Page 95 of Elas

Man abs.

Every single book has a glistening shirtless human man proudly displayed on the front.

Reyes gave me a sheepish grin, but as I was about to argue, August swooped in and grabbed one.He gushed about howamazingit looked, and how excited he was to read it.

“You don’t need to look at their abs,” I argued in what I know was a pout. “You have mine anytime you want, and they are much better than those weak humans.” Both of them laughed.

It wasn’t a joke.

I relented with a sigh as Reyes shoved his box of man meat into the trunk, and then secured all the hidden rooms. We erased signs of traffic to them, and it took him longer than necessary to leave his apartment, dawdling and grabbing random things. For a moment, I thought he’d changed his mind, but eventually he followed us to the SUV. His internal conflict is playing out in real time, his arms crossing and fingers squeezing at his biceps while his foot taps sporadically against the dirt.

“Are you having second thoughts?” August asks, noticing the same hesitation in his body language.

Reyes pauses for a moment before shaking his head. “No. It needs to happen. First they show up, then you guys. If that isn’t fate telling me it’s time to move on, I don’t know what is.”

“Alright,” August says, gesturing towards the trunk. “Let’s get some light reading for the road.” I snort, expecting them to pull out some of the naked man books, but August pulls a stack of files from the stolen box. He hands a few over to Reyes and flashes me another sweet smile, lifting on his toes to kiss me before we load into the vehicle.

It’s midday, and the sun is peeking through the clouds after two overcast days of temperamental rain. Humidity has made the air uncomfortably thick and traps a layer ofsweat under my armor. August’s hair curls more than usual, his wild golden strands fluffy, and he absently smoothes it down as he reads.

They toss information back and forth. Reports of how long it takes the mark to appear and the experiments they’re performing on the subjects. August’s nose bunches as he dives into a more recent file. It’s a grim account of how they separated the mates and told them the other had died just to document their reactions.

A few familiar names show up in the research. Chief Aeliphis was heavily involved with the studies. Khors had already confirmed this, but part of me didn’t want to believe it, and seeing it on paper was a blow. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s been a hardass, but she has always been fair. Knowing she was intentionally inflicting pain on these people stings.

A few of the other medics that August worked with are mentioned. Kopros and Flynn are referenced, and Xeni.

Of course, fucking Xeni.

I can’t help my snarl at his name.

They all took part in this torture.Any shred of respect that remained for them is erased as August and Reyes delve deeper into the files. Science and advancement can only be used as an excuse for so long, and even the loose morals of my kind realize when the line has been crossed.

As they get to the back of the folders, Reyes’s file swaps from the medical team’s reports to the scientific team’s records. August and I both pay close attention as Reyes reads aloud, because this is the first time we’ve heard anything from the scientists' perspective. They talk ofattempting to isolate the essence and near the end, share the success of doing so.

They discuss the blinding glow once its extracted, and how the weaker vials weren’t strong enough to hold it. It’s caustic to the skin, leaving severe burns to anyone it touches except the person it was extracted from. When placed on their skin, it’s simply… reabsorbed. It returns home.

From there, the reports dive into technical aspects of machines, but none of us really understand them. Some mix the essence with water to create a fog, while others dehydrate it into crystals. Another boils it down into a concentrated liquid. These machines are hauled to different locations, and a whole new set of experimentations start. Pumping the fog into the air, injecting the liquid into the ground, and even burning the crystals and examining the smoke. They record changes in temperature and air density, and speculate on adjustments that need to be made, but still, their goal is never spelled out.

Each location is only labeled by a single letter. By the time Reyes gets to the end of this thick file, they’ve unsuccessfully tried all their methods at Site F. There are no coordinates or landmarks to identify where they are, though, so the information might as well be written in another language. The dates on the final reports are only four years ago.

The sun dips closer to the horizon, and the sky is littered with leftover grey clouds. It becomes too dark to read and too risky to drive, so I hunt for a safe place to park for the night. Just before sunset, we spot a rock formation not too far off the path that’s sprinkled with a small groveof trees. It’s enough to hide the SUV for the hours we’ll stop to rest.

Dinner is quick, a random selection of MREs from the trunk. It’s late, and the darkness means a fire is out of the question. Reyes takes a blanket and curls up underneath a nearby tree, mumbling about how he’s not built for roughing it.

August and I chuckle as we find a soft spot for ourselves, settling on a springy cushion of moss near the rocks. Today’s heat drew the moisture back from the ground, so it’s only slightly damp as we settle in for the night.

“Lay down and sleep.” I run my fingers through August’s hair and guide his head to my lap.

“You need rest, too,” he argues.

“I’ll be fine. It’s not unusual for me to be up for two days on watch.” He nods and lies on my lap for a long, quiet stretch, but his body is tense. I can tell he isn’t sleeping. He shifts and his hand lands higher on my thigh, but I’m not sure if the touch is intentional. A few minutes go by and he shifts again, his fingers brushing my groin. The light contact makes my stomach tight, and I bite my lip as blood rushes south.

My cock steadily fills as August traces along my length, and he yanks the blanket higher as he unzips my pants. My eyes dart over to Reyes, several trees away with his back turned to us as he sleeps. August frees my cock and gives it a few slow strokes before his face tilts up. He’s stunning in the pale glow of moonlight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful than the way he begs me with those eyes.

Like he ever has to ask for this.

My legs spread further to give him room, and he smiles at my silent agreement. Warm lips surround the very tip of my cock, and his tongue swirls in a maddeningly slow pattern. He licks through my slits and sucks with the lightest pressure. My thighs twitch restlessly, greedy for more than he’s giving me, and the need to thrust quivers in my limbs.

Heavy breath punches from my nose as the tight seal of his lips slides lower. Slowly, so fucking slowly, he sucks down my cock, the rings on my shaft flaring his lips as he moves over them. We both choke on a laugh as he tries to tug my balls through the opening of my pants, then realizes they’re too big to fit. He pulls off me with a grin, letting my cock fall against my armor as he helps me slide my pants around my thighs.

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