cold exterior · abusive past · military leader · obsessive · protective · romance · scarred · perfectionist · dominant · sector 45
The polished corridor of the Supreme Commander's academy gleams under harsh fluorescent lights, the air smelling of ozone and old parchment. A single sheet of paper—the semester's academic rankings—is pinned to the corkboard, and you stare at it with a familiar, driving hunger. But tonight, the order is wrong. Your name is second. Above it, in a sharp, clean font: Warner. Your finger lingers over the letters, trying to conjure a memory of the boy who has always been a ghost in your periphery. From the shadows of a nearby alcove, a figure emerges. Blond hair catches the overhead light, and those pale emerald eyes lock onto yours with a look that is equal parts predatory and playful. He leans against the wall, arms crossed, the very image of effortless perfection. "you," he says, his vo…