Good thing it was worth it.
“Did anyone call Craze and Gage?”
“I’ll check.” Maybe it was childish, but Eyce wanted to be the first to tell Echo that he would be accompanying them to the club.
Hey, brownie points never hurt anyone.
Chapter Three
His clothes ripped, his hands tied behind his back, and his body tired and achy, Echo rested on his side in the hatchback of the SUV. He understood why he couldn’t shower or change clothes. He knew why Hex couldn’t heal him—though his body was slowly beginning to heal itself. Knowing these things did nothing to improve his foul mood, however.
When the vehicle pulled to a stop and the engine cut off, Echo took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He knew his men were close and wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Craze and Gage had arrived an hour earlier for added protection.
It made him smile to remember Craze bitching because of the tongue-lashing his mates had given him about being left behind. Gage’s mates had been more understanding, and Pax, Jet, and Lorcan had agreed to stay at the house to protect them. At least no one had to worry about their friends’ safety with the shifters on guard duty.
Faint light drifted in through the darkly tinted windows, and Echo guessed they were parked near the alley behind the club. He could hear the two weres in the front of the car hissing at each other as they argued and vaguely wondered what kind of shifters they were. Not that it mattered. Hopefully, they’d have this all settled in the next few minutes, and he’d never have to see them again.
Hell, if they didn’t get the answers they were looking for, no one would ever see them again because Echo’s mates would rip them apart. He shuddered a little at the thought then pulled himself together when he heard the front doors open and slam closed.
Showtime.
“I don’t like this, Jeff. Those demons are fuckin’ smart. What if they know it’s a trap?”
“Shut up!” the other guy snarled. “Nothing will go wrong. Just keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told.”
Echo rolled until he could sit up and leaned his back against the seat behind him. Then he stayed perfectly still, breathing deeply and trying to calm his racing pulse. The back hatch lifted slowly, and the weres leaned in to grab him. The minute they were close enough, Echo kicked out and up with all his strength, connecting squarely with the biggest guy’s nose. Rolling to his side, he swung his leg out a second time, catching the other shifter in the temple.
Both men howled and dropped to the ground, clutching at their injuries. Scrambling into a crouch, Echo took a deep breath and prayed that he wouldn’t break his fool neck. Then he leapt out of the SUV. With his hands still tied behind his back, his balance was crap, and he dropped to the ground and rolled several times until the security lamp stopped him. Good thing someone thought to put it there.
Groaning in pain, Echo sat up and shook his head to clear some of the dizziness. His attackers were on their feet and prowling toward him. “I will rip your throat out,” the smaller guy promised.
Hmm, guess he’s not so worried about the demons anymore. Watching as the men shifted into big, sleek panthers right before his eyes, Echo did the only thing he could do. “Syx! It’s a trap. Get out of here!”
Before he’d even gotten the entire thought out, loud footsteps sounded, and Hex appeared in front of him, scooping him up from the ground and passing him off to Gage. Echo turned his face into Gage’s chest, and squeezed his eyes closed. He couldn’t block out the shrieks from the big cats, though.
“Fuck!” Gage spat. Then they were moving, sprinting away from the fight.
Echo opened his eyes and looked around Gage’s shoulder. “Stop!” he screamed as he fought to free himself from the werewolf’s hold. “Go back!”
He couldn’t tell exactly what was happening, but all seven of his men and Craze were on the ground, convulsing and roaring in pain. A small, shadowy figure stood near the mouth of the alley, flanked by two larger shadows. “Put me down!”
“My orders were to get you out of here if something went wrong.”
“I can help! Goddammit, Gage, would you just run away if it were Mac and Sony?”
Gage stumbled but kept running. “That’s different.”
“The fuck it is. Now put me down, or I swear to the gods, I will drain your furry ass!”
Gage finally came to a stop, closed his eyes, and groaned. “Hex is going to kill me.” He gently set Echo on his feet and whirled him around to untie the ropes binding his wrists together. “I hope to hell you know what you’re doing.”
The sounds of his mates’ continued agony rent through the air, and Echo hoped he knew what he was doing as well. Sprinting back down the alleyway, Echo felt a bit of reassurance when he heard Gage right behind him. The man wasn’t nearly as powerful as him or his warriors, so the fact that he’d put his life on the line for them spoke volumes.
Pushing away the sappy thought and refocusing on the situation, Echo narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Old friend or not, he’d kill the asshole for the pain he was causing his lovers. A haze of fury descended over him, boiling his blood and stoking his powers. He had no clue how he produced the brilliant white light—or if it would even help—but at the moment it was the only hope they had.
The closer he came, the angrier he got. The more pissed off he felt, the more his blood pressure rose. The loud roars were hard enough to hear, but the quieter whimpering tore through his heart like a knife. Whatever was happening to his men, it was clear they were in agony. Never had he heard those particular noises from the demons.
Coming to a complete stop just feet from the fallen men, Echo closed his eyes and lifted his arms out to his sides. He knew he was presenting one hell of a target and half expected to be struck down at any moment.
What he didn’t expect was the two large figures at the end of the alley to curse before turning and sprinting away. The smaller shadow stepped forward into the dim light, and Echo growled as he recognized the face of his former lover.
He didn’t give a shit. If this fucker had enough power to take down eight fully-grown men without even lifting a finger, then he certainly had the power to end Echo like a bug beneath his shoe. So, that left the question—why didn’t he?
Then his head fell back on his shoulders, and he started to laugh, his voice shrill and grating in the cool night air. It was a cold, nasty laugh, and did little to calm Echo’s rage. One-seventeen was not only hurting the men he loved but enjoying the hell out it.
The man’s head popped up, and though he couldn’t see his eyes, Echo could feel the asshole’s stare like a physical force. His old friend was taunting him, daring him to make the next move. And unimaginable malice rose up in him like nothing he’d ever felt. He’d probably feel ashamed of himself later, but in that moment, he wanted the bastard to suffer. Echo wanted him to hurt—to scream until his throat bled.
The dark thoughts consumed him, burrowing into his soul and clouding his mind. The snarl of twisted thoughts in his head overwhelmed him, seeming to feed on his rage until his vision blurred and he could see nothing but the horrible images in his brain.
“Shine the light,” his mother’s voice whispered inside his head. “Let go of the darkness, Echo.”
Too consumed with hatred and vengeance, Echo ignored the goddess. There was no light in him to shine. Every crevice of his heart and spirit was blackness. He vaguely realized that he couldn’t feel his powers anymore, but he quickly dismissed any concern. He’d rip One-seventeen apart with his bare hands. In fact, he preferred it that way.
“Echo,” Hex rasped. “Run.”
Some of the darkness began to ebb as the voice penetrated the fog of rage. Blinking several times, Echo finally focused on his alpha and felt the tears prickle the corners of his eyes. His big, tough warrior had been reduced to a writhing mass of pain and surrender. Thin streams of blood dripped from Hex’s ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. The image was disturbing, appall
ing, and utterly heartwrenching.
“Echo,” Hex tried again as he slumped to his side and curled into a ball. “Go, baby.”
“I love you,” Echo whispered in return just before his old flame began laughing again.
“Love…you,” Hex replied with a strangled groan.
Moving his eyes away from Hex’s face, Echo glanced at the other men on the ground and felt his stomach twist painfully. They were all in similar states of distress, but Echo didn’t know how to help them. Gods, he was fucking useless. He was just going to stand there in that grimy alley and watch his men die.
“Echo,” Gage whispered in his ear. “I’m still waiting for this magnificent plan of yours. Help them.”
“I can’t.” He couldn’t feel one ounce of the energy that normally coursed through him. Rage gave way to despair, and Echo hoped he’d die right along with his mates. He’d never be able to survive without them.
“Shine the light,” Athena repeated. “Purge your heart.”
Memories of the past several months bombarded him, hitting with the force of a locomotive and causing him to gasp. The night he’d arrived on their doorstep. The night they’d claimed him as their own. The first time each of them confessed their love. Shopping at the mall, lounging by the pond, dancing in the living room, eating breakfast together—it all came back to him like a punch to the chest.
As his heart filled with love, driving away the shadows from his soul, his energy returned in full force. Without even thinking about his next actions, Echo swung his arms forward, his elbows locked, and clapped his hands together in front of him. A huge boom sounded like the roll of thunder, and a brilliant, blinding light shot from his clasped hands in a perfect sphere. It sped toward the enemy at the mouth of the alley, and just before impact, exploded into a shower of golden light.
“Holy fuck,” Echo breathed. “I didn’t know I could to that.”
“Holy fuck,” Gage echoed from his right. “He’s gone.”
Echo didn’t even have to look to know the werewolf spoke the truth. He could almost feel the cold weight lifted from them. Shaking his head to dispel the shock, he hurried over and dropped to his knees beside Hex.
“Hey, big guy.” His heart kicked painfully against his ribs when Hex didn’t move. “Hex?” Still, he received no reply. His mate looked pale and way too still. Was he even breathing? Fear choked him, cut off his air supply, and made his stomach churn violently. With trembling hands, Echo pressed two fingers against the side of Hex’s throat and almost passed out in relief when he felt the slow but steady thump of his mate’s heart. “Please,” he whimpered. “Wake up, Hex.”
As though he’d spoken some magic incantation, Hex groaned and his eyelashes began to flutter against his cheeks. Echo stroked and petted him, pushing the tangled hair away from his lover’s face and kissing his temple. “I love you,” he whispered over and over.
“Shh, baby.” Hex’s eyelids finally opened. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Not going to leave you, remember?”
Echo sniffled and tried to smile. “I remember.”
“I haven’t broken a promise yet, have I?”
“No.” Maybe he just had a really weak stomach, because Echo felt like he was going to throw up again. This time it was just the sheer relief that made his stomach flop over, though.
“Well, I’m not going to start now.”
Echo kissed his alpha once more before moving around the group and lavishing affection on each of his injured men. They looked weary, drained, and slightly gruesome with the blood on their faces, but they were alive, and Echo thought they were beautiful.
Once he’d assured himself his mates were okay, he moved over to Craze and crouched down beside the man. “How are you?”
Craze hung his head and looked away. “I’m sorry, Echo.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t help them. I’m sorry that I let you down.”
Echo slapped the man’s shoulder. “Shut up. You didn’t let anyone down. Thank you for coming when we needed you.” Then he wrapped his arms around Craze’s neck and gave him a tight squeeze. “I love you like a brother. You’ve proven your place in this family.”
Hesitantly, Craze’s arms circled Echo’s back, and he hugged him briefly before quiet snarls had them breaking apart. Echo rolled his eyes and chuckled. “If you’re feeling well enough to be jealous, then you’re up to getting off the ground and going home.”
The demons gave him sheepish grins and laboriously climbed to their feet. When Syx opened his mouth, Echo held up a hand to forestall him. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and hopefully a few theories. Right now I just want to get you all home and into bed. The heavy stuff can wait for later.”
Syx eyed him for a minute before nodding. “Thank you, sweetheart. You saved our asses.”
Echo swallowed around the lump in his throat but shrugged casually. “You’ve saved mine enough times. I figure it was time to return the favor.” Seeing their exhaustion, Echo bit his lip and debated the wisdom of the four-hour drive back to Montana. “Maybe we should stay another night here.”
“No,” Hex said immediately.
“I can drive one vehicle,” Gage announced.
“I’m mostly healed,” Craze added. “I can drive the other. We’ll get you guys home.”
Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Echo nodded his appreciation. “Let’s go.”
“He saves our lives, and now he thinks he owns us,” Myst mumbled under his breath, but the corners of his lips twitched.
Echo sauntered over and gripped a handful of Myst’s firm ass. “I do own you.” He gave the muscled globe a good squeeze. “Your ass is mine, babe. Don’t forget it.”
“Yes, sir,” Myst purred.
“Oh, now I know you’re feeling better.” He pushed up on his toes and kissed the underside of Myst’s jaw. “Take me home.”
Chapter Four
The ride home was uneventful considering that they’d nearly lost their lives. Syx had so many ideas running through his brain, he wasn’t sure how he’d hold them all in until Echo felt ready to discuss what had happened. He was both anxious and wary, but also excited because he felt sure a new piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place.
Sitting in the backseat with Echo and Vapre, Syx felt good despite the fact that he’d been bleeding from practically every facial orifice. The pain had been excruciating, like someone driving nails into his skull. He’d felt sure he would die in that alley among the broken beer bottles and discarded trash.
Once again, Echo had saved all their asses. Syx couldn’t have been prouder than if his firstborn had started playing Mozart at the age of two.
Though the temptation was there, he refrained from dipping into his lovers’ minds and rummaging through their thoughts. They all needed a little break and time to regroup before they began talking about what had unfolded back at Silver City. If he caught even a glimpse of their thoughts, he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth closed.
“I love you,” Echo whispered, stretching out in the seat between him and Vapre. His tiny feet rested in Vapre’s lap, while his blond head nestled on Syx’s thigh. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”
Syx chuckled under his breath. That was his Echo. The man rarely made a big deal about any of the hardships they faced. “I love you, too, sweetheart. I’m very glad we didn’t die, either. Thank you.”
Echo flopped his hand around and yawned. “It was nothing. I hope he’s dead.”
This startled Syx. Echo didn’t have a violent bone in his body. Each time he’d been forced to take a life to protect himself or someone else, the guilt had eaten away at him. What were they changing their sweet little mate into? Echo hadn’t even spared a glance for the fallen werecats—something that would have normally had the man in tears or close to it.
“Do you mean that?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Yes.�
�� Echo rolled over and cuddled closer to him. “I’m sorry if that makes me sound cold and heartless.”
Syx glanced over to see the same startled look on Vapre’s face that must have shown on his. Hadn’t Echo begged them not to kill the weres at the hotel? And now he practically relished in their demise. Though Syx had no reservations over the fact that Echo’s ex-lover and his henchmen deserved exactly what had been delivered to them, he didn’t like that Echo felt the same. His sweet, innocent mate was their light and refuge. They couldn’t allow him to become what they were.
With a silent sigh, he looked straight ahead and caught Gage’s gaze in the rearview mirror. The man’s eyebrows drew together, and he shook his head slightly. Then he reached up and pushed his hand through his hair, subtly tapping his temple. Syx caught on immediately, dropped his shields, and reached out to Gage’s mind.
“I can see what you’re thinking, and stop it. Echo did what he needed to do to save us all. Worrying over his motives isn’t going to help anyone.”
Syx frowned and shook his head slowly. He pushed his thoughts back at Gage. Slipping into people’s minds to extract thoughts was intrusive enough, so he rarely used the reverse of his power. Besides, it was much more difficult, and the other person had to be receptive.
“It’s not his motives that concern me. It’s that he doesn’t seem to feel any remorse. He’s never been this way before, and it worries me that we’re changing him.”
“War changes people,” Gage answered immediately. “He protected his mates. He’s riding the high of everyone being safe. Wait until tomorrow before you start jumping to conclusions.”
Syx met the werewolf’s eyes again and nodded. Perhaps the man was right. Though he didn’t want Echo marred with the emotional scars of battle, he also couldn’t stomach the idea of his mate becoming a hardened killer like the rest of them. It wasn’t as though killing was a recreational sport, or even that they enjoyed it. Once it was over, they never thought about it again, though. It was just a part of life.
Evans, Gabrielle - Reckoning [Fatefully Yours 9] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Page 3