The Chumash, who lived along the coast north of present-day Los Angeles, dwelled in harmony with the land, worshiping gods and spirits of their own. Then the Spanish came and drove them from their home places, cutting them off from sources of food and from places of worship. Any Indians captured by the Spanish were forced into virtual slavery in the well-guarded missions. Assigned to protect a mission from marauding Chumash, a proud colonel in the Spanish army has moved not just himself and his men but his wife and daughter from the safety of Mexico City to the rough life of Alta California. His wife is content to do the bidding of the priest and her husband, but his daughter, Lucita, is excited by the wild, beautiful landscape that surrounds her. On their journey to the mission, she glimpses a half-naked Chumash warrior and, not yet knowing that he is her fate, finds herself fascinated with his strength and the power of his gaze. Black Wolf was once a captive of the Spanish priests. He knows that the new garrison has come to hunt him down, for he gravely wounded one of the mission guards. He does not understand why he showed himself to the Spanish woman, but something about her draws him near. Her father, determined to rid himself of a headstrong, troublesome daughter who might jeopardize his career by becoming too friendly with the natives, brings Lucita a powerful suitor. Surprised at herself, she feels torn between Pablo Portola, who offers her refuge in her own society, and Black Wolf, who offers her only a life that will always be in peril.
