Page 40 of Elas

“Want to tell me what’s going on?” Elas asks, low enough that his voice doesn’t carry.

“Not yet.” He nods, and I’m amazed at the relaxed way he strolls as tension leaches off my body like poisonous gas. I’m so in my head that I don’t even realize we’re at the barracks until Elas releases me to open the door.

As soon as we step inside, he turns to me with his arms crossed over his massive chest. “Spill, doc.”

“I saw something today I wasn’t supposed to see.”

His brow arches. “What was it?”

“I don’t… I don’t know, exactly. What does ‘lee-yoh-mer’ mean?” When he only raises his brows in confusion, I shake my head. “Give me something to write with.” Elas opens a drawer and hands me a pencil and random piece of paper that sits on the counter, and I spell it out.

“Ljómur?” he reads, scratching his chin. “It’s from the common language. It means…” He trails off as something crosses his face, and he stares at the written word like it might have the power to tell him more.

“Elas?” His gaze flickers back up to mine, his jaw tense. “Elas, come on. Don’t lie to me. What does it mean?”

“Glow. It means glow.” His eyes flicker to my chest, and my heart that had finally started to settle kicks into overdrive once more.

“Do you think this has something to do with these marks?” I ask, grabbing his hand and dragging it over my heart. He draws in a sharp breath as we touch, and my skin crackles like it’s full of electricity underneath his palm.

“I don’t know, baby,” he murmurs, his enormous fingers flexing against my chest, and another rush of adrenaline punches through my veins like it does every time he’s called me by the pet name. “We’ll figure this out, August, I fucking swear to you. Let me…” He cuts himself off, clenching his jaw again as he glances at the clock on the wall.

“You have to go,” I realize, and he grinds his teeth so tightly the muscles in his face spasm under the pressure.

“I wish I didn’t,” he says, stepping so close that it takes my breath away. “Gods, I would give anything to stay.”

“It’s alright,” I whisper, and his hard edges soften into a smile that’s full of apologies.

“You know the drill. Keep the door locked and stay away from the windows. Try to get some rest.” His eyes search my face, and he knows me well enough by now that he realizes my mind will keep me awake tonight.

“Careful there,” I tease, offering him the best smile I can muster at the moment. “Or I might start to think you care about me.”

His gloved hand reaches up to smooth my hair back as he turns serious. “Of course I care about you, August.”

The sincerity behind his words clogs my throat, and it takes a few tries before I clear it. “I care about you, too,” I finally whisper. “More than I should.” The secret slips its way past my defenses as I wait for his reaction, and I swear I catch a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“Maybe it’s just as much as you should.” My cheeks burn, but in true Elas fashion, he tosses me a wink. “I am pretty amazing, after all.” A surprised laugh bubbles out of me as he finally breaks into a grin, one that crinkles all the way up the sides of his face. It eases my worry enough that I sigh and let him go, but I don’t look away as he walks out the door, and I’m left in the silence once again.

Elas

“Whatdoyouthinkabout the new commander?”

I glance over at Urul, who’s a Nu’vak like me. He’s been my watch partner these past few days, although before this assignment we’d rarely interacted. His tusks are longer than mine, and a small golden hoop adorns the tip of one, glinting in the sunlight. His hair is shaved on the sides, and the long middle is pulled into a ponytail.

Fucker’s cooler than me, and it pisses me off.

“How do you get away with that piercing?” I ask instead of answering his question. He chuckles as we make the trek from our current station on the northwestern corner of the base to relieve the soldiers at the southeastern tower.

“The last time someone that outranked me complained about it, I fucked her until she forgot what she’d been complaining about.”

“Classy,” I mutter, and he chuckles again.

“Keep mouthing off and see where it gets you, Elas,” he teases.

“You think you’re packing enough to make me forget anything?”

He shrugs, trying to hide his grin. “Could always try.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

---