Unmated

Winter Solstice

Elain's POV

Elain didn't know whether or not she should have given Azriel his present during gift exchange. She knew Nesta would have been furious with her for it but maybe it would have made things easier.

Elain knew that everyone had gone to their rooms for the night except Azriel. She didn't know what was bothering him but it was bothering her. Recently something had been off but she cannot figure out what it is, she even asked Cassian about it.

"What is going on with him?" Elain had asked, not too many weeks ago. "Something is wrong but he won't talk to me," she felt stupid even asking. Why would he talk to her? They're just friends, she thought.

Cassian's response didn't make her feel any better, "you'll find out soon enough."

She was still wondering what that meant. Azriel was her friend, even if she did feel something more for him, she wanted him to talk to her.

Before she could lose her nerve, she silently strolled downstairs, hoping to catch him before he disappeared like he has been lately. When she was a couple of steps down the stairs, their eyes met, she was so nervous now that she was in his presence. "I forgot to give you your present earlier," she paused, gulping out of embarrassment, "here." She closed the gap between them, handing Azriel the present.

She hadn't gotten Lucien a present. That was another reason she didn't give Azriel his earlier. She knows how it hurts Lucien for her not to have feelings for him, but she doesn't. She has tried but Elain doesn't feel a connection. Not like the connection she has with Azriel. Azriel was the person who helped her cope with being fae. He was there the first time she touched a garden again after being forced into the cauldron by the king of Hybern. He helped her feel comfortable in her skin again, and in the process, she started to feel things for him that she didn't quite understand.

She watched as his big hands opened the present that she had found for him. It took her weeks to come up with the perfect gift and then find it. "You put them in your ears, they block out any sound. With Cassian and Nesta living there with you..." she trailed off. She had found these bean shaped fabrics to help block out noise and thought it perfect for Azriel. She knew he heard everything, that's why she got him headache powder last year, because of the headaches he gets from hearing everything.

Azriel chuckled while staring down at the gift. Elain thought it one of the most beautiful sounds she's heard. "I can see why you wouldn't want me to open it in front of everybody."

"Nesta wouldn't appreciate the joke," Elain was smiling now. She was glad her sister was happy, Nesta deserves it.

"I wasn't sure I should give you your present," Azriel almost whispered. Elain looked up at him. He got me a present, she thought. He pulled a velvet gift box from the shadows around him. She sucked in a small breath as he opened it. She noticed his shadows disappeared when she was around, she couldn't tell if that was a bad thing or not.

Azriel had gotten her a necklace. She lifted it from the box. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass. She noticed it made extraordinary colors when the light hit it. "It's beautiful," she whispered. Azriel's shadows took the box from his hands. "Put it on me?"

He took the necklace from her hands, their fingers brushing together. She turned her back towards him, lifting her hair up to give him access to her neck. She shivered as his fingers touched her neck, noticing he was taking his time fastening the clasp. She loved the touch of his fingers against her skin. For a long time, she thought the idea of a man touching her after Graysen was wrong but it never felt that way with Azriel. His hands were resting on the nape of her neck so she leaned back into his touch.

Elain knew it was wrong. They had never touched like this before and yet, every bone in her body said it was right. She had turned to look at him, gazing into his eyes. She noticed the change in scent, the one that she can smell when Feyre is around Rhysand or Nesta is around Cassian. It made her think that maybe Azriel felt the same way about her that she did him.

Elain bit her lip, "I should go," she said, not bothering to move an inch.

"Yes," he replied. Elain shivered as he started stroking his thumb against her neck. She felt the pulsing beneath her legs that she had only felt late at night while thinking about him. She knew he could sense the change in her smell but she didn't care. He stroked her neck again and she moved a step closer. Staring into his dark eyes and running her eyes over his face, she knew he was the most beautiful male she had ever laid eyes upon. His beauty made her weak in the knees, the way he looked at her.

She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to kiss her, "yes," she breathed.

Azriel slid his hand away from her neck and into her hair, tilting her head up to his. Elain had wanted this, needed this. Her lips parted, breathing in the scent of him so close to her face. She scanned his face then her eyes closed, giving him silent permission to take whatever he wanted. She could feel him getting closer.

Elain melted as his lips met hers. His lips were soft and welcoming, everything she had hoped. Her lips parted further, leaning into the kiss, slowly. The taste of him made her swoon. The kiss only lasted a mere moment before he pulled away. Confusion took over her face. "We can't do this Elain." The hurt took over her face. Noticing it, he leaned down and whispered, "even if I so desperately want to."

Azriel backed away from her, looking her up and down. "Goodnight, Elain." He left her speechless in the living room as he drifted upstairs, his shadows with him.

What the hell just happened.

~Authors Note~

I know that this was short, I just wanted to go ahead and get the first chapter out there. 

The other chapters are definitely going to be much longer than this.

Let me know what you thought about it and if you have any suggestions :)

Toodles <3