Chapter 14

He took a swift step forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. His hands reached out, gripping her arms with a strength that sent a shiver down her spine. Before Aeliana could even register what was happening, he pulled her toward him, his lips crashing against hers in a sudden, fierce kiss.

Aeliana's eyes widened in shock, her heart hammering in her chest as his mouth claimed hers. The kiss was hard, almost punishing, filled with a raw intensity that took her breath away. For a moment, she didn't know how to react. Her body was frozen, her mind spinning, but then, slowly, she began to respond.

Her hands found his chest, pushing against him-not to escape, but to ground herself against the whirlwind of emotions that had just swept her up. His chest was solid, warm beneath her palms, and the heat radiating from his body contrasted with the cold ferocity of the kiss. Aeliana's mind was a chaotic storm, battling between instinctive fear and something deeper, something undeniable that stirred in the pit of her stomach.

For a fleeting second, she let herself get lost in it, her heart pounding in her chest as her body responded to the intensity of his touch. There was something primal in the way he kissed her-something raw, untamed, and yet deeply controlled, as if he was fighting himself as much as he was kissing her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, only feel the weight of him pressing into her, overwhelming her senses.

But just as quickly as it began, it ended.

Tharx broke the kiss, pulling away from her so suddenly it left her reeling. His hands dropped from her arms as though her skin had burned him, and he took several steps back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His glowing eyes blazed with something unrecognizable, and for a moment, Aeliana thought he might explode with whatever turmoil was raging inside him.

The air between them crackled with tension, thick and suffocating, but there was something else too-an undercurrent of vulnerability that Aeliana had never seen in Tharx before. His chest heaved as he struggled to regain control, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as if fighting the urge to touch her again.

Aeliana's heart was still racing, her lips tingling from the sudden, unexpected kiss. She couldn't find the words to speak, couldn't make sense of what had just happened. All she could do was stare at him, her chest rising and falling in time with his as the reality of the moment crashed down around her.

Tharx's face darkened, a deep, self-loathing anger flashing in his eyes. His lips parted as if to say something, but instead, a low growl escaped him. He spun around violently, his cape swirling behind him as he stormed toward the doorway.

Aeliana blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Wait-"

"No," he snarled, turning back toward her, his expression a mixture of fury and confusion. "This was a mistake."

Her breath hitched at his words, the sharpness of his voice cutting through the charged atmosphere like a knife. His eyes bore into hers, but this time, there was no cold detachment-only the raw force of emotions he could no longer contain. She could see it now, clearer than ever: Tharx was battling himself as much as he was battling her.

"You don't understand, human," he spat, his voice low and guttural, the words barely contained between clenched teeth. "This cannot happen. You cannot happen."

Aeliana took a hesitant step forward, her mind swirling with a thousand questions she still didn't have answers to. "Tharx, I-"

"Enough!" he roared, his hand slamming into the wall beside him, the impact causing the stone to tremble under the force of his frustration. His glowing eyes narrowed on her, but the storm inside them wasn't directed at her. He was fighting himself-torn between what he had just done and what he knew was wrong.

"You want answers?" he asked, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper, his chest heaving as though the very act of speaking was tearing him apart. "The only answer you need to understand is that you are mine. Not because I want you to be. Not because I-" His voice cracked ever so slightly, a flicker of something vulnerable showing through his hardened exterior. "You are a distraction. A danger. To me. To everything I have built. This cannot happen."

Aeliana's heart clenched at his words, and despite the overwhelming tension between them, she could see the pain lurking beneath the anger in his voice. He wasn't just angry at her-he was angry at himself. Angry at whatever force had drawn them together, despite his best efforts to push her away.

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why am I such a danger to you? What are you so afraid of?"

Tharx turned away from her, his hands clenching into fists as if he could physically hold back the answer. His shoulders were rigid, his entire body tense with the effort of maintaining control.

"I cannot feel this," he said quietly, his voice strained and broken. "I cannot afford to feel anything. Not for you. Not for anyone."

His words hit her harder than she expected. The cold, aloof king who had claimed her, who had kept her at arm's length and refused to give her any real answers, was cracking before her eyes. His emotional armor was shattering, piece by piece, and Aeliana could see the turmoil beneath.

She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to speak again. "Tharx, I didn't ask for this either. But I'm here now. You brought me here. And I don't understand why you're so afraid of what you feel. You're not some unfeeling ruler. I see it in your eyes. You're drawn to me, and you hate it. But if you hate it so much, why do you keep me close?"

Tharx's back remained to her, but she could see the way his shoulders trembled ever so slightly. He was silent for a long moment, his body tense as if bracing for something.

Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low and full of frustration. "Because you are mine."

The words were simple, but they carried a weight that made Aeliana's heart skip. He said them as though they explained everything, as though the very fact of her being his should answer every question. And in a way, it did.

But it wasn't enough. Not anymore.

She took another step forward, her voice steady despite the fear pounding in her chest. "That's not an answer. Not really."

Tharx turned then, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and something deeper-something far more dangerous. His chest rose and fell with the weight of his emotions, and for a moment, Aeliana thought he might lash out at her again, might try to push her away as he always did.

But instead, he took a slow, deliberate breath, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her knees feel weak.

"Go back to your room," he said, his voice low and controlled. "You can use the library if you wish."

Aeliana blinked in surprise, her pulse quickening. "Wait-what?"

His eyes flickered with frustration. "You heard me. Take your books. Read to your heart's content. Just stay away from me."

And with that, Tharx turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, his heavy footsteps echoing through the corridor until they faded into the distance, leaving Aeliana standing alone in the kitchen, her heart racing and her mind spinning with everything that had just happened.

She stared after him, her body still humming with the intensity of their encounter. The kiss, his words, the raw emotion in his voice-it was all too much to process. But one thing was clear: Tharx was fighting something he couldn't control, and whatever it was, it was tearing him apart.

And despite everything, despite the danger, despite the fear, Aeliana couldn't stop herself from being drawn to him.