Chapter 427
With her eyes closed, Elain listened to her own heartbeat thundering in her ears, her blood pounding its way through her body so forcefully she was convinced she could feel it moving. She smiled lazily when she realised that Lucien's heart was beating in sync with her own, and she opened her eyes to look for his. That smirk was still there, as it had been moments before, and she watched him move carefully up over her, feline grace in every movement he made.
When he settled beside her, Elain turned her head to be able to look at him, wondering if he knew that their hearts were still beating in sync. Russet and gold eyes moved over her face and then one of her mate's gentle hands came up to her cheek. "Let me know when you're ready for more, Petal…"
Curling toward him, Elain brought one of her own hands to his shoulder. Lucien's ruby hair was shining beautifully in the firelight, the flickering shadows making the colours appear to shift like molten metal. That same light glinted off of his metallic eye, and Elain's breath just about caught as she looked at him. He was utterly stunning. "Beautiful Mate…" she breathed, and he raised an eyebrow. Unable to help running her fingers over his skin, Elain smiled at him. He was watching her with interest, and she traced those fingers up over his shoulder, up his throat and to his cheek.
Tracing the scar that ran the left side of his face, Elain leaned into him, pressing her lips to his. "I am so thankful that you are my mate." She told him, even as one of his arms snaked around her wait to pull her closer, "So thankful that my mate is kind and clever…" she kissed him again, "That your first concern is not always yourself. You think of others, and that is wonderful to watch." She met his eyes then, "Watching you after dinner as you spoke to all those faeries around the Court was lovely. Your compassion is…" Elain slid her fingers into his hair, wanting him to feel her reaction to who and what he was. She gripped the bond in her mind, grasped that golden thread tightly and wrapped it around the both of them, binding them together in it. Lucien made a small sound of surprise, but then he had pulled her flush against himself, and Elain pressed her face into his hair as he held her. "I am so glad that I get to be the one to love you…" She murmured, shuddering as he felt him press a kiss to her bare shoulder, "I get to be the one to make sure that you feel loved, and that nobody gets to hurt you ever again…" She would make sure that he never felt unwanted or barely tolerated or forgotten or anything else that had been done to him in the past.
A soft sound came from Lucien that suggested he had wanted to make some kind of reply to her claim, but then his lips had moved from her shoulder to her own, and Elain opened to that kiss eagerly. Bringing one leg up to hook around her mate's waist, she half lifted herself to him. Lucien's large hands were gentle on her as one cupped her cheek, and the other slid to her ribs, caressing and stroking as he pressed closer. Elain found herself rocking toward him, her hips tilting as she tried to get more contact between them as she opened her mouth to Lucien's kiss, groaning softly when his clever tongue swept her mouth, licking and teasing. She was burning and the only thing that would save her was her mate.
"Lucien…" Elain breathed when he broke the kiss to drag his lips down her throat, teeth scraping at the sensitive skin there.
"Mmm…" the sound was hummed against her throat, and Elain shivered.
"I… I… need…" She didn't know what she wanted to say as his hand slid down over her ribs. It continued its trail past her hip and then was gliding down the thigh she had slung over him.
"Yes…?" he asked, a slight growl behind the carefully constructed word. Lips pressed again to Elain's throat and her eyes closed.
"I…"
Lucien's hand traced up her leg, thumb along the soft skin of her inner thigh, and any and all thoughts that Elain had managed to gather fled. "Yes…?" he asked, again, feigning innocence.
Her hips moved without her consent, and Elain bit her lip, trying to force her brain into action. Lucien's hand went between her legs, stroking her carefully, and Elain's breathing turned ragged. Her hips moved again, trying to get more of him. "Put your fingers in me…" the words were nearly gasped, but Lucien had understood and did not hesitate a moment before he complied with that instruction. "Ah!" Elain gripped her mate, one hand in his hair, the other at his shoulder as he pushed a finger inside of her. "Ah!" her eyes closed when a second joined the first, and he began thrusting them into her with a smooth rhythm that sent shivers of pleasure travelling right up Elain's spine.