The Man From Forever

The Man From Forever
Dawn Flindt

OUT OF THE MISTS OF TIMEWhen she first came to the sacred tribal land in the California wilderness, anthropologist Tory Kent paid little heed to the tales of a mystical warrior keeping watch there. But then a dark figure appeared through the mists before her–and suddenly the unimaginable became reality. Wherever–whenever–he had come from, the one called Loka was truly a man, and he awakened a need within Tory that could scarcely be denied. For he had returned, after a century in the shadows, to claim her–the woman destiny had promised only to him. Though entangled by undeniable passion, each walked a path seemingly impossible to weld together. For Tory was tied to the present. And Loka was bound by an age-old promise to protect his people's legacy…even at the cost of his own life.

“LOKA, I FELT SOMETHING THAT FIRST DAY.”

He shrugged, the gesture low and studied. If he’d thrown a thousand words at her, the impact couldn’t have been greater. She would never say there was a vulnerability to him, but something—maybe it was the loneliness he’d endured since his awakening—was etched on every line of his body. She was the first human being who’d touched him in six months—no, in more than a hundred years.

Thinking of nothing except putting an end to that, she slipped closer.

He watched her, his beautiful eyes seeing things in her she knew no one else ever had. I’ve been alone, too, she said with her heart.

His powerful fingers closed over her wrist and drew her close, closer, gentle despite his strength. Silence coated the air between them and yet she knew.

He wanted her.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the wild, windblown world of the Lava Beds in Northern California, the location for The Man from Forever. More than a hundred and thirty years ago, the Modoc Indians fled a reservation and found shelter in the caves created by ancient volcanic eruption.

Although their battle is over, the area has been made into a national landmark. When I went there, I gave myself over to the quiet beauty of a stark land untouched by progress—a land where the spirits of those brave people wait to touch and be touched. I knew I had to write about a warrior capable of facing great danger as he bridges time and space and the woman who takes him from loneliness to fulfillment.

I hope you enjoy reading that warrior’s story as much as I loved writing it. I’d love to hear from you at vmunn@attglobal.net.

Sincerely,

Vella Munn

The Man from Forever

Vella Munn

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Although Loka and Tory are fictional characters,

The Land of Burned Out Fires and

the Modoc Indians are real.

Located in Northern California,

the Lava Beds National Monument stands as a testament to

the resourceful Native Americans who once made that

fascinating land their home.

I am honored to dedicate this book to the spirit,

the essence, of those people.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Prologue

The warrior’s body woke, one slow, gliding movement at a time. He became aware of sound—a distant, half-remembered whisper of wind sliding its restless way over the land. He remembered—remembered closing himself in the cave’s darkness beside his dying son, swallowing the shaman’s bitter potion, feeling strength flow out of his body, losing control of his thoughts. Losing the thoughts themselves.