Love's Predator (Love's Predator Trilogy Book 1) (19 page)

Lindsey opened her mouth to speak but her words died upon her lips. She looked to the side, wincing as she blocked the thought from her head. “I don’t love him,” she cried. But Lynn was no longer there to listen. “I don’t love him!”

Feeling unstable, but just as determined, Lindsey got up from the bed, using the wooden poles from the four-poster bed to balance. She looked down at her wedding dress and took a few steps forward. Luckily it was the perfect length and she was able to walk without holding it up. Lindsey then headed straight for the door and was pleasantly surprised to find it was left open for her.

As Lindsey turned the knob, the glint of her engagement ring caught her eye, reminding her again of what her fate was to be. She was to marry Kyle.

Toying with her ring, Lindsey took careful, quiet steps down the long, wooden hallway. She looked around, trying to find out where they had taken her, but there were no windows until she reached the stairs. On the landing was a glass wall, which allowed Lindsey to look out into rows and rows of green grassy fields and hills. She knew then they were miles from anywhere.

Lindsey looked down the hallway, her attention was captured by a rush of laughter coming from the room at the end of the dark hallway. She stared at the tall wooden door, knowing that in the room was her husband to be.

Something moved in the corner of Lindsey’s eye. She followed it through the darkness and watched helplessly as a tall man dressed in
black emerged from the darkness like a shadow.

Lindsey jumped backwards, her eyes still stuck on the man before her. He was motionless, his gentle, misty grey eyes never leaving hers.
Lindsey looked over him, wondering why the man looked so familiar to her. His dark, raven black hair, his pale skin and those light eyes reminded her of Kyle, but this man did not look like Kyle. Kyle was sharp and dark, this man began to exude something entirely different, but Lindsey couldn’t tell what it was, only that it was something not to be reckoned with.

“Hello there, Lindsey,” he said in a soft voice.

Lindsey froze, her blood running cold. His voice was like the wind through the leaves, so gentle and yet eerie. She had heard it many times before, in dreams and nightmares. Was this the man who haunted her sleep? How could that be?

He smiled at her, drawing her in.
It was then Lindsey noticed his eyes were both misty grey, not mismatched with one eye as red as freshly spilt blood. And yet it seemed to burn bright like the fiery eyes she had seen before.

“You look
ravishing,” he told her gently. “Kyle is very fortunate to be receiving such a beautiful bride.”

She forced a smile, looking away from those misty eyes. But the man talked to her still with that soft, lullaby voice.

“Kyle is in the end room with a friend, Lord Jinx. You will have met him before.”

“I haven’t met you
before,” Lindsey said quickly.

Their eyes locked together.

“No,” the man admitted quietly. “You haven’t.”

He approached her slowly, taking long, graceful strides towards her as he closed the safe distance. Now he was only feet away, within touching distance.

Lindsey stared up at him, hanging for his response.

“They call me Lord Shade,” he said with a wicked smile. He reached out, taking her hand into his, gently kissing her warm flesh.

Lindsey instantly pulled her hand away in disgust.

“You,” she hissed. “You are behind all this!”

Lord Shade sighed softly, silencing Lindsey. As he combed his long pale fingers through his dark hair, Lindsey felt her cheeks burn angrily.

“I am the leader, yes,” Lord Shade admitted. “It is me that organised this to happen to you, but do know Lindsey, I have your best intensions at heart…And that of your friends.”

“You all sicken me,” Lindsey spat. She turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to prepare for!”

Lord Shade laughed loudly.

“Oh my, dear child,” he said melodically. “You are a character!”

“In this ridiculous play!” Lindsey grumbled as she stormed off.

But a strong hand caught her arm, pulling her back. Lindsey gazed into Lord Shade’s eyes, unable to react.

“You are not afraid of me Lindsey?” H
e asked her very quietly. “Do you not fear the man who ultimately controls your fate?”

“No,” Lindsey answered after a long pause. “I am not afraid of you.”

Lord Shade’s eyes flashed dangerously and he gave a low chuckle.

“Good,” he finally smirked. “I’m glad you do not fear me; you don’t need to as long as you are in my good grace.”

Still on edge, Lindsey swallowed hard and summoned the courage to speak again. “I’ve heard that before,” she told him quietly.

“Lindsey,” Lord Shade
whispered. “If you think Kyle was powerful, he isn’t even second to me.” He dragged her close, holding her body firmly against his.

Lindsey cried out nervously.

“If things go wrong, fear the puppeteer, my sweet one,” he hissed into her ear, his voice near demonic. “The puppeteer is the one that controls your fate.”

The second he let Lindsey go, she ran past him, heading for the room where Kyle and his friends were lurking. She glanced back over her shoulder once, seeing
Lord Shade standing where she left him, watching her with a knowing smirk.

This was the man who held the strings, not Kyle. Now Lindsey had met true evil, and she couldn’t help but picture his misty eyes gazin
g into hers. She was bewitched.

Throwing open the large doors, Lindsey peered inside to find her groom pacing before a grand fireplace. He looked up, his icy eyes melting at once. “Lindsey,” he breathed. “My beautiful Lindsey.”

Lindsey looked
away; she could not bear the love and devotion that shone in his bright eyes. Although it was twisted, Lindsey knew that look could stir up the feelings she had once forged for Kyle and she could not allow that to happen. But Kyle was already making his way over to his bride and within seconds he had wrapped his strong arms around her.

“Oh God, Lindsey,” he sighed. “The time has finally come for us.”

“You’ve waited a long time for this,” Lindsey murmured.

“Yes, I have,” Kyle admitted softly. He kissed her gently, near the lips but not quite on them. “But the wait has been worth it Lindsey. Soon you shall be mine, and so shall the powers I have been promised.”

He looked to Lord Shade, who stood by the door with his arms crossed. Kyle’s gaze was hopeful, like a child who had been promised sweets as a reward for good behaviour. To this look Lord Shade gave one nod, accompanied by his unreadable face.

Again Kyle smiled and turned his attention back to his bride to be, who was glaring at him calmly.

Kyle’s demented delight was unfaltering.

“When are we going to do this Kyle?” Lindsey asked quietly. “And how will I know you’ll keep your word and let Nadine and Katie go?”

“I will let you call your friend,” Kyle told her
merrily. “You can call her and tell her that you will not be going to France and that you have found somewhere to stay.”

Lindsey looked away. A shiver trailed down her spine. She knew this would break off contact with the only person who knew the truth.
But that was exactly what Kyle wanted; he wanted her to disappear with him.

“You really have thought all this through,” Lindsey murmured. She pulled away from Kyle and made her way back to the door. She looked back at him, examining his astonishment. “I’ll be in my room,” was all Lindsey said.

She left her groom gawping.
His excitement was shattered.

“I think that failed escape
has gone to your head,” a voice remarked from behind Lindsey.

She turned to find Lynn had followed her through to the room. Silently, Lindsey watched Lynn close th
e door behind her. Their eyes caught for a moment, but then Lindsey looked away. Silently she headed towards the window, where a small white moth sat on the thick glass, and she gazed outside, wishing she could be out there running towards the surrounding woods of the manor like house.

“No expense spared,” Lindsey murmured.

“This is Lord Jinx’s house,” Lynn informed her. “But you won’t be spending your honeymoon here; Lord Shade said he has something planned.”

Lindsey turned to Lynn with her eyebrows raised. She looked her up and down but there was no tell-tale signs of what had been planned for her after the wedding.

“And that is?” She finally questioned curiously.

Lynn frowned and for once she looked truly puzzled. “I don’t know, Lindsey,” she admitted. “He hasn’t told anyone anything
. Only that it will be all taken care of.”

“That’s not very reassuring,” Lindsey sighed loudly.

Lynn smirked to herself and shook her head gently. For a moment a flash of compassion was in her harsh eyes. “You’ll be fine Lindsey; Kyle loves you.”

Lindsey looked down, finding
herself slowly slipping into her thoughts. What did love mean to these people? What kind of lives had they known for them to be able to confuse obsession and a need to possess someone with love?

There was a loud knock at the door. Lindsey was pulled from her thoughts and back into the unravelling tale of her fate.

A man promptly entered. It was the man who had attended Kyle’s first party, the one with the long brown hair. Lindsey could not recall his name at first but she would later come to know that this man was Lord Jinx, the owner of the grand mansion.

“It isn’t wise to make demands from Kyle, especially when Lord Shade is around,” he said cautiously.

Lynn approached Lindsey quietly, her face dark. Lindsey was still, standing her ground as she came right up to her face.

“You thought Kyle was dangerous,” she hissed huskily. “Lord Shade puts him to shame.”

Lindsey glanced over to the man, catching a glimpse of him nodding in agreement. She then looked to Lynn again and took a deep breath.

“Thank you, for the advice,” she said with a sickly sweet smile.

Lynn slowly put some distance in-between them as she checked herself out in the mirror. She flickered her eyes over to Lindsey, still watching her in the reflection.

“
At the end of the day we are all his puppets, even Kyle,” Lynn continued.

Lindsey paced over to the bed, taking a seat on the side. She listened carefully to what Lynn had to say about Lord Shade, and yet even as she told her just how dangerous and powerful he was, she couldn’t get his silky smooth voice out of her head.

“Lindsey,” the man said suddenly.

She spun around, her eyes wide.