Evans, Gabrielle - The Hunger [Fatefully Yours 7] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) (6 page)

Echo was his miracle. He’d come along just when Onyx needed him the most, and now he’d most likely screwed up everything. “Echo, open your eyes.”

His mate’s eyes snapped open immediately, and the heat, lust…the hunger blazing in his blue orbs, stole Onyx’s breath. Echo’s own breathing came in shallow pants through his nose while his lips pressed together firmly, his fangs glistening in the overhead light where they peeked out.

He skimmed the pad of his thumb over Echo’s chin, wiping away the blood. “Baby, open your mouth.”

Echo complied immediately, sucking in air in a giant gulp as his body began to shudder.

“Why didn’t you use your safe word?”

“Green, sir,” Echo replied huskily. “Please, sir. I need to come.”

Onyx closed his eyes and groaned. Gods, his mate begged so nicely. He moved back behind Echo, pressing his denim-clad erection firmly against the toy still lodged in his lover’s ass and reached around to palm Echo’s weeping dick.

Echo’s cock pulsed inside his grasp, the skin so hot and silky smooth. Onyx pumped him once, twice, then licked the back of Echo’s neck. “Come for me, baby.”

Just like that, Echo’s body locked down, an almost silent groan fell from his lips, and hot seed splashed over Onyx’s hand and wrist. With a satisfied growl, Onyx lifted his hand to Echo’s mouth. “Clean me up.”

Without hesitation, Echo’s tongue snaked out, lapping that pearly cream on Onyx’s fingers until he’d cleaned away all reminiscence. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“Fuck me, sir. Please,” Echo panted.

“That’s all?”

“I…I need…”

Onyx pushed the hair back from Echo’s face and gripped his chin to turn his head to the side. “Tell me what you need, Echo.”

“It burns,” he whimpered.

“Here?” Onyx caressed his mate’s heated ass lovingly.

“No.” Echo shook his head. “I…I…my throat.”

Enlightenment dawned, and Onyx hurried to release the handcuffs. Once he had his mate unbound, he scooped Echo up and carried him out of the room. “Why didn’t you say anything?” he demanded.

“You told me not to speak. Where are we going?”

“Oh, baby, you did so well. I think that’s enough for now, though. I’m going to take care of you.”

“You already did.” Echo’s lips tugged down at the corners in confusion. “I need to take care of you.”

Onyx’s cock continued to throb inside its confinement, but the need for release had abated. The only thought in his mind, the only desire in his heart, was to see that his mate was well attended to before tucking him into bed. Not once in his entire life had he passed up a warm hole so willingly offered.

But Echo was different.

Walking into his bedroom, Onyx closed the door quietly behind him and went to sit on the foot of the bed with Echo still cradled against his chest. He stroked his lover’s hair, his face, and trailed his fingertips over Echo’s swollen bottom lip. “Take what you need, sweetheart.” He tilted his head to the side, baring his throat to his mate.

A needy whimper reached Onyx’s ears just before Echo struck, sinking his canines into Onyx’s neck and sucking hard at the wound. His other hand zeroed in on Onyx’s throbbing cock, squeezing and massage him through his pants.

Lightning strikes of overwhelming pleasure slammed into him, robbing the breath from his lungs, and Onyx groaned pathetically as his cock discharged, saturating his boxers and leaving a wet stain on his jeans.

His arms wound around Echo’s back, holding him tightly, encouraging his mate to take as much as he needed. “I love you,” he whispered.

If someone had told him a few short months ago that his entire world would change with the arrival of one beautiful little imp, he’d have laughed in their face. He’d be eating crow now, of course, but he’d do it with a smile on his face.

Yes, Echo was definitely his miracle.

Chapter Five

Myst pounced on Craze the minute the man walked into the kitchen. “Where have you been? Where’s Jinx and Syn? Why didn’t you tell anyone you were leaving? Why don’t you want to talk about it? What happened?”

Hex chuckled and looped his arm around Myst’s neck. “Give the man a chance to talk, babe.” He kissed Myst’s temple before releasing him and strolling over to take a seat at the table. He waved his hand for Craze to join him.

The other warriors gathered around the table as well, and Mac stood off to the side as though he wasn’t quite sure if he should stay or leave.

Myst kicked the chair beside him out from under the table and gestured to it. “Have a seat, Mac. We’ll figure out where your mates are, and we’ll bring them home safe. I promise.”

Mac gave him a tiny smile and slid into the seat beside him. “Thank you, Myst. I’m scared.”

He ruffled the smaller man’s hair and tried to drudge up some confidence that he didn’t feel. “We’ll find them,” he repeated. The sad, lost look in Mac’s eyes broke his heart. Sweet hell, he was becoming a total sap.

He blamed it on Echo.

Speaking of his mate… “Should we wait for Onyx and Echo?”

Vapre smirked. “We’ll fill them in later.”

“I’m pretty sure Echo is as about as filled as he’s going to get.” Fiero snickered at his own joke, and quiet chuckles went around the table.

“Okay, guys, can it,” Hex chastised, but he, too, was smiling. Then he turned his focus back to Craze. “We’ll get to you and your mates in a minute, but, first, do you know where Gage and Sony are?”

Craze’s eyes darted to Mac, and his brow creased into a shallow
V
. “They’re not here?”

Sliding further down in his seat, Myst groaned. How could six people go missing from their house, and no one knew where the others were? They all suddenly had something important to do at the exact same time?

“He’s not answering his phone,” Mac said quietly. “Do you think they left me?”

“Not a chance,” Syx answered with conviction. “Gage and Sony love you, Mac. You know that. They’ll be back, and then you can make them pay for worrying you.” He winked at the man, but Mac didn’t smile.

“I don’t want them to pay. I just want them home.”

Myst patted Mac’s knee, but he didn’t have a damn thing to say to reassure the runt.

“Okay, so where have you been, and why the fuck didn’t you tell anyone?” Hex demanded of Craze.

“I’m sorry,” Craze said coldly. “I didn’t realize I had to report to you.”

“Do not start your shit, asshole,” Fiero called from his usual place at the end of the table. “We just want to know why everyone fucking disappeared. After the shit that’s been going on around here, you can’t blame us for getting a little bent out of shape. Now, answer the man.”

“You swear too much,” Echo chided as he walked into the room with Onyx close on his heels.

Myst eyed them both carefully, but couldn’t find anything amiss. Sighing in relief, he turned his head up to meet Echo’s lips when his mate bent to kiss him. “I’m fine,” Echo whispered. “You worry too much, love.” He rubbed their noses together before continuing around the table to greet each of the warriors. He went to Fiero last and tapped the end of the demon’s nose with his index finger. “Don’t curse so much. It makes you sound like a douche bag.”

“Newsflash,” Fiero said with a smirk. “I am a douche bag.”

“Mmm”—Echo purred—“but such a handsome one.”

Myst snorted and rolled his eyes. “Don’t encourage him.” He glanced over at Onyx, finding the man leaning against the kitchen doorway and grinning like a fool. Did he look like such a lovesick idiot when he looked at Echo? Probably.

Echo huffed when he couldn’t find an available chair and settled into Eyce’s lap. Eyce looked like he’d won the lottery, grinning cockily at them all. Myst rolled his eyes again. Some warriors they were. They might as well be baking cupcakes and singing to the woodland creatures when Echo came around.

Somehow, he couldn’t find it in himself to care, though.

“Are Jinx and Syn okay?” Echo asked. He held up his hand when Craze turned an angry stare on him. “I’m not asking where you’ve been, or why you felt the need to skip out in the middle of the night. I just want to know if my friends are okay.”

Craze deflated instantly. He slumped in his chair and rubbed both hands over his face. “I didn’t tell anyone because there wasn’t time. I woke up in the middle of the night and my mates were gone. I went after them, as any one of you would do.”

Myst nodded his agreement. If he’d awoken to find Echo missing, he’d have destroyed everything in his path to find the man. “Did you find them?”

“Yes,” Craze said through gritted teeth. “They’ve gotten it in their heads that everyone hates them because they bit Echo. I tried to talk some sense into them, but they think they need to make amends.”

“So, where are they? Why did you come back without them?”

“Staying with them would only put them in more danger.” All heat had left Craze’s voice, and he just sounded like a scared little boy.

Myst had never heard that particular tone from Craze before, and it made his chest tighten. “Where are they?”

“I guess you know that Jet and Pax are with Lorcan?”

Everyone nodded.

“Jinx and Syn went with them. By the time I’d caught up to them, the coyotes had already let it slip about the freakin’ bloodsuckers that are causing mayhem in town.”

Myst snapped his attention to Echo, waiting for the little brat to admonish Craze for calling the vampires bloodsuckers. Echo smirked and shook his head. “It’s okay to call
bad
vampires that, just not my friends.”

“Stupid double standards,” Myst mumbled under his breath.

“What do the new vamps have to do with your mates?” Eyce asked.

“Jinx and Syn have watched one too many spy movies.” Craze growled for a minute before he shook his head and continued. “They’re going to infiltrate the enemy’s camp and gather information for us. Their words, not mine.”

“And you just let them?” Echo’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you nuts?”

“I didn’t track them down until just before sunrise this morning. They’d already met with the leader about joining the coven.”

“So?” Echo tilted his head to the side.

Syx sighed and reached over to squeeze Echo’s thigh. “When vampires are initiated into a coven, they exchange blood with the coven leader. Once ingested, the leader will always be able to feel them, know where they are at all times.”

“What if they want to leave and join a different coven?”

Syx shook his head. “There is no exit clause. Unless the coven leader dies, his underlings will always be connected to him.”

“So, a coven will have the same leader forever unless he dies?”

“Yes.” Eyce took up the explanation. “A member of the coven, or even an outsider, can challenge the leader for the right to rule. The fight is to the death.”

Echo’s mouth dropped open, and he looked back at Craze. “Go get them!”

“Baby, he can’t. None of us can.” Eyce caressed Echo’s back. “We haven’t figured it out yet, but there’s a reason these vampires are here now, and it’s not a good one. If Jinx and Syn have already been accepted into the coven, then we’ll only put them in danger by going after them.”

“You are demon fucking warriors!”