Page 17 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

August

“Don’t pass out… don’t pass out… please, for the love of the gods, do not pass out,” I mutter to myself, attempting to steady my breathing as my heart rabbits in my chest. I’m dizzy with the sensation, my vision speckled with multi-colored lights and my ears ringing.

Stress isn’t common for me, since I’m notoriously optimistic—to a fault, some might argue.

But right now?

I’m beginning to think I should panic more, just so my body is prepared for its wrath.

“Morning, Mr. Beckett.”

“Nothing! What?” I say, far too loudly, and Chief Aeliphis’s brows shoot up her forehead as I clear my throat and try to smile. It turns into a grimace, so I just give up. “Uh, what I mean is… um, good morning?”

Why did that come out as a question?

“Are you feeling alright?” Her assessing eyes drift over my face and to my chest, where I realize both my hands are clutching at the spot on my skin. I’m convinced it’s burning bright as a flare.

“Heartburn,” I blurt, and somehow, those brows inch higher. I drop my hands to my sides and hold them rigid, which only makes me look more insane. I lean against the wall and cross my arms, trying to appear casual.

“Are you feverish?” she demands.

“Oh, um, I don’t believe so, no.”

“Alright, so you aren’t sick and are, in fact, just being strange? You aren’t helping your cause by acting like a maniac, and now you’re wasting my time. Did you need something, or are you determined to get on my nerves today?”

“No, ma’am,” I hurry to say as I push off the wall and stand tall. “To, um, both.”

“Then I’d suggest you get to work. I’ve already heard three different complaints about the mess in there this morning.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I nod again before I speedwalk down the hallway and close myself into the privacy of the file room. “Well, that went peachy,” I mutter.

The towers of manila folders seem to have gotten taller over the weekend, and I groan loudly at the toppled stack in the back corner of the room.

Papers scatter the floor, and there are a few haphazard piles carelessly tossed on whatever shelves could be reached.

Only a few working hours have gone by, and they’ve already messed up my system.

My eyes fall on the collection of random flyers, and I glance over my shoulder to make sure the door is closed. In the middle of the pile are a dozen or so of the papers I’m looking for, and I check the room again before I pull one out.

Public Health Crisis

Immediate Action Required

IF YOU DEVELOP A GLOWING RASH, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

Leadership has been informed of a new potential threat that presents as a unique rash.

A golden or white light forms underneath the surface of the skin and may move or shift.

It can be any shape or size and can appear at any location on the body.

At this time, research indicates only a single rash will form.

We are unclear if the disease is viral or parasitic in nature, only that it is passed through physical contact. The sooner treatment is sought, the more optimistic your outcome will be.

If you or someone you know is affected, DO NOT cause a public scene, as it may lead to unnecessary panic. Do not discuss your symptoms with anyone. Report immediately to the Atlanta Military Medical Center (AMMC) Urgent Care Clinic and ask to be seen by the Guiding Light division.

Thank you for your attention and discretion in this matter. Your diligence may save lives .

Most of the stack is from Atlanta, but others are randomly mixed in. Baltimore and Montgomery and Columbia, all with instructions to report to their local military medical centers.

All with their dire warnings.

My hand lands over my heart again and rubs, and the mark on my skin comes alive as it responds to the touch. Despite what the paper says, it doesn’t feel ominous. It feels… light.

Like it’s a ball of sunshine under my skin, just for me.

Elas didn’t let me out of his sight as we got ready, even insisting on keeping the bathroom door cracked as I showered and dressed.

Once I had my scrubs on—two shirts and all—he came over and placed his hand over my chest, stroking with what felt like reverence.

The urge to lift onto my toes and press my lips to his was unbearable.

It confused me… almost as much as the insanity of waking up to find my skin lit up from the inside.

Touching and contact has never been a need for me. Intimacy comes in many forms, and I’ve always been content to spend time together without the desire to take things further. Talking and laughing can be just as intimate as sex, and it lasts long after the physical effects have faded.

Release is enjoyable, of course. I’m no saint, and I get urges, but I’ve never considered it important in my life.

It’s never been something I’m desperate to have, but as Elas’s giant hand rested on my pec, I had to fight myself not to kiss him.

Had to force myself not to press my body against his and pull his mouth to mine .

Which is ridiculous , for a multitude of reasons. Not only do we barely know each other, but I’m a human and he’s… well. The word monster never sat right with me, especially for Elas. He’s kind and funny, and going out of his way to help me.

But we’re different.

Very, very different.

Those differences are obvious by appearance alone, but Elas is a rugged sort of handsome that has drawn my eye since the day we met.

Those soulful onyx eyes and square-cut jawline, and the long, dark braids that hang past his shoulders.

His lips are full, prominent where the small tusks jut from his lower jaw, and his cheek pits into what’s almost a dimple when he smirks.

I’ve never been struck breathless like I was when I turned and saw him last night, naked and defeated in the middle of that bed. An impossibly powerful warrior in a moment of devastating raw vulnerability. The sight was more beautifully heartbreaking than anything I’ve ever seen.

And then there was this morning, when we were both half asleep and logic hadn’t taken the wheel quite yet.

His hands were on my hips and his cock was against my ass in a touch that was pure electricity.

A need unlike anything I’d ever known stole every bit of my inhibitions, and with it, my common sense.

It coiled down my spine and into my core, winding me into knots.

He apologized like he’d been the one responsible, but I’d rocked back into him just as eagerly as he had pushed forward. I’d wanted to feel him between my cheeks, probing at my hole, and was desperate for more of those fluttering kisses along my neck.

I had wanted him to push my pants down and slip inside me.

Hell, I’d wanted him to fuck me.

I’ve had plenty of sex in my life. Logistically, there isn’t much I haven’t done, and I’ve enjoyed most of it. But that’s the issue—it’s always been logistic. Mechanical.

A series of checkboxes that need to be met in order to please my partner, while having the benefit of release myself. The one thing I’ve ever found myself fantasizing about is the one thing my partners never freely gave. And ultimately, I was always okay giving them what they preferred.

I have never needed it. Not like I had this morning.

A low, instinctual grunt forms in my throat as I realize I’m hard, and it leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination in these thin scrubs. “Fuck,” I groan, glancing guiltily over my shoulder for the third time to ensure I’m still alone.

My eyes dart around the room and land on the flyer again, and the reminder of my situation is enough to pull me out of my head. I sigh, taking in the mess. As desperate as I am to have answers, my freedom relies on my ability to make myself useful.

Elas promised me we’d figure this out. I just have to trust him.

The day crawls by, but I get lost in the monotony of my work and slip into a mindless rhythm. A third of the files have found their new, organized home on the shelves when the knob twists behind me, and Xeni peeks his head through the door.

“Hey, uh… is it okay if I come in?”

I frown and wave him inside as I place the paperwork I’m holding in its correct spot. “Of course. You don’t have to ask.”

When I glance over my shoulder, he’s scouting the room as he walks in, carrying a plate of finger foods. “I didn’t see you come out for lunch and thought I’d deliver.”

“Thanks, Xeni. That was really thoughtful.” He returns my smile as I accept the plate from him. A rickety chair had been buried in here, serving as a makeshift shelf, and it creaks as I sit to eat.

“Can’t have our only human dying of starvation, now can we?”

I snort a laugh as I chew on an apple slice. “It’s not like there are any humanitarian groups to protest my mistreatment.”

He relaxes at my joking, and the tension in his shoulders eases. “How’s it going in here?”

“Great, if I could get certain people to stop coming in and dropping their files in the most inconvenient places.” He grins as I shoot him a pointed glare.

“Two minutes, Xeni. I leave for two minutes to use the restroom, and I come back to papers hidden all over the room. I swear, you all have to be doing it on purpose just to mess with me. There’s no other explanation. ”

“Don’t have the slightest idea what you mean,” he says, still grinning, and I roll my eyes.

“How’s it going out there?” I nod towards the hallway as I tear apart a muffin, but wrinkle my nose as I bite down. Raisins. Never one to waste food, I power through, even if I stop to pick out a few larger pieces.

Xeni is chuckling to himself when I glance away from dissecting my lunch. “Things are quiet right now. News of you working here is spreading around base.”

“Oh?”

“We’ve had a few patients specifically request the human. Pretty sure they’re viewing it like a petting zoo, though, just wanting to see the wild animal up close.”

I scowl. “I’m not positive that’s better than them refusing to let me treat them.”