Page 56 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

Elas

Two days of travelling in my thick, restrictive armor means I’m in desperate need of a shower. Cameron immediately tells me I’m welcome to use theirs, though Ronan insists I go bathe in the stream like an animal.

Honestly, the stream would’ve been fine, but I decide to use their bathroom just to piss Ronan off.

What makes it better is he knows that’s why I picked it, which makes the clean, chilly water even more satisfying.

Freshly cleaned and wearing new clothes, I feel infinitely more relaxed as I step out.

August ducks into the bathroom to bathe once I’m done, though Reyes was content to take a dive in the stream and has already returned.

Outside, a pot of rice boils next to a large slab of red meat speared on a metal rod.

Fat drips as it cooks, sizzling into the fire beneath and filling the air with its heavenly scent.

Ronan explains it’s venison from a recent hunt as he turns it .

It could be absolutely anything and I’d eat it. The smell is incredible, and my stomach growls as I sit beside him.

If I close my eyes, I could pretend we’re back in the old days of being sent out for scouting missions. Cooking over a fire and shooting the shit under the open sky, without the noise and constant crowds on base.

Only now, our allegiances have shifted.

Conversation drifts from inside, and I smile to myself as Cameron and Reyes joke and laugh, and soon, August’s voice joins them. I glance back to find Ronan observing me, and he nods towards my hand as he checks the rice. “Your mark has changed as well.”

“It has,” I agree, flexing my fingers and enjoying the breeze on my skin after wearing my armor for so long. “It’s pretty recent.” Ronan nods, clenching his own marked hand. “Who’s the Drüinae?”

The tiny figure disappeared like a ghost, melting into the forest. He was like an apparition, some wild nature spirit that came to visit, only to vanish when he saw visitors. Ronan’s lips pull into a tight grimace, and he glances over his shoulder towards the vine-covered cottage.

“That’s Nyx,” he finally says, and an intense sadness fills his eyes as he turns to look at me again.

“We haven’t gotten his story yet, but he barely knows any English.

” My eyebrows shoot up as Ronan nods. “He was being held captive by the military… only understood me when I spoke to him in the common language.”

“Gods,” I mutter, as the impact of that statement hits me. “How long were they holding him?”

“We don’t know.”

“Fuck,” I grunt.

“Fuck, indeed.”

Another round of laughter comes from inside the house, and a reluctant smile finds my face.

“It will be good for them to have each other,” I say, and Ronan grunts but refuses to voice his agreement.

“Oh, come on.” I punch his arm as he bares his teeth at me and punches me back, and I grin as I rub my stinging muscle.

“As much as we don’t want to share our mates, they need friends.

It’s important to have others who know what they’re going through. ”

“Cameron has me,” Ronan argues. “He doesn’t need anyone else.”

I sigh and shake my head as he stirs the rice far more aggressively than what’s necessary.

“You aren’t human, Ronan. There will be times you can’t understand what he’s experiencing because your mind doesn’t work the same way.

” He furrows his brows, and I can tell he wants to argue, but as more laughter leaves the house, reluctant acceptance crosses his expression.

“Food’s ready,” he finally says, and decades of friendship tell me not to push the matter.

“Alright.” I grab the pot of rice while Ronan transfers the meat from its spit to a large plate. August, Cameron, and Reyes all perk up when we walk inside with the meal, heads popping up like groundhogs. “What are you three laughing at in here?” I ask.

August chuckles as he jumps up to help. “Reyes was telling Cameron how you threw him down when he came charging up the stairwell.”

Reyes shoots me a sheepish grin as I say, “Well, to be fair, he had a knife. ”

Silverware clatters loudly to the counter as Ronan drops his serving utensils and whirls to face us. “You did try to stab him then! I fucking knew it!”

“They were coming down into my lair!” Reyes cries, returning Ronan’s glare and crossing his arms in defiance. “What did you want me to do? Just say, ‘Oh, hey, giant, musclebound monster. Would you like to come down for a cup of tea?’”

Ronan snorts and turns around to dish the food. “Knowing Elas, he would’ve responded positively to that.”

“I would’ve liked some tea,” I admit, and everyone laughs. Even Ronan chuckles a little from behind me.

“What can I do to help?” August asks. Ronan stares at him for a moment, sizing him up with that unnerving silent judgment he projects so effectively. I tense as I prepare to defend August from his verdict, but Ronan eventually nods and gestures towards a cabinet.

“Glasses are in there,” he says. “The well water from the tap is safe.” August beams his giant, genuine smile, leaving Ronan baffled as August happily pours drinks for everyone.

“What’s wrong with his face?” Ronan asks me, and August glances back with a raised brow.

“Nothing’s wrong with his face,” I sneer, but Ronan shakes his head like he doesn’t believe me.

“Yeah, there is. He’s doing that weird thing with his mouth, just like you.”

I bark a loud laugh and shove Ronan, making him grab the counter to keep from toppling over as a rare, giant smile spreads over his face. “Fuck you,” I say with a chuckle. “Just because you’re used to Grumpy McSnark over there—”

“Hey!” Cameron shouts indignantly, and August and Reyes’s laughter joins in the chaos.

“—doesn’t mean that we’re weird for smiling.

” August yelps as I snag him around the waist, the cup in his hand thunking onto the table as I spin him and yank him against me.

“I happen to love his mouth.” I pull him into a kiss, and he grins against my lips, throwing his arms around my neck and kissing me back.

Cameron wolf whistles while Ronan scoffs and throws a towel at us.

“Love you,” August whispers as he pulls away, and I kiss him again before hugging him against me. My eyes close and I bury my nose in his hair, breathing in his scent.

“Yeah, I love you, too, doc,” I murmur.

“While this is sickeningly sweet, I’m starving and you’re in the middle of the fucking kitchen,” Cameron says dryly from the table. I shoot him a glare as August separates himself from me with a laugh. There are only four chairs in the kitchen, so Reyes settles into an armchair across the room.

“Nyx isn’t eating tonight?” Cameron asks Ronan, who shakes his head.

“I doubt he’ll come out of the woods for a few days.”

“Boomerang is with him, so at least he isn’t alone.” Cameron chews on his lip, staring out the window. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll go looking for him and see if I can explain that these are friends.”

“Frands?” Ronan asks with a smile—a soft one I’ve rarely seen from him in this long life we’ve shared .

“Yeah, frands,” Cameron agrees with that same softness about him.

Occasional short snippets of conversation interrupt the scrape of forks and knives over ceramic plates, but everyone is concentrating on their meal.

August lets out a positively sinful moan when he bites into his first piece of meat, and it’s so obscene that I almost drop my fork.

He’s oblivious, chewing his food with his eyes closed, and Cameron smirks beside him while he stifles a laugh.

Gods, he’s so fucking sweet, smiling to himself as he sips his water and scoops up a forkful of rice. His contentment causes a physical ache in my chest.

He takes another bite of meat with that same lewd moan. This time, I can’t help it as I snicker. “Hey, baby,” I murmur, and he glances at me in question as he finishes chewing and swallows. “You keep making those noises and we’re going to have to excuse ourselves from the table, yeah?”

“Noises?” he asks, and Cameron imitates him in a loud, drawn-out moan. August’s face flushes pink and he gasps. “Was I?” he asks in horror as we all laugh, and I throw my arm around him as he laughs with us.

A lightness I haven’t felt in decades settles over me as I bask in the cheerful sounds that fill the room. Glasses clinking and laughter and stories being shared. I kiss the top of August’s head before releasing him to finish his dinner.

Sans the moans.

Tension creeps back in once the food is gone and the cleanup starts.

Ronan scrubs plates in the sink as Cameron reclines and pats his stomach.

I chuckle as I bring the last of the dishes over and place them on the counter.

“Someone’s whipped,” I tease in a mutter, and Ronan shoots me a fanged snarl.

It’s really hard to take him seriously when he’s wielding a sponge with soap on his chin, though.

We settle into the living room, and I'm thankful to be out of my armor with my deliciously full belly. August settles beside me, resting his cheek on my chest as I drape my arm around his shoulders. His hand covers mine, and the slow, deliberate trace of his fingers brings me a deep sense of calm.

Reyes reclaims the chair he used for dinner, pulling his feet up underneath him.

Ronan drops into the other armchair and leans back as Cameron climbs into his lap.

Tranquility settles upon Ronan’s features before he notices anyone is watching.

It’s a peace I’ve never seen in him, and my heart squeezes for my friend.

My eyes dart away before he catches me staring. He would only turn growly again, and I don’t want to steal these serene moments he’s found.

After everyone is comfortable, the room grows expectantly quiet. I sigh, meeting Ronan’s eyes as I ask, “Do you guys want to go first, or should we?” Ronan’s face settles back into those anxious, hard lines, but he nods and begins to speak.