"Forgive?" Her whispered question went unnoticed. She was at a loss among these men and the strange customs. "Go inside," Alexi said, parting the tent flap. To find adventure had been her dream. Now all she wanted was to find a way home, to breathe the clean mountain air once more. She knew Alexi would take a wife and give another woman his name. She didn't want to be here when that happened. Yet even today, her thoughts when she had dressed had spiraled in a mad fashion. She already hated the unknown woman who would become his wife. Even if she had been of a mind to accept the position of mistress, being his lover would never be enough for her. She needed so much more. Because she did want Alexi to love her. She wanted their children to carry his name. All that had transpired between them the last few months failed to matter now, and all that did matter was that she loved him. She loved him for his basic honesty, for his loyalty, for his stubborn determination, for his sense of right and wrong.
