by Donna Grant
“No.”
“Stand up. Walk around,” Lincoln urged.
It took Ava a full minute before her legs were steady enough to hold her. She thought Kane was big last night, but in the light of day he was massive. And frightening.
Her gaze was on Kane, and there was no denying the way his eyes narrowed when she stood. He rose up on his paws, the light from the sun soaking into his midnight coat. His lips peeled back to show fangs that were thicker and sharper than she had first thought.
Ava walked toward Lincoln, and Kane was in step with her. When she retraced her steps, he followed.
She was so screwed.
“See how his eyes watch you. See how he looks at nothing but you. Tell me he wasn’t sent for you,” Lincoln demanded.
“I don’t know why he would have been.” She began to shake. She had held out hope for dawn, and figured that once the sunlight arrived she could leave the awful night behind and get on with her life.
Lincoln was beside her in an instant. He grabbed her arms and turned her to him. “What about a client?”
“I’m not a prosecutor. I help people like Olivia.”
“Then it could be someone you went after while helping a client.”
“I suppose. I’d have to look through my files to know for sure.”
Lincoln spun around and raked a hand through his hair in frustration. That’s when Ava noticed that his hair was down. The long, chocolate strands hung around his face down to his shoulders just begging to be touched.
“There has to be a connection between you and the priestess. She wouldn’t have just pulled your name out of thin air,” Lincoln said. “And she knew you would be here. How?”
Ava shrugged when he looked at her. “I didn’t share my plans with anyone. Not even my co-workers. All they know is that I’m taking some vacation time.”
“Olivia said you came on a private jet. Did you have to tell your company where you were headed?”
“I told them it was a short flight. I did have to let the pilots know so the flight plan could be registered.”
Lincoln’s lips flattened. “That’s how the priestess knew. She managed to get them to give her the information.”
Ava was happy she hadn’t tried to make a move on the co-pilot. “It still doesn’t explain why she has focused on me.”
“We likely won’t know that until we confront her.”
Ava lifted her brows at that. “You want to go to New Orleans?”
“Definitely. However, I don’t see that happening for a few days. I’d like to know the answers now. Convincing Solomon to bring the priestess here might be more difficult than getting away from Kane.”
That reminded Ava that they were stranded for two days. “What are we going to do about food?”
Lincoln pointed to a bag. “Beau brought it last night. They’ll return with more food.”
Ava shifted feet. “What about...other things?”
A smile flashed before Lincoln turned away. “I’ll be on the other side of the oak. It’s all the privacy I can give you.”
She waited until he had disappeared behind the tree before she went to the water. She knelt beside it and splashed some on her face. It took her two tries before she was able to pull her white shirt over her head to wash up a little more.
The shirt was stained and dirty, but she didn’t care about that. It was the way her body ached that concerned her. She looked down at her legs to see the cuts and bruises from her and Lincoln’s dash through the woods.
Ava then twisted to try and see her back and right side. She bit her lip when she spotted the edge of a bruise that was already black. It felt like the bruise covered most of her right side.
“What the hell?”
She looked up to find Lincoln staring at her with a mixture of fury and shock. Ava shrugged. “I told you I had a run in with those men.”
“How many times did they hit you?”
“Not half as many times as they tried.”
He walked to her and squatted beside her. “That looks bad. Where else does it hurt?”
“Back of my head.”
She closed her eyes when his hands gently pushed her head down and moved her hair. His touch was light, tender. So at odds with the harsh curse words that tumbled from his lips a second later.
“That bad, huh?” she said as she opened her eyes.
“You’ve got a pretty big bump. This is where they must have hit you to knock you out.”
“That explains the pain.” She held her shirt against her chest to hide her breasts. Being around Lincoln made her yearn for him, but it had been years since a man had seen her naked.
His fingers trailed down her spine alluringly, making goose bumps rise over her skin. “Where else?” he whispered.
Ava gathered her shirt higher at her breasts and let him see the left side of her ribs. She hadn’t needed to look there to know she would have a bruise. It hurt to breath deeply.
Once more Lincoln’s fingers lightly touched her skin. His gaze locked with hers. He was so close she could see the ice blue ring around his eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me last night?” he asked softly.
“I was being chased by a werewolf.”
He smiled seductively. “You are some kind of woman, Ava Ledet.”
That kind of compliment coming from a man like Lincoln was high praise indeed. As much as she wanted to kiss him again, she knew it would be a big mistake to get involved with him.
He would always put hunting above anything else. It was in his blood, in his very DNA. She had already been left once. She refused to put herself in that kind of place again.
No matter how much her body burned for him.
Ava turned away before she did something stupid and kissed him again. She stood and turned her back to him while she put her shirt on.
She reached for the bag of food only to look up and see that Lincoln already had it in hand, holding it out to her. When had he stood, much less moved to get the bag? Did he hold supernatural powers as well?
“Eat,” he told her. “There’s plenty, and more coming.”
Ava took the bag and pulled out an apple and a bottle of water. She downed the water first and quickly ate the apple. As she ate, she remembered she hadn’t had any food since the day before at lunch. No wonder she felt as if she could eat the entire menu of her favorite Italian restaurant. Twice.
While she munched on a bag of pretzels and a cheese stick, Lincoln found a bag of jerky. She tried not to stare at him, but she couldn’t help it. It was only the safety of the holy ground that allowed her mind from going on overload about the werewolf after her. But that gave her mind – and her body – something else to focus on. Lincoln.
How many more times could she find the strength to pull away?
How many more times would she want to?
The fact was, she didn’t want to. She wanted to tackle him to the ground and run her hands over his rippling muscles, to feel the strength of him, the power.
If she weren’t very, very careful, she would fall into the trap that was Lincoln Chiasson. She would become her mother, waiting every dawn to see if her father would return. Even as a child it had been a horrible existence. How much worse would it be as an adult, and as Lincoln’s lover?
Ten times worse? Fifty? A hundred?
She should never have returned to Louisiana. If her father didn’t want to be found, then she shouldn’t be looking for him. What had it gotten her? Being chased by a werewolf and on the radar of a Voodoo priestess for who knew what reason.
And being attracted to the exact kind of man that she had never wanted to find.
“Why did you pull away?”
She stilled, the water bottle half way to her mouth, and looked at Lincoln. She didn’t need to ask what he was talking about, because it was still in her mind. His gaze was on the bayou, giving her the impression that he didn’t care about her answer. But he did.
Ava lowered the bottle. “
Because I refuse to live like my mother did.”
There was a beat of silence before Lincoln’s head swiveled to her. “You base everything on what happened to you fourteen years ago? After taking on those five men and holding it together last night while Kane chased us, I didn’t take you for a woman frightened of anything.”
She was more afraid than he could possibly imagine. Because with Lincoln, she could see herself doing anything just to be in his arms.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The day crawled by, each minute feeling like an eternity. Ava kept her distance from Lincoln, preferring to remain sitting against the oak. Not because she worried he might try to kiss her again, but because she worried she would kiss him.
She knew when his eyes were on her. Her entire body warmed as if anticipating his touch. As if eagerly awaiting his caress.
And always there was Kane.
The werewolf only took his eyes off of her long enough to get a drink, and then he was back to watching her. Between Lincoln and Kane her nerves were rubbed raw.
The hours of silence also grated on her. It was past noon, and she couldn’t go another minute without conversation. She picked at her nails and glanced at Lincoln who walked the perimeter of the holy ground.
“If Kane remains here, then he won’t kill a human. That part of the curse will be broken.”
Lincoln looked at her as he continued walking. “That’s a nice thought, but that’s not how a curse from a Voodoo priestess works. If he gets past this full moon, it will happen again, and again, and again, and again. Until the unthinkable happens, and he kills a human.”
“Oh.” How stupid of her to think there was a bright spot in an otherwise shitty incident.
“I wish you were right. We all do. It’s just not how things work.”
“My naivety is showing.”
Lincoln stopped and tilted his head to the side as he regarded her. “Not naivety. Your optimism, your hopefulness. We...I...forget that sometimes. It’s refreshing.”
“Perhaps, but without you, I’d be dead, and your cousin would be condemned to a horrible life.”
Lincoln turned his blue eyes to Kane. “He wouldn’t live long. Between us and his family, he would be put down quickly.”
The easy way he said it told Ava that he must have done something similar before. And yet, there was sadness in his gaze. He didn’t enjoy what he had to do, but he did it as a necessity to protect those around him.
“Was my father a good hunter?” she asked.
Lincoln grinned as he squatted and picked up a stick that he broke in half. “Not at first, but he was a fast learner. He soaked up every bit of knowledge my father imparted. I remember the first time we took Jack with us on a hunt. He hesitated for only a moment. After that, he never paused again. His aim was always true. He was so good that my father began to take him with us regularly.”
“Where did he go, Lincoln? Why would he leave us?”
“I don’t believe he did.” Lincoln turned his head to her. “Every night before we left the house while my mother was kissing all of us good-bye, he was off in the corner looking at a picture of you and your mother. I don’t recall a single time of him actually mentioning your name. He always called you his sweet pea.”
Ava smiled at the reminder. “It was his favorite name for me.”
“He didn’t leave you, Ava. Something happened to him.”
All those years of hating her father made tears cloud her eyes. Instead of stroking her hate, she should have been looking for him.
“I wish we’d have known,” Lincoln said. “We could’ve looked for him.”
“After all these years, my chances of finding him are pretty slim, aren’t they?”
“Yes. I’d like nothing better than to sugar coat things for you, but I won’t.”
Ava looked at her clenched hands. “I appreciate that.”
“I’ll help you look when Kane is back in his normal form.”
Her gaze lifted to Lincoln. His blue eyes were clear and locked on her. “You would do that for me?”
“I would do a great many things for you.”
The double meaning of his words didn’t go unnoticed. Ava shifted under the heat of his gaze. Her body – the treacherous thing – responded instantly.
She might have walked away once, but she wouldn’t be able to do it a second time. Lincoln was like a magnet, pulling her toward him, silently urging her to give in. If he knew how precariously she teetered on the edge, he most likely would press his advantage. And part of her wished like hell that he would.
She feared giving in to her desires for him.
But she feared walking away even more.
A whistle broke their focus. Ava was the first to look away. She heard Lincoln sigh as he straightened and turned to the water.
Ava closed her eyes and silently berated herself. Lincoln was a force to be reckoned with, a man who would demand everything of her. He would consume her body, mind, and soul. He would require her love and claim her as his.
She shivered in eagerness.
All the men she knew were metrosexual. None were aggressive or so in control as Lincoln. He was the type of man who would do anything to protect his family.
He was the type of man who would give her heaven in his bed.
The type of man who would give unconditional love.
The type of man who would make the woman he loved his entire world.
She hadn’t thought that kind of man existed, except for in movies and books. Yet one stood right in front of her.
Ava looked around him to see a canoe coming toward them. She spotted Christian and jumped to her feet to stand beside Lincoln. Christian smiled at her as he drew closer. His gaze darted to the left where Ava saw Kane out of the corner of her eye. She forced her lips to turn into a smile.
“How are you?” Christian asked her.
Ava nodded. “I’m holding it together.”
“She’s doing well,” Lincoln said. “What did you find out about the men?”
Christian’s smile widened. “I’d like to say they’ll be waiting for you when this is finished, but Beau and I couldn’t seem to stop ourselves. We were giving them a right fine beating when one mumbled something, and all five fell to the ground. Dead.”
“Well, shit,” Lincoln mumbled.
Ava looked between Christian and Lincoln. “What men? Are you talking about the men who attacked me?”
“Yes,” Lincoln said without looking at her. “The priestess made sure to have a plan if they were caught.”
Christian nodded grimly. “They took a beating from someone.”
“That would be Ava,” Lincoln stated.
Ava shifted under Christian’s pleased gaze. “I’m impressed,” he said.
“She didn’t come away unscathed. We need something for her bruises and scrapes, and probably some aspirin for that knot on the back of her head and her ribs.”
Christian nodded quickly. “I’ll make sure to bring that soon. Olivia packed enough food for a dozen people,” he said as he threw another bag at them.
Lincoln grabbed it out of the air and set it down as he opened it. Ava looked back at Christian. “You didn’t happen to pack a bed or a TV in there, did you?”
“Not this time,” Christian said with a wink. “I’ll try to sneak them in the next time.”
Ava waved as Christian turned the canoe around and drifted away. How she wished she could be on that boat, but that would be putting so many people in danger because Kane wouldn’t stop until he had her.
“Stop thinking about Kane getting you,” Lincoln said, breaking into her thoughts.
She looked to find him standing again. “A mind reader, huh?”
“Nope. Just easy to read the emotions on your face. I’ll get you out of this, Ava.”
“This time. What about the next full moon? Or the one after that? Will I live the rest of my life on holy ground during full moons?”
“We’ll find a way to end th
is.”
“Do Voodoo priestesses reverse their curses often?” she asked skeptically. But she already knew the answer.
“We Chiassons and LaRues can be very convincing.”
“It’s not just my life. It’s everyone else’s that gets in the way of Kane killing me. And let’s not forget Kane. He didn’t ask for this curse, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be a werewolf forever or have his family hunt him down.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Lincoln said again.
She placed her hand on his jaw, the scrape of whiskers prickling her palm. “Such conviction.”
“You act surprised by it.”
If he only knew the type of men she worked with. They were good attorneys, but she doubted a single one of them could do what Lincoln did. “I believe you would do everything you could to save both Kane and me, whatever the cost to you.”
“I’m willing to pay it.”
“I’m not willing to let you. Your family needs you.”
He covered her hand with his. “It’s not your decision to make.”
“I could step off this holy land and end it now.”
Lincoln’s brow furrowed deeply. “You would do that to yourself and Kane?”
“I’m saying I could. Not that I will.”
“So you’d consider ending your own life, but not kissing me again?”
The pain in his eyes was too much for her. Ava threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head down. His lips moved over hers with skill and passion that set her ablaze.
This kiss was intense, savage in the need that pushed both of them. He backed her to the tree and pressed his body against hers. She moaned at the feel of his arousal. He wrapped her hair around his fist and held her head as he plundered her mouth. He robbed her of thought, deprived her of breath.
And she wanted more.
“Tell me you don’t want this,” he said as he kissed down her neck. “Tell me you don’t want me.”
“I can’t.” She clung to him, her body raging with a fire that only Lincoln could put out. “I won’t.”
He held her head between his hands. Her lids lifted to find his gaze pinning hers. “Try to deny it again, and I’ll kiss you until you remember.”