Nyx's first birthday was being celebrated across Velaris, though they kept the celebration within their family. Rhysand and Feyre sent gifts to the entire court. Elain couldn't be happier for Feyre and her mate. Nyx was the light of their lives. He had been born when all of them had lost something and desperately needed hope, and he was just that—their hope. She never thought she could love someone unconditionally, but Nyx was her favorite person in the world. Elain looked over the cake she had decorated one last time, before heading to her room to prepare for the night. Cassian was supposed to pick up Elain in an hour. She had to hurry or they would be late.
An hour later, Elain heard a loud tub before her doorbell rang. Opening the door, she blurted, "The cake is on the kitchen counter. I just have to get my shoes." But when the door fully opened her heart stopped. "Azriel.".
"Hello, Elain. Cassian asked me to bring you to the manor. I hope you don't mind. He got back late from Illyria."
She didn't mind, not one bit. She just wished she looked better and that she hadn't done that stupid thing a week ago. Elain quickly recovered from her prolonged silence. "No, of course, I don't mind. I just - wasn't expecting you. Come in, please." She moved aside for him to enter. "I'll just grab my shoes." She turned to walk up the stairs and avoid any further conversation
"Elain." His voice stopped her midway. "Yes," she replied quickly and hating herself for it. But he had this affect on her, he did not speak much but when he did, she could not help but be drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
"I hope you don't regret what happened last week outside Rita's. I have been meaning to apologize to you. But it seems you have been avoiding me."
Elain could not believe her luck. He was apologizing to her for what she had done. Oh, this was so embarrassing. Gathering courage, Elain turned to face him. "I should be the one apologizing." She said, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I was slightly tipsy and you were such a gentleman, as always. I just — I don't know what came over me." Her hands trembled, voice shaking. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to make things awkward between us. You had already said it was a mistake, yet I did it again. But I couldn't help my" Closing her eyes she exhaled loudly, she need to tell him everything.
"Elain, I", she could hear his footsteps getting closer, he now stood mere inches from her. She jolted slightly as he cupped her face. Her eyes shot open, finding his eyes on her lips. "I didn't mean to apologize about letting you kiss me. I quite enjoyed that." he laughed " I was referring to letting you kiss me while you were still drunk." He confessed, eyes darting back to hers. "Our first kiss, it should have been under better circumstances." Elain felt a hot sensation between her legs, her heart beating faster with each stroke of his thumb against her cheek, she had forgotten to breathe.
"Oh" was all she could manage. His eyebrows lifted at her response. "It was only a peck, we could redeem it," she suggested, her mind still whirling.
Azriel little out a soft laugh before pulling her to his solid chest. She had dreamed of this many times over the years. "El," he whispered, hovering over her mouth, his mist and cedar smell intoxicating her further. Elain closed her eyes shut, she was going to die just from the anticipation of his lips on hers. A few quiet seconds passed, but his lips were still inches away. She opened her eyes to meet his. A look of annoyance in them. Her heart dropped, but before she could let her mind run wild, he said, "Someone is coming." and slowly took a step back from her.
Elain smiled at him, "I will be right back." and run up the stairs. When Elain came back down, ready to go, she found Azriel conversing with Cerridwen.
"Hello Lady Elain, the high lady sent me to check on you. She said Commander Cassian could not be trusted to get you there on time." Cerridwen quickly explained why she was there.
"She is right about Cassian not being trusted, but he sent me to get her." Azriel offered his own explanation.
"Thank you both for coming to my rescue. I'll just get the cake and we can be on our way."
Azriel winnowed them to Feyre and Rhysand's manor. Everyone had already arrived, drink in hand, laughing at something Amren was saying.
"Elain. There you are. We were waiting for you to start dinner." Feyre strode to them from where she sat beside Mor on the couch. She kissed Elain's cheeks twice before doing the same to Azriel.
"This is the first time Azriel has arrived with a lady by his side," Cassian jokingly shouted from the bar, causing Elain to flush pink. Azriel just flipped him off.
"Don't drag my sister into your jokes." Nesta punched Cassian in the stomach, causing him to cough out his drink.
"Ignore him Elain. He thinks he is funny." Rhysand chimed in, before bracing Elain into a hug.
"I am funny," Cassian shouted again.
"It's alright," Elain replied, cheeks still pink.
"El darling, will you give me a hand with Nyx? " Mor called from the couch. "I need a drink after all that dry humor," she added. Elain kissed Mor on the cheek before taking Nyx from her. She held him to her chest gently, rocking his sleeping body back and forth. Elain felt Azriel gaze on her from where he now sat beside Cassian and Nesta. She returned his stare with equal intensity.
"Where do you want the cake, Highlady?" Cerridwen asked.
"You can leave it in the kitchen for now. Thank you, Cerridwen. Also, please help me and Nuala serve dinner." Feyre asked.
"Let me help," Elain said from behind them then turned back. "Az, will you hold Nyx?" she asked, surprising him. He put down his drink and slowly walked to her. While handing Nyx over to Azriel, Elain shyly stroked his wrist before Azriel could step away. His surprise was evident because he almost tipped backward. She smirked at his obvious loss of control, but Azriel did not care. He would be a fool for her, a thousand times over. He hid his smile with a cough before sitting down with Nyx in his arms.
Nyx napped on the couch while they sat at the dinner table, waiting for Elain to join them. "Come, we are all waiting for you to start." Elain looked around to find the only empty chair beside Azriel. How did he manage that? Without further thought She circled the table and adjusted herself onto the seat.
"Can I eat now, Az?" Cassian asked, and Elain couldn't help but look to Azriel. Did he tell him to wait.
"Let us feast. To Nyx" Rhysand announced, putting up his glass.
"Too Nyx" they all repeated in unison. Elain and Azriel ate in silence as the rest of their family talked and laughed between bites. Elain didn't know what came over her, but she turned to Azriel. "Can you please pass me the wine?" she asked, batting her lashes at him. Hiding his smirk, he held the bottle to her. Meeting his eyes, she placed her hand completely on top of his, pretending to grab the bottle. Azriel leaned over. "Elain, you keep touching me like that and I will not last long," he whispered, sending chills down her spine.
Elain quickly looked away from him, letting go of the bottle, her stomach in knots. She did not dare tease him again. They were playing a very dangerous game. She avoided looking at him for several minutes. She could see from the corner of her eyes that he was trying to get her attention, but she didn't turn. She couldn't. Several minutes passed and Elain finally took the bottle that sat between them to fill her glass of wine, but she froze when she felt a hand brush against her leg. Her eyes widened in shock, and she closed her mouth to stop herself from making noise. Azriel's hand pushed the material of her dress to the side, gently caressing her thigh. Taking a deep breath, she put the bottle down again.
Noticing her obvious shock, "Are you okay, El?" Feyre asked her from her other side. Elain could only manage a nod with a close-mouthed smile. She couldn't believe he was doing something like this, here, of all places. Looking around, Elain noticed everyone was so into their conversation they hadn't bothered to look at her and Feyre. She slowly turned to look at Azriel again, he gave her a look that said 'Two can play this game'. Elain had no one but herself to blame, did she really think she was going to get away with teasing the spymaster. But Elain was stubborn too, she would not let him win this. Looking away from him again, she took a sip of her drink before leaning back and spreading her legs for him. She felt him tense and shift beside her, a mischievous smile blooming on her face, but then he softly squeezed her thigh, making her choke on her drink.
"Elain. Something up with you?" Nesta asked from across the table. But Elain could not answer right away as Azriel's hand went higher and higher. Her breath hitched, but she managed to huff out "I think I need some water." and quickly gulped a glass of water. Then looking over at him she silently pleaded for him to stop before she moaned out loud, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, his hands lingering dangerously close to her center. Elain needed to put a stop to this before she gave herself away or, worse, let him win this game of control. She quickly got up from her seat, bringing everyone's attention to herself. Azriel's hand fell to his side. He quickly recovered it by putting it on his lap.
"Excuse me, I will be right back," Elain said to everyone.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Mor asked, worried.
"No need. I was just going to check on the twins" Elain hurried out of the dining room.
Azriel was lightheaded by everything that transpired between him and Elain. Sweet, innocent Elain. She surprised him in the best ways. Azriel knew her better than he knew himself. At her core, she was kind, thoughtful, and loved unconditionally. Her outer beauty just added to those qualities but this, the Elain he had come across that night outside of Rita's. When she had given him a quick kiss on the mouth before Cassian and Mor interrupted them. Azriel had not let himself think she would want him again, not after he had walked away from her that wretched solstice night.
But much had happened since. Nyx came into their lives, changing everyone for the better. Rhys had called a truce with him after Elain and Lucien had mutually rejected their bond. Days after, Mor had forced him to go to Rita's with her and Cassian, failing to mention that they were celebrating Elain rejecting her bond. When he had figured it out, it was too late to back out. Azriel was a selfish bastard, hearing that had made him so happy he had actually laughed at Cassian's jokes all night. Then his wildest dreams had came true, she had willingly offered herself to him, again. He was not going to fuck this up again. His mind was still spinning at her boldness, her spreading her legs for him mere inches from her sister, his cock threatened to burst from his pants. Azriel took another gulp of whiskey to calm himself down. Elain always made him feel like a horny teenager. He needed to get a grip. Just when he thought he had himself under control, Elain had made her way back to them, where they all drank and chatted away. "El, will you get the cake ready? I'll just change Nyx's clothes," Ferye asked, as she got up to grab Nyx from Rhysand.
"The cake is ready. Cerridwen will bring it out. You sit, I'll change Nyx." she offered and took Nyx from her. Azriel looked around to make sure he was out of view. He quickly vanished from there, and within minutes, appeared at Nyx's bedroom door. He found Elain changing Nyx while telling him about all the gifts he was going to get. Seeing her with Nyx did something to Azriel because, without thinking, he strode over to her and pressed his front to her back. Elain stopped what she was doing. He could sense her heartbeat getting louder, faster. "Azriel," she murmured between clenched teeth. A wave of pleasure went through his body, his cock instantly betraying him. But he didn't care and Elain didn't make an effort to move. She stayed still for a second before pushing her ass to his throbbing cock. Fuck, she was going to be the death of him. "Please," she pleaded. Chuckling at her obvious loss of restraint, Azriel whispered to her, "I came to help."
"Yeah? This is your way of helping?" she choked on her words, still unmoved. Azriel took a step back from her and smiled. "Come here," he said to Nyx and helped her change him. When they were all done, she smiled at him and he brushed her cheeks with his own "See you downstairs El." and before she could say anything, he whisked away.
Azriel sneaked back into his spot. A few minutes later, Elain come down with Nyx and everyone gathered around him in the main living room. Cerridwen had placed the cake in the center of the room, and everyone stood around singing and cheering on little Nyx to cut his cake. Azriel's gaze was locked on Elain. After several seconds, she met his gaze. Azriel let his want for her show for the very first time without any worry. His gaze dark and full of desire. Azriel saw Elain's throat bob. It took everything in him to stop himself from walking over to her. Without breaking eye contact, Azriel took a sip of his drink before placing a kiss on the glass and putting it down. He then moved away from the seated drink and strode to stand beside Rhysand, watching Feyre feed Cassian cake. When he looked back to where he sat his drink, Elain had already found her way there. She picked up the glass, kissed the same spot he had, and drank the remaining of his drink before sitting it back down. Azriel was getting dizzy from the pressure that was building between his thighs, but he kept staring her down, his vision going blurry. They had spent the next hour giving Feyre their gifts for Nyx. Azriel caught Elain, glancing at him between conversations. She was such a tease. Azriel was still wrapping his head around everything, but he needed her now, with him, alone.
Somewhere across the room, Cassian played music, shaking Azriel from his thoughts.
"Dance time!" Mor shouted, pulling Elain and Feyre with her. Everyone danced around while Azriel stood still, watching only her. Cassian had pulled Azriel to the dance floor minutes after, knowing damn well he would never dance. Usually, he would just walk away, but he stood there, near her, just smiling at his family and this woman who was everything he didn't deserve but wanted anyway. She had brushed his pinky with hers several times and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it before he pinned her to the nearest wall and marked her for himself. Azriel was losing his damn mind because this was the third time he was risking making himself Cassian's laughingstock, but he didn't care. He needed to tell her, so he slowly brushed his hand to Elain's thigh and pulled her back against himself. He prayed no one would notice, "I hope you know what you're doing to me because once we go down this road, you will be mine to have. Forever." He whispered to her, before kissing the tip of her ear and vanishing.