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She’s been named Lexia, ‘man’s defender’, by the one who raised her and died for her, the man she called her father.
She’s been named Maura, ‘for darkness’, by the woman who created her, a mother who sees her as a weapon, and tool for power.
She has battled for her freedom, for the revenge of her father’s death, and then given it all up to save the man she loves.
She’s given up her soul, her humanity, and now, there is only one question left. Can she create her own destiny or is she bound to follow the fate set for her before she was born?
Her breath gasped out of her in a sudden hiss, dying off to a gargled cry as the cage inside of her burst open. Every kill, every emotion she’d locked away, burst out.
Her foot hit the break before he’d even jumped in her path – because she knew he was here. There was only one person in the world who could strip away every shield she’d wrapped around herself. Only one person who could reach her soul, her heart through the mountain of pain and torment inside of her.
“Linc,” she cried breathlessly, her eyes searching the dark night.
Finding the glow of his eyes first, Lexia stared as the black panther loped out of the trees, flashing his eyes at her.
He’d found her. After all this time, he’d found her. Stepping out of the vehicle in a daze, the torrential rain soaked her clothes instantly. Her feet struggled to find footing in the sodden earth. She walked toward the majestic cat. Standing in the beam of the headlights, overcome with emotions, she was stripped of words, lost in the chaos of her mind.
“Linc,” Lexia whispered, afraid her dream may shatter into a million pieces, but Lincoln wasn’t a dream. He’d found her – just like she always knew he would. Her past had been galloping toward her and had finally collided.
“Lexia?” Derrick murmured softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. The caring gesture snapped her out the daze.
“Take your hand from my mate, hunter,” Lincoln growled as he suddenly shifted.
“Lincoln, leave him,” she said, taking a tentative step toward him. “What are you doing here?” She sighed longingly.
“I promised you I’d never let the darkness take you. You are mine, Lex. The hunters can’t have you.”
Sucked back to a memory, Lexia dropped to her knees screaming, the skull-cracking pain in her head too much to bear. She could hear Lincoln and Derrick shouting at her, but she’d lost all control of her body. Falling forward, her hands gripped the ground as they were swallowed by thick mud.
She sat in Lincoln’s arms. His warmth seeped into her bones, warming her down to her very soul.
“Killing is never easy, Lex, but sometimes it’s necessary. Sometimes we have no choice. You have to find balance, find a way to deal with it before it destroys you.”
“No, Linc, you’re wrong. The killing, that’s easy. To me it’s as natural as breathing. Admitting deep down inside to enjoying it, to relish in the power I have over people, that’s the hard part. That part will destroy me, because one day, I might stop being disgusted with myself. One day, I might truly be lost and every kill – every life I take – will give me pleasure, make me smile. I hope that day never comes.”
“Lexia,” he whispered.
“Just give me space, Linc, please?” She rose from his lap, feeling like she didn’t deserve his love.
“Lexia, that will never happen. Are you listening? I will never let that happen.”
The memory broke free the feelings she’d hidden inside of her. Gripping her head, she rocked as she remembered faces of the dead, their screams, their pleas, and her joy.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to them. “I’m so sorry.” Dragging in a deep breath in hopes of calming herself, she concentrated to the frantic beating of her heart. Each pump whooshed in her ears, drowning out the memories.
Her eyes found Lincoln. Remembering how he’d smiled, how his eyes would burn with desire…she remembered every sweet smile, every caress. Oh, how she missed his touch, missed feeling like the most treasured person in the world.
It didn’t matter how much it hurt to feel as she did around him. It didn’t matter how many people Maura had killed with her hands. Lincoln had the power to reach through every layer of darkness. There was no power equal to his love.
The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. “My pretty panther,” she said on a broken sob. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at him as he took a step toward her. Rain mixed with the tears running down her face as she remained powerless to move.
Lincoln dropped to his knees with a pained cry, his eyes looking vulnerably human. Unable to speak, she smiled through her sobs, tilting her head ever so slightly before giving in and falling into his arms. Pulling back, she stared into his eyes, her fingers touching his face, as he touched hers, lips crashing together in desperation. They kissed, rain dripping from their hair, mingling with their tears.
The rain blinded them and froze their tortured souls. It was tragic and divine, and as they pulled apart, Lexia felt herself fracture. Every broken, patched back together piece of her fell apart. Her power left her in a broken cry as her eyes turned blue. She fell onto her hands, resting her head against his chest.
“Linc, you should have never come. Why did you come? You’ve put yourself in danger,” she said against his chest, taking every effort to keep the tremble from her words, yet failing.
“How could I just leave you? Come with me, Lex,” he begged.
“I can’t. It’s not that simple.” She wished there was some other way. Wished she had somehow ended up in a universe where her ledger was clean.
Drawn into a world she thought impossible, Lexia’s innocent night of partying leaves her dazed, confused and asking questions she’s not sure she wishes to know the answers to.
Attacked by vampires, Lexia’s ability to defend herself triggers events she can’t escape. Before long, she struggles to keep up a façade around her friends and family.
Then, there is Lincoln. Finding herself irresistibly drawn to him, Lexia senses he desires something more dangerous than a simple romance. Lincoln has secrets and what she learns changes her life forever.
A story of love, loss, and, betrayal, Lexia and Lincoln’s lives will never be the same again.
All Lexia ever wanted was to graduate from high school and leave Deadwood. Now she would give anything to have her quiet life back. With her Father murdered and her best friend, Alice kidnapped. Life is anything but Simple.
Despite the odds, Lexia and Lincoln, the panther shifter she has fallen in Love with, rescue Alice. On their journey, Lexia meets the one person she least expected to see again, her mother.
Seemingly abandoned as a baby, secrets unravel and lexia learns who she really is. Her Mother created her and she was created for one purpose only…
Darkness.
Only one thing is certain, sacrifices will be made and lives will be lost.
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Born and raised in N.E.England before moving to New Zealand in 2008.She now lives in Queensland, Austraila with her Husband, three Children and a Golden Lab.Paranormal Romance Author of The Deadwood Hunter Series and YA Paranormal Author of Winter Wolf. A New Dawn NovelShe hopes you love her characters as much as she does 🙂
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