Fiero trailed off, but Syx could read his thoughts, and he agreed. “It felt like something or someone didn’t want you to get to us,” he finished for the warrior.
“Exactly,” Myst said loudly. “Gage had this brilliant idea about bringing in one of the trucks to help pull the bigger rocks out.”
Syx frowned at Myst’s sarcastic tone. “Yeah, that’s where he was headed on the full moon. What’s wrong with that?”
Myst waved a hand around the small clearing. “Exactly how do you expect to get a vehicle through all these trees? There’s no trail that leads up here, and the trees are too closely packed.”
Syx scanned the tree line and sighed. Myst was right. “Okay, so then what?”
“Well, we finally got the second tree moved and the rocks dug out. Onyx and Myst are amazing, but they only have so much power,” Eyce said.
“You try lifting one of these damn trees with your mind,” Onyx grouched. “Man, I thought I was going to have an aneurism.”
Myst nodded emphatically. “It sucked big hairy balls, man.”
“We got inside, but of course, it was empty.” Hex growled under his breath. “I thought maybe we had the wrong cave and had wasted all that time for nothing.”
“Then Mac started screaming. If it wasn’t for Gage, we probably wouldn’t have heard him. We got the boulder moved, though that took some time, and Gage snatched Mac up and ran him out of the cave before anyone could blink.” Onyx laughed under his breath. “Not that I blame him, though. Mac looked bad.”
“Gage took Sony, Mac, and the shifters home,” Hex said, anticipating Syx’s next question. “They can’t help us anymore here, and I wouldn’t have told them no anyway.”
“Okay, so why is he here?” Echo shot a scathing look at Craze where he perched beside Hex. “Shouldn’t he have gone home with the others?”
“We felt it was better to keep an eye on him,” Hex said with a menacing growl.
Syx was with Echo. He didn’t want the asshole there, but he understood Hex’s point as well. Why did everything have to be so damn complicated? “So, what are we still doing out here?”
“We’ll sleep here tonight,” Hex answered in a more polite tone. “Everyone needs to rest and recuperate before we make the hike back to the vehicles. We should be home by tomorrow night, though.”
Syx sighed and slumped against Vapre. Thank the gods that Hex was back. Syx never wanted to be in charge of anything again—not even something as small as what to cook for dinner.
Vapre kissed his temple and hugged him close. “I missed you,” he whispered in his ear. “Don’t scare me like that again, asshole.”
“Love you,” Syx mumbled wearily.
“Love you, too, babe. Let’s get you to bed.”
Even the prospect of sleeping on the hard ground sounded like heaven as long as Syx had his lovers wrapped around him throughout the night. “Please.”
* * * *
Echo woke to howling winds that beat against the tent with such ferocity he was surprised it was still standing. And damn, was it cold! Even snuggled inside his sleeping bag, Echo shivered violently.
“Everyone out,” Hex ordered, and Echo realized that he was the only one still in a prone position. His lovers moved about the confined space of the tent, gathering supplies and cursing under their breaths.
“Where are we going?” Echo asked as he squirmed out of his sleeping bag and began pulling on his boots.
“The cave,” Hex answered with a no-nonsense tone. “The storm’s getting worse, and we have to find shelter.”
“No.” Echo started shaking his head, his blond hair flying around his face. He’d rather take his chances with the storm. “I can’t go back in there. No, no, no!”
“Baby, we don’t have a choice,” Eyce said gently as he crouched down beside Echo. “We’ll all be there with you, and we have Fiero to light a fire for us. It will be warmer and safer. The storm will blow past before you know it, and we’ll go home.”
“What if we get trapped again?”
“Not going to happen,” Fiero said confidently. He held a hand down to Echo, pulling him to his feet when Echo took it. “You can do this.”
Echo had serious doubts about that, but what choice did he have? He could refuse until he was blue in the face, and his mates would just drag him kicking and screaming into the cave anyway. At least he could retain a little dignity, even if he felt like a blubbering basket case on the inside.
Hex squatted in front of the tent flap and began unzipping it. Cold air rushed in, catching Echo in the face and stealing the breath from his lungs. “Straight to the cave,” Hex ordered and ducked out into the storm.
Fiero pulled Echo along, leading him out of the tent. Echo dropped his head and rounded his shoulders against the fierce wind. The snow whipped around them, hitting him in the face, hard and cold enough to sting.
He couldn’t even see where he was going, had no idea if they were headed in the right direction. All he could see around him was white. It was better than the shades of black he’d endured before his lovers had rescued him, but just barely.
He trudged through the snow that was already up to his knees, letting Fiero tug him along. Just when he was sure they were headed in the wrong direction, he stepped through the entrance of the cave and immediately plastered himself to Fiero. “Please?”
“I’m on it,” Fiero said firmly. Echo couldn’t see anything, but he heard the snick of Fiero’s lighter, then a soft orange glow appeared in the demon’s hand. “I would have asked for your help, but this seemed faster.”
Echo nodded gratefully. He stuck close to Fiero, holding the man’s hand in a death grip as they moved about the cave, shining light for the others to gather stray twigs from the dirty floor. When they found as much as they could and piled it together, Fiero gathered the flame from the lighter in his palm and blew on his hand softly until the kindling ignited.
The flames flickered for a moment before growing, and soon there was a nice-sized circle of soft, amber light. Echo sighed in relief, his muscles relaxing marginally. “Thank you.”
“Well, I don’t want to freeze my nuts off,” Fiero grumbled, but Echo knew the demon only said it for his benefit. He was letting Echo save face, and he appreciated it more than he could say.
“It won’t last long. We’ll need to find more wood,” Hex said.
“Well, just piss on my parade, why don’t you?” Echo looked up at their alpha and stuck his tongue out. “It’s enough for now.”
“There’s plenty from the tree just outside the entrance. I’ll gather some.” Onyx turned to head back out into the storm, and Echo had to bite his tongue to keep from calling him back.
“I’ll help,” Myst chimed in as he jogged after Onyx.
“Craze?”
Echo followed Hex’s eyes to the douche bag warming his hands by the fire. For one happy moment, Echo had forgotten the idiot even existed. It wasn’t just jealousy—though there was a whole lot of that. Craze was arrogant, egotistical, and whole lot of other nasty words Echo would decide on later.
Craze huffed and hung his head, but turned and marched determinedly toward the mouth of the cave without a word. Wow, Echo hadn’t seen that one coming.
“He knows he needs us,” Syx mumbled from his side, making Echo jump. He hadn’t even heard the man approach. “He doesn’t like the cold either, so it’s in his best interest to make sure there’s enough firewood to keep the flames going.”
Everyone worked together to unroll the sleeping bags in a circle around the fire. By the time they finished, Onyx, Myst, and Craze had returned, each carrying an armful of logs and twigs. Echo still didn’t relish being back inside the cave, but at least this time he had all of his men, and he had light.
“How long do you think it will last?” Echo asked.
“I’m sure it will blow past by morning,” Eyce said reassuringly. “Let’s just get some sleep, and we’ll see what’s what when the sun comes up.”
>
Echo eyed the sleeping bags for a long time, frowning at how far apart they were spread. Releasing his bruising hold on Fiero’s hand, Echo flexed his fingers to help relieve a bit of the ache. Then he began moving around the fire, pulling the sleeping bags closer together. He unzipped them, and with a little doing, managed to make two into one. Pleased with that, he continued on, doing the same to the others.
He left the last roll alone, even moving it a little further away, but left it close by the fire. He even gave himself a little mental pat on the back for not being a complete asshole.
“Well, that’s a statement if I ever saw one,” Craze drawled.
“Be grateful I don’t kick your ass out in the blizzard,” Echo snapped. “Now, shut up and go to sleep.”
“Does he talk to all of you like that?” Craze asked, looking around the group, obviously seeking some backup.
Myst rolled his eyes and shoved past the guy to settle into one of the double sleeping bags Echo had created. “Only when we deserve it, man.”
* * * *
Syx woke to warm lips sliding down the back of his neck. Sighing in contentment, he pushed back against Vapre, rubbing his ass over the man’s straining cock. While he had no problem taking the dominant role to give Echo what he needed, Syx missed being taken care of himself. Something he would never admit aloud.
He could hear the roaring winds outside and blinked open his eyes to find the storm still in full force. The fire flickered, and Syx vaguely wondered who had woken in the night to add more logs.
“Good morning, my love,” Vapre whispered against his ear.
Syx shivered as he craned his neck over his shoulder to capture Vapre’s searching lips. The kiss was languid and sweet, speaking louder than any words ever could. Vapre’s thoughts pressed into his mind, but there was nothing there besides words of love and desire.
Vapre’s hands roamed his chest, smoothing over his pebbled nipples and pinching them between his fingers. Syx moaned softly into his lover’s mouth as his cock began to fill and harden, begging for attention. “Touch me,” he breathed.
“Me too,” Echo whimpered.
Syx broke the kiss and turned his head to see Echo unzipping the sleeping bag he shared with Hex to wiggle closer to them. Smiling brightly, Syx pulled the smaller man into his arms and claimed his lips in a heated kiss. “Morning, sweetheart.”
“Less talking, more touching,” Echo mumbled, rubbing himself against Syx’s chest.
Apparently, the sound of Echo’s voice was like a wakeup call, because the other demons began to stir, smiling widely as they watched the three of them together. “You always start without me,” Myst whined.
“I’ll take good care of you,” Onyx crooned to him, and Myst moaned as his eyes rolled back in his head.
“How is this going to work?” Echo looked around the group and frowned. “I need you all. It’s been too damn long.”
“I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait,” Hex whispered, molding himself to Echo’s back.
Syx didn’t like it, but he knew the warrior was right. They didn’t have any lube, and even with the fire, it was too damn cold without some type of covering. A soft pop drew his attention, and he looked over his shoulder just in time to see Vapre pull his finger from his mouth. His hand disappeared, sliding down the waistband of Syx’s boxers, and parted his ass cheeks to rub against his hole.
Syx moaned, pushing back against the digits. “More,” he pleaded.
Echo whimpered again, his hands caressing every part of Syx he could reach. “Need to taste you.” Unzipping Syx’s sleeping bag, Echo fumbled with Syx’s boxers until his throbbing cock poked out through the slit in the front. Then, without further preliminaries, he flipped around, his groin near Syx’s face, and engulfed the head to the back of his throat.
“Oh, gods,” Hex choked. Lifting up on one elbow, he pushed Echo’s boxers down until his thick cock bounced free, gripped it firmly at the base, and sucked the leaking head into his mouth.
One spit-slicked finger pushed into Syx’s hole, and he cried out, jerking his hips forward and pushing his prick further to the back of Echo’s throat. Echo swallowed around him, the velvet-lined heat constricting around his cock, and Syx’s head began to swim.
Myst appeared behind Hex, pushing the covers down the warrior’s body and pulling his straining length free of its confinement. His hand moved quickly, jerking Hex’s cock in long, hard strokes. “Come for me,” Myst whispered.
Echo moaned, sending faint vibrations up Syx’s shaft, and Vapre added a second slippery finger to his clenching channel. Syx bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out at the intense pleasure that coursed through his body.
Onyx managed to slip beneath the sleeping bag, and though Syx couldn’t see what he was doing, he had a pretty good idea when Myst buried his face in Hex’s neck and groaned.
The fingers in Syx’s ass sawed in and out. Echo’s sweet lips bobbed up and down on his cock, and Syx had the perfect view of Echo’s glistening prick sliding in and out of Hex’s mouth. A loud groan drew Syx’s attention behind him once more, and he almost swallowed his tongue when as he watched Eyce’s kneel over Vapre, feeding his impressive dick through the man’s sleep-swollen lips.
Fiero stood, his underwear pushed below his balls, and rubbed the tip of his weeping cock over Eyce’s lips, smearing them with glossy pre-cum. Eyce moaned again, rocking his hips and fucking Vapre’s mouth, as he parted his own lips and swirled his tongue around the crown of Fiero’s flexing length.
Syx smiled inwardly. They couldn’t resist. No matter the circumstances, they always found their way together—all of them touching in some way—just how it should be.
The moans and grunts grew in volume, and they each moved faster, with more urgency, as they all raced toward their own releases. Vapre’s wrist twisted, his fingers curled, and Syx cried out as the digits nudged against his sweet spot.
Pushing back against his lover’s hand, Syx bent and sucked one of Echo’s balls into his mouth, rolling it around with his tongue as he impaled himself on Vapre’s fingers again and again. His sac tightened, his muscles clenched, and his greedy hole squeezed in warning of his impending climax.
“Ah, fuck,” Fiero snarled, but Syx didn’t stop in his attentions to his mate to look around. Groans and growls echoed around the cave as each of his lovers hurdled over the edge and into that orgasmic high that Syx sought.
Then Echo moaned again, sucking hard on Syx’s throbbing cock, and Syx went off like a bottle rocket. Releasing the flesh in his mouth, he dropped his head back to Vapre’s shoulder and cried out as his dick erupted, spilling his seed into Echo’s willing mouth.
“I really needed that,” Echo rasped after he’d licked Syx clean and emerged from under the sleeping bag. “We really need to do it more often.”
Everyone chuckled as they all returned to their sleeping bags and snuggled together in one big pile.
“I don’t know if that was meant to be a punishment or not,” Craze said softly, and Syx wanted to smack himself in the forehead. He had completely forgotten anyone else was in the cave with them. He held his breath, waiting for Craze to say something scathing that would no doubt piss them all off.
There was a long, pregnant pause, and Craze ran a hand over his sleep-tousled hair. He eyed them all for a minute, then finally dipped his head and smiled. “I get it. I won’t say it doesn’t hurt a little, but mostly because I want what you have. Not necessarily with you, but someone to look at me the way you all look at each other. So, yeah, I get it, and I won’t cause trouble.”
Syx’s exhale of relief turned into a chuckle when Echo sat up and cocked his head to the side. “Good, but I still don’t like you.” Then he squirmed under the covers again and closed his eyes. Without opening them, he patted Syx on the chest. “Close your mouth, honey. You look like a fish.”
Chapter Thirteen
The storm didn’t blow out by the end of the morning, or even the next
night, and Echo had a strong suspicion the new moon would find them right there in the middle of the cave. He didn’t know what would come, didn’t know how they would fight it, but at least they were together and relatively safe for the moment.
Still, they had done nothing to prepare for Syx’s task. Echo didn’t even know how to begin to help the man either. When he replayed his time with the Oracle, he clearly remembered the darkening sky, but he didn’t think the sun could literally fall. How would they fight against that?
“I can’t help you,” Echo whispered to Syx, finally admitting defeat. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t know how. Your gift is not like the others. I can make it stronger like I did with Jet, but I don’t see how that will make any difference when the new moon comes.”
Syx’s arm wound around his shoulder, and he brushed his lips over Echo’s cheek. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. I think I’m on my own with this one, but that’s okay. There’s a reason for it. I just have to figure out what that reason is.”
His lover’s new, optimistic attitude confused the hell out of Echo. “Why are you so confident all of the sudden?”
“Because I’ve been thinking.”
Echo smirked. Of course he had. Syx was always thinking. That big, beautiful brain of his never slept, not even in sleep. Echo couldn’t count the number of times he’d laid awake and listened to Syx mumbling in his sleep.
“Well, are you going to tell us?” Myst questioned as he plopped down beside them.
“I think it’s better if I don’t,” Syx replied. “Just know that I have a plan and I’m not afraid. We can win this.”
“We trust you,” Vapre offered. “If you say we’re golden, then that’s good enough for me.”
Well, goody gumdrops for Vapre. It was nowhere near enough for Echo. “I need to know,” he demanded. “Maybe I can help.”
Evans, Gabrielle - Shades of Black [Fatefully Yours 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Page 11