Innocence and the Outlaw

Chapter Thirteen

"I told you and Leah both that you couldn't be together. You'd be better off leaving now and saving yourself the heartache." Chance informed Chase and Chase's black eyes narrowed as he stared at the man.

"Why do you hate me so? Is it because of my skin? My father was half white and his white sire raped his mother. So what part of me is really the savage?"

"It's not that I hate you. I was raised to see you people as dangerous and I'm smart enough to see that you are dangerous. You have no home, no job, no real way to support my sister other than murdering and stealing to get what you need. You would take her away from us and turn her into something that we don't want her to be. Or you would get her killed or murdered by one of the many enemies you no doubt have. And it's not just that...."

'What else is there?" Chase asked dryly.

"She's not free to be with you. She's already promised to someone else who is in the house and waiting for her."

***

"We were so worried about you!" Sarah exclaimed as she hugged her daughter. "Your father was certain you were dead but I never lost hope that you'd come back to us alive." Sarah's hug grew tighter and Leah gasped in pain.

"You're hurt!" Paul stated, his tone accusing. "How did you get hurt?!"

"She was shot." Chase stated as he and Chance walked to them, leading their horses by the reins.

"Shot?!" Sarah gasped as she covered her mouth with her hands. "Where?" Leah pulled up the side of her shirt to reveal the cotton bandage Chase had made from his only other extra shirt. He was still shirtless and had been since leaving the camp, not that Leah was going to complain about that. Though perhaps a shirt would have helped him to look more civilized in her parent's eyes.

"How did this happen?" Paul demanded, glaring at Chase. "You say my daughter was in your care, how did she get shot?" Chance cleared his throat but Chase spoke before he could.

"We were captured. In our attempt to escape Leah was grazed by a bullet. Painful, yes. Deadly, no." Leah saw her mother's eyes go up and down Chase's body before she blushed deeply and looked down at her feet.

"Your arm looks injured as well." Sarah said pointing at the graze on Chase's own arm.

"No worse than wounds I've had before." he replied and Leah saw her father taking in the scars on Chase's copper skin. Most of those scars had come from the claws and teeth of the mountain lion he had battled to save her life but a few were bullet wounds from before Leah had known him.

"Chance, ride to town and get the doc so he can come tend to Leah's wound." Paul said matter of factly.

"That's not necessary, father. Chase has been taking care of it. Look at it for yourself, there is no swelling or infection."

"I would prefer someone with medicinal knowledge looks at the wound." Paul said, refusing to even cast a glance at Chase. Leah felt her temper flare. Chase was being patient and calm, respectful even, and her father was being a giant horses ass. It was no less than what she had expected from him but still it angered her.

"My wound is fine. It hurts but it's fine."

"Of course it is, dear." Sarah said with a placating tone. "You must be exhausted after being held prisoner for so long. How did Chase manage to save you?"

"And why." Paul added coldly.

"Oh but she wasn't a prisoner." Chance informed their parents. "She was there by choice. With him." Chance added, tilting his head toward Chase.