The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)(25)
Author: Gena Showalter

But would that desire grow darker, as he feared?

He gripped her arm and pulled her behind him. He shared a confused look with Lucien, then turned to face her. Before he could utter a single word, she rushed out, "Are you going to take me into the city now? Please."

And never see her again? "Eat," he commanded, harsher than he’d intended. "Bathe. I will return soon." To his friends, he barked, "Let’s go." He stalked into the hall.

They lingered only a moment before following. After closing and locking the door, Maddox leaned his forehead against the cold stone wall beside it, measuring every molecule of air he drew in and forced out of his lungs as he tried to soothe his riotous heartbeat. This has to stop,

"You’ve brought trouble into our midst," Aeron said, remaining at his side. "And was she actually trying to protect you from us?"

"Surely not." But that was the second time she’d done so, and he was more confused now than before.

He straightened and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"Let me go, Maddox," Ashlyn called through the door. More than it had yesterday, her voice appealed to him. Soft, lilting. Erotic. "I was wrong to come here. I was. If it will help, I’ll promise not to tell anybody."

"I know I’ve brought trouble," he told Aeron.

His friend arched a brow in that insolent expression Maddox was coming to loathe. "No apology?"

That was the worst of it; he still wasn’t sorry.

"Forget the woman for now," Lucien said, waving a hand through the air. He squared his shoulders. "You’ve seen her. She is well. She doesn’t appear to have let Hunters in – yet. Now we have a more pressing concern to discuss. What I tried to tell you earlier is that the gods – they are not who you think they are."

"Maddox, we need to talk to you," a harsh voice called, cutting off whatever response he might have made.

Lucien threw up his arms in exasperation and Maddox pivoted. Reyes approached, Paris and Torin at his sides. Two were scowling, the other grinning like the madman he was.

"Your woman has to go," Reyes growled. "I smelled her all night long, and I can’t stand another second of that thunderstorm scent."

Thunderstorm? Ashlyn smelled like honey. Still, his jaw clenched at the thought of another man being so aware of her. "She stays," he said curtly.

"Who is she, why is she still here and when can I see her naked?" Paris asked with an eyebrow wiggle.

"Someone should kill her," Reyes countered.

"No one touches her!"

Aeron closed his eyes and shook his head. "Here we go again."

"Unlike Reyes, I don’t mind her presence," Paris said, rubbing his hands together. "I only mind your unwillingness to share. I’d like to – "

Maddox shoved Paris before the man could finish the sentence. "Do not speak another word. I know what you would like to do to her, and I will die first."

Now Paris frowned, pale skin dusting with angry color. "Back off, ass**le. I haven’t had a woman today, so I’m in no mood for this kind of bullshit."

Torin remained in the corner, watching, grin spreading. "Anyone else find this highly amusing? It’s even better than listening to the brokers when stocks plummet."

Maddox struggled to rein in his temper and shove Ashlyn to the back of his mind. Where she belonged. As a female, as a human, as possible Bait, she was the last person who should rouse this sort of protective reaction in him.

Should, should, should. Argh! End this. Finally. Soon. Now.

"Enough!" Lucien shouted.

Everyone quieted and stared at Lucien in surprise. He was not usually a shouter.

"Were there Hunters in town?" he asked Paris and Reyes.

Reyes shook his head. "We didn’t find any."

"Good. That’s good. Perhaps Maddox did indeed kill them all." Lucien nodded in satisfaction. "But Maddox doesn’t know about the gods yet. We need to tell him. What’s more, Aeron and I… did something last night."

Instantly Aeron’s body went rigid. "We said we wouldn’t tell them."

"I know." Lucien sighed, clearly at the end of his patience. "I changed my mind."

"You cannot simply change your mind!" Aeron roared, leaping in front of Lucien.

"I can and I did," was the reply. Not exactly calm, but close, only edged with steel.

"What’s going on?" Maddox stepped between them and pushed them apart. For once, he was not the one throwing accusations and fists. "I’m ready to listen. You mentioned the gods. I know Aeron was summoned. I was too distracted to ask for details before. What did they want from him?"

"Later," Torin said to Maddox, but he didn’t take his eyes off Lucien. "What’d you do, Death?"

"Spill," Reyes commanded.

Lucien’s attention never wavered from Aeron. "After their reaction to Ashlyn, we need to make sure they don’t accidentally stumble upon our secret. What do you think will happen if they do?"

For a long while, Aeron did not reply. Tension filled the air, grave, sinister. Finally, Aeron nodded. "Fine. Show them. But get ready to war, my friend, because they aren’t going to be happy."

"Someone had better explain," Reyes demanded, looking between them.

"An explanation will not be good enough. I need to show you." Lucien started down the hall. "This way."

Prophetic words, Maddox thought. He cast a questioning glance at Torin, who had uttered something similar only last night. Know what’s going on? he mouthed.

No, was the silent reply.

Nothing good, that much he could guess. Lucien had never acted this mysterious. Confused, intrigued, concerned, Maddox glanced at Ashlyn’s door before following his friends.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ashlyn fell back onto the bed, struggling to control her breathing. Oh God. He’d come back. He hadn’t been a dream, hallucination or mirage. Maddox was alive. She’d really been locked inside a dungeon; he’d really risen from the dead. And he’d really stopped the voices.

When he’d left her in this oddly bare bedroom, she’d searched for a phone, found nothing, then searched for a way out. Again, nothing. Fatigue had quickly settled on her shoulders, nearly crushing her. She’d been unable to fight it, the silence inexorably relaxing, like a beloved drug she’d finally been able to indulge in. So she’d lain down, not caring about the consequences. She’d entertained the notion that maybe, just maybe, all of this was a delusion and when she opened her eyes, she’d find herself in her own home, her own bed.

Not so. Oh, not so.

A moment ago, a shock of thrumming power had slammed through her, dragging her kicking and screaming from the most peaceful sleep of her entire life, a sleep wrapped in that blissful silence. And then Maddox had been standing over her, looking down at her with those fathomless purple eyes.