Lexia (The Deadwood Hunter Series)

by Raithby, Rachel M

  Lexia jumped out of bed pulling on whatever clothes laid about the floor before climbing down the ladder. She couldn’t hear a sound in the house but still she moved with caution, picking up her knife and a longer one of Lincoln’s as she passed by, and crept out into the dark night.

  Standing on the veranda she calmed her mind letting power wash over her. A brisk breeze played with her hair whipping it into her face and she breathily thought she should have tied it up.

  The sky was clear tonight, a full moon hung high above her surrounded by twinkling stars. On any other night Lexia would have stopped to appreciate the beauty but right now she could sense danger in the forest.

  She climbed high into the tree that Lincoln’s home sat in and looked out over the forest. She saw four Hunters walking quietly through the trees. They hadn’t reached the wall of vegetation that hid the house, maybe they would just walk by and never realize it was here, but she couldn’t take that risk; she wouldn’t let Lincoln lose his home.

  Decision made, Lexia climbed along a thick branch and dropped onto another tree but she slipped upon landing, the rough bark scraping her skin. Her arms clung tightly to the branch and she managed to pull herself up. This would be far easier if I were a cat!

  She had to get out of the clearing at the opposite end to the Hunters so that they wouldn’t see the entrance to Lincoln’s home but the Hunters were right in front of the gap she’d normally slip through. So Lexia climbed from tree to tree until she could drop down safely without been seen. “Shit,” she mumbled as a branch sliced into her arm, the feeling of warm blood spreading over her skin.

  The cut would heal as quick as it was opened though, and Lexia set off running silently away from the Hunters until she had looped behind them. Lexia took a deep breath, making a silent prayer, hoping she could fight four Hunters alone. “Oh, Hunters.”

  All four turned at once, their gold eyes eerily bright in the darkness and then they raced toward her at impossible speeds. Lexia’s heart jumped in her chest and then she was running in the direction she hoped Lincoln would be. She shot through the trees, adrenaline pumped in her veins, and then she jumped high, catching a low branch and swung herself up into a tree with cat-like grace.

  They were close behind her but Lexia was hidden from view before the Hunters came crashing past her hiding spot. Lexia knew it wouldn’t be that easy and as they slowly retraced their steps, she gripped the long knife in her hand. Pointing it down she prepared to drop on top of the Hunter as he walked underneath her.

  He crashed to the ground with a thump as Lexia brought the blade down through his back, piecing his heart. The others circled around her, wary, as she sprang to her feet and retrieved her other smaller knife holding it in her left hand. No one blinked as they waited for the other to make a move.

  The Hunter in front of her lunged forward first but she didn’t take the bait having already sensed another closing the gap behind her.

  Instead she flung the knife in her left hand at the Hunter to her front and whirled to avoid the blow from behind. As she spun around Lexia brought up her blade and with a single swipe that reverberated up her arm she sent it through the Hunter’s neck, bringing it out the other side. His eyes held hers in surprise before the head rolled and fell to the ground.

  The two remaining Hunters now rushed at her with incredible speed, one still had her knife lodged in his chest; she’d missed his heart but it slowed him down. She dodged his blow and slammed her elbow into his face but she didn’t move quick enough to miss the uninjured Hunter.

  Lexia caught the glint of his knife at the last second; moving just enough to miss her vital organs, the knife sliced through her flesh. She screamed at the excruciating pain in her side. Gasping she doubled over, blood trickling down her front. The Hunter didn’t stop, light exploded in her eyes as he hit her head and she fell down on her knees before him.

  Had Lexia been fully human the blow would have killed her but she had Hunter blood in her veins, so she fought the nausea as she crumpled to the floor and rolled away, jumping to her feet. She gripped her blade tight, slouching slightly on her injured left side as both of them circled her again. Lexia didn’t wait for them to make a move; instead she swung around slamming her foot into the injured Hunter to her left whilst pulling the knife out of her side and throwing it at the Hunter on her right. She gasped, stumbling forwards as pain shot from the knife wound in her side but Lexia gritted her teeth and quickly recovered, blocking a punch and returning one of her own. The jolt of pain as the blow reverberated up her arm caused her to falter and the Hunter on her right kicked her.

  Fighting past the pain she swiped out with her blade aiming for his neck, but she moved too slowly and the blade sliced across his chest instead, leaving behind a slash of crin. He grunted and stumbled giving her time to bring the knife back and thrust it upwards through his heart.

  The last Hunter was already aiming his fist as her blade sank into the chest of the Hunter. As she pulled the blade out trying to bring it up to protect herself, his fist moved towards her face. She felt the blade slice into his skin as his fist connected. Pain burst inside her skull and she saw stars before things started to go hazy. She heard his strangled cry of pain as the blade carried on through his flesh and then she hit the ground, the world going black. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she thought she heard the roar of a cat and a strangled whisper left her lips, “Lincoln?”

  Lincoln was jogging back to his home, his mind on getting back to the beautiful woman he’d left naked in his bed. He hadn’t wanted to leave her but the bodies of the two hunters they’d killed earlier needed to be hidden. He had carried them both far up into Black Hill ranges and buried them were they would never be found again. It won’t do us any good if they find more bodies in these woods.

  He was so distracted by the erotic images playing through his head that he nearly missed Lexia’s scent. Backtracking, he picked up her trail that headed away from the house. “What are you up to?”

  Running at a steady pace he followed her trail letting his animal come to the surface. This was the panther’s territory; it knew every rut, stone, and branch. He scented the air and anger boiled in his blood as he picked up the scent of three, no four Hunters.

  Lincoln ran flat out squashing the fear for her safety before it took hold of him. She would be fine, she was half-Hunter after all. But when he picked up the scent of her blood, he saw red; a violent rage rushed through the beast and it split through his skin, going wild with bloodlust.

  The panther could cover the ground with incredible speed, his pads not making a sound as they skimmed the forest floor. He could see her up ahead now fighting with two Hunters. She had taken out two, their bodies lay slumped around her, but the two Hunters left were on top of her and she couldn’t hold them back. Blood stained her left side and he could see her sagging slightly in pain.

  He roared, the need to protect her so strong he struggled to hold on to his humanity, the panther took complete control as its need to shed blood became overwhelmingly strong. Lexia had driven her blade through one of their chests but the other Hunter was already aiming his fist at her head. She’d noticed, turning and bringing up her knife and he watched, desperately forcing his muscles to work harder, as the fist connected her eyes widened in pain and she crumpled to the floor, her blade slicing him on her way down.

  The panther landed on the Hunter in a fury of teeth and claws, savagely ripping him apart. He had no time to scream, no time to fight back; the panther had killed him in seconds.

  But it wasn’t enough for the cat; he’d failed to protect her, he wanted the blood of any man that dared to touch her. Cold rage spread through his veins and he ripped apart the bodies of the Hunters around him. The impulsive need to protect was so strong that it didn’t matter that they were dead, the animal needed to feel the flow of their blood. How dare they damage what was his, they needed to pay!

  Up until this moment Lincoln hadn’t realized how much
he truly loved Lexia, how his heart beat only for her. He no longer lived for revenge but for her happiness, her smile; he’d protect her, he’d die for her. She was the heart and soul of both man and panther.

  Only when the panther laid eyes on Lexia did his humanity surface. She lay slumped on her side, dirt and blood covered her body, her hair splayed out around her, twisted and matted. Lincoln shifted, kneeling as he brushed a leaf from her hair.

  “Lex, baby?” His voice so gentle and soft.

  She didn’t move, her breaths coming too slowly, the panther thrashed at his mind desperately needing her to be okay.

  “You hold on, Lexia,” he said now more firmly, an order; he could not lose her.

  Standing, he bent to pick her up, his hold far gentler then anyone would’ve believed. Running through the forest he cradled her to him, wrapping her in his strength whilst being careful not to bump her wound. He slipped through the vegetation that hid his home. Her eyes fluttered open for a second but she made no sound. He stopped now swearing to himself; how was he going to get her up the tree gently?

  Blood had seeped through her top onto his chest, he needed to stop the bleeding so he put her over his shoulder as gently as possible and started to climb. Letting his claws slice through his fingers he sunk them into the bark, her every whimper was like a knife to his heart. He laid her gently on the floor of the kitchen and sliced her top open as he grabbed the first aid kit, setting to work on her injuries.

  Lexia felt like she was floating in a cloud of perfume, it smelled of the earth, the trees; rich and wild, it smelled like Lincoln. Now she felt his arms strong around her, cradling her against a solid wall of heat and muscle. She tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy, blackness kept slipping over her. But she needed to wake up. Danger, danger, her mind kept ringing so she forced them open, everything was blurry and dark and she could now feel the dull ache in her side. She focused on Lincoln for a second before closing her eyes, another wave of darkness hitting. Opening them again she saw a tree and up in that tree was a house. Home, she thought. Before she was moved her vision blurred again, her head felt thick and heavy as she struggled to keep hold of consciousness. Then sharp pain exploded in her side and she heard a strangled cry of pain, she realised the sound was coming from come from her and then everything went black again.

  Chapter 24

  Lexia came to at dawn. She opened her eyes looking out of the windows on the main floor, gold and pink streaks filled the sky and she could hear the chatter of birds and the heavy breathing of Lincoln.

  Turning her head she looked at his face inches from hers. He lay sprawled out across the floor, a streak of red covering his jaw. He looked tired, worry a mask on his face; she guessed he’d passed out on the floor whilst keeping watch. He had no clothes on, dirt stained his feet and legs. Sitting up she bit back a gasp at the pain coming from her side, a thick bandage had been wrapped around her waist.

  She sat for a minute until her head stopped spinning and then stood quietly and looked down at Lincoln. He had blood spattered on his body but she couldn’t see any cuts so she guessed he’d taken care of the last Hunter. Picking up the blanket Lincoln had wrapped her in, she gently lay it over him. He stirred but then settled back to sleep. She smiled at him and crept towards the ladder. He’d saved her again, she owed him so much.

  Lincoln rolled over, tucking the blanket around his shoulders. He reached out in sleep out for Lexia’s body but felt nothing but rug. He shot to his feet a second later, the blanket pooling around his feet. His eyes scanned the room and a lethal growl rolled up his throat.

  A feminine chuckle. “I’m up here, Linc.”

  He was up the ladder and by her side with panther speed. “Lexia, what are you doing? Go lay down!” Every word was said with the lethal edge of a predatory panther.

  Turning she looked into his eyes, cupping his face with her hands. “Now less of the dominance. I’m fine, Hunter blood heals quickly.” She brushed a soft kiss over his lips before returning to cleaning the dirt and blood off her body.

  He reached out pulling a leaf from her hair. “You were stabbed Lexia, let me check your wound.”

  “Fine! But don’t think you can boss me around all the time and I didn’t see you all concerned when you did a number on my ankle! In fact I remember you pretending you had no idea why I was limping. Funny, hey!” She strode out of the bathroom with remarkable ease. The panther was pleased with her strength but the man needed to double check before he could breathe a sigh of relief.

  “I’m sorry about that but things are different now; please let me take care of you, make up for my mistakes.”

  Lincoln carefully peeled back the dressing and sucked in a breath as the stab wound came into view.

  “What? It hardly hurts, it can’t be that bad?” Lexia looked down trying to get a view of what had made Lincoln so speechless.

  “It’s nearly healed... Give it a few days and you’ll never have known it was there.”

  “That’s great! So what’s your problem?”

  “You heal as fast as me, if not faster.” His voice still held a tone of surprise, he hadn’t expected this; she was a half-blood, that should have made her weaker.

  “Lincoln, isn’t that good?”

  “Yeah... Just... Well, you’re a half-blood. Why are you healing at this rate; you never healed this fast when I bit your ankle?”

  “I did, I just had to fake being injured and I have no idea why I heal this fast but I’m not complaining. Sooo can I go get cleaned up now?”

  He wrapped the wound back up and sat there with a dumbstruck look on his face, she laughed brushing past him. He looked lost in thought but soon snapped out of it when she smiled sweetly over her shoulder, “Want to join me in the shower?”

  Lexia walked into the bathroom, carefully peeling off the rest of her clothes. She left the bandage on, she’d replace it after she was clean.

  Turning on the shower she stepped into the hot stream of water, sighing as it melted her sore muscles. She heard him come into the bathroom a few minutes later; she had her back to the door and one hand in her hair trying to rub in shampoo. He pulled back the screen and stepped into the tub behind her. She felt her heart kick up a gear, her tummy fluttered with anticipation. “Let me do that before you hurt yourself.”

  “Thanks.” She let go of her hair, it slapped gently against her back. Lexia felt strangely shy, they might have had sex but this felt more intimate. But as his fingers started to massage through her hair and she relaxed, a groan escaped her lips.

  “That nice?” His voice brushed against her neck making her shiver.

  “Mmm, very.” She leaned into him, melting under his touch. When he’d finished her hair, he started down her body, rubbing her shoulders and neck, and then he reached around rubbing gently over her breasts. Lexia gasped, heat pooling in her belly as he rubbed harder, pinching her nipples. She leaned her head back feeling dizzy. Her body tingled with sensation; the hot water trickling over her skin adding to the pleasure as his hand trailed down her right side and back up over her breasts. Each time his hand slid over her skin he brushed lower towards the hot need between her thighs, the anticipation had her quivering. His finger brushed lightly over her clitoris. “Lincoln,” she groaned, and he did it again and again, torturing her with his gentle quick strokes until her whole body trembled. The clawing, aching need for release had her digging her nails into his thighs; moaning and panting she begged for release as he teased her so lightly.

  “Harder.” A rough command escaped her lips as she craved more friction.

  She was clawing at his sides, biting her lips as the pressure built twisting at her insides, and he slipped his fingers through her soft lips and rubbed and pressed hard over her sensitive nub. Lexia screamed as fire burnt through her veins jerking her body until it peaked and washed away leaving her muscles like jelly. Her legs gave way but Lincoln caught her, holding her tight.

  When she came back down to earth she f
ound he’d turned her around, her still sensitive breasts rubbed against his chest and then she felt his hot hard tip rubbing between her thighs. Lexia looked up through her lashes into his lust- filled eyes; she smiled sweetly at him then shimmied down his body until she was face to face with his large throbbing shaft.

  Holding his eyes she slowly took his cock into her mouth. He growled, fisting his hands into her hair and she sucked hard, tasting him. She licked her lips savouring his sweet, salty taste and wrapped both hands around him, squeezing tight whilst licking her tongue over his tip.

  “Mmm-tasty.” Her voice a seductive whisper.

  She licked her lips and bit down on her lower lip as she started to run her hands up and down his length, licking off any moisture that collected at the end.

  His scent filled the air as she stroked him to the edge, licking and sucking until he moaned and gasped; she took as much of him as possible into her mouth, he tasted rich and wild and she wanted more.

  “Lexia!” he growled but she carried on squeezing a hand around his base again.

  “Jesus, baby stop!” he tugged at her hair.

  Looking up into his eyes she whispered, “I want to taste you.”

  “Fuck!”

  Lexia lowered her mouth back over him, sucking and pulling. She dug her nails into the back of his legs dragging them up over his butt, holding him against her, forcing him further into her mouth. She could feel his body shaking, he breathed jagged pants as she sucked him closer and closer.

  She locked eyes with him as she slid her mouth over him and gently scraped her teeth back up his length, circling her tongue around his head and then sucked hard. He jerked and swore as he went over the edge. She held onto him, digging her nails into his hard muscular legs, tasting every last drop of his rich tangy juice. As she let him go he slid to the floor and she crawled into his lap soaking up the feel of him, his warmth and the rich, wild smell of their arousal.