Page 77 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

Elas

Consciousness fades in and out, the voices around me wavering from sharp and focused to a muffled, distant drone. Lillith cheerfully chatters, twisted backwards in her seat. She runs her fingers through Taryn’s hair while also watching for signs of being followed.

August sleeps with his head slumped against the side of the SUV, and after an hour, I can’t put aside the need to check on him any longer.

“Stop over there,” I say to Xeni, gesturing at a small scattering of trees just a few hundred feet off the road.

He nods and pulls into the rocky soil. August grunts as the bumps jostle his injury, and his eyes crack open to find mine in the darkness.

He smiles.

He fucking smiles through the pain, looking at me like I hung the damn moon. “Hey.”

“Hey, baby,” I say softly. “We’re going to pull over and get you properly bandaged, okay?” He nods, reaching for me, and even though the angle is uncomfortable, I reach back and wind our fingers together.

Xeni parks, glancing up at the black sky before shutting the lights off and opening his door. “It’ll be hard to work in the dark, but I’ll do my best.”

I turn to him with a sneer. “What do you mean, you’ll do your best?”

He scoffs and crosses his arms. “Elas, look at yourself, man. You’re a walking fucking infection.”

“Fuck you,” I snarl, common sense taking a backseat at the thought of him touching August. He already doesn’t smell like me anymore, and I’ll be damned if he smells like Xeni.

“Take a fucking breath and think about this instead of puffing your chest out. I’m a medic, Elas, and I’m trained to do this.

You have been locked in a cage for ten fucking days.

” My heart lurches, invisible walls closing in on me despite the wide open terrain.

“Show me your hands and tell me you’re steady. ”

Soft, dragging footsteps approach, and August wraps an arm around my waist to hug me tight. “Elas, you’re barely standing,” he says, keeping his tone gentle. “You trusted him enough to work together back there. I know you want to take care of me, but he’s the most qualified to stitch me up.”

I frown, wavering on my feet like the universe is trying to prove his point. My eyes meet Xeni’s solid white one over his shoulder, but for once, the cockiness is missing.

“Fine,” I grumble, and August tilts his face up and places a soft peck on my mouth. I grimace, aware of how terrible I smell .

He only smiles up at me, those dimples threatening to make an appearance, before releasing me and turning to Xeni. “We have a medical kit,” he says, and they walk around the vehicle and return with the kit, a few towels, and some water.

Xeni hands me a water bottle and nods towards the trunk. “You should eat… all three of you.” Stubborn rebellion wants to argue, but after the adrenaline faded, the hunger pangs returned. My body got just enough calories to piss it off earlier, and now it’s demanding more.

“You just don’t want me to watch,” I finally say, and he sighs.

“Yeah, I really don’t. Pulling a bullet out of your mate might be a smidge upsetting to you, and I can’t fight you while I’m stitching him.”

“I’ll be fine,” August says, attempting a stern face while nodding towards the trunk where the food is stored. “Go eat, please. It’ll make me feel better.”

I grumble, stomping to the back of the vehicle. “Giant toddler,” Xeni mutters, and I fight my urge to turn around. Lillith and Taryn stand near the trunk, and both smile as I approach. Taryn’s is cautious, but Lillith’s is cheek-to-cheek.

“Hungry?” I ask.

“I could eat!” Lillith says, smacking my arm with so much force it knocks me back a step. Fucking hells.

Bhotans .

I hand them each an MRE and take one for myself.

August and Xeni talk in a low murmur around the front of the SUV, and I squeeze my fist when August whimpers.

“It’s alright,” Xeni soothes, “the bullet is out now. I can’t say the alcohol will feel very nice, though.

Stitches are going to suck, too, if I’m being honest.” I clench my jaw as I force myself not to storm over and rip August away from him.

My throat is tight as I eat. It’s a mixture of dehydration, starvation and the undying need to comfort August as Xeni treats him.

I finish my meal and eyeball the rest of them, resisting the urge to devour everything in sight.

It’ll hurt later if I reintroduce food too quickly, so I settle for drinking more water instead.

Eventually, I can’t fight my instinct any longer.

August lies on a towel, shirt off and arms behind his head, while Xeni kneels beside him.

Long, elegant pale fingers are splayed over August’s stomach, holding him still while the other hand confidently weaves a needle between the sides of his separated skin.

Jealousy hits me in a rabid punch, so intense I shake with the need to throw Xeni off him and replace his hand with mine.

August’s eyes find mine and he smiles again, this one strained as the needle pierces his skin. “Almost done,” he says softly.

“Don’t talk,” Xeni snaps, and my fists clench even tighter. I kneel beside August and he slides his fingers through mine. It calms my beast, if only slightly.

“We did it,” August whispers, ignoring the glare from Xeni. “Do you think the other prisoners made it out?”

“I think we gave them the best chance they could ask for, given the situation,” I answer, and he puffs out a long breath as he nods.

“All done,” Xeni says, snipping the thread after he’s tied the last stitch. He cleans the area again and places clean gauze from August’s medical kit over the wound before wrapping it with a strip of cut cloth.

“Thank you, Xeni,” August says, and the two meet eyes. “For what it’s worth, I never believed you had betrayed us.”

Xeni snorts, glancing away. “Sure you didn’t.”

“I didn’t!” August argues, sitting up and pulling his shirt on. “Why do you act like you aren’t a good guy?”

Xeni’s white eye flickers back to August’s again. “Because people get hurt around me, August. You’re living proof of that.”

“But—”

“I’m going to eat.” Xeni stands abruptly, dusting off his knees. “Keep that clean,” he adds, like August needs to be told. He doesn’t wait for an answer before he walks away.

“Want me to bring you some food?” I ask, and August nods with a worried smile, still staring after Xeni. “Don’t worry about him. If he wants to be hated, let him keep being a dick.”

“You don’t hate him, El,” he chastises softly.

“He wanted you for himself.” I glare at the pale, wiry monster as he eats with his back to us.

“Even if that was the case at one time, it isn’t anymore. He isn’t a threat to you, Elas. No one is.” I sigh, crossing and uncrossing my arms. “He’s lonely.”

“Well, he can be lonely by himself.” August huffs a laugh, and some of my tension fades at the sound. “Let me get you something to eat… you’ve got to be hungry.”

“I am… thank you,” August says. Xeni avoids my eyes as I grab an MRE from the quickly depleting stack.

We di dn’t bring a surplus of food for the trip, but we’ll be fine for the rest of the drive.

It’s not like we’re accustomed to regular meals.

My eyes fall onto pale hair that shines in the moonlight.

Not most of us, in any case.

After August eats, we pile into the SUV, more refreshed.

I drive, with the promise I’ll pull over immediately if I get tired, and August climbs in beside me.

Color is returning to his cheeks after being stitched up and fed, and my energy is slowly rebuilding.

For the first time since we left the village, the voice in the back of my mind has changed its tune.

It’s quiet, damn near silent, but the words are crystal clear.

It’s all going to be alright.

Home never looked so sweet.

My eyes are heavy, despite my promise to tell August if I got tired. There’s no way I’ll let Xeni be the one to bring us home. I even offered the very reasonable suggestion that we tie a bag over his head for the last hour of the drive, but was outvoted.

Don’t know when this became a democracy, but I’m not fucking happy about it.

Our food supplies ran out hours ago, and our water is running low, so the forest on the horizon is a welcome sight. The mood has been getting lighter as we put more and more distance between us and Ljómur, but a silence falls among the group that feels almost reverent.

“It’s safe here?” Taryn asks from the back. I meet her eyes in the rearview mirror and nod. I like Taryn. She has a level head, and although she’s used to being a leader, there was no power conflict or push to be in charge. Right now, she seems content to just be along for the ride.

“Very safe,” I assure her. “Anyone that knew the location of this village has either forgotten it or is dead. There was never a reason to return.” We navigate through the forest, and unsurprisingly, Ronan stands in the center of the path as we pull in, his eyes enormous and his arms crossed.

I’m barely even out of the car before he starts yelling.

“Two weeks. Two fucking weeks you’ve been gone, Elas!

I thought you were dead, you fucking blue asshole!

What the fuck happened ?!” he demands, and his jaw drops as he stares at the crumbled SUV.

The trip through the fence crushed the front end and cracked a window, and the side-view mirrors barely hold on as they dangle by their wires.

His mouth flaps, opening and closing as he searches for something to say, and the bumper decides at that moment to give up.

It thuds to the dirt with an anticlimactic thump.

Ronan’s massive eyes move to me and get even wider, taking in my sunken, sickly appearance. August walks to my side and puts his arm around my waist. Blood coats his filthy shirt and my bullethole-riddled armor. Both of us look like we’ve been to hell and back .

“Wha… what… the… what…” Ronan stutters, and I chuckle at his loss of words.

Fucker has had something to say since the day I met him, and to see him rendered speechless is amusing.

His eyes, already bigger than I’ve ever seen them, stretch wider as they move behind me.

“And you brought fucking strays?! Elas, what the fuck!?” His voice turns shrill on the last word, and a few birds take flight.

“Oooh, an Anunian!” Lillith cries in her deep voice, taking a few steps forward. “We will spar sometime! I bet I will win.” Ronan’s eyes climb her frame, several inches taller than him and twice as wide.

“Yeah,” he says weakly. “Yeah, I bet you fucking will.”

August offers a charming smile that has no effect on Ronan, who just hikes his brow impatiently. “This is Lillith, and her mate, Taryn.” Taryn approaches with a cautious, polite wave. “Taryn was the leader at the camp I was living at when—”

“Holy shit!” Cameron bellows, bursting past Ronan with his mouth open wide. “Taryn!?”

“It’s so good to see you, Cameron,” she says with a genuine smile.

August glances over his shoulder at where Xeni stands near the rear of the vehicle. “And this is Xeni. He’s a medic, too.”

“And the reason we were locked up to begin with,” I snort derisively, and Ronan is immediately on guard. His dark brown eyes lock on mine in question.

“We’ve already been through this, Elas,” Xeni seethes, not daring to get any closer.

“Doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you,” I snap back .

“Yeah, well, an eye for a fucking eye, asswipe. You already took mine, so I’d say we’re even.” Silence sits heavily over the group as Ronan and Cameron glance at each other in surprise.

August clears his throat, putting a gentle hand on my stomach. “Elas.”

“Hmm?” I grunt, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Why don’t you let Xeni share his side of the story?”

“Don’t want to,” I mutter.

“You might not want to, but it’s only fair. He’s the reason we got out of that place.”

“And the reason I got to blow it up!” Lillith adds as Ronan’s brows lift higher. She makes a quiet booming sound effect, grinning as she mimes an explosion with her hands.

“El,” August says, voice stern. My eyes swing up to his, and I sigh again.

“There’s a lot we need to talk about,” I finally say, dodging the topic of Xeni for now. “But we’re exhausted and filthy. We have barely eaten since we left, and I’m pretty sure this uniform should be burned. Can we table the discussion for tomorrow, when we’ve all had a chance to rest?”

“Of course,” Ronan says after a moment, his eyes darting over the new faces.

“I’ll put some food together while you all get cleaned up.

There are only a couple of working showers, but there’s a creek past the treeline that can be used for bathing.

Cameron can grab everyone some clothes…” He pauses, eyeballing Lillith. “Although they might not all fit… ”

“She can have some of mine,” I offer, exhaustion hitting me full force. “I’ll get them and then I’m going to shower for the next three days.” August’s fingers slip through mine and squeeze.

“Creek’s fine with me!” Lillith bellows cheerfully, and Taryn nods.

“You guys go first,” Xeni offers quietly. “You need it more than I do.”

Ronan stares at him for a long moment, his eyes assessing. They flick to mine, seeming to ask for permission, and I give a reluctant nod even as my jaw tenses. “There are plenty of empty homes here,” Ronan says. “They’ll just need some work to make them comfortable.”

“Oh, honey, I could sleep under a rock in the desert and it would be more comfortable than being locked up in that place,” Lillith says brightly. “It’d be a bigger bed, too. My ass fell off that tiny cot so many times.” A reluctant smile tugs at my lips. Nothing seems to phase the giant woman.

August and I walk hand-in-hand to our house.

We’ve only spent days within these walls, but an immediate sense of home registers as we step inside.

I pass some sweatpants and a shirt off to Lillith.

Xeni hangs back in the shadows, avoiding speaking with anyone.

As though he can sense my attention, he turns and meets my eyes, and in that moment, he’s more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen him.

August comes to my side and pushes onto his toes, kissing me softly. When I glance up again, Xeni is gone. “Come on,” I finally say. “We need to get clean.”