Free Evans, Gabrielle - The Hunger [Fatefully Yours 7] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) by Gabrielle Evans Page B

did not do this to you, young one.”
    “Syx,” Echo snarled. He should have known. Just wait until he got his hands on the asshole! “You can still send me back. They need my help.”
    “Yes, they do. More than they realize.”
    “You can say that again,” Echo scoffed. “If I ask you some questions, are you going to be all mystical and vague?”
    Athena arched an eyebrow at him and smirked. “It would depend on what questions you ask.”
    Echo shrugged. As long as he had the goddess there, he might as well try and get some answers. “Why did I die?”
    “To fulfill your purpose,” she responded immediately.
    Yep, they were going to play solve-the-puzzle. “And what purpose would that be?”
    “To win the war.”
    Echo growled. Maybe if he changed the wording a bit, he’d get better results. “So, you knew I would die? Why did Ares kill me?”
    “So that you would not fulfill your purpose.”
    Echo had never wanted to throttle anyone more in his life. “Why doesn’t Ares just strike us all down and be done with it?”
    “He cannot.” Athena actually laughed at this. “Father has bound his powers.”
    “So, he’s not a god anymore?”
    “Oh, he is still very much a god and will not be easily defeated. He may materialize wherever he chooses, or switch forms between man and wolf. No more.”
    “That explains why he’s building an army and why he’d need to steal the money to fund it.” Echo tapped his chin as he thought it over. Things were finally starting to come together. He still felt like he was missing something, though. Something dangling just outside of his reach. “Why does he want to go to war in the first place?”
    “To prove himself and regain Father’s favor.”
    “I thought he hated Zeus and vice versa.”
    “You should not put so much faith in human fairytales of the gods.”
    “Fair enough.” Echo paced in the grass. “What part does Hades play in this war? We’ve all agreed that it doesn’t make sense that he would be the one to issue these challenges.”
    Something flashed across Athena’s face too quickly for Echo to identify it. “You will have the answers you seek when the time is right.”
    “What about their eyes? Why are my mates’ eyes changing color?”
    “The eyes are the windows to the soul, and only love will set you free.”
    “Did you really just quote clichés at me?”
    Athena laughed, the same tinkling laugh she’d had when Echo knew her only as the Oracle. “It is time to wake up, my dear Echo. I do enjoy our visits, but your warriors need you. Remember,” she said as she began to fade away, “true evil lurks in the shadows, too afraid to face the light.” Then she was gone, and Echo was slammed back into his body.
    With a quiet snarl, he flipped his eyelids open and bolted upright into a sitting position. Scanning his surroundings, he found Mac passed out on the ground beside him, but no one else in sight. Surely his men hadn’t just left them there, asleep and defenseless.
    “Damn it,” a voice growled to his left, and Echo jerked around just in time to see two huge men step through the trees. He jumped to his feet, positioning himself between Mac and the newcomers, preparing to fight in their defense.
    “I thought Syx said they’d sleep for a few hours?” the other guy asked.
    “He did. This fucking blows.”
    “Who are you?” Echo demanded.
    “Echo, calm down,” the first guy said. “You don’t remember me from your party? I’m Jason.”
    Flipping through his mental Rolodex, Echo tried to drudge up a memory of the man. “This is your mate, Oliver,” he answered slowly. “You’re from the coyote pack, right?”
    Jason smiled and nodded. “We’re supposed to keep an eye on you two until your mates come back.”
    “Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to make your job easy.” Echo tilted his head to the side. “Is the rest of the pack here?”
    “Just the sentinels,” Oliver answered. “We came to recover our