Chapter 372

Elain thought her heart might have been beating so loudly that, despite the several shelves and dozens of books between her and the others in the room, they would all definitely have been able to hear it. When Lucien's hand settled against the back of her neck and she tilted her head when he brought his lips back down to hers, she thought that she had been able to feel him smile. It had been a while since they had done this, she supposed. Her mate definitely enjoyed this kind of thing while others were seemingly unsuspecting mere feet away. Elain wasn't too sure however, that the High Lord and Ashk were entirely unsuspecting. How many reasons could there have been for Lucien to have lead her off behind the bookshelves? They had to know what he had intended and therefore what they were up to now.

She forgot all about the others, however, when Lucien's hand slid down her back and he gripped her backside firmly, pulling her tightly to himself. She could feel him, hard against her, feel his heat even from beneath the fabric of his clothing, and a different kind of focus took over Elain's mind. Something within her pushed to take control, and she knew that it was likely the same kind of thing that sometimes drove Lucien. Her mate needed her, she could feel that. She knew that he was well aware of the dangers of that which he was about to do, that he was aware that he might not return, no matter how determined he was to come back to her and that was what was the focus of his actions right now.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

The thought repeated over and over in Elain's mind and she slid her hand into Lucien's ruby hair, fingers carding through it gently. This was her mate, there was not a single part of her that denied that now and, when her mate lifted his head to meet her eyes, Elain smiled at him. She allowed her gaze to take in every detail of his wonderfully handsome face, the intelligence and kindness in that russet eye, the strength behind the brutal scar and she felt her heart skip a beat. Lucien smiled at her in return, his own eyes moving back and forth across her face. "Worried you'll forget what I look like, Petal?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No," she breathed, free hand coming up to his face, fingers moving over that scar and down to his jaw. "Your face is the most important image my mind has. It would never forget. I'm just appreciating how attractive you are…"

He gave a sort of snort, but the corners of his lips quirked in a smile and his hands pulled at her a little more tightly. The heat coming from him intensified, and Elain felt the heat within herself flare to answer it. She could tell by the way that Lucien's hands were moving over her, that he was waiting for her permission before he pushed any further and she smiled up at him, fingers tracing his cheekbone as she held his gaze. The hunger on his face was easy to read and she marvelled at the level of self-control he still possessed, even after everything they had been through in the last few days, or weeks. After everything he had been through in his entire life…

"What kind of farewell are you after, love?" She asked, voice no more than a whisper.

"One that I'll remember…"

She watched his throat work as he tried to swallow, and she tugged gently on the hair at the base of his skull, lifting herself to him slightly. Lucien let out a soft groan, and Elain felt the heat flare between her legs. She knew that she wanted him as much as he wanted her in that moment, and always, and she resolved to stop teasing him. The light outside was bright enough to see by now, and they were nearly out of time. With one hand she reached down to grasp a handful of the skirts of her dress and began lifting it and apparently that was all the permission that Lucien needed. Both of his hands went to her waist and he lifted her from the floor, pressing her against the bookshelf and keeping her there with his own body. Elain clung to his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his waist as she felt him fiddling with his pants. She watched his face as he adjusted himself, moving her skirts out of the way and then he glanced up, meeting her eyes as he positioned himself and then pushed into her.

Elain bit down on her lower lip, trying to hold in any sound that she might make. It might have been one thing for Helion, Ashk, and the guards to pretend that they couldn't hear heightened heartbeats or quickened breathing, but it would have been another to pretend that they hadn't been able to hear moans and groans. She felt Lucien laugh, and she looked at him again. She knew that he had been able to tell exactly what she was thinking and she tugged at his hair once more. One of his hands left her waist and came down over her mouth as he quickened his pace, thrusting quickly up into her, and Elain's eyes fell closed as she held tightly to him. She listened to Lucien's heartbeat in her head, and she realised that hers had fallen in sync with his. Everything about them was in sync, and she knew that this couldn't be it for them. That life she had seen, she knew still awaited. The Cauldron had not given them to one another, promising such love and happiness, such a perfect life, only for it to be taken away so soon. It had not rewarded her with her Seers ability and with a perfect mate only to punish her for nothing.

"I…" Elain breathed, trying to form words around her choked gasps and Lucien lifted his hand slight from her mouth so that he could hear her, "expect you… back… before nightfall…"

Lucien pressed his lips to her throat, nodding against her, and not breaking his rhythm for an instant. "As you wish, Petal."