Evans, Gabrielle - Shades of Black [Fatefully Yours 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove)

Fatefully Yours 5

GABRIELLE EVANS

Copyright © 2011

Chapter One

“What?” Syx grumbled as he plopped down in the grass.

The woman next to him turned her head and glared.

He’d been having the most delicious dream about his mate when the Oracle had interrupted. Excuse the hell out of him if he was a little irked by the intrusion. Still, if she had brought him here, it must be important. Her visits might be the bane of his existence, but they’d never led him astray.

“I apologize,” he said and meant it. “You wished to speak to me?”

“Troubled times are coming, Warrior.” She knelt in the grass beside him, her long white gown fanning out around her. “The shadows are coming, mirroring the ones in your heart. You cannot hope to banish one without the other.”

“You mean I have to stop fighting my feelings, jump on the emotional roller coaster ride, and hold on for dear life.” Syx nodded his understanding. He’d been battling with himself for weeks over the same thing.

The Oracle’s eyes widened in shock before she masked her surprise. A tiny smirk ghosted over her full lips, and she folded her hands in her lap. “You are very intuitive, Syx. However, your task will require more from you than simply conquering your fear. Echo will need you now more than ever.”

“Why me?” His only ability was listening to thoughts that he had no right or desire to hear. Sure, he could implant suggestions inside people’s minds or erase their memories, but he didn’t see how that was going to help either.

“Memories are a powerful thing. They can fill us with joy or crush us in despair.”

Okay, that he didn’t get, but he’d think about it later. “Are there more coming?” He scratched the back of his neck and sighed. “I’m not sure how welcome anyone will be in our home after Sage, no matter how useful they will be in the war.”

“Your army will grow,” the Oracle answered vaguely. “You must not let your prejudice blind you. Not all who enter seek to dismantle.”

“Right,” Syx growled before he could stop himself. “Tell that to Mac, Pax, and Jet, not to mention Echo.” His voice softened, and he shuddered violently. “I didn’t think he’d come back to us.”

“Ares will continue to spread his poison,” she said and sounded almost as growly as Syx had. There was a story there, but Syx felt he had no right to ask. “If you nurture your bond, you will have the weapons to defeat him,” she finished much gentler.

“I get it.” Syx stretched out in the thick grass and gazed up at the bluest sky he’d ever seen. He didn’t really get it, but he didn’t feel like arguing, either.

“You will understand,” the Oracle whispered. She giggled, actually giggled, and shook her head. “We will speak again soon.”

Syx pushed up on his elbows to look at her, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “That’s it?”

“There is more.” Her face lit into a magnificent smile. “There is someone who desires your undivided attention now.”

Syx opened his mouth to question her statement, but the Oracle pressed a fingertip to his forehead and nodded. “Sleep, Warrior. You will thank me when you awake again.”

Closing his eyes, Syx gasped, feeling like he’d been doused with a bucket of ice water. When his eyes snapped open a moment later, he was back in his bed, and the most sinfully wonderful heat was wrapped around his throbbing cock.

Echo peeked up at him from between his splayed thighs and winked. Syx groaned, dropped his head back on his shoulders, and thrust up into his mate’s welcoming mouth. “I can so get used to his.”

Faint vibrations traveled up his hard length as Echo’s muffled giggle floated on the air. Reaching down to gently palm the back of his lover’s head, Syx lost himself in the immense pleasure. Not only physical pleasure, but the overwhelming sense of peace and happiness Echo brought to him. He’d been holding back for weeks, keeping his thoughts and feelings closely guarded. To open up to Echo meant he’d also have to bear his heart to the others.

He didn’t know if he was ready for that. He knew he loved his men, treasured them beyond reason. But after so many years of keeping that part of himself hidden, the prospect of laying his heart at their feet was daunting.

His cock slipped from Echo’s mouth, and his mate crawled up his chest to straddle his hips. Cupping his cheeks in both hands, Echo stared into his eyes with concern. “Where did you go?”

“Sorry, baby.” Syx leaned up and kissed Echo’s lips. It was an amazing thing that he never felt the need to hide himself from his mate. No matter what he said, or how bad he screwed up, Echo would understand.

“Maybe I’m losing my touch.” Echo smirked and lifted both eyebrows in question.

Syx couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t think that’s possible. I just got a little lost inside my own head.” Lifting his hips, he ground his hard cock against Echo’s ass. “See? Still happy to see you.”

His lover rolled his eyes, leaning across the mattress to retrieve the lube from the nightstand. “Everyone is busy this morning.” He pouted as he popped open the lid and poured a generous amount of the oil into his palm. “I’m horny, and no one wants to play with me.”

“Brat.” Syx’s teasing tone tuned to a low growl when Echo rose above him and began slicking his cock. “So, I’m your backup plan?”

Echo lined up the flared crown with his tight hole and lowered himself until his ass pressed against Syx’s groin. The velvety heat surrounding him stole the breath from Syx’s lungs, and he gritted his teeth as his back bowed up off the bed.

“You know that’s not true,” Echo whispered, bracing his hands on Syx’s chest and leaning forward to claim his mouth.

Their lips met, sweet and gentle. Their tongues slid out to twine and tangle in lazy glides. Syx’s arms slithered around his lover’s back, holding him close as they rocked together in languid strokes.

Sunlight filtered in through the slatted blinds, spilling over Echo’s damp skin, causing it to glisten beautifully. His golden hair shone as it cascaded down around them, slipping over his shoulders and tickling at Syx’s neck and chest.

When they finally broke the kiss, Echo didn’t move far away. He rested their foreheads together, moaning softly as he continued to rise and fall, impaling himself on Syx’s cock over and over.

Syx smoothed one palm up Echo’s back and wrapped his fingers around his lover’s neck, holding him in place. His other hand curled over Echo’s hip, encouraging him to move faster. Normally, Syx would be whispering all kind of naughty words to his mate, spurring him on and throwing their lust into overdrive.

His brain wouldn’t work, though. The connection between mind and tongue had been severed. Staring into Echo’s hypnotic eyes, he lost himself in the deep pools of sapphire. His skin tingled, his balls ached, and his cock throbbed inside the tight hold of Echo’s heated passage.

The tempo never increased, but the intensity built, the fire raged, and Syx’s orgasm blindsided him, slamming into him with the force of a locomotive. With a soft cry, his fingers tightened around Echo’s hip, and he squeezed his eyes closed as his pulsing cock jetted endless streams of seed to fill his lover to overflowing.

Echo’s gasp of release sound like music to his ears, and he gloried in the wet heat that spurted from Echo’s slit to splash over his abs. Syx held the man to him, ghosting his lips along the slender column of Echo’s throat as his mate trembled in aftershocks.

“Gods, I love him. I want to tell him again, but I don’t want to scare him. I’ve never felt anything so intense. This is right. The eight of us are meant to be together.”

Syx’s throat burned, his nostrils flared, and his heart swelled as Echo’s thoughts pushed into his brain, causing something to shift and realign inside of him. What had just transpired between them was more than physical release and chasing after a moment of pleasure. Beyond their bodies, they’d been connected intimately in every possible way.

Syx felt Echo’s heartbeat as his own. The breath that stuttered from his mate’s mouth mingled with his in perfect synchronization. Even their bodies seemed to move as two parts to a whole as Echo lifted off of him, and they rolled together until they rested on their sides in a tangle of limbs.

“Thank you,” Echo whispered thickly, and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears in the soft rays of the morning light.

“I love you. I love you. Sometimes it hurts how much I love all of you.”

Syx couldn’t be positive, but he had a feeling his mate was pushing those thoughts at him purposely. An indescribable peace settled over him like a warm blanket, and his mind was suddenly clearer than it had been in years. Why he’d been afraid of this, he’d never know. It was something to cherish and adore.

“I love you, Echo.”

The tears his mate had been obviously fighting so hard to hold back spilled over and slipped down his soft cheeks. “I love you, too,” he murmured. He rested his palm against the side of Syx’s face, and Syx was helpless to stop himself from nuzzling into the touch. “I’m scared.”

Syx could hear the swirling chaos of Echo’s mind, but he didn’t really need his gift to understand Echo’s concerns. “You never have to be afraid, baby. I don’t know what we’ll find in that cave, but we’ll face it together. You have seven very devoted men who would do anything to ensure your safety.”

Echo swallowed hard as his fingertips brushed over Syx’s lips. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

* * * *

Syx rubbed at his temples and sighed. If Myst started singing “Another One Bites the Dust” one more freaking time, he was going to choke the man with his own dick. He had still yet to figure out the correlation between his feelings and the fact that his eyes were now a brilliant jade green, and it made him less than stellar company at the moment. He hated not having the answers. While Hex might be their leader and alpha, Syx was supposed to be the answer guy. So far, he was doing a spectacular job of it.

Insert sarcasm.

Giving his aching temples one last rub, he rose to his feet and set off to find Vapre. They still had to find a way to make sure the vampires were fed before departing for the strip of forest that made his skin crawl. He wasn’t looking forward to it in the least, and even less so now that Echo had insisted he join them on the mission.

His little mate was a force to be reckoned with, though. Besides, Hex had made the final call and it now seemed like everyone was going except for Syn and Jinx. The decision didn’t much endear him to the warrior, but Hex probably had a point. Echo was stronger than any of them, and when he created a bridge between their powers, they were virtually unstoppable.

Though Echo thought he’d worn their alpha down to his way of thinking, the truth was Hex couldn’t bear to let their mate out of his sight. He hadn’t said as much, but Syx had read it in his mind. On that, he had to agree. If Echo remained behind, the warriors would be distracted by their concern for him. When dealing with a vengeful god from the Underworld, distractions were deadly.

Pushing open the door to the downstairs office, Syx stepped inside and smiled when he found Vapre behind the desk, tapping away at the keyboard. Fiero and Eyce lounged together on the plush sofa, doing absolutely nothing to help.

“You shouldn’t work so hard,” Syx teased them.

Fiero glanced up at him with a smirk then went back to devouring Eyce’s mouth. Then he snapped his head up again, pushing Eyce off of him and bolting off the couch to stand directly in from of Syx.

Startled by the sudden movement, Syx stumbled back a step. Fiero caught his face in both hands, staring intently into his eyes for the longest time. Then a huge grin stretched across his face, and he dove forward to capture Syx’s lips, planting a hard, searing kiss on them.