"Interesting,”
Lexia murmured as the pack of wolves surrounded her, each snarling and
snapping their teeth, just waiting to rip her to shreds. The dark grey
wolf directly in front of her shifted. “What about this situation is
interesting, hunter?” “That a pack of alpha wolves would band together. I
presumed you were a normal pack.” She smiled as his face turned to
shock. “Yes, I can tell you are all alphas. Just like I’ve known you’ve
been living around our base for the past week.” “Then why would you walk
to your death? Is that what you want, hunter?” Lexia feigned a laughed,
both bored and amused. She needed to wear her mask here. Bringing
shifters into the play could work either in Lexia’s favor or against.
“I’m not afraid of death, but I did not come here seeking it. I came to
make you a deal.” “We do not make deals with hunters,” he growled, his
jaw clenching. “Yes, I thought you might say that but I think you should
listen to what I have to say before we fight. It has been a while since
I’ve had a worthwhile opponent, but I really would rather work with you
than waste your lives.” Lexia suppressed the repulsive shiver threating
to travel down her spine; her words were so like Maura, she felt her
stir within. The awakening darkness hoped to take hold again. He smiled
at her and Lexia sighed. Do I really have to do this? Why can’t things
be easy for once? As the wolf behind her crept closer, she kept her eyes
focused on the two black wolves at her front. “It really is impressive
you’ve banded together to take down the hunters. My mother is quite
pissed off with you.” The wolf was a few yards away from her back. “No
families to protect, no weaker pack members to be held as threats. Ten
strong, top of the pack wolves ready and willing to die for their
cause.” She moved, whipping around in a blur, her leg curling into the
air, kicking out into the wolf’s side. He flew across the ground as the
other two leapt. Twisting toward the floor, Lexia missed the first wolf
as it sailed over her head and met the third full on. They crashed to
the floor, soil flying up into the air. Lexia didn’t try to get away.
Instead, she ignored the sharp teeth that ripped her flesh. Wrapping her
arms around the wolf, she squeezed, hearing one, two, three ribs crack.
The wolf whimpered, his grip on her flesh loosening until he was pinned
beneath her, a knife to his throat. The urge to release the wolf and
run coursed through her. She looked into the wolf’s eyes seeing the
monster she’d become, the monster her mother had made. Only the need to
see her mother’s demise kept her together. “Impressive. You’re strong,
but you all still have your humanity. I may not have your mate, child,
brother, or friend held at knifepoint, but you still care. You’d all
feel something if I sliced my knife into his throat. Someone once told
me your humanity was your strength. Maybe it is. If I killed this wolf
now, you’d all fight with a strength powered by loss, revenge, and maybe
I wouldn’t get out of it. First though, will you listen to me? Just
hear me out, and then by all means, try to kill me.” Lexia stood up,
backing away from the wolf at her feet, palms up and looking at the man
who remained in his human form. “Who are you?” he asked. “I’m Maura, or
maybe you’ve heard of me by the name Lexia?” Her choice to use Maura
purely so Lincoln wouldn’t find out she was back. She might be Lexia
again, but never could she be his Lexia, his Wildcat. By the widening of
his eyes and sharp intake of breath, he knew. “You’re Lincoln Turner’s
mate.” “No, I’m not. I’ll never be her again. I am a hunter and I’ll die
a hunter. First though, I plan to kill my mother and destroy her
plans.” Lexia was surprised by the calm, level tone she upheld. Just the
mention of Lincoln’s name caused her insides to lurch. “You’d kill your
own mother?” he asked surprised. “Do not mistake me for someone who
cares. I feel nothing for her. I feel nothing.” The lie rolled easily
off her tongue. It was days like today, when she so easily slipped on
Maura’s mask, that she wondered who she truly was. She wanted with all
of her soul to be Lexia, but the name didn’t quite fit anymore. She’d
spilt too much blood, and Maura; Maura represented the darkest of her
days, a darkness she never wanted to visit again. “But why would you
want the hunters dead in the first place?” “My reasons are none of your
concern. Will you help me or not?” “Why not just kill her yourself?” he
asked, standing firm. “Oh, don’t worry. I plan to kill her, but she is
not the only problem. There is more than one head to this monster and
not all are so easily within my reach. It appears some of the humans are
behind this program.” Lexia wasn’t sure of everyone who needed to be
eliminated. All she knew was it would be an impossible task to take on
alone. “Human?” he whispered, looking horrified. “Yes, shifter, monsters
come in all shapes and forms.” “How do I know you’re telling me the
truth?” “You don’t, but I’m hoping one of you is called Adam?” Lexia
silently pleaded with the universe for her hunch to be right. A white
wolf fidgeted to her right. “I’m also guessing what brought the ten of
you together was your hatred for the hunters. You’ve chosen to fight
instead of hiding, which means you’ve either a death wish, or have
nothing left to live for, other than revenge, and the grief of those
you’ve lost.” Still the wolves seemed unaffected by her words. Lexia
decided to put her cards on the table. Turning, she looked at the white
wolf she hoped was the Adam who belonged to the shifter woman locked in
her room. “Adam, Sahara is still alive.” He shifted, anger and
desperation evident on every line on his face. Stepping forward, his
body language screamed of aggression. “Where is she? How do I know you
are telling the truth?” His words were savage, etched with the growl of
his wolf. Lexia held her hand toward him. “Here. I rubbed my hand
through her hair before I left.” The other shifter stepped out, his arm
blocking Adam’s path. “Adam! She could just be tricking you. You’ve seen
how fast she moves. Her knife could be in your chest in seconds.” Lexia
pulled her sword from its sheath and her knife from the holder on her
thigh. Throwing them to the ground, she inhaled deeply, hoping she’d not
just made a grave mistake. “I mean you no harm.” She offered her hand
again. Adam walked slowly forward, his grey eyes never leaving hers.
Slowly, he took her hand and brought it to his nose. The second he
caught the scent of his mate, his whole body relaxed and he clung onto
Lexia’s hand breathing deeper. “Sahara,” he whispered. Lexia felt the
pain in his words as if they were her own. For a second, she imagined it
was Lincoln in front of her. For a second, she longed to be with her
mate again. “She’s alive, Adam, and I’m willing to get her out in
exchange for your pack’s help,” she said dully. Her words no longer
sounded like Maura’s. Just being around shifters brought her so much
pain, so much longing. “Anything,” he whispered, releasing her hand.
Emotion filled eyes. “Now wait, Adam, you can’t decide for us all. She
might never follow through, and Sahara could be dead,” the shifter
ground out through clenched teeth while the rest of the wolves grew
visibly restless. “Grey, if there was a chance your mate was alive,
you’d have us all walk to our deaths for her,” Adam stated. “Just so you
know, I don’t have long. Leaving the compound isn’t the easiest of
tasks, and Sahara doesn’t have long either. The reason my mother is
capturing shifters is because she’s experimenting on them. I broke
Sahara out earlier, but her disappearance has been noticed.” They all
growled in unison, closing in. Lexia held her ground when her every
instinct said run. “Kill me now and there is no one to help her. My
mother will stop at nothing to get what she wants.” She took a small
step toward Grey, grounding out, “Will you help me?” “Why not ask your
panther to help you?” he spat. Lexia paused, as she silently struggled
with an explanation that wouldn’t give too much away. Lincoln would do
anything for her but she knew they could never be together again. She’d
done too much to deserve that happy ending. “I do not want him
involved,” she snapped. “So you still do care?” Grey stated smugly. Yes,
so so much. Though Lexia would never admit that. “You are all the same,
grasping at any sign of hope, of emotion. If Lincoln were involved,
he’d be too busy trying to save me, but I was lost a long time ago. I
may not come out of this alive, and I don’t care, but he does. That will
jeopardize the mission and he’d end up dead. I joined my mother so he
could live. I gave up my life, my humanity for him. It would all be
pointless if he died.” Grey smiled and Lexia wasn’t sure why; wasn’t
sure what secret she’d given away. Do you see through the mask I cling
to so precariously? “We’ll help you once we’ve received Sahara.” “Good.
Sahara will arrive after dark today. She’ll be hidden inside a truck on a
supply run. Do not show yourself until you are sure it’s her. She will
be with a hunter. Harm him and our deal is off. Sahara must be taken far
away from here. Lucy Hunter can never know I helped you, not yet
anyway.” Lexia turned, walking away with an emotion she’d not felt in a
long time swirling within her. Hope. “Lexia, how will we get the
information from you?” Looking back as she walked, Lexia called, “I’ll
find you.” Her pace quickened, ready to run. “Oh, and, Grey, tell no one
of this meeting. Not even Linc.” © Rachel M Raithby 2015
