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Myst sighed. This is how it was supposed to be.
* * * *
 Your eyes are really pretty. Mac batted his lashes and made
kissy faces at Myst.
 Shut up, Myst growled.
A few snorts escaped the warriors, but Echo didn t hold back. He
threw his head back and laughed with the sheer joy of it.  He s right,
Myst. They re very pretty.
 They re fucking purple!
 I d say more lavender, Echo argued with a smirk.
 Isn t that purple? Syx asked.
 Well, yes, but lavender is prettier.
Everyone jibed Myst for a few more minutes until Hex put a stop
to it and called them all to order. Leave it to their alpha to ruin their
fun.  Okay, so we need to debrief.
92 Gabrielle Evans
Echo stood up and reached for the button on his jeans.
 What are you doing? Fiero frowned at him and reached over to
still his hands.
 Hex said to debrief. Echo looked up innocently at Hex, but
inside he was roaring with laughter at the look on the demon s face.
 Sit down. Hex sighed and scrubbed at his face.  Fucking brat,
he mumbled under his breath.  Gage, tell us what you know.
Gage shifted on the love seat and pulled his mates closer to him.
Echo didn t think the werewolf had let go of them since they d
arrived home.  The night after the new moon, I came downstairs to
get a glass of water, and found Jet and Pax preparing to go for a run.
They were still upset about what happened and how they d attacked
everyone.
He spoke calmly, almost as if he were on autopilot. Echo
supposed it was better than the explosion he figured would come
later.
 I m sorry about that, by the way, Gage added.  Unlike Jet and
Pax, I understand that I couldn t control it, but I hate that anyone got
hurt. A little emotion had returned to his voice, and Echo tensed,
waiting for the yelling to start. Gage continued calmly, though.  I told
them to give me a minute to leave a note for Sony and Mac, and then
I d go with them. I m sure they can take care of themselves, but I
didn t think it was a good idea to let them go alone. Gage shrugged.
 Good thinking, Hex agreed.  What happened after that?
 Well, I left a note saying that I d be back and not to tell anyone
I d left. It wasn t some big secret, but I didn t want anyone to worry
and come looking for us. That would put us all in a vulnerable
position. Besides, I figured we d be back within a couple of hours.
Mac groaned and covered his face.  I thought you meant not to
tell anyone period. I thought you left me.
 I m sorry, Mac. Gage kissed the top of his mate s head.  I
wasn t thinking. I should have told you the reason I was leaving, but I
was kind of in a hurry and not thinking.
The Hunger 93
 How does Sony come into all of this?
 I woke up to see Gage leaving the room, so I followed him.
Sony sat up straight as he took over the narrative.  When I made it
downstairs, I heard voices outside, so I went out to look. Gage and the
shifters were talking to Jinx near one of the cars.
 He said he d heard noises in the trees and wanted backup to go
check it out, Gage said with a slight growl to his voice.  I didn t
even see Sony until we d reached the tree line.
 Then what happened? Echo marveled at Hex s calm authority.
He was only hearing the story secondhand and his heart raced,
thudding hard against his sternum. Hex looked almost bored,
however. Echo knew better, but he still felt amazed that his lover
could shut down his emotions like that.
 We got jumped by about twenty vampires and had our asses
handed to us. Sony took a deep shuddering breath.  The next thing I
knew, I was chained to the wall in some basement.
Hex looked to Gage for confirmation, and the werewolf nodded.
 That about sums it up.
 So, Jinx betrayed us? Echo s eyebrows drew together, and he
frowned. He didn t know the vampire that well, but it just didn t fit
with the man he d been living with.
 No. Gage shook his head firmly.  I thought so at first, too, until
I witnessed what happened in that basement.
 What happened? Echo whispered. Gods, did he even want to
know?
 Apart from bringing in a new person every day to change over,
sometimes as many as four at a time, they are changing a lot more
than humans.
 Don t you mean were? Onyx asked.
 I don t believe we killed them all, Gage argued.  Not by a long
shot.
 We know they kidnapped members of the coyote pack, but who
or what else besides humans?
94 Gabrielle Evans
 I don t have a roster for you, Hex, but I do know they have at
least two skinwalkers.
 Fuck! Hex spat, and loud groans went up around the room.
Echo tilted his head in confusion, mirroring the same look Mac
was giving everyone.  What s a skinwalker?
 They re usually witches, Syx explained.  You know how Jet
and Pax shift into wolves, or Lorcan shifts into a coyote?
Echo nodded mutely.
 Skinwalkers can shift into other humans, vampires, werewolves,
whatever they want pretty much as long as they have the blood of
whomever or whatever they want to look like. They literally walk in
another s skin.
Echo reached up to cover his mouth as he gasped.  How do we
know who to trust?
 I hate to do this, but we re going on lockdown. No one leaves the
house until we figure this mess out. Hex pushed up from the
armchair and began pacing the room.  How long will our supplies last
before we need to restock?
 With five of us gone, I d say at least until the new moon, Vapre
answered immediately.
 Okay, so we have a little over three weeks. Hex seemed to be
working something out inside his head.  If anyone comes to the door,
they do not get in, got it? Not even if it s Craze, Lorcan, or any of the
others.
Everyone nodded their agreement. What else were they going to
do? Hex was right, and they all knew it.
 How is Onyx supposed to practice his power? Eyce asked.  He
needs to be outside for that.
Well, hell, Echo hadn t even thought of that. It seemed so much
happened between each new moon that Echo always seemed to forget
that the Big Bad was coming. They just fought a horde of freaking
vampires. To him, that should count for something, and they could
The Hunger 95
just skip the new moon and whatever challenge it brought. Of course,
that wasn t going to happen, but a guy could dream.
 We ll figure out something, Hex replied distractedly. Echo
could practically hear the gears turning in his head.
 Let s just figure one thing out at a time, Onyx suggested.  I
think I m going to have more time like Eyce did. It s not like dying
crops are going to kill people overnight.
Echo figured the man had a point, but somehow he didn t think
they were going to battling back grub worms with pesticides.
 Are we done? Onyx asked.
Hex nodded.  I think we ve covered all we know for now.
Onyx rose to his feet and crooked a finger at Myst.  You
volunteered?
Myst bobbed his head eagerly and jumped up from the couch. The
minute he stood in front of Onyx, his entire demeanor changed. His
shoulders went back, his head bowed respectfully, and he linked his
fingers behind his back.
 You know what to do. I ll be there in a minute.
 Yes, sir. Then Myst hurried up the stairs.
Echo opened his mouth to say something but snapped it closed at
the last minute. He d thought Onyx had moved past what had
happened earlier that morning. Obviously not. Why Myst, though?
Had Echo not met Onyx s standards? Was he lacking something that
made him a good partner for Onyx s games?
Onyx knelt on the floor in front of him as though he d read every
thought in Echo s head like it had been written out in bold letters
across a marquis. He took Echo s hands and squeezed them gently. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]