Evans, Gabrielle - Shades of Black [Fatefully Yours 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) (11 page)

Echo stared up at the wolf in shock, his mouth hanging open like a guppy. Syx started laughing as he scratched behind Pax’s ear. It was good for his mate to learn a little respect.

Pax let out several huffing noises that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Syx couldn’t blame him.

Echo pointed up to Pax, shaking his head back and forth. “That is not a wolf. It’s a fucking bear with a tail.”

“I did tell you we were big,” Jet mumbled.

Big didn’t begin to describe it. Echo wasn’t far off in his assessment. On all fours, Pax’s shoulders rose even with Syx’s chest, his furry body packed with muscle that made him look like a bodybuilder on steroids.

“We’re double-muscled in our wolf form,” Jet explained, interpreting Syx’s inquiring look. “The lab never could figure out why, especially since we’re not in human form.”

The mention of the lab Echo and his friends had escaped from made Syx’s blood run cold. Things had been quiet for a few weeks now, but he didn’t believe they’d seen the last of the men from the establishment.

The only question was when they’d make their next appearance.

Chapter Nine

“Why do I feel like we’ve been walking in circles for days?” Echo plopped down on a fallen log and started unlacing his boots. His feet hurt, his muscles ached, and his fingers were frozen to the bone. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up.

“I think we
have
been walking in circles,” Syx answered as he scanned their surroundings. “I swear we’ve been through here at least twice. Something isn’t right.”

“You can say that again,” Echo mumbled under his breath.

“No, I mean something is preventing us from finding the cave. Well, that’s what it feels like anyway.”

Echo stopped in the middle of pulling his boot off and snapped his head up to meet Syx’s gaze. A wide grin spread over his face, and he immediately shoved his foot back into his shoe and began re-tying it. “That means we’re close.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Syx whistled. “Pax! Jet!”

Echo rolled his eyes as he pushed to his feet. “You know they’re not really dogs, right?”

Syx shrugged innocently. “It seemed the best way to get their attention. See? Here they come now.”

The two enormous silver wolves trotted around the trees and padded up beside them. Gage and Mac followed at a more leisurely pace, Gage actually carrying Mac on his back. They both looked utterly exhausted, and Echo’s heart went out to them.

They’d been roaming around—apparently in circles—for five days since the others left. They were low on rations. They were all sleep-deprived, and tempers were running hotter than ever. To say morale was low was a definite understatement. They needed good news, and they needed it in a hurry.

“We think the entrance to the cave is around here somewhere,” Syx said as soon as Gage stepped up beside them and lowered Mac to his feet. “We also think there is something keeping us moving right past it so that we continue to walk in circles. We need to find it.”

He stepped up to one of the wolves—Echo couldn’t tell them apart in their animal form—and placed his hands on either side of the beast’s muzzle. “Jet,” he said as though confirming. “I’m going to look inside your head again, and see if anything is recognizable. I know you said you woke up in the cave, but you had to have come out of it when you began searching for us.”

Jet dipped his massive head in understanding.

“Good.” Syx turned to Echo. “I don’t know how much you can help with my powers, but I’d be grateful if you could give it a shot.”

Echo’s heart swelled at being asked for help. Very rarely did his men admit they couldn’t take care of something on their own. He liked feeling needed and, more importantly, appreciated. Standing beside Syx, Echo took one of his lover’s hands, and placed the fingertips from his other against Jet’s temple.

Dropping his shields, he let Syx’s power flow into him, cycle through his body, then pushed it back at his lover with a little extra of his own power. Syx groaned, but he didn’t tremble or puke, so Echo kept going.

Jet began to whimper softly, fidgeting back and forth on his massive paws, but he didn’t move away from them. Images started to flicker through Echo’s mind, too fast for him to catch onto one. Pulling back his power a little, he worked to slow down the depictions and organize them. It wasn’t an easy task, though, and he eventually gave up on trying to keep the connection between him and Syx.

Releasing his lover’s hand, he focused on his own ability, flipping through Jet’s memories, looking for anything that could help them locate the cave.

There was snow on the ground when they emerged from the cave. The wind howled around them, piercing their naked skin like tiny pinpricks. Jet shivered violently and wrapped an arm around Pax’s waist.

Sage walked close to them, the picture of complete ease. Jet wished they’d never found the man. He was batshit crazy. Everything about him gave Jet the creeps. And if the asshole hurt Pax again, Jet was going to rip his balls off with his bare hands.

Echo skipped along, fast-forwarding through Jet’s hatred of Sage. Not that he could blame the man, but it wasn’t helpful just then. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of leftover animosity, and it took Echo several minutes to sort through it before he found what he was looking for.

The moon was high in the sky, illuminating the snow so that the clearing seemed to glow. The trees swayed in the wind, almost bending in half as they creaked and groaned under the strain on Mother Nature’s force.

Then a loud crack like a gunshot ripped through the night air, and Jet screamed as he grabbed Pax’s hand and dragged him away from the mouth of the cave. The tree seemed to fall forever before it finally hit the ground, throwing up plumes of white snow around them. The branches missed Jet by only inches, and he felt guilty for hoping Sage hadn’t been as lucky.

Looking over his shoulder, he could no longer see the entrance to the cave, but Sage stood on the other side of the clearing, smiling at them wickedly, his teeth gleaming in the beams of moonlight.

“Got it,” Echo announced as he opened his eyes and took a step back.

“There’s a tree blocking the entrance,” Syx said for Gage, Mac, and Pax’s benefit. “We’ve passed a fallen tree haven’t we?”

“We’ve passed a million of them,” Mac grumbled, exaggerating more than a little.

“There’s one that looks like it fell pretty recently,” Gage answered. “We passed it about a quarter of a mile back that way.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the east. “It looks like it’s lying against some boulders.”

“That’s it!” Echo beamed and let out a whoop of victory. “Lead the way!”

Mac grumbled and groaned some more, but Gage just kissed his forehead and lifted him up in his arms. Mac scrambled around until he clung to Gage’s back and let out an unhappy sigh. “I’m so done.”

“I know, baby,” Gage coaxed. “Just a little further, okay?”

Mac kissed the side of his lover’s neck and nuzzled against him. “Okay, big guy, let’s go.”

Echo took Syx’s hand and tugged to get his warrior moving. “This is great. We’re finally getting somewhere!”

Syx smiled at him indulgently and nodded. The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, though, and some of Echo’s enthusiasm faded. “What’s wrong? Do you think it’s another dead end?”

“No, baby. I think Gage is right, and I believe we’ll find the cave. It’s what comes next that worries me. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I’m always careful,” Echo said indignantly. What the hell did the man think he was going to do? Run into the cave, strip naked, and spread himself out like a sacrificial lamb? “I’ll stay one step behind you. How does that sound?”

“Like you’re being a patronizing little shit, but I’ll accept it.” Syx gave him a real smile and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “How are you feeling, Echo? You look tired.”

“I’m exhausted,” Echo answered honestly. “I’m excited about finding the cave, but part of me just wants to curl up in a ball and sleep for the next week.”

“Do you need me to carry you?”

Echo craned his neck to look up at his mate and gave him an arched look. “Seriously?”

Syx chuckled and shook his head. “So damn stubborn. It doesn’t make you weak.”

“Yeah, uh-huh, I’ll just walk, thank you.” It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy being carried and pampered, but as long as his own legs worked just fine, he didn’t see a need for Syx to wear himself out as well. The man already carried his pack and Echo’s. No matter what Syx thought, he wasn’t a machine.

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Syx looked ahead, eyeing Gage and Mac for a long moment before glancing away.

“Oh, love. It doesn’t make Gage a better mate just because he’s carrying Mac. I promise, if I get too tired, I’ll let you know. You are a wonderful mate and a damn fine man. Don’t overthink it.”

His response seemed to appease his big demon, because Syx nodded slowly, and a gorgeous smile spread over his face. “Sorry, sweetheart. Sometimes, I just feel like I don’t do enough for you.”

“You do more than enough for everyone. I love you.”

Syx’s smile turned to a sappy grin. “Yeah. Love you, too.”

* * * *

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Fiero growled. “Why can’t we just tie the idiot up and shove him in the trunk?”

“We don’t have a trunk.”

Hex snorted and shoved Myst. “I don’t think he meant literally.” Looking around the group, he felt his chest swell and his heart flop over in his chest. He’d tried so hard to keep them all away, but seeing them there, presenting a united front, he couldn’t even remember why. He needed them, plain and simple. “Missed you guys.”

“Aww, shucks.” Myst bumped Hex’s shoulder with his own and dipped his head like a shy little boy.

Hex shoved his lover again and laughed. “Yeah, I was a dick, and I’m sorry.” It didn’t rankle him nearly as much as he thought it would to admit he’d been wrong. He’d thought his dreams about the Oracle meant he had to undertake the venture solo, but looking back on it, he realized he’d been misinterpreting the meaning.

His dreams hadn’t meant for him to shut out his men in his need to protect them. They’d been a warning that he would fail without them. How he’d been so stupid not to understand that, he didn’t know. His need to keep his lovers safe just overrode his good sense sometimes.

“I think Echo’s right,” Vapre murmured as he closed his eyes and turned his face up to the sun. “We definitely need to relocate to someplace warmer.”

They all stood in a loose circle on Craze’s back lawn, soaking up the warm rays of the sun. The breeze held a bit of a chill, but it was calm and gentle. The temperatures hovered in the midsixties, such a contrast from the frigid northern temperatures they’d come from.

“We’ll discuss it after the autumnal equinox. How’s that?”

Vapre dropped his head to look at Hex and smiled. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

Hex winced internally. “I guess that’s as good of a reason as any. I know I haven’t given you too many in the last couple of weeks.”

“Oh, stop it,” Fiero demanded. “This self-pity crap does not look good on you. We understand that you did what you felt was right. Now you’ve pulled your head out of your ass, and we can move on.” He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked.

“Okay, fine, but we can’t just kidnap Craze and force him to come with us.” Hex rubbed the back of his neck and groaned.

“Why the hell not?” Myst wanted to know.