Never Surrender Read Online Free Page B

though not as tall. This one wore a
beaded, fringed leather shirt.
    He pointed at her black jeans and boots. Amused, he
looked at his friend. “Kai kia sotem manankuhten nukkiwa’iyu sukka
tahimahkaute.”
    More words she didn’t understand, and though she
refused to look at her captor, Kate sensed his gaze upon her. Again visions of
her warrior filled her mind, confusing her even more since all this seemed so
unreal.
    Sore muscles knotted throughout her body from
traveling so far and she scrunched her shoulders in an attempt to relieve the
tension. Despite her weariness, she pushed away any thought of sleep; she had
to stay awake. Prisoners were raped and killed. She had no idea what they
intended to do with her, but knew she had to take the first opportunity to
escape.
    From the corner of her eye, she saw her captor open a
pouch, pull out a piece of dried meat, then grab a blanket. He dropped the
blanket at her feet and held the food out to her. Kate took it, the hunger in
her stomach being greater than her pride at the moment. Tired and hungry, she
would have eaten anything. The tough meat forced her to tug at it with her
teeth, yet the flavor surprised her; it actually tasted good.
    She watched with caution as the men built a fire, and
then ate their portions of meat as they conversed. While the friend talked with
her captor, his gaze kept drifting back to her, and he almost appeared to be
enjoying this. Kate met the dark gaze of the shorter Indian and stiffened her
back. “What do you intend to do with me?”
    He glanced from her to his companion and back, though
his handsome friend had yet to raise his dark lashes in her direction.
    “Is he afraid to speak for himself?” She ignored them
both for a moment and again sank her teeth into the delicious meat, wrenching
off another piece. The succulent flavor of the course meat made her mouth water
as she kept her gaze trained on the man across from her. The dark gaze of her
captor’s friend left hers for only a moment to eye his companion, who had stood
and now faced the looming, snow-capped mountains ahead, staring into the night.
    With her legs crossed, Kate rested her wrists on her
knees and glared at the man still sitting. “What do you want with me?”
    “Ne kai en tsaya’a. Usen kai nean tenimmapaianna.”
    She didn’t understand his nonchalant reply. “Do you
think I’m going to go up into those mountains with the two of you without a
fight?”
    Only a deep chuckle reverberated from his chest.
    Frustrated and sore, she finished her meal, then
wrapped the blanket about her shoulders. The warrior across from her rose to
retrieve his blanket from a stiff-skinned pouch, and returned to the other side
of the fire to bed down for the night.
    He waved his hand in her direction. “Eppeikku. Imaa
tammen nahato’i so’i.”
    She assumed he gave her an order to sleep, which, of
course, she would ignore.
    Kate glanced at the other warrior. He stood with his
broad shoulders straight and tall, never once turning to see what the argument
might be between her and his friend. Then he raised his arms, fingers reaching
toward the heavens and began to chant in a low voice, the sound of which sent
another chill shivering down her spine at the near similarity.
    Weariness attacking her, Kate curled up closer to the
fire for warmth. Though they were in a wooded area, the trees blocked little of
the wind, and the cold seeped into her body. Thoughts of Brandon invaded her
mind and she remembered how the sound of his voice had created the feeling of warm
silk. Had that actually happened today? It seemed so long ago. For some unknown
reason, the sound of her captor’s voice made her feel the same way, and they
both wore their hair alike, but what could the connection be? They both also
made her feel the same comforting feeling when they spoke, but she dared not
let him know how his voice affected her. Yet, though his voice might be
comforting, his actions so far were not.
    Unseen