Chapter 108

The pleasant soft sun, perfectly warm and golden, spilled through the window and across half of the bed. Elain opened her eyes with a smile, comfortable and content, able to hear Lucien's soft heartbeat as she could feel him beside her. One of his arms was still draped across her stomach and she could feel his face pressed into her shoulder. Her smile widened when she turned her head to look at him. He looked far less troubled than he usually did, and Elain couldn't help bending her head to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.

He opened his eyes then, and Elain felt bad for a moment. "Good morning, my love." She lifted a hand to smooth his vibrant hair back from his face, taking in the way that golden sunlight glimmered in his metallic eye. That eye clicked and whirred as he focused on her, and a soft smile spread across his handsome face. "I'm sorry I woke you…"

His hand lifted to her forearm, sliding down to take hold of her left hand. "Have you been awake long, Petal?"

"No." her fingers carded through his hair. "Do you feel better?" she asked, "Are you healed?"

"I am." He lifted himself to an elbow so that he could see her face better. "Good as new."

Elain freed her hand from his and moved to lift the bottom of his shirt so that she could see his skin. There was no sign of any bruising and her eyes went back to his. "That's good…" She smiled at him, noting the way that he was staring at her, as if trying to drink in every detail of her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." He replied, "I just… want… to notice everything about you…"

"Why?" Elain gave a soft laugh, "I'm right here… You can look any time you like." She leaned into him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, directly over his scar. "I was wondering," she began slowly, "About Thesan…"

"What about him?"

"What do you think he does on Calanmai?" She asked, "When he has to take all that power into himself and it makes him choose…"

"Because Aelius isn't exactly a maiden?" Lucien asked, and Elain nodded. "Well, I can't say for sure." He went on, "I've not been here for it… But I suppose he either does it, as he is the High Lord and he must… or, he might have somebody take part in the Rite for him…"

Elain looked at Lucien, unbidden images of the vision she had once had of him fucking Ianthe during the Rite flashing through her mind. His expression changed and it was clear that he knew what she had just seen. "Elain…"

Shaking her head, Elain leaned into him, pressing her lips to his. "It's okay," she breathed, "I know you're mine…"

"In every way." He followed her lips with his as she moved until he pulled her back down to kiss him again. "Want me to prove it?" he asked, and Elain smiled into his next kiss.

"How?"

"Hmm…" slowly he shifted his weight until he was pressing down on Elain and she smiled up at him. "I think I can probably figure something out…" His eyes flicked back and forth across her face as he looked down at her and Elain instinctively parted her legs, hooking one of her feet around behind Lucien's knee, "Mmmm… Like that…" his smirk was lazy and arrogant, and Elain felt heat flood her. That smirk was quickly becoming one of her favourites. She knew that she was wet and, when one of Lucien's hands slid down between her legs, his raised eyebrow told her that now he knew she was as well.

When he dipped his head, pressing his lips to her throat, Elain's eyes slid closed as both of her hands moved to his back. Quickly, she tugged the bottom of his shirt up, pulling it until he let it slip over his head before she tossed it across the room. Lucien grinned, his weight on her increasing and she hummed in appreciation when both of his hands then made their way up her body, along her ribs. He slid them carefully down her arms before taking hold of both of her wrists and bringing them up to pin firmly by her head. Opening her eyes, Elain gave a soft laugh. "What are you doing?" she asked and his only response was to lick carefully at her throat. "Ugh…" She tried to lift her hands, wanting to touch him, but he held them down, pinning her beneath himself. "Lucien…" He licked again at her throat, having found the place he knew would get the best responses from her, and Elain bit back another groan. She was practically throbbing now, wanting him to touch her, wanting to feel him inside her. "Please…"

"Not yet…" he growled, his lips moving to her ear and Elain arched, trying to get as much contact with him as she could. She gasped then when his lips went back to her throat a moment before she felt his teeth scrape against her skin.

"Lucien…" She knew she sounded like she was begging, but she didn't care. It was then she realised that he liked this. He liked to tease her, and he wanted her drenched and desperate for him. He wanted her well and truly ready for him, slick and well prepared before he went anywhere near her. And she realised that she liked it too. "Oh…" He silenced her with a kiss then, his tongue sweeping her mouth thoroughly, slowly, while he held her wrists still pinned by her head, his grip on her as firm as it had been. Elain moaned into the kiss, and wrapped her legs more tightly around him. Lucien slid both her hands up higher until he could grasp both of her wrists in one of his own large hands, and then he slid the other back down her body, so very slowly. She gasped when that hand went between her legs for just a moment, and then she felt him fiddling with his pants. "Yes…" she breathed, "Yes…"

Lucien's lips went back to her throat, kissing her gently while he maintained his tight grip on her wrists above her head. She could feel him adjusting himself over her before he pushed the hem of her nightdress further up until it bunched at her hips. "Mmm… ah…" She met Lucien's eyes then when he lifted his head just enough to meet her gaze, and she held that gaze as he shifted himself. A small whine escaped her when she felt him press himself to her, hesitating for just a moment, clearly wanting to hear her beg him. She didn't mind. "Please…" she breathed again, "I want you…"

He gave her another lazy arrogant smirk before he pushed into her, ever so deliberately. Elain gasped, still holding his gaze as she then held her breath, feeling every slow inch of him until his hips were flush against hers. "Lucien…"

"All yours…" he breathed, rolling those hips. Elain groaned and, finally, he released her wrists. Wrapping her arms around him, Elain clung to his back as he began to move, a smooth rhythm established within moments.

"I… I know…" her eyes slid closed and she held on to him, lifting her hips to meet his movements and enjoying a flush of satisfaction when she heard an appreciative groan from Lucien when he brought his lips back to her ear. His smooth rhythm continued, and Elain held on to him, wrapped around him as best as she could as the last of the anxiety and fear at possibly losing him from the day before was washed away. This was, by far, the best morning that she could remember in a very long time.