Chapter 222

On her back, Elain let her gaze travel over the top of the four poster bed, taking in the oranges and reds. Her breath was coming more and more quickly as Lucien's hands traced over her, his fingers brushing against her skin in the lightest way, sending shivers over her body. The wooden posts of the bed were carved to look like the trunks and branches of the trees and the red and orange curtains appeared to be leaves. The room was beautiful, and Elain understood why Lucien seemed to have attempted to somewhat recreate it in his space at the Spring Court. This was where he had grown up, where he had been formed into who and what he was.

When Lucien got Elain's dress off enough to pull it from her and toss away, she gave a small sigh, stretching out across the dark brown bedspread. He was on her again in an instant, hands ghosting over her skin once more as he bent his head to press a kiss to her lips. She smiled into that kiss, meeting his eyes for an instant before he began to move down her body. Elain's breath caught in her throat at the look in Lucien's eyes and on his face. She could feel the possessiveness coming off of him in waves.

"Are you okay?" she breathed, wondering what had sparked this in him. The smirk he gave her set her blood alight an instant later, and she gasped when he lowered his lips to her stomach. Elain went to touch him, lifting a hand to his vibrant hair, but Lucien took hold of both of her wrists and held them firmly to the bedspread. Unable to move, Elain arched her back when she felt Lucien's hot tongue on her skin "Ugh… Lucien…" He didn't reply, only moving lower over her, his hands still firm around her wrists. Letting out a small whine, Elain closed her eyes when Lucien's tongue traced up the inside of one of her thighs.

When he released her wrists, Elain's arms flung out wide and she gripped the heavy bedspread, able to feel the golden thread of the embellished leaves. Lucien's hands went to her thighs and he slid them down and around beneath her, lifting her slightly and Elain felt her heart quicken again when those hands then moved down her thighs once more, holding her open. "Lucien…" she breathed, then letting out a small squeal when he gripped her thighs tightly and his hot mouth descended on her. "Lucien! Oh!" Letting out another shriek, Elain gripped the bedspread tightly, her back arching again while Lucien held her thighs wide as his tongue licked at her again and again. "Fuck…" Suddenly he pushed his tongue into her, and Elain gave a wordless cry. Her back arched off of the bed, and Lucien clutched at her, holding her firmly so that she couldn't get away as he continued exactly what he had been doing with his tongue. Tremors shook her and she clenched handfuls of the bedspread, trying to keep still as her body jerked and her hips lifted from the bed again and again, "Fuck… Fuck… oh…"

Before she had reached her edge, Lucien lifted his head and released her thighs. Elain lay panting and trying to catch her breath as he moved up over her body once more, his lips tracing her skin lightly as he went. She gave a soft groan when she felt his hot kiss at her throat and his weight settled over her. One of Lucien's hands went into her hair and an instant later he had taken hold of a handful of her hair, gripping tightly. "Do you want me?" his words were growled into Elain's ear, and heat flushed through her.

"Yes…" she panted, her legs opening for him again as he rocked against her, "Oh… yes…" Hooking one of her feet behind Lucien's knee, Elain tried to lift herself to meet him more completely, but his free hand was on her hip, holding her pinned to the mattress. He lifted his head then, bringing his lips from her throat to her chin and cheek and then her nose. Lucien met her eyes then, and Elain gasped at the possessive look there. His hand tightened in her hair, and the other at her hip, and Elain gasped again when he used one of his knees to push her legs further apart. Again, she wondered what had done this to him. He hadn't been like this before they had entered his old room and, as her eyes swept the room again, Elain wondered if it was being in here. Was it something to do with being in this place?

Reaching for the bond, Elain tried to read what she felt swirling around inside of Lucien. He wanted her. She could feel that. Something deep within him was driving him to have her, to possess her. Here. In this room. On this bed. "Lucien…" she whispered, and he pressed his lips to hers, scorching and demanding as she parted her lips for him. "Mmm…" She could feel him pressed against her, hot and ready, and Elain tried again to lift her hips to him. It was being in this room that had had this effect on him, she realised. This was his space. The space that had been only his, where he had grown and become who he was, and now that he was back in here, he wanted to have his mate on his bed. "Lucien…" she breathed, eyes closed as his lips moved back down her throat, "Have you had anyone else up here?" She wanted to ask about Jesminda, but didn't want to say his old lover's name, not in this place and in this moment.

"No…" his breath was hot in the hollow of her throat, and Elain just nodded by way of acknowledgement. He lifted his head once more to meet her eyes, and Elain's breath caught once more at the fire within. "Only my mate…"

Sliding one hand down Lucien's back, Elain brought the other around to his cheek, holding his gaze as he looked down at her. Recalling how he had been possessive of her in his room in the Spring Court, Elain understood why he would be more so here. He had lived here longer, and this place had been a part of his formation. It made sense that the drive to have her here would be stronger and more primal. "Mate…" she whispered, "I am here… Have me…"

A slight growl was the only response that Lucien gave before his hand on her hip gripped her more tightly, and Elain gave a low groan as he pushed himself completely inside of her with one fluid movement. The hand that had been at Lucien's cheek slipped down to his shoulder and Elain clutched at him as he began to thrust steadily into her. "Uh… Uh… Yes…"

"Is that okay?" he asked, voice barely more than a whisper, and Elain nodded quickly. "Good…" his hand from her hip moved down to hook behind one of her knees, and Elain groaned again when he lifted that knee up over his elbow, increasing the pace of his thrusting as he did so, his other hand still tight in her hair.

"Lucien…" Elain could do nothing more than pant his name, unable to so much as move, as her mate held her in place, grunting with his own efforts as he thrust into her body again and again. "Lucien…"

"Yes, Petal…" his voice sounded rough, but he held Elain's eyes as he moved over her, hand gripping her hair even more tightly now. A moment later, he'd used that hold on her hair to pull her head to one side, exposing much of her throat to him, and then his hot mouth was on that sensitive skin. Elain shuddered as she felt his teeth graze her throat, and her eyes closed as his thrusting into her became more and more erratic. She could tell he was nearing his own edge, and the thought sent heat and desire coiling through her own body. She whimpered as she felt herself tumbling toward that bliss, and Lucien just continued exactly what he had been doing, pushing her closer and closer. "Elain…"

"Mmmm…."

"Elain…"

"Ah!" Her hips were moving of their own accord now, lifting to meet Lucien's steady rhythm, and she clutched at him more tightly, "Ahh…" she whimpered, scratching at his back, eyes squeezed shut, "Ahh!"

They were moving in sync, holding tightly to one another, breath mingling together and breathing one another in when Elain reached her edge and fell with a shriek. She pressed her face into Lucien's shoulder, her teeth sinking into his skin as she shook, and she felt him holding her tightly, pulling on her hair when he gave a cry of his own and followed her off of that edge.