Whispers of Darkness (The Deadwood Hunter Series) Read online

  “So yummy and all mine!” he murmured, pulling her bra down under her breasts, pushing them up, baring her nipples for him.

  He took one into his mouth earning a soft cry in response and curled his tongue around the little hard pebble, teasing and sucking until she was a quivering mess beneath him begging for more.

  Lexia’s whole body felt on fire, pleasure rippled through her veins as Lincoln teased her; she wanted desperately to wrap her hands into his hair, pull his head to her mouth and kiss him fiercely. Tugging against Lincoln’s hands that had hold of her wrists, Lexia moaned and thrashed beneath him as he nipped at her breasts sending tiny jolts of molten heat to her core. She should have been able to get free but with all the pleasure sizzling through her muscles, they felt drugged and weak, so all Lexia could do was moan and beg for him to give her more.

  By the time Lincoln released his hold on her she was so drunk on pleasure that all she could do was lay limp, soft moans escaping her as her pulled the rest of her dress off.

  “Mmm now look at that, the best desert I’ve ever seen,” he said, pulling her panties down, “so slick and wet, just waiting for me.” His fingers ran between her soft flesh making her muscles clamp.

  Lincoln spread her wide and stared into her hooded eyes as he pushed himself gently inside of her. He smiled at the moan that left her lips, at the way she pushed against him wanting him deeper.

  “Do you want me, baby?” he asked, looming above her, a playful smile on his lips.

  “Yes, baby, yes, please,” Lexia cried, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him deeper.

  “I love you, my Wildcat,” he whispered against her neck before sinking his teeth in and riding her until she screamed.

  Chapter 10

  Lexia woke early the next morning. Her birthday was over and today she was back to worrying about the ever-present threat of her mother and the Hunters. She slipped out of bed quietly and into the en-suite.

  Splashing water onto her face, she smiled at the very faint mark on her neck which Lincoln had given her last night; she clamped her thighs together remembering the pleasure from their love making.

  Pulling on a sports bra and shorts, Lexia quietly went down stairs and into the still-dark backyard. Goose bumps broke out across her skin as the wind whipped around her but soon she’d be covered in sweat so she carried on and started to stretch.

  She’d been spending most evenings sparring with Lincoln but decided it was time she put more effort in. Lexia wanted to take every step possible to ensuring she had the strength to beat the Hunters and if that meant running backwards and forwards across Caden’s short yard, then that’s what she’d do.

  Lincoln woke to find himself alone. Not moving, he listened to the sounds around him and picked up soft footfalls. Climbing out of bed, Lincoln walked to the window that over- looked the backyard and saw Lexia. She was running the short distance of Caden’s yard; when she reached one end she’d drop to the floor to do two press ups and then jump back to her feet and run back to the other side. It’s looked boring as hell but by the looks of the sweat glistening on her body she’d been at it a while.

  He sighed; he knew that she would go back to worrying but he at least thought she’d have made it past breakfast. His panther bristled against his skin and for once he let it out. The last time he’d gone cat was when he’d bitten Lexia the day after she’d awakened. He knew he really needed to get away from the confines of this house but thought that maybe a run in the yard with Lexia might help.

  He trotted from the bedroom, pushing the door open with his head. On his way across the landing Alice walked out of her bedroom, her hair a matted mess and her eyes half closed. She let out a startled scream as he went past, making him growl happily and Caden run from his room in just his boxers.

  “What! What is it?” Caden asked, sword in hand, and Lincoln plodded down the stairs.

  “Oh, put your sword away and get some clothes on! Lincoln, you ass, no animals in the house!” Alice yelled, stomping towards the bathroom.

  Lexia heard a commotion in the house and paused a second; she heard scratching at the back door. Frowning, she wandered over, panting slightly. When she opened the door, Lincoln barrelled past her as a panther, nearly knocking her over.

  Laughing she asked, “What are you doing, pretty panther?”

  When he started to run backwards and forwards like she had been doing, she smiled and went to join him.

  “My kitty cat getting a bit fat now he’s locked indoors all the time?” she asked, jumping to the floor and doing a push up.

  He growled back and carried on and soon they were racing each other across the yard, Lexia laughing hard.

  “Okay, okay I give up, you win! I can’t beat your turns,” she panted, hands on her knees. “Wow, I’m beat. You coming in?”

  The panther rubbed himself against her and headed towards the door. “Are you turning back?”

  When he ignored her she’d figured that was a no.

  Lexia walked into the living room, gulping down water. “Morning, Doc,” she said as Lincoln jumped up onto the sofa curling into a ball.

  “What is he doing?” Caden asked, frowning at Lincoln.

  “I’m not sure... Resting?” she answered with a laugh.

  Alice walked into the room, looking far better than she had a little while earlier. “Morning, Alice,” Lexia said.

  Alice looked up to answer, but then her eyes rested on Lincoln. “For god’s sake, you’re not a house cat! Get off the freaking sofa, look how dirty you are!”

  “Leave my kitty cat alone,” Lexia said.

  Alice gazed over Lexia. “And you! Look at you, covered in sweat and dust, is anyone normal in this house? Jesus, Lex, you have a six pack!”

  Lexia laughed, her head looking down at the defined muscle on her stomach, “So I do.”

  “God!” Alice huffed, “Caden tell Lincoln to get off the sofa!”

  The panther jumped off with a growl and turned to lights. “There. Happy now?” Lincoln asked.

  “Clothes!” Alice squeaked, covering her eyes.

  Lexia burst out laughing while Alice glared at her between fingers.

  “It’s like living with a bunch of children,” Caden sighed, heading out of the room.

  “You love us really, Doc... Come on, Linc, bring that naked body upstairs so I can clean it!”

  “You realize all three of you are crazy, don’t you! This is not normal!” Alice moaned. “Caden, I need coffee!”

  Upstairs Lexia joined Lincoln in the shower. “Feel better after your little run?” she asked, wrapping her hands around him, while the water cascaded over them.

  “Not really, I miss the wild.”

  “Not going to be a house cat anytime soon, then? You did look quite cute curled up on the sofa,” Lexia grinned.

  “I will only let you get away with calling my panther cute! And I mostly did that to wind Alice up; she jumped out of her skin this morning when I went running past... It was very funny!”

  “You’re wicked you are! She has quite a temper, you know.”

  “I’m sure I can take her,” he smiled, kissing Lexia’s neck. “The marks I leave always heal too quickly,” he said, rubbing his thumb over the spot that he’d bitten last night.

  “Possessive cat,” Lexia murmured against his mouth.

  “I just want people to know you are mine,” Lincoln said while his hands roamed her wet body, his mouth leaving trails of kisses across her face and neck.

  “I don’t leave the house and Caden and Alice know.”

  “Hmm, I still like it.”

  Lexia laughed, “You realize normal people buy girls rings when they want everyone to know she’s taken.”

  Lincoln pulled his head up so he could look straight into her eyes. “If I bought you a ring would you wear it?”

  Lexia’s heartbeat doubled. Shit why did I say that? She opened her mouth to answer but didn’t know the right words to say. “W-what kind of ring?�
� she eventually whispered, still trapped in his gaze.

  “The kind that says you’re mine forever.”

  Lexia gulped. Is he asking me to marry him? “Linc are you asking what I think you’re asking?”

  “You’d know when I asked. I’m saying, if I asked would you say yes?”

  “Wow, okay...” Lexia suddenly felt a bit dizzy, her heart was beating so fast she was sure Lincoln could hear it. She had no idea how to answer that question; she loved Lincoln but marry him? She’d just turned twenty, had a psychotic, evil mother after her with a soulless army at her command, plus she didn’t think it was the kind of thing you talked about while naked in the shower with a hard penis poking you in the stomach.

  “I can see I’ve freaked you out a bit,” Lincoln mumbled.

  “Linc, I love you, god I love you so much it hurts but I can’t answer that question right now, not with everything that’s happening... I can’t imagine my life without you in it but marriage is never something I’ve thought about and if I did then it certainly wouldn’t be when my life was so messed up.”

  “It’s okay, baby,” he claimed her mouth, “you’re my mate, that’s all that matters to me.”

  Lexia kissed him back, glad that was over. When his hard penis started to rub between her legs, she giggled, “Can I at least wash my hair first?”

  “Hmm, I’ll think about,” he said, pinching her nipples and moving down towards her neck again.

  “Baby,” she moaned, “come on, it’s all gross from me running.”

  He chuckled against her neck. She felt sharp teeth break her skin and gasped from the sting and the pleasure that pooled between her legs.

  “Linc, that hurt!”

  Lincoln kissed gently on the spot he’d just marked. “Sorry, Wildcat, but maybe it might last a bit longer.” He grinned as he left the shower.

  “Ass! I might consider a ring if you stop biting,” she laughed.

  “Don’t be long, Lex, I’m not feeling very patient today.”

  “Pfft since when have you ever been patient?” she called, rubbing shampoo into her hair.

  When she walked out the en-suite all dried and hair cleaned, she was pounced on by Lincoln. He had the towel off her and her back pressed against the wall in seconds.

  “Easy there, kitty cat, I might break,” she smiled, running her fingers into his still damp hair.

  “You need a haircut, baby,” she teased.

  “I need you,” he breathed.

  “I’m yours always,” she whispered against his mouth as he lifted her up sliding himself inside her.

  Wrapping her legs around his waist, Lexia cried out as he thrust deep and hard inside of her. Her nails dug into his skin, drawing blood. A growl rumbled up his chest and his eyes flashed to panther as he drove into her against the wall.

  Caden rolled his eyes at the ceiling as the sounds of Lexia and Lincoln drifted downstairs. They could at least try and be quiet, he thought.

  “How the fuck do you live with them?” Alice huffed, nursing a cup of coffee.

  “I don’t really have much choice,” he laughed. “Plus it’s nice to see Linc happy, he’s spent most of his life struggling...”

  Caden stopped talking as his phone rang. “Caden Nickelson.”

  When he put the phone down he turned to Alice. “How’d you like California?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That was my friend Gabe; he lives in California and has decided to do the job himself so we don’t end up killing more FBI agents.”

  “Wow! Really California!” Alice squealed with joy at the same time screams of passion erupted upstairs.

  “Really? FUCKING REALLY!” Alice screamed at the ceiling.

  Caden smiled, his hands still over his ears and wondered if his life would ever go back to being quiet and, quite frankly, boring again?

  Chapter 11

  The next morning Lexia sat on the bed in the spare room whilst Alice tried to fit all the clothes she bought into her suitcase.

  “California, ay? Are you excited?” Lexia asked.

  “Yes! I wish you were coming with me, though,” Alice sighed. “We were supposed to leave Deadwood together, go to college together.”

  Lexia fought back the tears that were burning at her eyes. “I know, babe. Believe me, I wish I was coming with you.”

  “Why can’t you? Why can’t you get a new identity and start again?”

  “Because I can’t hide who I am and I have a feeling my mother will never stop looking for me, I’d only put you in danger.”

  For a while the girls were quiet; Lexia kept glancing at the clock seeing the time she had left with her best friend slipping away.

  Once Alice had managed to zip up her case she flopped onto the bed and looked at Lexia. “I’m never going to see you again, am I?” she whispered.

  A tear slipped down Lexia’s cheek. “Probably not.”

  Alice sat up and grabbed Lexia’s hand, tears falling down her face. “How am I supposed to go to California and pretend everything is alright? You’re my best friend, Lex.”

  Lexia looked at Alice - Alice who very rarely got emotional, who always had fire in her eyes and was always ready to huff and order people about. She saw a frightened girl whose heart was breaking and she hated herself for being the one to make her that way.

  “I’m sorry, Alice,” she whispered, her own tears falling. “If there was any way I could change this I would but all I can do is send you away and pray you’ll be safe.”

  “I’m not sure I can do this.”

  “Sure you can, Alice; you’ve never let anything keep you down.”

  “Not this time, I can’t just pretend you never existed.”

  Lexia swallowed the lump in her throat and swiped her tears away. “Alice you’re going to go to California and be happy. I need you to go live the life we always planned and you don’t have to pretend I never existed but the girl you knew is dead. Mourn her Alice, mourn the girl I used to be, mourn the life we were supposed to have together and then move on. Forget me, forget Hunters and shifters, just forget it all and be happy.”

  “How can you say that!? My best friend is right here in front of me!”

  “No, I’m not her anymore,” Lexia sobbed, losing control of her emotions.

  “Lexia listen to me! My best friend is smart and funny, she’s beautiful and strong and she can put a fully grown man on his ass like he weighs nothing. My best friend dived in front of a bullet for me, she went against her own mother to keep me safe; she’s not dead and I can never pretend that she is.”

  Lexia didn’t know what to say so she just dragged Alice into her arms and clung onto her friend whilst they cried.

  “I’m sorry girls, but Alice needs to leave,” Caden called up the stairs.

  Lexia pulled back. “Time to go start your new life,” she whispered.

  “I’ll go as long as you promise me one thing.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t ever let her win, Lex. No matter the sacrifice, don’t give up who you are.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t see yourself as good anymore; don’t give up because you think you’re not worth fighting for.”

  She couldn’t answer but nodded once.

  Alice climbed off the bed and wiped her face then dragged her suitcases onto the landing and called Lincoln to come get them. She turned one last time and smiled at her best friend whose face held so much sadness she wondered how she still stood.

  “I love you, babe,” Alice said, hugging her.

  “I love you, too. Be happy, please just be happy.”

  Alice didn’t answer because she wasn’t sure if she could be happy without her best friend. She walked through the door and started down the stairs; she paused one last time and looked at Lexia standing rigid in the bedroom. She committed her friend’s beautiful face to memory and wondered if she’d ever see her again.

  Downstairs Caden and Lincoln were waiting at the d
oor. Alice walked down the stairs crying; she paused at the door. “I’ll be there in a minute, Caden.”

  Once Caden was gone she turned and looked at the man Lexia loved more than anything in her life. “She will do anything to keep you safe, Lincoln. She’d sacrifice everything, even her soul, just to make sure you live. I’m expecting you to save her; bring my best friend back to me Linc. Kill every last one of those fuckers, even her mother, and bring her back to me.” Her voice cracked on the last words.

  “I will, Alice, or I’ll die trying.”

  Alice nodded at him and left. Once she was safely in the car, Caden driving her away, she let out a strangled cry and sobbed.

  Lexia stood at the window watching the car drive away. As she saw Alice collapse forward, her back shuddering from crying, she dropped to her knees and screamed. Lincoln was there seconds later holding her as she cried and yelled at the universe for destroying her life and the lives of the people she loved.

  Lexia didn’t do anything after Alice left other than mope in bed. Lincoln hovered around her, desperate to make her happy again but she didn’t want to be happy. So many horrible things had happened and she was fed up of putting on a brave face. She knew she didn’t have the time to dwell, to be depressed, but she was taking this day. Tomorrow, she told herself, she’d put all the sad thoughts she had in the imaginary box in the back of her mind but right now she planned on being sad. She planned to not leave her bed, she planned on crying and not talking.

  Caden returned after dark. He walked into the room and sat on her bed but didn’t say a word to her. She held his hand and squeezed it tight. “Is she okay?” she whispered, her voice gravelly from crying.

  “She will be; Alice seems like the type of person to bounce back. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yeah, just give me today; tomorrow I’ll put on my game face.”