Evans, Gabrielle - The Hunger [Fatefully Yours 7] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) (17 page)

“Guys, it’s me,” Craze called. “Syn had a dream that you guys might have a little visitor tonight. We got here as soon as we could.”

Hex growled and pushed a hand through his hair. “Eyce, Fiero, get everyone down here, and tell them to be on their guard. I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to deal with it.”

The warriors hurried out of the room without a word, returning just moments later with the other demons and Gage. They all assembled in the entryway behind Hex and Echo, waiting, tense and ready to fight for their lives if necessary.

Echo took another step back, insinuating himself between Myst and Syx as Hex opened the door. He gasped at the sight that met them.

Craze stood just at the bottom of the porch steps, his hand locked around Jinx’s throat and holding him several inches off the ground. Jinx clawed at the man’s hand, squirming and kicking, trying to pull air into his lungs. He was completely naked, his red hair dirty and matted, and his skin covered in livid bruises and deep scratches.

Syn stood just to the side, locked in an embrace with another man that looked identical to Jinx. The whole scene was enough to make Echo’s head hurt and his heart gallop inside his chest. How did they know for sure which one was really Jinx?

“Craze, put him down,” Hex said calmly, stepping through the doorway and onto the porch.

Echo followed him, taking the alpha’s hand and squeezing it in comfort—more for himself than for Hex. “They look exactly alike,” he whispered.

“He’s a filthy liar!” The Jinx standing with Syn said. “He’s come here, pretending to be me, and to hurt all of you. Thank the gods that Syn had that dream, and we got here in time.”

Craze set the assumed imposter in his feet, but didn’t let him go far. He fisted his hand in Jinx’s hair and turned him roughly to face everyone. “What do you want me to do with him?”

“Craze, it’s me. Please, you have to believe me,” the man in his grasp begged through his gasps for air. “Craze, I love you. Please.”

Echo saw the hesitation in the Addonexus’s eyes, the way his features softened for just a moment before he hardened them once more.

“Don’t listen to him,” the other Jinx said softly. “He would do anything to hurt us. You know I would never do that.”

There was something different about the way the Jinx standing near Syn spoke. His accent was still in place, the cadence natural, but something was off. Echo couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, but it opened up the door for doubt to creep into his confused brain.

“Craze.”

“Shut up,” Craze snarled, shaking the man he held by his hair. He turned to Hex again. “What do you want me to do with him?” he repeated with more heat in his voice.

“He can’t live.” Hex shook his head sadly.

“No! Please, please, Craze! I love you.” The naked Jinx completely broke down, great shuddering sobs wracking his body.

“Don’t listen to him, love,” the other Jinx called. “He will say anything to make you doubt.”

Well, it was working. Echo was very much doubting. What if they chose wrong? Gods, he didn’t think he could live with that kind of guilt, and it would completely destroy Craze.

“Can’t we ask them questions only the real Jinx would know?” Myst asked as he stepped out onto the porch behind them.

“I love your brilliant mind,” Echo purred to the man, “but I have a better idea. Will you please go hold the other Jinx?”

“Anything you want, baby.” Myst pulled Echo into a deep, passionate kiss—completely inappropriate in their given situation. “Take from me,” Myst breathed into Echo’s mouth.

Oh!
Echo wound his arms around Myst’s neck, sucking the demon’s tongue into his mouth while sucking in Myst’s power as well, then letting it trickle back into his mate.

“Hey!” Jinx shouted.

“Close his mouth, too, babe.”

Myst chuckled and kissed Echo on the nose. “Got it.”

“Why did you need me for that?” Echo tilted his head to the side in confusion. “I mean, that’s pretty elementary stuff, Myst.”

“I froze them both,” Myst answered with a cocky grin. “I’m going on the assumption that the skinwalker is a witch, and damn powerful. I’d rather err on the side of caution.”

“Yes, definitely love that sexy brain.”

Myst laughed again. “So, what’s your plan?”

“Syx?” The warrior stepped up beside Echo and looked at him expectantly. “Which one is the right one?”

Cocking his head to the side, Syx looked back and forth between the two several times. “How am I supposed to know that?”

Echo huffed and rolled his eyes. “Are you telepathic or not? Read their minds.”

“Already did,” Syx said with a wink. “I just wanted to throw them off their guard.” His arms crossed over his chest, and he locked eyes with Craze. “You are ripping your mate’s hair out by the roots, man. I don’t think he’s going to thank you for that later.”

If the situation hadn’t been so serious, Echo would have laughed at the stricken look on Craze’s face. He released Jinx’s hair immediately, shaking his hand as though the dirty strands had electrocuted him. “Myst,” Craze whispered, his eyes never leaving Jinx’s.

The next instant, Jinx gasped for breath and stumbled forward. Craze caught him up, crushing him to his massive chest as he petted and cooed to the little vampire. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”

“Shh, love.” Jinx stroked Craze’s hair and peppered kisses over his face. “It’s okay now. Everything is okay now.”

Syn looked like he was going to throw up. He jumped away from the imposter beside him, rubbing at the skin on his arms as though he felt dirty. Then Craze had him lifted in his arms as well, holding both his mates and raining kisses over them. “I’m so sorry to both of you.”

“We’re fine,” Jinx and Syn said in unison then began giggling.

Echo swallowed past the lump in his throat. Damn, he was a sucker for happy endings. He doubted the trio even realized anything existed outside of the three of them at the moment.

Craze set his lovers on their feet, whipped his shirt off, and pushed it down over Jinx’s head. “Cover up, baby.” Jerking a thumb toward the side, Craze looked up at Hex. “You still want me to kill it?” he asked casually.

“Syx?”

Syx glanced at the doppelganger, then back to Hex, and nodded once. Craze mirrored the nod and ushered his mates up the steps. “Go inside, guys. I’ll be right there.”

“You, too, Echo.” Myst took Echo’s hand and pulled gently.

Echo didn’t argue. He’d seen enough death and mayhem to last him a lifetime. Things would only get worse when the war came. He knew this, but that didn’t mean he looked forward to it.

Allowing Myst to lead him inside, Echo glanced over his shoulder and gasped. The bones in Craze’s neck and joints shot out through his skin like lethal spikes. His fingers elongated, those bones also pushing through the skin as he stalked toward the skinwalker.

“Let him go, Myst,” Craze growled.

Echo couldn’t look anymore. Snapping his attention to the living room beyond, he hurried through the door and straight to the kitchen—as far away from death as he could go.

* * * *

“I don’t understand. Where did you come from?” Onyx asked later that night after everyone had calmed down. They all sat or stood around the kitchen, their usual gathering place for important conversations. He was glad to see Craze showered and changed into a pair of Eyce’s pajama bottoms. Echo didn’t need to see the blood that covered the Addonexus when he’d walked through the door.

Jinx was also showered and wearing some of Echo’s clothes. He fidgeted nervously under everyone’s scrutiny, curling himself further into Craze’s lap. “It took me five days to crawl out of the rubble from the house,” he answered quietly.

Onyx felt a twinge of guilt but kept his face impassive. “That was still nearly three weeks ago. Where have you been since then?”

Jinx shuddered violently and pressed closer to Craze. “There are still vampires from the coven out there. They’ve named a new leader and are recruiting again. Four of them jumped me about halfway here.”

“How did you escape?” Echo spoke quietly, but his voice still held a deep despair that tugged at Onyx’s heart. He gathered his mate into his arms and rocked him from side to side while they waited for Jinx to find the words to continue.

“They drained me and dumped me in the woods to die near dawn. That was two days ago.”

The room went unnaturally quiet, and it seemed no one was breathing. Craze’s arms tightened around his lover, and his eyes looked shiny in the overhead light. The unshed tears didn’t make the man weak, though Onyx knew Craze would view it differently. The man had almost lost his mate. Onyx would probably have been a blubbering mess if it had been Echo.

Syx cleared his throat a few times before addressing Syn. “You had a dream?”

Syn startled a bit but nodded slowly. “It was just that Oracle lady telling me that everyone here was in danger. I didn’t know Jinx would be here until we arrived. I mean, I thought Jinx was with us.” His slim shoulders began to shake, and he swallowed several times. “I kissed him,” he whispered.

“Did you…did…” Jinx trailed off, pain blatant in his features as he waited for the answer.

Syn shook his head. “I tried,” he said dejectedly. “He wouldn’t touch me, though.”

Onyx sighed and hugged Echo closer. The beginning of the triad’s mating should have been amazing and wonderful, filled with getting to know one another in between bouts of hot, kinky sex. And newly mated or not, no one should ever have to endure the things Jinx had. Onyx hurt for all three, but his heart shattered for Jinx.

“And you?” Jinx whispered to Craze.

Craze closed his eyes and looked as though he’d fall apart into a million pieces. “I wanted to, and tried several times. That’s enough to count.”

“How could you not know it wasn’t me?”

“He’s had your blood,” Syn tried to explain. “He smelled like you.”

“I’m sorry,” Craze whispered. “I don’t know how to make this right. I’ll do anything. Just tell me what to do.”

Jinx was quiet for a long time before he finally sighed. “I’m starving. You can start by feeding me.”

“Anything. What do you want? I’ll go kill a deer and roast it over a pit for you, if that’s what you want.”

Jinx laughed quietly before becoming serious. “No, love. They drained me, and it was over a week before that since I’d taken any blood from you. It hurts,” he whimpered.

“Can we talk more later?” Craze asked of Hex, his eyes boring into Jinx’s.

“Get out of here and take care of your mates.”

Craze nodded, snatched Jinx up, grabbed Syn’s wrist, and practically sprinted from the kitchen. “I’m glad they’re going to be okay.” Echo pressed closer to Onyx. “That was really sad at first.”

“It’s late,” Hex announced. “The new moon is tomorrow night. Everyone get some rest, and I’ll call Lorcan to fill him in on what’s happening.”

Echo’s hand slid into Onyx’s and pulled to get him moving. Then he took Hex’s hand and tugged on him as well. “Send him a text. You can talk tomorrow.”

Unsurprisingly, Hex didn’t argue.

Chapter Fourteen

“What are the chances that we actually guessed right this time?”

Onyx kissed the top of Echo’s head and shrugged. “Whether we did or not, we’ll face what comes.”