How Not to Date a Skunk Read Free

the younger off mid-yell, and everyone in the room stared at her with blank faces.
    Everyone but the skunk.
    The huge animal stomped its feet twice, and everyone in the room suddenly turned back to him. As Bilana stared, somewhere in between horror, bemusement, and confusion, the huge animal seemed to hop over to her, putting itself between her and the rest of the people in the room, shoving the younger warrior aside.
    He had protected her, but she hoped to heaven above that he wouldn’t get it into his head to spray. She had been almost sprayed as a child, and the very sight of the huge skunk, protective as he was, brought back nightmares of running through the woods of Virginia trying to get away.
    The skunk gave another stomp, and the elders rushed back to finish collecting hair and blood. The younger warrior still stared at her in anger, but moved behind the skunk and pressed a huge glass jar to something under his tail.
    The skunk grunted, and a clear fluid filled the jar, releasing the same enticing smell she’d scented earlier when the warrior was dancing. She opened her mouth to speak again, but a glare from one solid black skunk eye had her shutting her trap and standing meekly as the bodily fluid collection was completed.
    When the young warrior stepped back with his jar of collected fluid, the skunk shuddered once more and, faster than her eye could follow, there stood the white-haired warrior.
    And despite the danger she knew herself to be in, she couldn’t help but examine his body from top to bottom… from an artistic point of view, of course.
    “I hope you are enjoying the view.”
    His voice, when he spoke, made her jump in shock. It was deep and gravelly, yet he had a lilting way of speaking that she found charming.
    Still, she was speechless. What did one actually say to a giant skunk?
    “Chaska,” the younger growled. “We have to silence her.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “Chaska!”
    “I claim her.”
    Then there was silence.
    “But… but she is not of the people!”
    “But she is here.”
    “What does that have to do with anything?”
    “She is here,” the female elder responded to the irate younger warrior. “Within the circle.”
    “I avoided the circle,” Bilana felt the need to add. “I didn’t know if it was blessed or not. I know that is… bad…” She trailed off as the younger warrior’s glare got stronger.
    “You have desecrated a sacred ceremony.” He growled, stepping toward her, but paused when the elder warrior — Chaska — stepped into his path.
    “If she was not meant to be here, she would not be here,” the female elder repeated, amusement in her tone.
    “And I have chosen her as my own,” Chaska repeated. “There is no trespass.”
    “You were to choose one of the appropriate women presented,” the angry one all but shouted in Chaska’s face. “You fought me for the honor to choose.”
    “And I won the right to choose.” Chaska still sounded patient and still stood protectively before Bilana, so she was really rooting for the guy. After all, he was saving her from being silenced.
    Silenced. The many and varied meanings of that term rolled through her head. It could mean something as simple as having to sign a gag order or as bad as having her tongue cut out. Or even worse… would an Indian make someone swim with the fishes?
    This was South Dakota! Was there any water deep enough for them to hide her body?
    “He chose me!” Bilana repeated, just in case there was any doubt. And to ensure there wasn’t, she reached out and gripped the arm of the naked, white-haired skunk man who did not stink.
    “I have chosen.”
    His word seemed to be final as the younger warrior stepped back, the female elder chuckled softly, and the male elder finally made a move.
    “Then it is decided.” His voice was even deeper that Chaska’s, she realized, though she could not see any resemblance even in his wrinkled visage.
    The younger groused a bit, but finally