All Chapters of Alpha of Smoke: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

*Chet* “We thank you, Moon Goddess, for the blessing of this animal who has given its life to feed our people. Mighty bison, we thank you for the gift of your life, and we will honor you by using your strength as our strength.” My hunting party says, “Let it be so,” together in our Shaconage language, and then we open our eyes and prepare to move the mighty bison I’ve killed back to our village to be cleaned and processed. It is the fourth bison I’ve killed this week, and along with the kills from the other hunters from my pack, we have already claimed enough meat to feed our people through the winter.It’s a good thing, too, because this herd will be moving out of our lands soon, and then we will have to wait for another herd to come through, which might not be until next spring.With the crops we are growing that will be harvested this fall, we should be set for the harsh winter.&ldqu

*Isabella*I lay on my back near the campfire, looking up at a thousand stars above my head. Behind me, I hear the lap of the river as it creeps up the shore and then retreats. I should be sleepin’; we have an early start again tomorrow, trying to get across this river before the sun climbs above us and turns uncomfortable to unbearable, but I can’t. My mind’s runnin’ wilder than a pack of stallions out on the range, and I can’t seem to rein my jumbled thoughts in.After Pa killed the rogues, we all rushed back to the cattle. Joseph and Andy had managed to keep them together, and we finished runnin’ ‘em to the river without any problem. I waited for Billy to come over to me to rub it in that he’d had to help me, but he hadn’t. I hadn’t said nothin’ to him either, even at dinner time when we was all gathered around eatin’ together. Now, I’m tryin’ to figure out what there is to say.Thank you seems like a good start, but I’m afraid when I open my mouth to say the words, somethin’ rude

*Isabella* Tension is palpable as we stand next to the wagon on the edge of the river, listenin’ to Sanders and Burns bark out orders to everyone. It’s rained a good spell the last few days, and the river was too swollen for us to cross when we expected to.It’s irritatin’, bein’ here on this side of the water when we all wanna be on the other. Whenever I complain, Pa just tells me to get used to it. Such is life. It’s gonna be this way all along the path that leads to our new home, and that’s one a the reasons that wagon trains never make it on time.There are others–like everybody dies…. I try not to think on that one too much.The rain let up late last night. This mornin’ Pa and the alleged leaders of our group went out to check out the situation. Pa still thinks the water is too high and we oughtta wait. Sanders and Burns disagree. Since my pa ain’t actually in charge, he

*Chet*The deluge slows our progress as I rush across the prairie in my human form. We stopped to shift and get dressed before we headed to the river, hearing the commotion of crossing wagons, but I know something is wrong when I hear shouting. Abandoning my friends, I pick up speed, a thousand questions flooding my mind–like why in the world were they crossing here and not up river where it’s narrower?All of those questions fade from my head when I hear Unega’s voice. I don’t understand what she’s shouting, but I know she’s nearby–and I know she’s in danger. I see a flash of white-yellow hair in the water before she sinks under.Fear grips my soul as I leap into the angry water, propelling myself toward where I last caught sight of her. I see another girl floating nearby, but she is not my concern right now. Red water tells me exactly where to look, and I dive down beneath the murky surface to see my mate floating limply next to a large rock. As swift as an eagle in flight, I wrap m

*Isabella* A train has hit me in the skull and splintered my bones into a thousand tiny pieces that wiggle and squirm their way deep into the crevices of my brain.At least, that’s what it feels like to me. I take a deep breath and lift a hand to try and make the pain go away as I blink a thousand times. When I touch my noggin’ I feel a bandage, and a flood of memories comes back to me.I sit up way too quick, and the world spins. I’m in the back of the wagon, wearin’ a different dress than I had on before. Outside, the sun is settin’, paintin’ the sky in pink and gold, and my head feels like it weighs a thousand pounds.Off in the distance, I hear the soft murmur of prayers and cryin’--in French. “Genevieve,” I murmur, my stomach dropping like a rock.I should be dead, but I’m here.She must not have made it.The cloth in the back of the wagon is open so I can