Page 8 of Elas (Mate’s Mark #2)

Elas

A shimmer of blonde rounds the corner and August comes into sight.

The knot in my stomach loosens for the first time since I dropped him off, but it quickly twists again when I spot the Cavese following behind him.

He’s tall with long hair and wears military-issued scrubs adorned with four rows.

Not even an officer yet, but he struts like he has some authority here.

I can’t help myself as I push out my chest and flash my rank.

His creepy white eyes land on mine, and I swear a slight smirk tugs on his lips as he turns to August.

“I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” August says, but I can hear the strain in his voice.

“Sounds great. Thanks for everything today, Xeni.” The Cavese meets my gaze once more, and this time I’m positive he smirks, dragging his fingertips along August’s forearm before walking away.

August doesn’t even seem to register the touch.

His eyes are heavy and his mind obviously distracted.

Aeliphis kept me waiting here for an hour while she sent him on mindless errands.

It was a power play, but I didn’t argue with her.

I gave her the win, choosing to save the tussle for when the stakes are higher.

August looks upset, so instead of focusing on her petty show of force, I give him my full attention.

Pale green scrubs make his skin appear even more golden and highlight his physique, the material straining ever so slightly against his strong shoulders.

The color fades the brown from his eyes, turning them almost solid green in the early evening sunlight.

Blonde hair stands on end, like he’s pushed his hands through it multiple times.

“How was your first day?” I ask, and August offers me a weak smile that only highlights his stress.

“Busy,” he says after a pause. “There’s a lot to learn.”

We step outside and I wait until the doors close behind us. “Made a new friend, I see?”

“Hmm?” he asks, distracted, then shakes his head when my question clicks. “Who, Xeni? Yeah, hopefully. He’s showing me the ropes, but I like him.”

Another pinch of something ugly hits my chest, a protective instinct stirring inside me.

“Stay alert around him. Cavese are manipulators by nature. They work in diplomatic and medical positions pretty often because they have a… persuasive ability. They’re convincing, August, especially when something benefits them. ”

“Wait… they can control people?”

“Not to that level, no. But they have a certain allure that makes you want to listen to them. If you were already on the fence about something, they could sway you towards a decision of their choosing. You’ll find they can be very convincing.”

He frowns, giving his head a small shake. “Xeni seems really nice.”

“Of course he does,” I snort. “Bet he told you himself just how nice he is.”

“Thanks for the input, but I don’t need your permission to make friends, Elas. I can take care of myself.”

My brows lift at the defensiveness in his tone. “I never said you couldn’t, but you need to be careful around him.”

“You want me to be careful around him ? The only person who was decent to me today?”

“ I was decent to you,” I argue with a sudden need to drive that particular point home.

He shoots me an annoyed glare that only makes me even more indignant. “Every single person I encountered today either insulted me to my face, or avoided me like I’ve got the damn plague. Forgive me for not shunning the one person who made me feel normal just because you say so.”

“They were rude to you?” My voice drops into a low rumble, almost a growl.

“Of course they were! They were awful!” He shouts loud enough that a few heads turn our way, and the outburst is so out of character that it stops me dead in my tracks.

August groans and scrubs his hand over his face, his shoulders sagging.

“Sorry… shit, I’m sorry, Elas. It’s not right for me to take my temper out on you when you’ve been so wonderful.

I’m just not used to being treated like this. ”

His defeated attitude washes away the last of my anger, wanting to see his smile return. “Do I need to make some bodies disappear?” I ask, and he snorts a sound that straddles the line between amused and shocked. “Because I have my ways.”

“I’m sure you do.” The tiniest grin tugs at his lips as he shakes his head. “It’ll take time for them to get used to me, but eventually, it will be fine. You warned me, but it still took me by surprise. People usually like me.”

“Arrogant much?” I tease, and when his middle finger lifts in my direction, a loud, surprised laugh booms from my belly. We enter the barracks and walk down the hallway in a comfortable silence. “Why don’t you get a shower and relax?” I ask as we step into the apartment.

“Crap,” he mutters, leaning against the counter and rubbing his temple like he has a headache. “I left the scrubs she gave me in my locker, along with your clothes. This set is clean enough for tomorrow, so I’ll have to be careful to not spill anything on them tonight.”

“Don’t worry about that. Let me get you something to wear.” For the second time today, I grab him a set of my clothes and hand them over. He offers me a smile—a genuine one, not the forced bullshit he was sending my way a few minutes ago. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving. It was after lunch when we got there today, so I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

My budding smile tips back down into a frown. “They should’ve given you a chance to eat.”

“That wasn’t exactly high on their priorities.” He hovers awkwardly in the bathroom doorway, throwing me another exhausted glance. A bitter taste fills my mouth as I remind myself this is worlds better than the treatment he would receive as a prisoner .

“Go ahead. Take your time.” He offers me an appreciative smile as he disappears into the bathroom, but as soon as the door closes, I head back out into the hallway. The trip to the galley is quick, and I wave at one of the line cooks.

He’s an Anunian like Ronan, though his dark hair is cut short and he isn’t as tall. A pang of sadness hits my heart as he ambles over, moving with that feline grace they have about them. I hate not knowing what’s happening with my friend. “Hey, Elas. What can I do for you?”

“Can you pack me up two meals to go? Plenty of meat and extra bread?”

“Yeah, of course. Hot date?”

I snort a laugh, following him as he returns to the line and grabs two plates. “Nothing like that.”

“So, I shouldn’t toss in a candle for you? Maybe add a big, fat dollop of whipped cream for later?”

“Fuck off, dumbass,” I say with a laugh, and he grins back.

“Yeah, okay, keep your juicy secrets.” He tosses me a wink as he loads two servings of steak onto both plates and scoops a generous portion of roasted potatoes and green beans.

Everything gets wrapped in foil and set inside a bag.

As a last minute thought, he wraps an entire loaf of bread and places it on top.

“Do you think I could…” I trail off, gesturing at the stack of desserts.

He huffs a quiet laugh. “Hope he appreciates you.”

“Not like that,” I say again as I take the bag from him. He rolls his eyes and gives me a friendly wave. I make the quick trip back to the barracks, and the water is still running when I enter. It shuts off as I pull the food out and set two places at the table.

August walks out of the bathroom a few minutes later.

A cloud of steam follows him into the hallway as he runs his fingers through his dripping hair.

He takes a deep inhale and his eyes go wide as he turns to where I stand beside the table.

Suddenly, I don’t know what to do with my hands, and I wave them awkwardly at the spread.

“I, uh, got us some dinner.”

“Holy hells, that looks incredible.” He lets out a groan that’s borderline inappropriate as he beelines over. “Is that steak ?”

Just like that, the awkwardness vanishes, and we both drop into our seats. He wastes no time cutting off a piece of meat that’s entirely too big and shoving it into his mouth. After a few bites, his tense posture relaxes, and he tells me about his day.

The longer he speaks, the angrier I get. Every new face he encountered had an opinion. Many only sneered at him, others insulted him, while some outright refused to be treated while he was in the room.

“Gods, the things they called me,” he mutters as he tears off another piece of bread. “ Murderer . Slaughterer . None of them listened when I told them I had nothing to do with the attacks.” His hazel eyes are heavy when they meet mine. “I only wanted to help them, Elas.”

“I’m not defending their actions, but imagine the roles were reversed. One of my kind in your camp, claiming they were there to help. How would your people handle it?”

“That’s fair, I guess,” he mumbles .

“It’s not fair, but not much in this world is anymore.”

He deflates, stabbing at a few stray green beans on his plate. “So, what? I just accept that they hate me? Grow thicker skin?”

“No,” I say simply, and he glances up at me through his golden lashes. “You give it time . It’s been a few hours, August. You don’t strike me as the impatient type, so why are you trying to rush this?”

“Stop bringing logic into this,” he pouts, “I want to mope.” The defeat is out of place, a foreign mask on the man who greeted me in the cells with a beaming smile.

“You’re allowed to mope, but only for a little while.”

“Can I ask you something?” he asks, and I nod, sitting back in my seat and patting my deliciously full stomach. “When you first came to the prison, you said you were there because Cameron mentioned me. How do you know him?”

“Do you remember that same day when you asked me about my knuckles?” He nods, and I stare down at my hand even though the wounds have healed. “You’ve heard me mention Ronan. We’ve been close since we were young, and Cameron and him… well. They’re together.”