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I was about to offer my mouth to ease her obvious need when another scent hit me. I tilted my head back and sniffed, scenting the air. Fuck. I ran down the hall to the end room and kicked the door open.

My growl tore through the small space.

Dove rushed in behind me and cried out in alarm.

Maddox’s female, Jane, lay draped over the bed, and she was sliced down the middle, through her sternum and down her belly, her innards spilling over the covers. Maddox stood naked by the bed, his massive chest heaving.

He spun toward us. Blood coated his face and hands, and his usually bright green eyes were black, completely devoid of color.

He snarled.

I’d never seen anything like that, not among my brothers. “Maddox,” I said, filling my voice with dominance, trying to get through to him.

Maddox bared his teeth, his gaze sliding to my dove.

“Mad,” I growled again, trying to get him to focus on me.

Willow slid her blade free. “He’s possessed by something or someone,” she said, her blade ready to fly when it became obvious Maddox was about to attack. “He won’t listen to you.”

With a roar, Maddox ran at her.

I charged, taking him down, the both of us crashing to the floor and plowed my fist into his face, once, twice, a third time, trying to snap him the fuck out of whatever this was, whatever had him in its grip. Instead, Maddox grinned up at me, baring bloody teeth, and laughed. The thunder of boots echoed down the hall, then the room was filled with my brothers.

I dragged Mad off the floor and passed him off. “Chain him below.” I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but I didn’t want this shit in my den. I didn’t want whatever evil this was corrupting my brothers.

They lifted Maddox without question as he struggled, spitting and cursing, and carried him off.

Dove watched them take him away. “Whatever was possessing Jane, it moved to Maddox.”

“What the fuck was that?” Jagger said, expression fierce.

I filled my lieutenant in with everything Willow had told me when she got here. I hadn’t really believed it. Hellhounds were strong, powerful; we were not easily defeated or fooled. I didn’t know how to fight this. “Make sure Maddox is secure.”

Jagger gave me a sharp nod, turned, and strode out of the room, and I walked to the side of the bed, where my dove now stood looking down at Maddox’s dead female.

“How did this happen?” I asked her.

She turned to me, her beautiful green eyes wide. “I have no idea, but I think it’s my job to find out.”

* * *

Willow

Jane had been pretty, young, her whole life ahead of her. She’d come here looking for some fun and wound up dead. I had no idea how this involved my task. Maybe I’d just failed it? I didn’t know what this meant, but now, somehow, I had to explain her death to her mother.

I had to take her mangled and mutilated body home and try to explain what the hell happened here.

Her eyes were still wide open and filled with the shock of her last moments. I’d sent a quick text to Chaos while Warrick spoke to Jagger. The leader of the knights of Hell was an expert when it came to demons. I didn’t know if this was what we were dealing with, but if we were, the knights needed to know.

His reply had come a few seconds later. They were on their way.

“I’ve never seen this before,” Warrick said.

“I contacted the knights. They’ll be here soon. Maybe they’ll know something,” I said.

“Which knight did you contact?” he gritted out.

The hellhound alpha didn’t much care for Chaos, especially after he discovered the leader of the knights and I used to hook up from time to time. It felt like a lifetime ago now. Our feelings for each other had never been any deeper than friendship. Never mind that Chaos was now mated and completely besotted with his female, Grace, who also happened to be a good friend of mine.