Authors: Gabrielle Evans
“I’m fine. The wounds closed before the next morning, and the scars faded a day later.” Onyx slid his dick in and out of Echo’s loose hold. “Stop worrying so much.”
“How can you say that?” Echo released him and pushed up on his elbow. “You could have died, and you tell me not to worry about that? Did you worry when I was hurt?”
With a frustrated groan, Onyx dropped his head to the pillow and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You want to talk about this now?”
“Yes, I do,” Echo said stubbornly. “You haven’t talked about it at all. I have no idea what happened to you. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“Not everything is about you,” Onyx snapped. He immediately regretted his words when Echo gasped and jerked away from him. “Ah, fuck, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”
“I want to help, but I can see you’re not ready. I’m sorry if I made things worse for you.” Echo rolled away as if he planned to leave. “You know where to find me.”
Onyx grabbed his lover’s arm and held him on the mattress. “Don’t go.”
Echo stilled but didn’t look at him. “I thought you wanted to be alone?”
“I don’t know what I want,” Onyx admitted. “Yeah, I’ve been fucked up since I was attacked, but it’s not because I’m scared. I’m embarrassed, ashamed.”
His mate whipped around and gaped. “Why would you be embarrassed?” Echo crawled back up the bed to kneel beside Onyx and place a hand in the center of his chest. “You couldn’t stop what happened to you.”
“That’s exactly it. Baby, I was born to fight. That’s what I am—what we all are. Until we escaped the Underworld, it was our only purpose. We’ve never lost a fight.” Onyx’s chest swelled a little with pride, but quickly deflated as he continued. “Until that night, I’d never been bested in battle.”
“You were outnumbered.”
Onyx arched an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
“No one could take you one-on-one.” Onyx had an idea the little imp was trying to assuage his wounded ego, and he loved him all the more for it.
“I never saw what attacked me, but you’re right in assuming there was more than one. I know they were animals, but I couldn’t tell you what kind. I also don’t know if they were truly beasts, or maybe shifters.”
“So, why didn’t you just tell me that?”
“Can you imagine what kind of shit the guys would give me for getting my ass kicked by a pack of damn animals?”
“You’re wrong.”
Onyx snapped his attention to the doorway and groaned. “Motherfucker. You set me up, you little shit.”
“Well, kind of,” Echo admitted. “I knew Hex was coming, but I didn’t know he’d walk in at just the right time.” He looked over at Hex and grinned. “You have excellent timing, love.”
Hex ignored him, his eyes still on Onyx. “You scared the shit out of us. We worked out that you’d been attacked by animals for ourselves, thank you very much. We’re not stupid, Onyx. Nor do we think any less of you or your combat skills. So, stop being a shithead and pushing everyone away, or I’ll kick your skinny ass.”
Echo moaned and hung his head. “That was the worst pep talk I’ve ever heard.”
Onyx disagreed. Though it wasn’t wine and roses, it was exactly what he needed to hear. “My ass is not skinny.”
High-pitched laughter filled the room as Echo fell back on the bed and rolled from side to side. “Seriously? That was practically an epic speech for Hex, and what you got out of it was that your ass is skinny?”
“It’s not skinny.”
Echo laughed harder. “No, no, it’s a great ass.”
“Precisely.”
The sound of his mate’s delighted laughter made Onyx’s chest swell. He could listen to Echo laugh all day. Hell, he could just sit and listen to the man breathe for that matter.
Hex stripped out of his clothes, took two steps, and dove on the bed to land on top of Onyx. His hands slipped under Onyx’s ass and gave it a good squeeze. “It is a really nice ass.” Hex’s lips nibbled at Onyx’s neck. “Love this ass.” The rumble of approval in his voice sent Onyx from peaceful and content, to hard and aching in two seconds flat.
“Oh, yeah? How about you show me how much you love it?”
“Oh, yes, please can we show him?” Echo jumped to his feet and stripped out of his sleep pants before anyone could blink. His eagerness only pushed Onyx’s desire to a fever pitch. “I want to bite it.”
“He’s going to kill me,” Onyx said around a groan, arching his hips up and sliding his swollen dick along Hex’s abs.
“Naw, you’ll survive.” Hex licked over Onyx’s collarbone. “We’ll take good care of you.”
And they did.
* * * *
“This is so not fair!” Myst threw his hands in the air, waving them around like an idiot. “Why haven’t my eyes changed? Why am I always left out?” His arms crossed over his chest, and his lower lip slid out.
It was too much for Echo. A man that big and fierce should never pout. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Echo tried so hard not to laugh. He knew Myst was upset, but really, the man was acting like an overgrown child.
“And what color eyes would you like to have?” Onyx asked, batting his eyelashes.
Tiny snorts escaped Echo’s nose, and he bit down harder on his cheek until he tasted blood.
“I don’t know. But this!” Myst pointed his finger in Onyx’s face, indicating his newly changed eye color. Echo thought the deep, dark chocolate looked stunning with Onyx’s skin tone. “This is not fair! Tell me how,” he demanded.
“You’ll have to find that out on your own.” Onyx winked at the warrior and made kissy faces.
Echo finally lost it. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, wrapped his arms around his midsection, and laughed until tears streamed down his face. He knew the catalyst for the change in his warriors’ eye color. He just didn’t understand why or the importance of it. Myst’s overreaction was priceless, though.
“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” Myst moved his finger to jab it in Echo’s direction. “It’s his fault.”
“I don’t know if I’d put it that way, but yeah.” Onyx looked across the room at Echo and winked, which only made him laugh harder.
“But, he claimed me. I claimed him. I’ve done the same thing as everyone else. Why aren’t my eyes all pretty?”
“Oh, you think my eyes are pretty.” Onyx batted his lashes again, and Echo was having serious trouble breathing through his amusement.
“Shut up, asshole,” Myst grumped. “You know what I mean. What’s wrong with me? What did I do wrong?”
That finally cooled Echo’s mirth. If Myst were merely acting out because he wanted information that no one would give him, that was one thing. The obvious concern in his voice that he didn’t measure up to the other warriors was in no way funny. Echo just didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t make Myst love him.
Okay, well, he had no doubt in his mind or heart that the demon loved him. He couldn’t make Myst say the words until he was ready, though. “Just give it time,” he finally answered. “There is not a damn thing wrong with you.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Myst pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. “I just don’t like not knowing shit.”
Echo snorted. “Join the club, man. Join the freakin’ club.”
“So, what’s on today’s agenda?” Onyx asked grudgingly.
“Well, it’s the full moon for one,” Gage answered, walking into the kitchen with a smile on his face.
“So, you’ll be shacked up in your room with Sony and Mac?”
Gage grabbed an orange from the table and began peeling it. “Actually, I was thinking I might run wild tonight and see if I can pick up anything out in the woods.”
“No!” Echo pushed away from the counter and fisted his hands on his hips. “Have you told your mates about this stupid idea? Since you’re still standing, I’m going to guess not. Did you see what happened to me?”
Gage looked Echo up and down and arched an eyebrow.
Echo gave a flick of his wrist in dismissal. “Okay, so I’m a runt. I get that. You’re the one that found Onyx, aren’t you? He’s certainly not a pipsqueak. It’s not safe, Gage.”
“Echo, I’m a werewolf.”
“And Onyx is a fucking demon!” Echo shouted. “If I had to put money on it, I’d bet on him any day of the week to wipe the floor with your furry ass. You. Are. Not. Going!” Echo even stamped his foot to emphasize his point. Childish maybe, but he was beyond caring. He was sick and damn tired of people he cared about getting mauled and beaten.
“I’ll be fine.” Gage turned his back and began talking to Myst.
The asshole had another thing coming if he thought he could just blow Echo off without consequences. Walking casually to the kitchen entryway, Echo cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed for Gage’s mates. “Sony! Mac! Can you come down here, please?”
Gage whirled around and glared at him. “You wouldn’t.”
Echo ignored him and leaned against the doorway, waiting for his friends to make their way to the kitchen. “You screeched?” Sony asked with a smile.
Waving a hand behind him in Gage’s general direction, Echo huffed. “Did you know that Gage plans to go out into the woods to shift tonight?”
“No, he’s not.” Mac shook his head and glared over Echo’s shoulder at his lover. “He’s not that stupid.”
“Oh, I knew there had to be a mistake.” Echo turned his head and smirked at Gage. “I guess I misheard.”
“You didn’t mishear anything.” Gage growled and took a menacing step toward Echo. “Is there a reason you feel you need to stick your nose into everyone’s business? Not everything is about you, Echo!”
That was the second time someone had said that to him in a few short hours. Did he really come off as that self-centered? He just wanted everyone to be safe, and going out into the woods at night certainly didn’t fall into that category.
“Man, that’s enough,” Onyx said with a quiet steel in his voice. “He’s right, and you know it.”
“This is bullshit,” Gage spat. “He is not my goddamn keeper.” He turned back to Echo with a snarl on his lips. “I am so fucking tired of you bossing everyone around and acting all high and mighty like you rule the world. What do you know about war? What do you know about anything that we’re facing? Do you even care?”
Echo jerked back as if he’d been slapped. “Of course I care,” he answered quietly. “I’m trying to save your life.”
“No!” Gage growled. “You’re trying to run my life. There’s a big difference, and I don’t appreciate the latter.”
“Gage.” Myst began to vibrate, his chest heaving, and the black bleeding out to the corners of his eyes. “You need to step back.”
Gage threw his hands in the air and huffed. “That’s right. Take his fucking side. Do you think he really gives a shit about what happens to any of us as long as he has a roof over his head and a cock up his ass every night?”
“Gage, you’re being a prick.” Sony eased past Echo and walked over to his lover. “This isn’t like you, and Myst is going to rip your head off if you don’t stop it. What’s going on?”
It seemed pretty obvious to Echo what was going on. Gage hated him. He didn’t know why, or what he’d done to cause the change in the ex-guard’s attitude, but the deep loathing in Gage’s eyes as he stared at him couldn’t be confused with anything else.
“Where’s Syn?” Mac asked from behind Echo.
Echo shook his head. “He’s sleeping. This is all Gage. Syn isn’t doing this.”
Mac shook his head as well. “This isn’t Gage. He’d never say those things. He’d protect you with his life, if only because you’re my friend. This doesn’t make sense.”