She was too polite to send him away on a normal day. She just ignored him or barely spoke to him until he got the hint and left.

Elain under that male body, now turning her head Lucien’s way, pleasure still flushing her cheeks, breasts he’d never seen, peaked and gleaming, where the male had been suckling on them— Azriel was in his mate’s bed, naked. And Elain was naked too.

He didn’t love her, certainly not yet, but he was at least open to the idea of it. It had been two years, and she hadn’t smiled at him once. Had exchanged barely more than a dozen words with him.

He’d spent dinner wondering if Elain’s screams at the temple had been from seeing a vision of herself chained to him forever.

And he must have seen, with perfect clarity, every trace of joy vanish from Elain’s face. Seen the radiant smile—and how fast it withered upon seeing him. Lucien said nothing. He remained still, as if waiting for her to scream at him to leave, to go to hell.

#elucienweek2022 #foxboylove🦊

She did not love him, want him, need him.

“But he is a good male. He cares for you.” “He doesn’t know me.” “You don’t give him the chance to even try to do so.” Her mouth tightened, the only sign of anger in her graceful countenance.

“He brought you a present.” Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I’d ever seen them. “And that entitles him to my time, my affections?”

Just because Lucien was her mate didn’t mean he had a claim on her time. Her affection. She was her own person, capable of making her own choices.

The thorns had broken off in her skin, leaving sharp splinters that I’d had to pull free. I didn’t dare mention that if she had been wearing the enchanted gloves Lucien had gotten her last Solstice, nothing would have pierced them at all.

“Lucien, from my sister’s stories.” “Yes.” But Elain blinked slowly. “You were in Hybern.” “Yes.” It was all he could say. “You betrayed us.”

Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian, about as far from Lucien as she could get.

“You couldn’t say a single word to him? A pleasant greeting?” Elain only stared at the steaming kettle as she set it on the stone counter.

He shook off my grip and headed for the door. "I can’t stand to be in the same room as her for more than two minutes."

Elain had been… thrown at him.

“You’re welcome to stay for the night,” I said, since Elain certainly wasn’t going to. Lucien lowered his hands into his lap and leaned back in the armchair. “Thank you, but I have other plans.” I prayed he didn’t catch the slightly relieved glimmer on Elain’s face.

“You are his mate. Do you even know what that means?” “It means nothing,” Elain said, her voice breaking. “It means nothing. I don’t care who decided it or why they did—” “You belong to him.” “I belong to no one.”

“Give her time to accept it.” “To accept a life shackled to me?” My nostrils flared. “That’s not what I meant.” “She wants nothing to do with me.”