My Mate's Touch

Chapter 25 - Elias

My stomach was tied in knots of anxiety and fearful anticipation of what was to come later on. This evening, I had to meet Ryland again by the edge of the territory near the deep woods. I was terrified.

Aspen, Luca and I had just made it to the training grounds and we sat down on one of the wooden benches to watch the warriors, but I couldn't focus on them. I felt myself zone out for a moment, and I shook my head in a futile attempt to clear my mind and focus on watching the warriors train. After multiple instances of my eyes going in and out of focus, I gave in to my anxious headspace. At this point, the warriors' quick movements were mere blurs in my eyes. My mind wasn't concentrated on them, but on the dread I had to face later.

I could hear Aspen and Luca chatting beside me but I sat still, unable to snap out of my intrusive thoughts on my own. After a moment, I began to hear a repetitive voice and then I felt a gentle hand gripping my shoulder. I jumped, startled by the touch.

"Elias, are you ok?" Luca asked, his expression laced with concern. "I called your name several times and you didn't answer."

"Sorry, I'm ok," I responded sheepishly. "I was just spacing out a bit."

Luca didn't look convinced, but he sighed and slowly removed his hand from my shoulder. "Ok. Just let us know if you're not feeling well."

I nodded and turned my gaze back to the warriors. I wished I could tell him what was wrong. The last thing I needed to do was involve my best friends in a conflict with a dangerous rogue.

Aspen didn't seem to notice my struggles as much, but I felt bad for putting Luca through this. He knew something was wrong, and I loved him so much for not pushing me to open up. It nearly broke me when he told me I could tell him if anything was wrong. I would have confided in him without hesitation if it were a different circumstance, but this situation could become dangerous very quickly if Ryland found out that I'd told someone about him.

This time, I was able to focus a bit on the warriors. I envied them; they could fight and defend themselves, moving gracefully yet displaying an admirable strength. I was just a human with no increased strength or agility on my side, rendering me almost powerless compared to the werewolves that surrounded me.

I looked around the field and my gaze locked in on a taller man with dark brown hair that reached the nape of his neck. Ryland. My breath hitched and my eyes widened, but I couldn't move my body or look away. To my relief, the man turned around and his face differed greatly from Ryland's, making me release the breath that I'd been holding unconsciously.

Aspen, Luca and I got up after a while to get some bottles of water. Luca and I sat back down on the bench, but Aspen went out into the field to go train with her little brother Leo. I watched her run out to him and I felt Luca's gaze on me, making me turn to face him.

"Elias, you're scaring me," He said softly, his brows furrowed. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

I bit my lip and looked down at my lap. "T-Thank you, Luca, but I can't. Not yet," I muttered, even though I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to tell him.

"The last thing I want to do is pressure you," Luca started, looking back up at the warriors training in the field. "But whatever is troubling you, I can tell it's eating you alive."

My eyes widened a bit and nearly watered with his statement. It made me feel like I was made of broken glass, my true emotions easy to read no matter how hard I tried to hide behind the cracks. It made it so much harder to hold onto this burden alone. Luca could see right through my facade and it made me want to reach out to him, to take his hand. But I couldn't, no matter how tempted I was. It was for his sake. I had to keep my mouth shut.

My gaze also returned to the warriors on the field, perspiring in the heat of the day as they trained directly in the sunlight. As my eyes wandered across the field, I saw head beta Xander teaching a few of the warriors how to execute an offensive movement. He looked them in the eyes as he explained the motion, moving slowly so that they understood what to do.

As I watched Xander, I felt as if I was seeing another side of him. He was being a mentor, patiently teaching his packmates and helping them if they got something wrong. His aggressive nature seemed to be completely dormant as he demonstrated the attack motion and instructed the group of warriors how to do it. He really was a good head warrior.

I realized I was staring when his eyes locked with mine from across the field. My cheeks flushed and I quickly averted my gaze, peeking back shortly after to see if he was still looking. A flood of guilt suddenly came over me, making me internally shiver. If Xander ever found out about Ryland, he would kill me.

Xander's angry glare and harsh words flashed into my mind from a while back: You fucking cause any trouble, and I won't hesitate to take care of you myself. I squeezed my eyes shut as if the gesture was going to make the thought suddenly disappear, but when I opened them I saw Xander walking towards Luca and I from the middle of the field. As he neared us, I gulped and looked away.

He stood over us and looked down, his piercing gaze making me feel exposed and vulnerable. "Where's the bubbly redhead?" He asked in a deadpanned tone.

"She's on the field training with Leo," Luca stated, rubbing his head.

"Hm." Xander looked out into the field and then turned back towards Luca and I. "You're shyer than usual, Pipsqueak," He said, looking straight at me.

Where did that rude nickname come from? And more importantly, how could he tell that I was being quieter than usual? To my chagrin, Xander was much more observant than I'd thought. It must be because he was both the head beta and the head warrior.

"I just have nothing to say."

"Fair enough," Xander responded with a sigh, turning around to walk off. "Well, see you fucks later, I guess."

I leaned my head on the palm of my hand. I didn't interact with Xander much, if at all, but I knew he would be my biggest obstacle when it came to hiding this troublesome secret. I just wished this would all go away.

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Elias is suffering alone, feeling helpless and afraid. What will Ryland say when they meet later? And will Xander or Luca eventually find out about Ryland's misdeeds? If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a vote and comment what you thought! I love to read them ♡ - D