Song of Shadows

Chapter Twenty-One

Azriel

Elain nuzzles her cheek into my hand as I stroke her face. She pulls on the bottom of my tunic with a mischievous smile. I use a tendril of my power to release the hidden buttons, and the black cloth falls away, joining her jewel colored gown on the snowy ground. Elain traces the lines of my muscles with her fingers.

The urge to feel every inch of her soft skin, to taste her, hear her calling my name, pounds through me. I bend to kiss her neck again. She arches into me, breathing heavily. Her hands clench my back, her nails digging into the skin. I trace the line of her collar bone before taking her breast into my mouth. Elain's moan reverberates through me.

My hands stroke her chest, her stomach, going lower as I tease her with my tongue, my lips. "Azriel..." she groans. I smile wickedly against her skin. Her finger traces the arch of my wing, dragging a growl from my throat.

I press the evidence of my desire into her hip, savoring her gasp. Tendrils of shadow come to life, wrapping themselves around the shield from my Siphons, shielding us from sight. Elain's hands reach for my wings again, but I gently hold her back with a shadow. She pulls against it and groans again. "I want to touch you," she whispers.

"I know," I say. She reaches for me with her other hand, but it stops short. Her breathing quickens as I begin tracing the lines of her body again. She writhes against the shadows. A strangled gasp escapes her throat as I kiss the apex of her thighs. "Azriel..." I release her arms, and her fingers wrap themselves in my hair. She pulls slightly, but I don't lift my head. "Azriel, please."

Elain's breathing quickens, her hands curling into tight fists, as I stroke her with my tongue. She tries to pull away as her climax shatters through her, but I hold her tightly. "Azriel, please," she begs again. I kiss her, savoring the taste of sun-ripened fruit and spring sunshine. Her hands move down my chest and try to unfasten the button on my pants.

A satisfied smirk crosses her face when she succeeds. Those soft lips trace a line down my throat as she strokes my arms. I flip us over, setting her gently on my stomach. The shadows curl around us, moving like water over my body and hers. Elain continues her explorations with her fingers and mouth until I am burning with desire.

I lift her up again, holding her above me. She squirms in my arms and moans. "Please, Azriel." My name on her lips snaps the last bit of control. I lower her onto me, watching her face. Her mouth slackens as I fill her to the brim.

The scent of blood fills the air. "Are you alright?" I ask. I move to lift her, but Elain shakes her head.

"Yes. I've... I've never been with a man... a male I mean," she whispers. Elain interlaces her fingers with mine and moves her hips slowly, eliciting an involuntary groan from deep inside of me. "I love you, Azriel."

"And I love you, Elain." Balancing herself on my hands, she moves her hips faster. I thrust into her, savoring the feel of her. Her grip tightens as another climax tears through her. Hearing my name in the noises she makes sends me over the edge. I lift Elain's shaking body from mine and lay her across my chest.

I stroke her hair and back as her breathing quiets. Elain lets out a content sigh. "Nesta always told me that... I would never enjoy... what we did."

I fight to keep my annoyance with the eldest Archeron sister out of my voice. "Why is that?"

"She said men were selfish and didn't care about the women."

"I'm not a man," I say, a bit of iciness in my voice.

Elain props herself up on one elbow. "I know you're not." Her expression darkens. Sighing, she sits up and hugs her knees. Her breathing hitches as tears fall down her cheek. "I'm scared, Azriel."