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Apache Captive
For years Chama waits for Fire Woman to notice him. Since her capture as a child he watches her, knowing that she was meant to be his bride. Now she had come of age, and has grown even more tempting over the years. With her tempestuous spirit and flaming red hair she has many admirers. But his determination to have her has raised the bride price. He doesn't care. He will pay whatever is necessary to make her his. But she still refuses him. Even though the bride price is paid, she will not accept him. But her refusal doesn't sway him. He will have her! Will make her his and eventually she will come to accept him. Now the time has come. In two days she must come to his wickiup. She has no choice. If she does not come willingly then she will be brought to him. He would soon her resistance would melt under his slow, tender loving.
Mary Elizabeth could hardly look at the Apache Warrior without burning with rage. No matter what happened she would never give in to him. He thought to make her his bride, but the thought of crawling willingly into his bed made her blood boil over with rage. She had known for the past three years that he wanted her. She had seen him watching her from the time she was brought in to the Apache village and was always careful to never be alone when he was around. But now the bride price had been paid and she knew her time had run out. She would find a way to leave. And perhaps that way had now presented itself as she watched the newly captured prisoner led into the encampment. She had heard of the woman who was thought to be a healer. If the two of them escaped together then her chances to stay alive were doubled. She would wait, would find a chance to speak with her. And if Johanna McFarley agreed they would escape together. She knew Chama would never willingly give her up. Not since he already considered her his property. But she was afraid of the bronze-skinned brave. More fearful of being unable to control her wild emotions around him. Emotions that left her breathless, that often crept into her dreams while she slept until she woke with the memory of his lips claiming hers in a heated kiss. No, she must leave here before that happened. And she would go alone if she must but she would never allow the warrior to claim her. Never!
But when the two managed to leave and take refuge at Bent's Fort, she soon discovered there was no escape for her. She killed a warrior while escaping from the village and if they found her she faces torture of the worst kind. Her only hope is the man she had thought never to see again.
Mary Elizabeth could hardly look at the Apache Warrior without burning with rage. No matter what happened she would never give in to him. He thought to make her his bride, but the thought of crawling willingly into his bed made her blood boil over with rage. She had known for the past three years that he wanted her. She had seen him watching her from the time she was brought in to the Apache village and was always careful to never be alone when he was around. But now the bride price had been paid and she knew her time had run out. She would find a way to leave. And perhaps that way had now presented itself as she watched the newly captured prisoner led into the encampment. She had heard of the woman who was thought to be a healer. If the two of them escaped together then her chances to stay alive were doubled. She would wait, would find a chance to speak with her. And if Johanna McFarley agreed they would escape together. She knew Chama would never willingly give her up. Not since he already considered her his property. But she was afraid of the bronze-skinned brave. More fearful of being unable to control her wild emotions around him. Emotions that left her breathless, that often crept into her dreams while she slept until she woke with the memory of his lips claiming hers in a heated kiss. No, she must leave here before that happened. And she would go alone if she must but she would never allow the warrior to claim her. Never!
But when the two managed to leave and take refuge at Bent's Fort, she soon discovered there was no escape for her. She killed a warrior while escaping from the village and if they found her she faces torture of the worst kind. Her only hope is the man she had thought never to see again.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1990
11 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Betty Brooks
49 books32 followersBetty Brooks was born and raised in Palo Pinto County, the second eldest of eleven children. During her early years, she roamed the Palo Pinto Mountains with her brothers, developing a love for the outdoors that remains to this day. She became an avid reader in grade school and her love of books has stayed with her throughout the years.
In 1953, she married her high school sweetheart. Two years later, he was drafted into the army. His military career spanned twenty years and brought the family (one son and two daughters) to Michigan, Minnesota, California, El Paso, TX, and Germany. When James retired in 1976, they moved back to their hometown of Mineral Wells, TX.
There, Ms. Brooks began her writing career. Her first book, Savage Flame, was published by Zebra in March, 1987. A national best seller, it was nominated by Romantic Times (RT) for "Best Indian Romance" by a new author. Her Apache quartet was nominated by RT for "Best Western Romance Series" of the year. In total, Ms. Brooks has written twenty Historical Romances for Zebra Books. 1999 brings the release of three new Betty Brooks titles. A Place in my Heart will be available in April, A Wayward Heart in December, and her novelette, Mail Order Love, is offered as lead title in Zebra's anthology Always A Bride (May 1999).
In 1953, she married her high school sweetheart. Two years later, he was drafted into the army. His military career spanned twenty years and brought the family (one son and two daughters) to Michigan, Minnesota, California, El Paso, TX, and Germany. When James retired in 1976, they moved back to their hometown of Mineral Wells, TX.
There, Ms. Brooks began her writing career. Her first book, Savage Flame, was published by Zebra in March, 1987. A national best seller, it was nominated by Romantic Times (RT) for "Best Indian Romance" by a new author. Her Apache quartet was nominated by RT for "Best Western Romance Series" of the year. In total, Ms. Brooks has written twenty Historical Romances for Zebra Books. 1999 brings the release of three new Betty Brooks titles. A Place in my Heart will be available in April, A Wayward Heart in December, and her novelette, Mail Order Love, is offered as lead title in Zebra's anthology Always A Bride (May 1999).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 1, 2021
I stayed up till almost 5 am reading this. (I didn't finish the book then lol.) I almost want to reread this book. The ending was a little bittersweet.
Mary Elizabeth (lol, I know) was captured by the Apaches when she was 12. Now, she's escaped at 16. The Apache warrior Chama finds her, demanding she come with him because he's bought her bride price with 100 horses. Mary Elizabeth had killed an Apache too, so Chama is there to protect her. (I think that's why?)
They spend most of the book in a cabin of two trappers, but I was never bored. Even though the cabin is in the middle of nowhere, people do not leave them alone. A different cast of characters come in and out.
The sex scenes were flowery towards the climaxes. I would have appreciated more detail maybe. She was also young to lose her virginity--16. The sex happened early on; I was surprised.
What I did not get was the ending.
I would have loved a sequel, or at the very least an epilogue. I would actually read the story of their lives, even if they just stayed in that cabin with Dawg and not much happened.
Speaking of Dawg, I LOVED THAT DOG! He was my favorite character. I think this was the best pet in literature I have ever read. Dawg was so unusually intelligent, perceptive, and loyal.
Sad the book is over. No more Dawg... *pouty lip*
Mary Elizabeth (lol, I know) was captured by the Apaches when she was 12. Now, she's escaped at 16. The Apache warrior Chama finds her, demanding she come with him because he's bought her bride price with 100 horses. Mary Elizabeth had killed an Apache too, so Chama is there to protect her. (I think that's why?)
They spend most of the book in a cabin of two trappers, but I was never bored. Even though the cabin is in the middle of nowhere, people do not leave them alone. A different cast of characters come in and out.
The sex scenes were flowery towards the climaxes. I would have appreciated more detail maybe. She was also young to lose her virginity--16. The sex happened early on; I was surprised.
What I did not get was the ending.
I would have loved a sequel, or at the very least an epilogue. I would actually read the story of their lives, even if they just stayed in that cabin with Dawg and not much happened.
Speaking of Dawg, I LOVED THAT DOG! He was my favorite character. I think this was the best pet in literature I have ever read. Dawg was so unusually intelligent, perceptive, and loyal.
Sad the book is over. No more Dawg... *pouty lip*
April 7, 2019
Chama is an Apache warrior who betrayed his tribe to save the white woman Mary Elizabeth from their wrath and fury.
Mary Elizabeth was taken captive by the Apache who murdered her family. For four years she was beaten and mistreated by the apaches until chama paid the bride price for her and claimed her as his own. The only hope that kept her alive is that one day she will escape them and go find her brother jeb who was not present when the Apache murdered her family and is still alive. When that day came and she escaped, chama betrayed his tribe to help her because he just cannot imagine a life without her. Over the course of the next few months, moving from one place to the other, spending countless nights in the forest huddled together for warmth and fighting to survive, chama decided he will show her he loved her so in the end she will forget her people and brother and the civilized life she had known before and come back to him.
This is a 1990 story and the writing then varied a lot from the writings of today. This author managed to capture the Apache life, hunting, the forest and everything to perfection.
But for her whole life as a captive Mary Elizabeth had held onto the hope that one day she will be reunited with her people and her brother jeb and when that day came she watched her brother from afar and decided he looked happy with his wife and toddler and turned her back and went to live HEA with chama.
I just can't understand the fact that she would be so close to her brother and then turn her back without letting him know she is alive. The whole point of this book is moot because that was her goal all along and in the end she didn't do anything about it. She just let it go. She has no idea what her brother went through not knowing whether or not she is still alive. In my opinion she should have gone to meet her brother and speak to him instead of watching him from afar from across his farm. I'm not happy with the ending. The author could have ended it another way whereby she met her brother so he knows shes alive and then go back to chama.
Mary Elizabeth was taken captive by the Apache who murdered her family. For four years she was beaten and mistreated by the apaches until chama paid the bride price for her and claimed her as his own. The only hope that kept her alive is that one day she will escape them and go find her brother jeb who was not present when the Apache murdered her family and is still alive. When that day came and she escaped, chama betrayed his tribe to help her because he just cannot imagine a life without her. Over the course of the next few months, moving from one place to the other, spending countless nights in the forest huddled together for warmth and fighting to survive, chama decided he will show her he loved her so in the end she will forget her people and brother and the civilized life she had known before and come back to him.
This is a 1990 story and the writing then varied a lot from the writings of today. This author managed to capture the Apache life, hunting, the forest and everything to perfection.
But for her whole life as a captive Mary Elizabeth had held onto the hope that one day she will be reunited with her people and her brother jeb and when that day came she watched her brother from afar and decided he looked happy with his wife and toddler and turned her back and went to live HEA with chama.
I just can't understand the fact that she would be so close to her brother and then turn her back without letting him know she is alive. The whole point of this book is moot because that was her goal all along and in the end she didn't do anything about it. She just let it go. She has no idea what her brother went through not knowing whether or not she is still alive. In my opinion she should have gone to meet her brother and speak to him instead of watching him from afar from across his farm. I'm not happy with the ending. The author could have ended it another way whereby she met her brother so he knows shes alive and then go back to chama.
October 25, 2023
This was just absurd. Mary Elizabeth outruns a bear, Chama survives getting shot in the chest and recovers quickly enough that he’s able to kill another villain like a week later. He’s also attacked by the bear and gets swiped by its claws, but those wounds are never mentioned again and he never gets an infection from them (but he DOES get an infection from the gunshot wound). Cynthia Ann Parker makes a cameo wanting to burn Chama at the stake. There’s some magic finger medicine that cures Chama after he gets shot with an arrow in the shoulder and takes a lance in the back and an entire Comanche village beats the brakes off of him. There’s a miracle dog named Dawg who knows how to track someone just by being told “find him” with no training. A woman who was abducted over a year ago miraculously shows up after her husband stops by and asks Chama and Mary Elizabeth if they’ve seen her - and then she’s able to survive on her own, lost in the woods, for WEEKS until her husband is able to find her.
Oh, and the Mexican characters talk like this: “I hear notheeng but you, amigo. And if the Apaches are in these mountains, then I theenk they will surely keel us all.” Oof, Betty.
They go through all of this because Mary Elizabeth wants to find her brother and live with him, and then once they finally do find her brother she changes her mind and begs Chama to take her all the way back to the cabin in the mountains instead. Lol.
Oh, and the Mexican characters talk like this: “I hear notheeng but you, amigo. And if the Apaches are in these mountains, then I theenk they will surely keel us all.” Oof, Betty.
They go through all of this because Mary Elizabeth wants to find her brother and live with him, and then once they finally do find her brother she changes her mind and begs Chama to take her all the way back to the cabin in the mountains instead. Lol.
November 26, 2022
You Will Love Chayma and Mary Elizabeth’s Story
Chayma is an Apache who pays 100 horses for Mary Elizabeth. Both of them slowly grow and change throughout the story. I found myself rooting for them to realize and acknowledge their love for each other. Chayma, the captor, comes to realize it first. His love grows to the point that he will let her go to make her happy. Even if it means unbearable pain to his heart and soul. Read their story in Apache Captive.
Chayma is an Apache who pays 100 horses for Mary Elizabeth. Both of them slowly grow and change throughout the story. I found myself rooting for them to realize and acknowledge their love for each other. Chayma, the captor, comes to realize it first. His love grows to the point that he will let her go to make her happy. Even if it means unbearable pain to his heart and soul. Read their story in Apache Captive.
June 29, 2024
This had me on the edge of my seat, at the end!
April 19, 2025
This is the second time I've read this book and still thoroughly enjoyed it. He is an Apache and she is a white captive he paid a bride price for. She had killed an Apache guard to escape so he risked his life to try and rescue her. At the end he helps her seek her brother but she realises she is in love with him and decides not to meet her brother but spend a life with him. Plenty of action and romance. HEA ending.
October 25, 2015
I loved ir
Nice book will read more from this author... wish I could see how things turned out for them. Hope itd a part two
Nice book will read more from this author... wish I could see how things turned out for them. Hope itd a part two
March 17, 2016
Disappointed
The book was very boring , I was hoping that the more I read the better it would be . That just wasn't the case with this book, very disappointed !!!
The book was very boring , I was hoping that the more I read the better it would be . That just wasn't the case with this book, very disappointed !!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews