss and heartfelt words she would not be sleeping tonight.

A/N I used a website to get the english to blackfoot translations i use in this story. The word "kitsiikakomimmo" means "I love you" according to that website. I apologize ahead of time if any of the blackfoot language i use in this story isn't accurate