Chapter 19

As the sun set the next day, Elain slowly packed up her supplies out in the garden. She had successfully put together about a dozen images of various flowers from around the Spring Court gardens and had collected a handful of information on each. It would be a good amount for what she wanted from each court, and she felt a solid sense of accomplishment. She had also managed to successfully avoid Lucien all day, not sure she would be able to face him after last night. What if he had felt her though the bond as she had felt him? What if he knew what she had done after she had awoken from that dream? So what if it was the same thing he had done? It had been his dream, and that was entirely different.

If he had felt her, if he knew, Elain didn't know how she would respond to him. So, she had eaten breakfast quickly, and then headed out into the garden to work on her illustrations. She knew that he was going to sit down with Tamlin to do what Rhys had sent him here to do, so that had given them both something to keep them occupied during the day, and she had not seen him since. Now, the sun was setting and she wouldn't be able to do anything further outside. She had to go back in.

Having put her things up in her room, and having bathed quickly, Elain made her way down to the dining room, knowing that she would find both Lucien and Tamlin there as dinner was about to be served. Upon entering the room, Elain discovered that Lucien sat alone at the table. Her step faltered as she approached the table, and he gave her a broad smile. "You've been busy today," he said, "I saw you out in the garden working away…"

"Yeah," Elain tried not to picture running her hands through that hair as she sank into her seat. "How did it go with Tamlin?"

"Better than expected."

"Where is he?"

"Changing upstairs, I suppose."

Lucien's heartbeat quickened and Elain glanced up to find him looking at her. He knew something was going on, she could feel it. He was watching her too closely, those eyes moving over her as if assessing, but then she wondered if he was simply recalling his dream from the previous night. As soon as she had the thought, images of it came back to her. She could see herself wrapped around him, her hands clutching at his back, his broad shoulders, as he moved over her. Swallowing thickly, Elain reached for the water on the table, willing herself to keep her face neutral, not to let her thoughts show.

Leaning back in his chair, Lucien watched Elain. She wasn't looking at him, and was clearly doing it deliberately. He tried again to engage her, "Did you accomplish what you wanted outside?"

"Yes, I think so." Again, she glanced quickly at him, but then looked away. Why?

For a second, Lucien wondered if someone had told her about Ianthe. Hurt washed through him, before he forced it down. Tamlin had said he wouldn't tell her, and Lucien believed he would stick to his word. It was unlikely anyone else would have thought to tell her, either. Watching her, he tried to work out what was wrong. What had he done? They hadn't really spoken much after returning from the glade yesterday, and he wondered again if he shouldn't have kissed her. He didn't want to believe that. Everything about that kiss had felt so unbelievably and irrevocably right. He'd felt it in his bones, and he had hoped that she had too. Maybe she hadn't. Maybe she had not been as affected by it as he had been.

Lucien bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about how affected he had been by it. He had no doubt that the kiss had been what had sparked that dream he'd had last night. His eyes went back to Elain, roving over her as he thought about the way she had responded to his kiss in that dream. She had wanted him so completely, she had called him 'mate'. Something within him began to howl with desire and Lucien clenched his hands, trying to keep it leashed. When he noticed Elain glance at him before looking back to her cup he tilted his head. There was a light blush staining her cheeks and he wondered what she was thinking about. Reaching for the bond, he tried to glean anything he could. She looked at him, clearly startled, and clearly having felt him trying to read her. Lucien gave her one of his best courtly smiles and she blushed darker.

Had she somehow read him when he'd tried to read her? Lucien's eyes widened. Had she seen the dream? Instantly, he knew that she had. She had seen it last night, and she had been avoiding him all day because of it. Panicking slightly, Lucien tried to work out what to say. Running a hand over his face, he glanced again at her. "Elain…?"

"Mhm?" She was fiddling with the cutlery on the table before her.

"…did… you… see…?"

"Yes." She finally met his eyes for longer than a second, the colour high on her cheeks now. Pausing, Lucien tried to work out what exactly she had seen. If he had somehow sent the dream to her down the bond while asleep, then it should have stopped when he'd awoken. There was no reason to assume that she had seen what he had done afterwards, when he had awoken harder than he had ever been, and had decided to take matters into his own hands. With the images from his dream fresh in his mind, it hadn't taken him long to stroke himself to relief, Elain's name on his lips when he'd climaxed.

"…what… did you see?" he asked softly, sure he was probably blushing now himself.

"Just the dream." Elain replied quickly. Too quickly. Lucien's metallic eye clicked as he focused on her face. She was still looking at him, which he supposed was promising.

"Just the dream…" he repeated and she nodded, her eyes moved over his own face before flicking away and Lucien remembered that she could hear his heartbeat. She didn't need to have seen what he had done after he had awoken, because she would have heard his heart. He thought about the way his blood had pounded in his ears, and knew that she definitely would have noticed that thundering noise. She most certainly knew what he had done.

A moment later, Lucien remembered the sounds he had heard from her room. He had thought at the time that she must have had an unpleasant dream, he'd supposed something to do with Hybern, and he had not gone to check because he hadn't wanted her to know what he had just been doing. He had listened for a while, intending to cross the hall if he heard anything further, but he had not and he had assumed that she was fine and was asleep. Now, he suspected that those sounds had not been because of a bad dream. As they stared at one another, Lucien tried again to reach her mind. She had known what he'd been doing, and now he was pretty certain that she had done the same. Something deep within him was rejoicing that she had been so affected by that dream, and he gave her a lazy smirk. The moment she realised that he had figured it out was evident on her face and she picked up her cup again, going to take a small sip, but then realised that it was empty and she put it down again quickly.

"Well, Petal…" he murmured, "Isn't that interesting…"

Elain gave a small whine and stared at the table. Lucien chuckled softly and then looked toward the door when Tamlin walked in.

Elain wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. He had figured it out. He knew. Perhaps he had heard her after all. She was almost thankful when Tamlin arrived, because Lucien stopped grinning at her and looked toward the High Lord.

She tried to listen to their conversation, but focused mainly on keeping her breath slow and even and willing the rush of blood to leave her face because Tamlin kept giving her questioning looks and Lucien kept smiling at her. Eventually, something Tamlin said caught her attention.

"You received a message today?"

"Yes." Lucien replied softly. "Rhys said that Eris has sent him word. They are ready for us to go the Autumn Court…"

"Are you done here?" Tamlin asked, and Elain noted his green eyes remained fixed upon Lucien.

"Well, I have everything I needed…" Lucien turned his eyes on Elain, "But we had more than one job. Have you got what you were after, Petal?"

Elain nodded, watching as he nodded slowly, his face that careful neutral mask he sometimes wore. Tamlin was still looking at him and Elain realised that the blond cared. Tamlin could clearly tell that Lucien was less than eager to go to the Autumn Court and was evidently watching for his reaction. She hoped that Lucien had noticed the same thing. "…when will we go?" Elain asked after a moment. Both of Lucien's eyes fixed on her again, his russet eye dark with a mixture of emotions she couldn't began to identify.

"Tomorrow, I suppose."

Author's Note:

Let me know what you're thinking...?