Page 68 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

Elas

I won’t be able to stall much longer. My pen scratches across the transfer order, and I fight the urge to snap it in half and stab it through Gale’s neck. Watching him bleed out would be the most cheerful thing I’ve seen since we arrived in this cursed place, but I restrain myself.

Barely.

I can’t decide if the workers here are heartless, soulless monsters, or if they’ve become numb to the horrors of it.

Screams permeate the lobby on the regular, and no one even bats an eye.

Cleaning crews have passed through at least three times, the unmistakable stink of blood following them like a cloud.

And yet, two medics stand in the corner, talking and laughing as though none of this is happening.

“Well,” Gale says, tapping his fingertips against the desk between us. “Everything is official, Officer Elas. I’m assuming you have no reason to linger?”

Real subtle, asshole .

I gesture at the clock with a bored shrug. “I’d prefer not to make the drive in the dark. Headlights on these empty stretches of roads are only beacons for trouble.”

“Of course,” he says, with a smile that’s more like a threat.

“Plus, I haven’t met with your commander yet. It would be impolite for me to leave without an acknowledgement.”

“Yes, I apologize for that. The commander has been indisposed since you arrived.”

“Well, then. It’s lucky I’ll be hanging around until tomorrow.”

“Lucky, indeed,” he agrees with another of those forced smiles. “August’s room has been prepared. A guard will escort him to his new quarters.” Panic seizes my insides at the words, and I can’t help the momentary snarl that forms on my lips.

“ No .”

“No?” His ridged brow quirks as he leans forward. The monster inside me thrashes, restless after being subdued for so long, when all it wants to do is burn this place to the ground. It rattles and shakes, demanding to be set free.

This mask I wear grows tighter by the minute, and I wonder how much longer I can maintain this act.

My jaw aches with the fury, but I force a casual shrug. “There’s no point in bothering someone else. I can collect his supplies from my room.” I’m careful not to use collective terms. Our things. Our room. “His keycard will provide access?”

“Yes,” Gale says after a moment’ s pause.

“Then don’t waste someone’s time with useless tasks when I have nothing to do. Which building and room will he be in?”

Another long break grows thick between us as he tries to decide whether the fight is worth it. “The medic barracks, room eighteen.” I hold in my sigh, relieved he won’t be with the soldiers.

“He’s done for the day, then?”

“He is,” he agrees, stretching the words out, but I don’t give him time to say anything else as I stand and walk into the lobby.

A scientist in a white coat walks by and buzzes into the set of doors I’ve not been allowed inside.

A giant piece of stainless steel equipment sits through the first window, nearly the size of a car with antenna and switches visible along a complicated control panel.

The door slams shut, and the lock engages with a mechanical slide, so I turn my eyes back towards the exam rooms. Minutes tick by, and when August joins me, he’s even paler than he was yesterday.

“They said…” he starts, then swallows and tries again. “They said I’ll be moved to a different room?” Fuck, I want to sweep him into my arms. My limbs vibrate with the need to comfort him, my fingers clutching at my uniform in agitation as I fight it.

“Yes,” I say, leaving no room for argument in my tone. We can’t have this conversation here. Not with the prying eyes and curious ears that hear far too much. “Your keycard will access it. We need to collect your things from my room.”

“So, it’s… official, th en?”

“Yes.” I force the word through a closed throat and clenched teeth, stuck in a vicious cycle.

Half of me is glad to know this place exists and what they’re doing, but the other half—the louder one—wishes we’d never come.

Wishes we’d never stepped foot outside that small home, where August’s body was one with mine and we could love without fear.

Where he smiled and laughed, and I could stare at it all day and never grow tired of the dimples that pit in his cheeks.

It wasn’t enough time.

It will never be enough time.

“Come,” I say, turning and walking out the door.

My senses are attuned to everything—the hesitant shuffle of his feet and the stuttered way he breathes.

We step outside, and the silence is deafening as my pulse thuds in my ears.

Never in my life have I wanted to hear the song of a bird or the chirp of an insect as much as I do right now.

This place is a plague, and the world around it is dead.

The attention of the guards follows us as we walk. My movements don’t feel like my own, like I’m a puppet being led by my strings as I push into the cool air of the barracks. As soon as the door is locked behind us, he throws himself into my arms.

“Don’t leave me,” he begs in a whisper, pressing his lips to mine with a desperation that wedges splinters all the way into my soul.

“Listen to me, baby,” I murmur, not willing to separate our mouths as he holds on to me. “Listen to me. There isn’t a godsdamned thing on this planet that would make me leave you. Not here, not anywhere. Where you go, I go. Always.”

“I don’t want to be alone.” He trembles in my arms, his lips dragging down my jawline and finding my neck as he whimpers. “I don’t—” A loud banging on the door makes both of us jump, and his hands shake even harder.

“We’ll go tonight,” I murmur in his ear. “Fuck this place. Fuck this entire planet. I’m not letting you stay here any longer.” August swallows hard, but I’m not surprised when he shakes his head.

“Taryn is here.”

“Taryn?” I recognize the name but can’t place it. August nods as the fist bangs against the door again. “Give me a godsdamned minute!” I bellow so loud my throat aches.

“The leader of the camp where I was taken from,” he whispers just as quietly. “She’s here, and she has a mate. I can’t…” He pulls away, determination overruling the fear in his eyes. “I can’t leave her behind, Elas.” A frustrated sigh pushes through my nose at his stubbornness.

“One more day, August. That’s as long as I can hang around before I run out of excuses. The only reason they haven’t kicked me out yet is because their commander hasn’t been available, and I’ve insisted on seeing them before I leave.”

“What can we do in a day?” he asks, shoving his hand through his hair. “That’s not—” The insistent knock means this conversation has to be shelved for now.

“Let’s get you to your room.” I speak loud enough for whoever is outside to hear, and August nods when he understands what I’m doing.

It’s like ripping off one of my limbs as he separates himself from me.

“Collect your things while I answer the door, and if you behave, I’ll come by later with some dinner. ”

“Yeah, okay,” he says, eyes darting around the room at the few items we bothered unpacking. I open the door to find the same Khileon guard from last night standing in the hallway.

“Apologies for the interruption, Officer. I’ve been asked to escort August to his barracks.” It’s the first time he’s spoken, and his voice is softer than I expected. I wonder if he cares what they’re doing here. If he thinks it’s justified, or if he’s become desensitized to the pain.

Was he ever given a choice?

“Like I told Gale, I’ll escort him myself.”

He shifts between his feet, nervously biting at his lip. “I’ve been given orders, sir.”

“And I’m ordering you—”

“It’s alright,” August interrupts with a quick grip on my forearm.

His bag is slung over his shoulder, his previously distraught face poised and calm, if a little pale.

“If I’m going to be staying here, I’ll have to get used to the unfamiliar faces.

” He smiles at the guard, and a ridiculous flare of jealousy burns in my gut.

“What’s your name? It was rude of me not to ask already, but it’s been a stressful few days. I forgot my manners.”

“Oh, uh,” the guard stutters, his gaze flicking to me before returning to August. “Matuk.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Matuk.” August’s eyes move back to mine, and he squeezes my forearm before releasing me. “You’ll bring dinner by in a bit?”

“Yeah, of course,” I manage to say. Matuk offers me another apologetic nod that I return, even though I want to rip his head right off his shoulders. He’s following orders, and logically, I know that.

It doesn’t change the fact that he’s leaving with what belongs to me.

August glances over his shoulder when they get to the exterior door and flashes me a sad smile before they’re gone.

My heart pounds, that string around my center that’s been so quiet with August always by my side comes alive.

It compresses and tugs me forward, begging me to go after him.

For a few minutes, I pace the room like a caged animal before I decide to make the best of my time alone.

Ignoring the curious glances of the others on the base, I examine the watchtowers.

I climb the ladder to one, and the guard inside stares in shock as I push myself into his space.

It’s barely big enough for both of us, but I ignore his pungent body odor as we stand shoulder to shoulder.

Scorching hot winds blow over us as I question him.

It only takes a single glance at my rank to loosen his tongue and he tells me everything I want to hear.

The weak spots in the fence.

What sort of weapons they stock, and where they’re stored.

How many guards are on rotation, and how often they work double shifts to accommodate their small numbers.