The Darkest Night

'They knew what they were doing, and had obviously been preparing for a long, long time,' Reyes said. 'What I want to know is why they didn't stick around to chop off our heads while we were incapacitated.'

'They're planning something else.' Paris rolled his shoulder. 'Have to be.'

Everyone turned to Sabin.

He shrugged. 'They're out for blood. Expect anything.'

Reyes nodded. 'We should gear up and find them before they try anything else.'

Sabin cleaned his face with his T-shirt, saying, 'I remember a time when you would rather have split with your friends than attack Hunters.'

'No,' Lucien told him. 'We split with friends who wanted to destroy the entire city and everyone in it. We split with friends who attacked one of our own.'

Eyes stark, Sabin spun away.

Maddox gazed around the foyer, studying the weary group one by one. 'Where is Torin?'

A deadly stillness came over Lucien. 'He hasn't returned from the cemetery?'

Cemetery? Torin had ventured outside the fortress? What else had Maddox missed while he was dead? 'I don't think so. I did not hear him come in, but I was… occupied.'

Frowning, Sabin withdrew a walkie-talkie. 'Kane. Do you read?'

Nothing.

'Kane.'

Again, nothing. A little panicked now, Sabin repeated, 'Kane. Answer me'

Nothing.

Everyone looked at everyone else.

Lucien ran a hand over his jaw, his features more frazzled than before. 'We have to find Torin before someone else does. Gather bandages, Maddox, and meet us upstairs. I want to be out the door in ten minutes.'

A feminine gasp suddenly rang in his ears. Maddox whipped around, only to see Ashlyn standing at the top of the staircase. Those long locks he so loved spilled down her sides, and her eyes were wide, concerned. She wore one of his shirts and had those black sweatpants bagging over her legs.

In seconds, he was beside her and dragging her behind him, blocking her from view. He didn't know if he could trust the newest additions to the 'family.' Not really. Not anymore. Too much time had passed for him to feel any kind of kinship.

'I guess I don't have to ask who the human belongs to,' Sabin said dryly.

'What happened to them?' Ashlyn asked, horrified. She peeked around his shoulder. 'They're so bloody. And who are the new guys?'

'A bombing. The men are… like us.'

'Five minutes and a knife,' Aeron shouted, jerking at his bonds. 'That's all I need.'

Blanching, Ashlyn grabbed hold of Maddox's arm.

Reyes stepped up to the now-cursing prisoner and punched him in the face. Once, twice, three times. He punched until Aeron slumped to the ground. Maddox thought he heard Aeron utter, 'Thank you,' but he could not be certain.

As the warriors limped upstairs, Maddox kept Ashlyn behind him. When they were alone, he turned to her and trailed a fingertip over her jaw. 'Go back to my room. Please,' he added. 'I'll be there as soon as possible.'

Determined, she peered up at him through the thick fan of her lashes. 'I can help them, and so can the other women. Danika helped me when I was sick, remember? She's good in times of crisis. So am I.'

He gave a quick shake of his head. 'I don't want you near them.'

'If I'm going to stay here, I have the right to get to know your friends.'

'Not all of those men are my friends. Those who are, you can get to know another day. Right now, you need rest.'

'No, I don't.' She anchored tight fists on her hips. 'I refuse to lounge in bed all day when I can be productive.'

'Rest is productive.'

'No, it's not.'

'I do not know some of those men, Ashlyn. Not anymore. If one of them were to try to hurt you…' Even saying the words sparked a deep rage inside of him.

'I want to help. I've never been part of a family before.' Suddenly appearing more vulnerable than he had ever seen her, she flicked her gaze to her hands, which were twisting the fabric of her shirt. 'All I've ever done is stand off to the side and listen, and all I've ever wanted to do is be a part of something. Let me help your family, Maddox.'

Something knotted in his chest. He could deny this woman nothing. Not even this. He would watch the men closely, hover over her shoulder if necessary, but he would not stop her from giving aid.

'Go to my room and gather all the towels you can carry.' He always had an overflowing supply. 'Do you know how to find the entertainment room?'

She shook her head and he gave her directions. When he finished, a delighted smile lit her face. 'Thank you.' She rose on her tiptoes and brushed a soft kiss on his mouth.

He shouldn't have, but he immediately deepened it, backing her against the wall. She made him forget everything but desire. Her flavor flooded him, that unique drug he'd never get enough of. One of her legs lifted and wound around his waist.

That quickly, passion trembled through him. His cock throbbed and his hand shook with the need to rip away her clothing and discover her naked curves once again. To plunge inside her body as surely as her tongue plunged inside his mouth, hot and wet, meeting him thrust for thrust. She moaned. He swallowed the sound. Delicious.

'Maddox!' Reyes rumbled from down the hall. 'Sometime today.'

With regret, he tore away from Ashlyn, severing all contact. Safer that way. One touch would lead to one more kiss. One more kiss and he would carry her back to his room, friends—and enemies—forgotten.

'That was… nice,' she said, fanning herself.

His eyelids were heavy as he studied her. Her lips were red, swollen and moist, and she traced her tongue over them as if savoring the lingering taste of him. He had to look away, but his gaze was drawn back in the next instant. Her eyes were bright and golden, fevered. For him.

A pulse hammered at the base of her neck. He found himself reaching out to stroke it, but stopped himself in time. None of that. Not now.

'Maddox,' Lucien called.

'I said, are you coming?' Reyes shouted.

'Towels,' he said to Ashlyn, then turned on his heel before he talked himself into staying.

That man fires me up, Ashlyn thought, watching Maddox stride down the hallway. He flew around the corner, disappearing from view. Her heartbeat still drummed erratically.

Smiling dreamily, she traced her fingertips over her tingling mouth. Good thing Maddox had walked away. A few more seconds of that devastating kiss and she would have allowed him—ha, begged him!—to take her right here, where anyone could watch them.

She heard a man grunt, another shout profanities, and snapped to attention. No time to moon over Maddox now. She jumped into motion. The air was chilly, a little damp, but invigorating. She loved the stained-glass windows here, the glistening stone that spoke of endurance and the passage of time.

She'd like to visit the site of the bombing and listen to the conversations that had taken place there. Like to? Darrow, you will. More often than not, she hated her gift. There was no real purpose for it and no job meaningful enough to warrant her constant suffering. For Maddox, though, she'd happily, eagerly, tune in to the voices, over and over again. She didn't like the knowledge that there were men out there, hiding, waiting to kill him.

When she snuck out to listen for ways to break his death-curse, which she planned to do tonight, she'd find out where the bombing had taken place and go there. If she was lucky, she'd learn where the hunters were hiding and how to save Maddox from dying.

Probably wishful thinking on both counts, but hope was a silly thing.