The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)(51)
Author: Gena Showalter

With a scowl, Danika plucked a piece of cheese from the platter perched on the vanity. She tossed it at Ashlyn before commanding her family to help search for cameras. Just in case. "He asked for the 411 on our captors."

"Like?"

"Like their daily routine, what weapons they have and what security system the fortress has." She laughed, but there was no humor to the sound. "I think it’s my mind’s crazy way of coping with what’s happened."

Ashlyn didn’t think so. Those questions were too invasive, too specific, the kind of information a soldier would want to gather on his enemy.

So… if it wasn’t Danika who wanted data on the men, who was it? And who had the power to ask without benefit of a body?

"I’m sick of this shit," Paris grumbled. "Just once today, I’d like to stay in town and relax after screwing, rather than rushing back here. Hello, I can’t flash like Lucien." He plopped in front of the TV screen and turned on his favorite Xbox game. Naked mud wrestling. His color was high and the strain had vanished from his features. "What’s the meeting about this time? And FYI, I didn’t see any Hunters."

"That’s because all you see are potential bedmates," Aeron replied.

"And there’s a downside to that?" Paris asked, unperturbed.

"Stop arguing," Lucien said. "We’ve got some business to take care of, and I don’t think anyone’s going to like what they hear."

Maddox leaned back on the couch and scrubbed a hand down his face. Violence pounded through him, hot and dark. Hotter than usual. Darker than usual. Barely caged. It didn’t like being away from Ashlyn. The woman who had tried to lure him to bed. The woman he’d turned away. What kind of idiot turned away a woman such as her?

She’d wanted him, for gods’ sake.

He’d wanted her just as badly. Still wanted. Wanted her supple body wrapped around his, wanted her mouth on his. Or on his cock. He wasn’t picky. He wanted her cries of abandon in his ears, her sweet taste in his mouth.

He should have taken her when he’d had the chance.

Instead, he’d deposited her in Lucien’s room after removing the barricade – overkill, if you asked him, when there was a perfectly good lock on the knob – and cleaned his own. Then he’d found himself summoned to the entertainment room where there was, apparently, nothing but more bad news to pass around.

"Tell them, Aeron," Lucien said on a sigh.

Pause. Then, "I’ve felt the first stirrings of Wrath. Nothing drastic. Yet." He propped himself against the far wall. He pounded a fist into the stone behind him as if to punctuate his admission. "It’s manageable, but I’m not sure how long that will last."

"He can smell the humans now, and their scents won’t leave his nose," Reyes said.

Maddox wondered at the fury in the man’s tone.

Paris paled. "Fuck. That was fast."

"No one knows that better than me," Aeron replied.

Maddox suppressed a growl. How much more would he and the others be forced to endure? He’d learned a bit ago that there were other Hunters out there, hiding in town. According to Aeron, they appeared even stronger and more capable than their predecessors.

Because of what Ashlyn had revealed about her ability, Maddox had to wonder if they were here for her, too. A woman whose job it was to listen for nonhuman creatures would be a valuable tool indeed. The very notion infuriated his demon, made them both want to torture, maim, kill.

"I’m not sure how much longer I can go without hurting them." Aeron rubbed the back of his neck. "Already I see their bloody bodies in my mind and I like it." There at the end, his voice cracked. A slight change, but there all the same.

"Does no one have an idea?" Reyes tossed his knife in the air, caught it and tossed it again. "Anything that might save them?"

Silence.

"Talking about it is pointless," Torin finally said. "We’re only tormenting ourselves, trying to come up with a solution that isn’t there. We can’t approach the Titans; they’ll give us all another curse. We can’t set the women free and tell them to hide. Aeron will only be forced to follow them. So, I say let him do it."

Reyes glared at him. "That’s a little callous even for you, Disease."

What would he do if Aeron were ever ordered to kill Ashlyn? Maddox wondered. Cruel as he was learning these new gods were, he suspected they’d issue the command without hesitation. He leapt to his feet with a roar, smashing his fist into the wall.

All conversation stopped.

The act felt good, so he did it again. And again. His hands had yet to fully heal from his battle with Aeron, and this didn’t help. The spirit must truly feel bonded to Ashlyn, too, because even it wanted to kill something at the thought of losing her. Go get her. She’s ours. She belongs to us.

Almost always before, he and the spirit had disagreed. Man and beast, each against the other. To share a common desire was shocking. He punched the wall again and stone crumbled to the ground.

"The little woman isn’t calming us, I see," Torin said with a short laugh.

Maddox turned away from him in time to catch Aeron exchange a loaded glance with Lucien. "What?" he snapped at them.

Lucien held up his hands, all innocence.

"Nothing," Aeron said. "Just… nothing."

"How many times do you have to be told? She’s Bait, man." Reyes gave his dagger a final toss, end over end, and the tip embedded just above Maddox’s shoulder. "Surely you know that by now."

"If you don’t, you’re a fool," Aeron said, maintaining that conversational tone. "Maybe I’ll kill your precious Ashlyn when I kill the others, and break her spell over you once and for all."

Just like that, the spirit erupted fully, washing over him, consuming him. No one threatens our woman. No one. Black spots winked over his vision, followed quickly by red.

"Ah, hell," Lucien said. "Look at his face. You knew better, Aeron."

Knocking over tables and kicking chairs, Maddox fought his way toward Aeron. He left a trail of destruction in his wake, even picked up the plasma screen and tossed it to the ground, shattering it.

"Hey," Paris protested, as his game went silent. "I was winning."

Only one word drifted through his mind: kill. Kill, kill, kill. Kill. Woe to anyone who was foolish enough to get in his way. When he reached Aeron, the man had already unsheathed two blades. Maddox didn’t bother with a weapon; he would flay the bastard with his bare hands. He wanted blood soaking his fingers, wanted bones scattered on the – Ashlyn’s face suddenly flashed through his mind.

Her head was thrown back, her golden hair wet and cascading down her back. Water droplets slid over her stomach and caught in her navel. Pleasure shuddered through her.