Authors: Gabrielle Evans
Gage dipped his head. “He’s right. When someone gets too nosey about what’s going on inside those mountains, The Collector makes sure they have a nasty little accident. I’ve seen him in action.” Gage shook his head wearily. “It’s scary has hell, man.”
“If he’s so powerful, why doesn’t he leave? How can they possibly hope to control him?” Eyce banged his fist against the table in agitation.
“He’s not a resident,” Echo answered quietly.
Fan-fucking-tastic!
Eyce wanted to pound his head against the wall until at least some part of his entire mess started making sense. This was bad, really bad, and he didn’t even have a clue as how to get out of it.
“So, why were you fired?” Echo asked, fidgeting in his seat beside Eyce. He looked scared, pale, and shaken, and Eyce wanted to wrap the man in his arms and shield him from the world. He’d do whatever it took to keep his mate safe.
“They didn’t really give me a reason. They just said that my services were no longer required.” Gage’s eyes softened and a sad smile played over his thin lips. “Though we tried to be discreet, I think they suspected there was something more than professional in my relationship with two of the residents.”
“Your mates,” Fiero said with a nod. “Do they know what you are? Or that werewolves even exist?”
“Werewolves!” Echo yelled as he pushed back from the table so quickly his chair toppled to the floor and sent him rolling head over feet across the floor. “No way!” He scrambled to his feet, moving quickly to stand behind Hex, eyeing Gage as though he’d sprouted horns and a tail. “No more!”
“Echo,” Gage said softly, but remained seated. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m really no different than any other man in this room. I just have a bit of an allergic reaction to the full moon.”
Eyce snorted. That was certainly one way of putting it. After several millennia on the earth, he’d seen his share of the strange, unusual, and insane. He’d met witches, shape-shifters, elves, werewolves, vampires, and more. While the news of Gage’s affliction held little surprise to him, he could only imagine what Echo must be feeling.
“No!” Echo growled. “I can’t deal with this shit right now. First, demons, gods, and Oracles, and now you’re telling me that werewolves and stuff exist, too? I can’t do this. It’s too much.”
“I felt the same way about the residents when I began working at the lab,” Gage said with a smile. “I transform into part beast and howl at the moon, but I couldn’t make a thing levitate or manipulate the elements. I thought you were the freaks.”
“Seriously?” Echo’s brow wrinkled, and he slowly stepped out from behind Hex. “I guess that kind of makes sense.”
“Baby,” Eyce smiled reassuringly and held his hand out for Echo, “how is he any different than the seven of us?”
Echo moved hesitantly across the room and took Eyce’s hand. He looked thoughtful, scanning the room with his head tilted to the side. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. He turned to look back at Eyce and wrinkled his nose. “I’m being a dumbass, huh?”
Chuckling, Eyce pulled his lover closer and kissed the top of his hand. “No, you’re not being a dumbass. I know it’s all a lot to take in. You’re being surprisingly calm about the entire situation actually.”
Echo took a deep breath and looked up at Gage. “I’m sorry. I’ve had my entire reality turned on its ass in the past several weeks. I know you won’t hurt me.”
“I understand. Believe me.” Gage laughed softly. “I thought Sony and Mac were going to wet themselves when they found out what I am.”
“Sony? Mac?” Echo frowned.
“I thought all of the residents had numbers,” Eyce added in confusion.
“They do,” Gage growled, then his tone softened, and he smiled fondly. “They wanted names. I told them they could pick whatever they wanted, and that’s what I’d call them. Sony has a fondness for the PlayStation, while Mac…well, I’m pretty sure the guy would live on macaroni and cheese if he could.”
“Ninety-two, and One-oh-two.” Echo nodded eagerly and laughed. “When they wouldn’t let One-oh-two have mac and cheese, he’d tell me he had the blue box blues.”
“I have to ask you this again.” Hex cleared his throat and stopped his pacing. “Why are you telling us this? What do you want from us?”
“I couldn’t just sit back and watch you murdered in cold blood for trying to protect your mate. I didn’t sign up for this shit. Secondly, I need your help. I don’t have the abilities you do, and I can’t get back into the facility. I have to get to my mates before the helicopters leave at midnight. Otherwise, I may never see them again.” Gage’s voice held steel, but Eyce could see the fear in his eyes. “They’re going to hurt them. I don’t understand how I know this, but I just feel it. I can’t let that happen. I promised Sony and Mac that I’d get them out of there, and we could move somewhere warm.”
“Sorry, man, but we kind of have our own shit going on here.” Myst stood from his chair and looked down at Gage in sympathy. “We can’t help you.”
“Myst,” Echo whispered. He waited until the warrior met his eyes then turned to look at each of his lovers in turn. “Everyone, please. They’re my friends. How would you feel if someone took me, and no one would help you?”
Eyce closed his eyes, sighing in defeat. He’d give Echo anything he wanted if he took that look of sadness and disappointment off his face. “I’ll go.”
“No,” Hex said immediately. “You and Echo have to figure out what’s going on with the waters. This is your fight, Eyce, your battle. You know we have your back, but I don’t think we can be a lot of help on this one.”
Unfortunately, Eyce had to agree. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Vapre and Syx can stay here and help you protect Echo. They’re the best choices for digging through information anyway.” Hex pushed his hand through his hair and shook his head as though he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “The rest of us will go.”
“Thank you,” Gage mumbled. “Once my mates are safe, I will happily help you in any way I can. I don’t know what’s going on, or what war you’re talking about, but I want to help.”
Myst snorted and clapped his hand on the guard’s shoulder. “Yeah, you might want to hold on to that thought, brother.”
Chapter Eight
Echo stood on the front porch, one hand clasped in Eyce’s the other in Syx’s. Syx and Vapre had arrived just in time to give a rather hostile welcome to Gage and receive a briefing on the situation from Hex. There’d been a bit of an argument about who should stay and who should go, but in the end, Hex won.
A lump formed in his throat as he watched the dark SUV carrying his men turn around in front on the house and travel down the long dirt drive that would lead them out to the main road. A part of him wished he was going with them. He didn’t know how much help he would be, but at least he would know what was going on. The thought of something happening to any of them made his chest tighten and his heart beat rapidly inside his chest.
“Tell me they’re going to be okay,” he whispered.
“They’ll be fine,” Syx assured him as he squeezed his hand. “Everyone will be back before you know it.”
“Where were you?” Echo looked up at Syx then over his shoulder to include Vapre. “Why do you keep disappearing without telling anyone?”
“I’ll tell you when the time is right,” Syx said mysteriously and winked. “It’s nothing bad, I promise. Just trust me, okay?”
“A little faith, yeah?” Vapre added as he moved around to stand in front of Echo, bending to kiss his lips. “We would never hurt any of you.”
“I know.” Echo sighed. “I just don’t like secrets.”
“You’ll like this one.” Then Vapre turned and looked out beyond the front yard to the tree line. “Should we go check the creek?”
Eyce groaned and nodded reluctantly. “I guess we should.”
“I’m coming, too,” Echo said firmly. “If I’m going to help, I need to see for myself.”
Surprisingly, Eyce agreed. “Yeah, I think you need to come with us. I don’t want you here alone, and I need Vapre and Syx down by the creek. Go grab a coat and your boots. We’ll wait here.”
Echo continued to stare at him for a minute, judging the truthfulness in Eyce’s words. Nodding slowly, he released the demon’s hand and hurried inside to grab his boots and jacket from the closet in the entryway. Moving quickly, he shoved his feet into his shoes, laced them up, then pulled his jacket on, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly to make sure his men still waited for him on the porch. He wouldn’t put it past them to lock him inside and go without him.
“Ready,” he announced.
“Thought we’d leave you here, huh?” Vapre smirked at him as he reached out to ruffle his hair. “Let’s go.”
Vapre led the way across the dead grass and into the woods, pushing aside low-hanging branches and prickly vines. Eyce walked beside Echo, helping him over fallen logs and big puddles of melting snow, while Syx brought up the rear. It took a little longer than his last trek into the forest, but soon they reached the small rippling stream.
Echo frowned in confusion. “It looks the same.” The water flowed smoothly, trickling over the rocks and pebbles, so clear Echo could see clear to the bottom of the shallow stream. “It’s definitely not red.”
Eyce growled in frustration, pulling on the ends of his long ebony locks. “I don’t get it.”
“Let’s check the lake,” Vapre offered. “This little creek isn’t really important. I doubt anyone would even notice if it just dried up completely.”
“Good point.” Syx jumped across the creek and turned to hold his arms open for Echo. “You’re going to have to jump, little one.”
Echo shook his head. Yeah, Syx had made it look easy, but the guy had a good ten inches on Echo, and his legs were way longer. The stream wasn’t really that wide, but Echo doubted he’d be able to make it across without getting wet.
Eyce chuckled, stepping forward and holding his hand out in front of him. The water parted slowly, retreating away from the creek bed and forming a muddy walkway. Echo beamed at his lover and blew him a kiss. “Brilliant.” He jogged to the other side, skimming his fingers through the hip-high wall of water on either side of him, and jumped into Syx’s arms.
“Show off,” Syx called to Eyce.
“Jealous much?” Eyce smirked as released his hold on the water and backed away. Then he took a running start and somersaulted through the air to land lightly on his feet beside them.
Syx rolled his eyes and smacked Eyce in the back of the head. “Show-off,” he repeated under his breath. “Vapre, move your ass!”
“Coming, dear.” Vapre made kissy faces then held his arms out to his sides, the wind whipping around him as he slowly rose into the air and glided over to the other side of the stream. “Nice to meet you here.” He winked slyly, and Echo slapped a hand over his mouth to contain his laugher. They were nuts, every one of them.
The marched along silently through the trees, and Echo’s mind began to wander. What would they find when they reached the lake? Would it be like the stream? Would they find it completely untouched? He hoped so, but somehow he doubted it.
“How far is the lake anyway?”
“Not much farther. Another mile maybe,” Syx called over his shoulder.
“A mile!” Echo groaned. His feet already hurt, and he was getting hot and sweaty. Stripping off his jacket, he tucked it under his arm and swiped at his damp forehead. “This blows.”
“Would you like me to carry you?” Eyce asked.
“No.” Echo shook his head. “I’m not a child. I can make it. Just don’t get pissy because I’m slowing you down.”
“We’re in no hurry,” Eyce assured him, reaching over to wrap his warm fingers around the back of Echo’s neck and squeezing gently. “I don’t mean to treat you like a child. I just like any excuse to hold you.”