Chapter 98

A gasp of surprise escaped Elain when her back hit the bedcovers. Pushing herself further up the bed, she watched Lucien as he moved toward her, crawling over her, his eyes locked onto hers. When his wet skin met hers, Elain gasped again, her hands sliding across his shoulders as he pressed himself to her. He adjusted himself over her, and Elain felt both of his large hands move down her sides to her thighs, where he gripped her tightly. Allowing him to settle between her legs as he pulled them apart, Elain slid one of her hands up into Lucien's damp hair at the back of his neck, holding his gaze and watching his expression as she felt him tighten his grip on her thighs, holding her open.

There was no question in his eyes, no moment of hesitation, before he pushed into her in one fluid stroke. Elain clutched at him, her eyes still meeting his as she opened her mouth to gasp, but no sound came out. Lucien withdrew and thrust again, his hands still holding her thighs firmly and his eyes never leaving hers. This time a small sound escaped Elain and her hands slid over his broad back, her fingers tracing the strong muscles moving beneath his skin. The look in his eyes was possessive and, as he released her thighs and instead took hold of her shoulders, his hands were possessive. Elain clung to him, managing to hook her legs around behind him before he thrust again. One of his hands went up into her hair where he took a firm grip, grunting as he continued his movement, his rhythm fast and smooth.

Within moments, Elain was breathless. She could feel the desire driving him, knew what he was doing when his hand slid from her shoulder down her arm where he took hold of her wrist before bringing it up above her head and pinning it to the bed covers. She knew why he began to growl, deep within himself, as his hands tightened on her and he pushed harder. The one hand she still had on him, she kept gentle and slid to the back of his neck. He was panting then and finally broke eye contact to lower his head and press his face into her hair, his breath hot on her throat as he maintained his rhythm.

Trying to bite back her own soft whimpering, Elain listened to Lucien's insistent growl as she moved her fingers through his hair, stroking the back of his neck. She felt his own hand move through her hair until he lay his hand gently against her head and his growl seemed to deepen. She noticed then, when his growl seemed to change and, a few moment later, she realised that it had become a word. Over and over Lucien was repeating the same word, growling it, panting it, into her ear with each thrust he made into her body. "Mine… Mine… Mine…"

Heat flared directly between Elain's legs, and she felt herself become even more wet at that claim. "I am…" she breathed, twisting her fingers into his hair again. The hand he had been using to pin her wrist above her head slid back down to clutch at one of her breasts and Elain's eyes closed. She knew that he was tracing every part of her that Tallan had touched, claiming it again for himself, and she tightened herself around him in response.

"Mine… Mine…"

"Yes." Elain tilted her head back, arching a little beneath him, and Lucien's lips went immediately to her exposed throat. "Ah…"

He licked at her and Elain shuddered a little when she felt his teeth scrape against her skin. His fingertips skimmed down the side of her face and quickly down her body before she felt his hand slide down her thigh, hooking behind one of her knees and hoisting it higher around himself. Russet and gold eyes met hers again when Lucien lifted his head to look at her. "Tell me you're mine…" he panted, and Elain slid her hand around to his cheek, meeting his gaze as his stunning hair fell over her in a sheer curtain. She brushed it aside, tucking it back behind his ear as she nodded.

"Yes…" she breathed, her fingers tracing his scar again. She had told him that she wanted this, knowing exactly what he had wanted to do. She had known that he wanted to claim her as his own, and she wanted to be his. He made her feel safe, and being his made her feel safe. "I am yours…"

"Only me…" he breathed, kissing her then and Elain tightened her legs around him.

"Yes…" She murmured into the kiss, one of her hands going again to his back, tracing the hard muscle she felt there. "Only you…" She felt the effect those words had on him when relief began to meet her down the bond. The soft growl that had been coming out of him faded and his lips curved into a smile as he continued to move over her, his eyes seemingly trying to take in every detail of her face.

"I can feel that you are…" he whispered, "Mine…"

"I am." This went two ways however. "And you're mine…" Lucien's grin twisted and his fingers trailed up her thigh, stroking her skin as he thrust into her again. Elain gasped, her hand clutching at his shoulder.

"Most certainly…" his eyes moved over her face, "So what would you have from me…?"

"Everything."

Lucien's metallic eye whirred as he looked at her and, after a moment, he nodded. Elain felt the bond tugging at her and she tried lifting her hips to meet each of Lucien's thrusts when his hands tightened on her again. "All… yours…" he breathed, watching her. Elain's hands found their way back into his hair, and she tugged him down to kiss him, groaning when he rolled his hips, pushing deeper into her. Breaking the kiss, Elain gasped, her hands clenching in his hair.

Pressing her lips to his shoulder, she tried to focus on breathing. Lucien's hands had become possessive on her again, but in a way that was different than earlier. His touch now indicated that he knew he could, and a level of comfort with which someone touched their own body, and it made Elain burn. He had well and truly claimed her, and she wanted to do the same. Without thinking, Elain sank her teeth into Lucien's shoulder, eliciting a surprised grunt from him.

"Ah, Petal…" his tone was questioning as his lips moved against her throat and Elain turned her head to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Mine." She grinned.

His hand went to her throat then, and she heard him chuckle. "If that's how you want to play it…"

"Yes…" She lifted one of her hands to his face again, but he caught it with his own and laced his fingers through hers before pinning it beside her head. She just looked up at him, watching as he surveyed her, a smile twisting his lips again. Then, with one hand at her throat, and the other pinning her own hand by her head, Lucien began to move more quickly.

He wasn't gentle but he was thorough and, before long, Elain could hear herself letting out one loud cry after another. Her free hand clutched at Lucien's back as she alternated between scratching at him while calling his name, and softly murmuring encouragement for him to keep going. When she managed to bite back her next cry, she could hear Lucien's breathing shift, and a low groan escaped him.

Smoothing her hand more gently over his back, Elain felt him press his lips to her throat, grunting as he quickened his pace.

"Lucien…" All she had been able to manage was a breathy whimper, and Lucien released his hold on her to clench, instead, handfuls of the bedspread. As he moved over her, Elain felt heat flush through her when he shifted his angle. She knew she didn't want to wait until they returned to the Night Court to accept the bond. She had realised that when Lucien's brothers had attacked them, and she knew it now. She did not want something else to happen to them, and to never have properly been Lucien's mate. She wanted them to belong to each other as fully, as completely as they were able. "Look at me…" she gasped, sliding her hand up Lucien's arm to his shoulder, "Look at me…"

The moment Lucien's russet and gold eyes met hers, Elain felt the tug of the bond again. When he brought one of his hands gently to her cheek, holding her eyes as he continued to move over her, inside of her, Elain felt herself inching toward her edge. She whimpered softly and his fingers traced her cheekbone before he shifted his hips again and Elain fell with a loud cry. She allowed herself a scream as she came, harder than she ever had before, only vaguely aware that Lucien kept going until he followed her several moments later.

By the time she could think again, Elain found herself curled around Lucien. He lay beside her, one arm around her waist while she rested her cheek against his shoulder. Bringing her hand up, she traced her fingers across the red bitemark she had given him, looking up when he glanced at her. "Sorry…" she murmured, "Does it hurt?"

Lucien gave her a lazy arrogant smile. "No…" he shook his head, "Besides," he smirked, "as I am yours, you can do as you wish with me…"

Elain made a face at him. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Relax, Petal." He tapped a finger to the tip of her nose. "It doesn't hurt." She watched as he looked down at it again, "And I kind of like it…"

"Why?"

His eyes flicked up to meet hers again, that metallic eye clicking and whirring. "It's proof that I'm yours."

Smiling, Elain looked again at the bitemark. It was, she thought, a perfect indicator that she had claimed him for her own. Running her finger over it again, she nodded. "Good…" she murmured, "Let me know when it fades so I can give you a new one."

Lucien chuckled again, pulling her tighter into himself and flipping one side of the bedspread over them. "I'll be sure to do that."