Evans, Gabrielle - Upon Crimson Waters [Fatefully Yours 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Read Free

word.”
    Echo shrugged innocently. “You were so upset. I didn’t want to add to your problems.”
    “You can’t keep these things from us,” Fiero growled, speaking for the first time since entering the room. “Why do you keep lying to us?” Without waiting for an answer, he stood so abruptly that his chair tipped over and crashed to the floor. Turning on his heels, he stepped over the chair and stomped out of the room without a backward glance.
    “What did I do? I wasn’t lying, I swear!” Echo looked on the verge of tears, and Eyce wanted to throttle Fiero. “I wasn’t keeping it from you. I just didn’t want to add to your stress just then.”
    “Shh,” Eyce cooed before kissing the tip of Echo’s nose. “I understand, baby. Everything is fine.”
    “You keep saying that.” Echo pushed against Eyce’s chest and jumped up from his lap. “None of this is fine ! Vapre’s gone. Fiero is pissed at me, and I don’t even know why. I keep having these fucked up dreams, and I talk to some lady in my head. I’m mated to not one, but seven freaking demon warriors. Please tell me how any of this is fine !”
    In the weeks since Echo had arrived on their doorstep, Eyce had never seen him so vehement. He hated to admit that it turned him on something fierce. Reaching out for his mate, he sighed and let his hand drop when Echo dodged his advance.
    “I’m going back to bed. I’m just going to sleep until one of you starts making some goddamn sense.” Then he, too, stomped from the room, mumbling under his breath the entire way.
    “I’d say that went well,” Myst muttered from beside Eyce. “He’s got a bit of a temper, doesn’t he?”
    “He’s afraid,” Syx whispered. “He has no control over any of this and no way of knowing what the future will bring. Anyone would be freaking out right now.”
    “True.” Hex pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply. “What the hell is Fiero’s problem? I mean, I know he’s always a dick, but this was above and beyond.”
    “He’s scared, too,” Syx answered. “He’s afraid of losing Echo, of having to return to Tartarus, and of something happening to one of us.”
    “Aww, he does care,” Myst said around a snort.
    “So, who’s going to talk to him?” Eyce asked the group. He was unsurprised when all eyes turned to look at him. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

Chapter Two

    Echo grumped and grumbled all the way up the stairs. Okay, so he was young, and small, and maybe didn’t know a great deal about the world outside of the lab he’d come from, but he wasn’t stupid. They all kept telling him things were going to work out, yet no one had any idea what they would face, or how they would defeat the unknown threat.
    He appreciated that they all wanted to protect him, but his men were so focused on him, they weren’t being cautious with themselves. Though his brain still rebelled against the idea of being in love with the warriors after such a short amount of time, his heart thumped rapidly against his sternum at the thought of anything happening to his lovers.
    So lost in thought, he didn’t immediately realize where he was going until he found himself outside of Fiero’s door. Pursing his lips and scrunching his brow, Echo lifted his hand and rapped heavily on the door.
    He didn’t know what the hell Fiero’s problem was, but he intended to find out. He hadn’t lied or withheld anything from them, so why was the man acting like Echo was the bad guy?
    He waited for a couple of seconds, but didn’t receive an answer. He could hear Fiero’s footsteps on the other side of the door, though, and knew the man was pacing. He banged against the wood again, his temper rising when he still didn’t receive any type of acknowledgement.
    “Open this fucking door!”
    “Go away!” Fiero roared back.
    “I will not!”
    “Leave me alone,” Fiero growled.
    Echo kicked the door in frustration then wailed as his big toe began to throb