“mine.” Not to mention their numerous enemies and the ever-heating war.
Warning! Warning! If you hate alpha sexiness, stop reading. Things are about to get HOT in here.
Love,
Gena Showalter
Who’s Dating Whom?
Maddox was the first to fall, giving his heart to Ashlyn.
The beauty’s sacrifice broke his curse and expertly defeated the villain.
With only one dance, Lucien was snared by the wild Anya,
and “you belong to me” became their favorite mantra.
Reyes turned his sights to the protection of Danika,
and it wasn’t long before the two were practicing his dark erotica.
Sabin rescued Gwen and obsession quickly grew,
and now there’s nothing the two will not do.
Naughty Aeron taught the innocent Olivia how to sin,
and in the process learned how empty his life had once been.
Gideon and Scarlet shared a faux secret past,
and soon realized their love was unsurpassed.
Amun gave Haidee the worst of his hate,
but she soon won him over...after all, she is his mate.
Strider tried to ignore Kaia and the burn of lust in his blood,
but love for the redhead rushed through him like a flash flood.
Paris wanted Sienna but tried to resist...resistance that melted the first time they kissed.
Kane was supposed to wed Josephina’s greatest foe,
but Josephina won him at the very first hello.
When Torin and Keeley met, they nearly came to blows.
But it wasn’t long before they were tearing off each other’s clothes.
Baden could not protect himself from Katarina’s sweet heart,
and now he’s vowed they’ll never be apart.
What’s next for the Lords, we can’t really say.
But with Cameo, William and Galen on the block,
prepare for a little cray-cray.
The Darkest Day
Before sitting down to write The Darkest Torment, I drafted a scene to 1) get me back into the Lords of the Underworld universe, 2) let myself (and readers) know what’s been going on since the release of Torin’s book, The Darkest Touch, and 3) watch the sexy Maddox throw a punch or twelve. What? I did it for him. He needed to let off a little steam. Anyway. “The Darkest Day” is that scene. I hope you enjoy!
—Mere days after Baden’s return—
MADDOX HAMMERED HIS fists into the punching bag so fast and with so much force the chain ripped from the ceiling and the leather tore, sand spilling out as the bag flew across the gym. An-n-nd there goes another one. With a curse, he tore off what remained of the tape covering his knuckles. He needed to find a new way to let off steam. Today all he’d done was sweat. Droplets ran down his chest as he turned to his friend Strider, who sprinted on the treadmill.
“Hit on me.”
Frowning, Strider jerked the earbuds from his ears. “Excuse me? You want me to hit on you?”
“Yes, please. And make it hurt.”
“You mean hurt so good. Fine, but what happens in the gym stays in the gym.” With the press of a button, Strider stopped the treadmill and lowered the incline. “Is your dad a baker? Because you’ve got some nice buns.”
Maddox took a moment to process the words he’d just heard. Misheard? He arched a brow at him. “Are you kidding me?”
“Wait. I can do better.” Strider cleared his throat. “Are you a magician? Because whenever I look at you, the rest of the world disappears.”
“Wow. You aren’t kidding, but you are a moron. You know that, right? I wanted—want—you to use me as a punching bag. Hit me with your fists, not your supposed man prowess.”
“No way I’m punching you.” Strider grabbed a towel from the rack on the wall and wiped the back of his neck. “Ashlyn will punish me by replacing the oh-so-delicious Oreo filling with toothpaste. Again.”
“Well, I’ll replace your teeth with my fist if you don’t.”
“You’d do that either way.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Besides,” Strider added. “Your wife is scarier than you.”
Again, he wasn’t wrong. Ashlyn looked like an angel, but when it came to the protection of her loved ones, she had the temper of an entire demon horde.
“I need a good fight.” The urge to hurt and be hurt had overwhelmed Maddox more and more lately, and he feared what he would do if ever he snapped. Anyone weaker than himself—meaning everyone—would be in danger.
He carried the demon of Violence inside his body, and the fiend was hungrier than ever. Starved. Even buzzing with gleeful anticipation, as if it sensed something Maddox did not—impending danger.
As the keeper of Defeat, Strider would ensure Maddox—and therefore Violence—experienced a total knockout. Because, if Strider lost, he would experience a total knockout. The worst of the worst for a guy