Page 36 of Elas

History always has been rewritten by the victors, and I suppose this is no different.

“Glad I could be of service,” I finally settle on, and he chuckles again.

“Well, I better get out of here before your boyfriend comes back and throws an even bigger tantrum.”

“Elas isn’t my boyfriend.”

He lifts a brow, those solid white eyes unconvinced. “Funny how you knew who I was talking about without me having to say his name.”

A flush burns at my cheeks. “We’re just… friends,” I insist, although I’m questioning if that’s true.

He hums in a noncommittal tone, drawing his lip between his teeth as he inspects me. “If he’s not your boyfriend, then how about you get dinner with me one day this week?”

Surprise forms a pit in my stomach and morphs into uneasiness. Elas was right. Xeniwasflirting, and though I’m flattered, I’m not sure how to feel about it. “Oh, um, I’m not allowed to be unsupervised on the base.”

“You wouldn’t be unsupervised,” he says as he pushes off the wall, taking a step closer. “You’d be with me.”

“I, uh… I don’t know. That doesn’t seem like the best idea, given… everything.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Everything meaning Elas.”

The flush on my face burns darker. “Tensions are high, and everyone here needs time to get used to my presence. I need to get my bearings before I risk shaking things up even more.”

Xeni is quiet for a long second, still chewing on his lip. “Right. Well, let me know when yourbearingsare steady enough.” He takes a step closer and pulls the empty plate from my hands, brushing my finger with his. “I’m patient.”

He pushes out the door to find Elas standing directly outside. His jaw is tight and nostrils flared, which means he heard at least part of our exchange. Xeni freezes for a moment, and Elas’s stony eyes don’t even blink as he hurries away. They dart to mine as he takes a long stride forward, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Was he bothering you?” The words are deathly quiet, piercing through the enclosed space.

“He brought me lunch,” I say as I stand. “He didn’t touch me.”

Elas cocks his head in a deliberate way that screams at my instincts. Goosebumps lift on my arms as I’m reminded he’s the apex predator here. Another long step forward and he’s directly in front of me, my chin tilting up to keep his gaze. He grabs my wrist, and my heart kicks into an unsteady rhythm as he lifts my hand to his face. He drags my fingers under his nose before he bares his teeth.

“I thought you said he didn’t touch you.”

“He didn’t…” I trail off, remembering how Xeni brushed his finger over mine when he took my plate. “How doyou—”

“You stink of him,” he snarls, then takes that single finger and places it against his mouth. “It’s dirty… wrong. I don’t like smelling him on you.” He drags the edge of my fingertip against his bottom lip before he kisses the end, and I stare, transfixed by the softness of his lips against my skin.

“Why not?” I whisper, and his eyes that had been trailing along my hand snap back up to mine. He moves closer and I counter it with a backwards step. Something predatorial blazes in his eyes as we do it again, and he chases my retreat until my back is against the wall.

A dark curtain of braids surrounds us as his forearm hits the wall. He leans forward, turning the already private space more intimate. “Dangerous game you’re playing, doc.”

My hands shake at my sides as I fist the fabric of my pants to keep from grabbing him. “You’re the one chasing me.”

“I am, aren’t I?” he mutters. “Question is… do you want to be caught?”

“Something tells me whether or not I wanted to be caught would matter very little if you decided you wanted to catch me.”

He chuckles quietly as he slots his leg between my thighs, and my eyes roll into my head at the sensation. “Sidestepping the question, are we?”

That sensation inside me erupts once again—the desperation to touch him in every way possible. To feel his skin on mine, our mouths moving together, with his hands everywhere they can reach. Elas’s lips part as he glancesbetween us, locking on to where my cock pushes against his thigh.

This insatiable, demanding need is something I’ve never experienced in my life. I’ve never looked at someone and needed their hands on my body more than the air in my lungs.

Never thought I might suffocate unless they touch me.

“Elas,” I whisper, and his eyes find mine as he leans closer.

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