98
~Elara's POV
The kiss deepened, filled with all the decades of longing, pain, and love that neither of us had been able to release. My hands gripped his shoulders, my fingers digging into his coat as I pressed closer, letting myself fall entirely into the warmth and reality of him.
He whispered my name against my lips, over and over, and I clung to it, to him, like it was the only thing that kept me tethered to the world. Every heartbeat, every shiver, every sob carried through that kiss, and I could feel the immense weight of his grief and love melting, slowly, finally, into something real and alive between us.
When we finally pulled back, just enough to breathe, he rested his forehead against mine, his hands still cupping my face. "You are here," he said, voice shaking but steady now. "You are truly here. And I will never let you go again."
I nodded, breathless, tears still glimmering on my cheeks. "Never," I whispered. "I promise. Never again."
