Page 2 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

Elas

Present Time

Confusion clouds my mind as I’m startled from a deep sleep, blinking at the pitch-black wall as the thumping resumes. “Fuck,” I groan as I sit up, glancing at my clock. Who in the hell is banging on my door at four thirty in the morning?

My feet are like lead as I shuffle towards the persistent noise, muttering obscenities under my breath as I peer through the peephole. Blinking against the dim, yellowish glow of the hallway lights, I swing the door open.

“You couldn’t have gotten dressed before answering?” Ronan scoffs, and my eyes widen indignantly as he shoves past me.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Sleep still clings to me, and my voice comes out raspy .

“Yes, I know what time it is, and—good gods, go find some fucking pants.” He drops into one of my chairs with a scowl, then shrieks when I plop onto his lap.

“You… are… fucking… naked!” He smacks my shoulders with every word as I throw my head back and laugh.

“Your bare ass is on my leg!” He shoves me hard enough that I slip off his lap.

Chuckling, I walk into my bedroom and begrudgingly pull on a pair of sweatpants, then head into the kitchen to grab a water bottle.

Ronan’s scowl hasn’t lessened when I return and sit in the chair across from him.

“Listen, you’re aware of my sleeping habits, and you’re the one that showed up in the middle of the night. If you wanted to peep the goods—“

“Can you be serious for two fucking seconds?” he snaps, then squints at me. A sigh pushes from his nose as he deflates. “Did you have another nightmare?”

“It’s nothing,” I say, too quickly to be convincing, and he pulls his lips into a grimace. “Just a dream.”

Ronan nods towards my forearm, and the fresh red gouges that mar my skin. Clawing for freedom, even in my sleep. “Those scratches on your arm beg to differ. What was it about this time?”

“The day we met,” I admit in a mutter, and he leans forward, scrubbing his hands over his face.

“I’ve told you this a million times, but you should’ve just done as he asked.”

“You were a kid, Ronan. I wasn’t going to beat the snot out of a kid, even if you were a punk-ass little shit.

” That pulls a grin out of him as he shakes his head.

“Don’t deny it. Seventeen years old, and you could make a grown Nu’vak feel like he was scum on the bottom of your boot.

All you had to do was stare down your nose. ”

“Did me a lot of favors, didn’t it? Half the people we trained with still refuse to speak to me.”

“All this time, and I never realized ignoring you was an option.” A surprised laugh bursts out of him and he tosses a throw pillow at me. His budding smile fades, though, as he stares at me with that quiet contemplation.

“Fuck, okay,” I mutter. Ronan is the only person in the world that can argue with me while never saying a word. “Yes, I had a nightmare, okay? It’s fine.”

“It isn’t fine.” He sits back and crosses his arms while his feet kick in agitation. “How long was it that time, huh? How many days were you locked in that isolation chamber for refusing to hurt me?”

Bravis knew exactly what cut me deepest. It was a punishment I was no stranger to—one that never got easier. No matter how often I was forced inside that claustrophobic cage, my reaction was always the same.

Violent terror.

Desperate pleading .

It wasn’t even a room, just a box without enough space to lie down… barely enough to sit comfortably. The only means of relieving yourself was a filthy pipe in the wall, and meals were usually forgotten.

But it was the darkness that hated me most of all.

It surrounded me, taunting and invading my body as it slowly stole the breath from my lungs.

Wisping over me like a fog that branded me with its caustic tendrils.

Over and over, I reached to find some invisible saviour, but no one ever came.

My only companions in that endless darkness were the walls that inched closer by the minute.

Most soldiers were screaming to be released after three hours.

I was left to rot for three days.

That time, a little voice in my head argues. What about the times before?

“You know how long he left me there,” I say quietly, and any remaining joviality is sucked out of the room with my words.

“You should’ve taken the opportunity to kick my ass while you still could.” Thankful for the cut in the tension, I offer Ronan a small smile.

“Don’t posture. I can take you out with one hand behind my back.”

“What’s the score?” he asks, and despite the night’s stress, a grin digs into my cheeks.

“Last I checked, I’m ahead by two.” Ever since we were young, there’s been an ongoing competition between us. We’ll tussle, rules forgotten as we use any means necessary to make the other tap. Over the years, we lost count of how many times we’ve brawled. We only know who’s winning.

And right now, it’s me.

“Alright, as much as I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane, you knocked on my door at this ungodly hour for a reason. What’s going on?”

Ronan hesitates, glancing around the room like he’s expecting someone to be waiting in the shadows. Once his paranoia is satisfied, he leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. “I have patrol today. ”

I nod, understanding what he isn’t saying out loud. “Do you have everything you need?”

“I think so… I’ve got clothes, plenty of shelf-stable food, a few knives, and some hygiene necessities… even food for his dog.” Affection softens his expression even as he rolls his eyes, trying to hide it.

“Shit’s potent, huh?” I nod towards his gloved hand. Ever since the mark came up, he’s been extra careful to keep it covered. This is uncharted territory, and we aren’t sure how command would react. Neither of us trust them enough to risk Ronan or his mate.

He nods, staring at his hands as he absentmindedly rubs his palm. “You probably think I’m an idiot for doing this.”

“I always think you’re an idiot.” He lifts his head, eyes narrowed as I grin. “Not about this, though. What does it feel like?”

Ronan has never been one to speak without putting intention behind his words, and he pauses as he considers the question.

“Mostly, it wants to be near him. It makes me restless, knowing he’s so far away right now, like it’s urging me to find him.

Then, when we’re together, the patience that I’ve been missing my entire life is suddenly there in droves.

It doesn’t matter what he does, or how much he pisses me off with that smart ass mouth.

He could be on the floor throwing a tantrum, and this fucking mark on my hand would think it was cute .

“ His lip curls in disgust as I chuckle, and he relents and lets a smile slip, too.

“Mostly, though, it wants me to protect him. That’s why my monster is so anxious. He might not even be there when I arrive… what then? ”

“If your mark makes you that restless, I imagine his is doing the same.”

“Don’t throw logic into this conversation, Elas. Cameron defies it all.”

I chuckle again, thinking of the razor tongued human. The few times we were in the same room, I found myself envious of his reckless attitude. It didn’t matter that he faced two monsters who could easily overpower him. He spoke his mind, and he spoke it loudly.

“I’ll give you that much. He’s still there, though, Ronan.” I hold my hand over my heart, patting my palm against my chest. “You’d know it if he wasn’t.”

“Look at you, being the romantic,” he mutters, and I grin wider.

“You should take notes. You’re going to need them.”

“Have you had any luck tracking down August?” Ronan crosses his arms, shaking his head and muttering to himself before I can respond. “I cannot believe I am helping my mate find another man. Gods give me strength.”

“I’ve interviewed a few prisoners and identified which cell he’s in. I’m lying low for a few days so I don’t raise any suspicion, but everyone I’ve spoken to agrees with Cameron. He’s a good medic and a nice guy.”

“Nice guy,” Ronan snarls, and I fight my grin at the jealousy in his tone. His eyes snap up to mine. “And why, pray tell, are you making that stupid face?”

“It’s cute that you care. You, the guy who’s been allergic to commitment his entire life.”

“I’m not allergic to anything… it’s just that most people are idiots. ”

“Here, here,” I mutter, tipping my bottle into a sarcastic toast.

“And besides, I’m not committing, I’m… testing the waters.”

“By performing high treason? That’s a reasonable first step in a relationship. Really frames the romance in a nice light, you know?”

“Gods, your head really is full of nonsense,” he mutters. “Why did I even come here?”

“Alright, I’m choosing to ignore the insult, but that’s a valid question. Why did you come here?”

He shrugs, but his fingers tap along his knee like they do when he’s uncomfortable. “I wanted to talk to you before I left. This weird feeling in my gut is telling me something is going to happen today, and I want to make sure I’m prepared.”

I sit up straighter, eying him warily. “Don’t ignore your instincts, Ronan. If it feels like something is wrong, wait until your next rotation.”

“And give him another three days to decide he’s better off without me? You didn’t see the way he looked at me when I left him, Elas. He was ready to run the moment I told him I couldn’t stay.”

“He should be more grateful,” I say, and Ronan’s brows snap together as I scoff. “Oh, don’t give me that look. He should . You risked everything to get him out of that prison. The least he could do is not be a brat about it.”

Ronan jumps from his chair and swats the water bottle from my hands. “Watch how you speak about him. ”

My smile stretches at his outburst. “Not committed, huh? Relax, I’m not insulting Cameron—“

“Aren’t you?” he demands, leaning closer and flashing his fangs.

“For fuck’s sake, Ronan, stop with the melodramatics and sit down.” He snarls at me for another few seconds before he storms over and drops back into his chair, arms crossed. “Sometimes when I look at you, I still see that scrawny ass teenager… especially when you’re throwing a fit like this.”

He lifts his middle finger, and I bark out a laugh.

His lips twitch, fighting his grin, as he relaxes again.

“A gut feeling isn’t a valid reason to abandon him at that house, Elas.

Not as far as he’s concerned. There are deep-rooted trust issues I can’t even begin to understand yet. If I wait any longer, he’ll be gone.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Shortly after lunch.”

“Do you need any help?”

He shakes his head before I’m finished speaking. “No. I don’t want you involved any more than you already are. Plausible deniability, and all that.”

Throughout our long lives, there has been very little we haven’t tackled as a team. “I don’t like you doing this alone.”

His smile turns into a soft one he doesn’t allow many people to see. “You’re going to have to let me go, Elas.”

It hits me in that moment—reality crashing into me with the force of a tidal wave .

If everything works out with Cameron, my dearest, oldest friend will leave. He’ll have the love he’s always deserved, and I’ll be here.

Alone.

For the first time, his road will lead somewhere I cannot follow.

Thick emotion builds in my throat as I force a swallow, and we stand at the same time. He pulls me into a tight hug, thumping his hand on my back. “Promise me you’ll be careful, brother,” I murmur, and he nods, squeezing me once more before releasing me.

“I’ve always been the careful one,” he says with a soft laugh. “And if I’m not here, you’ll have to find someone to keep you in line.”

A forced smile tugs on my face as I follow him to the door. “Yeah, good luck with that.” He flashes me one last grin before walking away, and I close my door with a heavy heart.

It feels too much like goodbye.