Chapter 175

As Lucien moved over her, Elain lay back against the pillows. His eyes held hers, and she couldn't so much as glance away, watching him as he approached. Lifting her head then, just a little, she met him in a searing kiss and every nerve in her body felt electrified. She could feel the power behind him, and within him, as his hands moved over her, practically trailing fire, and Elain tried to wrap her arms around him, wanting him closer. Unable to move however, Elain realised that Lucien's hands had encircled her wrists and he held them pinned to the pillow by her head.

When he broke the kiss to trail his lips across her cheek and down to her throat, Elain lifted her head a little. She swore that she could still feel his hands moving over her, leaving a hot trail of skin in their wake. Her eyes moves across what she could see of her side, her brain telling her that she should be able to see Lucien's hand moving there, because she could certainly feel it, but there was no hand, and he currently held both of hers pinned with both of his own.

"Lucien…" she gasped, "… how are you doing that…?" She felt his lips curl in a smirk against her throat before he licked at her with his tongue.

"Doing what?" he asked, his voice coy. One of the phantom hands moved down between her legs, and Elain gave a startled gasp.

"That!"

He chuckled then, his lips moving to her ear. "Oh, do you like that?" his actual hands pulled hers higher, above her head, and he lifted his head so that he could look at her. Elain met his eyes, taking in the fire within them and she nodded. His smile twisted slightly, and she felt those phantom hands make their way up her body again, sliding all the way up her arms to her wrists. When Lucien released her with his actual hands, the phantom hands continued to hold her pinned in place, and Elain could do nothing but watch as he moved down her body, his lips grazing her collarbone, her breast, and down her ribs and stomach. She felt his hands skim her thighs, opening them a moment before she felt his lips following those hands, kissing the sensitive skin, and drawing another gasp from her.

Lucien's eyes met Elain's again, and her breath caught in her throat as she looked down at him. "Mine…" he breathed, his lips quirking in a smile an instant before he bent to her, and Elain let her head fall back against the pillow with a cry, straining against the phantom hands holding hers pinned. Fire flooded her veins, and Elain didn't try to hold in so much as a sound when Lucien's tongue pressed into her. If his hands hadn't been holding her thighs apart, she might have wriggled away, but he was doing a fine job of keeping her in place as he worked.

"Lucien…" one of his hands caressed her thigh by way of response, but he did not stop what he had been doing, and Elain groaned his name again, "Lucien…" the intensity surrounding him deepened, and Elain chanced a look down at him again. His eyes were closed as he continued his ministrations, but then she felt another pair of phantom hands move over her. Elain shuddered as their touch slid from her hips up to caress her breasts, and her back arched as she tugged at her wrists, but still could not break free of that phantom grip. One of Lucien's real hands went up and pressed her down, holding her in place with his hand on her stomach, and she let out another cry when he licked her in just the right place. "Ahh… yes…" Her eyes closed when those phantom hands continued to caress her, one moving to her cheek, brushing her hair back from her face, just as Lucien had done a hundred times before. She didn't want phantom hands anymore, however, she wanted him. "Please…" she breathed, , "Lucien, please…"

She didn't know if it was the tone in her voice, or the words themselves, but he lifted his head to meet her eyes, and she took in the lust-filled fogginess behind his russet eye. "Petal…?" he asked, his voice thick.

"Enough…" she panted, trying to think, "Enough of this. I want you…"

Elain watched Lucien take those words in, and she saw the moment he made the decision. His hand loosened around her thigh and he sat up higher, his other hand stroking her skin gently as he gazed down at her. Trying to lift her wrists again, Elain strained against the phantom hands. "Lucien…" She watched as he crawled over her, his movements all feline grace, and she went still, evert part of her wanting to feel his touch. Knowing that he was well aware of what she wanted, Elain watched as his eyes moved over her body, and one of his hands traced a gentle finger across her ribs.

"Perfect mate…" he murmured, and Elain's pulse quickened at the sound of his voice. He smiled as if he had noticed, and Elain wanted to lift her hands to touch him, but still could not. She saw his gaze lift to where he still held her pinned beneath himself with those phantom hands, and he smiled. "Mine…"

"Oh, yes…" she breathed, feeling hot desire spiralling off of him. Lucien sank down over Elain and, in that instant, the phantom hands released her. She brought both arms down, sliding them around Lucien and pulling him tighter to herself. His lips were instantly on hers, and she opened her mouth to him, groaning when his tongue swept inside. Elain's legs went around him, one of her feet hooking behind his knee as he deepened the kiss even further, and she listened to his heart thumping in her head. She could feel him clearly down the bond, feel that he wanted her, wanted to please her. "Do it…" she whispered, "Do it…"

Lucien's hands tightened on her, and one slid up her throat, holding her in place. Elain's eyes widened as she looked up at him, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She could feel each breath he took into himself, and she could feel the fire in his blood. Carefully, Elain traced a hand up his back, coming to rest against his shoulder, her eyes never leaving his. Lucien's hand remained at her throat, and his gaze never wavered as his other hand went down between them. Elain's breath caught in her throat when she felt him press against her, and she widened her legs just a little, her back already arching in anticipation of him. There was heat in his gaze as he looked at her, and Elain watched him tilt his head. "Mine…" he murmured, hand still at her throat, and Elain nodded an instant before he pushed himself firmly into her. "Uhh…" She felt his breath on her face, and then he had rolled his hips, and Elain clutched at his shoulders.

Lucien's free hand slid down Elain's thigh, lifting her knee higher around himself as he took up a steady rhythm, and she closed her eyes, focusing on the golden thread she could see between them. The bond glowed so brightly, pulsing with light as Lucien moved inside of her, and she wrapped her arms more tightly around him. "Can you see it…?" she asked, her voice nothing more than a soft breath.

"Yes."

Elain reached for that golden thread, winding it around the two of them, binding them even more tightly together until she could feel Lucien's heartbeat within herself. She felt his pleasure at that an instant before he sat up, lifting her with him and into his lap. One of his hands remained at her throat, while the other slid around to her lower back, and Elain could feel him pulling her to himself, to meet each of his thrusts up into her. She groaned, shifting her hips, and trying to think past the fire she could feel flooding her veins. Lucien's hands were sure and steady, as was every movement he made, and Elain brought both of her hands to his face, holding it carefully so she could look at him. He met her eyes, and she listened to his panted breaths when she settled into her own rhythm moving to meet him.

The heat and intensity moving within Lucien seemed to grow with every moment, and Elain's only warning that something was about to happen was when his hand at her throat tightened slightly. Then, in an instant, she was on her back on the bedspread again and both of Lucien's hands had moved to her hips. He took a firm hold of her, just about yanking her up to meet himself, as he let out loud grunt after grunt. She clung to him, shuddering when his lips returned to her ear, "My… Mate…"

"Yes…" she whimpered, clutching at that golden thread in her mind, and making sure it was still wound around the two of them. When Lucien's teeth scraped her throat, she thought she might lose herself for a moment, and a small shriek escaped her.

"Look… at … me…" Lucien's voice held a tone of command that Elain obeyed instantly, opening her eyes to meet the intensity of his gaze. His steady rhythm increased in pace, and Elain felt herself slipping toward her own edge. She didn't fight any of the instincts coursing through her, allowing each sound to escape as Lucien moved more and more quickly. She loved that he wasn't holding anything back, that she had complete access to everything going on inside of him.

"Yes…" she groaned, "Lucien… I want all of you…"

"You can have me." He breathed, his lips against her ear, "Always."

His focus on a new angle sent shivers through Elain, and she gave another cry, her eyes closing. Heat flooded her again, and she felt Lucien's fire slide through her veins once more. As if sensing what she wanted, he focused his attentions on that one spot that made her gasp, and then she gave a scream as she came with an intensity that seemed to turn her bones to liquid.