Page 75 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

“Bigger things? Bigger than being shoved in a cage? Bigger than my fucking mate being taken from me? What could possibly be…” My words come to an abrupt halt as my lip rips up in a snarl, and I ignore the surge of pain from my dry, split skin.

“Do you know what they’re doing here?” I demand, but he purses his lips, then glances at the clock on the wall.

“We have seven minutes until the guard rotation changes. It’s the only chance we’ll have to sneak through the lobby without someone sounding the alarm. ”

“You’re just going to ignore me, then?”

“Yes,” he snaps. “We are on a fucking schedule, Elas. Your nosey ass questions can wait.”

I nod, grudgingly conceding he’s right. “How do we get August out of his cell?” I ask as he busies himself with reattaching the cover over my cage, and I shudder even though I’m on the outside.

“My keycard works on everything around here.”

“That will tie them to you.”

He nods, his back facing me. “Yeah, I’m aware.”

“I didn’t think you were the self-sacrificing type.”

“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t be the first to think that,” he snaps, but there’s a touch of sadness in his tone. “And you wouldn’t be the first one to be wrong. Get off your high horse, Elas, and stop judging everyone else.”

“I’m not fucking judging— ” I start, but he snorts a harsh laugh.

“We do what we have to do to survive. Not all of us are handed whatever we want on a silver platter.”

“A silver…” I stutter, choking on the words as I storm over and grip his arm, whirling him to face me. “You have no idea what I went through. No idea what I sacrificed. You think I wanted this life? That I chose it?” His single eye darts between mine. “You know nothing about me.”

“Likewise,” he hisses back, jerking his arm away. “So get over yourself unless you want to be shoved in that box for a few decades. If we’re caught, they’ll cram you back in there and slowly starve you over the next hundred years, but me? They’ll shoot me in the head and be done with it. ”

“You say it like it’s worse,” I growl, and as I take a few steps, I realize my mobility is returning, along with some of my strength. “At least yours would be fast.”

“Yeah, maybe, but when will you have another prince charming coming to your rescue?” he taunts with a cocky wink. “Now come on, we have to time this right. How are your legs?”

“I’ll manage.” He nods, holding a finger up to his lips as we tiptoe into the hallway.

It’s jarring, moving around after so long in that cramped space, and my mind struggles to comprehend that this is real.

That it’s not all just some fucked up nightmare, and I’ll wake up trapped back inside that prison.

We step on featherlight feet to the end of the hall, and Xeni holds up a hand for me to wait. Seconds tick by and turn into minutes, and my nerves cause me to glance around anxiously. What if this is some sort of sick joke, and they’re giving me a taste of hope before ripping it away again?

After what feels like forever, the front doors open, and Xeni frantically waves his hand as we sprint across the lobby.

The beep of his keycard and the click of the locks opening makes me cringe, but we push through and yank the door shut behind us.

We pause on the other side, not even daring to breathe.

When it’s quiet outside, I turn as the rope around my middle tugs insistently. Instinct leads my feet as my walk turns into a jog, and in the very last room, I catch a gleam of golden hair. Xeni catches up to me and buzzes the door open, and a few heads whip up to glance at us as we step inside.

August’s eyes are dull as his head lulls over to glance at the doorway, and he blinks at me a few times like he doesn’t understand what he’s seeing. “August,” I whine, rushing to his cell and crashing to my knees, gripping the bars of his door like I could rip them apart to get to him.

“El? Oh my gods… Elas!” He scrambles from his bed and falls to the ground in front of me, reaching through the bars to touch my face. “Elas, baby… oh, gods, El. How are you here? Is this a dream?”

“No,” I choke out, nuzzling into his palm. “No, I’m here. I’m right here.”

“Gods, what did they do to you?” he asks on a shaky breath, swiping his thumb over my torn lip as his eyes dart around my filthy face. “How are you—”

“While this is all very touching, the clock’s fucking ticking,” Xeni drawls from behind me, and August’s face holds more contempt than I’ve ever seen as his attention locks on him. “If you want the door open, you’ll both need to move out of the way.”

Endless doubt and a hundred questions fill August’s eyes as they shift to me. “Why is he here, Elas? Why is he helping? Especially after you…” He gestures absently towards Xeni’s eyepatch, and the Cavese scoffs in annoyance.

“We don’t have time to get into it, baby. You trust me, don’t you?” I ask, pressing my forehead against the bars. He mirrors my movement, his eyes damp as he nods. “Good. I’ll explain everything later, but right now we have to hurry, okay?”

“Okay,” he reluctantly agrees.

I press a kiss on August’s palm before forcing myself to pull away, and we both stand. Xeni swipes the door open, and August crashes into my arms. The crushing weight on my soul lifts as I squeeze him tighter, tears burning in my eyes as he presses his face into my neck.

“We don’t have time for this,” Xeni hisses, and I reluctantly release August as Xeni turns towards the exit and waves for us to follow.

“Where are you going?” August demands, and Xeni turns around and arches a brow at him. “What about the rest of them?”

Xeni’s eyes flare in astonished irritation, but I only chuff a laugh. Not even a prison break can deter August from being selfless. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Xeni hisses. “We do not have time for this!”

“Is there a control?” I ask. “Something that opens all the doors?”

“ Fuck me, “ Xeni groans, scrubbing his hand over his mouth. “ Yes , there is, but they’re all going to make fucking noise and the guards will hear us. There’s no way this many people can stay quiet—not after they’ve been locked up for so long.”

“I can help with that,” a voice says. A woman with umber skin and sharp green eyes stands in the cell beside August’s, leaning against the barred door, and I instinctually recognize her as Taryn.

“My mate, Lillith… she’s… well, she’s pretty fucking big.

She’s a Bhotan and would jump at the opportunity to take out the guards. How many are out there?”

Xeni is furious, his cheeks and neck flushing red. For a long moment, I think he’s going to refuse, but after an exasperated growl, he throws his hands into the air. “Two. One in the lobby, one outside the doors. ”

“Let Taryn out,” August instructs, and Xeni purses his lips again, but doesn’t argue as he scans his card over the lock. She steps out, wrapping August in a hug, and it’s so motherly that my monster doesn’t even rouse.

“Do you know where your mate is?” I ask, and she nods, directing us to cell block C.

More heads whip up, murmurs building among the prisoners as Xeni desperately tries to keep them quiet.

Lillith is enormous, just a few inches shorter than me, with broad shoulders and thick legs.

She meets us at her door, her eyes locking on Taryn.

“What’s happening?” she whispers as Taryn approaches the door, grabbing her hands between the bars and squeezing.

“We need some muscle,” Xeni says, and Lillith’s eyes light up.

“Point me in the right direction and let me go,” she says with a wicked snarl, standing aside as Xeni releases her.

“I have an idea.” Xeni gestures at the rest of us as we walk towards the door, voices low.

“The guards are comfortable with me. It shouldn’t be hard for me to persuade them to come back here.

If we can get him once he’s in here, the patrol outside won’t hear it.

” We all nod our agreement and stand in the shadows.

Xeni strolls into the lobby, and after a minute, his voice carries as he speaks to the guard.

Mere moments later, two sets of footsteps approach.

“Just right through here,” Xeni says, stepping through the door with the guard on his heels. As soon as they’re inside, Lillith grips the guard by the throat.

“What the—” he gasps, but she tightens her grip. Bones crack, and August flinches as the man hangs limply in her hand. Lillith seems to realize we’re all gawking at her, and grimaces as she jiggles the corpse.

“Should I have drawn it out more?” she asks, uncertain. “I thought he might scream. He already pissed himself.” She gestures at the dead man’s crotch and the trickle of urine that drips from his pants, and I can’t help my snort of laughter.

“No, sweetheart, you did real good,” Taryn says, and Lillith smiles as she tosses the body aside with a dull thump. “Think you can do that again?”

“Oh, yes. I can do it as many times as you need!” Lillith cheerfully flexes her hands. “I am very strong.”

“Yes, you are,” Taryn agrees, and Lillith leans down to give her a happy kiss.

We move silently into the lobby, and Xeni pulls the same stunt. He steps outside and coaxes the guard to come in, and Lillith snaps the man’s neck before he even registers she’s there. “So very strong,” Taryn purrs, and Lillith’s chest pushes out as she blushes in pleasure.

“Have you thought this through?” I ask August, pulling him aside. “We can’t take all these people with us. What happens when we let them loose and leave them? They still have collars around their necks.”

“I planned for that,” Xeni says, and he steps beside us and pulls a key from his pocket. “May I?” he asks August, though he keeps his eyes on me.

“Please,” August responds, and I tamp my monster down as Xeni’s long fingers brush against August’s tan neck. August sighs in relief as the collar clicks loose, and he rubs the red, raw skin beneath with a wince .

“Your turn, big guy,” Xeni says. I glare at him out of habit, but obediently duck so he can reach. Once the thick metal is no longer weighing me down, I tilt my head from side to side and stretch my neck. He removes the collars from Taryn and Lillith, then leads the way to a locked room.

“Taryn, you two go explain to everyone what’s happening,” Xeni instructs.

“Make sure they understand we can’t transport them out of here, only open the cages and get their collars off.

They’ll be responsible for themselves after that.

” The two women nod and return to the prisoner quarters, and voices inside murmur louder as they spread the word.

“Once these doors are unlocked, we have to move fast,” he says as we step into the control room, his arms tapping against his thigh anxiously. “I was planning to be safely back in my barracks by the time you guys became a battering ram.”

August’s lips pull down as Xeni clicks a few buttons. “You can’t stay here. You have to come with us.”

“What?!” Xeni and I bark in unison, and August’s frown pulls deeper as he looks at me.

“His keycard was used to do all of this. Even if he convinces them we somehow stole it, he’ll be punished.

He’ll face the same treatment you’ve been getting.

” I chew on my lip, glancing at Xeni with a scowl, but August isn’t done yet.

“And Taryn and Lillith need to come with us, too. I… I know we can’t take everyone.

I do. But these are my friends, Elas. I can’t leave them behind. ”

“Fuck,” I groan, then cringe as he wraps his arms around me. “Baby, I’m filthy, and I smell so bad… they didn’t… I haven’t…”

“It’s alright,” he soothes in a whisper. “That doesn’t matter. I just need to feel you in my arms for a second… I need to know you’re real.” I sigh, allowing myself to melt into his embrace.

“Hate to break up the party,” Xeni deadpans, “but we’re on a schedule here. Once the doors are open, we need to move.”

“We’re ready,” I say, pressing a kiss against August’s hair before releasing him. “Go ahead.” Xeni nods and clicks another button, and the synchronized click of dozens of cells opening at once comes from the prisoner wing.

“We’ll leave the key for the collars with them, but we don’t have time to—” The sentence hangs unfinished as a searing white light fills the building, along with an excruciatingly loud alarm that tears through the stillness.