Evans, Gabrielle - Shades of Black [Fatefully Yours 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Read Online Free Page A

Echo chose that moment to come waltzing into the kitchen, his long hair still damp from the shower and clinging to his bare shoulders. Without a word, he marched straight over to Hex, took his wrist, and steered him toward one of the kitchen chairs.
    “Up,” he demanded of Jet, and the little shifter popped up immediately and hurried around the table. “Sit.” Echo pointed toward the chair and pushed at Hex’s chest.
    With his head spinning and his equilibrium off, Hex had no choice but to obey the command. Dropping heavily into the seat, he closed his eyes and tried to breathe through the blinding pain. It kind of amused him that though unaffected by sickness and diseases, he and the other demons were prone to headaches. It seemed like such a weak human frailty it almost made him laugh…almost.
    Echo crawled up in his lap and straddled his thighs. His slim fingers pressed against Hex’s temples, drawing small, precise circles. “You know better than to let it get this bad,” he scolded lightly. “You need to go lie down. The meeting can wait. Did you take any aspirin?”
    Hex shook his head, though he wasn’t sure which part he was saying no to—maybe all of it. “We need to figure this out,” he said finally. “I want to leave either tonight or first thing in the morning.”
    Echo sighed. “I didn’t want to have to do this.”
    That got Hex’s attention. His eyes snapped open, and he regarded his mate warily. “Do what exactly?”
    Instead of answering, Echo closed his own eyes, pressed his palms flat against the side of Hex’s face, and breathed deeply. Several seconds passed where no one said a word or moved a muscle. Then Echo opened his eyes and frowned. “I hope this doesn’t hurt.”
    Before Hex could become worried, Echo’s eyelids drifted closed once more, and his hands pressed more insistently against Hex’s temples. An uncomfortable tingle worked its way across his skin, not painful, but definitely not enjoyable. His heart beat a little faster, his stomach knotted, and bile rose up in his throat.
    Very slowly, the unwelcomed sensations began to dissipate, taking with them the tension in his neck and shoulders. With every inhale, the pain inside his head lessened until it faded away completely.
    Echo’s hand slid down to cup his cheeks, and he smiled beautifully. “Better?”
    “Much.” Hex sighed and bent forward to brush his lips over his mate’s. “Thank you, baby. How did you do that?”
    “Just took a little of you, mixed it with a little of me, and gave it back.” He leaned closer so that his soft lips swept over Hex’s ear. “Tell me next time. Please? I don’t like to see you hurting.”
    Hex pulled Echo to his chest and hugged him tightly. He’d never done anything in his life to deserve someone like this man. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t fight fang and claw to hang on to him, though. “I’ll tell you,” he promised. Echo sat up straight again, and the smile he gave him was worth any sliver of weakness he felt for accepting his lover’s help.
    Patting Echo’s hip, he eased the man off his lap and stood to address the room. “Okay, first we need to decide who’s going, and who’s staying here with Syn and Jinx. They’re scrappy little guys, but also completely defenseless during the day.”
    “I’ll stay,” Gage answered immediately. “Me, Sony, and Mac, we’ll stay and take care of them.”
    Mac snorted and rolled his eyes as he patted Gage’s thigh. “Nice try, big guy, but I think I need to go. You can stay and protect the vamps. Sony can come and look out for me if that will make you feel better.”
    “Why in the fuck would that make me feel better?” Gage growled, the sound deep and rumbling in his chest. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”
    “Well, we have to go as well,” Pax added, jerking a thumb between himself and Jet. “We may not be much help in actually finding the cave, but I think we’ll be useful once