Everything is in one open room. My bed sits against the far wall with a dresser beside it, and a cushioned chair faces the window. A rectangular butcher-block table splits the kitchen, serving as a prep area and somewhere to eat.
I bite my lip to hide my smile as August opens the drawer, and his brows furrow in confusion. He pulls out a strip of fabric, dangling it in front of his face when realization hits. He drops it and slams the drawer shut as I burst out laughing.
“Xeni!” he hisses.
Elas narrows his eyes and storms to the dresser to see why August is so worked up. He yanks the drawer so hard he almost topples the whole thing.
“Hey, easy, meat mitts!”I shout.
He hooks a pair of my underwear with his pointer finger and lifts them into the air before shooting me a glare. “Should’ve known your need to beextrawould include these.”
I snatch the lace from his hand. “Something tells me you’d pull them off just as well as I do.” I glance over my shoulder and give his giant body a leering once-over that makes his irritation flare hotter. “I’d offer to share, big boy, but you wouldnotfit in these. That fabric stretches far too easily for someone of your…sizeto shove themselves into it. These things are hard to come by, you know.”
August’s face is adorably flushed as he crosses his arms over his chest. I’m not sure if his embarrassment is from the discussion of Elas’s giant dick or the panties in my hand.
Probably both.
“I take it to mean you don’t need help, then?” August asks.
I chuckle as I shake my head. “You’re too nice for your own good.”
“I’ve been told that a few times,” he says with a shrug.
One loaded bag sits by the bed, and the backpack in front of me on the kitchen table is almost full. While his offer is appreciated, it isn’t necessary.
“I’m almost done here," I say as I gesture at the bags.
“You’re leaving today?” August asks.
“Yeah,” I answer, taking a deep breath as I once again try to mentally prepare. “As soon as I toss this stuff in the back, I’m off.”
“You’re sure you want to do thisalone?”
Elas’s jaw tenses as he stares at August, the muscle ticking in that familiar way as he braces for his mate to jump in and offer to help… again. But he doesn’t have to worry.
Most of my life has been spent alone.
August says it like it’s a curse, like having no one to count on is the worst fate he can imagine. To him, it’s another dirty word to use when you’re looking for something particularly insulting. And I suppose it is, in its own way.
My tendency to self-isolate means others have called me plenty of names.
Arrogant.
Cocky.
Superior.
When you’re left standing outside the circle, when you don’tfitin the spaces they expect you to fill, it’s viewed as a choice you made at some point.
A preference instead of a punishment.
It’s easy to forget that whether you’re trapped inside or shut out, it’s still a prison.
My mask is perilously close to cracking, so I force the smile I wear so well and aim it at August’s hopeful face.
“The plan only works if I do it alone. Getting into the city without drawing any sort of attention will be hard enough bymyself, but a soldier travelling alone is forgettable. Add a human civilian into the mix and it becomes ten times more suspicious.”
“Will you at least take a more reliable vehicle?” August asks.
