Evans, Gabrielle - Upon Crimson Waters [Fatefully Yours 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) by Gabrielle Evans Page B

stranger? Besides protecting their mate from the threat that the lab posed, they had no business here. “We should be home, taking care of Echo and helping Eyce. This isn’t our fight.”
    “Agreed.” Myst splashed water over his face once more and stood with a groan. “I’m sorry that the guy might lose his mates. That sucks.” Myst shook his head. “If they’re packing up and moving out, I say good riddance. We deal with this Collector asshole, and then we’re in the clear.”
    “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.” Fiero pictured Echo’s pale face, his trembling lips. His mate had looked scared out of his mind. “So, what do we do? We’ve come this far.”
    “Yeah, and getting shot at was the easy part. Do you think they’re just going to let us waltz in that place?” Myst snorted in derision. “This is bullshit.”
    “Then why do I feel like I need to rescue these guys?” Onyx asked.
    Yeah, Fiero felt it, too. As much as he’d love to say fuck the whole thing and bail, he couldn’t. He felt the draw, the pull, the call toward the mountains. Something waited for them there. He just didn’t know what it was.
    “Gage is important, huh?” Myst said grudgingly. “And whoever his little mates are, they’re going to be important as well. Fuck! We don’t have time to be scrambling around picking up strays.”
    “Strays,” Fiero said slowly. But that wasn’t what they were doing. They were recruiting. It suddenly seemed so clear, he didn’t know why he hadn’t realized it before. How many more would find them before the war landed on their doorstep?
    “I don’t like that look.” Onyx cocked his head to the side and smirked. “What are you thinking, Fiero?”
    “We’re not picking up strays.”
    “Well, what the hell would you call it?” Myst demanded.
    “We’re building an army.”

Chapter Nine

    “I don’t think we should leave.” Echo paced the living room while his lovers raced around, packing supplies and preparing for their journey over the Canadian border. “I don’t even have a damn passport. Hell, I didn’t even have a goddamn name until a few weeks ago.”
    “There are ways around it,” Syx said distractedly as he rushed by with two suitcases in his hands. “We’ll handle it.”
    “But what about the lake? We can’t just leave that.”
    “We’ll take care of it,” Vapre said offhandedly as he jogged into the room with another suitcase.
    “What about the others? We’re just going to leave them? What if there’s trouble?”
    “We’ll figure it out.” Eyce threw a jacket at Echo. “Put that on.”
    “You all just told me the same thing in varying ways. This is crap!” Echo stamped his foot like a child and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know they’re just going to follow us, right? Do you really want to face The Collector on foreign ground?” Uncrossing his arms he walked over to Eyce and placed a hand on his elbow. “You can protect me better if we stay. Home field advantage, big guy.”
    This finally gave them all pause. Eyce, Syx, and Vapre stopped what they were doing and looked at each other before their eyes fell on Echo in surprise. “Your shock is unflattering,” he grumbled. “It just makes sense.”
    “It does.” Vapre sounded so dumbfounded, Echo wanted to smack him.
    “Look, I don’t know why you’re so amazed. I may not know battle tactics or whatever, but it just seems like common sense that you’d want to face your enemy on your own turf. I guess neutral ground would be the second best option, but just barely.” The answer seemed so obvious, Echo had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.
    Eyce nodded once, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. “Okay. We’ll stay, but we do things my way. From now on, consider yourself under house arrest.”
    Echo did roll his eyes then. “Like I ever go anywhere,” he mumbled.
    “I mean it, Echo. You’re not to leave the house for any reason without one of us with you. I