Caden laughed, “Sparkily-eyed! You need to get out more, your panther’s riding you harder every day. You’ve never been very good with cities. We were just talking over breakfast and she’s totally in love with you mate, stop being so stupid.”
“I can’t just leave, this is the safest place for her. They’ll expect her to be in the forests.”
“Well you need to go away for a few days then, you can’t keep losing control. You’re only pushing her more and if she loses control, too... Well, it won’t be pretty.”
“Leave it,” Lincoln grumbled, walking into the house to search for Lexia.
Lexia was in the shower washing the blood and dust from her skin when she heard Lincoln open the door.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he said quietly. Lexia glanced at him standing in the doorway; he was fidgeting and looked completely lost.
“Sorry! For biting me or being a dick because I... I… What exactly did I do that had you going all alpha male on me?”
“I’m sorry, okay? I saw you sitting in just my shirt laughing at Caden and well I just lost it. I’m sorry, it’s been a rough few weeks. I guess I haven’t got the best hold on my panther.”
Lexia shut the water off with a sigh. She didn’t want to fight with him but she also didn’t want him or his panther to think they could just treat her as a submissive.
“Linc, I am not submissive. I wasn’t submissive before my powers awakened and I’m sure as hell not now. I shouldn’t have wound you up but that still doesn’t give you an excuse for what you did. I don’t want to spend my time worrying whether I’m dressed enough for your standards.”
“Lexia, I…”
She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her and stalked towards him. “I get it, you’re sorry, but what I’d like to know is if that beast of yours has got the picture? I didn’t appreciate the bite or the reminder of what I am.”
“Lexia, what happened at your house, you did nothing wrong.”
“Forget it, Lincoln, nothing you can say will make what happened at my house ok, and if I had to do it again, I would. I would do anything to protect you. But did you really think I would wake up the same person? I’ve been hanging onto my old self for a while now and I need to let her go. The day those vampires attacked me, my life changed and I clung to you hoping somehow you could fix it all. But you can’t change me and I need to stand on my own two feet. This is my fight and to win I need to be strong.”
“Lexia I know, I know... I love you and I know who you are. I never want you to submit to me and I’ll always be here, I will always be by your side. I’m sorry about this morning... I... just lost control, please forgive me.”
“I know you will always be there and that knowledge gives me the strength to go on and there is nothing you need to be forgiven for. I knew what I was signing up for.”
Lincoln closed the gap between them. Scooping her up into his arms, he held her tight. “I love you, baby,” he whispered.
“I love you, too, but you’re squeezing my side.”
“Oh god, baby, I’m so sorry, let me see.”
She dropped the towel revealing the deep teeth marks in her side. Blood still seeped from the holes; Lincoln sucked in a breath.
“Yeah, you really had lost control, hey? I still won though, kitty.” She smacked him on the arse and walked away, wrapping a robe around herself.
“Hey Doc, I need some patching up,” she called down the stairs.
“Clothes,” Lincoln shouted, running after her.
“Yes, boss,” Lexia smirked.
Caden walked into the room, eyed Lexia in the fluffy robe. “Clothes,” he said, turning around.
“God, you two are like old men!” she groaned, sliding on some jogging pants and a T-shirt. “Better?” she asked. “And we really must get me some clothes. I don’t really pull off sweats.”
Caden turned back around and looked over Lexia; maybe he had been a bit sparkily-eyed at her this morning, but who could blame him? Lexia was beautiful, incredibly so, and she seemed oblivious to it. He looked over her and then glanced back at Lincoln who seemed to be having a war inside his head. He waited, hoping his friend could get control before he touched her.
“Erm, hello? I’m bleeding here! Are you going to just stand there all day, Doc?” He couldn’t keep the smile from his face but still glanced to Lincoln before he closed the space between them. Lincoln stormed past him from the room as he bent down in front of Lexia who sat perched on the edge of the bed.
“What is his problem?” she asked confused.
Caden looked up at her to see hurt in her crystal blue eyes and a slight crease on her forehead as she stared at the door Lincoln had just left out of.
“Wow that was a good bite he gave you.” His steady hands set to work cleaning out each of the puncture holes left by the panther’s teeth. The blood had already stopped seeping from the wounds but just because she healed fast didn’t mean the wounds couldn’t get infected.
“Have I done something wrong Caden?” she whispered looking down at him. He wasn’t sure what to say; she may be Lincoln’s mate but she didn’t seem to know an awful lot about predatory shifters.
“Lex, this is Lincoln’s problem not yours. He’s been through a lot, you both have, and, well, the panther isn’t taking it so well. The panther’s core instincts are to protect their mates, to fight to the death for them and, well, your roles are reversed.”
“But he always fights for me; we fight for each other. What has that got to do with this morning - with the fact that your hands touching me is making him insane. I just, I never expected that he would be so jealous, that I’d have to be wary around other men so that he doesn’t lose it.”
Caden sighed. “All done. Lincoln doesn’t expect you to change but he’s more than just Lincoln, he’s a panther too, and right now that panther is at the surface, angry at failing you, angry that people want to harm you. All that is making it hard for Lincoln to think straight; to think with a human mind and not with the mind of a panther.”
Lexia sighed, she was madly in love with Lincoln but they’d only know each other for a short time and as she was beginning to see, they’d not had much time to get to know one another. When all this was over Lexia planned on getting to know both sides of her man.
She rubbed gently over her side. “Thanks for fixing me up, Doc.” She leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. “And thanks for helping me understand, you’re a good friend.”
Caden watched as she left the room and sat back on the floor. His hand brushed over his cheek, mmm, definitely sparkily eyed; I need to get my feelings in check before Linc rips me to shreds.
Chapter 5
Lexia settled into a routine over the next few days. She would wake and have breakfast with both Lincoln and Caden, smiling as they bickered and joked with one another. Lincoln hadn’t told her how long he’d known Caden but she could tell by the way they acted they’d known each other for a very long time.
Caden would go to work during the day; he owned his own private practice. She and Lincoln would spend the day in his house, mostly locked in the bedroom getting lost in each other.
Lexia would cook tea for them all and then after the sun set, she and Lincoln would go into the backyard to train. Being in Caden’s house locked away from the world with Lincoln was a temporary break, Lexia knew that; she knew no matter how safe she felt, any day, any minute, it could all come crashing down around her and when it did, Lexia planned to be at her fittest, she wasn’t going down without a fight.
The rest of the night they’d all watch TV before going to bed and starting all over again in the morning.
Waking one morning, Lexia rolled over to find her bed empty. Where are you? Climbing from under the covers, she slipped on some loose shorts and a shirt of Lincoln’s he’d left on the floor and went in search of life.
She ran down the stairs, a smile on her face, and as she went to open the kitchen door, Lincoln slipped out blocking
her way.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing.”
“Hmm, nothing, aye! Then move please.” She smiled.
“Not yet, I want a kiss first.” He flashed that cocky smile of his, which always sent her back to the cafe in Deadwood.
“You’re hiding something, Linc, I can tell. That smile doesn’t turn me into a swooning idiot anymore, move.”
“Kiss first.”
Lexia went on her tippy toes to press a light kiss to his mouth but found herself lifted from the floor, strong hands clenching her backside and a chest of steel crushing her to the wall. He claimed her mouth, possessing her, and a thousand butterflies set flight in her stomach. He pulled back leaving her breathless and smiled.
“Kissing you makes you a swooning idiot, though.”
“Linc!” she growled, dropping to the floor and barging past him into the kitchen.
She was met by a wall of balloons; hundreds of them in all shades of color floated around the kitchen and in-between them all stood Caden with a ridiculous grin on his face.
“Happy birthday!” he sung.
Lexia turned, looking to Lincoln confused. “Happy birthday, my Wildcat,” he whispered, kissing her again.
It’s my birthday? God how did I forget my birthday?
Over Lincoln’s shoulder there was a huge banner that read ‘Happy Birthday Lexia.’
“You forgot, hey?” Lincoln asked.
“Yeah I kinda did,” she laughed. “Is that waffles I smell, Doc?”
“Yep, with strawberries and maple syrup,” Caden replied.
“Ooh I could get used to this!” Lexia giggled, jumping onto stool and breathing in the smell of her favorite breakfast, a breakfast her dad had made for her every year on her birthday.
Her smiled faltered for a minute as she remembered her dad. I miss you.
“Hey, you okay, Lex?” Caden asked, putting her coffee in front of her.
“Yes, it’s just… well, my dad made me this breakfast every year on my birthday.”
Lincoln’s warm hands wrapped around her, his mouth nearing her ear, “I know baby, Alice told us.”
“Alice? When did she call?”
“A few days ago but you were asleep,” Lincoln said.
“You should have woken me. I haven’t spoken to her since... well, you know.”
“I’m sure she’ll ring today, now eat up and then you can have presents!”
“Presents!” The smile returned to her face as the first bit of waffles filled her mouth.
Lexia savoured every bite of waffle and when she finally finished, she turned to Lincoln who had two presents in his hand. “Open this one first.”
Lexia took the biggest package from him with a smile. She slowly untied the red bow wrapped neatly around the box.
“God you’re one of those annoying people who folds the paper instead of tearing it open, aren’t you?” Lincoln said.
“Shush you! It’s my birthday, I can open my presents how I want.”
With the paper peeled off and folded on the countertop, Lexia pulled the lid of the box and peered inside. Sitting on a velvet pad was a knife about three and a half inches in length, the handle decorated with a delicate filigree pattern and it was inside a sheath that would strap to her leg.
“Wow, it’s so pretty.”
“Trust you to call a weapon pretty,” Caden laughed.
“It’s for when you go out in public to have on under skirts because it’s pretty hard to hide that nasty looking blade you’ve taken a fancy to.” Lincoln’s eyes wandered to the blade that sat on the kitchen table, the red rubies bright and shiny. It was the knife she’d taken off the asshole who’d sliced at her skin and cut open her top.
“I like that knife, it reminds me to never give up and I love this one, too, baby, thanks! Now if only I could go out in public,” she sighed.
“Open your next one.” Lincoln’s eyes lit up as she started to peel the wrapping off the next present. Under the paper was a velvet box.
Lexia sucked in a breath, a huge grin spreading over her face as she opened the box. Inside was a silver necklace with two charms threaded on it, an L and a small delicate panther.
“It’s so nice, I love you.” Lexia threw her arms around Lincoln, feeling a happy warmth spread throughout her body.
“Okay, enough you two! Here Lex open mine,” Caden said, handing her a larger black box from across the breakfast bench.
She smiled pulling at the single white bow on top and pulled off the lid. “Oh my God! You bought me a dress! Caden did you really go into a clothes store for me?” She giggled, holding the dress up to her body.
“It’s so nice!” she squealed.
“Bit short, mate!” Lincoln grumbled.
“I thought you liked short dresses, Lincoln. That’s what you said the first time I met you in Deadwood! Remember you were being a complete creep?” Alice said as she walked through the back door.
Lexia turned at the familiar voice of her best friend; surely she was hearing things? Was that really Alice?
“ALICE!” she screamed, running and throwing her arms around her. “OH MY GOD I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE HERE!”
Both girls squealed, hugging each other and dancing about; Lexia glanced over Alice’s shoulder to see the men in the room covering their ears.
“Oops, sorry,” she said, silencing Alice’s loud squeals.
“Lex, this is Tate.” He pointed to the new man that had walked into the room behind Alice. “He’s a –“
Lexia cut him off, “Wolf.”
Three things happened all at once:
Alice found herself shoved behind Lexia, Lexia’s eyes flashed to gold, and power tingled across her skin as echoes of memories bounced through her mind: a wolf stalking her through the streets, his blood spilling over her as she sliced his gut; being attacked in a drunken haze, chasing a wolf through the trees and smiling as the light left her eyes. Lexia shook her head. I do not get pleasure from killing.
She looked at the three men in front of her, all showing the beast in their eyes.
“Lex?” Lincoln asked, holding out his hand to her. She looked at him, confused. Why am I acting this way?
“What the hell, Lex?” said Alice in a disgruntled voice.
“Lex, Tate is the cop that has been assigned to protect Alice,” Lincoln said, he kept his voice even, looking at her like she might snap at any moment.
She stepped back, trying to calm down. Everyone was looking at her like she was mad; why had she reacted this way? He was on their side yet the second she’d seen him her instincts had taken over; the Hunter flaring to life.
“I’m sorry, the only other wolves I’ve met tried to kill me. Please excuse me.” Lexia fled from the kitchen feeling confused and worried over her reactions.
“Lex!” Lincoln called.
“I’m fine.” But he grabbed her hand before she made it to the stairs. “Please, just let me get dressed and calm down.”
“But I don’t understand, how did you know he was a wolf?”
“I... I don’t know, I just did.”
“He’s not the enemy, Lex.”
“Yes I know, I’m sorry, I just acted on instinct.” She pulled her hand free and started up the stairs. Lincoln started to follow and she turned looking into his face full of worry and concern. “Baby, please. I’m fine, just give me a minute.”
“Okay,” he sighed.
Lexia sat on the bed dressed; she’d been ready for twenty minutes but she just couldn’t quite make herself go down the stairs. Her skin still prickled from the leftover energy; she felt off-kilter.
She just couldn’t understand what had happened down stairs; she could have so easily killed him, for no reason other than what he was. What’s wrong with me? She put her head in her hands; the morning had started out so great.
A board creaked outside the door. Lexia knew she couldn’t hide up here forever, Lincoln would come find her sooner or later but she didn’t
think she could deal with his face, his worried eyes, but it wasn’t his golden brown eyes that she looked up into.
“Caden?” she whispered as he walked towards her.
“Hey, you can’t stay up here forever you know.”
“I know I’m just....”
“Lex, you need to stop worrying about becoming a Hunter.”
“But I am one, Caden.”
“Yes, but you’re not just a Hunter, you’re different. Linc is a panther, he has to fight his animal side all the time; you’re no different.”
“But he doesn’t go all crazy and ready to fight.”
“Doesn’t he? What would you call him pinning you against the wall just because you talked to me in a shirt?”
Lexia tried to suppress the laugh that escaped her lips. “I suppose.”
“The only difference is Lincoln has had years to control his beast and he accepts what he is and you don’t. Lex, sweetheart, you’re strong, stronger than anyone I’ve ever met, and you have only been like this for a short time, yet you have great control.”
“Thanks, Doc.” Lexia hugged him and smiled, and she was laughing and joking with him as she walked through the kitchen door. Lincoln’s face relaxed immediately when he saw she was happy, and Lexia felt grateful to Caden for helping her take his worry away.
“So what’s on the agenda for my birthday?”
“Shopping, of course! You need some wicked shoes to go with that wicked dress,” Alice said, smiling at Lincoln’s face. “Maybe we should see if we can find a shorter dress, Lex, piss your possessive cat off a little more.” Both girls burst out laughing and just like that Lexia felt like her old self, just another birthday shopping trip with her best friend.
Chapter 6
“So where to first?” Lexia asked Alice. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face; this was the first time she’d been outside other than her nightly sparring sessions with Lincoln since arriving at Caden’s. Oh, it felt good to walk down a street and feel normal.
“The first shop we see, your clothes look like crap Lex! We’re going buying you some killer stuff.”
Whispers of Darkness (The Deadwood Hunter Series) Page 3
