Bloom and Destruction (ACOTAR - Elain + Azriel)

Chapter 13

Azriel

    I open my eyes to the sun beaming through the blinds. I blink rapidly. I slept. I fell asleep and slept for the night. A grin spreads over my face as I look down. My smile quickly falters when I realize Elain is no longer in the bed. I push myself up and quickly stretch my wings. I look at my clothes on the floor and shrug. Just us in the house, right?

    I open the bedroom door and walk down the hallway. I smile when my eyes meet Elian's perfect body dancing around the kitchen. I lean against the door way and watch in awe. She hums happily, swaying her hips as she stirs whatever dough sat in the bowl in her arms.

"Oh!" She set the bowl down as her eyes connected with mine. "Good morning!" She wipes her hands on a towel before walking over to me. "You didn't bother to get dressed?" She notes as she wraps her arms around my neck.

I snake my arms around her waist, pressing my hands against her back and pulling her into me. "I did not," I lean down so our noses brush against each other. She hums a response , leaning up so our lips meet. I pull away and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "What are you making?" I slide my hands down to cup her cheeks.

    A blush creeps up to her upper cheeks with the motion. "Homemade blueberry muffins," she whispers.

    "Oh?" I brush my lips against hers. "Where did you get what you needed for that?"

    "Feyre stopped by this morning with a basket. She also dropped off some clothes for me," her hands slide into my hair.

    "How lovely of the High Lady," I whisper as I pick Elain up and set her onto my waist. She only has the chance to nod before I kiss her again, this time more passionately than a quick peck. I turn us and press her back against the wall, using her gasp as a chance to slip my tongue into her mouth.

She pulls away slightly, mumbling, "the muffins can wait," before attacking my lips with hers again.

♡ ♡ ♡

    A few hours later, I lay on the couch with Elain straddling my waist, feeding me a muffin. My hands rest on her bare thighs as I smile up at her. She smiles back and takes a bite for herself. "So," she swallows the bite before feeding me another. "Feyre asked me to tell you that Rhys will take care of things for a few days."

I prop my torso up with my elbow against the couch cushions. "Oh?" I steal the last bite of the muffin in her hand.

She giggles, tossing the liner to the table beside us. "She said they both want us to spend a few days together, alone. To get it out of our systems," she air quotes around the words.

"Mm," I hum, sitting up and pulling her so her chest is against mine. "And what ever does the High Lady mean by that?" I breathe out.

She wraps her arms around my neck as I shift so I'm sitting against the back of the couch with my feet firmly planted on the floor. "I think," she leans her face closer to mine. "She means for us to continue what we were doing this morning," her lips brush against mine.

I twirl the end of her hair between my fingers against her back. "And what was that?" I feel myself growing against the bare apex of her thighs. She sighs, instinctually rolling her hips against mine. I slide my hand up to grip the hair at the base of her skull in a fist, while the other slides between us. "Did she mean for us to kiss some more?" I tease as I press my thumb to her clit. She whimpers in response making me chuckle. "Use your words," I command.

    "I-I think so," she musters.

    I hum, "so then kiss me. We wouldn't want to disobey the High Lady," I muse. She's quick to press her lips to mine with her arms tightening around my neck. I tug at her hair, making her tilt her head back to expose her neck to me. I sink my teeth into her sensitive skin, making her cry out before I run my tongue the tender mark.

    A knock on the front door makes me grunt. Rhysand, I smell his scent as I effortlessly lift Elain off of my lap and place her on the couch. I wrap a blanket around her naked body before grabbing one for myself and wrapping it around my waist like a towel. I head toward the door, smiling at the sound of Elain's rushed footsteps heading toward the bedroom. I swing open the door with a stone cold expression.

Rhys looks me up at down, his eyes snagging on the white knuckles holding the blanket around me. "I apologize for the inconvenience," he smirks. "But there is a problem."

"It better be a big problem," I growl.

"Keir is in Velaris. He is looking for Mor," Rhys examines my expressionless face. "He is threatening to slaughter the entire city to find her. Cassian has him and the Dark Bringers he brought with him at the House of Wind."

Elain's footsteps approach as I suck in a breath. "Winnow me there. Get her back to the house with Feyre." I say as I grab Elain's hand.

"Don't you want to put some clothes on?" Rhys laughs.

"I have clothes at the House of Wind," I murmur before a tornado of black smoke engulfs us.

Rhys winnows me above the House of Wind. I hold the blanket with one hand as I fall toward the house. I flap my wings steadily as I watch him disappear with Elian.