Ares curled his lip, but otherwise didn’t answer. He stepped forward, and it didn’t escape Hex’s notice that the man favored his right leg. Odd.
“You belong to me,” Ares growled at Hex.
“Not anymore,” Hex answered calmly, ushering his men back and reaching for his dagger.
Ares was fully dressed for a change, his hair tied back, and daggers strapped to his waist. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’s a little late for that,” Echo spat.
Hex groaned, but kept his eyes on Ares. “What do you want?”
“You.”
“All this was for me? Everything that we’ve faced was because you wanted my ass?” Hex rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Try again.”
Ares didn’t say anything, but his eyes lit with a wicked light as they strayed to Echo.
“Leave him out of this,” Hex snarled. “If you want me, you take me by force. You’re not getting anywhere near him.”
“She didn’t tell you,” Ares taunted. “Oh, how amusing.”
Hex was on top of Ares before the words were fully out of his mouth. He got in one good punch before he was thrown backward, and Ares descended on him. They rolled in the grass, fists flying and connecting with every inch of flesh they could find.
Sending Ares flying over his head, Hex scrambled to his feet and gripped his dagger. With or without his godlike powers, Ares was still a soldier and well-trained in battle. Ares gained his feet as well, pulling his own dagger from its sheath as they slowly circled each other.
“You were meant for me,” Ares yelled. “You were made for me!”
“And you abused that gift,” Hex shot back. “You never loved me, and I never loved you. Just let it go.”
“I did let it go.” Ares stepped closer, his eyes wild with hatred. “Then I learned of the prophecy, of that little bastard!” he screamed, jabbing his knife toward Echo. “You are mine. How could the gods give you to another?”
“Aww, are you jealous?” Hex goaded. “If you can’t have me, then no one else can?”
“You are mine!” Ares screeched and lunged forward, the sharp blade of his dagger cutting through Hex’s shoulder.
Hex gritted his teeth together to keep from crying out in pain. He would show no weakness to the fallen god. “I was never yours.”
Then they were on each other again, except this time daggers sliced through the air instead of fists. Hex roared when Ares’ blade found its mark, sinking into the soft flesh of his stomach. Pulling the knife free, he watched the blood drip from it, and the rage consumed him.
Waving his lovers away when they made to come to his defense, Hex tackled Ares to the ground with a wild tangle of limbs. The struggle seemed to last forever before Hex finally gained the upper hand. Pressing his knee into Ares’ stomach, he stared into the eyes of his tormentor and lifted the god’s own dagger over his head.
Before he could plunge it through the man’s heart, loud barking had him jerking his head around just in time to see two coyotes fly through the air. They caught him in the chest, barreling him over so that he landed on the ground with a bone-jarring impact.
Getting to his feet almost wasn’t worth the pain and effort, but he eventually managed it when Eyce and Myst rushed to his side to lend their support. His mates gathered around him, forming a united front. “This is over,” Fiero said firmly. “You’ve proven your point, Hex.”
Too tired and in too much pain to argue, Hex simply dipped his head. “Friends of yours?” he asked Ares, motioning toward the growling coyotes on either side of him. It pissed him off to think that men he’d considered friends would betray him.
Ares looked confused, though, as he stared at the animals. “I don’t know them,” he admitted.
Seconds later, two men knelt on the ground where the coyotes had been, completely nude and still snarling.
“Jason?” Echo asked in surprise. “Oliver?”
Hex recognized them as well and felt hurt replace his anger. “Why?”
Jason stopped snarling and shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Hex. I know you have beef with him, but…” He glanced over at Oliver pleadingly.
Oliver dipped his head and looked up at Hex. “He’s our mate.”
“What?” Ares gasped. “No!”
Hex started laughing. It quickly turned into a groan of pain, but the entire situation was fucking priceless. “You’re mortal, aren’t you?” Then he started laughing again. The limping, the hand-to-hand combat, even his less than spectacular entrance—Ares’ mortality explained everything.
“You’re bleeding,” Oliver whispered, reaching for Ares.
Ares jerked away. “I am not your mate. Don’t touch me.”
“You have your work cut out for you,” Echo said. “I don’t envy you at all. Are you sure you’re up for this?” His tone implied that he really hoped they weren’t so he could rip the former god apart.
“We have no choice,” Jason responded, his eyes never leaving Ares. “He’s our mate. We couldn’t deny him if we wanted.”
“I am not your fucking mate!” Ares screamed.
“Do you want me to put him to sleep?” Syx offered.
Jason nodded reluctantly. “It might be best until we can get him calmed.”
Syx stepped forward, and Ares had fear in his eyes for the first time since arriving. “Stay away from me.”
“Oh, it does suck to be human, doesn’t it?” Syx chuckled and crouched down in front of Ares.
Ares closed his eyes tight, but Syx just slapped him in the jaw. Ares’ eyelids popped open, and a snarl fell from his mouth. It cut off quickly when he met Syx’s eyes, though. In the next heartbeat, Ares’ eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped to the ground unconscious.
“So, we’re just going to let him go? After all he did?” Echo sounded indignant, and Hex couldn’t blame him.
“Don’t you think having his status as a god stripped away is enough punishment?” Vapre asked.
“No,” Echo answered immediately. “Fuck him and the horse he rode in on.”
“What horse?” Myst asked scanning the field. “I didn’t see a horse. Did I miss something?”
Hex grabbed his wounded side as he started laughing again. Gods, he loved these men. It was all he’d ever wanted—to love and be loved.
“Please?” Oliver pleaded. “I can’t make it right. I can’t fix or take away the things he’s done to you. I’m so sorry.” He dropped his head, but not before Hex saw the tear that trickled from the corner of his eye. “He’s our mate.”
No one said anything for a long time. Then Echo threw his hands into the air and growled. “Fine! Take him home. If he comes anywhere near me or my family again, I will fucking kill him. Do you understand?”
Jason and Oliver nodded quickly. “He’ll never bother you again. I swear it,” Jason said hurriedly.
“I so can’t believe this is happening.” Echo growled once more, then spun on his heels and stomped off toward the house, grumbling under his breath the entire way.
“I’m sorry,” Oliver whispered. “No matter what he’s done, he’s connected to us. Please understand.”
Unfortunately, Hex did. “Get him out of here. I have my own mates to worry about.” He didn’t even wait for the coyotes to gather their new mate and leave before going in search of Echo.
“That was totally anticlimactic,” Fiero grumbled. “Why don’t we ever get to kill anything anymore?”
Hex shook his head. “Shut up and go find Craze. I’m bleeding like a stuck pig.”
Fiero grouched some more, but hurried ahead to find Craze. “This so blows.”
Sighing, Hex let Eyce and Onyx help him up the back steps. It didn’t matter to him. He had everything he’d ever wanted, and Ares couldn’t hurt them anymore. That was enough for him.
Chapter Sixteen
Stomping into the house, Echo stumbled to a stop when he found Athena sitting on their sofa, looking extraordinarily out of place in their living
room. “What do you want?” Yeah, he was rude as hell, but he figured he was owed some leeway after the day he’d had.
“To talk to you,” she answered calmly.
“Oh, now you want to talk? Where the fuck were you when I wanted to talk to you before?”
“Echo,” Fiero said sternly as he stepped up behind him. “You wanted answers, so shut up and let the lady talk.”
Echo rolled his eyes, but plopped down in an armchair and twirled his wrist at his mother. “So, talk.” His other mates filed into the room, looking just as shocked to see the goddess sitting there.
“Fiero,” Hex said quietly. Fiero dipped his head and hurried up the stairs.
Eyce and Onyx helped Hex down onto the loveseat, and Echo jumped up and hurried over to his alpha. “Does it hurt a lot?”
“I’ll be fine.” Hex kissed his brow. “Fiero’s going to get Craze. Let’s hear what Athena has to say.”
“Thank you for sparing my brother.”
“Don’t thank me,” Echo answered coldly. “I’d have gutted him and mounted his head over the fireplace.”
Athena winced. “Ares was not behind the trials you have endured.”
Echo sat up a little straighter. “Come again?”
“I’m sorry, Echo.” She lifted her head to address all of them. “I apologize to all of you. He is my only son, though. How could I possibly just turn him over without knowing you could protect him?”
“You did this to us?” Echo wanted to launch himself across the room and rip the bitch’s hair out. Hex’s grip on his knee stopped him, however.
“Ares knew,” Hex said calmly.
Athena nodded. “He used the tests to his advantage, to try and build an army, but he did not devise them. Again, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well you can take ‘sorry’ and shove it up your—” Hex’s grip on his knee cut him off, and Echo glared at his lover before turning back to the goddess. “What about Erebus? You’re the one who turned Hypnos’s powers against him, aren’t you? And the vampires? You killed innocent people just to test my mates? Are you insane?”
Athena winced, but kept her back straight and her shoulders squared. “I will make amends to Hypnos. I did not kill anyone, however. The vampires were a threat that needed to be eliminated. I saw the opportunity to present it as a challenge to your demons and took it.” She sounded so unapologetic that Echo wanted to slap her.
“What about Craze, Gage, and all the rest of my friends? I thought we were building an army.” It took all of his willpower not to growl the words.
“Each person brought into your life was a test of your warriors’ loyalty and faithfulness.” Athena smiled a little. “And if they should fail, I wanted to ensure that you would be surrounded by people who cared about you and would keep you safe.”
Echo opened his mouth to tell his dear mother exactly where she could go, but Hex spoke before he could get the words out. “Why now? After three thousand years, why does Ares want me now?”
“My brother is spoiled and selfish. He cares nothing for you, but in his mind, you still belong to him. The knowledge that you were intended for another drove him mad with jealousy.”
“Again,” Eyce said, “why now?”
“Ares became aware of the prophecy and interpreted its meaning.”
Echo growled. “It’s over, Mother. You can stop being so damn vague and cryptic. I believe what they’re asking is why it took three-thousand fucking years for you make good on your promise to Hex.”
Athena shifted in her seat and linked her hands together in her lap. “I knew that I would need to produce a child of light to combat the darkness once Hex became a servant of Hades. Because of the way I worded my vow, I also knew I would have to produce Hex’s intended mate. Only Helios could help me to produce of a child of light.”
Echo was done playing games. If the goddess didn’t get to the point soon, he’d have to reconsider his position on ripping her hair out.
“Helios was…uncooperative. It was many years until he needed something I could offer him.”
“Which was?” Fiero asked as he came down the stairs with Craze right behind him.
Echo moved away from Hex to make room for the Addonexus to work on his mate. Standing, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for his mother to continue.
“Someone to defeat the monster he had created,” Athena answered solemnly.
“Peter,” Echo surmised.
The goddess nodded. “Only you could have defeated him. Because of the powers he gave Peter, only someone of equal strength could have fought against him and won.”
“Helios said you made another bargain for his help before he summoned me to Olympus.”
“I secured his entrance into Elysium so that he could be with his mortal love,” Athena whispered.
“You really are a shitty mother.” Echo sighed and uncrossed his arms. “It doesn’t even matter anymore. You’ve caused me all kinds of pain and suffering, but you did bring me to my mates. For that, I thank you. As for the rest of it, I’m not sure I can forgive you.”
Athena seemed resigned to the fact. “I know. I am sorry. I hoped I had chosen well for you, but I had to be sure.”
“So, we were never meant to be with Hex?” Myst spoke so softly, Echo almost didn’t hear him.
“Yes, you were.” Athena smiled softly at Myst. “I promised Hex that he would have more love than he knew what to do with. I watched over you seven for many years. I knew you would need Echo to finally bring you together, though.”
Myst looked relieved, and Echo could have cared less if it was a bold-faced lie. He never wanted any of his mates to doubt their position or importance in their relationship.
“What did Ares do to get himself banished to the mortal realm?” Craze asked, standing straight and arching his back.
“He killed Echo.” Athena actually growled a little at this. “It is forbidden to destroy a mortal. Echo was reborn as a daemon—fitting since he was meant to watch over you in the first place. Ares was stripped of his powers and banished to Earth in hopes that he can learn human compassion.”
“So, it’s not permanent?” Echo didn’t like the sound of that.
Athena shook her head. “That is up to Father.”
“What about Elysium?”
“It is your home now, if you choose.”
Echo looked around the room, and when no one had any more questions, he returned his focus to Athena. “I want to stay here.” He waited for her nod of acceptance. “I’m going to ask you to leave now. I have a lot to think about before I can even try to forgive you.”
The goddess rose gracefully and dipped her head in acknowledgement. “If you ever wish to speak to me, just call my name. I’d like a chance to get to know you again.”
“We’ll see,” Echo answered noncommittally.
Athena nodded again then simply vanished.
* * * *
“You know you’re welcome to stay here until the houses are built.” Echo stood on the front lawn as his friends piled into their vehicles.
Gage smiled and shook his head. “It will be several months before the cabins are completed. Now that the threat is over, you guys don’t need us here anymore.”
“Besides,” Craze added, clapping Echo on the shoulder, “we’re just right down the road. Once the houses are done, we’ll be neighbors. It’s not like you’ll never see us again.”
“Yeah, I guess so. It’ll be weird not having you here, though.”
“Just think,” Sony called from the passenger seat of Gage’s pickup, “you can fuck wherever you want now.”
Echo laughed. “Like you being here ever stopped us before,” he yelled back, and everyone laughed.
“Go celebrate having your life back,” Gage said with a little shove between Echo’s shoulder blades. “We’ll see you soon.”
Echo gave his friends one last wave before trudging up the steps and into the house. He knew they wouldn’t be far away, but it just wa
sn’t the same. They’d all been there, willing to fight to the death for them. He was going to miss them.
The minute he stepped through the door, Eyce pounced, lifting Echo and tossing him over one rock-hard shoulder. “I have a surprise for you.”
Echo wiggled his ass. “I like surprises.”
“Good, because you’re going to love this one.” Eyce carried him into the kitchen and deposited him on the table.
His mates converged on him, stripping him out of his clothing and urging his back to the shiny wood. His arms were stretched over his head and secured with Velcro restraints.
“So, what’s my surprise?” Echo teased.
“Eyce says you like the shower,” Syx explained. “We’re going to prove how much better it can be when we all work together.”
Echo swallowed hard. “I like teamwork.”
Each man reached out to touch some part of Echo’s skin. “We need you to absorb our powers so we don’t hurt you,” Fiero said. “No using them against us, though.”
Echo nodded and did as the man asked. With the task complete, he nodded curtly and waited with anticipation. Fiero jerked him to the edge of the table so that his ass hung off the edge and his arms stretched tighter over his head.
Cool lube dribbled down his crease, and the blunt tip of Fiero’s cock pressed against his hole. Echo opened his mouth to protest the invasion without them bothering to stretch him first, but Hex moved beside Fiero and pressed his finger to Echo’s entrance, just beside Fiero’s crown.
Then Fiero pressed in, thrusting in tiny movements until he bottomed out. Echo’s eyes widened, and he looked up at Hex’s smirking face. There was no burn, no pinch—no pain at all. “How?”
Hex just winked at him and stepped away as Fiero began a hard rhythm, driving his huge cock into Echo’s ass. Moaning and squirming on the table, the pleasure hit him so hard Echo thought he’d pass out from it. Then he felt his lower body lifting into the air of its own accord. Snapping his attention to Myst, Echo’s only response was a loud cry when the new position allowed Fiero to nail his prostate.
“You ready?” Eyce asked in a seductive whisper.
Evans, Gabrielle - Reckoning [Fatefully Yours 9] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Page 13
