Free Whispers of Darkness (The Deadwood Hunter Series) by Rachel M Raithby

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 door. 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