Echo was crunching over the frozen grass in the backyard, pacing and having himself a good pity party, when the wind carried the sound of tires crunching over the gravel drive to him. Snapping his head up, his heart hammered against his ribs, and his hands and knees began to shake.
“Eyce!” He screamed, sprinting around the side of the house, just as the two SUVs came to a stop in front of it. “Hex! Myst!” Echo kept running, never slowing or pausing as the doors of the SUV flew open and his men began to climb down from the vehicles. “Onyx!”
Fiero was the first one out, and he stood tall with his legs spread wide as if he knew what was coming. Echo launched himself into his mate’s arms, winding around him like a serpent as he peppered kisses across the demon’s face. “Fiero,” he breathed.
His men were home, they were safe, and Echo had never felt more relieved in his life. Something about being separated from them made him tense and anxious. They should definitely stick together from now on.
“Hey, baby.” Fiero chuckled, giving Echo a crushing hug. “Missed you.”
“Mmm,” Echo hummed in agreement.
Someone cleared their throat, and Echo lifted his head to find Hex looking at him expectantly. He squirmed in Fiero’s hold, and the warrior set him on his feet at once. In two long strides, Echo plastered himself against Hex, squeezing the life from the man as he buried his face in Hex’s shirt. “Welcome home,” he whispered.
He turned to Eyce next, then Myst, greeting his men and welcoming them home as properly as he could in polite company. “Onyx!” He beamed at the man as he rushed into his arms. “Hey, big guy. Did you bring me something back?”
Onyx snorted, holding Echo gently, as though he would shatter. “We were kind of distracted, but how about I take you shopping tomorrow? You can pick whatever you want.”
“Can we go to that naughty store I heard Fiero talking about the other day?”
“Have you been naughty?” Onyx asked in a thick whisper, his hands drifting down Echo’s back to squeeze his wiggling ass. “Do you need to be punished?”
“Oh, yes.” Echo adopted a contrite grimace and nodded pathetically. “I was really, really bad.”
Onyx claimed Echo’s lips, licking at the inside of his mouth as soft growls permeated the air around them. “Whatever you want,” Onyx repeated against Echo’s jaw long minutes later.
“Inside,” Hex said, and his voice sounded none too steady, Echo was pleased to note.
It made him smile as he scanned the group for the newcomers. “Nine—” Echo started to say but stopped. “We need to find you names.” He hugged each of his fellow ex-captives in turn then gestured for them to follow him inside the house.
“Oh, we’ve already given them names.” The tone of Fiero’s voice told Echo he would probably have to revise the names the demon had chosen. “Do they ever shut up?” he grumbled.
Glancing over his shoulder, Echo sighed as the trio—he didn’t even recognize one of them—chattered away excitedly, their eyes wide and round as they took in their surroundings. “I’d guess not,” he muttered. Though he had a feeling he’d regret it, Echo had to know. “So what did you name them?”
“Well, the little one over there with the strawberry blond hair and green eyes, we decided to call Sage. He doesn’t talk as much as the others, and he’s damn clever.”
Echo was about to ask what Fiero meant by that, but his mate continued before he could speak. “The one with the blond hair and blue eyes that never shuts up squeals loud enough to burst your eardrums, we’ve been calling him Jet. I swear he talks as fast as one can fly, and just as damn noisy. Then the tall, lanky blond that is just as obnoxious, we call him Pax because his personality packs quite the punch.”
Echo stopped just inside the foyer and looked up at Fiero in astonishment. Those were actually decent names. He’d never have expected it.
“What?” Fiero demanded, crossing his arms over the impressive expanse of his chest. “Did you honestly think I’d name them fuckface, shithead, and asshole?”
“I wouldn’t have been surprised,” Echo answered honestly.
Fiero blinked at him a couple of times before he doubled over in laughter, bracing himself against the wall as he wrapped his arms around his midsection and howled. “You really…you thought…your face,” he gasped through his mirth.
“We like our names,” Jet spoke up, defending Fiero. Judging by the look in his eyes as he stared at the demon, the little man had quite the hero worship going on. Echo decided to nip that in the bud straight away.
“You’re welcome here for as long as you want, but understand this.” Echo stepped closer to Jet, crowding the man’s personal space. “These guys,” he waved a hand around the loosely packed circle to include each of his lovers, “belong to me, and I don’t share. I can’t stop you or even blame you for looking, but try touching, and I will end you. Got it?”
Jet swallowed hard enough to make his Adam’s apple bob along his slender throat then nodded quickly. “Got it,” he croaked.
“Good,” Echo replied flatly. He stared at Jet for another minute then smiled, relaxing his defensive posture, and jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Let’s get you fed.”
Syx and Vapre emerged from the kitchen, meeting the group in the middle of the living room. They welcomed their men home, maybe less enthusiastically than Echo had, but still with a great deal of warmth and relief.
Echo introduced Jet, Sage, and Pax, and Syx assured him that there was more than enough food to feed everyone, though they’d need to go for supplies the next day. Eying their guests again, Echo only then noticed they were dressed in nothing but T-shirts that hung down to their knees, and those shirts belonged to his mates.
He didn’t like it. Maybe it was selfish and unkind of him, but he hated it. “Let’s get you some real clothes,” he said as neutrally as possible, proud of himself when his voice didn’t waver.
Pax winced and tugged self-consciously at the hem on the shirt he was wearing. “Could I maybe take a shower? Please?”
Some of Echo’s jealousy abated, and he felt like a royal asshole. What the hell had gotten into him? Every time someone new walked through those doors, he was instantly on his guard and suspicious that they would try to lure his men from him. These guys hadn’t asked to be here. In fact, they were probably compelled to seek out this house and the occupants inside the same way he had been.
Closing his eyes in disgust with himself, Echo turned and walked right into Vapre’s outstretched arms. He didn’t know how the demon knew what he needed, but he was grateful for the undeserved comfort nonetheless. “Please help them get clean and find suitable clothes to wear,” he mumbled. “I doubt they would appreciate my help after the way I’ve treated them.”
“Come on, guys,” Syx said kindly. “I’ll give you a little tour while dinner is cooking. We’ll find you some clothes and get you cleaned up. The vampires should be awake by then.”
“Real vampires?” Pax asked excitedly. “I’ve never met one before. Are they mean?”
“Not at all.” Syx began leading the men toward the staircase, and Echo turned just in time to see Myst and Onyx follow.
He nodded his approval. The three were the least intimidating of his mates and would hopefully help the smaller men be more at ease. “I’m sorry,” he said to those who remained in the living room. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”
Echo felt Vapre shrug around him. “I think it’s hot.”
“Hell yeah, it’s hot!” Fiero agreed adamantly. “Don’t sweat it, Echo. You’re a little territorial. So what? Do you think any one of us would react differently in your situation?”
“I guess not.” Echo bobbed his head half-heartedly. “But they need help, and I was a complete ass to them. It wasn’t as bad as what happened with Syn, but a damn close thing.”
Hex rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll admit your welcome was a bit hostile, but I liked it
. You were staking a claim on what belongs to you. You’re not going to hear any of us complain about that, so stop worrying. Once you’ve decided they aren’t a threat to your position in this relationship, then you’ll be as sweet and charming as ever.”
Echo didn’t think he’d heard Hex talk so much at one since he’d arrived. The man was right, though. It had been the same with Syn. Once he realized that Syn didn’t have designs on his men, he’d calmed down and embraced the man’s presence in their lives with open arms. Still, he needed to rein in some of this jealousy or it might just blow up in his face.
* * * *
“So, what are your powers?” Vapre asked bluntly as they all dug into the pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and potato salad Syx had made.
Sage slowly set his fork down and met Vapre’s eyes steadily. “Why do you need to know?”
“Because you’re living in our house, with our mate, and because I fucking asked.” Vapre took a deep breath to control his temper. Fighting wouldn’t get him anywhere, and he needed answers.
“Mate?” Pax tilted his to the side as his eyes moved back and forth between Vapre and Echo. “What are you?”
“Why do you need to know?” Myst responded coldly. Seemed Vapre wasn’t the only one pissed about Sage’s evasion.
Pax shrugged and bit into his sandwich. “Just curious,” he mumbled around the mouthful.
“Demons,” Vapre answered and enjoyed watching the blood drain from Pax’s face a little too much.
“Werewolves, vampires, and demons,” Jet said excitedly as he bounced in his seat. “This place is totally cool!”
“You are taking this very well,” Eyce observed. “You’re not afraid?”
“Why would we be?” Jet looked completely bewildered. “You’re not going to hurt us, are you?”
“No.” Echo cleared his throat, and Vapre could tell he was making an effort to repair the damage he’d done earlier. “No one is going to hurt you. What Eyce means is that you’re not reacting the way a person normally would when they find out that these things really exist. I actually passed out when they showed me what they were.”
“Oh.” Jet looked down at his plate, his shoulders sagging a bit. “I’m sorry.”
Vapre started laughing. “What are you sorry for? It makes our lives a lot easier that you aren’t running and screaming, I assure you.”
Jet shook his head. “I’m sorry that Echo doesn’t know. We weren’t great friends at the lab, and it never came up, and we,” he jerked a thumb to indicate Pax as well, “mostly tried to keep to ourselves. We were just too different.”
“Different how?” Echo sounded curious and nothing more.
“Promise you won’t freak?” Pax asked quietly. “I don’t have a problem with you, Echo, and I’m sorry that you thought we were going to try to come in here and take over. It’s not like that, and I don’t want you to hate us.”
“I don’t hate you. I was jealous, but I’m fine now. I’ve seen a lot of weirdness since I escaped the lab. I doubt there’s anything you can tell me that would shock me at this point.”
“How exactly did you guys get here?” Hex asked, interrupting.
Vapre frowned. He figured that was something that would have been brought up before now. He’d actually been planning on asking Hex about it later, away from curious ears.
“We told you,” Pax said with a sigh. “We don’t know. We have no memories between the helicopter exploding and waking up cold and naked in the woods.”
“You do know that we’re the ones that blew up that chopper, right?” Fiero looked very smug as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. “So, you’re welcome.”
Echo covered his mouth and tried to turn his snort into a sneeze without much success. “Ignore him. He likes himself a lot, but he’s a good guy most of the time.”
Before anyone else could say a word, a glob of potato salad hit Echo in the side of the face with a wet plop. No one spoke, and Vapre hardly breathed. He kept his eyes down on his plate, his huge frame shaking with the effort to contain his laughter. Glancing at Fiero from the corner of his eyes, he saw the demon smirk at their little mate.
“You were saying?” Fiero drawled.
“You are old enough to know better than to play with your food,” Echo admonished as he began cleaning the mush off his face with a napkin.
“Now, wait a minute!” Hex pointed his fork at Echo and glared. “Who was it that hit me in the face with waffles a few weeks ago?”
“Myst started it,” Echo mumbled under his breath.
“Did not.” Myst leaned forward in his chair and grinned widely.
“You dirty liar!” Echo pushed back from the table and jumped to his feet. “You most certainly did!”
“Nope.”
“Oh, you’re a pain in my a—”
An entire sandwich flew across the table to hit Echo in the chest before it slid down his shirt to land on the floor. Echo’s eyes widened as he stared at the mess by his feet. Then he looked around the table, his mouth twisting into an evil grin when his gaze landed on Eyce. “You asked for it.”
“Bring it on,” Eyce challenged.
Vapre groaned and ducked for cover under the table just as food began flying everywhere. “You guys are acting like toddlers!” he called from his hiding place.
“Oh, lighten up,” Echo said as he crouched down to peer at Vapre. His upper half was completely coated in grossness, but he had the biggest smile on his face. “You need to have a little fun.” Then he leaned forward, his lips puckered to receive a kiss.
Vapre hesitated for just a moment, judging his chances of stealing a kiss without getting the gunk covering his mate all over him. He couldn’t resist that delectable mouth, though. Leaning forward as well, he held his breath in anticipation as their lips moved closer together.
Instead, he ended up with a face full of baked beans. Echo did a good job of it, rubbing and smearing it all the way down Vapre’s neck. Echo fell back on his butt, then rolled over on his side, tears streaming down his face as he roared with laughter.
Vapre growled, crawling out from under the table with every intention of seeking payback on the little imp. The second his head rose above the tabletop, food came flying at him from every direction.
The room erupted into raucous laughter, and Vapre retreated back under the table. His lovers and friends were much too pleased with themselves, and it just wouldn’t do for them to see the huge smile that stretched across his face.
Chapter Five
When the laughter finally died down, everyone pitched in to help get the kitchen clean and sparkling. Echo tossed a dishrag in the sink and sighed wearily. “I’m taking a shower and going to bed,” he announced. “Syn, Jinx, there are new movies by the DVD player. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Jinx looked at Fiero uncertainly as he shifted from foot to foot. “Could you please start the fire before you go to bed?” he asked in his slight British accent. “The weather says there will be more snow soon, and it’s a bit drafty tonight. I’m sorry to be a bother.”
Though the vampires were coming around more every day, Echo still hated that they felt they were a burden. He’d have to see what he could do to fix that—starting with getting them out of that damn basement. He glared across the room at Syx and Vapre where they stood near the back door. They’d said they would have a room ready by the end of the week, but he hadn’t seen them lift a finger to make good on their promise.
“Not a problem,” Fiero answered genially. “Let me wash off real quick, and I’ll be back down to get it going before bed.”
Everyone began moving, heading off to clean and do their nightly rituals. “Wait!” Myst called. “I still want to know what these guys are.” He pointed to Pax, Sage, and Jet where they were huddled together beside Echo.
Echo looked at them and held his hands out in a “let me have it” gesture. “I’m prepared to be amazed.”
“Well, we�
��re kind of like Gage,” Pax said slowly. “Only, we don’t become half and half on the full moon. We shift into full wolves.”
“I thought you smelled like a dog,” Onyx said, then bit his lip and hung his head. “That came out really wrong,” he muttered under his breath.
Echo chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Poor Onyx was always sticking his foot in his mouth. It was kind of endearing once you realized that he wasn’t purposely being a dick.
“What is it with you and puppies?” Vapre asked around a chuckle. “And speaking of dogs, where the hell is Gage, anyway?”
“What do you want to do to Echo right now?” Hex asked as he cocked an eyebrow.
“Oh!” Comprehension dawned, but then Vapre’s brow wrinkled. “But they were together.”
“Yeah, they were together, but it wasn’t exactly private or appropriate for what Gage is doing to his little mates right now.”
“I would love to be doing something very inappropriate to my mate right now,” Onyx mumbled under his breath, and the entire room exploded into laughter.
Echo chuckled along with them before returning his attention to the men beside him. “So, you’re, what, like shape-shifters?” True, a few months ago, he would have either thought them crazy, or lost his head completely and done something embarrassing. Now, it wasn’t much different than watching the weather change from day to day.
“Yep.” Jet seemed neither proud nor ashamed of the fact. It just…was.
“Can I see?” Echo had seen Gage transform on the full moon, had seen his own mates shift during times of distress, and even witnessed Sony’s enormous growth spurts, but this was something new. “A real animal,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Can we do it tomorrow?” Pax hedged. “It’s a lot harder when we’re tired, and I could probably sleep for a week right now.”
“Oh, sure.” Echo hadn’t thought of that, and why would he? He couldn’t turn into an animal or anything cool like that. “That would be great,” he added so as not to sound as disappointed as he felt. He had really wanted to see them shift.
Evans, Gabrielle - Hell's Tempest [Fatefully Yours 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Page 4