The tribunal chamber had fallen silent behind them, but the chaos inside Elena hadn't.
Lucien didn't speak as they crossed the threshold into his private quarters. He moved like a predator on edge—too controlled, too quiet. The heavy door slammed shut behind them with a final thud. The lock clicked, and in that moment, something in the air between them snapped.
"I should be furious," Lucien said, his voice low and strained, golden eyes glinting in the low firelight.
Elena lifted her chin, heart still hammering from her outburst in the council hall. "Then why aren't you?"
His lips twitched, somewhere between a scowl and a smirk. "Because I've never wanted you more."
He was on her in an instant.
His mouth claimed hers, hard and unapologetic, and she answered with fire. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her into him so tightly she could feel the ridges of every muscle, every shudder in his breath. His kiss tasted like fury and hunger, but underneath it, there was something more volatile—desire that had been held back far too long.
Elena's fingers tangled in the collar of his shirt, yanking it open. Buttons flew. His shirt hit the floor. The skin beneath was hot and taut, scars and strength painted in shadow. She kissed across his chest, tasting the battle-forged body of a king, the man who had fought for her before he even knew why.
Lucien growled low in his throat, then spun her around so quickly her breath caught. Her back hit the stone wall with a soft gasp, her arms pinned above her head by one of his large hands. The other hand traveled down her body, tracing every curve.
"You have no idea what you do to me," he said, his voice rough against her neck. "No idea how close I am to losing control."
"Then lose it," she whispered, grinding against his hips. "I want all of you. Every savage part."
With a guttural sound, Lucien yanked at her dress, tearing the bodice open like paper. The rip of fabric echoed in the room. She stood bare beneath him, moonlight catching on her flushed skin, eyes blazing with defiance and need.
He stepped back just long enough to drink her in, his gaze dragging from her throat to the heat between her legs. "You're perfect."
Then he dropped to his knees.
Elena gasped as his mouth pressed against her inner thigh, lips grazing the sensitive skin. One strong arm hooked under her leg, lifting it over his shoulder as his mouth descended between her folds. He licked her slowly at first—long, thorough strokes that made her tremble. Then he flattened his tongue and worked her with ruthless precision, pulling cries from her lips, her hands digging into his hair.
She writhed against the wall, her body on fire, her knees buckling under the weight of pleasure as his mouth brought her to the brink. When she came, it was with a cry that echoed through the stone chamber, her hips jerking forward uncontrollably as he held her in place and drank in every second of it.
Lucien stood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes blazing. "That was just the beginning."
He scooped her into his arms like she weighed nothing, carrying her across the room to his massive bed—a nest of furs and velvet that smelled like him.
She barely hit the mattress before he was on top of her, kissing her again, slower now, like he was memorizing her taste. His hand slid between her thighs again, teasing her already-sensitive center. She whimpered, bucking against his fingers.
"I need you inside me," she said breathlessly. "Now."
Lucien groaned, eyes flashing gold. "Say it again."
She reached down and wrapped her hand around the thick length of him, stroking once. His hips jolted.
"I want you inside me. I want to feel you lose control."
That did it.
Lucien positioned himself between her thighs and thrust deep into her in one powerful stroke. Elena cried out, her back arching at the stretch, the way he filled her completely. He held still for a moment, letting her adjust, his forehead pressed against hers, breathing hard.
"You feel like you were made for me," he whispered, voice broken.
"Then show me."
He began to move—slow at first, deep and deliberate, grinding against her in a way that made her toes curl. Then he picked up the pace, each thrust harder, hungrier. She clawed at his back, meeting him thrust for thrust, sweat slicking their skin.
Their rhythm became frantic. A dance of bodies, a collision of souls. When she tightened around him, close to release again, Lucien grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, thrusting even deeper, claiming her entirely.
"Come for me," he growled into her ear. "Let them all hear who you belong to."
She shattered beneath him, her scream muffled only by his kiss as he thrust one final time, coming with a raw moan that sounded like worship and surrender all at once.
They collapsed into the bedding, tangled in heat and heartbeat.
Lucien rolled to his side and pulled her into his chest, brushing damp hair from her face. "I don't regret a thing," he said softly.
"Even if the court uses this against you?"
He smiled, dangerous and sure. "Let them try. They'd have to tear out my heart to take you from me."
Elena nestled closer, letting herself believe—for one night—that love could be stronger than fate.