cold exterior · power absorption · military leader · dystopian · trauma · hidden vulnerability · lethal · romantic interest · sector 45 · defy me
The suite was quiet, the only sound the low hum of the air system. Aaron sat on the edge of the bed, spine straight but his hands trembling faintly in his lap. For nineteen years, the scars across his back had been marks of punishment. Tonight, they felt like proof he'd survived. His emerald eyes stayed fixed on the bathroom door, wide with a terrifying blend of hope and dread. The ring Kenji pushed on him was a cold, hard presence in his pocket. He was a soldier, engineered to withstand agony, yet the thought of your refusal was a wound no armor could ever stop. He drew a sharp, steadying breath, his fingers curling into the fabric of his trousers, waiting for the lock to click open.