The Darkest Night

he had gods to appease. Gods he wasn't even sure how to approach.

These Titans were unknown entities. If he asked for mercy and they ordered him to do something vile— something he refused to do—the situation would most assuredly become worse than it was now.

'Why don't I touch them?' Torin suggested, turning back to the group. His eyes were as bright and green as the girl's inside the room. While hers had been filled with anger, his were filled with despair. 'If they die of disease, no one will have to worry about his conscience.' Except Torin.

'No,' Aeron said at the same moment Paris shouted, 'Hell, no.'

'No disease,' Lucien agreed. 'Once it starts, it's impossible to control.'

'We'll keep the bodies contained,' Torin said, his determination clear.

Lucien let out another sigh. 'That won't work, and you know it. Disease always spreads.'

'Disease!' the girl cried. 'You're going to infect us with a disease? Is that why you brought us here? You disgusting, loathsome, rotten pieces of—'

'Hush,' another female voice commanded. 'Don't incite them, Dani.'

'But, Grandma, they—'

Their voices trailed off. The girl was probably being dragged away from the door. Maddox liked her courage. It reminded him of Ashlyn, how she had stood up to him in the cell and demanded he lift his shirt. She had wanted to run—the desire had shone brightly in her eyes—but she hadn't. Just the memory caused his blood to heat and his body to harden. She had even stroked his wound, sparking something to life inside him. Something he hadn't understood.

Tenderness, perhaps?

He shook his head in denial. He would fight that emotion until his last breath—which should take place in about thirteen hours, he thought wryly. He did not, would not, have tenderness for Bait, or a divine punishment, or whatever she was.

Proof—next time he saw her he would take her hard and fast, pounding…pounding… She would moan and scream his name. Her thighs would tighten around his waist and—No, no. Of its own accord, the image realigned in his head, shifting to please Violence.

She would be on her stomach, braced on her hands and knees. That lovely hair would cascade down her elegant back and he would grab hold of it, tugging. Her neck would arch; her lips would part on a gasp of pleasure- pain. In and out he would pound, her sheath hot and wet. Tight. Yes, she would be tighter than a fist. His testicles would slap at her legs.

When I finally have Ashlyn in my bed, I'm going to be gentle. Remember?

That thought was ignored. She would beg for more, and he would give it to her. He would—

'This is becoming tiresome.' Aeron pushed him, hard, slamming him into the wall. 'You're panting and sweating and your eyes are starting to glow with red fire. About to erupt, Violence?'

The image of Ashlyn, naked and aroused, vanished—and that infuriated the spirit, who attempted to jump through Maddox's skin and attack. Maddox found himself snarling, too, craving another glimpse of her in his mind.

'Calm down, Maddox.' Lucien's serene voice penetrated the haze. 'Keep this up and we'll be forced to chain you. Who will protect Ashlyn then, hmm?'

His blood chilled, sobering him. They would do it, he knew they would, and chains he could not allow. Not during the day. At night, yes. He was a menace then and there was no other way. I'm a menace now. But if he were bound now, when he was barely hanging on to his sense of self, he might as well admit defeat and stop trying to be anything other than a demon.

All of the men were staring at him, he noticed.

'I'm sorry,' he grumbled. Something was very wrong with him. This hair-trigger dance with the spirit was utterly ridiculous. Worse, it was embarrassing. They usually fought each other, but not like this.

Maybe he needed more time in the gym. Or another round with Aeron.

'Good?' Lucien asked him. How many times would he be forced to ask that today?

Maddox gave a stiff nod.

Lucien braced his arms behind his back and regarded each man. 'Since that's settled, let's discuss the reason I brought you here.'

'Let's discuss the reason you brought the women here,' Paris interjected, 'rather than leaving them in the city. Yeah, Aeron has a job to do, but that doesn't explain—'

'The women are here because we didn't want them leaving Buda, perhaps compelling Aeron to follow,' Lucien said, cutting him off. 'And I wanted you to see them so that you wouldn't kill them if you caught them wandering around the fortress. If they manage to get loose, just bring them back to my room and lock them inside. Don't talk to them, don't hurt them. Until we figure out how to free Aeron from this deed, the women are our unwilling guests. Agreed?'

One by one, the men nodded. What else could they do?

'For now, leave them to me and relax. Rest. Go about your day. You'll be needed soon enough, I'm sure.'

'I, for one, plan to drink myself into oblivion.' Aeron scoured a hand down his face. 'Women in the house,' he muttered, adding as he stalked away, 'Why don't we invite the whole city over for a party?'

'A party would be fun,' Torin said, once again amused. 'Might help me forget all this hive-inducing male bonding.' And then he, too, was off.

Reyes didn't say a word. Just unsheathed a blade and stomped down the hall, leaving no doubt about what he planned to do. Maddox would have offered to cut him, to whip him or beat him and spare Reyes the agony of self-infliction, but he'd offered before and always the answer was an abrupt no.

He could understand Reyes's need to do it on his own. Being a burden was almost as bad as being possessed. They all had their demons—literally—and Reyes didn't want to make it worse for any of them.

At the moment, though, Maddox might have welcomed the distraction.

'I'll see you losers later,' Paris said. 'I'm going back to the city.' Fine lines of strain bracketed his eyes—eyes that were now a dull blue rather than bright with satisfaction. 'I didn't have a woman last night or this morning. All this—' he waved a hand toward the door '—has fucked with my schedule. And not in a good way.'

'Go,' Lucien told him.

The warrior hesitated and glanced toward the door. He licked his lips. 'Unless, of course, you'd allow me inside your bedroom…'

'Go.' Lucien gestured impatiently.

'Their loss.' Paris shrugged and disappeared around the corner.

Maddox knew he should offer to guard the women. After all, he was probably the reason they were here. But he needed to see Ashlyn. No, not needed. Wanted. Better. He did not need anything. Especially a human with questionable motives who was already marked for death.

But not knowing what these Titans would do next, he realized he did not want to waste another moment. He would go to Ashlyn even though he hadn't completely subdued the demon. Besides, he might never be calm when it came to that woman. And it was better to do what he wanted with her now, before he was forced to—he could not even bring himself to think it.

'Lucien,' he began.

'Go,' his friend said again. 'Do whatever you need to do to get yourself under control. Your woman—'

'Ashlyn is not up for discussion,' Maddox responded, already knowing what Lucien meant to say. Your woman needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. He knew that, too.

'Just get her out of your system, then do what needs doing so that at least part of our lives can return to normal.'

Maddox nodded and turned, part of him wondering if his normal life was worth returning to.

CHAPTER EIGHT