Chapter 221

Lucien's fingers brushed across the garnet necklace Elain wore, and she looked up to meet his eyes. It had been a while since she had seen such heat there as he held her gaze, his other hand firm against her lower back as they continued to move to the music still swirling around the hall. Faeries moved around them, all dancing and swaying, and Elain barely even noticed them.

"I wish we were not in a room full of others…" Lucien's voice was low, and Elain could hear a rough edge to it which suggested he was trying to contain something.

"As do I, love."

"Ah…" His fingers moved across the necklace again, and Elain couldn't look away from his searing gaze. "I love this on you." He murmured, "It truly looks as if it were made for you…" he smiled then, and Elain's heart did a little flutter, "It was made for my mate… so I suppose it was… but it seems as if it were made with you in mind. It suits you."

"Oh…" Elain lifted one of her own hands, bringing it up to rest against Lucien's where it sat against the garnet. "It is actually something I would have chosen for myself."

"How perfect." Lucien smiled, and he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, "Doesn't this just prove, yet again, how perfect you are for me?"

"Yes…" Elain went up on her toes, wrapping both of her arms around Lucien's neck. She had a sudden thought then and she smiled at him, "Would you show me your old room again?"

"If you like…"

"Yes…" Elain thought about the last time she had seen it. It had also been the first time. Lucien had taken her up to his old room, from when he had used to live in the Autumn Court during their first visit here. That had been where he had found the Garnet necklace hidden where he had left it all those years ago. She had also had several visions of Lucien as a youngling as he had grown and changed, and then eventually left the Court. That had been when she had first kissed him of her own accord. She would, Elain decided, like to visit it again.

Lucien's eyes lifted then, and she watched him sweep the room with his gaze. Then, he looked back down to her, his hand pulling her closer with a hand at her back. "Do you want to do it tonight?"

"Now?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Things are wrapping up here…"

"True." Elain flicked her own eyes around the room. Cassian and Nesta were gone, as were Eris and Nera. She hadn't seen Ashk or Helion, but she was pretty certain that she knew what they would be doing. "Let's go, then."

Elain held tightly to Lucien's hand as he led her through the house and up toward his old bedroom. When he pushed the door open and let her in, Elain looked around and came to the conclusion that nobody had been in here since the last time they had closed the door. Lucien had followed Elain into the room, and she felt him hot at her back when he reached her. Both of his hands came to rest on Elain's waist and she leaned back into him, smiling when he bent to press a kiss to the side of her throat. "Who would have thought that I'd one day have my mate up in here like this…?"

"Surely you did." Elain replied, "That's why you had this made…" She touched the Garnet necklace.

"Perhaps some part of me knew." He used his grip on her hips to turn her around, and Elain wrapped her arms around him once more. "Just like those daydreams I used to have… that must be why it's so very suited to you." His lips brushed her forehead, and Elain tilted her head back to allow him access to her lips. Lucien pulled her more tightly to himself, and then sought to deepen the kiss and Elain parted her lips for him almost instantly. Lucien groaned as he pushed forward, his hands tightening on her, pulling her against himself, as he moved closer. After a moment or two of that, Elain felt the wooden frame of the bed hit the back of her knees, and she lost her balance more a moment before recollecting it just as Lucien pushed her a little further.

She ended up on her back on Lucien's old bed, and then he was kneeling over her, his hands pulling at her dress. Elain's heartbeat escalated quite quickly, and she could hear Lucien's in her head doing just the same thing. "Is this what you want?" she asked, him, although she could feel that it was.

"Yes…" his response was panted, and the sound went straight between Elain's legs. She drew one deep breath after another, trying to get herself to a point where breathing was east, but then Lucien's hands were on her again and she gave a breathy moan, unable to hold it in any longer.