Lexia (The Deadwood Hunter Series) (25 page)

“Please what? Tell me what you want.”

“Oh Linc, please, please touch me,” and he lowered his mouth to her awaiting core, slowly licking his warm tongue upwards.

“More,” she cried.

And he unleashed the panther that he’d been holding back, sucking and licking at her, lapping up all her juices. He held her down, his claws slicing through his skin and drove her to the edge. He felt her tightening, bracing for the moment she snapped.

Lincoln pulled away from her, smiling at her little moan of protest. He quickly removed his clothes, freeing his rock hard shaft and thrust it into her desire-swollen heat; she was slick and wet from her juices. He pounded her hard and fast holding nothing back and relished in the wild cries and moans that left her mouth.

She opened her eyes and stared into his which were flashing from human to panther as he lost control. She tightened around his cock and then he shuddered, crying her name as his warm juices flowed into her. Lincoln collapsed forwards, rolling to his side and Lexia snuggled into his body and almost instantly fell to sleep. He watched her for a while, stroking her soft skin before sleep claimed him as well.

Chapter 27

Lexia woke early feeling disoriented. She was in an unfamiliar room and bed; she missed waking to the sun peeking through the wooden slats of Lincoln’s blinds. She missed seeing green tree tops and the peaceful forest; she could hear the cars already busy outside. As the days had gone by she had become more in tune with her Hunter abilities. She rolled over and looked at Lincoln’s peaceful face; his eyelashes casting shadows over his cheekbones making him look even more stunning. She wondered how he slept through all the noise around him, his hearing was even better than hers; no wonder he lived in the middle of the forest with only the scurry of animals and the chatter of birds to break the silence.

She slipped out of bed leaving Lincoln to sleep and crept into the kitchen to find Alice already there nursing a cup of coffee. She glanced at the clock, it was only 5:30 am.

“You’re up early.”

“Hmm, got a lot on my mind, and so are you?”

“Yeah, I have a lot on my mind, too.” She smiled, pouring herself a coffee and joining her friend around the table.

“You look well-rested, though. Lincoln must have done a good job wearing you out last night! Sure sounded like it,” she smirked, trying not to laugh.

Lexia felt her cheeks flush with heat, “Oh god.” She hid her face in her hands and burst out laughing. Alice joined in and soon both girls were crying with laughter.

“What’s so funny, girls?” Lincoln asked, walking in with just his jeans on.

“Put some clothes on!” Lexia laughed, whilst Alice covered her mouth trying to stifle her laughs.

Lincoln seemed completely unfazed by the girls’ hysterics. “Nope. Shall I make breakfast?” They never answered just sat laughing, tears streaming down their faces.

Lexia sat at the table eating breakfast with Lincoln and Alice, the feeling of dread had lifted after her laughing fit with Alice. She should be mortified that she’d heard her having sex with Lincoln, but somehow it just didn’t matter. It was Alice, she knew every secret that she’d ever had. She smiled to herself looking at the two people that meant the world to her but as Alice spoke the wounds to her soul ripped back open and the smiled dropped from her face; the feeling of dread settling back in her stomach.

“I didn’t mention it yesterday but I attended your dad’s funeral, Lex.” Alice sat in silence, waiting for Lexia’s response.

Lexia didn’t respond, she just stared at a crack in the table but all she really saw was the last time she had seen her dad. It didn’t matter how many happy memories she had with him, that moment was imprinted in her mind, slowly eating away at her. She didn’t want to talk about this; the grief was too much, a swirling vortex trying to pull her in. Just one slip up and Lexia would never get out; she had to forget, she had to move on.

“It was just a small funeral, my mom and dad went and his work colleagues, some of his students. I put a picture in his grave for you, it was that one I took three years ago on your birthday, do you remember? I said goodbye for you, Lex.”

Lexia looked up, tears blurred her vision, and she felt Lincoln’s warm hand slide onto her thigh. It eased the hurt a little but not even Lincoln could heal this wound. “I said goodbye, Alice... I said goodbye when he died in my arms.”

Alice sucked in a breath. “Lex, Lexia I, I…” Lexia knew Alice didn’t mean anything by her words but she was upset and angry. Angry at the Hunters for killing her dad, angry that she couldn’t attend her own dad’s funeral, angry that everybody thought she’d killed her own dad. Lexia felt so angry that she wanted to just scream; scream until her throat felt hoarse.

Lexia sighed, “I know you didn’t, you’re my best friend, Alice. Thank you for being there when I wasn’t.”

“I can take you there if you like?” she whispered.

Did she want to go see her dad’s grave? Did she want to open a wound she barely kept closed? Did she want to feel the pain, fresh, and raw? Yes. No. But she might never get a chance again. She might die today, tomorrow, she needed to leave town. She owed her dad this much. He’d given her her life, the least she could do is visit the place where he was laid to rest. And she thought it might help to let out some pain and sorrow; lately it had become harder to control. She could feel it eating away at her and she knew sooner or later she had to let some of it out before it consumed her. So she found herself whispering, “I’d like that.”

Later she walked into Deadwood’s graveyard with Lincoln at her side; she could feel the energy bouncing off him. He didn’t like this, she was putting herself in danger but as he kissed her and walked away to patrol the area, he said nothing, just looked at her with love and warmth and she knew he’d walk into hell if she asked him.

Alice led her to a freshly dug grave, the earth was still rich and moist. “I’ll give you some space, babe,” and as Alice left her in front of the clean crisp headstone her dad had picked himself, she collapsed to her knees and let her tears fall.

“God I miss you, Dad,” Lexia whispered.

She missed his overprotective ways and bickering with him over dinner. She’d always complained about her plain, ordinary life but now she’d give anything to have it back. Everything felt so unreal, like she lived in a constant daze because monsters weren’t real, boyfriends didn’t turn into animals, and mothers weren’t monsters. These were the things of fairy tales, these were the things written in books. But it was all true and her dad was dead.

Lexia lay the flowers that she held in her hand on the earth. “God things are so messed up, I wish you were here. I’m trying to do the right thing, I’m trying to be the daughter you raised me to be but I...I…” Lexia was sobbing so much she couldn’t speak.
I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you, Dad, please forgive me.

Lexia just sat crying looking at his headstone, ‘beloved father’ was written on it and she thought how he was the best dad she could have ever asked for.  He’d taken her away from her mother and she wasn’t sure she understood exactly why but he’d said she was dangerous, to run from her and Lexia trusted him. She couldn’t bring him back and no matter how many Hunters she killed it wouldn’t make the pain go away, but she could make sure no one else had to feel this way because of the Hunters.

Her tears slowed and Lexia started to feel a sense of calm wash over her; she was going to destroy all Hunters, anger replaced her grief.

She felt Lincoln’s approach before he spoke, “Lex, I’m sorry, baby, but we’ve got company. We need to move now!” Lincoln’s voice was soft but she heard the undertone of urgency.

She looked at the gravestone again, tears spilled over her eyes; she couldn’t even have this time at her dad’s gravesite. The anger swirled around and around her, they were taking everything away from her. Lexia felt like she was trapped in a raging storm, it whipped and swirled around her feeding her fury. “I won’t let evil win, Dad. I love you.”

“Baby, now.”

“Goodbye, Dad,” she whispered and stood wiping the tears from her eyes. It was just too much, she couldn’t control the storm much longer; it raged, burning her soul.

Lexia heard Alice squeal and she spun around to find six Hunters blocking their path. Lexia squared her shoulders. The time to grieve would come, but right now she needed to fight; right now she needed to be a Hunter.

“Alice, stay behind us,” Lexia said through gritted teeth. Her body was trembling all over and she looked at Lincoln by her side and for a second the storm cleared as she gazed into his fierce face.
How I love you
, but then the Hunters all took a step forward, towards the people she loved and the storm broke.

She walked forward, the rush of power poured over her body and the world dropped away, all she saw were the men threatening those she loved and it made her so angry. She’d never felt this kind of fury and she lost control. Lexia let out a wild scream. Running forward and channeling all the pain and anger into every kick and punch, she cut through them with blind rage. She had no thought to what she was doing. Spinning and kicking on pure instinct, she blocked hit after hit, the knife she pulled from her boot ran with blood as it sliced through flesh and muscle. She didn’t stop, she didn’t falter, not until every Hunter lay dead at her feet.

Lexia stood panting slightly. She held her knife in a death grip, ready to strike but as she looked around all she saw were Lincoln and Alice. The red haze cleared and the storm in her soul settled. She looked at all six men laid dead at her feet, their blood splattered her hands and arms, then she looked to Lincoln who hadn’t a mark on him.

Confused she asked, “I killed them all?”

“Yes, love, you killed them all. Come on, we need to move before more Hunters come or the police.”

“But I... “

“Grief does strange things to us, Lex; do not feel bad for protecting those you love.”

But she did feel bad. She hadn’t just protected those she loved; she’d lost control, let the anger consume her until her body acted and killed on its own. She’d killed them all and it was so easy; she’d taken a breath and in the next they laid dead at her feet, their blood covering her body. How had she killed them all without even knowing what she was doing?

Lincoln kept telling her not to feel bad but she couldn’t help it; every life she took chipped away a piece of her soul. She worried that one day no one would recognize her. She would be a monster and she would be looked on with fear. The power in her scared her; what would happen if she lost control again and she never came back? She could kill those she loved and be powerless to stop it. She’d vowed to kill all Hunters who posed a threat to the world but what if she was the biggest threat of them all?

Chapter 28

As she tried to sleep that night, Alice’s face drifted through her mind; the way she’d looked at her in the graveyard, so frightened. She hadn’t seen the friend she’d known all her life, she’d seen a monster.

“Lexia!” Lexia rolled over and looked into gold cat eyes.

“Mmm?”

“Stop it!” His voice was stern, the voice of a predatory panther.

“I can’t, Linc,” she said in a haunted whisper.

“Baby,” he sighed, “do you enjoy killing? Does it make you feel powerful?”

“No! No, it kills me a little each time. I don’t want this power, Lincoln. It’s changing me... I’m becoming the monster my father feared.”

“No, Lexia, you’re not. Your life changed, not you; you’ve always had power, always been you. Those Hunters will not hesitate to kill you or your friends; they live for the kill, for the rush of power. Your father didn’t want this life for you but do you think he’d want you to die? Do you think he would have wanted you to let them kill Alice?”

Lexia laid in silence for a while thinking over Lincoln’s words. He laid by her side, his limbs tangled with hers. The feel of him, his warmth, his steel-hard muscles that held her with such tender care, this is what she lived for now. To live everyday with Lincoln, to make him smile and laugh; to feel the rush of pleasure from his every kiss.

“I live for you, Linc, I don’t live to kill.” Lexia kissed him softly on the lips.

“No more torturing yourself over this, you need to accept what you are, Lex.”

Lincoln rubbed his hands gently over her milky soft skin; he wished she could see what he saw. She was so beautiful and strong, she would die for the innocent; how could she even think she was becoming a monster?

Accept what I am, can I do that? “
I’ll try to, Lincoln.”

“Good,” he said softly with a smile.

“There’s something else that’s been bothering me.”

“Go on.”

“There must be loads of half-Hunters out there, so why me? What makes me so different? And why can I take out pure Hunters when I’m only half?”

“Mmm, I had been thinking the same thing. Hopefully you can find your answers tomorrow in that box.”

“I hope so.” Lexia snuggled further into the heat of his body. Resting her head on his chest she fell to sleep listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. Without him she may have lost control a long time ago; he anchored her, kept the darkness away.

The next morning Lexia and Lincoln moved quietly through the streets of Deadwood, both of them with a gold gleam in their eyes. They kept to the shadows, invisible predators ready and waiting to strike. Lincoln stalked behind Lexia, she could feel the energy rolling off him like static against her skin. They’d argued that morning about going back to Lexia’s home; he thought it was too much of a risk for just a box. But Lexia wouldn’t back down and they’d settled on just going to see how many Hunters guarded the house. Of course Lexia had no intentions of leaving her house empty-handed, she couldn’t live not knowing anymore.

Lincoln clasped her hand as they entered the familiar forests that surrounded her home and they walked hand in hand stopping at the edge of the tree line right behind her dad’s shed. Lexia thought back to the day she’d trained in that shed, how she’d thrown her knife at the black panther that rubbed against her now.