Valerian kissed Aurelia like his very survival depended on it. And in truth, it did.
There was nothing gentle in the way his lips claimed hers in that moment, nothing restrained, nothing of the controlled monarch that everyone knew and feared.
It was as though something long contained within him had finally broken its chains, spilling out with a force that made even the air between them feel charged and unstable.
Aurelia barely had time to register the shift before he pulled her closer, pressing her flush against him with an intensity that stole the breath from her lungs.
His right hand slid to her waist, anchoring her as though he was afraid she might disappear if he loosened his grip even slightly.
His left hand cradled her head and he deepend the kiss. The storm inside him was no longer silent. It came alive at that moment and it was reacting to her immensely.
