Chapter Ninety-two

“I was a jackass to you, making you take the fall for something that wasn’t your fault.” Lukas went on, taking her hand. His brows were deeply furrowed like he was troubled just remembering how he had treated her.
Claire listened intently, she didn’t want to miss anything that Lukas had to say because she had a lot of insecurities. She needed to hear him disprove them without prompting to her face.
“I still don’t like humans but now I’m willing to give them a chance to prove themselves.” He said bluntly.
Claire cracked a smile at this, it was exactly like what Lukas would say. She didn’t blame him for retaining that belief, even though she was human, she didn’t like everyone just because they were human, but in that same way, she didn’t go around hating people just because they were werewolves.
“And have I proved myself?” She asked coyly.
Lukas rose to his feet and got on the bed beside her, he pushed her to lay on her back and caged her in with his arms. "A long time ago." He breathed, his midnight blue gaze riveted on her.
Claire’s heart slowed down, what did Lukas mean by 'A long time ago’? She wanted to ask but she couldn't form words.
"Now it's my turn to prove myself, " He said lightly, "It's only fair."
"You already did," Claire whispered without thinking, throwing her arms around Lukas' neck to bring him closer to her.
Lukas' gaze melted to a tumultuous storm before stilling, a series of emotions playing out on his face. "I owe you a wedding, don't I?" He murmured, his face merely inches from Claire.
Claire couldn't stop smiling, so much so that her face was starting to hurt. She hadn't expected this in a million years so it was just sinking in - she was actually allowed to fall in love with Lukas because he felt the same.
It was such a liberating feeling, "Can we have a small wedding this time?" She found herself asking, she wasn't sure she could survive another lavish event like their engagement ball.
Lukas chuckled, "I don't think Lola would be happy to hear that." He said teasingly, gently tasting Claire’s lips. "But I'd give you anything you want… I love you, Claire."
The smile fell away from Claire’s face, she didn't hear that right, did she? Lukas loved her? He said it so easily but she felt like she would drown in the intensity in his eyes.
"Lukas…" She whispered, the tears she had kept at bay returning in full force.
Lukas caressed her cheek, "You don't have to say it back…" He trailed off with a short laugh, "I can't believe I avoided you for so long just because I wasn't ready to face how I felt."
Claire couldn't even speak if she wanted to, she was too overwhelmed. She didn't want to dwell on the past though, she wanted the Lukas here with her in the present.
"Kiss me?" She invited, looking up at him.
That was enough of an incentive for Lukas to ravenously claim her lips like he was starving, Claire sank her fingers into his hair to pull him closer, arching slightly under him.
The kiss lit up Claire from within, starting a consuming fire low in her middle. She needed Lukas inside of her, right now…
"Lukas! Oh my god," She gasped when he broke off the kiss to move down the column of her neck, his lips immediately finding her tender mark. She softly moaned, gently tugging on his hair, and parting her legs to urge him closer to her.
Lukas slipped his hands underneath the loose cotton shirt she had on, seductively mapping out every curve and smooth surface of her waist before reaching higher to cup her breasts, his teeth scraping gently over her exposed collarbones.
Claire felt like Lukas’ hands left trails of fiery arousal behind wherever he touched her, setting her nerve ends on fire. The clothes they both had on felt very restrictive, she needed them to be up against each other without any barriers - she needed Lukas to take her like he promised.
So she urged him back up, kissing him with all the love she felt in her heart but was yet to say, they broke apart desperately, frantically tearing at each other’s clothes only to close the distance between them again.
Lukas dug his fingers into her thighs, making her moan into their shared kiss. “Lukas, I need you inside me.” She panted, clutching his shoulders at the heat pooling in her middle.
She cried out his name and hid her face in his neck when Lukas’ hand swept over her inner thighs, his long fingers seeking her hot, wet entrance. His fingers entered her readily, her legs parting wider instinctively for him.
Claire arched when Lukas began thrusting his fingers inside of her, the pleasure was always intense with him, it made her feel like she was going crazy. A shudder wracked through her when he replaced his fingers with his length, she blinked up at him with glassy eyes when he tipped up her face to stare at her with overwhelming emotion in his midnight blue eyes.
“I love you, Lukas.” Claire whispered, a tear spilling out her eyes from how much she felt at that moment.
She leaned up to kiss him next, wrapping her legs around his waist to urge him on. She threw her head back in pleasure when he did, Lukas’ name on the tip of her tongue.
Pleasure bloomed all over when Lukas place his lips on the sensitive mark on her neck, sucking and nibbling. Although their joining this time was tinged with desperation and hunger for each other, Claire felt like this was the sweetest love-making they had ever done because this time there were no doubts, no misunderstanding, just two people who were very in love with each other regardless of their differences.
-+-

Claire woke up to find herself entangled with Lukas on their bed, it was nice to be like him without doubts creeping in - she really did love him.
They hadn't started great but they sure could work together to grow what they had now.
She was wary of moving because she wanted Lukas to get some much-needed rest, not to mention, she was very comfortable in her current position with her husband holding her like she was something precious and fragile.
Husband… She was really going to be getting married to Lukas, and this time it would be her own decision. Claire knew that she could walk away anytime, she didn't want to anymore but the fact that she could, showed her how much Lukas had changed.
It was already sunset, and from what she could see from her current position, the sky was a beautiful soft gold, it perfectly fit how she felt at the moment. She felt warm like she was floating in a pool of sunlight and it was all because of the werewolf sleeping in her arms.
As she gently ran her hands through Lukas’ hair, she realized that she had never cooked for him before. Was it strange that she suddenly want to do just that? She wanted to take care of him in every way that she could and it wasn’t as payback, it was just something that she wanted to do.
Claire didn’t remember falling asleep again but when she woke up for the second time, Lukas was already awake, his dark eyes fixated on her like she was the only thing he could see. It was dark outside and the sun had set a long time ago, a cool breeze flitting in through the swaying curtains.
She smiled shyly, and ducked her head “Hi,”
Lukas lifted her face tenderly so he could look into her eyes, brushing a stray wisp of hair out of her face, “Sleep well, little human?”
The soft way Lukas called her the term of endearment that she once hated made her heart feel like it was getting squeezed by a fist, “I did-”
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, making Lukas pull her deeper into his arms and glare at the offending door.
Like the maid behind the door could sense the hostility, she hastily stated her business, her voice trembling from nervousness. “I-I apologize for the interruption, Your Highnesses but dinner is getting cold.”
The maid hurried off after relaying her message, not bothering to confirm if she had truly passed her message across or not.
Claire took a glance at the time and blanched, it was already 9 PM! It would explain why the maids had panicked enough for them to bravely try to invite them to the dinner table. How had she let the time get away from her? Well, neither of them was exactly to blame, they both had a wild night, it would be more surprising if they hadn’t slept this much.
She made a move to step off the bed only to get caught by Lukas, his arms going around her waist and he pulled her back into his lap. Claire chuckled at the unexpectedness of this, “Lukas? We have to eat dinner.”
“I’d rather eat you,” He drawled, pressing a feather-light kiss to her nape.
Claire shivered, both from Lukas’ actions and words, the fact that he constantly had to be touching her now was giving her a bit of a whiplash but still she couldn’t get enough of it. “I don’t think I’d be very nutritious,”
His hands framed her waist at her response, his voice dropping a couple of octaves lower. “On the contrary, I could live off you for an eternity.”
Claire blushed so deeply that she was certain that Lukas could feel her heating up. It wasn’t fair, Lukas was already perfect, there was no further reason for him to be capable of disarming her with a few words.