Chapter 570
Lucien had known that Elain was his. He had known that she had no interest in anyone else, but hearing her tell him that she would not share him or this, their connection, and their time with one another, with anyone else heated his blood. Possessiveness that he was now becoming used to and familiar with coursed though him and he was unable to help gripping his mate tightly by the hips. He liked the small sound of appreciation that she made as he did so, and he lifted his head to grin at her.
"I do not intend to share you either, Petal."
"We'd have a problem if you did." She replied, and Lucien tried to resist the urge to lick her cheek. Trying to compromise with himself, he lowered his lips to press a soft kiss to her cheekbone, but found he licked her anyway. Elain's hand gripped his shoulder tightly and he felt the other return to his hair.
"Definitely all mine." He murmured, and Elain's hand tightened in his hair.
"That is the promise we made." She breathed, and Lucien pressed his face into her throat, breathing her scent deep.
"Yes…" he replied, moving carefully, rhythmically, "Yes… it is…" He enjoyed the way that Elain held on to him. She always had, when they had done this. The way she clutched at him, gripping him tightly made him feel just how much she trusted him. She had known, right from their first time together in the Glade in the Spring Court that he could have easily destroyed her, that she was making herself vulnerable to him. She had trusted him anyway. The way he had trusted her. Lucien had still not let anyone else so much as look closely at his scar let alone touch it. He had shown Elain the most vulnerable part of himself, and the Bond had seen fit to show her the rest. She could have hurt him just as easily as he could have hurt her, not that he ever would. They trusted one another, more than he had thought it would ever be possible to trust another being. He had waited his whole life for this, and it was more than he had dreamed of.
Bringing one hand up to Elain's face, Lucien traced his fingers down her jaw to her throat and then down to the garnet necklace he had given her in the Autumn Court. He'd left it in his room when he'd fled his father's Court, not thinking he would need it after Jesminda had been killed. It had weighed on his mind though, and he had often thought of it when he had sat dreaming in the Glade in the Spring Court over the years. He had been able to picture it so clearly in his head, remembering every detail of the design he'd had crafted. Now, he could not imagine anyone other than Elain wearing it. The piece suited her perfectly, and he was beyond pleased that he didn't think he had seen her without it since he had put it on her.
"I never take it off…" Elain breathed, as if she had somehow read his thoughts down the bond. Or, he figured, maybe he had seen her looking at the necklace, as her dark eyes followed his face now.
"Good…" He felt as if the necklace somehow marked his mate, as if others would see it on her and know that she was his. He didn't know if that were possible, but he liked the thought. The design and colouring of the necklace were distinctly Autumn Court, and he supposed that here in the Day Court it would make sense that the sight of it would allude to him.
Elain's fingers against Lucien's cheek brought his attention back to her face and her dark eyes watched him with some kind of knowing look about them. "All yours, love…"