before she'd gone
more than a few lengths eastward and grabbed the reins from her hands.
She returned like a defiant prisoner, flushed and angry enough to set the prairie aflame. Tomás
sat back in his saddle and studied her with satisfaction. She had no idea how undone she looked
at the moment, how near she came to his imaginary Lady of Fire. How much of her precious
self-control was illusion?
He would take pity on her and not tell her. Yet.
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 38 of 275
"I'd thought to trust you with your own mount," he said. "But since you are so impetuous, my
lady, Mateo will lead you." He nodded to Mateo, who took her reins. They rode to catch up
with the others.
"You never knew my brother at all, did you?" she asked.
"Not well, my lady," he said, "but we have met. And I knew your devotion to him would draw
you with me as nothing else could."
"You played your role most excellently," she said, bitterness in the words. "But why did you
leave me on the train?"
"When Weylin MacLean appeared, I thought discretion the better part of valor. I knew I would
find you again."
"So that you could use me against the MacLeans." She laughed. Possibly she meant the sound
to be feminine and careless, but it came out clipped and strained. "You are mad. Cole will not
be intimidated by your threats."
"Quizas. But beyond Raton Pass and to the west of New Mexico—" he made a wide sweep of
his hand southward, encompassing the mountains rising to the southwest. "That is my realm."
"You speak as if you were a king. Of what, pray tell?"
"Of my own fate, my lady. Of this moment." He grinned just to goad her. "That's enough for me.
But of course it's most inadequate for a spoiled English noblewoman. I regret that you may find
the living a little rough until your fiancé reclaims you. If he loves you, he won't make you suffer
long. He does love you, does he not?"
"He is to be my husband."
"And you love him."
"I am your prisoner, not your guest. I have no interest in continuing this conversation."
"Then you won't object if we move faster." He signaled to his men and urged his horse into a
canter. Rowena adjusted with natural grace, her body flowing with the horse's motion while
her face remained unyielding and closed. They rode across the prairie, alternating between a
walk and easy lope, until the sun brushed the mountains.
Tomás was well aware that Weylin made no idle threat when he promised to hunt them down.
He'd been pursuing Tomás for years without success. At the end of this day's work, Cole would
have no choice but to become personally involved. His pride was at stake, and his manhood. No
longer could he afford to rule the MacLean interests from the safe distance of New York.
The battle was about to be joined in earnest.
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 39 of 275
In the meantime, Weylin had scant hope of finding them soon. Tomás knew of many small,
hidden places—villages and arroyos and cuevas—that the MacLeans had never discovered.
There was an abandoned village at the mouth of a narrow canyon off the Purgatoire River ten
miles northeast of Trinidad, a place to provide shelter and rest the horses until just before
dawn. Tomorrow night would see them in New Mexico.
They reached the empty village just after sunset. Tomás called his men together among the
crumbling adobe walls and gave them their instructions, handing over the ransom demand he'd
written for Cole MacLean. They'd see that it reached the main MacLean ranch in Colfax County.
Mateo passed Rowena's reins into Tomás's hands and turned west with Carlos. Sim hung back.
"You shouldn't be alone," he said. "If MacLean finds you here—"
"You know that I can look after myself, mi amigo. I need you to handle the Rialto gang when
they come for our horses."
Sim turned his head and spat with great eloquence. "Then I hope you get some pleasure out of
her." He looked at Rowena, who returned his
more than a few lengths eastward and grabbed the reins from her hands.
She returned like a defiant prisoner, flushed and angry enough to set the prairie aflame. Tomás
sat back in his saddle and studied her with satisfaction. She had no idea how undone she looked
at the moment, how near she came to his imaginary Lady of Fire. How much of her precious
self-control was illusion?
He would take pity on her and not tell her. Yet.
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 38 of 275
"I'd thought to trust you with your own mount," he said. "But since you are so impetuous, my
lady, Mateo will lead you." He nodded to Mateo, who took her reins. They rode to catch up
with the others.
"You never knew my brother at all, did you?" she asked.
"Not well, my lady," he said, "but we have met. And I knew your devotion to him would draw
you with me as nothing else could."
"You played your role most excellently," she said, bitterness in the words. "But why did you
leave me on the train?"
"When Weylin MacLean appeared, I thought discretion the better part of valor. I knew I would
find you again."
"So that you could use me against the MacLeans." She laughed. Possibly she meant the sound
to be feminine and careless, but it came out clipped and strained. "You are mad. Cole will not
be intimidated by your threats."
"Quizas. But beyond Raton Pass and to the west of New Mexico—" he made a wide sweep of
his hand southward, encompassing the mountains rising to the southwest. "That is my realm."
"You speak as if you were a king. Of what, pray tell?"
"Of my own fate, my lady. Of this moment." He grinned just to goad her. "That's enough for me.
But of course it's most inadequate for a spoiled English noblewoman. I regret that you may find
the living a little rough until your fiancé reclaims you. If he loves you, he won't make you suffer
long. He does love you, does he not?"
"He is to be my husband."
"And you love him."
"I am your prisoner, not your guest. I have no interest in continuing this conversation."
"Then you won't object if we move faster." He signaled to his men and urged his horse into a
canter. Rowena adjusted with natural grace, her body flowing with the horse's motion while
her face remained unyielding and closed. They rode across the prairie, alternating between a
walk and easy lope, until the sun brushed the mountains.
Tomás was well aware that Weylin made no idle threat when he promised to hunt them down.
He'd been pursuing Tomás for years without success. At the end of this day's work, Cole would
have no choice but to become personally involved. His pride was at stake, and his manhood. No
longer could he afford to rule the MacLean interests from the safe distance of New York.
The battle was about to be joined in earnest.
Once A Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 02
Page 39 of 275
In the meantime, Weylin had scant hope of finding them soon. Tomás knew of many small,
hidden places—villages and arroyos and cuevas—that the MacLeans had never discovered.
There was an abandoned village at the mouth of a narrow canyon off the Purgatoire River ten
miles northeast of Trinidad, a place to provide shelter and rest the horses until just before
dawn. Tomorrow night would see them in New Mexico.
They reached the empty village just after sunset. Tomás called his men together among the
crumbling adobe walls and gave them their instructions, handing over the ransom demand he'd
written for Cole MacLean. They'd see that it reached the main MacLean ranch in Colfax County.
Mateo passed Rowena's reins into Tomás's hands and turned west with Carlos. Sim hung back.
"You shouldn't be alone," he said. "If MacLean finds you here—"
"You know that I can look after myself, mi amigo. I need you to handle the Rialto gang when
they come for our horses."
Sim turned his head and spat with great eloquence. "Then I hope you get some pleasure out of
her." He looked at Rowena, who returned his
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