The crack of ether violently splitting the air reverberated through the manor. Elias startled, half-rising from the chair before the shadows of the room bent and Victor was simply there, crimson eyes cutting through the dim like a blade through glass.
Elias's breath caught. He hadn't realized his hands were shaking until Victor's gaze found them, until he crossed the distance with a pace too smooth for a man that carried storms in his veins.
Victor pulled Elias into his arms, one palm braced at the back of his head, the other spanning his spine, holding him in a grip that left no space for doubt.
The solidity of it broke the last of Elias's composure. His chest heaved against Victor's, the sound of his breath harsh, unsteady, and too loud in the silence. For a moment he hated himself for it but the bond pulsed hot against his throat, and the words pressed sharp and helpless against his tongue.
